Few places in Europe, if not the world, are as romantic as the city of Venice in Italy. World renown for its beautiful canals, breathtaking churches, and wonderful shopping and food, Venice is one of the most romanticized cities in the world. After all, it doesn’t get much more romantic than taking gondola ride down the Grand Canal as the sun sets over Venice.
With some of the most beautiful mountains and valleys in the world, Switzerland is one of the most scenic countries in all of Europe. There are many places in Switzerland that exemplify this beauty, but perhaps none does so more than the town of Lauterbrunnen in central Switzerland. In terms of scenic landscapes, it really does check all of the boxes that travelers are looking for in a beautiful mountain destination.
Switzerland is an absolutely beautiful country. Situated in the heart of the European Alps, Switzerland has some of the most stunning mountain landscapes in all of Europe. However, because Switzerland is the most mountainous country in Europe, people tend to overlook the fact that Switzerland’s beautiful landscapes consist of more than just mountains. Some of the most beautiful lakes, valleys, and cities that I have seen in my travels I saw while visiting Switzerland.
Perhaps no other city in Switzerland combines the mountains, a beautiful lake, and a charming city into one package like the city of Lucerne. Just a short lift ride from being in the thick of the Swiss Alps, and sitting on the coast of one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes, Lucerne really does have it all. Not many other places can you go sailing in the morning and then take a trip up into the mountains in the afternoon.
Ghent is an absolutely stunning city that sits at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie Rivers. In fact, much of the city is built up around these rivers, which intersect the city and give it the charm that has made it such a popular tourist destination. In addition to its stunning city landscape, the city of Ghent is also well known for its cuisine and its beer.
In fact, according to the local tourism industry, there are roughly 653 restaurants, 620 cafes, and 250 kinds of beer available in Ghent. And that doesn’t even include the amazing chocolate that is found in chocolate stores scattered about the city and the amazing Belgian style waffles that you can buy from street vendors. In short, Ghent is a foodie’s dream come true.
In this guide, I am going to give you all of the information that you need to make your visit to Ghent an absolute success. I will outline the best ways to get to the city, talk about when the best times to visit are throughout the year, give you some recommendations on where to stay and where to eat, and finally I will talk about the top things I would recommend seeing and doing while you are there.
If you are into outdoor adventure, then the beautiful city of Zermatt in Southern Switzerland should be near the top of your destinations list. World renown for its skiing, mountaineering, and hiking trails, Zermatt is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. Every year, people from around the world visit Zermatt to ski on its amazing slopes, hike on the many miles of beautiful alpine hiking trails, and to view and even climb the neighboring mountain peaks.
Zermatt is home to the Matterhorn, which may be one of this world’s most beautiful and enchanting mountains. With its jagged peak, which is often made more alluring by cloud cover, the Matterhorn looks like it could have been conjured up on a Hollywood movie set. It is only the 10th highest mountain in Switzerland, but it may be the most famous because of its sheer beauty. But as beautiful as the mountain is, it can also be deadly. Since 1865, roughly 500 people have died on the mountain. This is an average of roughly 3 or 4 people a year. So if you are going to try and climb the mountain, make sure you know what you are getting into before you set off.
If you are looking for that quintessential Spanish fairytale experience, then look no further than the city of Ronda in Spain’s Malaga province. This mountaintop city, which is built-up on the precipice of a deep gorge, looks like it was conjured up from the mind of one of this world’s greatest storytellers. It really is that beautiful and unique.
While this fabulous city may not have been imagined up by a great storyteller, it has attracted some of this world’s most creative minds. In fact, both Olson Wells and Ernest Hemingway spent some significant time in this city of dreams throughout their lives. According to Hemingway, “Ronda is the place where to go, if you are planning to travel to Spain for a honeymoon or for being with a girlfriend. The whole city and its surroundings are a romantic set.”
One of the largest castles in Ireland, the Cahir Castle is also one of the prettiest. One of the things we loved the most about this castle is the lack of crowds. It isn’t as notorious with tourists as some of Ireland’s other castles (the Rock of Cashel is just 30 minutes away), so you rarely have to battle large crowds to get access to parts of the castle or have to wait for people to clear to get good pictures.
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to stay in a castle, then I have the perfect place for you. The Dromoland Castle in Ireland is the perfect experience for anyone longing to get an authentic castle experience. Located in a 15th century Irish castle, this five star hotel is guaranteed to take your breath away.
Located near the city of Cork in Southern Ireland, the Blarney Castle is one of the most famous castles in Ireland. Built by one of Ireland’s most powerful and influential chieftans, Cormac McCarthy roughly 600 years ago, the castle attracts droves of visitors to this day. Much of that has to do with the legendary Blarney Stone, which is said to give you the gift of eloquence upon kissing it.
If you have seen the Game of Thrones, you are probably familiar with the Dark Hedges. This location was featured prominently in the highly popular HBO series. If you are a big fan of the show, or if you just want to see this amazing grove of trees in person for yourself, then this is the guide for you.