Travel is its own reward; when shared with friends, the rewards of traveling to new places are even greater.
Traveling with friends can elevate your experience to new heights. The experiences you have together in one-of-a-kind places hidden across Europe will make lifelong memories you’ll cherish forever.
Explore these unique places to go with friends to make your next trip to Europe unforgettable.
What Is Neuschwanstein Castle?
Europe’s many castles are a significant draw for visitors to the continent. These iconic structures are culturally rich and aesthetically varied, providing a nearly endless supply of unique travel destinations.
However, one castle, in particular, stands out from the rest: Neuschwanstein Castle. It is one of the most iconic castles not just in Germany but in all of Europe.
What’s the History of Neuschwanstein Castle?
Construction of Neuschwanstein Castle began in 1869 and was completed in 1886.
It was originally built to serve as a palatial getaway for the Bavarian King Ludwig II, hidden away in the forested mountains of the south. Shortly after his death, the castle was opened to the public.
The site has housed multiple castles throughout the centuries. Neuschwanstein represents the full splendor of Bavarian-style castles. Its distinctive spires, vast size, and stonemasonry place it among Europe's most iconic castles.
Where Is Neuschwanstein Castle?
Neuschwanstein Castle is tucked away in the mountainous region in the German state of Bavaria. It’s in southern German, near the borders of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria.
The nearest metro area of notable size is Munich, just over 100km to the north. Innsbruck, Austria, is a similar distance to the south.
Neighboring Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland are all part of the Schengen area, a free travel zone between select European nations that facilitates easier transit.
Learn more about the Schengen Area and how it can affect the ability to travel to Europe here.
What Is The Witches’ Weighhouse?
Oudewater Netherlands is a fairly unassuming Dutch town.
It has all the defining features of a quaint little town in the Netherlands: a cobblestone town square lined with various brick facades, a modest river that runs its center, and stone bridges crisscrossing over the water.
But one building stands apart from the others, not because of its appearance but because
of its controversial history. Oudewater is home to the Witches’ Weighhouse, a place unique to the area and Europe.
What’s The History Of The Witch Weighhouse?
Weigh houses were fairly common across Europe, though they were primarily used to weigh crops and goods. As witches were believed to be light enough to float on water, inquisitors turned to weighhouses to verify their accusations of witchcraft. Naturally, the weigh stations would be sufficiently rigged to get the desired outcome.
Europe went through multiple eras of witchcraft hysteria, wherein innocent women were accused of being witches.
The Oudewater Witches’ Weighhouse was built during one such bout of witchcraft hysteria — it is estimated to have been built in 1482. Oudewater is supposed to have never made any convictions. Charles V is said to have ensured that the weight system was not to be tampered with and remained fair to those accused of witchcraft.
Where Is The Witches’ Weighhouse?
The Witches’ Weigh House is located within the town center in Oudewater.
Oudewater is very close to Utrehct. It’s just a 30-minute drive west from there, with plenty of public transit options available to make the journey as well.
What Is Christiania?
Christinia, a neighborhood in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen, is unlike any other in the city. In fact, Christinia’s residents don’t believe themselves to be Copenhageners at all.
Rather, they believe themselves to be free citizens. Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous community in the heart of Copenhagen and one of Denmark's unique places.
The neighborhood has become one of Copenhagen’s most visited neighborhoods, drawing tourists with its art installations, local vendors, and food carts.
What Is The History Of Christiania?
Christinia had first proclaimed a free community in 1971 when Danish anarchists took up residence in a former military barracks that had since been decommissioned.
The founding principles of this intentional community were based on radical freedom; the community's people set and lived by their own agreed-upon rules, not those of the city government. Over the decades, Christiania would face tumultuous obstacles as its residents learned to adapt to outside pressures from the city and struggles within the community itself.
Christiania has endured to this day as an intentional community legislated primarily on its own. Residents have just recently pooled funds together to buy the property outright, ensuring that Christiania remains free.
Where Is Christiania?
Christinia is very close to the center of the city. It’s a mere twenty-minute walk from Copenhagen Central Station.
Copenhagen is close to neighboring Scandinavian countries Norway and Sweden. Both are in the Schengen Area, but Norway is not in the E.U.
Learn more about the travel accommodations you may need for intra-European travel here.
What Is The Giant’s Causeway?
The Giant’s Causeway is one of Europe’s most iconic geological oddities.
The causeway is made up of what look to be thousands of hexagonal stone pillars stacked at varying heights. These mysterious stones are actually basalt columns, remnants of a far distant past in which the local landscape was far different.
Their strange appearance makes them a curious sight and a must-see for folks looking to tick off out-of-the-ordinary places on their vacation.
What Is The History Of The Giant’s Causeway?
The actual formation of the causeway’s signature geological features goes back millennia. Estimated to be 50 to 60 million years old, the surrounding area of county Antrim in modern-day Northern Ireland was riven with volcanic activity.
As the lava flow cooled over the centuries, the stone remnants left behind contracted so that they took on these odd hexagonal shapes.
The strange appearance of the basalt lent itself to the creation of rich folklore and legend regarding the causeway. Local legend says that Irish mythological hero Finn MacCool challenged a Scottish giant to a fight. The two built the causeway from either end of the channel separating so they could meet in battle — hence, the Giant’s Causeway.
Where Is The Giant’s Causeway?
The Giant’s Causeway is on the northern coast of Northern Ireland, in county Antrim. The causeway is a 60-mile drive north of Belfast's nearest sizable metro area.
Northern Ireland is part of the UK and is not a part of the E.U. nor the Schengen Area. Traveling between participating E.U. and Schengen Area countries may come with additional protocols. To learn how travel between the UK and the free travel zones of the E.U. and the Schengen Area may affect your travel, consult these resources.
What Is The Dalí Theater-Museum?
There aren’t many artists like Salvador Dalí.
Renowned for his surrealist paintings, role in the Dadaist art movement and eccentric behaviors, his impact on modern art cannot be understated. His self-curated museum reflects his strange and frenzied character.
The Dalí Theater-Museum captivates visitors with some of his unique works, from paintings to art installations found across the museum grounds; the building itself is a work of art.
What Is The History of the Dalí Theater-Museum?
The town of Figueres’ old theater was converted into a museum for Dali in the late 1960s, finally opening to the public on September 28th, 1974. It was burnt down in the Spanish Civil War decades earlier Dali, a native son of Figueres, worked with the town to restore the building into a true, one-of-a-kind marvel of modern art.
Dali played a crucial role in the museum's design, aiming to capture the same bizarre effects his art produced in the very structure of the building himself. His strange vision permeates the building, amounting to a museum experience visitors won’t find elsewhere.
The Theater Museum is just one of three Dalí-related sites in the surrounding area. His house, 20 miles from the Theater-Museum, is also open to visitors, as is Pubol Castle, which he bought and restored as a gift for his wife.
Where Is The Dalí Theater-Museum?
The town of Figueres, the location of the Dalí Theater-Museum, is in Catalonia — north-eastern Spain.
The nearest metropolitan area is Barcelona, about 145km south of Figueres. Driving routes from Barcelona to Figueres may follow along the Mediterranean coast, providing scenic vistas that are their reward.
Relational train lines also run from Barcelona to Figueres, potentially taking travelers further north into France.
ETIAS Helps You Travel With Ease
There are plenty of unique places for you and your friends to see across Europe.
To ensure you’re seeing everything there is to see, use ETIAS to make your international travel easier.
Remove the barriers holding you back from all Europe offers by learning about the ETIAS requirements before your departure.
Sources:
Welcome to Neuwaschstein Castle | Schloss Neuschwanstein