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HOT LIST Tiny Treasures By Chris Robinson
Four European microstates well worth putting on your travel radar
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ometimes the best gifts are the smallest ones – and this applies equally to the gift of travel. Some tiny, but perfect, minicountries should be on your travel wish list. These are nations where, thanks to historical chance or happy accident, a sliver of independence has been preserved, creating unique and often quirky countries. Four of the six smallest nations in the world are in Europe (the others are tiny Pacific islands) and my quest to visit them was both wonderful and bizarre.
VATICAN CITY At just half a square kilometre, countries don’t come any more micro than this. Yet the smallest country on the planet hosts some of its greatest treasures. In 1984, Vatican City became the only single state to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sistine Chapel with its painted ceiling and The Last Judgement by Michelangelo are simply exquisite, as is St. Peter’s Basilica. It has its own army and football team. Residents drink an average of 54.3 litres of wine a year – the highest wine consumption per capita worldwide. There’s also a one-of-a-kind ATM with instructions in Latin. The Pope’s security is ensured by the colourfully adorned Swiss Guard.
MONACO Where the mountains meet the Mediterranean, and Monte Carlo meets Europe’s elite, this jewel remaining from powerful medieval dynasties glitters in the sunshine of the French Riviera near Nice. The Grimaldi family gained control from the Crown of Aragon in 1419 and still rule the two square kilometres of the country. Surrounded on three sides by France, and only 15 kilometres from the Italian border, this ritzy playground features James Bondstyle casinos that are off limits to locals, luxury yachts and the famous Monaco Grand Prix Formula One racing event. A third of its population are millionaires. Just for a day, I found it fun to indulge in the hedonism of these affluent lifestyles.
12 • Vacations ® • Winter 2022
