If you’re planning on spending the holidays abroad, be it alone or with your loved ones, remember that there’s a big world out there to explore and enjoy. Some of the places I’ll be sharing with you guys on this small list might be a bit too cold for our ‘tropical’ liking, but bear with it because these are some of the most stunning cities around Europe, perfect for exploring around and having a good time at!
5. Salzburg, Austria:
Taking the fifth place is this beautiful Austrian city. I managed to visit it during the summer and the place was stunning and very exploration-friendly. The buildings, the cathedrals, the surroundings and the view from that little castle will take your breath away and make you want to spend the whole day lost in it. If there is one thing I recommend it is taking the little train up to that castle and watching the sunset; everything looks stunning and you’ll feel like you’re lost in a totally different world with the amazing view and the Alps surrounding you.
Place you can’t miss: Salzburg Cathedral and Mozarts Geburtshaus!
4. Brugge, Belgium
In fourth place we have this small—but immensely beautiful!—Belgian city. I think that this is quite an underrated European wonderland with great shops, great chocolate, beautiful buildings, bridges, and canals. And, just like with every other place on this list, I believe that if they’re stunning during the summer, they might be even more during the winter, looking like a winter wonderland with carriages and horses around the streets.
Place you can’t miss: Grote Markt! Stunning buildings and lots of shops!
Food you have to try: Belgian chocolate–which is great!
3. Paris, France
Personally, I believe that Paris is a little overrated, but that doesn’t keep me from accepting the fact that it is a huge, scary and beautiful city worth your time and money. With snow or without snow, it is a stunning place to explore and get lost in—just make sure you’re not alone and know the name of your hotel. The reason you might find Paris a little scary is because of how big and active the metro is, but once you get used to it, you’ll feel like you can rule Paris from one side to the other and you won’t get tired of it. And let’s not forget how beautiful it would be to spend Christmas on this city full of rich history and wonderful places to visit and then celebrate New Year’s Eve next to the Eiffel Tower!
Place you can’t miss: The Louvre Museum and Champs Elysees! Great for losing yourself in for hours!
Food you have to try: French Crepes!
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam, ladies, and gentlepeople, is another great place to visit, explore and get lost in. With great places to eat, a fresh and different atmosphere, beautiful surroundings and a bunch of museums to visit, this place should definitely be on your list of places to go either to celebrate the holidays or during the summer. It is stunning, and I can only imagine how more it would be covered in snow and ice during winter.
Place you can’t miss: Rijksmuseum!
Food you have to try: Their waffles and pastries!
1. Bled, Slovenia
And now with the first place, we have this little winter wonderland in Slovenia. Even though my visit to this place was short and hurried, I loved every single second I spent on this city! The people are great, it’s not that expensive, and everything that involves the rivers, Bled Island and the Castle (and Slovenia in general) is breathtaking. And let’s not forget the fact that it must be quite a sight to behold covered in ice and snow. If we ignore the horrible cold and the possible threat of bears, wolves and who knows what else, spending a winter in this place must be a beautiful mind-blowing experience!
Place you can’t miss: Bled Island and Bled Castle!
Food you have to try: Their local puff pastry cake! It’s sweet and tasty, and you can try it on the small sweet shop inside Bled Castle!
If you plan on traveling, be it this year or the next one, during the summer or during the holidays, make sure to write the name of some of these beautiful places down and give them a visit! You won’t regret a second of it!