What is there left to discover in our time that is new and unknown in the world? This book answers this question in a fascinating way: it celebrates all the explorers who, with courage, intelligence, perseverance, curiosity, and imagination, forge new paths. Countless mountain peaks, most of the deserts, the polar regions, and the jungles of the Earth have never been touched by human hands. 39 stories of high narrative quality captivate the reader and simultaneously shake them awake: they make us aware of how much our environment remains unnoticed and unknown, but also threatened. The explorers vividly describe life experiences gained during their expeditions: for it is only in difficult situations - extreme heat or cold, hunger, thirst, life-threatening encounters with dangerous animals - that a person learns to cope with fear and pressure, to be inventive, and not to give up.