Cricket is one of the most widely followed sports globally, and its stadiums are often as iconic as the matches played within them. From historic grounds to modern arenas, each venue offers a unique atmosphere shaped by local culture, passionate supporters and unforgettable sporting moments.

Whether someone follows the sport casually, enjoys analysing team form or explores structured engagement such as cricket betting, travelling to these stadiums provides a deeper connection to the game. Many adult fans also look to platforms like Bally Bet for fixtures, stats and general information that complement the live experience. 

Lord’s Cricket Ground – London, England

Often referred to as the “Home of Cricket,” Lord’s is one of the most historic and prestigious venues in the sport. Its iconic pavilion, traditional architecture and long-standing traditions make it a must-visit destination for cricket fans. The atmosphere during Test matches is unmatched, offering a blend of heritage and high-level competition. Adults who follow cricket betting markets often appreciate Lord’s for its reputation as a ground where conditions can influence match dynamics, adding an analytical layer to the experience.

Melbourne Cricket Ground – Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the largest stadiums in the world and a central hub for Australian cricket. Known for its electric atmosphere during Boxing Day Tests and major international fixtures, the MCG offers a modern yet historic environment.

Its size, acoustics and passionate crowds make it an unforgettable venue. For fans who enjoy studying team performance or exploring cricket betting trends, the MCG’s pitch conditions and match tempo provide valuable insights.

Eden Gardens – Kolkata, India

Eden Gardens is one of the most iconic cricket stadiums in Asia, known for its immense capacity and passionate supporters. The atmosphere during major matches is intense, with crowds creating a level of energy rarely seen elsewhere.

The stadium has hosted some of the most memorable moments in cricket history. Adults who follow cricket betting often consider Eden Gardens a fascinating venue due to its pitch characteristics, which can vary between spin-friendly and balanced depending on conditions.

Newlands – Cape Town, South Africa

Newlands is widely regarded as one of the most scenic cricket grounds in the world. With Table Mountain as its backdrop, the stadium offers a picturesque setting combined with a lively atmosphere. The ground is known for producing competitive matches, especially in Test cricket.

For those who enjoy analysing match conditions or exploring cricket betting markets, Newlands provides a unique blend of pace, bounce and environmental factors that influence play.

Kensington Oval – Bridgetown, Barbados

Kensington Oval is one of the Caribbean’s most famous cricket venues, known for its vibrant crowds and festive atmosphere. The stadium has a rich history and remains a central part of West Indies cricket culture. Its lively pitch and enthusiastic supporters make it a memorable destination for travellers.

Adults who follow cricket betting often appreciate the ground’s reputation for producing dynamic, high-energy matches.

Dubai International Stadium – Dubai, UAE

Dubai International Stadium has become a major venue for international cricket, hosting matches across formats. Its modern design, excellent facilities and unique “Ring of Fire” lighting system create a distinctive viewing experience.

The stadium is known for its neutral conditions, making it a popular choice for tournaments and international fixtures. For fans who enjoy structured engagement such as cricket betting, Dubai offers consistent pitch behaviour that supports detailed analysis.

The Gabba – Brisbane, Australia

The Gabba is known for its fast, bouncy pitch and strong home-ground advantage for Australia. The stadium’s atmosphere during major matches is energetic, and its conditions often produce competitive cricket.

Adults who follow cricket betting markets often consider The Gabba a key venue for analysing pace-friendly environments and early-season form.

Hagley Oval – Christchurch, New Zealand

Hagley Oval offers a calm, scenic environment with a strong community feel. Its open design and natural surroundings make it one of the most pleasant venues to watch cricket. The ground is known for balanced conditions that support both batting and bowling.

For fans who enjoy studying match flow or exploring cricket betting trends, Hagley Oval provides a clear, consistent environment for analysis.

A Global Collection of Iconic Venues

From historic grounds like Lord’s to modern arenas such as Dubai International Stadium, the world offers countless destinations for cricket fans to explore.

Whether someone enjoys the atmosphere, the architecture or the analytical side of the sport through cricket betting, each stadium provides a unique way to experience cricket on a global scale.

The post The Best Cricket Stadiums That People Can Travel to Around the World appeared first on Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog).

