In Manchán's Europe By Train, Manchán Mangan embraces the ethos of slow travel, taking the time to get to know people and places, and experiencing local customs and traditions.
In episode three, with half of his journey completed, Manchán travelled westward from Budapest to begin the return leg home to Ireland. From Hungary he continued to Zagreb in Croatia and then on to Lake Bled in Slovenia. From Bled, he travelled north over the border of Austria to catch a sleeper train across Italy and finish this part of his flight-free adventure in Genoa. You can plan your own journey via Interrail.
Travel Emissions
If Manchán had completed the route from Budapest to Genoa by air and car, he would have emitted a total of 232 kg of CO2. Going by train, he only emitted 42 kg.
Activities in Zagreb
Witches' Tour of Upper Old Town
Croatia has a storied history with witchcraft - some 250 so-called 'witches' were burned between 1699 and 1705. Mediaeval historian Martina Findrik’s tours plunge visitors right into the witch lore of Zagreb, from the tunnels where they hid to the famous St. Mark's church where they stood trial. After visiting the macabre locations around Old Town, Martina is also on hand to brew an ancient magic potion with visitors for a truly authentic experience.
Cravat shopping with a local guide
Check out some of the most stylish offerings in the city at Zagreb’s luxury Croata tie shop, beloved of diplomats the world over. To learn more about the local legends and traditions with neckties (and for a helping hand tying cravats, Croatian-style), local tour guide Iva Silla is the perfect person
to approach.
Croatia is renowned for its stunning landscapes, and how better to get a bird’s eye view than by floating lazily above the countryside in a hot air balloon? Internationally ranked balloon pilot Igor Mikloušić offers ballooning experiences, complete with champagne upon landing, just outside the city with his company Ballooning Croatia. Truly one for the bucket list.
Activities in Lake Bled
What better place to be at one with nature than in a riverfront glamping site, a stone’s throw from the shores of Lake Bled? Garden Village Bled offers a unique outdoor accommodation experience complete with a running river, waterfalls, and a biotope swimming pool. The mindset at Garden Village Bled is all about connecting to nature, and almost everything on site is edible, with seasonal produce from the gardens used in the on-site restaurant.
Lake Bled is home to Slovenia’s only island, accessed by rowboat or traditional Pletna, a sort of public transport boat with a tradition not unlike the Venetian gondola. The postcard-perfect Bled Island is worth the journey, as it’s full of tradition and legends, including a wishing bell. All that rowing is sure to work up an appetite, but hungry visitors need look no further than local business Bled Breakfast, which offers a selection of produce from local farmers in a lovely picnic basket.
Slovenia has the highest number of beekeepers per capita in the world, and there is a growing trend of ‘apitourism’ in the country. The Beekeeping Ambrožič apiary near Bled is a hive of activity where visitors can practise api-therapy, learn more about the specially-protected native Carniolan bees of Slovenia, sample honey and even paint a piece of folk art for the front of a hive.
Activities in Genoa
Snorkel at an underwater statue
Italian freediving was born in the area around Genoa, and just outside the city lies a freediver’s paradise: a protected marine area where avid snorkelers and divers can find a hidden statue known as Christ of the Abyss. The stunning azure waters and vertiginous cliffs above the sea are well worth a visit in and of themselves, but just below the surface lies a whole other world of incredible fish and flora to discover. Local group the Ziguele Co-operative, a collective of ecologists and biologists, offer guided excursions to this and other wonders of the Italian Riviera.
Market visit and cooking classes
No visit to Liguria would be complete without sampling the finest delicacies the region has to offer. Not sure where to begin? No problem – foodies can get their fill thanks to Enrica Monzani, who brings visitors on a culinary journey of Liguria as part of her business A Small Kitchen in Genoa. Start with a trip to the city’s famed Mercato Orientale, a veritable feast for the senses, where Enrica offers advice on picking the freshest of basil and the best of pine nuts. Then, it’s back to Enrica’s home kitchen where she teaches visitors how to make authentic Genoese pesto in the mortar just like nonna used to make. Delizioso!
Watch Manchán's Europe by Train on Sundays at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and on the RTÉ Player.
