In Walking Europe’s Last Wilderness: A Journey Through the Carpathian Mountains, author Nick Thorpe explores Eastern Europe's often-overlooked landscapes, framed through an ambitious journey through the Carpathian Mountains. The book blends natural terrain, human geography, and cultural history into a captivating series of stories of people and place. Thorpe’s journey takes him through several countries that the Carpathians cut through, including Romania, Poland, and Hungary. These countries have at one time or another dominated their neighbors or have been dominated by other powers such as Russia.
One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its detailed portrayal of the diverse geography and humanity that the Carpathians comprises. His descriptions are grounded in personal encounters and historical context, providing insight into how the land has shaped and been shaped by the people who live in it. Besides the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube and several other rivers traverse through this landscape as well, which provide their own sets of history to the region; the Romans at one time used the Danube as a quasi-frontier for its empire.
The book shines when it delves into the environmental challenges facing these landscapes. Thorpe is attentive to ecological tensions and the impact of modern development on what he describes as “Europe’s last wilderness.” The Danube Delta, in particular, is rendered as a fragile, biodiverse ecosystem at the mercy of both geopolitical and environmental forces.
Geography here is not just background but actually integral to the narrative. From shifting borders to cultural enclaves isolated by terrain, Thorpe reveals how geography and history are inseparable. He encourages readers to consider not just where places are, but what they mean in a broader European context. For those interested in physical landscapes and the cultural forces that define them, Walking Europe’s Last Wilderness is a rewarding and enlightening read.
MY RATING: 4.5
