On the first day of my first class abroad, my teacher told us that the only way to truly understand a city is to see it in its entirety. So after only 5 minutes in the classroom, we stood up, headed outside, and onto a coach bus. After driving for about 15 minutes, my teacher finally told us we were going to up to Montjuic to really see Barcelona. Well, the view definitely did not disappoint and I’ve taken this “view from the top” mentality with me to every country I have visited each weekend over the past 7 weeks. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Florence
My first trip outside of Spain was to the beautiful city of Florence. When I asked my friends studying here what there actually was to do in this city, their first response was always the Duomo. This was usually followed by pizza and the leather markets, so I pictured the Duomo being pretty cool if it beat out food and shopping: every girl’s favorite things about Italy. Well after arriving and dropping off our bags, we decided to walk around our neighborhood and explore. We then suddenly came up to this large building with a dome on top and we were confused by how this could excite our friends. I mean, it was a beautiful building but I’ve seen more beautiful ones. So, when we met our friends for dinner and described what we saw, it was pretty clear we just saw a building with a dome and not the Duomo. With that in mind, we set out the next day to be amazed, and that we were. The outside of the Duomo was an incredible mix of white, green and pink marble. After staring like tourists and snapping pics for Instagrm, we bought tickets and soon climbed the 463 steps to the top. The moment I stepped off the ladder and onto the observation deck at the top is still my favorite moment from abroad so far. Every view from the circular platform is better than the next, and the bright blue sky made everything even more beautiful. Nothing that weekend came close to rivaling that view of Florence (or the amazing photos I took from the top!)
2. Oktoberfest (aka Munich)
When people describe Oktoberfest, you hear about the giant beers, the giant pretzels, and the giant tents. As a result, on my first day in Munich I was shocked to find out there is actually an entire carnival in those giant tents with the giant beers and the giant pretzels. Since Munich itself is pretty metropolitan, and therefore very flat, I had to compromise on my view from the top. Instead of climbing a mountain or a building, I rode the giant Ferris Wheel in the center of the carnival. As the sun set on the happiest place on earth (I promise you it rivals Disneyland), I actually had the opportunity to stop and take in the amazingness that is Oktoberfest. After spending all day running around with home friends, school friends, and camp friends, it was nice to stop, breathe, and consider how awesome it is that a huge carnival in Germany is able to bring everyone together for an amazing weekend of beer drinking, off-key singing, and great food. So if you are headed to Oktoberfest next year and are sober enough to remember, you should definitely check out this view from the top!
3. Montjuic, Barcelona
I could not complete this list without including my new home, Barcelona. Barcelona is locked in on both sides by mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, so while its expansion may be inhibited, the amazing landscapes are not. Since my first day of class, I have returned to Montjuic 3 times. Montjuic is the home to many of the structures built for the 1992 Olympics, as well as the beautiful Palau Nacional, but my favorite spot continues to be the Castle of Montjuic. Orginally built as a fortress in the 1600s, and later converted to a castle for the Catalan kings, this building looks like it is straight out of medieval times. A short walk to the top later, you reach a large deck with what is in my opinion, the best view of the entire city! With the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, it’s hard to decide which way to look first. I’ve stood on the top of the fortress on a bright day, a day with grey skies, and at sunset, and the city of Barcelona never fails to disappoint. And the best part? When you’re done taking in the view, you can hop on the gondola down to the harbor and get an amazing meal outdoors while overlooking the harbor.
Additional honorable mention must go to…
1. The Duomo in Milan. It is currently under construction but it is super high and the view seems incredible.
2. Top of St. Peter’s Basilica. I didn’t have enough time to climb it but again, it looks amazing!
3. Round Tower in Copenhagen. Shortest of the views I have experienced but the 360 degree view of the colorful city rivals the highest towers.
4. Eiffel Tower. Looking forward to Paris in a few weeks!