Photos by country
Follow along on our travels through pictures. Photos are all by Miranda, Sophia, and Billy.
Netherlands
In Bergen, Holland we stayed in a friendly AirBnb where our hosts introduced us to the family of porcupines who live in the neighborhood. We visited the beach, which was a little chilly, before moving on to Utrecht. Here, we stayed in a beautiful historic manor turned hostel and explored the countryside by bike. We met up with local student and friend Mykah, who was a part of our Croatia dive program. She showed us around the city and we all went ice skating. After saying goodbye, we went to Amsterdam, where we visited the Moco Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, and Anne Frank House. In addition, we took walking tours, made new friends at a silent disco, watched a Dutch World Cup match from a local café, and took a daytrip to the Hague.
Silent Disco, Amsterdam
Walking in Amsterdam
Corner bakery in Amsterdam
Veterinary University, Utrecht
Ice Skating, Utrecht
Biking in Utrecht
Sophia at the beach, Bergen
Miranda at the beach, Bergen
Washed up jellyfish on the beach, Bergen
Beach in Bergen
Cards on the train, Holland
Belgium
We met up with our friend who we met in Prague, Marco from New York, and split an AirBnb for two nights in Brussels. Here, we explored the old town via electric scooter, snacked on waffles, and wandered the huge open-air market in the neighborhood where we were staying.
Atomium, Brussels
Manneken Pis, Brussels
Grand-Place, Brussels
Market in Brussels
Germany
We crossed the border into Germany for the first time in September, when we spent just one day in Munich to attend the astonishing and beer-filled Oktoberfest celebration. We returned to Germany in late October and traveled to Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. We visited some of the country’s many renowned museums on Museum Island in Berlin. We went to a Bayern soccer game in Munich and took a water taxi to watch the sun set on a very chilly beach in Hamburg. Throughout this part of the trip, we gained a deeper understanding of the Holocaust, World War II, and its aftermath by visiting historical sights and taking educational walking tours.
FC Bayern Munich Home Game, Munich
FC Bayern Munich Home Game, Munich
Park sunset, Munich
Surfers at Munich River Surfing Spot
English Garden, Munich
Gazebo in Munich
Heilig-Geist-Kirche, Church in Munich
Pianist on the sidewalk, Munich
Marienplatz, Munich
Elbstrand Beach, Hamburg
Boats at the beach, Hamburg
Waterway in Hamburg
St.-Nikolai-Kirche, WWII Ruins, Hamburg
East Side Gallery, Berlin
Berlin Wall Death Strip remanents, East Side Gallery
View of Berlin TV Tower
Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
Käthe Kollwitz’s “Mother and her Dead Son”, Berlin
Berlin Cathedral
Fall colors in Berlin
Old Town, Dresden
Old Town, Dresden
New Town, Dresden
Work day at Lolli’s Hostel, Dresden
Martin Luther Church, Dresden
Free Community Zoo, New Town, Dresden
Public art in New Town, Dresden
Spätzle at Oktoberfest, Munich
Outside the fishtent at Oktoberfest, Munich
Oktoberfest beer tent interior, Munich
Miranda and Sophia in dirndls at Oktoberfest, Munich
Denmark
In Denmark, we visited Copenhagen. We stayed along the same boat-lined canal where Hans Christian Anderson once lived. We went to the historic, fairytale-inspired theme park Tivoli on Halloween, walked around the alternative community of Freetown Christiania, and explored the vast art collection of a Danish beer tycoon at the Glyptoteket.
The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen
Boats on the canal in Copenhagen
Miranda and Sophia on a bridge and Copenhagen
Statue at the Glyptoteket Museum in Copenhagen
Glyptoteket Museum, Copenhagen
Entrance to Freetown Christiania
Halloween in Copenhagen
Tivolli Amusement Park, Copenhagen
Czechia
After Slovakia, we took a train to Prague. In Prague, we explored the city full of castles and cathedrals both at day and at night with our hostel roommates. We saw excerpts of the ballet Swan Lake, as well as the opera Don Giovanni in the theater where it premiered. We were also in Prague during the Signal Light Festival. Then we went to the town of Liberec.
Statue of Neptune, Liberec
Liberec Town Hall
Astronomical Clock, Prague
Infant Jesus of Prague at the Church of Our Lady of Victory
Evening at the Prague Opera seeing Don Giovanni
Statue for the premier opera house of Don Giovanni, Prague
Cathedral lit during the signal light festival, Prague
Stained glass in the cathedral at Prague Castle
Street in the Old Town of Prague
Scenic view with our friends Nat and Marco, Prague
Church at Vyšehrad Cemetary, Prague
Rooftops of Prague
Klementinum Baroque Library, Prague
Wallenstein Palace, Prague
Wallenstein Palace Gardens, Prague
Slovakia
We started our trip to Slovakia in the old town of the capital Bratislava, where we walked around the city and tried all of the delicious local food and drinks. Then we went to the High Tatras region to hike and saw waterfalls, fall colors, stunning sunsets, and snow!
Moon from a ski hill in the High Tatras
Mountain Lake in the High Tatras
Sunset in the High Tatras
Fall colors in the High Tatras
City Center in Bratislava
Courtyard in Bratislava
Trying Burčiak with our friend Logan in Bratislava
Hungary
In Hungary we spent a week in Budapest, in a hostel next to the Central Market Hall. We did a significant amount of wandering, exploring the city’s architecture, and took two walking tours to learn about the city’s history. One day we went to a bath house and one night we went to a Latin Dance Social. We also visited the Terror Museum and Grand Synagogue.
Jewish Quarter, Budapest
Hungarian Parliament, Budapest
Szechenyi Baths, Budapest
Vajdahunyad Castle, Budapest
Vajdahunyad Castle, Budapest
Bell Tower at St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest
Austria
In Austria we visited Vienna first, where we went to many incredible art museums filled with our favorite artists, went to the natural history museum, connected with friends, visited historic cafes, and wandered lush palace gardens. Next, we went to Graz, where we stumbled upon the annual fall folk festival. Finally, we went to Salzburg where we saw Mozart’s home and the setting of The Sound of Music.
Statue at Mirabell Palace, Salzburg
Bell Tower, Graz
Scenic Overlook, Graz
Dancing at the Autumn Festival, Graz
Wedding cookies, Autumn Festival, Graz
Gloriette, Vienna
Waiting out the rain at the Gloriette
Gloriette, Vienna
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna
A game of chess in the gardens, Vienna
Greek and Roman Antiquities, Vienna
Hofburg Palace, Vienna
Hofburg Palace, Vienna
Building Interior Vienna
Iris as Goddess of the Rainbow, Art History Museum, Vienna
Café Sluka, Vienna
Tea and cake at Café Sluka, Vienna
Art History Museum, Vienna
Inside the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna
Slovenia
Our first stop in Slovenia was the quaint capital city of Ljubljana, where we café hopped and learned about the city’s medieval past. Then we spent a couple nights in a cottage near Domžale where we made friends with the chickens next door and the neighborhood cat. Finally, we went to the picturesque Lake Bled where we hiked to Bled Castle and Miranda and Sophia swam to Bled Island.
View from Lake Bled Castle
Billy enjoying view from Bled Castle, Lake Bled
Adding a padlock to Dragon’s Bridge, Ljubljana
One of the many bridges in Ljubljana
Croatia
In Croatia, we spent one week getting SCUBA certified and learning about marine conservation with an Impac Trip volunteer program in Omiš, Croatia. Then we visited Split where we explored Roman ruins and took a day trip to the island of Hvar. Finally, we went to Dubrovnik where we spent time in the Old Town and walking its historic city walls.