My favourite new destinations of 2022

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2022 was a year full of travels around Europe despite being settled on Lolland for the whole year. Most of those travels were alongside my partner, some were with family and only very few were solo which is very unusual for me! I didn’t visit any new countries this year, instead I made it a priority to explore new destinations in countries I’d been to before.

In 2015, my favourites included Iceland’s Westfjords, Svalbard and Kangaroo Island in Australia. In 2016, some of my favourites were Pulau Belitung in Indonesia, Japan’s Hokkaido and the Åland Islands. In 2017, some of my favourites were Abyaneh in Iran, Gjirokastra in Albania and Arizona in the US. In 2018, my favourites included Baku in Azerbaijan, Lake Bohinj in Slovenia and Meteora in Greece. In 2019, my favourites included Kyiv in Ukraine, Sweden’s Ven and Tasiilaq in Greenland. In 2020, some of my favourites were Scotland’s Raasay, Germany’s Rügen and Christiansfeld in Denmark. And in 2021, I loved places like Innsbruck in Austria, Svaneti in Georgia and Bergen in Norway.

2022 saw me travel through ten countries besides Denmark, as well as one new territory, the Italian exclave of Campione d’Italia which is surrounded entirely by Switzerland. Below is a list of my favourite new destinations of the year in chronological order, including only those that I visited for the first time, so places like Lolland, Berlin, Novi Bečej, Brussels and Prague are excluded.

Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade is a city that I didn’t initially love but which grew on me after my visit.

Serbia’s capital is full of contrasts. It’s a strange city in many ways, and there’s not much classic beauty to be found, but that’s exactly what makes it so interesting. I especially loved exploring the ornate golden interior of the Temple of Saint Sava, watching the sunset from the ancient Belgrade Fortress and exploring the bohemian neighbourhood of Zemun which is full of cozy cafés, tiny thrift shops, small museums and art galleries as well as a great bird’s-eye view from the Gardoš Tower.

The more I see of Serbia, the more I appreciate the country, and Belgrade was no different.

Read more: Weekend in Belgrade: An early spring return to Serbia

Liège, Belgium

Liège is the largest of Belgium’s French-speaking cities (besides the bilingual capital), but it often slips under the radar. I hadn’t even heard of it until the day before our very spontaneous visit, and it ended up being my favourite spot in the country!

I absolutely loved the huge staircases going high above the city and the laid-back atmosphere of the city centre with its many cozy cafés, green parks and lively streets. After just one day in Liège, I even proclaimed that this was a city I could imagine living in, and that doesn’t happen often!

Děčín, Czech Republic

Saxon Switzerland is a national park that stretches along the eastern German border and into Czech Republic. Its main draw is the sandstone rocks protruding through densely forested mountains, and the German side is by far the most popular. But because accommodation is very expensive on the German side, a campsite in the small Czech city of Děčín ended up as our choice for accommodation.

I had zero expectations for the city and thought it would just be a base for exploring the German side of the national park, but boy was I wrong. Děčín is nestled beneath the low forested mountains in a most scenic setting, and the city is full of beautiful pastel-coloured townhouses and a castle on a rocky plateau with peacocks roaming freely!

Děčín became so much more than just a base, and I’m so happy that we ended up there!

Saxon Switzerland, Germany

While Děčín was my favourite part of our Saxon Switzerland trip, I also really loved the German part of the national park. The famed Bastei Bridge is what everyone comes there to see, and while it is definitely scenic and worth seeing, I actually enjoyed just hiking random trails between the protruding rocks of the sandstone mountains more.

I also really enjoyed exploring Königstein Fortress, one of the largest hilltop fortifications in Europe. I especially loved hiking around the fortress and seeing the majestic views from the fortress walls.

I’ve seen a lot in Germany, from the Alps to the Black Forest to the Harz Mountains, but Saxon Switzerland beats them all when it comes to unique and interesting scenery.

