I thought I would make a "little" post about each of the cities I have visited on my journey throughout the semester giving them a little detailed snippet and a score of 0-10 (0=eh, could skip 10=must go!). They are in the order I visited them!
Malmö: 5
A cute city that is super close to Copenhagen and has adorable little houses if you wander far enough from the city-center. I enjoyed my time here, but make sure you plan your activities before going, it will make the world of a difference.
Zürich: 7
My first impression of the city did not match the images I had in my head, and thats okay, it was just a little shocking. It was much grungier than I ever thought and there was a lot of graffiti which was actually really cool. I loved the city center by the university and the lake, it was the charming old city I was looking for. There is really cool architecture if you look past the brutalist, industrial buildings and there is really good food (#fondue).
Freiburg: 10
While we were there for only 2 nights and traveling during the day, Freiburg is probably one of my favorite cities I have been to this entire semester. The streets are comfortably narrow and filled with local stores and restaurants. The food was fantastic and inexpensive. If (when) you go there, you must eat at either or both of these restaurants: Hausbrauerei Feierling (tip: only accepts cash) and Großer Meyerhof (tip: get their apple dessert... to die for).
Cologne: 7
We really didn't get a lot of time to spend wandering around here, but they have an incredible gothic cathedral that is a must see. They have very interesting museums and I wish we had more time to wander around the city while it was still light outside. Although, I know this is a chain, but there was a really good Italian restaurant by our hotel called Vapianos... you must go to one if you ever see it (my recommendation is the Reef N' Beef with their peach -vanilla ice tea).
Milan: 10
I had a blast in Milan and it is a city I definitely want to go back to. It was so different from any of the cities I have been to because it is so much bigger than anywhere I have been. There are so many buildings, monuments, and sculptures to see... not to mention pizza. Big pizza for little prices. We ate at a place called Astoria, go there and get the caramelized pear pizza... I will crave that pizza every day of my life. My friend and I just wandered the city with no major plans to visit things, and it was wonderful. The things you will see when wandering are what make the experience worth while.
Salzburg: 10
Now of course I have to give Salzburg a 10 because I am obsessed. Not just with sound of music, but the the actually town itself. It is so adorable and small I just wanted to fold it up and take it with me. The city is incredibly walkable and has amazing little stores and restaurants everywhere. Not to mention the best part of the city is a store called Christmas in Salzburg. I would detail what is is, but family reads this blog and I got Christmas presents there. So, if you are not family, please Google this place; if you are family, do not Google it and spoil your Christmas.
Anyways, I also love this city because it is nestles in the mountains and this girl loves her mountains. Even if you dont like the sound of music, I will say go there and experience its magic and charm.
Vienna: 9
Vienna is a city I will definitely go back to simply because I didn't get enough time there. We were very focused on where to go and what to see I wanted more time to wander. We did see some of my favorites museums (Albertina and Belvedere) and saw the most amazing palace (Schonbrunn). I was originally going to give this an 8, but because of their brat stands I gave it an extra point.
Budapest: 7
When I decided on my travel plans, I chose Budapest because everyone was raving about it, but honestly it was not super exciting to me. It was a very lovely city and had some pretty buildings. The Parliament building is the most beautiful thing I have seen at night and it is well worth the trip to see it. It was also incredibly inexpensive which was a blessing. We just wandered the city for the couple days we were there which was great because we found really cool memorials and parks I don't think we would have otherwise visited. There was one place we wanted to go, The Great Market Hall, but it closed at 3 on Saturday and was not open on Sunday so we didn't get to go, but I will recommend going anyways. There are also 2 restaurants I will tell you go to go, neither are traditional Hungarian food, but delicious none-the-less. The first was recommended to us by our Air Bnb person, Zing. It is a burger place that has amazing food and cured my enormous craving for a real cheeseburger that had been growing over the summer. The second place is called Töltó. It is the fanciest brat place you will ever go to.
Geneva: 8
I only spent half a day here, but I loved it! Much more than Zurich. It felt quieter and more quaint. There was definitely not as much industrialization in this city, at least not where we were. We started by the central train station and wandered to the city center. There are beautiful views and buildings. The city is also intriguing because it is built on a hill, but by a lake so the city starts off flat then the roads start getting steep so it is always an adventure wandering. OH! Also, this city is awesome because when you get to the airport, the transportation machines will give you a FREE 80 minute pass to get to your destination from the airport. Plus, every hotel/hostel will give you a free transportation pass for the duration of your stay in Geneva. I loved this because transportation passes and get kind of pricy.
Interlaken: 7.5
Now, I struggled with this because I loved the city and the experience I had here. The location in the mountains is breath taking and I had one of the most memorable moments of my life here. However, unless you have something, like paragliding or hiking or snowshoeing, there really is not much to do here. We walked the entire length of the town in about 20 minutes and the main street was filled with name brand, tax free stores so it felt very commercialized and touristy in the bad way. It was also extremely expensive. We went to dinner at a place that cost about $20 a person and that was the cheapest place we could find. The town is definitely worth visiting and I will tell everyone to go, but only if you have plans once you are there. I wish we had booked a hike or found a trail in addition to the paragliding because I wanted to spend more time in the mountains, but I suppose that means I just have to go back!
Bern: 9
I loved Bern. I mean I was only there for like 2 hours, but what I saw I loved. It is so much quieter than the other big cities I have been to. There is an incredible bridge that crosses a valley with a stunning river winding through. We walked across then went down to the river and it was surreal. We also went to the gothic cathedral there called the Bern Minister. This is my favorite gothic cathedral because it is so much softer than other cathedrals I have seen. It made a statement without being overdone or feeling to hard. Also the ceilings inside were incredible, they were painted with designs that make me want to doodle in my sketchbook all day.
