Browsing: Europe

Budapest is one of the largest and most well-known cities on the Danube River in Hungary. It’s a town of many faces as it’s actually divided between “Buda” and “Pest.” You could easily fill a week in this city, but if you’re short on time, make sure you hit the highlights. You’ll quickly find out how this city played a big part in World War II and has come to be known as the “Jewel …

Wrapped by the sea on three sides and claiming three millennia of continuous habitation, Cádiz stands as Western Europe’s oldest city—yet it remains one of Spain’s most underappreciated destinations. While masses descend upon Barcelona and Seville, this Andalusian port city maintains an authenticity that has become increasingly rare along heavily touristed Mediterranean coasts. Here, the Atlantic crashes against Phoenician foundations, baroque churches rise above faded colonial facades, and the smell of fried fish drifts through …

Situated in Norway, 217 miles above the Arctic Circle, the charming city of Tromso is the gateway to a captivating land of mountains, fjords, and legends. Whether you visit to observe the breathtaking phenomenon of the northern lights, spot magnificent killer whales in the fjords or hang out with huskies, Tromso immediately captures the heart.

I visited during the polar night – the period of time between late November and mid-January when the sun doesn’t …

The Dolomites are no doubt one of Europe’s most dramatic mountain landscapes. Beyond their UNESCO-recognized geological splendor, however, lies an equally fascinating cultural story—one in which Austrian Gemütlichkeit (snugness) meets Italian dolce vita, and an ancient Romance language you may never have known about persists in five high valleys.

The Dolomites sprawl across five provinces—Bolzano, Trento, Belluno, Udine, and Pordenone—covering approximately 350,000 acres of vertical walls, narrow valleys, and jagged peaks that reach above …

How would you “measure” a city many believe to be the world’s smallest? Population? Surface area? While the metrics for the distinction are open to debate, the fact is that sitting quietly in the hills of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula is the village of Hum, widely regarded as the smallest town in the world. With a population that rarely exceeds two dozen residents, Hum is less a bustling destination and more a living artifact that rewards …

In a country packed with Alpine delights, four languages, and the world’s topmost producers of watches, sights are of an epic scale, but distances between them are short. Thus, against a backdrop of immense forested mountains, lush meadows, azure lakes, and cobalt-blue skies, I travelled across just a small part of the immaculate alpine passes and ravines and saw Switzerland as it’s meant to be seen – from the road driving a Porsche 911 Carrera …

Let’s get a few things straight. First off, Oxford University is not in London. Oxford is in Oxford, approximately 60 miles northwest of the United Kingdom’s capital city. Secondly, there is no “campus”; the University is comprised of over three dozen colleges and private halls which are spread across the aptly named “city of dreaming spires.” Finally, the University was conceived as an institution of higher learning—one of the world’s most prestigious, in fact—and …

Upon arriving in Lyon, France’s third-largest city and textile capital, it took me all of twenty minutes to figure out how French women maintain their slim figures.

They walk everywhere. And in a city like Lyon, where the topography rivals that of San Francisco, there’s nothing even remotely simple about a “simple stroll” through the boutiques of the Côte de Grande.

Fortunately, the city boasts a surprising number of alternatives—nine to be exact—thus proving that …

Istria lies on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. This region has actually belonged to a handful of other countries, including Italy and Yugoslavia, and has withstood the perils of war. The one thing that has never changed is the breathtaking views from Istria’s seaside cities. Those towns have now been modernized, but have retained their European charm and individual personalities.

Pula
If you thought all the Imperial Roman artifacts were in Rome, you’re wrong. From …

At Spain’s green northwest edge, the Miño River draws a natural line between Galicia and Portugal. Along this border, five small towns—Tui, A Guarda, O Rosal, Tomiño, and Oia—offer a compact route through medieval stone, Atlantic air, vineyard valleys, and Camino waymarks.

Some of my best memories of traveling by barge in France come from the simple act of stepping ashore. Alongside many of the French canals run towpaths, once used by horses—and sometimes people—who pulled cargo barges in the days before engines. Today, those same paths invite us to stretch our legs, pedal a bike or simply wander at our own pace, all while keeping company with the gentle rhythm of life on the canals.

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While travelers may dream of Florence’s galleries or Venice’s canals, those in search of something quieter—more intimate, more rooted—should set their sights northwest. Here, in the shadow of the Alps, the region of Piedmont unfolds like a secret worth sharing. Its name, meaning “foot of the mountains,” is more than geographical—it’s poetic. This is where the drama of jagged peaks meets the softness of vineyard hills, and where time seems to slow in step with …

Easily accessible from the capital of Brussels, Ghent has been Europe’s best-kept secret for many years. The second largest city in the Flanders region of Belgium, after Antwerp, it’s an enchanting and often overlooked destination. Situated on the confluence of the rivers Leie and Scheldt, Ghent is packed with fascinating architecture, scenic canals, chocolate shops, and bicycles. With a cosy vibe, it has a compact and walkable center, and all the main attractions are located …