My Top 5 Favorite European Cities
Does anyone else miss traveling as much as I do? I mean, the obsessive destination researching, travel vlog watching, looking at old travel photos in your bed at 1 am kind of missing?
I think we can all agree that COVID-19 was a buzzkill for all things international travel. All of the extra time at home this year had me hardcore reminiscing on my time studying abroad in Dublin during the spring of 2019. Like many twenty-something-year-old wanderlusts, I fell madly in love with my first experience in Europe. The culture, the people, the food… my goodness the food… the scenery, the art, all of it was unforgettable. To mutually commemorate the golden days of pre-pandemic travel, I bring you the top 5 cities I traveled to in Europe (not including Ireland because, well, it rightfully deserves its own list):
5. Rome, Italy
If you’ve seen Italy and movies and always wanted to visit it like me, Rome most definitely checked the boxes. Great food, gelato at every block, and stunning cobblestone streets with pastel buildings and picturesque balconies. The historical sights in the city were unparalleled by other European cities. The Colosseum and Vatican Museum are must-sees of course, and if you loved Lizzie Mcguire as a kid like me you have to throw a euro into the Trevi Fountain because it’s truly what dreams are made of. Despite my love for the city, it is extremely touristy and crowded. Expect many street sellers to insist that you buy their bracelets or selfie-sticks, even if you turn them down numerous times. Nonetheless, if you go into the experience knowing the crowds are a bit wild, you can adjust your expectations and remind yourself to stay patient. And if you focus on the beauty of the place you should be okay, as I assure you it is ever-so prevalent.
4. London, England
London was easily one of my favorite trips taken while abroad. I had the opportunity to visit a close friend who was studying at King’s College, and it was a blast having a tour guide to show me around the city. London is a massive city, so I feel like I barely got a chance to see all of its glory in the two days that I was there, but what I did get to see was fantastic. Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and Hyde Park were some of my favorite sights and worth taking the time to see! Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was London’s diverse and expansive food scene. I tried dim sum in Chinatown, ate at an Indian restaurant with mouthwatering small plates, and experienced flavors from across the globe at Borough Market. Sitting down to a traditional English breakfast with tea is a necessity as well. All in all, London was lovely, but beware of the priceyness of the city, especially if you choose to eat out as much as we did!
3. Munich, Germany
My experience in Munich was quite a surprise for me, in the best way possible. Not that I wasn’t excited to see Germany, but it was never at the top of my list the way cities in Italy and Spain had always been. I was taken aback by how clean and breathtaking sights of the city were. In almost any direction you looked, you found a new, ornate cathedral or building to explore and snap a photo of. I saw so many people enjoying the outdoors, bike riding, and hanging out in the expansive park settings of the Englischer Garten and Hofgarten. We even stumbled across a group of people river surfing! One of my favorite parts about Munich was that despite how big the city was, it somehow maintained a quaint, relaxed environment. A historical must-see when visiting Munich is to go a little way outside of the city to the Dachau Concentration Camp, especially for someone with a Jewish background like me. Though it was quite upsetting to see such a horrific sight in person, I learned immensely from the experience. The transit to the sight was also very easy to navigate, as was all of the public transit in Munich.
2. Palma, Spain
My first ever solo trip was taken on the Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca, off the coast of Spain (a quick plane ride from Barcelona). This island was a paradise for the solo traveler, and the capital city of Palma was breathtaking. I was very nervous to go to an island off of Spain as my first solo trip; most of my high school Spanish skills have worn off and I had never even heard of the island before doing a bit of research while abroad. But when I arrived on the island and met my lovely Airbnb hosts, I felt extremely safe and secure traveling alone. My favorite part of the trip was taking the bus for about 45 minutes from the city to the Playa de Illetes. Never in my life had I seen water so clear, a magnificent shade of turquoise that glistened in the hot Mallorcan sun. Overall, I preferred Palma over Barcelona by a landslide. It was less touristy and a lot more manageable to explore, while still maintaining beautiful Spanish culture and architecture. I only wish I had a rental car to explore other parts of the island with ease.
1. Florence, Italy
Florence was an absolute dream and takes my number one spot. Picture a city with the beauty and culture of Rome, but more manageable and a little less face-paced. Florence was also quite touristy, but it was more contained than Rome and centered mostly near the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. My favorite part about Florence was the numerous ways to view the incredible cityscape. We climbed to the top of the cathedral, or Duomo, the church’s bell tower, and the Piazzale Michelangelo, all offering slightly-different views of the magical city. My favorite was definitely the Piazzale Michelangelo, as we arrived at the perfect time to see the sun sink over Florence’s horizon. Climbing the hill was also much less taxing on your lungs than the endless staircases of the Duomo. I had the best pasta of my life in Florence made in a cheese wheel, and had the chance to tour parts of the Chianti Region of Tuscany. We visited two family-owned vineyards, a medieval city, and sampled 8 wines and lots of aged olive oil and balsamic. It did not disappoint and is a must-see to anyone craving a dreamy Italian getaway.
Dreams Of Future Travel
I am completely aware that I merely skimmed the surface of each place visited, as I often had to fit an entire city within the confines of a weekend. Nonetheless, I genuinely loved my visits and cannot wait to return to Europe to see more of the beloved cities I grew to love in my short experiences with them! That is, of course, when planes and travel are safe once again.