All of The 500 Hidden Secrets guides are written by true locals, and based on thorough research and the author’s personal opinions. Get to know the authors here.
Meet the authors
Boston
Natalia Ivanytsky lives in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood with her husband, daughter, and dog, spending her time exploring the city.
Chicago
Author Lauren Viera shares her idea of a perfect day in Chicago, the "City in a Garden".
Belgium for Foodies
Femke Vandevelde is a freelance food editor and restaurant critic for Belgian newspaper De Morgen. In this guide, she shares her love of Belgian food culture.
Porto
Sisters Joana and Sofia de Lacerda are born and raised in Porto and are the founders of the travel blog JO and SO.
The South of France for Art Lovers
Journalist and art critic Eric Rinckhout has travelled for more than 40 years across the South of France, mainly following in the footsteps of the brilliant artists who lived and worked there.
Antwerp
Journalist Derek Blyth has been raving about Antwerp since he first visited in 1993.
Amsterdam
Guido van Eijck and Saskia Naafs are journalists and live in Rotterdam. They write for De Groene Amsterdammer and the Rotterdam online magazine Vers Beton among others.
Barcelona
Belgium-born journalist Mark Cloostermans settled in Barcelona in 2010 and today he still lives and works in his favourite place on earth.
Bangkok
Dave Stamboulis is a writer and photographer based in Bangkok. Born in Greece and raised in the U.S., Dave has now called Bangkok home for over 15 years.
Berlin
Nathalie Dewalhens ended up in Berlin almost ten years ago. She quickly fell in love with the city she now considers her home.
Budapest
Budapest-born author András Török is a proud promoter of his city - a kind of Mr Budapest if you like.
Copenhagen
Austin Sailsbury is a writer and creative consultant based in Copenhagen.
Dublin
Shane O’Reilly has lived in Dublin all his life; that’s decades of memories and adventures around the city centre.
Ghent
Journalist Derek Blyth has lived in Belgium for almost three decades and has written countless articles about Belgian cities.
Havana
One of her travels brought Magalie to Havana in 2005. Since then she has been returning to Havana several times a year.
Holland
Saskia and Guido are journalists and live in Rotterdam. For Hidden Holland, they drew on their own experiences, travelling up and down the country.
Istanbul
Feride Yalav is a freelance writer, editor and translator based in Istanbul.
Lisbon
Born-and-bred Lisboeta Miguel Júdice is a hospitality entrepreneur, a freelance writer, photographer and an amateur chef.
London
Tom Greig has lived and worked in London for almost two decades. His work as a sales representative for art publishers takes him to every part of the city.
Nostalgic London
Writer and editor Ellie Walker-Arnott is a fan of London’s wild green spaces, buzzy urban villages and unlikely pockets of calm.
Los Angeles
Andrea Richards lives in Silver Lake, LA and writes about cultural history and life in Los Angeles.
Madrid
Anna-Carin Nordin has been living in Madrid since 2010, and loves the city’s elegance and diversity.
Miami
Jen Karetnick is a dining critic, lifestyle journalist, poet and educator based in Miami.
Milan
Journalist Silvia Frau lives and works in Milan. She writes about travel, food and lifestyle.
Munich
Judith Lohse has always lived in Munich. Being a curious cyclist, she whizzes around the city to discover new and unusual things. Photo © Marcus Schlaf
Paris
Journalist Marie Farman is a true Parisian. She was born in Paris and lives in the city with her partner and their kids.
Prague
Vendula Havlikova is a lifestyle, travel and politics journalist. She lived in Prague during her journalism studies, and continues to travel there regularly.
Rome
Christopher Livesay is a journalist and Luisa Grigoletto plans the Italy trips for elite travel agency Trufflepig. They are based in Rome.
San Francisco
A native to San Francisco, Leslie Santarina is a freelance photographer and editor, and her work takes her to every corner of the city.
Stockholm
Antonia af Petersens grew up in Stockholm and works as a freelance writer and journalist.
New York
Ellen Swandiak is a lifelong resident of New York and the founder of Hobnob Magazine, which reports on all her loves: food, drink, style, fun—and parties.
The Hague
Tal Maes is a food and travel writer and photographer, sharing her love for this royal and green city by the sea.
Tokyo
Yukiko Tajima was born and raised in Tokyo. She lives in the heart of the city and loves promoting Japanese culture abroad.
Toronto
Erin FitzGibbon is a writer, photographer and artist living the Toronto area since the age of 6.
Vancouver
Shannon McLachlan is a born and raised Vancouverite, constantly on the lookout for new discoveries.
Venice
Anna Sardi originally hails from the Veneto, but she is a Venetian by passion. She is an architect with a passion for travel and writing.
Vienna
Tanja Paar is a freelance writer and journalist who has been living in Vienna for almost three decades.