Malmö: 5
A cute city that is super close to Copenhagen and has adorable little houses if you wander far enough from the city-center. I enjoyed my time here, but make sure you plan your activities before going, it will make the world of a difference.
Zürich: 7
My first impression of the city did not match the images I had in my head, and thats okay, it was just a little shocking. It was much grungier than I ever thought and there was a lot of graffiti which was actually really cool. I loved the city center by the university and the lake, it was the charming old city I was looking for. There is really cool architecture if you look past the brutalist, industrial buildings and there is really good food (#fondue).
Freiburg: 10
While we were there for only 2 nights and traveling during the day, Freiburg is probably one of my favorite cities I have been to this entire semester. The streets are comfortably narrow and filled with local stores and restaurants. The food was fantastic and inexpensive. If (when) you go there, you must eat at either or both of these restaurants: Hausbrauerei Feierling (tip: only accepts cash) and Großer Meyerhof (tip: get their apple dessert... to die for).
Cologne: 7
We really didn't get a lot of time to spend wandering around here, but they have an incredible gothic cathedral that is a must see. They have very interesting museums and I wish we had more time to wander around the city while it was still light outside. Although, I know this is a chain, but there was a really good Italian restaurant by our hotel called Vapianos... you must go to one if you ever see it (my recommendation is the Reef N' Beef with their peach -vanilla ice tea).
Milan: 10
I had a blast in Milan and it is a city I definitely want to go back to. It was so different from any of the cities I have been to because it is so much bigger than anywhere I have been. There are so many buildings, monuments, and sculptures to see... not to mention pizza. Big pizza for little prices. We ate at a place called Astoria, go there and get the caramelized pear pizza... I will crave that pizza every day of my life. My friend and I just wandered the city with no major plans to visit things, and it was wonderful. The things you will see when wandering are what make the experience worth while.
Salzburg: 10
Now of course I have to give Salzburg a 10 because I am obsessed. Not just with sound of music, but the the actually town itself. It is so adorable and small I just wanted to fold it up and take it with me. The city is incredibly walkable and has amazing little stores and restaurants everywhere. Not to mention the best part of the city is a store called Christmas in Salzburg. I would detail what is is, but family reads this blog and I got Christmas presents there. So, if you are not family, please Google this place; if you are family, do not Google it and spoil your Christmas.
Anyways, I also love this city because it is nestles in the mountains and this girl loves her mountains. Even if you dont like the sound of music, I will say go there and experience its magic and charm.
Vienna: 9
Vienna is a city I will definitely go back to simply because I didn't get enough time there. We were very focused on where to go and what to see I wanted more time to wander. We did see some of my favorites museums (Albertina and Belvedere) and saw the most amazing palace (Schonbrunn). I was originally going to give this an 8, but because of their brat stands I gave it an extra point.
Budapest: 7
When I decided on my travel plans, I chose Budapest because everyone was raving about it, but honestly it was not super exciting to me. It was a very lovely city and had some pretty buildings. The Parliament building is the most beautiful thing I have seen at night and it is well worth the trip to see it. It was also incredibly inexpensive which was a blessing. We just wandered the city for the couple days we were there which was great because we found really cool memorials and parks I don't think we would have otherwise visited. There was one place we wanted to go, The Great Market Hall, but it closed at 3 on Saturday and was not open on Sunday so we didn't get to go, but I will recommend going anyways. There are also 2 restaurants I will tell you go to go, neither are traditional Hungarian food, but delicious none-the-less. The first was recommended to us by our Air Bnb person, Zing. It is a burger place that has amazing food and cured my enormous craving for a real cheeseburger that had been growing over the summer. The second place is called Töltó. It is the fanciest brat place you will ever go to.
Geneva: 8
I only spent half a day here, but I loved it! Much more than Zurich. It felt quieter and more quaint. There was definitely not as much industrialization in this city, at least not where we were. We started by the central train station and wandered to the city center. There are beautiful views and buildings. The city is also intriguing because it is built on a hill, but by a lake so the city starts off flat then the roads start getting steep so it is always an adventure wandering. OH! Also, this city is awesome because when you get to the airport, the transportation machines will give you a FREE 80 minute pass to get to your destination from the airport. Plus, every hotel/hostel will give you a free transportation pass for the duration of your stay in Geneva. I loved this because transportation passes and get kind of pricy.
Interlaken: 7.5
Now, I struggled with this because I loved the city and the experience I had here. The location in the mountains is breath taking and I had one of the most memorable moments of my life here. However, unless you have something, like paragliding or hiking or snowshoeing, there really is not much to do here. We walked the entire length of the town in about 20 minutes and the main street was filled with name brand, tax free stores so it felt very commercialized and touristy in the bad way. It was also extremely expensive. We went to dinner at a place that cost about $20 a person and that was the cheapest place we could find. The town is definitely worth visiting and I will tell everyone to go, but only if you have plans once you are there. I wish we had booked a hike or found a trail in addition to the paragliding because I wanted to spend more time in the mountains, but I suppose that means I just have to go back!
Bern: 9
I loved Bern. I mean I was only there for like 2 hours, but what I saw I loved. It is so much quieter than the other big cities I have been to. There is an incredible bridge that crosses a valley with a stunning river winding through. We walked across then went down to the river and it was surreal. We also went to the gothic cathedral there called the Bern Minister. This is my favorite gothic cathedral because it is so much softer than other cathedrals I have seen. It made a statement without being overdone or feeling to hard. Also the ceilings inside were incredible, they were painted with designs that make me want to doodle in my sketchbook all day.