The small marinas of southern Lolland, Denmark

Of the many adventures I had around Lolland and the neighbouring islands in 2022, a 66-kilometre bike ride around southern Lolland was my favourite. Not because I love biking. In fact, I loathe biking. BUT because I discovered six tiny marinas, dotted along the southern coast of the island.

From east to west, the marinas are Stubberup Havn, Høvænge Havn, Sandager Havn, Handermelle Havn, Errindlev Havn, Lundehøje Havn, and I thought the first two were the coziest and the last one the most scenic. But they are all very atmospheric and well worth visiting if you ever find yourself on my former home island.

Marburg, Germany

I’ve rarely come across a city as beautiful as Marburg, and it came as a huge surprise. I’d done minimal research before setting off for the city, so I was in total awe when I first laid eyes on the city. Marburg is a fairytale city like no other. Think cobbled streets, narrow alleyways, half-timbered townhouses, historic churches, low forested mountains in the horizon and a castle overlooking it all. It doesn’t get much better than that!

If Stralsund didn’t exist, I wouldn’t hesitate to call Marburg my favourite city in Germany. But they’ll have to share first place!

Jelenia Gora, Poland

Jelenia Gora was a random last-minute add-on to our Central European adventure in the summer, but it quickly became my favourite city on the entire journey.

This Polish city is small, home to around 80,000 people, but due to its proximity to the Karkonosze National Park, it’s a well-visited destination in the summer. By locals. Much like most of the rest of the world, I’d never even heard of Jelenia Gora until a few days before going! The city’s history dates back to the 10th century, and many of its historic buildings are still preserved, and there’s even a picturesque castle on a hill a short bus ride away!

While Poznań is still my favourite city in Poland, Jelenia Gora is now a close second!

Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

Kutná Hora is one of the most popular destinations in the Czech Republic, and for good reason. It’s a cultural hotspot like no other with two UNESCO-inscribed cathedrals, a quaint town centre and an eerie bone chapel.

Most visitors come to Kutná Hora on a day trip from Prague, but I’m glad we stayed the night as there’s a lot to see and it easily gets crowded during the day. I loved watching the sunset and sunrise over the majestic Cathedral of St Barbara, which is arguably one of the prettiest cathedrals in the world.

Súl’ov Rocks, Slovakia

My favourite hiking experience outside the Faroe Islands this year was in Slovakia, more precisely among the Súľov Rocks, an unknown spot on the map of northwestern Slovakia. Once again, this was a place I hadn’t even heard of until shortly before going, and these otherworldly rocky crags truly blew me away!

There are plenty of trails in the area and it was difficult to choose one, but I really enjoyed the hike up to the ruins of the medieval Castle Súľov, which is one of the most difficult castles to access in Slovakia. It’s also one of the smallest castles in the country – oh, and probably also the castle with the best view!

Radava, Slovakia

Radava is an atypical place to include on a list like this, but I had to include it for sentimental value as this little rural village was my home for three weeks in August while working on archaeological excavations in the area.

Located in the lowlands of western Slovakia, Radava has everything that I love in a village: Solitude, peace, quiet running routes, plenty of hiking trails, a medieval church, little altars around every corner, cute houses and kind inhabitants. I didn’t have much time to explore Radava as I was mostly working when I was there, but I did go for a 15-kilometre hike in the countryside with wonderful views over the agricultural lands beyond the village.

Radava is a place to go when in need for a slow holiday – or if you just want to get to know one of Slovakia’s rural communities.

Vestmanna bird cliffs, Faroe Islands

One place I’d always dreamt of visiting on the Faroe Islands but never did because of the price, was the Vestmanna bird cliffs. I was unsure if it was really worth it, but when I was invited by Guide to Faroe Islands, I didn’t hesitate to take them up on the offer. And I’m so incredibly glad I did.

