Category: Travel Writing

Cluttered with ancient churches and grand palaces, Vienna, Austria’s capital, captures the beauty and history of Europe like no other country.

During the early 12th century under the Babenburg dynasty, Vienna evolved into an important trading center for eastbound crusaders. In the middle of the 13th century, the powerful Bohemian king Otakar II took control of Austria for about four decades until the Habsburgs took over the Austrian domain for nearly 600 years after. Under the Habsburgs, Vienna grew to be a stronger city, trading with numerous neighboring countries such as Italy and Hungary.

Today, Vienna showcases this age-old history beautifully, telling the stories of various dynasties and swashbuckling crusaders within its magnificent buildings and city streets.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on May 22, 2018.

The northwest region of the Czech Republic is known for its spectacular views in the beautiful national park of Bohemian Switzerland. Just a short 90-minute trip outside of Prague, this park is famous for its sprawling hills, majestic mountains, winding rivers and towering rock formations. My friends and I visited this park on a chilly weekend in March, spending roughly six hours hiking, taking in the glorious views of the Czech countryside.

Bohemian Switzerland, despite its name, is not located in Switzerland. It rests in the northern region of the country and was named by two well-known Swiss artists in the 1800s who were reminded by the land of their home country. With incredible rock formations and sandstone cliffs around every corner, every trail in the park provides jaw-dropping overlooks of vast forest and hills.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on May 15, 2018.

Known as the de facto capital of the European Union, Brussels is filled with history and is quite in touch with its medieval origins. It’s easy to become distracted by the amazing smells of rich chocolate and fresh-pressed waffles that drift through the city streets. However, as soon as we began strolling around the historic city, we instantly realized that there was a lot more to Brussels than just chocolates and waffles.

One of the first places we explored was perhaps the most well-known attraction in Brussels — the Grand Place. Cluttered with cafes and restaurants, this central city square leaves tourists in awe of the intricate detail and tremendous size of the surrounding guildhalls. The city’s Town Hall and “the King’s Breadhouse” (a building containing the Museum of the City of Brussels) also encircle the central square.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on May 1, 2018.