What were the most impressive places seen this year that I’d like to recommend to others? At first, it seemed that I traveled less this year than before, however, looking at the numbers, the actual segments flown are more, 29! I spent 22 nights in hotels. Two new countries have been added to the list of countries I have seen for the first time, one of which, Serbia, was a bonus country completely by chance. I got 6 new stamps in my passport thanks to trips to Serbia and Montenegro. There were also two car trips, both to Lithuania.
The blog reached 100,000 unique readers as early as the beginning of June, with the total number of visitors for the year approaching 200,000. The most read articles are about places to visit in spring, how to get compensation for a delayed flight, and sights in Vilnius. It is interesting that the English version of the blog is also doing very well this year, and in recent months its traffic is as large as the Latvian blog. In the English version, the most read articles are about the experience of wearing Korean national dress, shopping in the US, and sights in Macau.
The Facebook page has also been doing well this year, with some posts reaching an audience of up to 600,000 people each. I also continued to lead storytelling nights this year, both for companies and other interested parties on the topic of “Travel Smart”, and also on a completely new topic, about experiences in travel, with which I started a tour of libraries.
I look forward to the next year with pleasant anticipation, as our first book will be published in the second quarter. It will be a good look back at the most beautiful travels we have experienced and a much more open look at how the blog came about and the backstage associated with it. More information about the book will be available soon!
Read the previous year’s top impressive places:
12. Belgrade, Serbia
We had very little free time in Belgrade, but we managed to take at least a short walk around the city. When it was still quite cold in October at home, it was still quite summery in Belgrade. Unfortunately, apart from the weather, the rest of the impressions of Belgrade reminded me in how different information spaces we live in. One thing is clear, to have a more specific opinion about the country, I have to spend more time there.
11. J. Rukšāns’ crocuses in Jaunrūjas, Latvia
It isn’t the first time that the largest collection of crocus bulbs in the world in “Jaunrūjas” has been included in my top of places to visit this year! At the very end of winter, when spring seems almost unattainable, the crocuses blooming in his greenhouse are like a ray of light!
10. Daugmale peonies (as well as tulips and daffodils), Latvia
I also visited Daugmale peonies several times, this year enjoying both daffodils and tulips, and coming back again during peony season. They are located very close to Riga, and visiting is very simple, you don’t need to book in advance, just come during working hours. The entrance is for donations.
9.Cesvaine Castle, Latvia
This year I took a look at the restored Cesvaines Castle. A few years ago, as part of the “Discovered Latvia” project, I saw Cesvaines Castle only from the outside, because repairs were underway inside, so this year, while visiting Cesvaines Secondary School as part of the European Union project (where I told about my main work and career to high school students), I also stopped by Cesvaines Castle. It’s worth visiting!
8.Amsterdam, Netherlands
When I visited Amsterdam in February, I didn’t expect good weather, but the atmosphere was actually very springlike – crocuses were blooming in the lawns, and there were even a few blooming flowers in the Japanese cherry tree branches! Of course, it was still too early for tulips, but here and there in the suburbs I even saw fields of blooming daffodils. I walked the streets of Amsterdam that I had already visited before, also a couple new places, such as the Tulip Museum. The highlight of my trip was the afternoon tea at the Sofitel Grand hotel. The experience was truly refined, and it was well worth the money!
7.Brussels, Belgium
Thanks to the flight schedule, I managed to plan a few hours of free time in Brussels between business meetings. The last-minute cancellation of the previously planned excursion slightly disrupted my plans, so in the end I went on one of the free walking tours of the city center, and actually learned quite a lot about the country’s history (especially the Congo genocide). After a walk, I went for an afternoon tea, where this time I enjoyed it not only with cakes, but also with dumplings at the Tangla hotel! It was not all a breeze, as I spent over 30 minutes waiting at the lobby as the staff had forgotten about me. But in the end, I managed to enjoy their tea offering. All is well that ends well! Also the fact that, fortunately, I was in the hotel and safe when the terrorist attack happened in Brussels… During the excursion, we talked about it with the guide during the day, how the city was once closed due to a terrorist attack, and on the same day something like that happened again. More about this trip soon in the blog.
6.Druskininkai, Lithuania
Continuing on the theme of flowers, I fulfilled an old dream of finally seeing the Vijuneles Park in Druskininkai, Lithuania! About half a million daffodils bloom there. Since the weather was very warm, the greatest splendor of daffodils was already over, but I still managed to see a bit. We also enjoyed mud baths, a ride on the cable car, an experience in the Soviet monument park and, on the way back, the Anikščiai tree trails!
5. Hamburg, Germany
I am glad that I was also able to return to Hamburg this year! I have been to Hamburg many times, and I will go back there next year, because the attractions in this city do not end for me! This time I added another afternoon tea to the list of places visited, at the Atlantic hotel, where one of the James Bond films was filmed! If the afternoon tea in Amsterdam was something incredibly impressive, then the one I enjoyed in Hamburg is currently my favorite experience, because the quality of service was really incredibly good! Autumn in Hamburg again pleasantly surprised me this time – excellent warm weather, chestnuts underfoot, dry autumn leaves smell and in a quiet walk through the city was exactly what I needed.
4. Tampere, Finland
I had previously visited Tampere for a short while on business, so I was very happy when we were invited on a press trip to Tampere to attend the Tampere Theatre Festival and see the city and its most beautiful places around it. I was surprised that there is so much to see and do in Tampere! I also really liked the attitude of the local restaurants – their main clientele is locals. A representative of the tourism promotion agency told me: “We could not survive if we focused only on tourists.” As an inhabitant of Old Riga, I can only applaud that!
3. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I had just been to Dubai twice in late 2022, when in January 2023 I had the opportunity to go back there again! For the first time I visited the emirate of Sharjah, saw the EXPO venue, ate a lot of mangoes and read a book by the hotel pool at lunchtime. It was exactly what I needed in January! You can read more about my experiences in Dubai here.
2. Montenegro
The trip to Montenegro came as an extremely pleasant surprise in the gloomy autumn, when we were invited on a press trip to this Balkan pearl. Breathtaking views of Budva, the coast with the island of Sveti Stefan, the skies merging with the sea in the city of Herceg Novi, the indescribable views of the mountains from the Old Town of Bar, and a trip to autumn in Kolašin and the Biogradska Gora National Park. It is clear that we will have to come back! More about this trip will be available in the blog soon.
1. Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, Lithuania
As soon as I heard that it is possible to visit Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, I knew I must visit it! After a little planning to get not only the opportunity to go there (as places are xtremely limited), but also, after careful coordination, permission to photograph, on a sunny summer day we went to the town of Visaginas. For the second year in a row, I accidentally found myself in the country when the NATO summit is taking place there (the same was the case in Madrid the year before), and the extensive security checks at the border. The next day was like the best physics lesson, because the time spent at the nuclear power plant was worth every second. Since the nuclear power plant is being dismantled, the tour routes are changing, so it is possible that not everything we saw can be seen anymore, but the experience is still worth it! After the trip, I wrote a travel story about Ignalina NPP, which, in my opinion, is one of the best I have ever written. Sometimes you don’t even have to travel far to get incredible impressions!
What were your most favorite trips of the year?