Only in Marseille
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9505392-5-7
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 1 (2025)
Specification: Paperback, 120 pages, 56 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 10.95, € 12.90, US$ 16.00, CDN$ 22.00
ISBN-13: 978-3-9505392-5-7
Coming Spring 2025! Discover Marseille’s ancient origins, bustling port life and exciting cultural scene with this explorer’s guide to the oldest city in France.
In a world where places become ever more similar,
Hidden Europe
it is an absolute joy to stumble on the Only In Guides.
• A ground-breaking illustrated guide to 55 fascinating and unusual historical sites in the alternative French capital. Celtic ruins and state-of-the-art museums, colonial ghosts and ethnic enclaves, street art and culinary delights.
• From the Count of Monte Cristo and the Abbey of the Black Madonna to Le Corbusier’s Radiant City and the Velodrome Stadium.
• An Underwater Museum, an Armenian Quarter, an Art Deco Opera House, and a traditional soap factory.
• Rugged sea coves, Buddhist pagodas, country homes, and a game of pétanque.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
Only in Trieste
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9505392-3-3
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 1 (2024)
Specification: Paperback, 120 pages, 56 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 10.95, € 12.90, US$ 16.00, CDN$ 22.00
ISBN-13: 978-3-9505392-3-3
New for 2024! Discover Trieste’s Habsburg-era glories, multi-ethnic influences and burgeoning cultural life with this explorer’s guide to Italy’s alternative city destination. The first real English-language guide to the city in many years.
Trieste, long part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is the perfect city for Smith’s carefully-researched, inspiring treatment, bringing to life this most evocative of central European cities.
A Reader
• A ground-breaking illustrated guide to 55 fascinating and unusual historical sites in Italy’s unsung port city and beyond. Roman ruins and curious caves, wartime tales and seaside traditions, classic cafés and museums galore.
• From Italy’s best-kept dinosaur and the Theresian Aqueduct to Fascist skyscrapers and a Brutalist housing complex.
• The first Museum of Wind, the footsteps of James Joyce, the Pharaoh’s Villa, and Tito’s quarry of death.
• Miramare Castle, the Victory Lighthouse, segregated sea bathing, and the world’s biggest regatta.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
TRIESTE REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Only in Dubrovnik
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-8-0
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 1 (2023)
Specification: Paperback, 120 pages, 56 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 10.95, € 12.90, US$ 16.00, CDN$ 22.00
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-8-0
Recently published! Discover Dubrovnik’s enthralling architecture, tumultuous history and artistic treasures with this explorer’s guide to Croatia’s culture capital.
Duncan’s book is sure to find those less hectic off-beat places in the city.
A reader
• A ground-breaking illustrated guide to 55 fascinating and unusual historical sites in Croatia’s famous walled city and beyond. Fearsome forts and forgotten palaces, saintly relics and vestiges of war, converted convents and cursed islands.
• From a macabre cathedral treasury and an ancient arboretum to Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar and a holiday resort in ruins.
• The Red History Museum, a submerged river valley, one of Europe’s oldest quarantine hospitals, and a clifftop cemetery.
• A Game of Thrones’ tour, an historic pharmacy, Onofrio’s aqueduct, and the origin of the necktie.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
DUBROVNIK REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Flames and Flowers: Trsteno Arboretum (Mediterranean Garden Society)
Only In St. Petersburg
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-7-3
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 1 (Postponed)
Specification: Paperback, 120 pages, 56 colour photos & one fold-out map, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 9.95, € 11.90, US$ 15.00, CDN$ 22.00
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-7-3
Publication postponed! Discover St. Petersburg’s breathtaking architecture, tumultuous history and artistic treasures with this explorer’s guide to Russia’s culture capital.
In a world where places become ever more similar, it is an absolute joy to stumble on the Only In Guides. The author brings to the series the gaze of the enquiring outsider.
Hidden Europe magazine
• A ground-breaking illustrated guide to 55 fascinating and unusual historical sites in Russia’s second city. Baroque palaces and Bolshevik factories, Orthodox churches and Soviet-era bars, magnificent metros and writers’ retreats.