What will you bring home from your next trip? A well-chosen souvenir can be a fond reminder of a great experience with family or friends in a city, town, or rural landscape. But when you’re on the go, it can feel hard to slow down and select a souvenir that encapsulates your experiences well. 

Don’t worry, we have you covered. Read on to find our best tips for choosing a souvenir that tells your trip’s story.

Choose Local Items

Steer clear of mass-produced souvenirs that will become forgettable quickly. Instead, look for a locally crafted souvenir that is unique. You could choose a small painting, vessel, or food delicacy. 

Check out local marketplaces or look for vendors set up in shopping districts. Sometimes, local galleries can be a great place to find beautiful photographs or other mementos. It’s fair to ask a vendor about the artisan who made an object, as well as how to care for objects.

Focus on Finding a Memorable Souvenir

You don’t have to choose the biggest souvenir you can find. Often, the smaller objects can hold the most meaning. Determine what part of your trip you want to capture as a souvenir. 

Maybe you enjoy visiting a local garden, for instance. A handmade ornament depicting flowers and the garden’s name could be the perfect souvenir. Or perhaps you had a delicious croissant at a local bakery and want to bring a box of goodies home. 

Don’t feel obligated to blow your budget on a souvenir. A snowglobe, postcard, or other object can be a potent reminder of your trip. 

Consider a Personalized Keepsake

You can add an extra layer of meaning to your souvenir when you personalize it. Perhaps you select a design for a screen-printed t-shirt. As another option, you could ask a caricaturist to draw your likeness against a city backdrop. 

Challenge coins can be excellent souvenirs, too. Customized tokens from customchallengecoins.net won’t take up a lot of space, and they’ll be an enduring reminder of your trip.

Don’t Forget About Space Considerations

Especially when you’re on the road, you won’t have a lot of space for bigger souvenirs. Stick with items that are flat, compact, and lightweight. Printed textiles or unframed photographs can work well. 

Bigger or breakable items can be risky. If you find ceramics or glass objects you can’t resist, try to ship them home so you’re not carrying them with you to your next destination. 

Support Eco-Friendly Products

You can make more ethical souvenir choices by opting for items made from recycled materials. And by purchasing a local souvenir instead of one that’s been made overseas, you’ll help reduce your carbon footprint. 

You can always ask a vendor where something was made. And if you have any concerns about the ingredients or materials used to craft an object, trust your gut and choose something else. 

Find the Right Souvenirs

Souvenirs can be a tactile reminder of a great experience traveling. Give yourself time to find an object that won’t be burdensome to pack. Go with locally crafted items and consider personalizing your souvenir. 

When you’re thoughtful about your choices, you’ll end up with souvenirs that help tell the story of your journey. 

The post How to Choose Souvenirs That Tell Your Trip’s Story appeared first on Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog).

According to travel surveys, more than 70% of travelers pick their travel destinations based on food experiences. However, they frequently return home more drained than nourished, not due to overindulgence, but rather a lack of specific guidelines to follow during travel.

Many travelers end up experiencing fatigue, digestive issues, or a disconnect from the routines of their everyday life. For some travelers, especially if they have had issues with appetite changes or use medication like liraglutide, the experience is even less predictable. Below are realistic ways to enjoy local foods while travelling.

1. Lightly Track Your Body Cues, Not Rules

When travelling, you don’t need to track rigidly. However, you need to keep yourself in mind. Instead of counting every item you consume, be aware of the following:

• Your hunger level before you eat
• Your fullness during the meal
• Your energy level after your meal

If you use appetite-regulating support like Liraglutide prescription support, you may have a sense of being full before eating much. Listening to those feelings instead of finishing your portion out of habit will help you prevent discomfort and encourage a more intuitive pattern.

2. Schedule One Daily Indulgence

Seeing all the fun things available to try can easily put you in a cycle of grazing all day long. Instead, you should make a conscious effort each day to focus on one amazing food experience! Consider eating at a local restaurant that’s known for its food, having a well-known regional dish, or trying a dessert that you’re really excited about.

By concentrating on your one indulgence, you will give yourself the permission you need to truly enjoy this experience without feeling guilty. It will also help you to avoid feeling bloated and sluggish from grazing at every meal throughout the day.

