Republic of Venice. An unusual journey through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Cyprus

Can tourism unite us? Through travel might we discover that our neighbours aren’t so different, that in fact we share traditions, expressions or favourite dishes? At a time when borders seem to be back in vogue and countries are shutting themselves away, these guidebooks intend to stir things up a bit. Forget borders as you know them. Forget the nationalities you hear about every day on TV. We are about to take a step back in time and into a different geography. Let’s set off to discover the Extinguished Countries! The rules of the game are simple: we replace the contemporary world map with the yellow-tinged ones from a few centuries ago. Within this new-old reality, we arrange an itinerary that you can follow as you see fit: in summer or winter, from time to time or all in one go. The path of our journey is twofold: in both the present and the past, following the territorial continuity of a state that no longer exists. In fact, what you have in your hands is not a simple travel guide, but the key for unlocking the rigid world of nation-states. A ladder to cross borders without obstacles. A pocket-sized time machine.