The third biggest city in Croatia and quickly developing as an alternative for Split as a holiday base, Zadar really surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Enjoying the same quality of the Dalmatian coast as its southern brothers, Zadar has plenty to offer for the seasonal tourist looking for sun, beach and culture. Trying to cash in on Tourism With Tourism in mind, Zadar is aiming big nowadays with its cruise port which can receive the biggest fleet of cruise ships in the Mediterranean. Many of the biggest cruise companies have chosen Zadar as a regular stop to explore the Adriatic sea route, along with Venice, Split and Dubrovnik, as it is strategically located as an easy stop to explore other beautiful cities in the region, such as Sibenik. With the advent of Cheap airlines now connecting Zadar directly to major European cities, its popularity […]
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Trogir, a Tiny UNESCO Marvel in Croatia
Overshadowed by its big sister Split just 10km away, Trogir is often just a simple day tour for tour groups arriving by bus for a quick 1 hour guided walk. But for me Trogir is much more than this, somewhat of a secret destination of mine and this year I decided to go directly to Trogir after flying into the country, preferring it to Split for its charming UNESCO recognized medieval old town. A Tiny Island that has a lot to offer Trogir is just a tiny island that can be walked around in less than 30 minutes. But doing so would ruin the experience that I adore in Trogir, which is to immerse myself in this small ancient town to feel Trogir, walk the curvy narrow streets at night, hearing the old churches ring their bells in the morning and absorb the feeling of […]
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Visiting Warsaw, Newly Rebuilt Capital of Poland
If there is one thing to admire about Warsaw, it is its tenacity to rebuild again and again after 98% of the city was destroyed during World War 2. The Germans had made it an objective to clean the whole city to the ground and not leave a single wall standing, piling the debris in a pyramid of ruins in the middle of the house to humiliate and punish the Varsovians for their uprising. And even under the Soviet rule and against communist philosophy, locals insisted to rebuild the old town exactly how it was historically, a massive project that is still ongoing over 80 years after the end of the war. Very inspiring to me… Rebuilding a Capital after 98% was destroyed post WW2 The majority of the construction has been concentrate on restoring the main part of the old town, which is pretty small […]
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Visiting Krakow, the Most Beautiful City in Poland
For some reason, cities that have gone through traumatic experiences and intense stress will tend to rebuild in a more creative and imaginative way, resulting in a “special city”. Think about cities like Athens or Istanbul who have had their share of invasion through the past 3000 years. Or more recently how Berlin has become a center for subculture after all it went through during the cold war. Krakow is part of this victim group, and after all the horrific events it lived during world war 2 with the Nazi camps and massive destruction, it is now flourishing in a very interesting and special way. The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter Krakow is a must visit for anyone and a historical paradise for those passioned by 20th-century history like me. Having more than 25% of Jewish population before world war 2, it is obvious that […]
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World Map of the Friendliest Countries to Travel to… in the Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All
This Article is part of my series about comparing every country in the world between each other, from the perspective of a man who has traveled all of them, 188/196 to be precise. After creating the most beautiful countries map, the best food in the world map or even the best quality price countries, this article focuses on the most friendly countries to travel to. It must be understood that the context here when I say “friendly to the traveler” is how welcoming a country is to visitors at first sight, and not necessarily about the population in general. I also tried to be objective in my way to rate them, even though it also reflects a little bit my personal experiences. As a traveler with an open mind, I do not care about religion or race, I am an observer of humans in general […]
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4 Days in Wroclaw, Rising Star of Poland’s Tourism
Just 10 years back we would hardly hear about this south-western polish city. Now it has a booming tourist industry that brings millions of visitors every year to see its beautiful Gothic and Baroque style old town, one of the best preserved in the country. This year I decided to see by myself what the hype is all about and if its worth a visit. A City Built on Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian Traditions Now that I’ve been to all the biggest cities of Poland, I can finally compare them between each other and decide which is my favorite. And my favorite is without a doubt Wroclaw, not only for its beauty but also for its great livability. Contrary to Gdansk which is spread around 3 cities, Wroclaw is centred around its condensed old town which makes it easy and pleasant to roam around by foot. […]
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Dedicating a Few Days to Lodz in Poland
Not the typical city that will appear on travelers radar, Lodz is still worth a visit on an itinerary as its central location makes it logistically easy to include while traveling from Wroclaw to Warsaw or on the way north towards Gdansk. It doesn’t pack a lot to see compared to other polish cities, but I can expect its popularity will continue growing in the next few years. The “One Street” City of Poland As local people like to joke about it, if you get even one street away from Piotrkowska Street you are out of bounds. That is actually very close to the truth as Piotrkowska is definitely the highlight of Lodz and where most of the interesting sightseeing areas are located. If I ever come back to Lodz, I would try to find a hotel or apartment straight off the street and try not to go further, exception […]
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Gdansk: Polish Jewel of the Baltics
The last piece of the puzzle in this year’s quest to travel all the Baltic coast, from Tallin to Poland passing by Kaliningrad. And what a way to finish this trip in Gdansk, one of the Jewel of Poland and the Baltic Coast. I’ve been waiting to come to Gdansk for years but wanted to do so on the perfect time during summer months as the weather is critical for me to enjoy in this part of Europe. Poland’s Most Beautiful Old Town Gdansk is beautiful! I can’t believe it took me so long to come here, even after visiting in Poland many times over the last 10 years and even living just nearby for a month in Poznan in 2015. Now that I’ve been in most big cities in Poland, I believe the old town of Gdansk is the most impressive. They have especially done a […]
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Visiting Helsinki: is it Overrated or Worth a Visit?
When asked by people what are my worst countries I’ve been to, I always get mind-blinded by the thought of having to choose even one. Sure there are countries I prefer to others, but places I hate? I don’t really have any. People think I am usually too positive on my outlook of most cities I go, but in the case of Helsinki, I must be honest with myself: I cannot see the hype. So why are tourists flooding the city? Recommended tours in Helsinki Is Helsinki Tourism Hype Justified? Don’t get me wrong, I love Finnish people, one of my favorite people in Europe! I love their humble mentality and their passion for hockey (hehe). But as a world traveler, arriving in Helsinki is always a plain experience. I’ve visited the city half a dozen times, and I just can’t find many reason to […]
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Tartu – 3 Days in The Academic Capital of Estonia
A small university town set in the middle of the Estonian forest; this is how best I can describe Tartu! But who says university town says student life, and student life means a very active city full of Estonians students and international exchange students energizing the city with life and party! So Tartu definitely packs a lot for such a tiny place. A Small University Town Tartu has been the go-to university for Estonians for centuries, and its reputations has attracted international students from all over the world. The Erasmus exchange program in Europe has influenced a lot of new arrivals, but also Asians looking for a great education for a fraction of the cost. I came in the middle of the summer so there weren’t that many students yet. Instead, I arrived with 3 festival being hosted at the same time, filling the streets with fanfare […]
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