City trips are among my favourite journeys. Arriving without a plan or a map, just strolling around, chatting up local folk, asking them for recommendations and directions, following cool-looking people around, until I find the places I like. Diving headfirst into the subcultures of a city, rather than following the top ten list of some travel guide – being a real explorer. Don’t you feel the same?
If you do, you might take a liking in the project Palladium X The Explorers. For two months shoe brand Palladium is sending two explorers on city trips all over Europe to uncover hidden cultural grounds in eight different cities. At each location they are joined by local insiders who lead the way. Throughout the journey, you can tag along through #palladiumexplorers, follow their discoveries and find inspiration for your next underground city trip.
The explorers
The team of explorers consists of SB.TV pioneer Georgia LA and instagram-phenomenon Emmanuel Cole. Georgia LA is an ex-fashion student from London, now busy with interviewing music gods like Pharrell Williams and blogging regularly for Huff Post. Emmanuel Cole’s instagram profile raced to success in no time, and features loads of architecture shots and urban portraits – be re-assured, both explorers have an eye for the quirky, the cool, the beautiful and the hidden. You can follow Georgia LA here, and Emmanuel Cole here.
Together they set out on a journey to find the undiscovered. Armed with a camera and a notepad, and guided by local cultural heroes Georgia LA and Emmanuel will dig through the cities’ undergrounds, explore forgotten landscapes, abandoned attractions, burgeoning art, food, music and fashion scenes. Their photography will capture the urban elements of the cities, they will share articles and four short documentaries, to tell the untold stories of the subcultures they encounter.
By the end, they will have composed a present day digital roadmap, navigating Europe’s freshest underground scenes, to people, stories and cultures, you wouldn’t otherwise hear about. The things you only discover when you arrive with no plans. The landscapes you find when you dive in headfirst.
The cities
First stop will be Palladium’s birthplace, Lyon in France, a city which street artists frequent in search of hidden canvasses and where producers turn abandoned terrain into music venues. The explorers are joined by Benjamin and Philippe from Lyon’s homegrown webzine and creative agency Paperboys, who will guide them through unexplored territory.Â
The journey will then take the explorers from Lyon to Antwerp, Bristol, Copenhagen, Florence, Istanbul, Budapest and Hamburg.
Join their epic journey daily on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow their journey through #palladiumexplorers. Is one of the featured cities your hometown? Or do you know any of the places like the back of your hand? Georgia LA  and Emmanuel might need your help to navigate the undergrounds, so make sure to share your knowledge and give tips! Along the way, you can win amazing prizes!
To give you an even better idea, watch the project’s trailer right here:
This post is a collaboration with Palladium.
Additional images: trailer screenshots
This is a post by Kathi Kamleitner.
Kathi Kamleitner was a regular contributor at Travelettes from 2013 to 2019. Originally from Vienna, Austria, she packed her backpack to travel the world and lived in Denmark, Iceland and Berlin, before settling in Glasgow, Scotland. Kathi is always preparing her next trip – documenting her every step with her camera, pen and phone.
In 2016, Kathi founded Scotland travel blog WatchMeSee.com to share her love for her new home, hiking in the Scottish Highlands, island hopping and vegan food. Follow her adventures on Instagram @watchmesee!
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