Tag: Travel blogger

Top Things to do in Estonia

February 26, 2019

Estonia, for me, before my trip, was always just the name of some place that I had heard of because my fellow students came from there. Otherwise, I could have hardly imagined how wonderful this country is. My first trip in 2019 could not have started any better! Estonia is simply impressive with its breathtaking natural beauty, medieval and modern buildings. No matter if you only have 2 or 7 days, a trip to Estonia is worthwhile in every season. For you, I have summarized my trip highlights:

Discover Tallinn’s Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Tallinn’s old town can easily be “climbed” on foot. From the Town Hall Square to Kohtuotsa Viewing Platform, stroll through the cozy lanes and pass by the impressive Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It will satisfy your soul! You can get accessories from everywhere in the Old Town, but if you want to go all in for the traditional shopping rite, then you will easily find a shopping center nearby. Here you will always find something good. Also, make sure that you do not forget to stop by an Estonian supermarket. Even still I get excited about their modern product offering.

Explore Estonian’s Nature

Not far from Estonia’s capital Tallinn, there are beautiful natural wonders, such as the freshwater springs “Saula Siniallikad”, the waterfall “Jägala” and even their national park “Lahemaa.” The freshwater springs are about a 35 minutes’ drive from Tallinn, and the “Jägala” waterfall is right on the way to the National Park. My personal highlight was the freshwater springs in their different shades of blue.

Get Inspired by Telliskivi Creative City

Hipster thrives in Tallinn’s creative city. There are countless small individual shops that give their creativity free rein. If you find it too much inside, you can look at the graffiti painting on the industrial buildings outside. Everywhere it is a thrill to look at.

Enjoy Breakfast and Dinner

In addition to the scenery, Tallinn’s wide variety of modern restaurants has thrilled me to the core. Whatever you like, you will be served in a truly distinct and cool way, as the aura of the place itself. Not only will the food inspire you, but the interior of the restaurants too is simply stunning. If you want to know more about the culinary highlights for me, just click here for my restaurant recommendations.

Day trip to Helsinki

If you have a lot of time at your hands, then you should drive to Helsinki which would take within 2 hours and spend a day there. Several ferries offer rides, too at different times of the day. Tallinn’s harbor is located in the heart of the city and is very busy so early departure is not a problem.

How to get to Estonia? Easiest way is to fly to Tallinn and rent a car to get around. I flew from Düsseldorf Weeze with Ryanair.

Where to stay? Depends where you wanna go! I would recommend to stay close to the port. You will find several offers online! For every budget!

DEU

Estland war mir vor meiner Reise nur ein Begriff, weil meine Studienkollegin von dort kam. Ansonsten konnte ich mir kaum etwas unter diesem wundervollen Land vorstellen! Meine erste Reise im Jahr 2019 hätte nicht besser beginnen können, als in einem digitalen Vorzeige-Staat, der mit seiner atemberaubender Natur, mittelalterlichen und modernen Bauten einfach nur beeindruckt! Egal ob ihr nur 2 oder 7 Tage Zeit habt, ein Trip nach Estland lohnt sich zu jeder Jahreszeit! Für euch habe ich extra meine Highlights zusammengefasst:

Discover Tallinn’s Old Town (UNESCO Weltkulturerbe)

Tallinn’s Altstadt kann problemlos zu Fuß „bestiegen“ werden. Vom Rathausplatz bis zur Aussichtsplatform Kohtuotsa schlendert man durch die gemütlichen Gassen und kommt an der beeindruckenden Alexander-Newski-Kathedrale vorbei. Accessoires bekommt ihr überall in der Altstadt, wenn ihr aber richtig shoppen gehen wollt, geht einfach in ein nahgelegenes Shoppincenter! Hier findet ihr immer etwas! Vergesst auch nicht in einem estnischen Supermarkt vorbeizuschauen! Ich bin immer noch von dem modernen Produktangebot begeistert!

Explore Estonian’s Nature

Nicht weit von Estland’s Hauptstadt befinden sich wunderschöne Naturereignisse, wie die Süßwasserquellen „Saula Siniallikad“ , der Wasserfall „Jägala“ oder aber auch der Nationalpark „Lahemaa“. Die Süßwasserquellen sind ca. 35 Minuten Fahrt von Tallin aus und der „Jägala“ Wasserfall liegt direkt auf dem Weg zum Nationalpark! Mein persönliches Highlight waren die Süßwasserquellen in ihren unterschiedlichen Blautönen!

