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51 Photos of Europe from 6 Months of Travel

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51 Photos of Europe from 6 Months of Travel

The beautiful architecture, history, and different cultures of Europe have interested me since I was a kid. This was the destination of my first trip abroad and I keep finding new reasons to visit. Usually those reasons start with a few great photos of Europe, perhaps of somewhere I haven’t been yet.

This time around I spent 6 month and visited more than 20 countries. Having already done much of the western portion, I started in the north and headed throughout the central and eastern regions. First, I saw landscapes in Iceland that looked like scenes out of a sci-fi film. Later, I learned about local culture while couchsurfing in a small village in Estonia. I was even taught how to say Cheers! in more than a dozen new languages.

I did my best to take in the beauty of each place I visited. Here are some of my favorite photos.

 

Iceland

Beautiful and wild, Iceland remains one of the most incredible places I’ve seen. Waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, the midnight sun in the summer months, Aurora Borealis in the winter. Iceland has it all and more.

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The sun begins to rise as my first flight of the trip nears Reykjavik.

 

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The Sun Voyager sculpture near Reykjavik’s harbor. I climbed Mount Esja (pictured in the background) the next day.

 

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Geysir, from which the English word ‘geyser’ originated, is one of the most popular stops along the Golden Circle.

 

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Driving east along the Ring Road Skogafoss came into view. It was around 9pm but still bright outside.

 

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A brief hike led me to Svartifoss. The receding basalt columns make this one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world.

 

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Continuing along the south coast, this lagoon came into view. As glaciers from the highlands of Iceland melt and break off each summer, they make their slow journey from rivers to this place, then finally out to sea.

 

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One of the many horses indigenous to Iceland. Their long hair gives them a lot of personality.

 

Scotland

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Hill climbing with friends to the top of Cruak Ardrain (1,046m). A tough hike but the view and the company were well worth the effort.

 

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Edinburgh, as seen from the top of Arthur’s Seat. A short hike with new great friends and a beautiful view.

 

Denmark

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The colorful buildings of New Harbor. Though touristy, the view is free and across the water is Paper Island, where I enjoyed some of the best food of the trip.

 

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The Overload Surf & Turf Burger at Fisch Art Street Food on Paper Island. One of my favorite meals in Europe.

 

Sweden

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Exploring the beautiful parks of Gothenburg.

 

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Stockholm is notoriously expensive but also full of free picturesque views like this one.

 

Estonia

Still off the beaten path for many travelers to Europe, Estonia offers beautiful buildings, a great nightlife, friendly locals, and great food.

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A view of the old city in Tallinn. With its architecture, friendly locals, and affordable cuisine, I fell in love with Estonia. One of my favorite cityscape photos of Europe.

 

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A day trip to Keila waterfall in the countryside.

 

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I Couchsurfed in a tiny village of around 200 people, just outside of Tallinn. As we walked her dogs through the family’s farmland one night a breeze turned into gusts of wind. A  storm rolled in. I snapped this picture with my phone (not the best quality) as her collie led us along. I still remember the sounds of the wind blowing through the wheat fields.

 

Lithuania

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Wandering through the old town district of Vilnius. Beautiful churches and cathedrals like this one are around every corner.

 

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Hill of Crosses in northern Lithuania is where Christians used to escape religious oppression under Soviet rule. It was burned down multiple times but was continually rebuilt.

 

Hungary

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Budapest is one of the undeniable party capitals of Europe. It’s also one of the most beautiful and largest cities to explore. This was taken while walking down the Danube at sunset.

 

Croatia

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Trekking along the castle walls of Dubrovnik. Later we kayaked the coastline to a hidden bay for cliff jumping and snorkeling. Then we watched the sunset as we paddled home.

 

Montenegro

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Walking along the paths that wind around Budva’s coastline. The old city where we stayed is in the background.

 

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Montenegro is made up largely of coastline and high mountain peaks. Here is a view looking down on the town of sleepy city of Kotor.

 

Albania

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There is much to see and do in Albania. Though I wasn’t able to spend time along the beautiful coastlines, I did explore the capital city of Shkoder. This is Rozafa Castle from which one can look out over the entire city.

 

Bosnia & Herzegovina

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Most people are not aware that thousands of innocent people died during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 90s. During my time there I learned from a family who survived regarding the terrible events that took place. Sarajevo is truly a melting pot of cultures and had some of the kindest locals I met on my journey.

