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

    Guernsey’s capital, St. Peter Port, is surprisingly busy. Away from town, the island feels more rural, with small fields, windbreak hedges, and greenhouses shaping the landscape.

    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

    Sark covers just four square kilometers and gets by without cars. Horse-drawn carriages serve as taxis, and narrow paths run between bushes and rocks along the rugged, steep coast.

    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

    Jersey is varied: high cliffs in the north, broad sandy beaches, bays, and small villages in the south. The capital, St. Helier, is the island's economic center.

    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 offers interesting photo opportunities between steel and water. After an unexpected encounter, though, my photo outing ended earlier than planned.

    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 food, simple facades, clear lines: with its wide, straight streets and colorful wooden houses, Uusikaupunki feels pleasantly quiet.

    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

    Åland is made up of thousands of islands and rocky skerries. My photos, though, mostly show the many old churches found even in the smallest communities.

    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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