We have been on the adventure of a lifetime, jetting off from Melbourne (Aus) in May to adventure for 6 months in Europe. While we had some plans, we also explored and changed them around as we went, visiting so many incredible places. We ended up visiting some towns and locations we had never heard of beforehand, and these ‘off the radar’ experiences were some of our favourites. We were also lucky to check out many great ‘bucket list’ destinations on our trip.
Upon returning at the end of October, we have loved sharing our travel memories, highlights and recommendations with friends, family and co-workers. We decided to put this blog together to share with you some of our very favourite destinations from our Europe adventures. Overall, we enjoyed the slightly smaller towns, the ‘off the radar’ places, family experiences, great beaches and places we could chill out and relax a little. Have a read of our list and let us know in the comments your favourite locations in Europe!
We travelled Europe for 6 months and there are our favourite places!
This list is in no particular order, as we found it too hard to pick a ‘top 1’ or ‘top 3’. However, we loved the following places for a variety of reasons.
Polignano a Mare – Italy
The southern region of Italy called Puglia was our home for a week in June. We arrived without huge expectations, and left with a love for the region! Think seaside towns, great beaches and little coves to swim, lots of tasty seafood and more. The real gem of Puglia is Polignano a Mare, a whitewashed postcard town that should definitely be on your list. Our visit here will easily be something we recall for many years, and we will happily talk anyone’s ears off about how charming Polignano is. Puglia was also much more budget friendly than other parts of Italy, and had less over-commercialisation. Whilst still touristic, it felt more like the destination where ‘Italians go on holidays’.
Lake Bled – Slovenia
Lake Bled is filled with natural beauty, and is somewhere we would love to return to. Situated around an hour north of the capital Ljubljana, this up and coming travel destination should be considered. We were blown away by the natural beauty during our visit. The lake sits shrouded by mountains, and in the heart of the lake sits a small chapel on an island, all creating a wonderful visual. Lake Bled has somehow avoided being overrun by modern developments and tourism, keeping it small and ‘quaint’. We loved hiking, running around the lake, hiring a row boat, and trying the Slovenian food!
Jungfrau region – Switzerland
The mountains in Switzerland feel like they are out of a fairy-tale. Our visit to the popular Jungfrau region will definitely go down as a highlight on the trip. We spent a wonderful week hiking, having picnics in the valley, sitting in hot tubs with mountain views and so much more! We split our stay between Wengen and Interlarken, and were lucky enough to meet up with Ky’s brother and his partner for a few days. Despite the high costs to visit this region, the overwhelming natural beauty is something we will remember for a long time.
vis island – Croatia
The beaches, islands and coastline of Croatia are world renowned, and for good reason! We spend 2 weeks in Croatia, with our favourite stop being the Island of Vis. Situated around 3 hours by ferry from Split, this small island combined world class beaches, good restaurants, great day-trip options and a great location to kick back and relax. The crystal clear waters of Vis were truly some of the best we have ever seen. If you are looking for an island getaway, you could do much worse than booking a stay in Vis.
Hornbaek (& copenhagen) – Denmark
We visited Denmark for a week in August, sharing our time between Copenhagen and a delightful seaside fishing village called Hornbaek. We fell in love with the Nordic culture and approach to living. The architecture was beautiful, the cities were clean, the Danes were very health conscious, and everyone was so friendly! We decided to head north of Copenhagen to a little fishing village for 2 nights, and the charm of Hornbaek captured a special place in our hearts.
Kas – Turkey
The Turkish Riviera exceeded our expectations, boasting incredibly clear warm waters and some stunning coastlines. The seaside town of Kas, located 3 hours west of Antalya, was our home for a week. Kas had a perfect combination of great restaurants and cafes, cool nightlife and stunning beaches. It was also the perfect place for us to extend the summer, visiting in September to have high 20s and low 30 degree weather.
Transylvania – Romania
When we decided to visit Romania, we definitely didn’t think it would end up as one of our trip highlights. Despite not particularly enjoying Romania’s capital, Bucharest, the inland Transylvania region was stunning. Think well preserved old picturesque towns, castles to explore, dense forests, rolling hills and lots of day trips. We also found the cuisine particularly tasty! Transylvania was an unexpected highlight but somewhere we will look back on with fond memories.
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