About
Hi, I'm Enrico.
I'm not a travel guru or a tour company. I'm just someone who loves to travel, and who always comes home with a few stories I didn't expect to find.
Where it started
I grew up in a restaurant. Which means I grew up watching strangers become regulars, regulars become friends, and food become the reason people finally talked to each other. I think that's where I learned that the best things about a place are rarely written on the menu.
The moments I remember
I've traveled a lot since then. And when I think back, the moments I remember aren't the ones I planned. It's the little courtyard I walked into by accident. The fact about a building I'd passed three times without noticing. The story someone told me over coffee that made a whole street make sense.
Those are the things I bring home. Not the photo of the famous sight, but the feeling of having discovered something.
Why I built HiddenSteps
Every time I arrived somewhere new, I had the same problem: Google Maps is great, but only if you already know what you're looking for. And all the inspiration I'd saved on Instagram was nowhere to be found once I was actually standing in the city.
So I started building the app I wanted for myself: a map that shows me what's interesting around me, with the little story behind it, so I don't have to spend hours researching before I go.
How it's made
HiddenSteps is a side project. I build it in my evenings and on weekends, and I add the spots and stories myself, city by city. It's not perfect, and it's not finished. But every spot in it is one I think is worth your time.
What I care about
- Stories over star ratingsA place is more than its score.
- Hand-picked, not paidNo sponsored spots, no ads in the map.
- Small and honestFewer cities, done properly, instead of everything half-done.
If you find something with HiddenSteps that you'll tell your friends about when you're back home, then it did its job.
Have a good trip,
Enrico
Start exploring
Got a tip or a story about your city? Write me: enrico@hiddensteps.app