The Journey of the Nose: Navigating the World with Our Most Underappreciated Sense

Before you dismiss this as an article about perfume or aromatic oils (though, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good lavender-scented candle?), let’s take a step back and dive into a more curious exploration of the world—one that prioritizes the sense of smell. Imagine wandering through bustling markets, ancient streets, and exotic forests, not by sight, but by following your nose. If you’re skeptical, perhaps you should first take a trip to the world of Nikolai Gogol’s The Nose.

In this brilliant and absurd short story, a St. Petersburg man named Kovalyov wakes up one morning to find that his nose has mysteriously disappeared. It's a hilarious situation that leaves him wandering the streets in utter confusion, trying to track down a nose that is now leading an independent life of its own. “How could I have lost my nose?!” Kovalyov exclaims in panic, but rather than focusing on the gaping hole where his olfactory organ once resided, Gogol’s narrative leans heavily into the surreal comedy of the nose’s runaway adventures.

But what if, instead of simply chasing his nose in a desperate frenzy, Kovalyov had the wisdom to embrace this odd disappearance as an opportunity to reassess the role of his senses? Perhaps, by rediscovering his nose, he might also begin to value the very sense he’d taken for granted his entire life. Would he have learned to savor the spicy tang of street food in the market, the fragrant warmth of freshly baked bread, or the subtle scent of rain-soaked cobblestones? If Kovalyov had found his nose, perhaps he would have embarked on a journey in which he wasn’t just walking through the world but smelling it, too.

The World Through Scent

The notion of “traveling with the nose” may seem odd, but in fact, it’s a journey more profound and immersive than one might initially think. Our sense of smell is intrinsically linked to memory and emotion in ways that our sight never could be. Research shows that scent can trigger memories with far more intensity than a mere glance at a photograph or painting. When we smell the distinct perfume of a city, the salty ocean breeze, or the aroma of an unfamiliar spice, our brains are thrust back in time, connecting us to the deeper emotional layers of our experiences.

Some travelers have already undertaken this olfactory journey, though in ways that may not immediately seem like your traditional tourist experience. In 2016, a quirky initiative called “Smellscapes” invited visitors to experience cities like London and Paris through their sense of smell. Forget about standing in front of landmarks with a camera ready – this adventure had participants engage in olfactory workshops and smell tours that took them through the heart of these cities with nothing but scent as their guide. The goal? To understand a city’s soul through its smells.

But it’s not just about external smells – the journey is also about discovering how scents shape our perception of place. For instance, imagine stepping into the heart of an ancient Moroccan market. The sharp, pungent smell of spices mixes with the earthy aroma of dried fruits and leather goods. You breathe in the air, and suddenly, you’re not just standing in a marketplace – you’re transported to a world where the scent of cumin and coriander tell stories of a long-standing tradition, of ancient trade routes, of familial recipes passed down through the ages. With your eyes closed, the entire marketplace becomes a symphony of smells that could easily be mistaken for a journey through history itself.

The Long-Lost Art of Smell-Driven Exploration

Not everyone is ready to embark on such an unconventional adventure. The global tourism industry tends to rely heavily on visual experiences—think about the grand pictures we take in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal. But in an era where Instagram reigns supreme, there is an undercurrent of yearning for something more than just what’s visible. In fact, the rise of “slow tourism,” where travelers seek more meaningful, sustainable, and sensory experiences, has paved the way for a new way of “seeing” the world.

In recent years, scent-based tourism has started to bubble up from the depths of travel trends, and this new wave is taking a cue from the celebrated work of sensory artists like Sissel Tolaas, who has spent much of her career exploring how smell impacts culture and identity. Her pioneering work at the intersection of scent and art has led her to create experiences that offer a deeper sensory engagement with the world. In her “Smell Archives,” Tolaas has amassed a collection of more than 7,000 different scents, from the scent of New York subway stations to the very smell of rain. Tolaas’s research suggests that the smells of a place are as vital to understanding it as the visual sights and sounds.

But let’s not forget that our own noses have taken us on similar journeys, long before these artistic endeavors or experimental tourists. In Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind, readers are transported into a world where scent dominates every thought and every action. The protagonist, Grenouille, is driven by a relentless obsession with creating the perfect perfume, but his entire world is colored by his sensitivity to smell. Süskind’s tale is a chilling exploration of how scent can both define and distort our relationships to the world around us. It’s an extreme example, but it underlines the point that smell is a force to be reckoned with.

The Power of Scented Memories

Of course, travel through scent doesn’t have to be as dramatic or dark as Süskind’s novel. In fact, many of us travel through memories that are often triggered by scent. Take, for example, the scent of a particular flower that reminds you of a childhood trip to the countryside, or the aroma of roasted chestnuts wafting through the air in a bustling holiday market that transports you back to a magical winter evening. These everyday moments of olfactory recollection are some of the richest aspects of our lives as travelers. What’s more, each scent we encounter – from the fresh-cut grass of summer to the salty sea air – is an invitation to return, if only for a moment, to places we’ve already visited, not with our eyes, but with our noses.

So, next time you set off on an adventure, don’t just focus on the iconic landmarks or panoramic views. Try closing your eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. What do you smell? What does it tell you about the place you’re visiting? Is it a bouquet of fresh bread from a local bakery, or the musty scent of ancient stones in a cathedral? Could you even smell the history in the air? Your journey through the world’s most captivating destinations might just become a whole lot richer, and dare I say, a bit more colorful, when you decide to travel with your nose instead of your eyes.

And if you do happen to lose your nose along the way, well – who’s to say? Perhaps that’s when the real adventure begins.

What do you think? Would you be willing to travel with your nose? Let me know in the comments below, or better yet, take a sniff and report back. After all, the journey is only just beginning.