Travel week!

November 27, 2022

The long-anticipated week had finally come! The academic calendar for DIS is structured such that we have two different full weeks off from class allocated for travel – one of those weeks you travel with your core course, and one is free for personal travel! I happened to have the first week off from travel, which meant that I was able to spend October 8th to 16th doing what I liked! I had always wanted to do some solo traveling, so I figured this would be as good a time as any to take that leap of faith for the first time. Was I nervous? Absolutely, but the excitement of this new experience, this new challenge, was overpowering. What was my itinerary, you might ask?

Split, Croatia – Lake Bled, Slovenia – Salzburg, Austria – Munich, Germany

Split, Croatia

Split was my first destination and the city where I spent the most time, staying there from Saturday – Tuesday. This was also my first solo hostel experience, which went so much better than I could have ever imagined. I really enjoyed my time in the city, and would absolutely return to Croatia in the future (though I definitely want to go to Dubrovnik before going back to Split). Split was very touristy but not in an oppressive way, and as soon as I was outside the heart of the old town it felt much less crowded and more authentic. Croatia felt fairly similar to Greece climate, topography and vegetation wise, but with its own interesting Roman history and surprisingly well-preserved historical sites.

Day 1 – Exploring the city

When I first arrived in Split, I dropped my bags at the hostel and set out to explore as much of the old town as I could! I’d say it was a successful first day.

The entire city was filled with beautiful narrow stone streets like this one.

St. Domnius Belltower, located in the heart of the old town.

One of the inner vestibules of Diocletian’s Palace, located just next to the belltower.

View of the city from the top of the belltower. Who knew Croatia had mountains!?

Super interesting underground palace complex which had apparently been used as junk storage until the mid-20th century.

A lovely sunset as seen from the top of one of the main mountain overlooks within the city.

Day 2 – Road trip to Plitviče Lakes National Park

Today I ventured out with some of my roommates from my hostel to Plitviče Falls National Park, located approximately 4 hours north of Split. We had to rent a car to get there which was an experience in and of itself (Croatia’s highways are quite pleasant to drive on), and we stopped in the city of Zadar on our way north which was also quite interesting!

Zadar’s “Land Gate”, dating back to the mid 16th century, which used to serve as the main entrance to the city.

It was super foggy in the park, which definitely added a layer of mystery to the whole place.

Crystal clear waters within the national park.

More beautifully clear water.

The majority of our hike in the park was along these lovely wooden boardwalks.

One of the many waterfalls for which this park is named.

Utterly phenomenal dinner upon returning to Split after our long day out.

Day 3 – Starigrad Fortress in Omiš

Multiple people recommended that I check out Starigrad Fortress, located in the city of Omiš which was just over 20 minutes south of Split. This 15th fortress is perched atop an ~800 foot high stone ridge overlooking the city with some absolutely stunning views of the Dalmatian coast. The hike to the top was also one of the steepest and most challenging that I’ve ever done.

Republic Square, on the edge of the Split Old Town.

Looking at the mountains near Omiš – I believe the fortress is positioned behind the ridge in the top right.

Stunning mountain views even within the city.

Accurate representation of my feelings on the climb to the top. Wishing I didn't have my backpack and wasn't wearing a shirt :D

Very much a genuine smile. Such an amazing experience.

Day 4 – Travel to Slovenia

Today was devoted almost entirely to travel, as I had to go all the way from Split, Croatia to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. I wasn’t able to make it all the way to Lake Bled in one day because there wasn’t transportation to get there so late in the evening. I first took a nearly 8-hour train from Split to Zagreb, from which I transferred to a Flixbux for the remaining ~2 hour journey to Ljubljana. Travel went without incident, except for the fact that the train was so criminally slow I swear I could have biked there faster. Oh well. Croatia isn’t known for its rail system.

Split's train station... Not the best :/

Once in Ljubljana, I stayed in a prison hostel! It was this super crazy hip repurposed prison, where each room was either an old prison cell or other adminstrative space. I got there pretty late, but was delighted to find the lounge and common spaces filled with people and even attended a traditional slovenian music concert in the lobby! Yet another delightful hostel experience.