3. Buzz Days: Build Multiple Walk-Heavy Days Into Your Day

Instead of relying on structured physical activity through workouts, plan your activities accordingly. For example, choosing walkable neighborhoods, exploring cities on foot, or intentionally adding walking tours creates a natural rhythm of activity throughout the day.

Walking supports digestion and builds a natural way to maintain energy throughout the day. It will also make you more aware of your surroundings because you will be interacting with your surroundings much more actively without feeling like you need to ‘work off’ what you have consumed.

4. Select Street Foods with a Protein Base

Experiencing street food can be an authentic way to taste a new destination, but not all types will sustain you. Meals with a high refined carbohydrate or sugar content will create quick increases in energy before you have another decline.

Selecting meals with high protein content will allow you to create sustained fullness and satiety. Grilled meats, beans, eggs, or yogurt will help you stay full longer, allowing you to enjoy treats later without overcompensating.

5. Look for Community-Based Food Activities

Food becomes more meaningful when it’s tied to people and community. Seeking out LGBTQ+-owned restaurants, women-owned cafes, and local food tours gives you a more intimate and discerning view of where you are visiting.

Community-based establishments are rich with stories, culture, and a sense of belonging that is woven into every meal. You should obtain recommendations from the local community or through online communities.

Focus On Balance Over Restriction

Mindful eating is about maintaining a healthy balance, not about feeling deprived. Finding that balance enables you to enjoy various foods during travel without burning out. Developing positive food memories as part of your travel experience will help to enhance your overall experience and give you positive memories and energy to return home with.

The post 5 Mindful Eating Moves for Food-Loving Trips appeared first on Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog).

Traveling long-term is a dream for many, but it takes more than just booking a flight and packing a bag. Whether you’re planning to travel for a year, work remotely from different countries, or backpack around the world, long-term travel requires some serious preparation—both financially and mentally. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to plan, save, and make the most of your long-term adventure.

1. Set Clear Goals for Your Trip

Before diving into all the practical stuff, take a moment to think about why you want to travel and what you hope to get out of it. Are you looking for adventure? Want to learn a new skill or immerse yourself in a different culture? Are you hoping to find some balance in life away from the daily grind?

Your travel goals will shape the rest of your journey. Here are a few things to consider:

• Adventure: Maybe you’re seeking thrills and excitement, looking to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
• Learning: Long-term travel is a great way to pick up new skills—whether that’s a new language, working remotely, or even studying abroad.
• Cultural Exploration: Spending time in a new country means fully immersing yourself in its culture, from trying new foods to learning local traditions.
• Work-Life Balance: For some, long-term travel is all about escaping the daily grind and finding a way to balance work and life in a more fulfilling way.

Having a clear sense of why you’re traveling will make all the planning and decisions a lot easier down the road.

2. Budgeting and Saving for Long-Term Travel

Managing your finances is one of the most important aspects of long-term travel. Depending on where you go, traveling can be either affordable or expensive, but either way, you’ll need to be strategic about your spending.

Start Saving Early

The earlier you start saving, the easier it will be to fund your adventure. Set up a separate savings account just for travel, and try to automate your savings so that a portion of your income goes directly into that fund every month. It’s also helpful to research the cost of living in your destinations to get a sense of how much you’ll need to budget.

Setting Up Your Finances for Smooth Travel

Another thing you’ll want to take care of is setting up a bank account that works well for international travel. Managing money abroad can be a headache if your bank charges high fees or has poor currency exchange rates. Opening a bank account with no foreign transaction fees and convenient online banking features will make your finances a lot easier to handle while you’re on the road. Having a bank account that offers features like low fees, easy access to funds, and no foreign transaction charges will make budgeting and withdrawals stress-free no matter where you are.

Cutting Costs While Traveling

Once your savings account is looking good, it’s time to focus on how to stretch your money while you’re traveling. Here are a few ways to keep costs low:

• Accommodation: Skip hotels in favor of hostels, guesthouses, Airbnb, or even house-sitting. There are plenty of affordable options out there if you’re flexible.
• Transportation: Use local public transport or walk whenever possible—riding in taxis or using ride-sharing apps can get expensive quickly.
• Food: Eating out at touristy restaurants can quickly drain your budget, so try street food or shop at local markets and cook for yourself when you can.
• Flights: Use flight comparison tools like Skyscanner or Google Flights to find the best deals. Be flexible with your travel dates to score cheaper fares.

