Guest Contributor, Author at Europe Up Close

Hunting for Croatian Truffles

Published/Revised December 13, 2017 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

On the Hunt in Croatia’s Truffle Region There’s no mistaking when Mel picks up the scent. In a flash, the year-old black terrier scurries over to a small oak tree and begins furiously pawing at its base, her tail wagging excitedly. “Dobre, dobre!” Mel’s owner Višnja yells in Croatian. “Good, good.” Here’s where it gets tricky. Crouching low to the ground, Višnja begins to slowly unearth what Mel ... Read Full Article

Tips for Cycling The Danube

Published/Revised April 27, 2017 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Tips for Cycling The Danube From Passau to Bratislava Hi everyone, my names Mike, and I’m currently cycling around Thailand while running my bike blog - Pinch-Flat. Recently I was able to go on an adventure across Europe on my bicycle, and today I’m here to tell you about one of the more relaxing sections of the ride - cycling the Danube from Passau to Bratislava. The Danube River rises from the ... Read Full Article

5 Best Hikes in Ireland – Hiking on the Emerald Isle

Published/Revised April 4, 2018 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

5 Best Hikes in Ireland: What You Need to Know Ireland is a beautiful island that has a lot to offer when it comes to mother nature’s gifts. Today, we will talk about the five best hikes in Ireland! Ireland is a great place that has a lot of outdoor activities that attracts tourists from all over the world. If you are not familiar with Ireland, it’s an island that’s right across the United ... Read Full Article

A Sobering Tribute in Normandy

Published/Revised December 18, 2017 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Normandy was a turning point for the Allies in World War II. As the largest amphibious invasion in world history, “Operation Overlord” was a combined land, sea and air invasion under the direct command of joint British-American leadership. It continued from D-Day on June 6, 1944 through August 19, 1944 when Allied Forces crossed the Seine.The combined efforts of Canadians, British, and ... Read Full Article

Pérouges: The Prettiest Medieval City in France

Published/Revised January 24, 2017 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Perched high on a hill with the French Alps draped as a fairy tale backdrop, the medieval village of Pérouges persists. A timeless town. A perfectly preserved gothic treasure. It’s like walking through the pages of a story from the Middle Ages when chivalrous knights and fair maidens ruled the day. Even today it remains an iconic enclave hiding behind massive fortress walls built of impenetrable ... Read Full Article

7 Free Things to Do in Copenhagen

Published/Revised January 18, 2017 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

A picturesque city on the coast, Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is one of the most touristed cities in the Nordic region. Known to be one of the greenest capitals in the world, it is the center of commerce and entertainment for the Danish people, who are consistently rated as some of the happiest on the planet. If you are headed to Denmark and would like to avoid burning a hole in your ... Read Full Article

Essaouira: Chillin’ Out on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast

Published/Revised February 25, 2017 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

From the rooftop patio of the Palais Des Remparts hotel in Essaouira, Morocco, I stare out over the roiling Atlantic. Cirrus clouds and seagulls hover in the dazzling azure sky thanks to a brackish wind. Below me medieval-looking cannons protrude from the city’s ramparts that inspired this hotel’s name. I’m tempted to curl up with a good book in one of the comfy lounge chairs but right now ... Read Full Article

What to do in Valencia in Summer

Published/Revised July 22, 2016 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

If you can stand the heat, Valencia is one of the best European cities to visit in the summer. As the third biggest city in Spain, the centre of Valencia has a real neighbourhood feel and almost everything is within walking distance. And thanks to its array of attractions, restaurants and nightlife, there's really something for everyone.Free activities in Valencia In the historic centre of ... Read Full Article

7 Turkish Delights: The Best of Western Turkey

Published/Revised May 16, 2016 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Much like the ubiquitous Turkish delight candies that have differing ingredients, flavors, and textures, the delights of Western Turkey are just as varied. The seven Turkish delights I offer range from mosques, former basilicas, Greco-Roman ruins and Byzantine architecture to unique natural world wonders such as the fairy castles of Cappadocia and the terraced pumice pools of Pamukkale. Traversing ... Read Full Article

The Bewitching Sahara

I’m at the edge of the mighty Sahara Desert in southeast Morocco , only fifty kilometers from the Algerian border. As the freshly paved asphalt road turns into sand my tour bus grinds to a halt. It looks like I’m at the end of the road, but this journey has just begun. Before you can say pass the couscous my travel mates and I are booted off our air-conditioned coach and shunted into 4WD trucks. ... Read Full Article