europe,  hiking,  outdoors,  travel

Top 10 Beautiful Places In Europe

They say nature does wonders for the soul. Would you agree? I can definitely attest to that.

Europe has its own natural beauty just like the other 6 continents. Waterfalls, trees, flora, variety of mountain ranges, beaches, rivers, birds, caves, and I can go on!

Read: My thoughts about Europe

Below are 10 beautiful places in Europe I highly recommend you see.

 

LAKE BLED

Where: Bled, Slovenia
Why: No explanation needed. Go on a sunny day and you will not regret it. It is so picturesque as you can see! You can walk or bike around the lake. It’s 1.7 miles (2 km) long and takes about an hour to walk around.
Price: FREE

The famous Lake Bled in Slovenia
You can take the Pletna boat to get to this pictured Gothic church on the lake

The island on Lake Bled

Picturesque Lake bled and trailway

 

VINTGAR GORGE

Where: Bled, Slovenia
Why: If you are able to visit Lake Bled, you might as well see the Vintgar Gorge. Only 10 minutes by car. It’s a scenic 1 mile (1.6 km) walk of rapids, pools, and waterfalls.
Price: 10 euros ($11 USD) for adults to enter
More info: Click here

VINTGAR GORGE in Slovenia

One of the Great Places in Europe, Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia
The gorge ends at the Šum waterfall (far right), the highest river fall in Slovenia

 

UPPER MIDDLE RHINE VALLEY

Where: Along the Rhine River in Germany, between Koblenz and Bingen
Why: Besides the countless castles, terraced vineyards and palaces, there is a plethora of options for hiking and biking. The Middle Rhine Valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a Rhine cruise that runs along the river, which allowed me to hop from one town to another.
Price: Varies depending on the type of cruise you want

Rudesheim along the Rhine River in Germany
Train ride from Frankfurt to Rudesheim = 1 hour

Along the Upper middle rhine valley in Germany

The town of Bacharach along the Rhine River
Bacharach am Rhein

 

KREMS AN DER DONAU

Where: West of Vienna, Austria
Why: Krems is part of the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, along the Danube River. The Wachau is great for biking, hiking, wine tasting, camping, and viewing castles.
Price: FREE (to hike)
More info: Click here

Jesus overlooking Krems an der Donau in Austria

Grape vines in Krems, Austria

Vineyard in Krems an der Donau, Austria
Arrived to Krems mid-afternoon. From the information center, I trekked upwards to the vineyards. To reach this particular area, I think it’s somewhere around Kreuzbergstraße.

 

UGLJAN ISLAND

Where: Zadar Archipelago, Croatia (15 minutes from Zadar by ferry)
Why: You can get an idyllic panoramic view of Zadar, Ugljan, and several islands in the archipelago of Zadar, from the fortress of St. Michael. The island is covered by pine forests, vineyards, olive groves, and fig trees. You can rent a bicycle to get around the island from Zadar.

Took me 1.5 hours to get to this hill with a bike. The continuous steepness was NOT a joke. Going back down on the bike was a breeze (15 minutes).
Price: One-way ferry ride from Zadar to Preko = 15 or 18 kuna ($2 USD)

Fig tree, vineyard, and olive tree on Ugljan island, Croatia

Saint Michaels fort on Ugljan Island, Croatia
This might have been halfway to the hill
On a bike on Ugljan Island
Took me 1.5 hours to get to the top of the hill with a bike. The continuous steepness was not a joke. Going back down, however, was 15 minutes on the bike.
Saint Michael's fortress on Ugljan Island, Croatia
Inside St. Michael’s fortress
View of Zadar and Ugljan from St Michael's Fortress
Views of Zadar, the snow capped mountains, and Ugljan Island

 

PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK

Where: Plitvički Ljeskovac, Croatia (2 hours from Croatia’s capital, Zagreb)
Why: You really should just visit, no questions asked. It’s popular for a reason and it’s my favorite place in Europe. Turquoise-colored water. Waterfalls. The fall colors. The rich flora. Absolutely breathtaking! Open daily, 365 days of the year.

Although it looks 100 times gorgeous on a sunny day, it still felt magical on a rainy day. I’ve heard it looks beautiful in the winter.
Price: 250 kuna ($38 USD) for adults
More info: Click here
Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

Waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

 

ŠKOCJAN CAVES

Where: Divača, Slovenia (1 hour from Slovenia’s capital, Ljuljbana)
Why: The caves is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There were so many stalagmites and stalactites of different colors and shapes. One of the stalagmites I saw is 427 feet wide (130 m) and 197 ft long (60 m).

Seeing the inside requires a guide. No photography is allowed inside.
Price: Varies depending on the year, which tour, and if you’re an adult, student, or child
More info: Prices // Other Info

Trail near the Skocjan Caves in Divaca Slovenia
Bottom photo is called Stefanie’s viewpoint (named after Princess Stefani, wife of an Austro-Hungarian Prince)

Photo Credit: Park Škocjanske jame

Photo Credit: Park Škocjanske jame

Outside of The skocjan cave, Slovenia

 

HEAR THE SEA ORGAN WHILE WATCHING THE SUN SET

Where: On the shores of Zadar, Croatia
Why: Zadar is known for one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. As for the sea organ, it makes perpetual music via the sea waves. It was quite fascinating to hear it in person.

This architectural object was designed by Nikola Bašić with 35 organ pipes behind the concrete. For a clip of what I heard while I was there, check my instagram feed.
Price: FREE

The sea organ in Zadar Croatia

The sea organ in Zadar Croatia

Sunset in Zadar Croatia

 

 

CINQUE TERRE

Where: Province of La Spezia, Italy (5 hours from Rome)
Why: Cinque Terre is one of my favorite destinations in Europe. The easiest way to get to each village is by train.

You can also hike between villages. I hiked from Corniglia to Vernazza, and from Vernazza to Monterosso. Total time was 4 hours.
Price: Varies depending on whether you want to trek or use the train. Or just want to go to a few villages.
More Info: Card prices // Other info

Read: A Great Hike To Do in Northern Italy

Riomaggiore, Italy
Riomaggiore, one of Cinque Terre’s villages
Vernazza, Italy
The village of Vernazza

 

NORTH HOLLAND DUNE RESERVE (Noordhollands Duinreservaat)

Where: Netherlands
Why: Who doesn’t like the beach? The Netherlands doesn’t have too much to offer for nature lovers, but this dune reserve is miles and miles of sand along the North Sea.
Price: FREE
More Info: Click here

This part of the dunes is Castricum aan zee

Beach in Castricum, Netherlands

 

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Top 10 beautiful places in Europe

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