The key is to make conscious decisions about where you spend your money and find ways to save in the areas that don’t matter as much—so you can enjoy the parts that do.

3. Planning Your Itinerary: Finding Balance Between Flexibility and Structure

One of the great things about long-term travel is that you have the freedom to be spontaneous and explore at your own pace. But that doesn’t mean you should have no plan at all. A little structure can go a long way in making sure you’re making the most of your time on the road.

Embrace Flexibility

You don’t need to plan every single day in advance, but having an idea of where you’re headed and for how long can help you avoid aimlessly wandering from place to place. Planning longer stays in a few key locations can help you save money on accommodation and transportation, and give you a chance to really dive into the local culture.

Health and Travel Insurance

Make sure to budget for travel insurance that covers both medical emergencies and trip cancellations. Some countries don’t provide healthcare for foreigners, so it’s important to have the right insurance. You’ll also want to check if you need any vaccinations or health preparations before you leave.

4. Staying Productive While Traveling

It can be tough to stay productive while you’re out exploring new places, but it’s definitely possible. If you’re working remotely, or running your own business, you’ll want to find a balance between getting things done and enjoying the sights.

Create a Schedule

It’s easy to get distracted while traveling, so setting up a routine can help keep you on track. You don’t have to be rigid, but having specific hours each day dedicated to work or personal tasks will help you stay productive. The rest of the day can be spent exploring, meeting new people, or just relaxing.

Co-Working Spaces

If you’re a digital nomad, look for co-working spaces in the cities you visit. Many places around the world offer comfortable spaces with fast Wi-Fi and a community of other remote workers, which can help you stay focused and motivated.

Don’t Forget to Rest

Of course, it’s important to take breaks, too. Long-term travel isn’t just about working and ticking off tourist attractions. It’s about experiencing life in a different way and giving yourself space to relax and recharge.

5. Adapting to New Cultures

One of the most rewarding aspects of long-term travel is the chance to fully immerse yourself in different cultures. You’ll meet new people, try new foods, and see the world from a completely different perspective.

Learn the Language

Even if you don’t become fluent, learning a few key phrases in the local language can help you connect with people and make your experience more enjoyable. There are plenty of language apps available, such as Duolingo or Babbel, that can help you get started.

Respect Local Customs

Each culture has its own way of doing things, so it’s important to be respectful of local customs and traditions. A little research before you go can help you avoid misunderstandings and make it easier to adapt to your new environment.

Conclusion

Long-term travel is an amazing opportunity, but it does require some careful planning and preparation. By setting clear goals, managing your finances, and staying flexible, you’ll be able to enjoy the adventure of a lifetime without stressing out about money or logistics. With the right mindset and a little bit of prep work, your dream of traveling the world can become a reality.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Long-Term Travel: How to Plan, Save, and Explore appeared first on Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog).

In cooperation with Rosetta Stone, use my tips for learning languages online—whether it’s the ability to practice anywhere or watching foreign movies, it’s the easiest (and most fun!) way to learn a language

SPONSORED — I’ve had my fair share of experiences learning various languages. Earlier this spring, I traveled to Spain for an intensive, one-week Spanish course. In Germany, I’ve been continuously learning the language since I moved here. Learning languages is never going to be easy as an adult unless you make it an absolute priority and spend 8 hours per day buried in verbs, nouns and grammar. But who has time for that?!

Rather, the best way to learn a language is to commit to it in whatever way you can. It’s important for it to be a part of your daily life as much as possible. And if you’re not living or traveling in the home country of your target language, the easiest way to learn is to simply make the language a part of your daily life. And what better way for that than making it a part of your online life? Over the past month, Rosetta Stone invited me to learn Spanish from afar. By using their website, and more importantly, their app, I’ve made the Spanish language a part of my regular daily schedule.

Learning a language online requires patience and perseverance. When you’re not physically surrounded by the language, it’s necessary to create the surroundings yourself. Thankfully, we live in the 21st century and it’s never been easier to create your own fictional world online–with real-world implications.

