The Lofoten Islands are located in Nordland County in Norway. They are composed of the islands Gimsøy, Austvågøy, Vestvågøya, Flakstadøya, Mostenesøya, and Værøy. These islands are some of the most beautiful in the world and a summertime road trip to Lofoten is a huge bucket list item. My favorite spots were Henningsvær, Reine, Ryten, Nusfjord, Vikten, Offersøykammen, and Eggum, to name a few!

The island of Værøy is a part of the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland County, Norway. It is home to roughly 728 people and accessible only by ferry from Mostenes or Bødo. The viewpoint after hiking to Håen is one of the best in all of Lofoten. You can also hike at Nordlandsnuppen, Plantefeltet, and Værøyhornet. A day trip here is all you need to see the southern tip of the Lofoten Islands.

The island of Moskenesøya is a part of the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland County, Norway. There are a plethora of hikes to undertake on the island: Reine, Ryten, Røren, Andstabben, and Munken. Some great beaches to check out are also at Kvalvika, Horseid, and Bunes. Lastly, the fishing villages of Hamnøy and Sakrisøy are incredibly picturesque and worth stopping for.

The island of Flakstadøya is a part of the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland County, Norway. There are many hikes to undertake on the island: Hustinden, Volandstind, Moltind, and Nubben. There are a number of beaches too at Skagsanden, Rambergstranda, and Flakstad. The town of Vikten is a MUST visit to see the glass blowing at Glashytta Kafé. Lastly, Nusfjord is a charming fishing village you can't miss.

The island of Vestvågøya is a part of the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland County, Norway. There are a plethora of hikes to undertake on the island: Mannen, Offersoykammen, Nonstind, Veggen, and Kleivheia. There are a number of beaches too at Uttakleiv, Unstad, and Haukland. Lastly, a kayaking during the midnight sun in Eggum in a must do when here in the summer.

The island of Austvågøya is a part of the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland County, Norway. There are a plethora of hikes to undertake on the island: Fløya, Festvågtind, Matmora, and Djevelporten. Also including the towns of Slovaer and Henningsvaer, the latter is probably one of the best to explore in warmer weather. It is known for its football stadium, built into one of the outer islands of town.

Take a trip to the Tromsø, the largest city in Norway in the Arctic Circle. You can experience the Midnight sun or Polar night here depending on the season! Tromsø is situated across the two islands of Tromsøya and Kvaløya and has plenty of sights to see like Fjellheisen, the Tromsø and Arctic Cathedrals, the Tromsø Gallery of Contemporary Art, among other things! Come see the Northern Lights too!

I had not seen much of France outside of Paris. I'm so glad I got to see Lille when I visited Brussels (via a short bus journey). The French people were so kind and I loved the sights around the city like Citadelle de Lille, the Grand Palace, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, the park of Jardin Vauban, Saint Maurice Catholic Church, and Bloom Cafe. This last place is a must see cozy spot!

After hearing so much about Bruges, I decided I had to go. I took a bus from Brussels and spend the day in Bruges, walking around and taking in the sites. Some of my favorite places were Saint John’s Hospital, Bruges City Hall, Church of Our Lady Bruges, Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Market Square, the Provincial Court, Spiegelrei, and De nieuwe Papegaai. Do not miss this city when in Belgium!

Sweden has countless castles (or 'slott' in Swedish) from its storied history. Seeing all of them would take ages. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite castles from across Sweden including Uppsala Castle, Kalmar Castle, Kärnan, Borgholms Castle, Gripsholm Castle, Vaxholm Fortress, Örebro Castle, Skokloster Castle, and Carlstens Fästning.

Trakai is a small town of 5,000 people just 28 km west of Vilnius in Lithuania with origins dating back to 1337. The town features a large array of different community nationalities (Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles). The highlight of the town has to be the Trakai Island Castle on Lake Galvé. Today it serves as a museum as well as a venue for festivals and concerts.

Suomenlinna, situated off the coast of Helsinki, translates to 'Castle of Finland'. Originally built by the Swedes, it has been occupied by the Russians, before being handed over to Finland. Take some time here to explore the Suomenlinna and Military Museums, Cafe Silo, Cafe Vanille, Adlerfelt, the King's Gate and Artillery Battery, Sveaborgs badstrand, and the Jetty Barracks Gallery!

Chernobyl is an infamous area, known for the nuclear meltdown it experienced in 1986. The town of Pripyat, just 3 miles away, experienced the devastation of this accident, and to this day is a ghost town. Book a tour of this city and see the abandoned buildings of Hotel Polissya, Prometheus Cinema, and Avangard Stadium. The Duga Radar and Containment Zone are also popular stops.

Since it is an island nation, Iceland sure must have plenty of lighthouses. There are about 104 of them, manning the roughly 5000 kilometer coastline. Some notable lighthouses include the Garður Old Lighthouse, and the ones in Malarrif, Svörtuloft, Hvalnes, Öndverðarnes, Súgandisey Island, Dyrhólaey, Old Akranes, Bjargtangar, Dalatangi, Þrídrangaviti, and Grótta Island.

Slovenia is a country that is perfect for a road trip. It's not too large, plenty of small cities to visit, and a gorgeous national park with a plethora of gorges and waterfalls for hiking and other outdoor sports. This is a road trip guide on seeing the Slovenian cities of Ljubljana, Ptuj, Maribor, Piran, Bled, Triglav National Park, and some other stops along the way.

Trieste is a city and seaport in the Northeast corner of Italy, sitting near the border with Slovenia. It is described as the 'Vienna by the sea' and its location has given is such a rich medieval and modern history. Some great places to see was the Palazzo Gopcevich and Carciotti, Castello di San Guisto, Miramare Castle, the Roman Theater, and the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Spyridon.

This small town sits on a peninsula on Slovenia's Adriatic coast. The orange-shingled rooftops evoke impressions from Dubrovnik and other Balkan sea towns. Piran is one big old town with medieval city walls, a city square, a church and bell tower (Zvonik Campanile Bell Tower), and plenty of restaurants and cafes lining the streets. It is a must see stop anything you're in this part of the world.

Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the tallest peak in the Julian Alps. As such, it is the centerpiece (and namesake) of Slovenia's only national park. This park is vast and full of natural wonders, my favorites being Tolmin Gorges, Lake Bohinj, Slap (waterfall) Pericnik, Vintgar and Great Soča Gorges, Fort Kluže, the Russian Chapel, and Slap Virje, among many others!