The Habsburg Empire is coming! Pre-order now your copy of our second guidebook!

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, the pioneer of hand washing

After the Covid-19 pandemic, you must now know the importance of washing your hands regularly to limit cases of infections. But did you know that the first doctor to discover that it is essential to wash your hands  –  especially in the medical field  –  actually did nothing but provoke the wrath of his colleagues,… Continue reading Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, the pioneer of hand washing

Follow the steps of 19th-century VIPs in Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary

During the 19th century Karlovy Vary and other Czech spa towns drew visitors from all over Europe. Franz Kafka, Mark Twain, Karl Marx, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Emperor Franz Joseph, they all visited Bohemia’s “Spa Triangle”. Today, while you have to reserve actual spa treatments well in advance, you can walk in the footsteps… Continue reading Follow the steps of 19th-century VIPs in Karlovy Vary

The lessons we can learn from the Habsburg Empire

Vienna, Austria: View of Upper Belvedere in Christmas decorations at Christmas Eve

Pieter M. Judson holds the Chair in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century History at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy). He is the author of “The Habsburg Empire: A New History”, published in 2016 and so far translated in 12 languages. We asked him what perception Europeans have of this “extinguished country” and what lessons… Continue reading The lessons we can learn from the Habsburg Empire

The hidden traces of Habsburg Belgrade

View of Belgrade at sunset

The Habsburg Empire tried to conquer Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire several times: in 1688, in 1717, and then again in 1789. 1717 was the only time the Habsburgs retained long-term control over Belgrade, and between 1717 and 1739, Belgrade became the capital of the semi-autonomous Kingdom of Serbia within the Habsburg Empire. Although brief,… Continue reading The hidden traces of Habsburg Belgrade

Our interview with Croatian HRT

Giovanni Vale and Ivana Pogacic

We spoke about Extinguished Countries and the upcoming guidebook to the Habsburg Empire with Croatian public television HRT. The programme that interviewed our own Giovanni Vale and Ivana Pogačić is Alpe Dunav Jadran. At this address you can find the video of the episode, recorded in our offices in Zagreb and near the Croatian National… Continue reading Our interview with Croatian HRT

Opatija: a tale of sea, spas and railways

This article originally appeared in Italian on Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Traseuropa. You can find the article here: The birth of tourism in Opatija. In Istria, during the Habsburg period, it was the spas and wellness treatments at local resorts that sprouted tourism. Among the most important localities in the area is Opatija, which soon became… Continue reading Opatija: a tale of sea, spas and railways

Our interview with Tportal

Tportal interview screenshot

The Croatian portal Tportal came to meet us at our office in Zagreb to talk to us about the upcoming book on the Habsburg Empire and the Extinguished Countries project in general. They were also particularly interested in when a guide to Yugoslavia will come out… You can read the full interview (in Croatian) here.

Our interview with Croatian TV N1

Giovanni Vale from Extinguished Countries at N1 Television

We’ve been invited to talk about the Habsburg Empire’s legacy and the Extinguished Countries project at the Croatian branch of N1 television. N1 is a regional 24-hour news channel, as well as CNN International’s local broadcast partner and affiliate. It has branches in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and it is available in all former… Continue reading Our interview with Croatian TV N1

The crowdfunding campaign for the Habsburg Empire has started!

We just started our crowdfunding campaign for the second Extinguished Countries guidebook: the Habsburg Empire. You can now pre-order your copy of the guide and join us in this new adventure in Europe’s history! Watch the campaign video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoSOPNQCFRI Extinguished Countries is a series of travel guidebooks to countries that no longer exist.   … Continue reading The crowdfunding campaign for the Habsburg Empire has started!

Our interview with Italian TV Rai

Today we had the pleasure of presenting the Extinguished Countries project and the forthcoming guide on the Habsburg Empire on TGR RAI Bolzano television. You can watch the entire interview (in Italian) here below or on the television’s website: https://extinguishedcountries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/3011-BGR0730-S-OSPITE-STATI-SCOMPARSI_2079633.mp4 TGR is the regional information service of RAI, the Italian public television. Bolzano, in the… Continue reading Our interview with Italian TV Rai