Whats your favorite country? Its more complex than you might think...

We recently got back from travelling Europe, managing to visit over 30 countries. One of the first questions that friends and family ask is "what was your favorite country?". It seems simple enough but after some thinking I couldn't really come up with a definitive answer - all countries have different things to offer and are unique in their own way!

Natural Beauty

One aspect of a country is its natural beauty (or lack of..). In my opinion the most beautiful country we visited (by a massive margin!), was Norway.

Norway really has everything to offer nature lovers - waterfalls, mountains, rivers, lakes, glaciers and fjords. This makes Norway and amazing choice especially for road trips, as freedom camping is common and there are many, many great scenic routes to take and explore, along with endless hikes.

Combine this with the cute villages scattered throughout Norway and it makes it a competitor for one of my favorite countries in Europe!

However, there are many other aspects that contribute to how much we enjoyed a country - one of them was (of course) food!

Food culture

A big part of travelling is exploring and experimenting with different foods and different food cultures. Italy is hard to beat in terms of food culture - pasta, pizza, espresso and gelato are just a few things to try out in Italy.

Not only is there foods to try all over Italy, but for a more rich experience it is possible to visit specific regions which have a foo specialty.

I also enjoyed learning about the coffee culture, and having an espresso every morning standing at the bar to feel like a true Italian (or at least to look less like a tourist...).

Along with Italy, France has a strong and amazing food culture, filled with pastries and croissants - a daily visit to the local bakery is essential. What is great about France is that pretty much no matter where you go you know you will get a great pastry!

Culture

A HUGE part of travel is being immersed in new cultures and experiencing things a different way than what you are used to in your home environment. As we lived in Spain we were able to become immersed in the culture, learning more about the people and their ways of life.

Spanish people love to party! We were lucky enough to go to Santa Cruz de Tenerife for carnival, and it was one of the most epic parties I have ever been to! Day parades with the most impressive costumes, and night parties that go into the wee hours of the morning.

Spain also has a rich food culture, which is centred around food being part of a social situation - sharing food with friends and family, and often sitting down to a meal. It is common in Spain to go out for a drink in the evening and some "tapas" - s small portion of food to share.

History

If you are interested in history the this can be a huge driver of where you travel, and what you choose to explore. I really enjoyed exploring Germany, and some of the former Soviet states (such as Latvia and Lithuania) for this reason.

Visiting Berlin gave me a much richer understanding of the war than any textbook ever would, and helped explain how Germany has evolved as a nation.

The next time you are trying to decide on your "favorite" country, remember that it is alot more complex than you might think. Different countries appeal for different reasons!

All photos taken by me :)

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