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Showing posts with label Alps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alps. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

Country Guide: Slovenia

Name: Slovenia (in Slovene: Slovenija)

Continent: Europe

Capital (and Largest) City: Ljubljana

Language: Slovene

Currency: Euro

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type F

Description: Slovenia is a small country in the Balkans, bordering the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. It is best known for its lakes and mountain landscapes, and in recent years it has become more and more popular as a tourist destination.

Why You Should Visit: Slovenia really makes you feel as if you've stepped into a fairytale. Lake Bled in particular is a incredibly beautiful place, featuring a medieval castle overlooking the lake from a precipice, and a little island with a old church that can only be reached by rowing or swimming. I went there with my family back in 2014, and would definitely like to return in the future.

Fun Fact: Even though Slovenia is a small country, it has more than 10,000 caves!


My Blogposts About Slovenia

Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Bled Castle)

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Nature Destinations (Lake Jasna)

- My Gap Year 2014-2015 (Bled, Kranjska Gora, Lake Jasna and Ljubljana)

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Fairytale Destinations (Lake Bled)

Clockwise starting from top left: Lake Bled, Lake Jasna, Meadow near Bled, Panoramic view of  Ljubljana, Kranjska Gora

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Saturday, 8 January 2022

Travel Tips: My Top Five Mountain Destinations

In this Travel Tips series, I've already written about my favourite cities, nature destinations and beaches, among other topics. And today I'm going to be writing about another of my favourite types of travel destinations: mountains. I really enjoy trekking in the mountains and enjoying dramatic panoramic views - perhaps that comes from having previously lived in both the Alps and the Andes. In any case, spending time in mountainous places definitely makes a nice change from my current, relatively-flat base in the south of England.

Here are five of my favourite mountain ranges I've been to so far!


The Andes



















The Andes are a vast mountain range that cover the entire length of the western side of South America, passing through Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. I spent several months surrounded by these amazing peaks when I lived in Chile in 2018, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again when I move back there in the coming weeks! The most memorable Andean destinations that I've visited so far in Chile include Cerro Manquehue, Cajón del Maipo, the Maule region (pictured above), and the Altiplano. I also saw some incredible views in the Mendoza province of Argentina.

Read more here and here!



The Alps















The Alps are the most famous mountain range in Europe, and can be found in eight countries: France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Monaco. Many tourists visit the region every year to hike, ski and relax next to its many picturesque lakes, such as the Wolfgangsee (pictured above). I lived in the Alps from 2017-2018, when I worked at two schools in the south of Austria, and I really enjoyed seeing different Alpine towns, cities and villages around the local area and beyond.

Read more here and here!



The Dinaric Alps

















Image by Luciann Photography from pexels.com

One of my favourite family holidays was when we stayed in Slano in Croatia in 2012, and visited Dubrovnik (pictured above), and also Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All three of these destinations are located in the Dinaric Alps, or Dinarides, a mountain range that spreads across southeastern Europe. It's a very beautiful part of the world, and I have great memories of swimming at the beach next to the hotel, which was located in a bay surrounded by mountains.


The Tatra Mountains



















I had a very memorable time teaching English at a hotel in Poland in the summer of 2019, when I participated in the Angloville volunteer programme. The hotel wasn't exactly the four-star luxury that had been promised to us volunteers, but the surrounding scenery of the Tatra Mountains (part of the Carpathian mountain range of Eastern Europe) was stunning to look at. It's an area I'd be interested in exploring more of in the future.

Read more here!



The Cumbrian Mountains



















The mountains found in the Lake District are the highest in England, and while they're small compared to the other mountains in this list, they're a great place to enjoy amazing natural landscapes, especially at times like this when it's difficult to travel abroad. I visited the area with my parents in 2020, and was surprised to find that it was a little reminiscent of the south of Chile, with lots of mountains, forests, lakes and waterfalls to discover.

Read more here!


I'm glad to say that I'll be back in the mountains again soon, as I've got my visa interview for my job in Chile next week, and after that, I'll just have to wait for it to be approved before I can finally go! The interview also means that I'll be spending a day in London, which will be my first little bit of travelling of the year. I plan to explore a new place or two in the city, and I'll be writing about it here next weekend!


Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Sunday, 14 November 2021

Country Guide: Liechtenstein

Name: Liechtenstein

Continent: Europe

Capital City: Vaduz

Largest City: Schaan

Language: German

Currency: Swiss Franc

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type J

Description: Liechtenstein is a tiny country (the fourth smallest in Europe) located in the Alps, in between Switzerland and Austria

Why You Should Visit: The country is small, but it has a lot to offer, including mountainous landscapes and fairytale castles. Vaduz is definitely a must-visit city, as you can find beautiful architecture there, as well as two great museums: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and Liechtenstein National Museum.

Fun Fact: Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly-landlocked countries in the world. (The other one is Uzbekistan.)


My Blogposts About Liechtenstein

My Year Abroad Blog 2017-2018

- A Memorable Few Days (Innsbruck, Sargans and Vaduz)


Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Travel Tips: Destinations off the Tourist Trail (Vaduz)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Vaduz)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Vaduz Castle)

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Fairytale Destinations (Vaduz)





















Clockwise starting from top left: Vaduz Castle, Vaduz City Centre, Vaduz Parliament and St. Florin Cathedral, Vaduz Parliament, Vaduz City Hall

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Saturday, 10 July 2021

Country Guide: Austria

Name: Austria (in German: Österreich)

Continent: Europe

Capital (and Largest) City: Vienna (in German: Wien)

Language: German

Currency: Euro

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type F

Description: Austria is a landlocked country in the centre of Europe. Most of it is located within the Alps, and for that reason it's famous for its mountains, as well as its Alpine meadows and lakes. In the summer the weather is warm, but in the winter the whole country turns into a winter wonderland with lots of snow! In terms of culture, the country is a very popular destination for skiing and other winter sports, and is also known for its musical heritage.

