If you haven’t heard me mention it already, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a year abroad in Stuttgart, Germany as part of the Queen’s University-Universität Stuttgart dual MSc program in Chemistry.
In this program, I completed the first year of my MSc in Kingston, Ontario, taking part in courses and thesis work. For the second year, I moved to Stuttgart, Germany, where I took more courses, completed two research internships, and spent the last six months working on my thesis.
Although this year had its challenges with my courses, internships, and thesis work, I took on a “work hard, travel hard” attitude.
I maximized my days off to travel solo, with friends I made in Germany, or meeting up with friends from Canada.
With this mindset, I grew my country list to 29 (so close to 30, but I’ll get there soon enough!)
If you’re into numbers, like me, here are the stats from my year abroad:
- Countries visited: 19
- Flights taken: 20
- High-speed trains taken: 33
- Regional trains taken: Way too many to count (thank you, Deutschland ticket)
- Overnight Flixbuses taken: 2 (both were rough in their own ways tbh)
While I’ve genuinely enjoyed every single city I’ve visited, there are a few that stood out. Whether it was the vibe, the people, or the food, these places are the ones that come to mind when I get the usual “so, what was your favourite place you’ve visited?”. So, let me share my top 3 cities in Europe, and why I loved them so much:
Bled, Slovenia: A Hidden Gem with Stunning Views and Adventures
Bled is one of the most beautiful and unique cities I’ve visited. The town sits on Lake Bled, a glacier-fed lake in Slovenia. The lake features an island with a church on top, and the only way to get there is by boat, paddle board, or – if you’re brave enough – by swimming. I’ve never seen a more picture perfect lake.
How to Get Around Lake Bled: Walking & Local Transport
I travelled here with two of my friends during a long weekend. We took an overnight Flixbus to Ljubljana (also a beautiful city, I recommend checking it out!) and then took a train to a nearby town. From there, we admittedly missed the only bus transfer to Bled within the next couple of hours (oops – bad planning on our part!).
Thankfully a Slovenian woman/taxi service gave us and another group a ride into town.
In Bled itself, everything is so close that you’ll want to walk everywhere!
Where to Stay in Lake Bled: Castle Hostel 1004 & Bled Hostel II
This hostel was newly renovated and under new ownership when we arrived. It was in a great location (unfortunately up a hill, though), super clean, and the staff was very welcoming.
My one friend and I stayed there and enjoyed it, though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for solo travellers as there weren’t many opportunities to meet people.
There was a nice big kitchen/common area, but the kitchen only contained dishes and a microwave (not ideal, tbh). Although since it was newly renovated at the time, perhaps the kitchen situation is much better now.
My other friend joined the trip last minute so there weren’t any beds left at our hostel, so she stayed at Bled Hostel II and recommends it. It had a social vibe with a big kitchen, a bar, and a rooftop terrace, so it’s great for meeting fellow travellers.
In the few hours she spent apart from us, she had made a bunch of friends who ended up joining us the following day!
Things to do in Lake Bled: Swimming, Paddle Boarding, Exploring
There are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy in Bled. I had a blast taking a dip in the (unfortunately cold) lake.
Our hostel had a deal with a local boat/SUP rental company. We took a boat out to the church on the island. We then rented paddle boards to hang out on the lake. It was such a great way to spend the afternoon.
My favourite activity we did was the Vintgar Gorge, I highly recommend it. You can reach it by private transfer – but we opted to walk about an hour to get there. The views along the entire walk were worth it.
Malta: Gorgeous Beaches & Historical Sites
Malta isn’t a city – it’s an island country in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa, however, it was small enough – and impactful enough – to make it to my Top 3 List. The Maltese archipelago is made up of three islands – Malta (the main one), Gozo (smaller, more rural), and Comino (mostly uninhabited, known for the Blue Lagoon).
Due to its geographic location, Malta has been ruled by many powers, including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, French, and most recently, the British – all impacting its culture and society. The most noticeable legacy left behind by the British are the red telephone boxes you’ll see scattered around the capital city, Valletta.
I travelled to Malta after I had officially handed in my MSc thesis. I packed up my room, left my luggage with my flatmates (thanks guys!), and headed out with my 36 L backpack on a one-way flight to Malta.
I originally meant to stay only a few days, but as soon as I stepped onto the island, I knew I wouldn’t be rushing to book a flight out. I ended up staying 13 days! It was the longest I’ve ever stayed somewhere while travelling, and I had an incredible time. I met fabulous people (I literally did not do a single activity alone until about a week and a half in) and made the best memories.
How to Get Around Malta: Malta Public Transport, Occasional Uber
Busing around the island was the best choice for me. I purchased a 7 day travel card when I arrived at the airport. I then bought a 4 day one when that expired. The buses go pretty much everywhere and run all day.
