While visiting Venice, one of the most magical cities I've ever had the joy of exploring, one of the best highlights was our morning spent visiting Doge's Palace / Palazzo Ducale. I adored Venice. Made up of more than 100…
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Welcome to Padua Botanical Garden - or Orto Botanico di Padova - nestled in the centre of Padua, a university town just half an hour from Venice. This is the world's oldest botanical garden, founded in 1545 and still retaining…
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After a few days exploring the world's oldest republic, the microstate of San Marino, near Rimini in eastern Italy, it was time to head further north and explore more cities in Italy. → Check out all my guides about Italy!…
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Welcome to San Marino, the world's oldest republic and the fifth-smallest country in the world. This little microstate is surrounded entirely by Italy, located near the east coast, about half an hour's drive from nearby Rimini on the Italian coast.…
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Umbria is often called the heart of Italy. Situated, quite literally, in the middle of the country, this beautiful region is packed full of rolling hills, quaint towns, a slower pace of life than many of the other big Italian…
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I am spending six weeks backpacking around Italy this summer. I kicked off this tour with a week in Rome which was absolutely gorgeous but busy and a bit overwhelming. → Check out all my guides about Italy! Escaping inland…
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I'm in ROME! I can't believe I'm finally here. I also can't believe how long it's taken for me to get here. I've been to Italy twice - once in 2022 to visit Milan, and once in 2023 to hike…
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The first stop of my six-week backpacking trip around Italy was a week in Rome, the country's gorgeous capital city, bursting with history, delicious food, vibrant culture and so much to see and explore. On my last full day in…
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The Plombergstein rises above St. Gilgen, nestled at one end of the absolutely stunning Wolfgangsee. It reminded me a little of a mini version of the Chief hike in Vancouver in Canada. I hiked up Plombergstein with Alana, a friend…
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I once saw a photo of Grundlsee on Instagram and immediately pinned it to my Google Maps and knew one day I'd want to make a day trip out there. It's a bit of distance away from my home in…
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After my whirlwind Balkan trip through Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, I returned home for a few more weeks of Austrian summer, which is truly a gorgeous time of year to be here. I live in Salzburg, surrounded…
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From Mostar, I caught a bus across the border from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia, my 65th country. I've been wanting to visit this European gem for so long and as it borders Austria, where I currently live, there is…
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Croatia is definitely near the top of the list when you think of a typical Euro Summer destination and, given that I currently live in Austria, a long-overdue first visit to Croatia, just across the border, was in order. Entering…
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I have wanted to visit Croatia for so long, as it borders Austria, where I currently live, and really there is no excuse as to why I haven't made it down here sooner. So my four-country Balkan trip through Hungary,…
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