If your biggest wish is to travel all over the world, 2020 has been a difficult year so far. Due to Covid-19, a lot of us have been obliged to revisit our travel plans with all the deception that comes with it. Yet there is no situation that cannot be solved, so why not discover our beautiful Europe this year instead of taking a trip overseas? And no, that does not mean that you have to limit yourself to boring stuff. On the contrary. You can even enjoy some alternatives to exotic sights all over the world within Europe. We selected five of the most exciting options.
1. Jersey
Have you been dreaming of white sandy beaches and tropical temperatures lately? Only to wake up a few minutes later while realizing that dream will not come true any time soon? Well, the island of Jersey might be exactly what you are looking for. Self-governing Jersey is a British Crown dependency and is located just in front of the French coast of Normandy. What is so great about this little island is the oceanic climate, offering mild winters and warm summers. Combined with the beautiful beaches, the magnificent blue ocean and the palm trees – yes, palm trees – you get an almost subtropical atmosphere. Oh, and do not forget to taste the yummy seafood dishes!
2. Hadrian’s Wall (United Kingdom)
So, let’s be honest for a minute here, there is no real alternative to the Chinese Wall. Nothing is as impressive, as big, as out of this world. Yet getting there is no piece of cake, especially during these challenging times. If you still want to see a big wall and some splendid nature, head to the United Kingdom instead. There, you will find the remnants of the defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, which was started by the Roman emperor Hadrian. In its heyday it ran all the way from the banks of the River Tyne near the North Sea to the Solway Firth on the Irish Sea. Nowadays, 117 kilometers of the wall are still going strong and you can even follow the Hadrian’s Wall Path from one end to the other if you want to make sure you have seen it all.
3. Pink Lake of Torrevieja (Spain)
We have all seen the pictures of influencers posing with flamingos on the beach of Aruba. Beautiful, indeed, but for a lot of us it is not possible to travel there anytime soon. Instead, you could head to the Pink Lake of Torrevieja at the Costa Brava in Spain. The beautiful color is created by a combination of halobacterium (salt bacterium) and a micro-algae called Dunaliella salina. When visiting the magnificent lake, it is almost as if you were looking at one giant strawberry milkshake. Thanks to the composition of the water, it also acts as a natural spa, giving your skin a well-deserved boost. And let’s face it, it will make for a good couple of aw-inspiring Instagram pictures too. As if that were not enough, flamingos enjoy the lake too, so your pictures will bathe in an overload of magnificent pink.
4. Gorges de Daluis (France)
Visiting the Grand Canyon in the United States is on many a traveler’s bucket list, yet then again, you need quite some budget and time to pay this wonder of nature a visit. If you want a little foretaste of its magnificent glory, you could pay a visit to the Gorges de Daluis in the South of France. The canyon was created by the river Var, carving its way into the red sandstone. Surely, it is not as big as its American counterpart, yet it makes for a great outing nonetheless. The canyon is known for its canoeing and rafting trips and one of the biggest sights on site is waterfall of Clue d’Amen. Having visited the Gorges de Daluis myself, I can tell you that it is quite an impressive experience. It made me think not only of the Grand Canyon yet it also reminded me in some strange ways of Mars – although of course I have never seen the planet with my own eyes but that is a whole different subject, isn’t it?
5. Externsteine (Germany)
Vietnam has been a popular tourist destination for quite some time now and not without reason. The East-Asian country has a lot to offer, from subtropical forests to Buddhist temples and everything in between. A frequently-visited sight are the so-called Dragon Mountain and the surrounding limestone hills in Ninh Binh. You will not find a Dragon Mountain in Germany, sadly, yet if you are mostly interested in the rock formations, Externsteine might be a good alternative. The bizarre limestones stand in the Teutoburg Forest and have been a cult place for a very long time. They were a sacred Paleolithic worshiping ground and in more recent times, Christian monks settled at Externsteine and even carved a stairway into the stones. Sadly, nowadays, Neo-Nazis and Neo-pagan-Nazis frequently visit the site on some kind of pilgrimage. Nonetheless, the Externsteine is a beautiful place and appeals without a doubt to tourists as well.
