AFTER visiting 44 countries, this travel influencer has narrowed his selection down to just five spots, including Spain, Macedonia and Montenegro.
At just 22-years-old, German travel influencer Luca Pferdmenges has visited more than 44 countries.
He started his quest to travel the world at 15-years-old and has set his sights on visiting all 195 countries.
Luca has started strong, covering Europe’s 44 nations from the tiny Vatican City to the vast expanses of Russia.
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Now, he has revealed his top and bottom five destinations in an interview with the Daily Mail.
After a ‘difficult’ decision, he picked: Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Austria and Croatia.
“They are very famous and touristy places, but there’s a reason why,” he said.
When picking Spain, he explained that he likes ‘warm weather’ and prefers southern Europe to the colder climes of the north.
He also praised Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes and fresh vegetables.
“I love the relaxed atmosphere in the Mediterranean and Cyprus is one of my favourite places because they are some of the friendliest people in the world,” he claimed.
However for Luca, Croatia triumphs for its beaches, while Lisbon is his favourite city in the world.
He also revealed some ‘hidden gems’ including the ‘incredible’ Montenegrin coast.
The German recommended North Macedonia for the ‘absolutely beautiful’ Lake Ohrid and the ‘city of statues’ Skopje, which ‘feels like an open air museum’.
Slovenia stands out for its mountains and hiking, with a lower price point than similar places like Switzerland or Austria.
For history buffs, he recommends the medieval city of Tallin, Estonia.
After that, he advises hopping over to Riga, Lithuania for the daily market.
“Give places like Romania and Bulgaria a chance,” he said.
“They have impressive beaches, great people, fascinating cities, incredible food and they are often cheaper.”
He also recommends Albania, Kosovo and Serbia.
Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also worth a visit for its fascinating history, Luca says.
It was a ‘hard’ task to choose his least favourite countries, as he claims Europe is his favourite continent and his preferred place to live and travel.
At the bottom of the pile, is San Marino, a microstate located in northern Italy.
He called the country ‘disappointing’, citing the lack of things to do and difficult access.
“It’s magnificent to see and the architecture is impressive but it’s not somewhere to go on holiday. Instead, go to Rimini, Italy and take a day trip,” he recommends.
He also calls Belgium too ‘grey and cold’ although his mother loves it.
But Belgium is beaten by the UK when it comes to the worst weather, he says.
Nonetheless, he ‘loves it’ and ‘misses supermarkets like Morrisons.’
In third place is Belarus, where he said he had a ‘good time’ but the ‘isolated’ country was a challenge to get to.
Similarly, Luca says Lichentenstein was ‘too isolated and expensive’ but ‘great if you can afford it.’
“Nordic countries are some of the most impressive in the world, but they are very expensive,” he said.
For travellers on a budget, he recommends avoiding Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and Ireland.
If you’re looking for a culture shock, he advises visiting Turkey or Belarus, as they are the ‘least similar’ to other European countries.
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