Top 3 Favourite Countries: Carolin of Solo Travel Story
June 27, 2022 | Tagged: Top 3 Favourite Countries
Am pleased to be featuring the Top 3 Favourite Countries of Carolin, a London based Events-Manager who writes about her travels on Solo Travel Story.
Carolin has just completed the Camino Portuguese, from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, a distance of 260 km as a solo female traveller.
Carolin has just completed the Camino Portuguese, from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, a distance of 260 km as a solo female traveller.
Heya, I’m Carolin and have changed my blog niche from fashion to travel in 2020! By day, I’m an Events-Manager and design promotional events for fashion & lifestyle clients. When I’m not drafting proposals or organise events, I write about my travel adventures in the world.
2020 was meant to be my sabbatical and year off work, but unfortunately thanks to Covid, my time exploring was cut short. I’m now back part-time travelling in Europe and creating travel content. I hope to monetise my blog in the future and until then inspire you guys to visit the one or other place that I fell in love with. My travel style are city breaks (itineraries), road trips and I do love a good pilgrimage hike (Carolin also hiked the Camino Frances back in 2019).
2020 was meant to be my sabbatical and year off work, but unfortunately thanks to Covid, my time exploring was cut short. I’m now back part-time travelling in Europe and creating travel content. I hope to monetise my blog in the future and until then inspire you guys to visit the one or other place that I fell in love with. My travel style are city breaks (itineraries), road trips and I do love a good pilgrimage hike (Carolin also hiked the Camino Frances back in 2019).
1. Spain: Diversity that makes for unique Travel Memories
Having grown up in Germany, summer holidays in Spain were kind of a given and a part of my culture. Back then I visited mostly the Canary Islands and saw the sunny beach-side of the country. As an adult, I wanted more and ventured out exploring the mainland.
Some of my best travel memories were actually made in Spain – may it be my visit to Granada’s Alhambra which was inspired by a childhood board game. Walking the Camino in the North to Santiago de Compostela brought me to some remote and random places in the Spanish countryside. I enjoyed Gaudi’s & Dali’s artwork in Madrid, Barcelona & Bilbao, tasted pinchos in San Sebastian (Donostia) or soaked up the La Dolce Vita flair of Mallorca. Spain’s diversity can always engage me and leave a positive impression on me. Add in the friendliness and hospitality of the locals, which are unmatched in Europe. Even though English is often not spoken in many parts of the country, the Spaniards have always made huge efforts in connecting and communicating with me. My love for Spain is 60% down to their generosity and kindness which they show to visitors.
My favourite places in Spain: Madrid was awesome. Even though it’s not your typical “sightseeing” city, it can engage you with art, neat buildings and the best churros in Spain (Churroira San Gines). If I visit again, I’d love to check out the Temple of Debod and plan a day trip to Toledo.
Santiago de Compostela is one hell of a place and holds a powerful energy, which I feel everyone should try to experience at least once in their lifetime. It’s a small city, but oozes history and incredible architecture (not just the Cathedral, which is Galicia’s greatest exponent of Baroque style, but also its Neo-classicist Old Town are worth a visit).
The mysterious Cies Islands, an Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, just outside of Vigo made for an excellent day trip in the Ria Baixas area. The main island can be visited by a handful of visitors each day and has four hiking routes. Each route takes you to a different part of the island, which has an ever-changing vegetation. There’s everything from tidal pools which allow for Octopus spotting, Caribbean-like beaches and turquoise waters, lush eucal forests and bizarre rock formations.
Some of my best travel memories were actually made in Spain – may it be my visit to Granada’s Alhambra which was inspired by a childhood board game. Walking the Camino in the North to Santiago de Compostela brought me to some remote and random places in the Spanish countryside. I enjoyed Gaudi’s & Dali’s artwork in Madrid, Barcelona & Bilbao, tasted pinchos in San Sebastian (Donostia) or soaked up the La Dolce Vita flair of Mallorca. Spain’s diversity can always engage me and leave a positive impression on me. Add in the friendliness and hospitality of the locals, which are unmatched in Europe. Even though English is often not spoken in many parts of the country, the Spaniards have always made huge efforts in connecting and communicating with me. My love for Spain is 60% down to their generosity and kindness which they show to visitors.
My favourite places in Spain: Madrid was awesome. Even though it’s not your typical “sightseeing” city, it can engage you with art, neat buildings and the best churros in Spain (Churroira San Gines). If I visit again, I’d love to check out the Temple of Debod and plan a day trip to Toledo.
Santiago de Compostela is one hell of a place and holds a powerful energy, which I feel everyone should try to experience at least once in their lifetime. It’s a small city, but oozes history and incredible architecture (not just the Cathedral, which is Galicia’s greatest exponent of Baroque style, but also its Neo-classicist Old Town are worth a visit).
The mysterious Cies Islands, an Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, just outside of Vigo made for an excellent day trip in the Ria Baixas area. The main island can be visited by a handful of visitors each day and has four hiking routes. Each route takes you to a different part of the island, which has an ever-changing vegetation. There’s everything from tidal pools which allow for Octopus spotting, Caribbean-like beaches and turquoise waters, lush eucal forests and bizarre rock formations.