Get inspired by Telliskivi Creative City

In Tallinn’s kreativer Stadt blühen Hipster richtig auf! Unzählige kleine individuelle Läden, die ihrer Kreativität freien Lauf geben können. Wem es drinnen zu viel wird, der kann die Graffiti Malerei an den Industrieähnlichen Gebäuden ansehen.

Enjoy breakfast and dinner

Neben der Landschaft hat mich Tallinn’s große Vielfalt an modernen Restaurants begeistert! Was auch immer ihr mögt, ihr werdet es auf einer wirklich individuellen und coolen Weise serviert bekommen! Nicht nur das Essen wird euch begeistern, sondern auch die Inneneinrichtung der Restaurants! Wenn ihr mehr über meine kulinarischen Highlights erfahren möchtet, klickt einfach hier für meine Restaurantempfehlungen.

Day trip to Helsiniki

Wer viel Zeit mitgebracht hat, kann innerhalb von 2 Stunden nach Helsinki fahren und dort einen Tag verbringen. Mehrere Fähren bieten die Fahrten zu unterschiedlichen Tageszeiten an. Tallinn’s Hafen liegt sehr zentral, so dass auch eine frühe Abfahrt kein Problem ist!

How to get to Estonia? Am einfachsten ist es nach Tallinn zu fliegen! Ryanair fliegt den Flughafen z.B. von Deutschland aus an! Mietet euch dort einen Mietwagen, um Estland zu erkunden!

Where to stay? Ich würde in der Nähe vom Hafen wohnen! Von dort aus kommt ihr überall schnell hin! Es gibt auch zahlreiche Unterkünfte in der Umgebung!

Low budget breakfast & stay in Munich

December 14, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Motel One, München, Städtetrip, Motel One Deutsches Museum, Munich

Munich is known as a costly holiday stay, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get the most out of your vacation with a low, holiday budget. I always say that nothing is impossible! How? You need to know the right place to stay at and what to do!

Where to stay?

Motel One at the German museum in Munich, offers the greatest service, quality, and location for a trip to Munich. The rooms are fresh, modern, and comfortable. You will not miss anything in your room. The prices start from 79€ per night.

Actually, it was the first hotel in which employees worked with a tablet to order a taxi or to register you for breakfast. I liked the innovative attitude. Before I arrived at Motel One, I was told that the breakfast is not the best, so I did not have high expectations. When I arrived at the stylish breakfast hall, I was more than impressed! Motel One’s bio breakfast buffet tastes heavenly.

The healthy morning meal costs only 9,50€ and externals can have the breakfast, too. You won’t find such a tasty breakfast with unlimited coffee, water and juices. It doesn’t matter at which Motel One hotel you are; you always get the same fantastic breakfast for the same price. So try it yourself in your city or if you have booked a hotel without breakfast!

What to do during Christmas time?

Since I went to Munich during December, I had to visit Christmas Markets. If you are in Munich for the first time, you have to visit the Christmas Market at Marienplatz, which is the centre and main shopping area of Munich. Admire the big Christmas tree and the wonderful town hall.

Another delightful Christmas market is the “Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt”. It is smaller than the one at Marienplatz but very cosy. The prices are also fair and the food is tasty! Try a Glühwein and an apple strudel with vanilla sauce. Hot cocktails are also yummy! You can either visit the Christmas markets during the day or around 4 pm. It won’t be dark around that time but if you stay until 5pm, you will see the Christmas markets during day and night-time. Have a look here for all Christmas Markets in Munich.

Where to eat?

All brew houses offer food at an affordable price but don’t visit the expensive ones around Marienplatz. They are only for tourists. Personally, I like all Augustiner breweries. Especially, the one in Arnulfstraße. In the morning, you have to try a Bavarian veal sausage and in the evening try a hock. My absolute favorite restaurant in Munich is “Neuhauser”. It just got refurbished and enlarged. You will find the best and biggest pizza, at restaurant Neuhauser. If you order a pizza ask for the garlic oil!

A unique weekend trip to Reykjavik

December 7, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Reykjavik, 22 Hill Hotel, Room with a view, Hotel, Iceland

During the winter time, you either ask yourself if you should go skiing or fly into the sun. That’s not the only opportunity you have during autumn and winter. Don’t you want to do something different? Then you should definitely try Reykjavik! A short trip with unforgettable experiences of nature. As almost every trip to the sights start from Reykjavik; it is the best place to be!

How to get to Reykjavik?

I flew from Dusseldorf to Reykjavik by AirBerlin. The return ticket costs 250€, which includes one suitcase. I know that Eurowings, Wow Air and Icelandair also fly to Reykjavik and are cheaper most of the time. It is important to know that all international flights fly to Keflavik, which is 40 minutes away from the Reykjavik. Only domestic flights fly to Reykjavik airport. The bus from Keflavik to your hotel, in Reykjavik, costs around 20-25€ (one-way). You can either choose between Gray Line or Flybus. The public transport is not much cheaper and takes way longer!

