10.10.2026
On our way back to Jelenia Góra, we decided to take the scenic route, and stop in some famous places in eastern Poland. We first stopped for a quick stroll around Kosice, in Slovakia, and then made our way to Zamość. Zamość is a historic Polish city dating back to the late 16th century, and the centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We went early in the morning but, sadly, there was some kind of festival going on and the square was full of tents. Still, it was a beautiful place. Next stop was Sandomierz, another historic city. This city dates back to the 12th century. It's a very popular tourist site and has a nice old town, as well as a very rich and interesting history. The last stop on this trip was the industrial city of Łódź. Our primary reason for visiting was to visit the MS2 Modern Art Gallery. The gallery is part of a huge mall that is set on an old industrial complex, with all of the original brick factory buildings cleaned up and repurposed. Without a doubt the coolest mall we've ever been to. The way these buildings were restored is nothing short of amazing, and so cool to see the land repurposed instead of just sitting there with rotting buildings, which is what you see in so many places. The gallery itself also had some very interesting art. All in all a great trip!
Shona
06.10.2026
Well, Moldova, what can I say? We went, we saw, lol. Actually, the drive was interesting and the area outside Chisinau (wine country) is quite pretty. You can even tour the largest and 2nd largest wineries in the world! We did not, but we did buy some local wine which was quite good. There are some interesting monasteries outside the city as well. We visited Curchi, which is really pretty, albeit small. As far as the city goes, we wandered around a bit and saw some classic commie buildings, a nice park and, of course, a cathedral and other churches. Is it worth it? Well, if you're interested in their wine country, sure. It was worth it for us because we can now say we've been to Moldova...yay! I think I'd skip driving and fly to Chisinau, though. Driving in the country was painfully slow and traffic in the city was insane!
Shona
03.10.2026
Continuing on our way to Moldova, we stopped in the Romanian city of Brasov. We loved it there! It had a great vibe and it's in a beautiful location, in the region of Transylvania and surrounded by the Carpathian mountains. The city has a really nice old town and is easily walkable, and the people were quite friendly. We also made a quick stop at the famous (infamous?) Bran Castle. Quite a difference from Brasov, it's a total tourist trap and the castle was mostly covered in scaffolding. I'm glad that wasn't the only reason we went there, lol. While kind of a waste of time for us, I guess if you're into the whole Dracula thing you might find the castle a fun place to visit. I'm sure the Halloween parties there are pretty epic. Either way, the stop in Brasov was a treat.
Shona
30.09.2026
We've camped by Belgrade 3x and never gone into the city, so the 4th time we made sure to finally do some sightseeing! The campground is really good, by the way, if you're every driving that way. It's a popular stopping point for people on their way to or from the Balkans. The city, well, we probably could have lived without going there, but we did find some interesting street art. And if you're fascinated by architecture, you'll get a kick out of the many buildings in the brutalist style. It was also lively with locals, which is always nice to see.
Shona
27.09.2026
So, one of our goals is to visit all countries that are in geographical Europe or the EU. To this end, we decided a road trip to Moldova was in order. On our way there, we stopped in the city of Szeged, Hungary. We found this beautiful building, the Móra Ferenc Museum, with an amazing fountain in front. The fountain was timed to some beautiful classical music and, apparently, there's even a light show at night. Our next stop was Novi Sad, in Serbia. We've driven through Serbia a few times but hadn't really done much sightseeing. Novi Sad is a really nice town with many beautiful buildings, friendly people, and a nice vibe. Well worth an afternoon if you're in the area.
Shona
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