Isle of Skye

If you could summarize Scotland to a piece of land, it would be probably Isle of Skye. it has the mountains, cliffs, castles, distilleries and midges expect in Scotland. all these set in a magical sceneries.

whiskey lovers, don’t miss out Talisker’s distillery. for me it’s one of the best whiskeys i’ve ever tried. when visiting the factory, you’ll be guided through the production process and its degustation.

Cuillins mountains is the paradise for hiking enthusiasts. although the paths are not marked really well, with some research in advance you can’t get lost.

Things I recommend on Isle of Skye

• Nestie Point
• Storr
• Taliskers distillery

and if you have more time

• Cuillins mountains

How to get to Isle of Skye

• car is probably the most efficient mean of transportation there
• buses are available as well

Madrid

Puerta del Sol is the heart of the Spanish capital. it’s the meeting place for people setting off for the city life. you can set off for sight seeing or get refreshed by a glass of beer and small dips called tapas. if you’re lucky and you’ll get a chance to witness celebrating Spanish holidays in the street. especially memorable in Madrid is the day of San Isidro, the patron of the city. on that day there are ceremonies in the city, live music, people dancing in the streets. just catch up the tune and join them.

Things I recommend in Madrid

• don’t miss out to visit a cervecería and get some tapas
• the famous galleries (Reina Sofía, Thyssen-Bornemisza)

and if you have more time

• take a train to visit Toledo

How to get to Madrid

there are so many options. just take the one that fits you best.

Saaremaa

This island is the most beautiful part of Estonia for me. you can find places there rich on history like its medieval capital of Kuressaare and classy villages with wooden wind mills. the coast

in the western part of the island, there is a national park. you can hike there crossing the sea, carrying your stuff above your head. still, you should watch out for boats passing. if you don’t feel like hiking you can take a water taxi. the island of Vilsandi is a hidden paradise with amazing sceneries of sandy beaches, long grass and forests. you can walk through the island by taking the path leading to the light house, passing broken mills. it felt we were the only people on the whole island.

camping is a good choice on Saaremaa and as Estonians love sauna, you can usually find a sauna at a camp site.

Things I recommend in Saaremaa

• Vilsandi island
• Kuressaare

and if you have more time

• hike to Vilsandi

How to get to Saaremaa

i guess there is no other option than by boat 🙂

Ljubljana

Venice

Venice is a traveler’s Mecca in Italy, so i don’t have to introduce it here. City on water with channels instead of streets and classy gondolas. Architectural masterpieces of various ages.

There is one event, however, that gives your Venice experience a new dimension. It’s the carneval. In this time the main sights are the people. You will have the impression you traveled back in time. The streets are full of people in colorful masks and beautiful dresses. The costumes are just perfect in all details.

During the carneval there also many street events like concerts and various performances. It seems like everyone is in the streets.

How to get to Venice

During carneval almost everything gets really expensive. For me, a one day trip from Vienna by night trains worked really well.