Points and of Inaccessibility for countries and counties in Europe.
Europe and Asia are, of course, joined together. So the ‘pole’ for Europe is the Eurasian Pole, which lies in Asia.
As with all PIAs, it is easy to get pulled into a debate about how to calculate the location, rather than over the location itself. Remember the British Pole of Inaccessibility marks the geographical point which is furthest from the coastline. It is not, necessarily, the centre of the country. The British PIA has been calculated by The Ordnance Survey, Britain’s National Mapping Agency, and reported by the BBC, to be at: Latitude: 52° 43.6’ N Longitude: 1° 37.2’ W…
The Cypriot Point of Inaccessibility isn’t the best part of this beautiful island, but for pole hunters it can be found at: Latitude: 35° 2.2865‘N Longitude: 33° 14.5859‘E These coordinates were calculated by Chris Brown in September 2022. Mapped Location of Cyprus’ Point of Inaccessibility The Cyprus Pole of Inaccessibility lies in the northern part of the Greek section of Cyprus, between the A1 and E903. The closest villages are Politiko and Episkopeio. Whilst the precise location of the pole…
The Icelandic Point of Inaccessibility lies on the Hofsjökull glacier in the Western highlands of Iceland just North of the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range. This glacier is the third largest ice cap in Iceland and lies between the Northwestern and Southern Regions, with the POI lying within the Southern region. The point is also on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; that part of Iceland being pulled apart by movements of the Eurasian tectonic plate and the North American Plate. Íslensk útgáfa The exact…
Six Senses, Douro Valley
The Spanish Point of Inaccessibility, which could be called the Centre of Spain, can be found at: Latitude: 39° 59.1254‘ N Longitude: 003° 26.8961′ W These coordinates were calculated by Miso for Chris Brown in July 2019. Map of Spain’s Point of Inaccessibility The Centre of Spain lies next to the C. Cta. Blanca, north west of Noblejas, Toldeo, Spain You can access the Spanish PIA very easily by driving C. Cta. Blanca, then parking up next to the road…
The Gibraltan Point of Inaccessibility, what could be called the Centre of Gibraltar, can be found at: Latitude: 36° 8.4844‘ N Longitude: 005° 20.936′ W These coordinates were calculated by Chris Brown in July 2021. Map of Gibraltar’s Point of Inaccessibility The Centre of Gibraltar lies on the lower section of the West (less steep) side of the Rock . You can access the Gibraltar PIA by walking up the Rock on Queens Road, turning right after Princess Caroline’s Battery…
Europe, of course, is not a continent so does not qualify for a “main” Pole. For that, you need to visit the Eurasian Pole of Inaccessibility. However, it is possible to calculate a Point of Inaccessibility for continental Europe using country border definitions as well as seas. That point lies near to Gus-Khrustalny District, Vladimir Oblast in Russia in woodland. The exact location of the European POI is determined to be at: Latitude: 55° 45.614′ N Longitude: 40° 39.172’ W…
The Italian Point of Inaccessibility is a farmer’s field just outside the village of Borgo Virgilio in the Province of Mantua. The exact location of the Italian PIA is at: Latitude: 45° 6.578’ N Longitude: 10° 50.584’ W Distance from border: 65.3 miles These coordinates lead you to farmland next to a walnut grove. Location of the Italian Point of Inaccessibility The area, in common with many POIs, is flat with very fertile soil. That, combined with good irrigation dating…
The Liechtenstein Point of Inaccessibility lies in Steg, a village in the municipality of Triesenberg at an altitude of around 1500m. It is popular with hikers. The exact location of the Liechtenstein POI is at: Latitude: 47° 6.959’ N Longitude: 9° 34.434’ W Distance from border: 2.50 miles These coordinates were calculated by Miso for Chris Brown in July 2019. Location of the Liechtenstein Point of Inaccessibility This point is behind a chalet on a side road in Steg, an…
The French Point of Inaccessibility is in a small village (estimated population 400) called Colombiers near Saint Amand-Montrond, in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The exact location of the French PIA is at: Latitude: 46° 41.925’ N Longitude: 2° 32.457’ W Distance from border: 167.0 miles These coordinates were calculated by Miso for Chris Brown in July 2019. Location of the French Point of Inaccessibility This point is in the front yard of a private house…