The geographical center of Europe

 

Many years ago, tour bus drivers in Norway decided that they needed a suitable stop for tourists between the two main attractions of Bergen and Flåm. Accoring to legend, they decided to start misinforming tourists that the waterfall Twindefossen carried water with qualities similar to those found in Viagra pills. The results were immediate (results from the misinforming rumor, that is, not from the water itself). Tourists willingly flocked to the waterfall, filling whatever vessels were at hand with its alleged miracle water. Tvindefossen is in fact a shining example of how an attraction for tour busses can be created out of almost nothing. Lithuanians have attempted a similar trick, and I am honored to present you with…”The geographical center of Europe” – The Lithuanian version.



A rather panegyric claim to be the center of something which apparently is nowhere to be seen – Europe. And most villagers should hope that it stays that way  

How anyone in their right mind can claim to have found the center of something with disputed and largely undefinable outer limits is beyond me, but such trifles did not stop a bunch of French scientists in the late 1980s. They proudly claimed to have located the center of Europe, and surprisingly enough it was nowhere near what most of us refer to as “Central Europe”. Against all common beliefs, it proved to be somewhere called Bernotai, outside of Vilnius. Luckily enough, it was close to both a road and the village itself. Quite a coincidence, since most random spots in Lithuania are close to neither. The French scientists could have ended up in the middle of the forest, but didn`t even miss proximity to the road.

 

In all respects, the most likely geographical center of Europe would look something like this

Other pioneers across Europe have also remained undeterred by the fact that stipulating the center of Europe is utter nonsense, and have presented their own calculations. Most of them resulting in finding this center remarkably close to home. Often in their hometown. The consequence of this phenomenon is that the geographical center of Europe today can be visited in over 10 countries and at more than 20 different locations.



One of the many geograpfical centers of Europe which tourists have long since forgotten about.
This one can be found in Germany, also mysteriously close to the road

The reason for all of this confusion is of course that there are many ways of calculating where the geographical center of Europe is. So many in fact, that I have even succeeded in coming up with a way of my own, and in not very long I expect to be able to prove that the geographical center of, not only Europe but also the world, is in fact located in the very middle of the Lithuanian village of Naujatriobiai. Where, as luck will have it, an old soviet well gives water with qualities not unlike those found in Viagra.



Naujatriobiai. The center of the world, and home of the "water of life"
 

(All pictures are courtesy of Wikipedia Commons, since I was either lacking a camera or good judgment when the locations depicted)