Why You Should Visit: Austria is a beautiful place, thanks to its natural scenery and picturesque cities, such as Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Vienna in particular is a must visit, as it is one of the most iconic cities in Europe, and is renowned for its historic architecture. Another reason to go to Austria is to see its fairytale castles: you can find many of them in every corner of the country.

Fun Fact: Although the movie "The Sound of Music" was set in and filmed in Salzburg and the surrounding area, it is actually not at all a well-known movie amongst Austrian people.


My Blogposts About Austria


- Salzburg (Salzburg, Sankt Gilgen and Mondsee)

- My New Town (Feldkirchen in Kärnten)







- Travel Tips: My Top Five Places to Visit in Austria (Vienna, Salzburg, Mondsee, Innsbruck and Kärnten region)


- My Gap Year 2014-2015 (Plus Gap Year Tips) (Klagenfurt and Velden am Wörthersee)




- UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Salzburg, Vienna and Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna)

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Fairytale Destinations (Salzburg and Hochosterwitz Castle)

- Movie Travels (Salzburg and Mondsee)










































Clockwise starting from top left: Innsbruck, Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, Sankt Gilgen, Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Villach

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Monday, 21 October 2019

Travel Tips: My Top Five Places to Visit in Austria

Today I'm going to write about my favourite travel destinations in a country where I spent part of my Year Abroad - Austria.

It's a beautiful Alpine nation with plenty of opportunities for snow sports in the winter and hiking in the summer. It also has several great city break destinations. If you want to visit multiple parts of Austria, I would recommend travelling around by train. The trains there are usually efficient, rarely busy, and give you the chance to see amazing mountainous landscapes. And it's the most environmentally-friendly option!

One of the best things about Austria is how close it is to so many other European countries. In fact, it borders eight of them! This means there are plenty of opportunities to take multi country trips. I'll give some recommendations on which destinations to combine.

So, here is my list of top five places to visit in Austria:


1) Vienna















The capital city Vienna is obviously a must see when visiting Austria. This is a place filled with culture, history and stunning architecture. My personal favourite attraction when I went was the Belvedere Palace (pictured above), where you can see many notable works of art, including The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. The Schönnbrunn Palace is another interesting (but busy!) place to visit.

Where to go next: It's easy to combine a trip to Vienna with trips to various places in Eastern Europe. Slovakia's capital city Bratislava is less than an hour away on the train and is an ideal place for a day trip. There are also direct trains to cities in Hungary and Czechia.


Read more about Vienna here!



2) Salzburg















Salzburg is Austria's musical city, being both the birthplace of Mozart and the setting of the musical The Sound of Music! I only had a day or two to spend there, but I made sure to go on the Sound of Music tour, which takes you around the sites where the film was made in Salzburg and the surrounding area. It was an experience I would definitely recommend!

Where to go next: Although in The Sound of Music the Von Trapp family are shown escaping from the Nazis over the mountains to Switzerland, this was very inaccurate geographically, as Switzerland is quite a distance from Salzburg. They would have actually ended up in Germany! So if you want to add a stop in another country on to your trip to Salzburg, it's a good idea to look at nearby destinations in the south of Germany, such as Munich.

Read more about Salzburg here!


3) Mondsee















Named for its lake which is shaped like the moon, Mondsee is a charming town near Salzburg. I visited it on the Sound of Music tour, as the wedding scene was filmed in the church there. The beautiful lake is popular with holidaymakers, as are the many cafés where you can try traditional Austrian cakes!

Where to go next: Salzburg is the obvious choice!

Read more about Mondsee here!


4) Innsbruck



















Innsbruck is well known as a base for skiing holidays, but it's also great for city breaks. With lots of colourful buildings and snowy mountains, it's a beautiful place to explore on foot. My favourite parts from my trip there were the Goldenes Dachl (a golden roof) and the Hofgarten (pictured above). I saw an adorable red squirrel there!

Where to go next: Innsbruck spoils you for choice if you're looking to take a multi country holiday. Southern Germany and the region of South Tyrol in northern Italy are short distances away, and the city's position in the west of Austria means that it only takes a couple of hours to get to Switzerland on the train. After my first stay in Innsbruck, I chose to explore two countries I hadn't visited before. First I caught the train to the small Swiss town of Sargans, and the following day, I took the bus to the capital city of Liechtenstein, Vaduz. I stopped in Innsbruck again on my way back. That trip was one of the highlights of my Year Abroad!

Read more about Innsbruck, Sargans and Vaduz here!


5) Kärnten



















The final place in my list is not a city or a town but an entire region of Austria. Maybe I'm biased because this is where I used to live! But Kärnten, also known as Carinthia, is definitely a great place to visit, with plenty of castles, lakes and mountains to explore. It has two main cities: Klagenfurt and Villach (pictured above). Villach is quite a fascinating place as it is right next to the borders with Slovenia and Italy. This means that it is the meeting point of the three main cultures of Europe: Germanic, Slavic and Latin. 

Where to go next: Slovenia and Italy are the obvious choices! From Villach train station, you can take direct trains to the beautiful Italian cities of Udine and Venice. It is also worth noting that from Venezia Mestre station on the Venetian mainland, it is possible to travel to cities all over Italy. So you only need two train journeys to get from Villach to destinations such as Florence and Rome!

Read more about Kärnten here!


So that concludes my short guide to travel in Austria and beyond. It's definitely a great country to visit for those of us with chronic Wanderlust!


Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!