Iceland. The whole country is amazing. |
Vienna: Upscale, festive, scale of architecture (buildings a few stories taller than Paris), wide pedestrian malls, all the Hapsburg imperial buildings, arts and music. We've been and summer and Thanksgiving week, and loved it both times -- but I would say it was even more vibrant in late November, with the Christmas lights and markets, festive crowds who seem to come from all over Europe to do their holiday shopping, go to concerts, etc. A really wonderful energy there. Hope to return again and again.
Luxembourg (city): Fantastic place; so nice that I wonder whether people intentionally try to keep it a secret, because no one ever seems to write about it. Like Vienna, it is very upscale with its shops, restaurants, etc., but on a much smaller scale. Old town is lovely, wonderful squares. Stunning setting -- on a huge gorge with remnants of the once-massive fortifications. Beautiful. Kind and extremely welcoming to tourists. Public transit (trams, buses) is clean, frequent and completely free. Saturdays are full of families coming out for market on Place d'Armes, walking, shopping and just enjoying the sidewalk cafes. Split: There's nothing like sitting in a cafe on the Riva, sipping an Aperol spritz and watching the boats sailing by in the harbor. The beautiful white stone of the pedestrianized old town, which is built right into and among the substantial ruins of Diocletian's Palace. Just a lovely place to wander and explore. |
I could dazzle most people, including most on this thread, with a list of the "amazing" places I have visited all over the world, but I'm not that pretentious. |
I think Lebanon/Beirut have a great vibe despite all their troubles.
Mexico City Ibiza |
Queenstown, New Zealand. It is an outdoor sports junkie heaven. |
Shh! I feel like people are too scared to go and they only think of Rio. Brazil has such diverse places. But even if you go to Rio, you can also venture out to Paraty, Ilha Grande. It’s lovely and fun. |
I love Bali for its spiritual energy and lovely people, as well as the lush landscapes.
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Yes to Ghent. It was stunning and the food was insane! I did not want to leave. |
Sorry pp Lisbon poster again. Sintra stole my heart! We went to the castles and all and that was incredible but my fav experience was leaving our apartment early in the morning and talking a long, winding whimsical walk to town for breakfast and a shopkeeper giving me cherries to sample and I bought a box of those. A baker handed me a cinnamon twist pastry to taste. It was excellent so I got a bag of those and this deli had cheese out to sample and I got some of those, some lemons, and a bag of oranges to juice. When I made it back to the apartment to feed the girls, I had a whole experience and felt so fulfilled. I opened the shutters and prepared breakfast for them and the breeze and sunshine and fresh smell was just so pure. Idk, it was one of my fav moments from Portugal. Lisbon was great just a different vibe. I did not like Cascais. It was nondescript, boring and overtaken by Brits who were a different kind of mood. We are coming back in Feb. for Algarve and other Southern Portugal towns. |
Kauai- very serene and beautiful. Majestic views from the water. Like stepping back in time.
Nuremberg Christmas markets - so beautiful and lots of people out. A very festive, Christmas spirit experience. Munich during Octoberfest. Haufbrau house is lively, loud, and fun. Mackinaw Island. The horses and no cars gives it a unique feel. The food is excellent. Lots of families. Amsterdam - all the bikes and canals. Felt like A genuinely new experience. |