One Day in SANTA CRUZ de TENERIFE

I urgently need to make a correction to this post. No, I didn’t make a typo. Oh no, there are no grammatical or spelling errors – at least, that’s what I hope. I was simply entirely misjudging Santa Cruz when I first created this post.
Was it the bad weather?
Was it the exhaustion after a few weeks on the road?
Whatever it was that drove me to portray Santa Cruz as not worth seeing, I was wrong.
So very wrong!

Street in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
View of the iconic belfry of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción from the picturesque Calle Antonio Domínguez Alfonso.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the city on another trip to Tenerife, and what can I say, I thought it was a great place: Lively and yet not stressful, with lots of shops, excellent restaurants, beautiful squares, and a pleasant promenade along the sea, the city scored highly at second glance. And since I was hunting for the best street art, this time I also went to parts of the city that usually aren’t on the tourist agenda.

Charming alleys, friendly residents, lots of local vibes, and yes, the best street art in Tenerife convinced me: Santa Cruz is not only absolutely worth a day’s visit. The city, which is connected to a comprehensive public transport network, can also be an excellent base and starting point for exploring the entire island.

So again: Sorry, Santa Cruz, I totally stand corrected!

This Way to the Whole Story ->

GYEONGJU: Two Days in the City Where Korea’s Imperial History Comes Alive

All the places I visited during my trip to South Korea were amazing: Beautiful, interesting, rich in culture and delicious food. However, if I had to pick one apart from Seoul that under no circumstances you ought to miss out on, without a doubt, it would be Gyeongju. Gyeongju has so much cultural heritage and so many archaeological sites that the city rightfully bears the nickname Museum Without Walls. But during my two days in Gyeongju, I wasn’t only looking back at a thousand years of Imperial History. The so-called Golden City is also a major center of the country’s artisan bakeries and belongs on every true connoisseur’s itinerary.

Daereungwon Tomb Complex in Gyeongju, the city of Imperial history.
The clean aesthetics of the Daereungwon Tomb Complex.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

Why the City of ULSAN is Absolutely Worth a Visit

You might have never heard of Ulsan. In ye olden days, the city was known for whaling. Fortunately, all that’s left of this kind of animal cruelty is a whale museum and some memorabilia at the former whaling village Jangsaengpo.
Today, Ulsan prides itself on being the home to the world’s largest single industrial plant. Hyundai Industries consists of five independent factories with a total of approximately 32,000 employees. And while this is pretty impressive, I totally understand when it doesn’t sound like a good reason to squeeze a day in Ulsan into your already very tight itinerary for South Korea.
But wait, not so fast: In this post, I’ll give you three proper reasons why a visit to the underrated city of Ulsan is absolutely worth your while.

Daewangam Park on the coast of Ulsan. Just one reason why Ulsan is absolutely worth a trip.
As you leave the humongous industrial plants behind, you get to enjoy an absolutely exquisite stretch of Korea’s eastern coast.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

7 Best And Most Beautiful Coffee Houses in Busan

In Korea, a rich coffee culture is a crucial part of the modern lifestyle. Not only do you find far too many Starbucks branches. No, there are countless cafés where you find peace’n’space to study, work, or just relax while enjoying a house specialty. In Busan, they even have a so-called Cafe Street! For you, I bit the bullet and immersed myself in the city’s vital café culture. This allows me to introduce you to the 7 best and most beautiful coffee houses in Busan.

Space And Mood, one of the Seven Best And Most Beautiful Coffee Houses in Busan
One of Busan’s literally hidden gems, the Café Space And Mood on the 13th floor.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

The Perfect Itinerary for Three Days in BUSAN

Home of the sixth busiest industrial port in the world next to one of Korea’s most beautiful beaches. Around 3.5 million inhabitants are cradled between lush hills dotted with ancient Buddhist shrines. Tradition embracing modernity: The number of things you can do in Busan will make your head spin, and therefore, I put together a perfect itinerary for how to spend three memorable days in the city.

Market in Busan.
Busan is full of sights and landmarks. Yet, its strongest suit is its street life and the bustling markets.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

JEONJU – Cradle of Korea’s Cultural Heritage and Home to the Country’s Best Food

When you look at pictures of Jeonju’s famous Hanbok Village, you might think that we are dealing with a cute small town where time has been standing still for centuries. But no, with almost 700,000 inhabitants, Jeonju is actually a bustling’n’busy mid-sized city. Nevertheless, the cultural heritage is the most celebrated side of Jeonju – together with the best food Korea has to offer.

Roofs of the old town of Jeonju in Korea.
Jeonju’s historic Hanok Heritage Village from above.

Mind you, Jeonju’s amazingly rich culinary scene even catapulted the city onto the list of Creative Cities for Gastronomy as part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in 2012. Hence, it’s no wonder that Jeonju is one of Korea’s most important tourist centers.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Best Things to Do in SEOUL: The Must-Dos And the Hidden Gems

No matter if you stay two days in Seoul or two weeks: This exciting city has so much to offer that basically any stay will be far too short. However, to ensure that you get to see not only the most significant must-dos but also some of the countless hidden gems in Seoul, I clustered this guide according to eight very different neighborhoods. This way, you save on commuting and can invest all your precious time in the best things to do in Seoul.

Change of the guards at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.
Despite Korea’s booming economy and industrialization, there is still a lot of culture and heritage to indulge in.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

PARIS for Free!

In my last post on Paris, I introduced the Paris Museum Pass* which makes every culture vulture’s stay in the self-proclaimed city of light smoother and, most importantly, far cheaper.
While that’s already pretty great, it actually gets even better: There are tons of fantastic things to see in Paris for free! Whether inspiring museums, amazing views, lush parks and gardens – the old saying that the best things in life Paris are free is absolutely right!
So leave your wallet at home and let’s explore Paris completely free of charge.

Eiffel Tower and a Carousel in Paris. Paris for free.
You can make Paris your playground without breaking the bank.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

10 Most Beautiful Palaces in the Marais Neighborhood of Paris

The Marais is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Paris. Cool bars and crowded restaurants, hip stores, and expensive, stylish apartments – these are just a few things you can find in the Marais neighborhood today.
In the 17th century, the Marais became the preferred residential area for the nobility, who had numerous villas and city palaces built there. In the course of the French Revolution, however, the nobility was expelled from the Marais. They probably took their belongings with them, however, they had to leave their posh cribs behind.
In this post, I’m inviting you on a stroll that will take us to 10 of the most beautiful palaces in the Marais Neighborhood of Paris.

Hôtel de Sully, one of the 10 Most Beautiful Palaces in the Marais Neighborhood of Paris
The manicured courtyard of the Hôtel de Sully.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

Best Street Art in PARIS: How Mehdi Ben Cheikh Transformed the 13th Arrondissement Into An Open-Air Gallery

Yes, there is the Eiffel Tower. D’accord, you need to pay the Louvre a visit. Okay, let’s go on a walk alongside the River Seine. But besides all this, make sure to pay also some of the lesser-known and underrated arrondissements a visit. Because it’s right there where the best street art in Paris is waiting for you!

Mural by Pejac - the best street art in Paris.
If you cannot see right away why this mural by Pejac is simply genius, you need to take a closer look. Or check out the zoom below.

Under the aegis of Parisian art dealer and cultural entrepreneur Mehdi Ben Cheikh, the 13e arrondissement in particular has undergone an impressive revival from an a bit run-down part of the city into an open-air gallery.

This Way to the Whole Story ->