I took advantage of my ESC in Thessaloniki to do a lot of travelling in the Balkans and much more. In this article, I’d like to share my favorite spots with you, and I hope I’ll be able to whet some people’s appetites for travel and discovery!
I chose to travel almost all the time on my own, so if you were expecting to see photos of groups of people having fun together, I’m sorry but this isn’t the right article! But don’t worry, I had a great time on my own and enjoyed myself thoroughly. You don’t need to be in a group to travel and have fun!
Balkans :
София (Sofia) – Bulgaria
A beautiful city with mixed religions in its city center: the capital of Bulgaria,. Advice: Sofia Free tour, it’s a very interesting tour and you will discover a lot about the city!
Αθήνα (Athens) – Greece
Yes I know, it’s not a different country from my ESC but I wanted to talk about this city too. Capital of Greece, visiting this city was an opportunity for me to take a step back in time with my passion for mythology when I was younger. If you really love travelling and mythology, I suggest visiting Delphi during an excursion day, it’s amazing!
București (Bucarest) – Romania
Capital of Romania, you need to see the Foutain in the center, especially at sunset or during the night, it’s beautiful and the city … Take time to go to visit Peles and/or Bran’s castle(s)!
İstanbul (Istanbul) – Türkiye
The city is very beautiful, there are a lot of monuments and mosques to see but if you are a woman, be careful, you need to wear a scarf and hide your hair.
And if you want to go to Asia, go to Kadıköy! It’s the Asian part of the city and there is a lot of shops, you can find a lot of souvenirs or even goodies.
Београд (Belgrade) – Serbia
This city is very beautiful, especially the Fortress but if you take the bus to leave the city, be careful about the capital of Serbia’s bus station.
Скопје (Skopje) – North Macedonia
It is the capital of North Macedonia, the center of this city is beautiful! You will see a lot of statues and monuments. Also, take time to go to the Matka Canyon, this place is amazing and if you have time make a hike or a boat trip.
Other European countries:
København (Copenhagen) – Denmark
Capital of Denmark, like all the other cities I’ve visited, it’s also beautiful! Especially the Kastellet and the city center. If you like literacy, I think seeing Andersen statue and the Little Mermaid one is a must.
Malmö – Sweden
When you are in Copenhagen, you just need to take a train to change country and reach Malmö. The city is very cool, there are a few monuments to see and also a very interesting bridge with a lot of bronze shoes.
Berlin – Germany
Capital of Germany, the city is full of monuments and places to visit linked to different historical periods. In particular, if you’re a fan, many are linked to the Great World Wars.
I didn’t wrote anything about the food in all my summaries but of course, try a lot of food from the countries you visit! Food is also part of the culture and of travel.
A final word of advice: make the most of your ESC (and travel in general)!