Sailing along the vertical cliffs that stretch for six kilometres on Streymoy’s west coast was an unbeatable experience. Not only did we sail right close to the cliffs, we also went INSIDE them! Our captain took us around several sea stacks and under an arch! Puffin season was over, but there were still hundreds of birds flying around our little boat. I was in awe for the entire trip!

Would you also like to experience the majestic Vestmanna bird cliffs? See more here!

Fugloy, Faroe Islands

Visiting Fugloy has been a dream of mine for many years. It was the last inhabited island on the Faroe Islands that I had yet to visit, and I’d actually already tried back in 2018 but the ferry couldn’t dock due to high waves. But this summer, I finally made it, and I just happened to fall madly in love with the island.

It was especially the cliffs of Klubbin, the highest mountain on the island at 621 m, that took my breath away. And to think that we almost missed them is just incredible! We were about to climb back down from the summit when we decided to walk a bit further along the ridge, and then this whole other world appeared. Magnificent views of misty vertical cliffs and only birds sharing them with us!

Vágar is still my favourite island because of all the incredible hiking opportunities it offers, but Fugloy is definitely competing with Nólsoy now for second place!

Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

My mum and I definitely hit the jackpot when we found an airbnb above Lake Lucerne for our week-long Switzerland trip in November. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more scenic lake.

Lake Lucerne is very unusual because of its irregular shape with many bends and turns, which are hugged by steep snow-capped mountains and quaint historic villages. It doesn’t hurt that it’s home to medieval Lucerne either, as this was my favourite city that we visited on our trip! There are several hiking opportunities around the lake, and it’s a great place to base yourself while in Switzerland, especially in the shoulder season.

Bernese Alps, Switzerland

The Bernese Alps are home to some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Switzerland, and our day hiking in these mountains was definitely my favourite!

We hiked from the waterfall village of Lauterbrunnen to the car-free village of Wengen. A short yet steep hike with gorgeous views throughout and the most idyllic Alpine scenery with mountain huts, cows and green hills. We ended the day with a sunset drive to the beautiful village of Grindelwald where we got even closer to the mighty Alps!

I haven’t been to the Zermatt area and I’m sure it’s as stunning as the hype tells me, but I believe the Bernese Alps are just as scenic – and much much cheaper to visit!

Rostock, Germany

I’d been curious about Rostock for a while as I’d driven through it countless times en route to and from Berlin, and I’d never actually seen more than the bus station. I had little expectations of the city, but Rostock turned out to be a really cute and cozy city, perfect for a weekend getaway.

Rostock is an old Hanseatic city full of cobbled streets with three medieval churches, an old moat and cozy squares. I especially enjoyed the neighbourhood of Warnemünde, located by the rough Baltic Sea, with no less than three lighthouses, a gorgeous sandy beach and a great maritime atmosphere!

My top 5 favourite new places of 2022

Below are the places that I truly loved this year:

1. Fugloy, Faroe Islands
2. Marburg, Germany
3. Bernese Alps, Switzerland
4. Liège, Belgium
5. Súl’ov Rocks, Slovakia

Other new places that I visited in 2022

• Denmark: Krenkerup Bryggeri, Flintinge, Rømø, Kolding, Gedser, Kjærstrup, Flårup, Snertinge, Hjelm Strand, Majbølle, Gedesby, Bøtøskoven, Fiskebæk, Vennerslund, Klodskov, Ny Kirstineberg, Glukse, Store Vejlø Skov, Lille Vejlø Skov, Kappel and Hoby
• Serbia: Rural areas of Vojvodina, Zrenjanin, Subotica and Palić
• Belgium: Gent
• Germany: Aachen, Burg auf Fehmarn, Argenstein, Niederweimar and Waren (Müritz)
• Poland: Wrocław
• Czech Republic: Brno
• Slovakia: Považská Bystrica, Trenčín, Nitra, Dražovce, Nové Zámky, Podhájska, Vráble and Vel’ké Lovce
• Switzerland: Bellinzona, Lugano, Kilchberg, Zürich and Bern
• Italy: Campione d’Italia