I won’t sugarcoat it – traffic around the island gets pretty brutal. I visited at the end of October and I still considered it pretty bad. If you’re going to travel there, I’d recommend going during the shoulder season.
Sometimes the bus schedules didn’t align, so the group I’d be with would split an Uber, averaging only a few euros per person to get across the island.
Where to Stay in Malta: Marco Polo Hostel & Follow the Sun Boutique Hostel
I stayed at Marco Polo for the first 7 nights and then switched to Follow the Sun for the rest of my stay.
I’m so glad I chose to stay at Marco Polo for the start of my travels. Admittedly, it wasn’t my favourite hostel in terms of amenities and look, but I had such a great time and met amazing people (our WhatsApp group is still going strong!). My favourite part was the rooftop bar, and since I stayed over Halloweekend, I had a blast! Once my group of friends checked out, I also checked out to go someplace a bit quieter for the rest of my time (and someone kept stealing our food out of the fridge, grrrr).
Follow the Sun was the perfect follow-up to my week at Marco Polo. It was pretty quiet (you could only hear the roosters crowing in the nearby field), the kitchen was a huge upgrade, the common rooms were wonderful, and I met some really cool people. One of my favourite things about travelling is all the unique people and perspectives I get to experience at a hostel, and this place had exactly that.
I recommend both hostels, whether you’re solo or with a group – it just depends on the vibe you’re going for.
Things to do in Malta: Swimming, Hiking, City-hopping
Malta was such an extensive trip that it’ll soon get its own post to detail everything I did.
Swimming was a big part of this trip. I explored various beaches across the main island and even took a boat trip to Comino and Gozo, where I got to swim in the famous Blue Lagoon. My favourite was St. Peter’s Pool, a natural ocean pool.
I spent a lot of time exploring interesting cities, like Mdina, a walled city in the centre of Malta.
Marsaxlokk, a fishing village that hosts a weekly Sunday market, was one of my favourites.
When the weather wasn’t nice enough to swim, hiking was the solution! Some friends from my hostel and I hiked along the cliffs from St Peter’s Pool to the Ta’ Kalanka Sea Cave – stunning views all around.
Dubrovnik, Croatia: A Stunning Coastal City with Rich History and Breathtaking Views
I’ll say it now – no I did not watch Game of Thrones. But I didn’t have to in order to appreciate the stunning views that this town offers. Dubrovnik was the last stop on my week-long Croatia trip. By this point, I was feeling tired and looking to get a couple of relaxing days before getting back to reality in Stuttgart – and the city gave me just that.
Where I stayed: Dubrovnik Old Town Hostel
This was a small, cosy hostel in the old town. The owner was nice, and the volunteers hosted events every night after dinner – when I was there it was a free sangria night! I would 100% stay here again.
How I got around: Walking, buses
Apart from a city bus from the bus station to the old town, and an airport transfer, I walked everywhere.
What I did: Swam, Walked the City Walls
I spent hours wandering the narrow streets of the old town. On one of my morning wanders, I came across a quaint little cafe called Caffe bar Libertina. It was clearly a local spot, owned by an older local man – and it was a great coffee. If I ever go back to Dubrovnik, I’ll be stopping by every morning for my caffeine fix.
Since I was here in early April, the sea was the perfect temperature for swimming. The beach I went to was absolutely stunning. It’s called Bellevue Beach and was about a 20 minute walk from the old town. It features a cave that you can swim into and had a lot of sea glass (I had a great time searching for pieces). I spent the entire day here with a couple other girls from my hostel.
The City Walls is the biggest recommendation I can make for Dubrovnik. I don’t spend money on attractions very easily, especially expensive ones, and I’m so glad I did it. The views were so so incredible. It closes at sunset, so the trick is to go a couple of hours before closing. You can take your time walking the entire length of the walls, and then finish by having a drink at one of the bars just before sunset.
I bought the city pass because it was the same price as the City Walls on their own. I unfortunately didn’t have enough time to do many other things on the pass, except for the Ethnographic Museum, but I think it’s an especially good deal if you have time to do everything.
TL;DR:
During my year abroad in Stuttgart, Germany, I had the chance to explore some of Europe’s most beautiful destinations. My top three picks are:
- Lake Bled, Slovenia: A stunning, picturesque lake with hiking adventures.
- Malta: An island rich in history and beautiful beaches, perfect for hiking, swimming, and city hopping.
- Dubrovnik, Croatia: A charming coastal town with medieval city walls, perfect for walking, swimming, and soaking up the local culture.
These cities were highlights of my year abroad and left me with unforgettable memories. I hope they inspire your next European adventure!
What about you? What are your top travel destinations? Have you been to any of these places, or do you have your favourites to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!