• From Peter the Great’s cabin and the first shopping arcade to an Art Nouveau railway station and the most modern planetarium.
• The Peacock Clock, Stalin’s Big House, a zoo under siege, and a warrior’s monastery.
• The death of Rasputin, a forgotten mansion, the Berezovsky Mammoth, and Nabokov’s butterflies.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
ST. PETERSBURG REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Reviews
Only In Seville
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-9-7
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 2 (2023)
Specification: Paperback, 120 pages, 56 colour photos & one fold-out map, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 10.95, € 12.90, US$ 16.00, CDN$ 22.00
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-9-7
Recently published! Discover Seville’s colourful history, astonishing architecture and dynamic street life with this explorer’s guide to Spain’s most alluring city.
This was a fabulous book to have in Seville. We found loads of interesting places just slightly off the beaten track. It enriched our visit enormously.
Reader Review
• A ground-breaking illustrated guide to 55 fascinating and unusual historical sites in the Andalucian capital. Grand palaces and closed convents, artistic havens and secluded patios, fervent traditions and epicurean delights.
• From Moorish minarets and medieval shipyards to Andalucia’s tallest tower and the most modern suspension bridge.
• The world’s largest wooden structure, Spain’s oldest tapas bar, a museum of tile making, and a former royal cigar factory.
• The legend of Don Juan, a hidden Moorish bath, the Pipes of Carmona and the treasure of El Carambola.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
SEVILLE REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
All you need to discover this amazing city (www.timeless-travels.co.uk)
Only In Prague
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-4-2
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 2 (2014)
Specification: Paperback, 232 pages, 200 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 16.95, € 19.90, US$ 22.95, CDN$ 32.95
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-4-2
Prague is beautiful and busy in equal measure. With this book visitors can escape the throng and dive into the back streets for a great adventure.
A very good source of information for visitors interested in offbeat places in Prague.
Kamila Bakotová, www.praguecitytourism.cz
• An illustrated guide to over 80 fascinating and unusual historical sights in the Czech capital. Hidden cellars and secret gardens, wild valleys and forgotten cemeteries, royal alchemists and firebrand clerics.
• From prehistoric man and the Přemyslids to the Communist era and the Velvet Revolution.
• The Faust House, the Hunger Wall, the English sewers, and the Alchemists’ Tower.
• The Prague Bambino, a one-armed photographer, the headless knight, and John Lennon’s Wall.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
PRAGUE REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Curious Cities – Prague (Timeless Travels magazine)
Insider’s Guide Prague (Summit Hotels magazine)
Prague’s Palace Gardens (www.timeless-travels.co.uk)
Only In Paris
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-9-7
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 2 (2016)
Specification: Paperback, 240 pages, 200 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 16.95, € 19.90, US$ 22.95, CDN$ 32.95
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-9-7
The author’s offbeat explorations reveal a multitude of unusual locations in the ‘City of Light’. Escape the crowds and experience the wonder of Paris.
Ninety eight curiosities that have helped shape the texture of Paris both past and present. Each sight is the touchstone for a story. This is a delightful way to be led around a city. A great read and a handsome tribute to one of Europe’s loveliest cities.
www.eurocheapo.com
• An illustrated guide to over 100 fascinating and unusual historical sights in the French capital. Roman ruins and underground worlds, unusual shops and eccentric museums, hidden communities and unusual places of worship.
• Author research uncovers exciting new stories: Who was the real Hunchback of Notre-Dame? Is there really a lake hidden beneath the Opera? Where is the best bistro in Paris?
• Pagoda Cinema, Museum of Magic, Foucault’s pendulum, and a subterranean necropolis.
• New light thrown on old favourites, including La Tour Eiffel and the Arc de Triomphe.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
PARIS REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
A brilliant guidebook to Paris (www.minorsights.com)
Not like your average guidebook (www.thegoodlifefrance.com)
A new guide to the French capital (www.eurocheapo.com)
Another peek into the secrets of Paris (www.secretsofparis.com)
Looking for the Lost Walls of Paris (www.timeless-travels.co.uk)
Forget Notre-Dame and look at the rats! (The Sheffield Star)
Parisian Prayers: A Litany of Liturgies (Hidden Europe magazine)
Only In Munich
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-0-4
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 2 (2014)
Specification: Paperback, 232 pages, 200 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 16.95, € 19.90, US$ 22.95, CDN$ 32.95
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-0-4
There’s a lot more to the Bavarian capital than just beer and the Oktoberfest. It’s time to experience Munich off the beaten track.
