Editor’s letter L AK ES & MOUNTAINS COL L E C T ION 20 2 6
National Geographic Traveller (UK) — The Collection team Editor: Sacha Scoging Deputy editor: Charlotte Wigram-Evans Art Director: Becky Redman Deputy Art Director: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Art Editors: Dean Reynolds, Kelly Markwell Chief Sub-Editor: Olivia McLearon Senior Sub-Editors: Hannah Doherty, Victoria Smith Sub-Editors: Lucy Coward, Rory Goulding, Chris Horton, Ben Murray Director of Sales: Danny Pegg Campaign Managers: James Bendien, Lorna Goodings, Matthew Rickard Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Production Controllers: Vinny Bains, Joe Mendonca, Natasha Ullman
It was at dawn, while standing at the edge of Slovenia’s Lake Bled during my fi rst interrailing trip, that I came to appreciate the elemental power of a lake. The water was as smooth as blown glass, broken only by a handful of swans slicing across its surface, like scissors through silk. A neat procession of wooden rowing boats bobbed beneath the church-crowned island at the lake’s centre, while low cloud hung in the valley behind, briefl y veiling the Julian Alps before the peaks emerged, layer by layer, in the early amber light. Back then, my best friend and I had the entire place to ourselves. But beauty,
inevitably, draws attention. Since then, Lake Bled has become Slovenia’s most famous natural landmark, luring visitors with its fairytale setting and Alpine drama. But continue west along the valley fl oor for another half hour, until the road ends and you can drive no further, and you arrive at its sister lake, Bohinj — a quieter, wilder sweep of glacier-fed water, hidden beneath the peaks of Triglav National Park. It’s these lesser-known shores we seek out in this issue’s cover story — the
pockets of Europe that reward those who dare to venture a little further, from North Macedonia’s church-dotted Ohrid to Finland’s wildlife-rich Saimaa and Cumbria’s serene Ennerdale Water (p.6). Elsewhere, we travel by rail through Uzbekistan’s Tien-Shan mountains
(p.24), summit some of the world’s most thrilling volcanoes (p.16) and uncover how lakes and mountains are becoming powerful frontiers for rewilding and ecological recovery (p.30). All this, plus our roundup of hotels and retreats, brought to you by our advertising partners, to help you plan your next mountain escape (p.40).
Sac h a Sacha Scoging, editor NATGEOTR AVE LU K
National Geographic Traveller (UK) team Editorial Director & Chief Operating Officer: Maria Pieri Managing Editor: Glen Mutel Publisher: Matthew Midworth Deputy Editor: Amanda Canning Executive Editor: Lorna Parkes Commissioning Editor: Angela Locatelli Assistant Editor: Sam Kemp Associate Editor: Farida Zeynalova Senior Editor: Sarah Barrell Senior Content Strategist: Berkok Yüksel Digital Content Editor: Karlina Valeiko Digital Content Assistant: Lena Müller Head of Branded Content: Flora Neighbour
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