I traveled quite a bit in 2019 – I quit my job to become a digital nomad right at the beginning of the year, and thus was able to see a lot more than I did in 2018. Hence why I don’t really have a “favorite destinations of 2018” because I didn’t travel nearly as much!
And so, here are my favorite destinations from 2019 and ones you might want to think about for 2020!
BANSKO, BULGARIA
[Bansko rooftops on a cloudy day]I’m surprised by how much I’ve fallen in love with Bansko! It’s got pretty much everything I love – cobblestone streets, delicious food, lots of nature nearby and mountain views, a weekly market, and it’s small and walkable!
Oh, and of course there’s the coworking space that has created an amazing digital nomad community!
[The sunsets here are soooo beautiful!]I’m already making plans to come back in the fall…
[Mürren was the Swiss Alps town of my dreams]This was suggested by our AirBnb hosts in Basel. We’d originally planned to go to Interlaken but they told us to skip it and go here instead – and they were SO right!
[Those chalets though! We only went for a day trip, but I can’t even imagine how expensive it would be to stay overnight!]Mürren was the perfect small ski town of my dreams, surrounded by jagged mountain peaks topped with an abundance of snow. We even saw people heli-skiing while eating our Röstis which was very entertaining!
[Hamburg from the tower at St. Michael’s Church – one of the best views in the city, in my opinion!]It’s no secret that Hamburg is one of my favorite cities – I’ve written about it multiple times…
I’m not really a city person, but if I had to pick one, Hamburg would definitely be up there. It’s really pretty, has a ton of parks, the public transportation is amazing and it’s easily bikeable…I could go on and on!
[Why are the Christmas Markets just the best]And of course – CHRISTMAS MARKETS. OMG the Christmas Markets!!! I am still shook that I FINALLY was able to go to some after dreaming about them for years. You think I’m being dramatic, but I’m really not.
I just can’t go back to the “Christmas in the Park” (anyone from San Jose, California?) display in my hometown again after attending the real deal in Europe.
[Like IS THIS REAL?! I’m still not convinced]The views from the mountains in Bergen (Ulriken and Fløyen) are stunning! But my favorite thing we did while we were there had to be the fjord cruise. Honestly, if it wasn’t for that, Bergen probably wouldn’t be on here – but the cruise itself was just so breathtaking.
[The view of Bergen from the hiking trail to Fløyen! I loved that it was so easy to get into nature in Bergen.][Bryggen is made up of multiple Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage site.][This old water mill was right near our AirBnb and was so pretty]I was so close to not going, too. My budget happy self wasn’t sure if it would really be worth it. But oh, it was. It really was.
[Dying to go on another fjord cruise because THIS]Like, I’m still wondering if the scenery was real…We even got to drink water from a waterfall. Like our boat floated near the falls, our guide dipped the bucket in it, and then we all drank it. And this is real life.
[Colmar is so pretty!]I’d wanted to go here since FOREVER and it was pretty much EXACTLY what I’d hoped it would be.
[Staring at all the beauty that is Colmar]I’d imagine it’s super crowded if you go on a weekend during high season which would probably make it a little less enjoyable, but we went on a weekday in February early in the morning and had it mostly to ourselves! So that’s my advice to you.
RIGI, SWITZERLAND
[Them clouds THO]There was something about being on a super high mountain completely above the clouds that was soooo cool! Even though it was pretty touristy it was still so epic.
[Like how epic is this][Frozen tram in Rigi, Switzerland]Related Articles:
[Cochem Castle just looks so damn epic]Ugh, this was so beautiful! The castles. The river. The wine. THE WINE!!!!
We even met a guy at our hotel whose friend owned a castle. And then he invited us to see the castle the next day!!! And we had coffee and hung out with them for an hour!!!
[Eltz Castle was so epic and beautiful]Like I can’t make this shit up. I mean, I could, and you would never know if I was telling the truth or not – but I’ll let you decide 😉
[The castle we visited is on the top of this hill! Maybe not the biggest castle ever, but still a castle nonetheless!]But anyway – the wine festivals were so fun, too! We stumbled upon one on a rainy day and it was poppin’. And by poppin’ I mean the Federweißer! This is a cool drink that is basically teenage wine. Except unlike teenagers, it’s not stressful to be around, and in fact, quite the opposite!
I may or may not know from personal experience…
THE YORKSHIRE COAST
[Love the red rooftops tho][Really wish I had rented one of these bad boys]Ok, I feel like I’m kind of cheating with the past two – but the whole area is just so pretty!! Each town is similar yet still has its own ~vibe~.
But I suppose if you reallllly made me choose a favorite, I’d have to say Robin Hood’s Bay – I think the history is so cool! It was once a smuggler’s paradise back in the day, and although many other towns were, too, it’s the most well-known for it.
[The main street going into Robin Hood’s Bay is pretty much perfect]There are lots of secret passageways and narrow alleys between the main streets, and it’s said that one could go from the coast to the to their final destination without ever seeing daylight!
[Picking apples at Herzapfelhof Lühs in Altes Land was so fun]Ok, I honestly am just basic AF and love apple picking. Even though the actual apple picking process really isn’t that long, but idk, there’s just something about doing all the fall things that makes me happy?
[Old German house in Altes Land]And also all the old houses!!! I was in love.
I hope you enjoyed this list of my favorite destinations of 2019! Any that you’d want to visit in 2020? And out of curiosity, how many have you heard of?
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2 thoughts on “My 9 Favorite European Destinations of 2019 (& To Consider for 2020)”
I haven’t been to most of these, but Bergen is on my list for sure. I’ve never been to Norway so I think it would be so interesting to go there.
Yes, Bergen was really cool, although I mostly liked it for the fjord tour, haha. If I could do it over again, I would have loved to check out more of the Norwegian countryside!
I haven’t been to most of these, but Bergen is on my list for sure. I’ve never been to Norway so I think it would be so interesting to go there.
Yes, Bergen was really cool, although I mostly liked it for the fjord tour, haha. If I could do it over again, I would have loved to check out more of the Norwegian countryside!