2. BeNeLux: Charm that takes you back in time
Often overlooked but with a lot to offer, I have always enjoyed my trips to Belgium and The Netherlands. Ok, I haven’t been to Luxembourg yet, but it will happen! Belgium and The Netherlands had similar vibes for me: beautiful preserved Old Towns with a rich history. Extremely well-educated locals, culture and fairy-tale like architecture. Whenever I wandered around Amsterdam, Brussels or Bruges, I felt a touch of mystery to these places. Their old charm and long history are so well-preserved it’s like you’ve travelled back in time. What engages me here in those countries the most, or what makes me coming back is the high quality of everything. May it be the Old Towns, the cultured atmosphere or even their food. Belgian chocolate is super smooth, and every second shop is a chocolate shop that allows you to try before you buy. It’s a heaven! The Netherlands score with excellent cheese which ranges from a mild-milky flavour (Edam) to rich and flavoursome (Gouda).
My favourite places in BeNeLux: Bruges is always a great idea for Christmas. The town is small but has a very charming Old Town centre with a traditional European market square and lots of meandering narrow side-streets. Getting lost in this cobbled labyrinth which is decorated with twinkling lights and dipping in for hot chocolate after a few hours in the cold gets me in the Christmas mood.
It took me a while to “get” Amsterdam’s charm, but I was won over after my second day. The city has an awesome pancake culture and roaming the canals and discovering grade II listed buildings was pure fun. There used to be a handbag museum with a private collection, but it didn’t survive the pandemic. If I make it back one day, I’d love to see the Van Gogh museum and also do a day trip to nearby Harlem. Plus I hear there’s an uber-cool Cabin Hotel/Hostel-hybrid (City Hub) in Rotterdam which I’d love to check out.
My favourite places in BeNeLux: Bruges is always a great idea for Christmas. The town is small but has a very charming Old Town centre with a traditional European market square and lots of meandering narrow side-streets. Getting lost in this cobbled labyrinth which is decorated with twinkling lights and dipping in for hot chocolate after a few hours in the cold gets me in the Christmas mood.
It took me a while to “get” Amsterdam’s charm, but I was won over after my second day. The city has an awesome pancake culture and roaming the canals and discovering grade II listed buildings was pure fun. There used to be a handbag museum with a private collection, but it didn’t survive the pandemic. If I make it back one day, I’d love to see the Van Gogh museum and also do a day trip to nearby Harlem. Plus I hear there’s an uber-cool Cabin Hotel/Hostel-hybrid (City Hub) in Rotterdam which I’d love to check out.
3. Austria: Traditional but not too serious
I was back and forth with my final choice. It was a close call between the UK and Austria. Even though I’ve lived in the UK for nearly 10 years and travelled the country extensively, my choice went to Austria for the following reason: it’s part of the DACH countries and being German by nature, Austrian culture shares some of the same orderly values, traditions and customs. Therefore, it’s easy for me to find my way around. It’s similar in a lot of ways, but it’s not Germany if that makes sense.
I often say that Switzerland is the “Rolls Royce” amongst the DACH region. Germany is more like Aldi and Austria sits somewhere in between. It’s affluent, but not pretentious. It’s a very chilled and relaxed country and I love those vibes. The high living standard appeals to me. Locals are cultured and have enjoyed a great education without coming across as snobbish. Vienna is one of my all-time favourite cities. Its lifestyle engages me and makes me plan actively revisits. There’s a rich brunch culture; the inner-city has lots of beautiful grade II listed buildings; like the other two nations, Austrians love cycling. Nothing is more enjoyable than a late summer’s ride along the Danube and the Danube canal. There’s a very subtle touch of its Imperialistic history noticeable in every corner without being over the top. It just adds to the quality to the city. Neat parks (Volksgarten), iconic buildings (Hofburg, Spanish Riding School) and Apfelstrudel (Café Central) do it for me. I’m also a sucker for a good fairground, so in the summer it’s a must to visit The Prater and eat cotton candy or watch Europe’s tallest chain merry-go-around “Prater Turm” spin up to 117 metres.
My favourite places in Austria: I’ve visited Vienna a couple of times and will spend the rest of my summer there to explore more of the country. I’m looking in particular in re-visiting Salzburg and have planned a day trip to Linz. As a child, I often spent my autumn-holidays in the Alp region and ventured out briefly to Austria. In the South, they have beautiful mountain-scenery and summer sledging (Toboggan Runs) which is incredibly fun.
I often say that Switzerland is the “Rolls Royce” amongst the DACH region. Germany is more like Aldi and Austria sits somewhere in between. It’s affluent, but not pretentious. It’s a very chilled and relaxed country and I love those vibes. The high living standard appeals to me. Locals are cultured and have enjoyed a great education without coming across as snobbish. Vienna is one of my all-time favourite cities. Its lifestyle engages me and makes me plan actively revisits. There’s a rich brunch culture; the inner-city has lots of beautiful grade II listed buildings; like the other two nations, Austrians love cycling. Nothing is more enjoyable than a late summer’s ride along the Danube and the Danube canal. There’s a very subtle touch of its Imperialistic history noticeable in every corner without being over the top. It just adds to the quality to the city. Neat parks (Volksgarten), iconic buildings (Hofburg, Spanish Riding School) and Apfelstrudel (Café Central) do it for me. I’m also a sucker for a good fairground, so in the summer it’s a must to visit The Prater and eat cotton candy or watch Europe’s tallest chain merry-go-around “Prater Turm” spin up to 117 metres.
My favourite places in Austria: I’ve visited Vienna a couple of times and will spend the rest of my summer there to explore more of the country. I’m looking in particular in re-visiting Salzburg and have planned a day trip to Linz. As a child, I often spent my autumn-holidays in the Alp region and ventured out briefly to Austria. In the South, they have beautiful mountain-scenery and summer sledging (Toboggan Runs) which is incredibly fun.
Follow Carolin on Twitter
