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🇸🇰 Bratislava Castle first appears in writte

🇸🇰 Bratislava Castle first appears in written reference in the year 907, and has been rebuilt in various styles throughout the centuries.

Today, the castle houses collections of the Slovak National Museum.

You can visit the castle grounds at no cost (as of the time of my visit). A guided tour of the historical museum is available with a paid ticket.

The castle also offers a restaurant with hearty dishes and a beautiful view over the city.

An excellent stop during our Bratislava day trip!

📷 February 2020

🇸🇰 Since it’s only about an hour away by t

🇸🇰 Since it’s only about an hour away by train, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend a day in Bratislava during our trip to Vienna.

Visiting Bratislava was a peek into some of my family history. My grandfather grew up in Slovakia, and Bratislava is where he attended college and met my grandmother.

This was a brief introduction to Slovakia, and I hope to take a real trip through the country someday.

We loved exploring old town Bratislava! Aside from simply walking around and enjoying the quaint city, our main stops were Bratislava Castle and the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary — (AKA the blue church).

More on those next!

📷 February 2020

🇦🇹 SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE We took a tour of Sch

🇦🇹 SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE

We took a tour of Schönbrunn Palace while visiting Vienna in 2020!

Taking photos is not allowed inside the building, but I definitely recommend checking it out!

The palace is very impressive and we really enjoyed the tour ✨👑

🇦🇹 Wiener Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera

🇦🇹 Wiener Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera house, is absolutely magical 🎼

It’s pretty expensive to attend a show here, but you can do so on a budget by buying standing room tickets!

More than 500 standing room tickets are sold 80 minutes prior to a performance ranging from €3-10 each.

You can barely see the stage from some of the standing room areas, but it’s still a cool experience for a much lower price.

And you get to enjoy roaming the building! ✨

Our final trip before the pandemic began was to Vi

Our final trip before the pandemic began was to Vienna in February 2020.

We didn’t know then that it would also be our final trip before moving back home to the United States in the summer — ending our several-years-long staycation in Europe.

Our short trip offered just a taste of what this city has to offer. More to follow 🤍

🇵🇹 Sintra is home to Pena Palace, one of the

🇵🇹 Sintra is home to Pena Palace, one of the most colorful and elaborate palaces in the world, and a must-see during a visit to Lisbon.

We arrived at Pena Palace shortly after 10 a.m. and the crowds were fairly minimal (but again, January is an ‘off-season’ month for Lisbon travel and tourism).

We wandered around the exterior and interior of the palace for a few hours. This place is stunning — the photo opportunities are endless!

Have you been or is it on your bucket list?

📷 January 2020

🇵🇹 While in Belém, you must visit Pastéis

🇵🇹 While in Belém, you must visit Pastéis de Belém for their famous pastries! 😍

These custard tarts were created before the 18th century by monks at the monastery down the road, and Pastéis de Belém began selling them in 1837.

Pastéis de nata are well known and easily found throughout Portugal, but the best are here in Belém.

Plan for a long line to get in — it’s a very popular spot. Fortunately the line moves quickly because there are 400 seats inside!

🇵🇹 Belém deserves a spot on any Lisbon itin

🇵🇹 Belém deserves a spot on any Lisbon itinerary!

Though not within walking distance of other activities in central Lisbon, it’s a short cab/Uber ride away. There’s also a lovely bike path along the water, offering bike or e-scooter alternatives in nice weather.

No matter your mode of transportation, traveling along the water offers lovely sights of the 25 de Abril bridge, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument and last, but not least — the Belém Tower.

Catch a sunset at Belém Tower. You won’t regret it 🌅

It’s not Photoshop — it’s Lisbon’s Pink St

It’s not Photoshop — it’s Lisbon’s Pink Street! 💕

This Instagram-worthy street actually used to be Lisbon’s Red Light District, full of shady bars and brothels.

The area got a makeover circa 2011; brothels closed, new bars opened, and the street received its famous pink coat of paint.

Now, it’s full of photographers and influencers during the day and is a bustling scene of drinks and music at night.

Tip: Unless the sun is right overhead, this street is pretty shaded due to the tall buildings on either side. Time your visit right if you want a pretty Pink Street picture.

🇵🇹 The Santa Justa Lift is an elevator in Li

🇵🇹 The Santa Justa Lift is an elevator in Lisbon that connects the lower streets of the Baixa neighborhood with the higher Carmo Square.

