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… In This Article…1 Rebuilding a Capital after 98% was destroyed post WW22 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Warsaw3 Top 10 Things to do in Warsaw4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Warsaw5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Warsaw6 Warsaw In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest Rebuilding a Capital after 98% was destroyed post […]
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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. In This Article…1 The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Krakow3 Top 10 Things to do in Krakow4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Krakow5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Krakow6 Krakow In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter Krakow is a must visit for anyone and a historical paradise for those passioned by […]
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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 and human behavior everywhere I go, and this map is meant to be taken as a grain of salt. Nevertheless, […]
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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. In This Article…1 A City Built on Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian Traditions2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Wrocław3 Top 10 Things to do in Wrocław4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Wrocław5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Wrocław6 Wrocław In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest8 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 […]
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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. In This Article…1 The “One Street” City of Poland2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Łódź3 Top 10 Things to do in Łódź4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Łódź5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Łódź6 Łódź In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest 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 […]
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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. In This Article…1 Poland’s Most Beautiful Old Town2 Outside the Old Town of Gdansk3 Best 2 Days Itinerary4 Top 10 Things to do in Gdansk5 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Gdansk6 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Gdansk7 Gdansk In Pictures8 Pin to Pinterest 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. […]
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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? In This Article…1 Recommended tours in Helsinki2 Is Helsinki Tourism Hype Justified?3 But why are so many tourists heading to Helsinki?4 Is Helsinki Worth visiting?5 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Helsinki6 Guide Book for Helsinki7 Top 10 Things to do in Helsinki8 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Helsinki9 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Helsinki10 Helsinki In Pictures11 Pin to Pinterest 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! […]
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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. In This Article…1 A Small University Town2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Tartu3 Top 10 Things to do in Tartu4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Tartu5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Tartu6 Tartu In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest 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 […]
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Back to Tallinn Once Again, One of my Favorite City in Europe
Ahhhh Tallinn, We meet once again! After visiting the city over 10 times and having lived here twice in the past, I really never get tired of Tallinn. The best way I can explain how it feels to walk around in the old town is to imagine shrinking yourself and walk into a gingerbread city. The feeling is a mix of a fairy tale and being transported in a time machine back in medieval times. This is why I rank Tallin as my favorite city in Europe! In This Article…1 Tallinn the Medieval Town2 Best 2 Days Itinerary3 Top 10 Things to do in Tallinn4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Tallinn5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Tallinn6 Tallinn In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest Tallinn the Medieval Town I first came to Tallinn 12 years ago, when it was still considered by many to be a no-go area! It had the reputation of a gray Soviet city and people called it dangerous and out of […]
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Visiting Liepaja: a Wannabe Beach Resort Stuck Between Soviet and Western Times
Having been one of the most important military ports in the world where Soviets had stationed a massive fleet 3 times the size the what nowadays Fleet in Brittan, Liepaja is trying to detach itself from its military past and embrace a more baltic beach resort style such as Palanga, Parnu or Jurmala. But somehow, its struggling to get there. There is a definite feel of industrial military vibe all over which, to be honest, is not the most appealing… In This Article…1 A Beach in the middle of a Soviet Past2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Liepaja3 Top 10 Things to do in Liepaja4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Liepaja5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Liepaja6 Liepaja in Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest A Beach in the middle of a Soviet Past Coming from Palanga where I had spent a few amazing days, Liepaja had a hard task of impressing me after such a nice time on the Lithuanian coast. And as soon as I […]
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