Alderney is the most northerly of the main Channel Islands and, at roughly 3.5 miles by 1.5 miles, one of the smallest. It has around 2,200 residents and a pace of life that makes even Guernsey feel busy. There are sandy beaches, dramatic cliff walks, and some of the largest seabird colonies in northwest Europe — gannets, puffins, and auks nest on the surrounding stacks and islets.
The island has an outsized military history. During the German occupation of World War II, Alderney was almost entirely evacuated, and the Germans constructed four forced labour camps here — the only such camps on British soil. The ruins of fortifications, including Fort Tourgis and the long Victorian breakwater at Braye Harbour, are visible all over the island. The Alderney Society Museum covers both the occupation and the island's longer history. Out at the eastern tip, Mannez Lighthouse marks the Alderney Race, one of Europe's most dangerous tidal streams. The Alderney Railway — the only working railway in the Channel Islands — runs along the north coast to the quarry, operated by volunteers on summer Sundays.
St Anne, the only town, is a compact Victorian-era settlement with whitewashed granite buildings, a few pubs, and a high street that closes early. Getting there requires a short flight from Southampton or Guernsey, or a ferry from Guernsey — there is no direct ferry service from mainland Britain.