Where to stay?

Luckily, I could test one hotel and one apartment in Reykjavik. 22 Hill Hotel is in a great location, just off the main road to the city centre.

It took me around 10 minutes and I was already on the shopping street. The staff is extremely friendly, informative and helpful. Coffee is always free on each floor. Unfortunately, the WIFI was a bit slow, which is not too bad, because you surf less and talk more! My room was spacious and clean! I loved the big TV! If you have to leave early to catch a flight, you will get a “take away breakfast”.

I’m afraid that I was not really impressed by the breakfast hall and the breakfast itself but that’s only my personal opinion. The breakfast buffet had everything you need but it was not beautifully presented. Furthermore, the kitchen staff tried the marmalade with his knife just next to me. I really enjoyed the delicious bread!

Price range: 119€ – 269€

My absolute favourite was “Room with a view”.

I am still amazed when I think about the stunning apartment! The name says it all! The gigantic view over Reykjavik’s main shopping street beautified my stay. It was hard to leave the apartment for any sightseeing as it is so adorable!

At my last night I enjoyed a soothing bubble bath.

Price range: 130€ – 450€

Culinary delight

Delicious food at Sjavargrillid Seafood Grill

I ate the grill fish feast menu. The best of the menu was the starter, the Hallgrims Shellfish soup with scallop, blue mussel, shrimp and fennel. I also liked the grill fish combo and of course, the dessert. The atmosphere is really nice and comfortable. The friendly staff of the modern restaurant is more than helpful.

Glo, vegan and vegetarian restaurant

You almost always have a line when you go to the canteen style restaurant, but it is worth the wait and the line goes by quickly. All the salads are tasty and the portions are really gorgeous. My favourite is the chocolate cake with cream.

Find out more about what you have to do in Reykjavik in my article HERE.

The ultimate place for the Golden Circle tour in Iceland

December 1, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Riding Tours South Iceland, Riding, Horse Riding, Icelandic Horse

The first question I asked myself when I heard about the Golden Circle: “what is the Golden Circle?” Well, just about some of the most amazing sights in Iceland! You can either book a Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik (there are loads of operators), or rent a car and drive the route by yourself, which is much more convenient, because you are able to stop at the countless stopping points along the route.

Here are the most important stops:

Strokkur Geyser

The fountain is located in the southwest part of the country. The entrance is for free, similar to all the natural attractions in Iceland. In front of the geyser, it took only about 4 minutes and I saw the first eruption. Then I had to wait another 7 minutes for the next eruption, which was directly followed by a small one. Its height was about 15 – 20 m but it can also be higher. You don’t have to worry that you will not see the eruption. It is one of the most reliable geysers I have ever seen. Be careful, the water is really hot.

Gullfoss Waterfall

One of the most impressive waterfalls I have ever seen and it is just a 10-minute drive from Geysir. The waterfall is so big! Even though some sections were covered in ice, it was an amazing sight. The stairs are quite slippery at the moment. The view is great from both platforms. Sometimes the lower part is closed due to weather conditions. On your way back you can buy some accessorises in the gift shop.

Thingvellir National Park

Personally, I could not make it to the UNESCO World Heritage but I have heard that it is wonderful and that you can see lakes, waterfalls and pure nature. Furthermore, it belongs to the Golden Circle tour.

Ultimate Place for the Golden Circle tour

Guesthouse Fludir is just 25 minutes away from the attractions mentioned above and 1 hour drive away from Reykjavik. The peaceful and beautiful environment will let you relax from your everyday life. I loved the river, which I could see from my balcony every day. My room was spacious and very clean. Especially the bathroom was excellent.

The freshly made breakfast was exceptional. During my seven-day stay in Iceland, it was the first time that I got a self-made smoothie and fruits. In addition, the breakfast included a variety of cheese, ham and hearing. Dinner can be taken, too, at the restaurant. The running people are very nice and helpful.

What to do in Fludir?

The secret lagoon is just 10minutes away. I have been horse riding at Riding Tours South Iceland. It has been the best experience during my whole trip. The staff was more than kind, so warm and friendly. The horses seemed so happy and healthy. I had the feeling that they all gave me a warm welcome. Marcus, who was my tour guide, was super friendly and always looked after to me, to make sure I was ok. The scenery during the riding tour was unbelievable. I always wanted to ride through the snow. I felt really safe on the horse and even it was cold outside, I was not freezing due to the ski suit. If you want to have an amazing experience, have a tour at Riding Tours South Iceland.

