A coastal landscape from the Along the Coast project.

A Photography Project by Michael Backes

Europe, coast by coast

It's easy to trace your way around Europe with your finger on a map. Actually making the trip takes a little longer.

I decided to give it a try anyway. Since then, I've been heading out with my camera whenever I can, curious to see what the next stretch of coast has in store.

Continue to the map

The Coastal Atlas

The journey on the map

I'm still a long way from finishing. Every now and then, I add a few more places. You can click on a stretch of coastline on the map and see what I've photographed and written about there so far.

Find the travel notes on the map.

More about the journey
Overview of the documented coastal regions in Europe Overview of the documented coastal regions in Europe Open Riviera Riviera 10 places Open Channel Islands Channel Islands 3 places Open North Sea North Sea 39 places Open Gulf of Bothnia Gulf of Bothnia 2 places Open Gulf of Finland & Archipelago Sea Gulf of Finland & Archipelago Sea 10 places {"asset":"overview/homepage-europe","profile":"overview-europe","render_hash":"13bc1cff33f03de8075abeaf7dc2b830d7920c9ef8be870ea175379fd5cb92b8","stage":"progressive-navigation","source":"natural-earth-10m","layers":{"land":true,"coast":true,"lakes":true,"boundaries":true,"rivers":true},"projection":"lambert-conformal-conic","projection_family":"europe","north_up":true,"level":"overview","node_key":"overview:europe","parent_node":null,"parent_asset":null,"child_assets":["regions/riviera","sheets/channel-islands","regions/north-sea","regions/gulf-of-bothnia","regions/finland"],"canonical_url":"/en/atlas","focus_bounds":{"west":-18.0,"south":31.0,"east":43.0,"north":73.0},"viewport":{"mode":"fill-container","projected_bounds":{"minimum_x":-4109.433446942944,"minimum_y":-2171.4527081242504,"maximum_x":4555.314170017748,"maximum_y":1872.0961797907396}},"source_clip":{"mode":"inverse-projected-viewport-v1","bounds":{"west":-70.02524911762946,"south":18.28243569965673,"east":92.48426032446744,"north":74.40097049830126},"vertices":257},"sheet_coverage":"hierarchical-coast-bands","route":false,"chronology":false,"coverage":{"components":1395,"gap_count":0},"labels":{"layout":"none","visible":0,"hidden":0,"overlap_count":0,"maximum_overlap_px2":0.0}}
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Show regions

New travel notes

  • Channel Islands

    Guernsey

    Independent by Nature

    Between cliffs, bays, and wartime bunkers – Guernsey reveals itself in shifting light. A photographic walk through streets, harbors, and coastal landscapes.

    Read the travel note
    A scenic harbor with an array of boats, colorful buildings lining the shore, and calm waters reflecting the clear sky.

  • Channel Islands

    Sark

    Small, Wild, Its Own

    Every turn on Sark becomes a composition: weathered façades, steep coastal paths, and the crunch of carriage wheels in between..

    Read the travel note
    A traditional stone house with a pitched roof, nestled among greenery, featuring a stone pathway and gate.

  • Channel Islands

    Jersey

    The Scent of Fish and Money

    Light, wind, and sea - Jersey shifts from golden beaches to steep cliffs and timeless villages. A visual journey through the island’s Franco-British mix.

    Read the travel note
    A corner building with a blue facade features the sign for 1823 Grill, surrounded by streets and parked cars on a cloudy day.

  • Finland

    Gulf of Bothnia | Finnish Bothnian Sea & Kvarken

    Mäntyluoto

    Mission Impossible

    Mäntyluoto shows clear lines of steel and water. Only a few images before the visit ended abruptly

    Read the travel note
    A wooden walkway winding through sandy dunes, with sparse vegetation and a cloudy sky in the background.

  • Finland

    Gulf of Bothnia | Finnish Bothnian Sea & Kvarken

    Uusikaupunki

    A Town of Wood and Water

    Hearty dishes, plain facades, clear urban lines — Uusikaupunki invites the camera to capture both everyday life and architecture.

    Read the travel note
    A wooden dock with two chairs overlooks a calm waterway lined with red buildings and lush greenery.

  • Finland

    Gulf of Finland & Archipelago Sea | Archipelago Sea & Åland

    Naantali

    Sunshine Optional

    Even without sunshine, Naantali shows its colors: yellow and red wooden houses, seaside terraces, and a gray Baltic sky.

    Read the travel note
    A charming pink wooden house with a grey door, featuring white metal furniture and a small table on the porch.

  • Finland

    Gulf of Finland & Archipelago Sea | Archipelago Sea & Åland

    Åland

    Islands of Stone and Steeples

    On Åland, medieval churches rise on nearly every island – from plain fieldstone chapels to 13th-century buildings, all set within the archipelago landscape.

    Read the travel note
    An ornate iron gate opening onto a pebbled path leading to a historic stone church surrounded by trees.

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