We like the book because even as specialists we were able to learn about some new aspects of Munich.
Munich Tourist Office
• An illustrated guide to over 80 fascinating and unusual historical sights in the Bavarian capital. Historic breweries and atmospheric crypts, wartime shelters and intriguing cemeteries, curious buildings and eccentric museums.
• From medieval Munich and the Wittelsbachs to the Räterepublik and the Third Reich.
• A Jugendstil swimming pool, Little Asia, the sunken village, and Hitler’s secret headquarters.
• Saint Benno, Karl Valentin, Thomas Mann, and Sophie Scholl.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
MUNICH REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Inside Munich (www.inside-munich.com)
Jugendstil in Munich (www.timeless-travels.co.uk)
Only In London
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-5-9
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 1 (2015)
Specification: Paperback, 244 pages, 122 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 16.95, € 19.90, US$ 22.95, CDN$ 32.95
ISBN-13: 978-3-9503662-5-9
Explore the treasures of old London and the delights of the new with this fascinating guide to the capital’s famous oddities and hidden gems.
Set out on a unique expedition with this refreshing alternative guide to the capital’s hidden corners.
BRITAIN magazine
• An illustrated guide to over 100 fascinating and unusual historical sights in one of Europe’s great capitals. Roman ruins and sci-fi skyscrapers, eccentric museums and novel art spaces, ancient customs and living traditions.
• From Roman Londinium and Shakespeare’s Globe to Winston Churchill’s bunker and Banksy’s street art.
• The Necropolis Railway, Soho’s Buddhist temple, ghost stations on the Tube, and the best Eel and Pie shop.
• Cleopatra’s Needle, at home with Jimi Hendrix, Florence Nightingale’s lamp, and the philosopher’s mummy.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
LONDON REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Curious Cities – London (Timeless Travels magazine)
Telling the stories (www.visitinglondonguide.com)
London’s Most Wonderful Railway Station (www.timeless-travels.co.uk)
The permanence of London (www.wizzley.com)
Ghost Stations on the Piccadilly Line (www.ernestjournal.co.uk)
The Most Extraordinary Office in England (www.minorsights.com)
Only In Krakow
A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-2-8
Author: Duncan JD Smith
Publisher: The Urban Explorer
Edition: 1 (2019)
Specification: Paperback, 232 pages, 111 colour photos & two fold-out maps, 13.5 x 21cm
Prices: £ 16.95, € 19.90, US$ 22.95, CDN$ 32.95
ISBN-13: 978-3-9504218-2-8
Discover Krakow’s rich royal heritage, astonishing architecture and dynamic street life with this explorer’s guide to one of Europe’s most alluring cities.
So nice to be taken on what feels like a local’s journey through Krakow, with interesting stories and something for everyone.
A Reader
• An illustrated guide to over 100 fascinating and unusual sights in Poland’s culture capital. Legendary churches and mysterious monasteries, novel art spaces and industrial remains, colourful customs and candlelit cellars.
• From ancient mounds and the oldest university to an eco-incinerator and a town for steelworkers.
• The Wawel Dragon, Schindler’s List film set, the Zbruch Idol, and the miracle of Saint Faustyna.
• The biggest medieval marketplace, a stained glass workshop, the hobby horse parade, and a paradise for pinball players.
• The ideal city guide for travellers who want to escape the crowds and go beyond the well-known paths, as well as for those inhabitants who perhaps thought they already knew their city.
KRAKOW REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:
Curious Cities: Krakow (Timeless Travels magazine)
Spielberg’s Abandoned Film Set (www.mannedup.com)
Krakow’s Steel City (www.timeless-travels.co.uk)
Mystery and Memory: Exploring Krakow’s Suburban Mounds (Hidden Europe magazine)