Prison hostel! I was staying somewhere in the top left of the photo, because we were at the end of the building and had massive vaulted ceilings.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Day 5 – Lake Bled

Today I spent the whole day exploring Lake Bled, in Slovenia. I arrived around 9:30 am by bus and found the town (Bled) utterly empty, which was a delight. After dropping my bags at the hostel, I spent the next several hours walking, napping, and enjoying my solitude as I explored the stunning scenery surrounding me. I felt that Lake Bled was one of the most beautiful areas that I have ever been in my life, and would love to take an extended vacation there where I could fully step away from society. It was so quiet and peaceful, in all the right ways. I think the photos are pretty stunning, but still don’t fully do it justice.

Bled Castle, perched atop an impressive rock formation overlooking Lake Bled.

The iconic "Bled Island" as pictured mid-way up my hike.

Proof that I actually hiked up :D

Another view from slightly higher.

Breathtaking mountains surrounded the whole lake. Notice the paraglider as well. This is one of my favorite photos ever taken.

Day 6 – Leaving Bled and onto Salzburg

I opted to take a train from Bled to Salzburg, and since it didn’t leave until mid-afternoon that left me with a morning to check out some of the other sites near Lake Bled. One that was repeatedly recommended was the Vintgar Gorge, a very picturesque gorge within 30 minutes walk of the hostel that I decided to explore! This hike was the last pleasant part of the day, as I wound up being nearly stranded in the Slovenian countryside because the trail back to my hostel was closed due to forest maintenance and I wound up walking an extra ~5 or so miles before I could find a bus to take me back to Bled. Then a series of train delays led me to miss my connecting train in Austria and I wound up feeling far more stressed than I would have liked. It ultimately worked out, though, and I made it to Salzburg!

Salzburg, Austria

Day 7 – Salzburg

I didn’t get a great night’s sleep in my hostel in Salzburg and woke up feeling pretty groggy. Not wanting that to stop me, though, I set out to see as much of the historic old town / fortress as I could! Fortunately it was a gorgeous day and the temperature was perfect. I walked through much of the old town on my way to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, perched on a small “mountain” overlooking much of Salzburg. I found the climb up to the fortress to be quite tiring and had to take several breaks along the way (more on this later), but it was overall well worth it! There were a series of museums and other things to see, and my visit concluded with a ride down a big funicular which was an interesting experience. Feeling quite tired after this exploration, I headed back to the hostel to hang out for a little while before catching my train to Munich. The train ride was perfectly pleasant, save for the fact that I could feel myself getting more and more exhausted as if my body were beginning to hibernate. I tried to fight through that feeling, though, and was able to make it to my hostel in Munich!

Munich, Germany

Day 8 – Down bad in Munich

I woke up on Saturday morning in Munich feeling like I’d been hit by a train. I could hardly move, breathing was hard, and I felt like my head was on fire. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to rally and go outside anyways as I needed to get some food in my system and I wanted to try and see some sights. I wound up going to some local coffee shop and ordered up a breakfast sandwich and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, thinking that somehow this would miraculously save me. I had purchased tickets the day before to go to the Deutsches Museum, the “world’s largest museum of science and technology”, and was actually really interested in checking this out. While I was walking there, though, I fully realized how ill I was. My body felt so feverish, I couldn’t breathe properly, I think I was the sickest I’d ever been. I made the difficult choice to turn back, and instead seek out the nearest pharmacy to see if I could medicate my way back to health. With paracetamol in hand, I slogged my way back to the hostel to rest and recuperate for the remainder of the day. Fortunately, I had Game of Thrones and Dune to keep me company. *no pictures because I didn’t really go outside :/*

Day 9 – Final day of my trip

Whatever medicating and hydration I had done on Saturday was working wonders, because I woke up Sunday feeling surprisingly better. Far from 100%, but good enough to get out and see at least a bit of the city. I treated myself to an amazing steak and egg breakfast bowl coupled with fresh ginger and orange tea and an incredible belgian waffle, all of which I was able to eat! Hooray for having an appetite! I set out to see some of the old town before catching my flight home, and was glad that I was able to see some things. I got to the airport quite early so I could get situated, rest and relax for a while, and I’m glad I did. I had a perfectly pleasant flight home, and was quite happy to be back in my room in Stockholm that night. And thus concluded my travel adventures.

Reflections

This past week was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I am so grateful to have been able to do this traveling, to have met so many interesting people from all around the world and to have seen so many places that I might not have otherwise seen in my life. My study abroad experience has been so much better than I could have ever imagined, and I am so excited for all for all of the things that are yet to come. I recognize that there is great privilege in being able to study a semester abroad, but I’ve come to realize the truly immense value that this time abroad provides.