7 Steps to Learning a Language Online

Step 1: Use Rosetta Stone

I’ve used Rosetta Stone’s language software a handful of times. Early on in my German language studies, it was the perfect accompaniment with my language course and recently I’ve been using it to learn Spanish when I’m not in Spain. Rosetta Stone has been the holy grail of language software for decades—you probably remember seeing their bright yellow boxes in bookstores and shopping malls.

Using the website (and their app) is as good (and oftentimes better than) taking a class. The Rosetta Stone website is just another type of classroom. You’ll find a library of resources including books and reading materials, an area to have real-life conversations with other students and even a section for games and puzzles to practice. There’s a phrasebook and live tutoring—all the things you’d expect to find in a classroom, but instead it’s right there on your computer. And it’s all available at a great value with tons of bonuses unavailable if you’re taking a different type of course.

The app is equally useful because you can download lessons for offline use (and opt to turn off the speaking parts if you’d rather stay silent when out in public).

Step 2: Create a schedule

The first step to learning a language online is mastering the art of self-discipline. Create a routine and stick to it. You don’t need more than 20 minutes a day for serious learning. My recommendation is to buy a notebook and write down the new vocabulary and conjugated verbs. Complement this with your online courses and whatever extra resources.

Step 3: Change your Facebook language

A quick and easy way to help stick with your schedule of learning is to change your iPhone settings, or your computer settings to your target language—and perhaps most importantly, to change your Facebook default language. In this way you can learn that “Like” means also Gefallt mir in German or Me gusta in Spanish. And while you may feel weird at the beginning, many of the tasks we do online are so common that we do it automatically, like saving a document file or attaching a photo. But the key here is immersion.

By making the language part of your everyday tasks (yes, that means checking Facebook), you’re immersing yourself into the language—an especially useful thing to do if you can’t actively immerse yourself in the culture. Plus it keeps the language fresh in your brain in a more active manner.

Step 4: Practice everywhere — on the go

The key to language learning online is to practice offline as well. The Rosetta Stone app makes this surprisingly easy with an audio companion that you can download to use when you’re disconnected. I also found it possible to use the Rosetta Stone app with little difficulties on my limited data or on wifi. Each lesson in the app gives you an estimate of how much time it needs, so you can plan accordingly for your daily commute.

Step 5: Watch movies

Learning a language doesn’t have to feel like a chore—so in your extra time, consider watching movies in the language you’re learning. It’s especially helpful to watch movies you’re already familiar with and ones maybe that you’ve memorized the lines from. Turn on the subtitles in your target language and by watching, reading and hearing the movie in the same (new) language all at once, you’ll find it a quick way to pick up extra words, phrases and intonation.

Children movies are also great for language learners because the level of complexity of the language is for kids (yay!). Netflix can be a great tool for learning a language online—there are many international movies and they offer them with dozens of options for subtitles. It’s helpful to force your brain to associate the written word with the pronunciation.

Step 6: Connect with locals through social media

Because we live in an increasingly connected society, it’s easy to find locals from abroad—and all online at your fingertips. Seek out Instagrammers, YouTube vloggers or news media from the language you’re interested in learning. Sometimes it’s by interacting and engaging with digital “pen pals” that you can discover regional idioms, dialects or other language quirks. The Rosetta Stone software even includes the option to schedule live tutoring online. It’s like visiting the country of the language you’re learning without even leaving your own home.

Also, if you play any video games, try to incorporate your new language into your conversations with other players. People love sharing their culture online (everyone is a little bit narcissistic behind social media), so you’ll find people surprisingly patient if you decide to communicate in your new language. Plus you remove that worry of whether you’re pronouncing things correctly; connecting with locals on social media can improve your grammar and vocabulary.

Step 7: Read and listen to stories

As your confidence in the new language progresses, there are fewer and fewer lessons you need to do. But that’s when it’s smart to start reading stories or listening to audiobooks in your new language. The Rosetta Stone app includes a library of hundreds of books, poetry and story excerpts—each with an audio accompaniment so you can hear how the words are pronounced as you read it. These, again, can be downloaded offline and are all timed and connected with the lessons.

• • •

Learning a language doesn’t have to be scary. We spend so much of our time buried in our phones, connected online and hours each day staring at computer screens. With just a little bit of time set aside each day, it’s surprisingly easy to practice and study a new language. Rosetta Stone’s award-winning software has helped me with my German and my Spanish—and even still I find myself using the app more as a game than as a study tool. It helps to refresh my Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation—especially useful to use in the weeks leading up to a trip.