 

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Mostar was also largely damaged during the Siege of the 90s and is still being rebuilt. The name Mostar comes from mostari, meaning bridge-keepers. After the war they rebuilt this bridge.

 

Serbia

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Capital city Belgrade is home to an up and coming street art scene, great restaurants and an impressive nightlife.

 

Bulgaria

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The Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia did not disappoint. Though seeing this was one of the reasons I came to Sofia, I stayed for more than a week to explore, attend a free food tour (yes, free) and got to know several new friends. Bulgaria is also one of the most affordable countries in Europe.

 

Macedonia

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Some say there may be more statues in Skopje than people. Bridges and buildings are covered with them. While locals fear for the debt that’s being created, it is one of the most unique places in Europe. It’s also incredibly cheap with $2-4 meals at restaurants, $1-2 street food, and many hostels under $10.

 

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After Skopje I headed to Ohrid to relax on the lake for a few days. Another bargain city with great food and locals, I loved my time here. I learned this city’s mix of cultures and churches have earned it the unofficial title of the Jerusalem of Europe.

 

Greece

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Overlooked by many travelers to Greece, Meteora is an open valley with jutting limestone cliffs. Atop six of them lie beautiful monasteries with breathtaking views.

 

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The Temple of Hephaestus is one of the most incredible ancient buildings that still exists in Athens.

 

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Though cluttered with construction equipment due to renovation, the Tempe of Aphrodite Urania and the rest of the Acropolis is incredible.

 

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Known for its sunsets, the sunrises on Santorini are also amazing. After my ferry arrived just before 5 am, I walked just outside of town just in time to spot this view.

 

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Of course the sunsets are every bit as beautiful as you would imagine.

 

Turkey

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Galata Tower near the bustling area along the Bosphorus in Istanbul.

 

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The tall minarets of the Blue Mosque.

 

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Basilica Cistern, an ground water storage built in ancient times, not far from the Blue Mosque.

 

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Hot air balloons at sunrise over the region of Cappadocia in central Turkey.

 

Romania

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Fall leaves in Brasov, eastern Transylvania.

 

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One of the many castles throughout Brasov in Transylvania

 

Ukraine

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Monastery of Caves in Kiev was packed with beautiful architecture and history.

 

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St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral by night.

 

Poland

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Some of the first snow of the season dusted the rooftops of the Christmas markets in Main Square, Krakow.

 

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Eating a zapiekanka prepared by my new friend in the Kazimierz District of Krakow.

 

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Zakopane, about an hour south of Krakow, had received a fair amount of snow before I arrived. Ski season was only just starting to pick up.

 

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Trekking through a snowy valley in Zakopane. The tiny image of a couple down the path in front of me shows the massive size of the evergreens.

 

Czech Republic

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Eating langose (a sort of fried bread pizza) in a Christmas market in Prague. One of my favorite food photos of Europe.

 

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The moon rising over old city Prague.

 

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Geese and ducks swim along the Vltava River with Charles Bridge in the background.

 

Germany

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The architecture of Dresden’s old city just after sunset.

 

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East Side Gallery in Berlin. One of my favorite places in the world and my last stop in Europe. A fitting end to an incredible 6 months in Europe.

 

My Favorite Europe Posts

Here are some of the most read and some of my favorite posts from my time in Europe.

 

Recap

I’m currently sitting in a hostel in New Zealand, sipping hot tea on a rainy day. My journey around the world started in Europe and is nearing its end. Each of these photos of Europe holds a special story. Looking back at them now sparks a thought that puts me back in the moment. Perhaps it was an adventure with a new friend, a view that took my breath away, or a humbling experience getting lost or failing to understand the local language.

Each experience, each image, taught me something and helped me to grow.

If you have any questions about where I took a specific photo of Europe or want to know anything about long term travel, please comment below. Also, if you know anyone who’s thinking of taking a trip, please feel free to pass this along.

As always, thanks for reading.

Terviseks! (Cheers in Estonian)

– Cam

 

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2 Comments

  1. Sam Reply
    July 19, 2016 at 7:27 am

    Great photos! I bet there are many interesting stories behind them. The balloon trip looks great. 🙂
    And I love the horse photo. I’d like to travel to Iceland one day.

    Cheers.

    • Cam Reply
      July 21, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Sam,

      The hot air balloon in Turkey was one of the best days of the trip. It helped I had some amazing friends with whom I could share the experience. I highly recommend Iceland. The wild sense of beauty there is hard to find anywhere else. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for the kind words! Cheers!

      – Cam

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