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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Crashing on the Lithuanian Coast in Palanga
Where else to spend a few days in the region during the peak tourist season of mid-July on the Baltic Sea? Palanga is known around the Baltic Countries to be one of the most festive and energetic Beach Resort of the three. And I had a few days to explore it thoroughly under the northern european sun! In This Article…1 The Go-To Holiday destination for all Lithuanians2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Palanga3 Top 10 Things to do in Palanga4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Palanga5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Palanga6 Palanga in Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Go-To Holiday destination for all Lithuanians After being in Klaipeda for a few days (and loving it), I was looking forward to see why everybody was telling me that nobody stays in town in the summer and go straight to Palanga. Even the Avis Car Rental had “reduced hours” to serve more time in Palanga. As soon as I arrived I understood. It was jammed […]
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The Insane Experience of Visiting a Soviet Era Nuclear Missile Silo in Lithuania
Lost in the forests of the Zemaitija National Park in Western Lithuania, a Soviet underground missile base was found after the fall of the Soviet Union. It used to house 22 meter long R12 Rockets with 3-meter nuclear warheads, ready to strike pretty much any target in Europe. This is the location where the missiles that departed to Cuba during the 1962 Cuban crisis were stored, and just the idea of being there to witness such a historic place was exciting to me! I had to go see it for myself. In This Article…1 A dark piece of history of the 20th century2 In Pictures3 Pin to Pinterest A dark piece of history of the 20th century After visiting Chernobyl 2 years back and loving the experience, I knew I had an interest for such things. Where else can you visit an abandoned nuclear missile silo that played an important role in world politics in the 20th century. So while in Klaipeda in western Lithuania, […]
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Visiting the Mouth of the Curonian Spit in Klaipeda, Lithuania
Set on a small stretch of coast on the Lithuanian Baltic coast, Klaipeda is truely set in an amazing location. The city is set directly on the Curonian spit which is a UNESCO protected area for its unique natural wonders. With a nice German flavor, this once important Prussian city is now Lithuania’s third largest city, yet keeping a distinctive town summer holiday feel. Its fame is only starting as cruise large cruise ships have included the Klaipeda onto their Northern Europe route along with Tallinn, Helsinki and Stocklholm. In This Article…1 Visiting Klaipeda2 Best 2 Days Itinerary for Klaipeda3 Top 10 Things to do in Klaipeda4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Klaipeda5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Klaipeda6 Klaipeda in Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest Visiting Klaipeda Klaipeda was actually called Memel in German times before it was renamed Klaipeda by the Lithuanians. The city was a nice surprise for me, as I didn’t expect such a beautiful little town since I hadn’t […]
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Kaliningrad in Russia – In the Shadow of Konigsberg
Once a very important city in the Prussian empire and now an integral part of Russia, this little enclave to the baltic sea hold its share of history. Its strategic location between the Curonian spit was seen by several empires to be a must keep area, which explains why it is awkwardly separated from the Russian Mainland. A lot of Kaliningrad was lost during world war 2, which is sad because It was once considered one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Even St-Petersburg is said to be built on the bases of Kaliningrad. In This Article…1 The Missing Piece of the Baltic States2 Best 2 Days Itinerary for Kaliningrad3 Top 10 Things to do in Kaliningrad4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Kaliningrad5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Kaliningrad6 Kaliningrad In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Missing Piece of the Baltic States It’s no secret that I consider the 3 Baltic States as one of my favorite parts of th world. And this is probably […]
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FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia: A Complete Success
I had the chance this year to take part in my second FIFA World Cup, this time in Russia in June and July 2018. After having participated in the World cup in 2010 in South Africa with a couple friends from Brazil, I decided to buy a ticket for one game and enjoy a few weeks of football celebration with fans of the world in a country that I only ask to spend more time to visit. And this was a great occasion to get a 2 months Visa to visit areas I had wanted to visit for a while. In This Article…1 My Travel Plan in Russia 20182 My Experience3 My impressions of this world cup4 In Pictures5 Pin to Pinterest My Travel Plan in Russia 2018 Actually, there was a plan around all this, and it wasn’t about football. Being Canadian, there is only one sport that I can have passion for: hockey. So as much as I want to like football, it […]
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A Few Days in the Cossack Capital of Rostov-on-Don in Russia
Before 2018, I would have never thought about visiting Rostov-on-Don, as its name resonated too much with the problems of Donbass and Lugansk of Ukraine. But since I had a World Cup Ticket for the Uruguay-Saudi Arabia Game this year, I was kind of obligated to give it a try. And what a surprise! Rostov-on-Don is a Big and Lively city that definitely deserves its share of tourism! In This Article…1 My experience in Rostov-on-Don2 Best 2 Days Itinerary for Rostov-on-Don3 Top 10 Things to do in Rostov-on-Don4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Rostov-on-Don5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Rostov-on-Don6 Pin to Pinterest7 Rostov-on-Don In Pictures My experience in Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don is known to be the capital of the Cossacks, these ancient warriors who have defended the region over centuries. Even some special police units today have uniforms of Cossacks warriors which you could spot on your visit. I had the chance to be here during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, so the city […]
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Sochi: The New Pearl of the Black Sea
Sochi is the Biggest resort City in Russia. In fact, it has grown so quickly and well in the past few years that it is a great city in itself and in my opinion only second to St-Petersburg for the most beautiful city in Russia. Sochi was settled by Stalin where he had his private summer house (dacha). But Thanks to the constant efforts by Putin to host big events in the city like the Olympics Games of 2014, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the FIFA world cup, it is easy to see how the city is important in the eyes of Russians. And you can definitely expect to hear more and more about Sochi as it transforms towards an international holiday destination. In This Article…1 The Miami of Russia2 A 3 Days Itinerary to Sochi3 Top 10 Things to do in Sochi4 Top 5 Restaurants in Sochi5 Top 5 Cafes in Sochi6 Sochi in Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Miami of Russia Sochi […]
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