The post The Best Ways to Learn a Language Online appeared first on Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog).

Ljubljana just might be one of Europe’s coolest cities. These six tips will guide you to the best things to see and do in the Slovenia capital.

When I told a few of my Berliner friends that I was visiting Ljubljana, I got a mixed response. Some thought it interesting; others were curious how or why I would’ve decided to travel there. But those friends who had visited Ljubljana before — they knew what was up. And they had nothing but excitement for my trip.

You see, it seems Ljubljana is one of those hidden secrets of Europe. It’s one of those cities most people probably miss out on during a Eurotrip and, in fact, it’s one of those cities where you often here, “What country is that in, again?” Well, Ljubljana is in Slovenia and after spending four nights there, I’ve got nothing but praise for this little capital.

Slovenia is one of the world’s newest countries, only gaining independence in 1991. But Ljubljana’s history goes much further. With its location on the edge of Italy, and nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps – the city has long been conveniently placed for many of Europe’s most notorious conquerers. Napoleon’s armies marched through here and the Romans used Ljubljana’s strategic location as a stronghold, calling the city Emona (this year marked with a 2000 year anniversary)! Ljubljana has history.

But Ljbuljana is so much more than its history. As a relatively new nation, and a new capital, the city (much like Berlin) has had to reinvent itself. Thanks to a development scheme which saw the city’s river, Ljubljanica, come to life with new restaurants, bars and markets — Ljubljana’s downtown has come to life with an atmosphere full of languorous (but not lazy) life. Ljubljana has energy.

Why do I compare Ljubljana to Berlin? Most cities are hard to compare to one another, but we all know Berlin has its own special sense of style and atmosphere — one very unique to Europe (and maybe the world). But my extended weekend in Ljubljana only taught me that there’s quite a bit of cool in other cities as well. And in Ljubljana, there’s a whole lot of it.

The Coolest Things To Do in Ljubljana

Visit Metelkova – Former squat, now nightlife haven

Undoubtedly the coolest part of Ljubljana is the area referred to as Metelkova City. A former military barracks, it is now an autonomous region of Ljubljana. The Yugoslavia army once had its base there, along with a prison, but soon after Slovenia gained its independence, the area was squatted by artists. The area is now home to the city’s best boutique hostel and countless bars & clubs. It’s also where you’ll find some really unique public art and graffiti.

Visit Metelkova by day to check out the street art, or on Friday nights for the best nightlife in town.

• Hostel Celica: One of the most unique “prison” hostels I’ve ever seen. Besides each room having been designed by local and international artists, there are several restaurants and cafes on the ground floor and a museum in the basement. Stop by each afternoon at 3pm for a free tour and history lesson about the hostel and the Metelkova district.
• Tiffany Club: It’s Ljubljana’s most popular gay club but on Fridays it’s also just one of Ljubljana’s most popular clubs – gay or straight. More information and opening hours on the club’s Facebook page and website.

Drink craft beer on the coolest tour in town

I’d never taken a beer tour before being on Iva’s “Craft Beer Tour” through Ljubljana so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve taken brewery tours, but a tour just about beer? Never before. It was a casual walking tour and we visited four different bars to sample beer and some tapas in each. We learned a tiny bit about each of the breweries but what I enjoyed most was the company. This didn’t feel like a tour but more like an afternoon of hanging around with friends. Plus besides discovering at least two beers that I really fell for, three of the four bars were places I definitely was eager to return to–whether for their food, beer or atmosphere! It was the perfect introduction to the city and that special “Ljubljana atmosphere.”

• Ljubljananjam: This small, local tour operator is your go-to resource for any food & drink tours through Ljubljana. Besides the craft beer walk (where you sample local Slovenian beers), there are also specific walks just for desserts and other local Ljubljana foods! More information on the Ljubljananjam website (bonus points if you can figure out how to pronounce that!).

Best way to get around? On a bike!

Ljubljana isn’t a big city and in fact I spent most of my weekend there walking between places. But next time (and there *will* be a next time!) I’ll definitely rent a bike. The city has plenty of bike lanes and the roads seemed relatively safe. Plus like many other cities around the world, Ljubljana has its own official bike share program. The first hour of the bike rental is free and you can register for a week to be able to use the bikes at your leisure for just 1€/week! More information at bicikelj.si.