It was built circa 1900 and is the only vertical lift in Lisbon. Today, it serves mostly as a tourist attraction and people wait in long lines to pay to ride the lift.

We decided to walk up to Carmo Square instead. From here, the viewing platform of Santa Justa Lift is accessible for a couple euros and provides lovely views over Lisbon.

What would you do — walk up to the higher level or wait in line to take the lift? 🚡🛗

🇵🇹 All aboard! 🚃 Our next stop on this pa

🇵🇹 All aboard! 🚃 Our next stop on this page is Lisbon!

— Shown here:
Glória Funicular — a cable car that links the lower Pombaline downtown with the Bairro Alto.

For a few euros (or included if you have a daily transportation pass), this cute old cable car brings passengers to a beautiful viewpoint and back down again.

Lisbon is full of steep hills which provide many beautiful viewpoints, or miradouros, and I love how the city has made things so accessible with the many lifts and transportation methods.

More to come!

📷 Jan 2019

🇦🇹 Salzburg streets — day vs. night ☀️

🇦🇹 Salzburg streets — day vs. night
☀️ ➡️ 🌙

Loved this charming city and can’t wait to return someday!

🇦🇹 Reminiscing on a cold winter walk in Salz

🇦🇹 Reminiscing on a cold winter walk in Salzburg 🌨

Beginning at the Hohensalzburg Fortress, we began a trek across Mönchsberg to Mülln.

Following signs for the Müllner Kirche led us in the right direction — mostly we used our common sense to stay along the river heading in the direction of Mülln. The walk offered beautiful views over Strasbourg at several viewpoints.

Our final destination was the beer house in my last post! 🍻 Well worth the trek!

📷 December 2019

🇦🇹 The Augustiner Bräu - Kloster Mülln is

🇦🇹 The Augustiner Bräu - Kloster Mülln is somewhere all lovers of beer & beer culture must visit! 🍻

It’s the largest beer hall in Austria with more than 1,000 seats inside and another 1,000+ outside in the beer garden (in good weather).

Beer has been brewed here since 1621 and is served in stone jugs from wooden barrels. 🍺

We had a great time here and made friends & good conversation with some Austrian men who live up in the mountains an hour away but come down to drink the beer! 🏔

🇦🇹 While in Salzburg, the Hohensalzburg Fort

🇦🇹 While in Salzburg, the Hohensalzburg Fortress is a must-do!

You can ride a funicular up from the center of town, or walk up (a bit steep!).

The fortress has an incredibly dominating presence over the Old Town and is well worth taking the time to see it up close! The views are really something.

🇦🇹 I feel a certain type of way about cities

🇦🇹 I feel a certain type of way about cities with large cliffs or mountains serving as part of the backdrop.

Their looming presence is a reminder of how much bigger nature is than everything we create.

They bring, to me, beauty and a sense of connection. I’ll forever be more mesmerized by a sight like this than by an 80-story skyscraper.

It’s difficult to put into words. Does anyone understand? ✨

🇦🇹 Salzburg ✨

I’ve been absent here! 🙈 As you may know, this account is purely for my travels and I’ve been spending the majority of my time on my main account. However, it’s still super important for me to finish highlighting the trips I took in Europe! 🤍

For the past couple years, I’ve been documenting a chronological account of the wonderful European trips I enjoyed while living in Germany for nine years. When I finish posting them all, I’m going to print it all out as a photo book!

My next destination is Salzburg, an incredibly charming town in Austria 🇦🇹 More to follow.

📷 December 2019

🇫🇷 Bringing you one more beauty from the Als

🇫🇷 Bringing you one more beauty from the Alsace region of France: Strasbourg ✨

This charming city sits right on the border of France and Germany and offers the best of both cultures!

It’s home to the famous Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Strasbourg, beautiful canals and one of the best Christmas markets in Europe!

🇫🇷 How absolutely charming is Colmar?! 🤩

🇫🇷 How absolutely charming is Colmar?! 🤩

To me, it feels right out of a fairytale!
We went during their Christmas market, which is very nice but VERY crowded. For a better experience in Colmar, I’d recommend the spring time 🌸

📷 December 2019

🇫🇷 In December 2019 we visited Riquewihr, an

🇫🇷 In December 2019 we visited Riquewihr, an adorable fairytale town that served as inspiration for Beauty and the Beast.

The Alsace region of France is home to some of the cutest & quaintest towns! I have two more to show you next 🤍

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