Europe

This fall, we headed to the Black Forest in Southwest Germany! Because What Grimm’s Fairy Tale-loving, spooky-obssesed, adventurous traveler WOULDN’T want to visit?! And turns out, there are just as many magical forest trails as there are sustainable small towns as there are outdoor adventures. And it’s pretty rad. If you’re headed to the region, don’t miss these outdoorsy things to do in the Black Forest (plus sustainable places to stay and eat)!

Three days, 32 miles (well, 25 if you do it right), 5 towns, 3 hotels, and a whole lotta mountains. Also ups and downs. LOTS of ups and downs. THIS is hiking in Austria: The Arlberg Trail.
We completed the shiny new trail this September (it opened in 2022) and it. Was. Magical. We’re talking wildlife, majestic landscapes as far as the eye can see, alpine lakes, mountain huts, colorful villages each night, and three days of non-stop, jaw-dropping, holy-cow-these-photos-are-gonna-be-unbelievable vistas.
We’re talking a once-in-a-lifetime experience, here (for most people anyway…we’d totally go back and do it again). Think you’re up for it? Here’s everything you need to know about hiking in Austria on the Arlberg Trail, from the route, to mileage, to booking, to where to eat, and more.

Croatia is located in the Balkans region of Europe/Easter Europe. And as such, it’s got a heckuva lot of mountains. And that means there’s plenty of opportunities to get outside and explore! In fact, people travel from all over Europe and the world to hike here (for good reason). We recently spent some time in the country and hit the trails to explore. Here are are favorite hikes in Croatia from across the country, full of innumerable waterfalls, breathtaking sunsets, and impossibly clear beaches.

Cyprus is a perplexing destination. One nation, but really two. Two flags, two languages, two currencies, but only one officially recognized country. It has a complicated and war-strewn history, and though that’s all in the past (unless you count the complicated politics) it isn’t a widely appreciated travel destination except for a handful of Europeans that tend to stick to the Greek Republic of Cyprus (or south side). But the Turkish Republic of Cyprus has mountains, empty but well-appointed trails, rocky beaches, and stunning vistas for those willing to drive up curving mountain roads for a stunning adventure. We laced our boots (and occasionally our adventure sandals) and hit the trail to explore. So here are 3 exceptional hikes in Northern Cyprus we absolutely love.

Any trip that involves squatting next to a body of water for an extended period of time is a good trip in my book. 😂 No, I wasn’t digging a cat hole next to a river (you know that’s not Leave no Trace)! I was scooping up water to press through a teeny tiny filter next to a creek in Mondim de Basto, Portugal. Why? Uh, for science, that’s why! Because I was on a trip with Exodus Travels that led a small group of journalists from Porto to the Douro Valley to Mondim de Basto to hike, stay in ancient estates transformed into hotels, eat at locally owned restaurants, explore picturesque wineries built into steep, terraced hillsides, and do science. Namely, collecting water in a bag, forcing it through a super fine filter, and shipping that filter off to a lab somewhere, all in the name of studying biodiversity. Yep, at the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I was geeking out about participating in a different aspect of sustainable travel: using my exploratory endeavors for scientific and ecological good. And you could be, too! Here’s how (and why citizen science matters when it comes to sustainable travel).

After more than 2 years of no international travel, I was nervous and more than a little excited to hop on a plane and head halfway around the world to spend a week in Turkey (now known as Türkiye thanks to a recent UN decision). I craved the culture shock and change of scenery that can only be experienced by flying to a country so far from my own, and so very different. So when I got the chance, I jumped at it. Listen, I was so excited to go I didn’t think twice about leaving Josh at home. So I got myself a visa, hopped on a flight, and took off to discover this wild and wonderful place that straddles east and west, Europe and Asia. Wanna know what it was like? Maybe what you should do on your own week in Turkey? Read (or watch) on!

For those who don’t know, Iceland is a Nordic Island Country of Europe located in the North Atlantic Ocean. While most people conjure images of Vikings, the 2010 eruption of …

Athens is the bomb. It’s super chill, the food is cheap, and we scored a private room in a hostel for nearly a week for free, which turned out to …

We had you at “Transylvania,” didn’t we? Half of you went, “Oooh, Transylvania!” and the other half went, “Eeew, Transylvania.” It’s OK if you’re the latter; we can still be …

Ah, Rome. It’s one of those iconic travel locations that you simply must visit. Or so people say. To be sure, it’s quite the mecca for ancient history buffs and tourists …