August Inspiration

A post to brighten up your day. 

Images courtesy of Pinterest.

The Best of Eastern Europe: Top 5 Places to Visit

Inter railing across Europe

Backpacking in Europe is a rite of passage for most students and travellers. But due to its size many end up hopping between the most famous cities (London, Paris, Rome…) and never explore what the Eastern fringes has to offer.

If you’re looking for something a little different (and a hell of a lot cheaper!) then backpacking in Eastern Europe is the thing to do. Eastern Europe is full of interesting (and troubled) history, idyllic countryside, buzzing nightlife and unique architecture. Here are my top 5 places to visit…

 

Source: Next Trip Tourism

1. Transylvania, Romania

If you want a feel for real the Romania, Transylvania is the place to go. A visit to Vlad Tepes’ (Dracula’s) haunting hometown of Sighișoara during the winter is a definite must.

 

Szechenyi Baths, Budapest

2. Budapest, Hungary

Budapest’s beautiful historic section is Castle Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. Across the river is Pest, the hectic center of the modern city. Budapest is an active city where travellers from all over the world enjoy its many great cafés, bars and clubs.

Market Square

3. Krakow, Poland

Kraków is the most visited city in Poland and for a good reason. Boasting the largest medieval square in all of Europe, the historic old town is a wonderful place to explore. Get a taste for Polish cuisine with borsch (soup made from beetroot) and pierogis, whilst also sampling a homemade bread pretzel from the many street vendours.

4. Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina

On the front line of the conflict during the Balkan War, Mostar was badly damaged by the fighting. Its famous bridge, from which young men traditionally dive, was completely destroyed and the town’s residents were unable to cross the river.

Back to its former glory, the Stari Most Bridge is host to the annual diving competition in July. The beauty of Mostar lies in its turquoise river and shiny white stone buildings. But there are reminders of the city’s brutal past visible in the bombed out buildings nestled within the town making it a remarkable place to visit.

Lake Bled

5. Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nestled in an alpine valley and straddling the Ljubljana River, Ljubljana is a picture-perfect and very walkable city. The place has a café culture vibe, with the cobbled streets filled with bicycles and laid-back students. A trip to the magnificent Lake Bled with its church island is a must. Here you can try a number of water sports, hiking and biking.

5 Life Changing Travel Experiences

Source: gapyear.com

Spot the Big 5 on safari

This life changing travel experience is one for animal lovers. Countries where you can spot all members of the big five include South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Botswana. Remember to have your camera at the ready!

Source: VisitNorway

Witness the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights can be viewed from many countries such as Norway, Finland, Canada and even Alaska. However nothing is guaranteed, which makes catching a glimpse an experience of a lifetime.

Source: onestep4ward

Climb Kilimanjaro

If you’re looking for a challenge of a lifetime climbing the world’s highest walkable peak may be just the thing for you. The best time for climbing Kilimanjaro is between January and mid-March or June through October, and many people choose to take up the challenge whilst raising money towards a good cause.

Source: theplanetd

Travel to Antarctica

Very few people can say that they have witnessed first-hand the nature and wildlife of Antarctica. If you’re lucky enough to be one of those few, how life changing is that?!

Source: Penguintravel

Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway

The 9,288m trek through eight time zones is considered one of the most memorable journeys you can take. So if you’re spontaneous enough to buy a ticket this could be one train ride that could change your life.