Alsace is a unique destination, one of France’s most picturesque corners. This region is so rich with history and so linked with its traditions, it feels like a bridge to Old World Europe. It also vibrates with color, and is one of France’s most photogenic corners. Wendell Rogers is a regular UnTourist who has traveled…
La Fiesta de los Patios da Cordoba, the Patios Festival, is a uniquely colorful tradition in Cordoba that dates back to 1918. So much of the city’s beauty is cultivated in the private courtyards of local people, who lovingly fill their outdoor spaces with layers of geraniums and other potted flowers. Many of these picturesque…
What is overtourism? Overtourism has become a catchall term for the oversaturation of a neighborhood, region, or city with tourists. Just when a place hits this critical tipping point is up for debate, but we can all agree it is a growing concern, a blight that undermines the quality of life for locals and erodes…
River cruises are very popular, and we find many of the people in our UnTours community of travelers enjoy them. Whether UnTourists add a cruise to their UnTour or spend some of their trips abroad sailing the rivers, they can find a fantastic selection of offerings on our UnTours Ventures site. The Danube is one…
Central Scotland is a favorite summer destination. Here is the review of a recent guest of ours, who joined friends on our Central Scotland UnTour; he lays out some of the places they were able to visit on their stay. All arrangements made beforehand were exactly as described and connections were on time. Val and…
Florence still has her sweet spots, as any Florence UnTour guest knows well. Though the historic center can feel overrun with tourists and students on a busy day in June, there are plenty of back streets and hidden churches to lure you in. Here are a few of my favorite alternatives to the tried and…
Tracy Louis Hyde has led our Tuscany UnTour on the ground near Montalcino for a couple years now. She loves her work with us and is eager to share her region. She took some time to share some thoughts about her work and her love for Tuscany. Tell us a little bit about your professional…
Catch up with Joao, our local staff person on the Sintra UnTour in central Portugal, and a veteran UnTours staffer. Tell us a little bit about your professional background. What drew you to working in tourism? I began working in 98 when Portugal hosted the last world exhibit to celebrate the maiden voyage of Vasco…
Our dear friend and colleague Harriet Gussoni passed away this year, on July 22. Harriet ran our Tuscany UnTour on the ground in Italy since its beginning, in the early 90s until her recent retirement from her UnTours work in fall of 2017. Harriet was born in the US and her studies of Renaissance art…
Our loyal and frequent UnTourist Joanne Choyka made a cool discovery last fall in Tuscany. This is a photo taken last fall in Pitigliano, in Tuscany. My grandparents immigrated from this town to the US in the early 1900’s. My grandfather took a job working at the Hershey Chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where my…