Have you ever heard of Hveragerði in Iceland?

November 29, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Guesthouse Iceland, Guesthouse Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland, Guesthouse Frumskogar, Hvergardi, Hotel, Accomodation

Avoid the expensive Reykjavik and visit Hveragerði with loads of thermal baths and greenhouses. Stay in a peaceful town to nature. Hveragerði is only a 35-minute drive from Reykjavik and it is a great starting point to visit main attractions in Iceland! To get to Hveragerði, you should rent a car. In general, it is cheaper to rent a car and explore the country this way if you are traveling with more than one. Furthermore, you are more flexible and able to make new plans if the weather condition changes. You can even spend several days in Hveragerði for hiking, playing golf, riding horses, visiting an art museum or culinary delight.

Place to stay

I spent three days at an apartment, at the lovely Guesthouse Frumskógar. I really liked that a supermarket, a bakery, tourist information, gift shops, petrol station and restaurants were just 2 minutes away by car. It is a good base to visit the famous Golden Circle, which is an hour and a half drive away and to visit Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss Waterfalls and Reynisdrangar, which is about the same distance as the Golden Circle and also a beautiful route.

I lived in a spacious apartment with my own bathroom. The apartment was really clean, the Wi-Fi worked great as well as the heating. I liked the choice of books in the apartment. Every morning, I could listen to the stylish radio and in the evening,watch the television with candlelight and sip on delicious tea. The kitchen has everything you need for cooking a meal.

Outside you have the possibility to use the hot tub or steam sauna. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to use it. I loved that I could just park in front of the apartment.

An apartment for two people costs around 115€/night and a double room with a shared bathroom costs around 80€/night.

Where to eat?

Restaurant Hver at Hotel Ork, offers a very delicious à la carte menu or Christmas buffet during the holidays. I ate a slowly cooked lamb fillet, potato terrine, root vegetable and herb stock. As for dessert, I had chocolate mousse with homemade raspberry sauce. The tasteful and modern decorated restaurant has a really comfortable atmosphere and you will just feel good. The service is excellent! Very friendly and courteous.

Entertainment

One evening, I went to an exciting horse show at Fakasel Horse Park. The show is perfect if you want to know more about the history of Icelandic horses. A cat joined me on the tribune to watch the show, which made me feel good and comfortable. The show was about 40 minutes and the rider have made a great effort to entertain the audience. After the show, we could meet the horses and pet the horses backstage. If you are hungry before or after the show, you can have dinner or drinks at the restaurant.

Price for the evening show:

Adults: Kr. 5.200.-

Children aged 0-12 years old: Kr. 2.600.-

How to crash your car in Iceland? Be aware of these 5 signs!

November 28, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Car Rental, Route 1, Route 1 Car Rental, Iceland, Car

Actually, Iceland has only one main route… Route 1! The ring road goes around the whole island and is about 1330 km long. It is hard to get lost because this road connects all the villages on the island. Additionally, major attractions are by the route 1 such as Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls. Even though it is difficult to get lost, you have to be carefully if you drive in Iceland for your first time. Luckily, Íris from Route 1 Car Rental informed me about the roads in Iceland. Of course, you cannot remember everything what you are told not to do (at least I can’t) and you have to experience the roads by yourself.

If it is your first time in Iceland, I would recommend to rent a car like my Suzuki Jimny, which I got from Route 1 Car Rental. Why I recommend you a 4×4 for your first time? Well, if you are not used to the “off roads” and the signs, a small SUV will save your life! So it is worth it to pay around 86€ for a day! The pick up in Reykjavik is for free and it costs 18€ at the airport, which is still much cheaper than the fee of their compeitiors.

Be aware of the following signs:

Single lane bridge – Only one car can cross the bridge.
Gravel road – Honestly, if you are not used to it, drive especially slowly. Your tires can lose grip if you are too fast.
Pavement changes to gravel – A gravel road is coming up. Same rules as mentioned above.
Danger of sudden icy conditions – As it can be really cold in Iceland, icy really means icy!
Blind crest – I did not like this sign. It means that you cannot see what is coming! Keep on the right side of your road.

Don’t forget that all off-road driving is illegal! During the wintertime, roads can be very icy. Reduce speed if you are not used to this. Don’t just stop on the road for a picture. There are almost every place for taking a picture. Check conditions before you start your trip because I did not and ended up in front of a road, which is closed during wintertime. It took me 40 minutes more to get to my destination. Call 112 for an emergency. And always remember to Fasten Ur Seatbelts!