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Spain
I’ve mentioned before that visiting a wine region is the best way to see Europe. Not only will you experience amazing wine and food, but staying in a countryside wine town will also give you a true taste of the country’s culture and history.
While there are hundreds of European wine regions to visit and even more beautiful towns, below I’ve picked four towns in the top four wine-producing countries in Europe that are sure to capture any wine lover’s heart.
La Rioja is a breathtaking wine region situated in the Cantabria Mountains of northern Spain. It's best known for spectacular red wines, though amazing white wines are also produced there. La Rioja has a unique mix of history and modernity. You can visit a family winery that has been producing wine for hundreds of years in the caves of the walled city of Laguardia, or visit modern wineries with extraordinary displays of architecture and state-of-the-art wine-making processes.
With an abundance of great choices, it can be overwhelming to decide which wineries to visit. In order to have an authentic and unforgettable experience in the region, here is a quick guide to my top winery picks in La Rioja.
My husband, a self-proclaimed foodie, calls San Sebastian his favorite European city. Situated at the northeast edge of the Basque region in Spain, the Basque influence on the city makes San Sebastian a unique gem in Europe. The culture has an interesting mix of both Spanish and Basque traditions.
The appeal of the city is expansive, but it may be most well-known for its food. Below are five reasons why San Sebastian is a food lover’s paradise.
There are only days left in 2016. As I look forward to my adventures in 2017, I am also savoring some of my favorite memories from this past year. That's the best part about travel. Though your trip ends, you get to keep the memories forever. For 2016, my favorite travel memory came about from a last minute decision to take a slight detour with our rental car and travel off the beaten path.
Imagine a tiny walled medieval town set on a quaint river where wine flows like water, and there are no cars in sight.
My last blog post detailed why traveling to a wine region is the best way to experience a European country. Over Thanksgiving, I was at a winery in the Santa Ynez Valley in California. While I was tasting the wine and soaking in the vineyard views, I was reminded of how many of my friends and family members visit Napa Valley in northern California, yet never travel to Europe’s wine regions. Don’t get me wrong – I would love to visit Napa! But every time I start planning a Napa trip, the same light bulb goes off.
(And I would always rather go to Europe!)
That said, I don’t think many people realize that. Most people probably think that a domestic vacation must be cheaper than an international one.
But that's not the case.
Using the Rioja wine region in northern Spain as an example, this post will show you how the cost really breaks down. I hope this post will convince you that Europe isn’t as expensive as you think and that it’s absolutely worth the longer flight!
