Western Europe

Countries – From Most to Least Favourite

• Germany
• Italy
• France
• Netherlands
• Spain

Italy

In Italy, I visited Venice, Florence and Rome, which was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in a country. Italy was the first country that I backpacked across alone, and it was one of the best and most seamless experiences. If you like history, Rome is one of the richest and in-depth places to learn about one of the biggest empires on earth. The best places I visited in Italy were the Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Uffizi Gallery and the Rialto Bridge.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a great place to walk around but another stunning Dutch city is Giethoorn, a town on canals.

Germany

I am probably a little biassed on this topic, as I have seen significantly more of Germany and Italy than the other countries. However, there is something so magical about Western Europe, there is a reason why so many people visit these countries. In Germany, I think the best places to visit are Freinsheim, Berlin, Koblenz, Munich, Cologne and Heidelberg. I would consider Munich to be my favourite German city, that was the headquarters of the Nazi party and therefore completely surrounded by history, even though it was rebuilt from the ground up.

France

I’ve visited Paris twice, and I could happily visit again. One of my favourite places in Europe is the Sainte Chapelle which is a small chapel, and the upstairs level is made almost exclusively of stained glass. My other favourite places in Paris were the Louvre, Sacré-Coeur church and Versailles.

Spain

 I have only been to Barcelona in Spain but if there is one place that you need to visit in Barcelona, it is Park Güell, which features architecture from Antoni Gaudi.