Vacation Ideas in Europe Where You Can Learn Something New
If you are a permanent student, simply got your full-time job to fuel a series of courses or books or subscription classes, then you might need a break.
But not a break where you do nothing but eat, sleep, repeat. Oh no. We’ve got a list of destinations around Europe that will give you some brain food and send you home having had an “experience”. Take a look at our ideas here.
Skiing, French Alps
If you’re someone who spends their time in the gym, perhaps between counting reps you are daydreaming of something different. The treadmill can be home for half an hour, but you can always add a little excitement to the workout. If any of that sounds familiar, you might want to look into skiing. You can get a workout in a sport that encourages beginners, where you can go at your own pace and where you can set yourself a challenge.
Plus, you’ll get an adorable vacation out of it, where you can cozy up by the fire with a hot drink afterwards or wander the little villages that nestle the French Alps. If you’re looking to get there in the winter, although you don’t have to, there are summer options, you’ll have to get in quick. Take a look here to see the snow forecast in Tignes and book your ticket.
Never to forget, Berlin
Berlin is filled with historical relevance, specifically modern historical relevance. You might go to Rome and see warriors from wars over mythical beings and not relate, but the Second World War is something still sadly close to the heart. This is never felt more than when you are wandering around the Memorial to the Jews of Europe. It is jarringly simple, with no names, no writing, and no explanations, making for a haunting visit as your imagination fills in the blanks.
But it’s not all so foreboding. Berlin is a dual place of remembrance and hope. There was never a day more glorious than when the Berlin Wall came down, literally ripped apart by citizen hands on either side as families and couples were reunited. The famed checkpoint is still there, again as a symbol of remembering what can happen if we aren’t vigilant, but it also symbolizes a better future.
Where all your favourite authors hang out, Edinburgh, Scotland
If you are a bookworm, you need to take a trip into Scotland’s capital. Edinburgh is the home and resting place of all of your favourite authors.
The most popular one today is the mention that J.K. Rowling was living in Edinburgh while she was writing a little story about a wizard with glasses or something. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it. And the Edinburgh streets won’t feature a few merchandise shops selling goods around the story.
But beyond that you’ve got Robert Louis Stevenson, who gave us Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Arthur Conan Doyle (and the pub named after him), who gave us Sherlock Holmes, Ian Rankin, who is the Stephen King of Britain with his everlasting horror titles like Fleshmarket Close.
There is also Muriel Spark, who gave us the book every Scottish student had to read: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, plus the guy who really should have made the Braveheart screenplay, Irvine Welsh, who you might recognize as the man behind Trainspotting (1 and 2) and Filth.
And when we say you can see your favourite authors, we mean it. The Oxford Bar is known for being crowded with people trying to get a chat with the likes of Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh, so stop by for a pint and take your chances.
