Is there any better way to record your travels than by using a push pin travel map? Like most people who travel regularly, I collect all sorts of unique souvenirs and postcards so that I have a physical reminder of the places I’ve visited. Usually, these souvenirs end up in a box, stored away and I never see them again. And the postcards? They tend to end up in the same box with the rest of my collection.
So instead of trying to figure out what to do with all of my travel memorabilia, I now record my trips using my personalized travel map with pins. Therefore, here are my top five European travel destinations that you need to visit pronto.
Western and Eastern feeling in St. Petersburg
One of the first cities that made it onto my world travel map was St Petersburg. It’s one of the most interesting cities you will ever visit, with its unique blend of Western and Eastern influence, which you can see not only in its architecture, but also in its cuisine. St Petersburg is of course home to the world-famous Hermitage Museum, which is one of the largest museums in the world, but it also has a number of other incredible historic sites to visit, such as its many palaces and religious buildings. I can’t stress enough how much of a bucket list destination St Petersburg is!
Beautiful Old Town of Tallin
If you’re lucky enough to plan a trip to St Petersburg, you can hop on the train and visit the Estonian capital too – Tallinn. It has one of the most picturesque old towns that I’ve ever seen, and is sadly often overlooked by tourists. There are more than enough things to do in Tallinn to keep you busy for a week, whether you’re into visiting historic sites, like to do a bit of shopping, or are interested in trying out local food. There’s even a garlic flavoured ice cream to sample if you’re bold enough! I was very excited to add Tallinn to my world map pinboard.
Iceland – The Capital of Uniqueness
Most people head to Iceland for its incredible landscapes, and don’t spend too much time in the capital, but Reykjavik is well worth stopping at for at least a few days. It’s a very unique capital city to walk around, and although it’s quite modern compared to other European capitals, it does have an interesting history that’s worth exploring. You can also hop on some boats from Reykavik and go puffin and whale watching too! Not to mention, if you’re a fan of seafood, you won’t get it much fresher than in Reykjavik. There are less things to do in Reykjavik than other major European capitals, but it’s definitely worth adding to your list of places to visit in Europe, if only for a day or two. Who wouldn’t want to push a pin into Iceland on their world map with pins?!
Read more about Iceland here.
Helsinki is more about experience
Helsinki has a bad reputation, like many of the Nordic countries, for being expensive and not a great place for people who are travelling on a budget. That couldn’t be further from the truth though! Surprisingly, there are quite a few free things to do in Helsinki, and many of the main attractions are within walking distance of one another, meaning you don’t need to spend money on transportation. There are also some great markets and food trucks dotted around the city, which I would recommend taking full advantage of, otherwise half of your budget will go on eating at restaurants. I was actually looking at my world map pinboard, trying to decide where to travel to next, when the idea of Helsinki came to mind. September is the perfect time to go if you don’t want to be stuck in the snow!
Malaga – The World of Picasso
Last on my list is a slightly warmer destination for those of you who prefer the sun to the cold. Málaga is a popular tourist destination in southern Spain due to its year-round warm climate and abundance of beaches. But, it also has a bustling city centre, with a history dating back thousands of years. You can check out a Roman amphitheatre and a medieval fortress, and at the same time learn more about the world of Picasso, who was born in Málaga. It’s also a haven for foodies, and is very close to other nearby popular Spanish cities such as Granada and Seville. Málaga gets a bad reputation as a party city, but it offers so much more to visitors and should be right at the top of your Spanish bucket list.
There are plenty of unique European travel destinations, and this is just a very small selection of some of my favourite places that I’ve been to so far. Hopefully travel will start to open up more in the coming months, and we’ll all be able to get some travel inspiration from our pushpin travel map. If you don’t have a travel map with pins yet – you’re missing out on the fun!
Author: Our Dear Friend – Krista The Explorer
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