Last year, I had the opportunity to study abroad at Trinity College Dublin for the year, not only expanding my academic knowledge and social circles, but also expanding my ability to explore more of the world in an affordable way. Now that I am back at Holy Cross, I keep thinking about how lucky I was to be able to travel to so many different places in Europe. So, for my first article since being back, I decided to list some of my favorite places (in no particular order) that I visited last year outside of Ireland!
1. Tallinn, Estonia
One trip that my friends and I had done at the last minute was Tallinn, which is a small city located right on the Baltic Sea. We had searched up cheap random flights and stumbled upon a cheap flight to Tallinn as it was right before the opening of their annual Christmas market. Tallinn is the oldest and best preserved medieval city within Northern Europe, and has so many cool/experimental places to check out such as delicious brunch spots, chemistry-themed bars, city wall tours, and my personal favorite: an entirely dairy free/gluten free pastry shop (where all the pastries are cooked fresh everyday). Having selected this as a girls trip, we did not regret it, and had a great time exploring the city and seeing them prepare for the Christmas festivities. I actually ended up getting my family their Christmas gifts from here!
2. Prague, Czechia
Prague was our first stop within our spring break expedition and honestly, my favorite one of the other three places we had gone to over the break. The city was easily accessible and had so many various sites to see. Everywhere you turned, there was art, whether it was the tile work that paved the city or the musicians that played along the Charles Bridge. Additionally, I found that there was always something going on throughout Prague. During my time there, I was able to visit the farmers’ and outdoor gift markets, watch a march of troops, and witness the changing of the astronomical clock every hour. Having gone here with one of my close friends, we had a great time and felt safe throughout the trip. We experienced Prague simply, walking through the city, drinking spritz on a deck with a view of the river, and strolling along the Charles Bridge during the nighttime to take in illuminated statues that lined the sides.Â
3. Riga, Latvia
Like Tallinn, Riga is also located near the Baltic Sea. I had visited Riga during my fall break, and had met up with my boyfriend, who was studying in Daugvpils, Latvia. This was my first time solo traveling alone since my flight to Dublin, and I remember feeling nervous about navigating the city alone during my first day there. However, the city ended up being really easy to navigate and an overall very safe and beautiful place. During my first day here, it reminded me of the fall foliage you see in New England, as all the trees were in the middle of changing. I could even mobile order a caramel latte for pick up from a local chain, which made me feel some type of comfort like at home. Aside from the beautiful scenery, there are also fantastic pastry shops to visit, tea houses that line the river, and fun stores to visit.
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is definitely a city I would recommend for people to visit, as the public transportation is affordable/easy to use, and you are able to take it anywhere, even beyond just Amsterdam. During my visit, I stayed with one of my friends who attends University of Amsterdam full time, and I felt like I was able to get a good feel of the city as a result. She took us to her favorite places as well as all the traditional tourist attractions. An activity I would recommend in particular is attending the weekend flea market, where different booths of jewelry, furs, clothes, hair accessories, furniture, and art are sold by vendors in the area. This makes for a great chance to purchase a souvenir and to seek out some high quality clothes. One of my favorite parts of the trip was actually outside of Amsterdam, where we took a train and watched a craftsman make a pair of clogs out of wood.