Urban Exploration: Revealing the History of Civilisation through Journeys Off the Beaten Track
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LATEST NEWS

New book
Only in Hamburg will be published in April by Christian Brandstätter Verlag.

Vienna on CD
An audio tour of Vienna‘s hidden corners will be released on CD in March.

Photo success
Recent photo clients include Condé Nast Traveler, New Holland publishers, and the Born Free Foundation.

Equestrian honour
Duncan has been made a Friend of The Long Riders‘ Guild Academic Foundation.

Sardinian journey
View images from a recent journey through Sardinia in the Photo Library.

Cologne calling
"Only in Cologne", the seventh volume in the ‘Only in...‘ city guide series, is now in preparation.


About Duncan J. D. Smith - Urban Explorer

Having worked for many years in the publishing industry selling other travel writers’ books, Duncan J. D. Smith decided in 2003 to start writing and illustrating his own. As a full-time freelance ‘Urban Explorer’, travel writer, historian and photographer he has embarked on a lifetime’s adventure, travelling off the beaten track in search of the world’s hidden corners and little-known locations. He has so far traversed three continents in search of unusual places and people, from the bunkers of Berlin and the islands of Croatia to the deserts of Jordan and the spice farms of Zanzibar.
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Explore the Hidden Corners of Europe

The ‘Only in...’ guides are a ground breaking series of guidebooks written by ‘Urban Explorer’ Duncan J. D. Smith. Each volume tells the story of a particular European city from the standpoint of eighty four hidden, unusual or unique locations. This approach enables independent cultural travellers not only to escape the crowds and discover the place for themselves but also to take home a more indelible and individual memory. The books are extensively illustrated and include street maps, a list of opening times, and recommendations for further reading.
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Explore hidden europe with the
'Only in...' Guides







Striking Images from Three Continents

Duncan J. D. Smith is an accomplished and experienced freelance photographer, taking his camera with him wherever he goes. From the rugged coastline of his Yorkshire homeland, through the storied capitals of Old Europe, and beyond into Africa and the Middle East, he captures colourful and unusual images of the people and places he encounters. An extensive library of his images from three continents is available here. His work is represented to the trade by Travimage of Frankfurt.
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Stories in Words and Pictures

As well as creating his own books, Duncan J. D. Smith is commissioned regularly to write and illustrate articles for magazines and the Internet. The result is a rich and fascinating mix of subject matter, with an emphasis on people and places off the beaten track. Recent commissions have included "Home Life in a Masai Village" for Condé Nast Traveler magazine and "Subterranean Budapest" for Hidden Europe magazine, as well as "Insider’s Prague" for the Summit Hotel Group and "The Art Nouveau Elephant House" for Malév Hungarian Airlines.
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An Audio Tour Around Vienna

Join ‘Urban Explorer’ Duncan J. D. Smith on a fascinating and idiosyncratic journey through Vienna’s hidden First District, including Roman ruins, secret courtyards, and medieval cellars. Recorded ‘live’ this unique tour offers adventure, history, and excitement in equal measure, and is based on the bestselling guidebook "Only in Vienna". The tour includes more than twenty unusual locations, each guaranteeing a sense of discovery and a memorable experience, and is available on CD and to download.
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Forgotten Travellers

Biographies of six forgotten British travellers who abandoned ‘normal’ living and undertook intrepid journeys during the 1920s and 30s, before the Second World War altered forever the world through which they travelled, and extinguished their memory. To follow in their footsteps one must journey from the scorching deserts of Libya to the icy wastes of Greenland, from war-torn Serbia to the mountains of Kenya, and from the hidden gorges of Tibet to the steamy jungles of the Brazilian Mato Grosso. Theirs is a heady tale indeed.
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