A Complete Guide to San Marino

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.…

View Post

3 Towns to Visit in Umbria

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…

View Post

A Complete Guide to Perugia

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. So, escaping inland to the peaceful and pretty Umbria region…

View Post

A Complete Guide to Rome

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…

View Post

How to Visit the Vatican City

The first stop of my six-week backpacking trip around Italy is 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…

View Post

Visiting the Villas of Tivoli

I was so thrilled to have an entire week to spend in Rome this summer. Rome is Italy's gorgeous capital city, steeped in history and absolutely bursting with things to do, home to some of the most iconic landmarks arguably…

View Post

Plombergstein Hike

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…

View Post

A Day at Altaussee & Grundlsee

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…

View Post

Schoberstein Hike

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…

View Post

A Complete Guide to Dubrovnik

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…

View Post

8 Spots to Swim in Dubrovnik

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…

View Post

Mount Srđ Hike

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,…

View Post