Eat. Every. Local. Food. You. Find.

As I mentioned earlier, I’d heard good things about Ljubljana before visiting, but something that everyone somehow missed out on telling me was how good the food was. My visit to Ljubljana was timed with the launch of Taste Ljubljana—an initiative by the official tourism organization to promote local culinary food and recipes. So during my long weekend in Ljubljana I had the chance to sample some of the best local cuisine – from cottage cheese pancakes (yumm!) to fried chicken and beef tongue… just about everything I put in my mouth while in Ljubljana left me hungry for more!

There are also countless quality restaurants in Ljubljana. It seems the locals know how to live the good life and are after fresh ingredients and quality food in their meals. My top three meals were at the JB Restaurant, Restaurant As and Gostlina Na Gradu. Look out for more about them later on in this blog.

• Open Kitchen: This weekly food market is the place to be every Friday. Over 50 different chefs participate on a weekly basis and you’ll find both local and international cuisine at the market. I was told to look out for the fried chicken (a Ljubljana food speciality) and it was delicious! The Open Kitchen (Odprta Kuhna) market is in its second year and doesn’t seem like it’ll stop anytime soon. Make sure you visit! More information on their website odprtakuhna.si.
• Culinary Slovenia cooking class: If one of the city’s many food tour options aren’t your thing, try a cooking class instead. While I didn’t take a cooking class myself, you can see more about it on the Savoir There blog. Check times and information about cooking classes on the Culinary Slovenia website.

Spend your time hanging out by the river

Most cities with rivers running through them tend to focus a lot on the riverside. And Ljubljana is no different. Thanks to some political foresight, the area around the Ljubljanica River has been developed over the past decade to become the “it” place to be in Ljubljana. From markets to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants, everyone seems to spend their time along the river.

• Sunday Market: Every Sunday open from 8:00am to 14:00, there’s a flea market where you’ll find random knickknacks, vintage postcards and other quirky memorabilia. In the city center along the river.
• Boat rides: There are more than a few companies offer boat tours down the Ljubljanica river, but you’ll want to go with the prettiest. The Laker Craft wooden boat is the most picturesque boat and costs the same as the other tours. More information and photos on their website.

Visit Ljubljana’s art galleries

I love visiting art galleries in unexpected places. And I’m not sure why, but Ljubljana has more than its fair share of art galleries, photo exhibitions and museums for a city of its size. With a Ljubljana tourist card, some of the museums and galleries offer free admission, but some are free of their own right regardless. Here are my picks for the best museums/galleries:

• Jakopič Gallery: I saw an incredible photo exhibition from Josef Koudelka at this small gallery. Located on an ancient Roman site, the small gallery was impressive with its collection and its space. Find current information about their exhibitions online at mgml.si.
• City Museum (Mestna Galerija): Located in the city center, this small museum & gallery regularly shows contemporary art exhibitions. During my visit, they had an exhibition about Internet art. More at mgml.si.
• Modern Galerija: Part of the Museum of Modern Art, the Modern Gallery has a permanent collection of Slovenian and international contemporary art, with regular exhibitions of the same. More online at mg-lj.si (and note that the museum is free the first Sunday of every month!).
• Artish Market: This monthly art market in the city center features local traders and artisans selling everything from jewelry to custom art. It takes place the last Saturday of every month. Check their website & blog for more information.

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Getting There

Ljubljana is serviced by an international airport with flights to other European cities. However, it’s sometimes more convenient and cheaper to fly into one of the neighboring countries’ airports and take an airport transfer to Ljubljana. From Berlin, I was able to get a cheap enough flight on EasyJet direct to Venice, and then it was just a 2.5-3 hour transfer via GoOpti. GoOpti offer airport transfer routes between destinations in Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia.

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I visited Ljubljana with the travel blog group The Travel Mob and with the support of Visit Ljubljana. More information about the #TasteLjubljana blog trip can be found here. Special thanks also to the guys from Luxury Slovenia for many of the recommendations here.

The post Is Ljubljana the New Berlin? 6 Reasons it Just Might Be appeared first on Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog).