Julika, Author at sateless suitcase

The Art Historian’s Guide to Vienna on a Budget

My blog has a very strong niche and I've never been vague what it is about: Cultural travel. As you know, this means museums, churches, and all the geeky stuff mixed with the personal musings of an art historian who spends most of her time with her head stuck in the middle ages. If you ever read anything about white water rafting or bungee jumping on this blog it would mean that either a) the blog was hacked or b) my body was taken over by aliens. Seriously -- I'm the cultural travel girl, and I always will be. And I [...]

By Julika|2015-11-09T10:50:55+01:002014/12/04|Categories: Art History, The Art Historian’s Guide to…|Tags: Austria, Europe, The Art Historian's Guide to..., Vienna|13 Comments

How to Plan a Girls Getaway in Europe

I've traveled with lots of different people in lots of different situations: From exchange student weekend trips to the Algarve with way too many drinking games to a family vacation with my grown-up sisters in Croatia; from a 12-person-pilgramge to attend a wedding in Romania to spontaneous city getaways from Bruges to Budapest with the boyfriend. I traveled with people I've known all my life and with people I've barely known at all. I've traveled with clingy couples and people who need hours to get ready in morning, but also with people who don't mind spending the hottest summer days in museums [...]

By Julika|2021-12-22T17:09:06+01:002014/11/18|Categories: Specials|Tags: Europe, Madrid, Spain|17 Comments

Photo Essay: Impressions from Bratislava

On one Sunday evening during the chaotic months of early summer, I just booked a cheap flight to Vienna. I wasn't even sure I was actually going, but I needed something to look forward to during the stressful weeks that lay ahead of me then. Up until a week before my flight I wasn't really sure that I'd actually be on that plane. Work had been crazy, money had been tight. But then one morning while brushing my teeth I remembered something I once learned in a random quiz: Which are the two closest capitals in Europe? Vienna and Bratislava. [...]

By Julika|2015-05-28T16:21:33+02:002014/11/08|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Bratislava, Europe, Photo Essay, Slovakia|12 Comments

Gloomy Tales from Boyne Valley

Even before I opened my eyes, I knew it was going to be a gloomy day. The morning light falling through the old, porous curtains was barely recognizable. It was October in Ireland and it had been sunny the days before, but it seemed like the clouds were taking over after all. As I walked through Dublin on this grey morning, carefully trying not to step in any puddles, I could not shake off the feeling that it was a sign that the sun did not show that day. I had slept little the days before and when I boarded [...]

By Julika|2014-10-30T22:26:46+01:002014/10/30|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Ireland|Tags: Europe, Ireland|8 Comments

September in Germany via Instagram

Of course, I want to travel. A lot. But I want to travel a whole lot more than I actually can: I like my job as a medievalist, but honestly, it's quite time-consuming and it's definitely not a job that is making me rich. Thus, I'm constantly torn between feeling guilty for not reading and researching enough -- and the desire to run off to a foreign country every other second. This September, for the first time as a 'real' employed grown-up, I made use of my vacation days. I know many people would be jealous of my 28 paid vacation days [...]

By Julika|2014-10-21T21:57:57+02:002014/10/21|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: Berlin, Europe, Germany, Göttingen|10 Comments

The Art Historian’s Guide to Berlin in a Day

Okay, I know the title of this article sounds insane. And believe me, it was quite the insane project. Berlin is huge -- even more spread out than New York City! And it's a common mistake for people visiting (or moving to) Berlin to think it'll only take 20 minutes to get somewhere. The truth is, it usually takes rather 40 minutes. Or even more. This city is huge! Remember how I tried to find hipster Berlin last summer and totally failed, because I underestimated how diverse and big Berlin is? Back then, I had given myself less than forty hours [...]

By Julika|2015-02-21T14:26:58+01:002014/10/10|Categories: Art History, The Art Historian’s Guide to…|Tags: Berlin, Europe, Germany, The Art Historian's Guide to...|12 Comments

Photo Essay: Impressions from Vienna

Somehow, I'm having a hard time finding words to describe my time in Vienna. Yes, it was pretty. Yes, the architecture was amazing. Yes, the Stephansdom cathedral and the Kunsthistorisches Museum brought me to tears. But other than that -- Vienna and I didn't really click. First glimpse of Vienna There are cities you love at first sight: Lisbon was such a city for me. And Hamburg. And Dublin, Berlin, London, Prague and Budapest are cities that I'd travel or even move to in a heartbeat. It took me a while to understand what makes me love a city: A mixture [...]

By Julika|2014-10-02T09:15:32+02:002014/10/02|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Austria, Photo Essay, Vienna|18 Comments

Why Hamburg has to be on your Germany Itinerary

On the list of the world's most visited countries, Germany can (almost) always be found among the top ten: Tourists come for half-timbered houses, ancient history and Currywurst from all over the world. People want to see the medieval loveliness of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (which is on the Lonely Planet Germany cover) and Neuschwanstein Castle (aka the castle that inspired Disney's Cinderella castle). And they come to see the two big cities: Berlin and Munich. But that's not all there is in Germany -- especially not when it comes to cities. Don't get me wrong, I love the street art [...]

By Julika|2022-01-05T15:15:36+01:002014/09/22|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: Europe, Germany, Hamburg|10 Comments

Vienna and Bratislava via Instagram

I've written quite a bit about how it felt to travel to Bratislava and Vienna by myself, but now it is finally the time to share some photos! Taking photos in the capitals of Austria and Slovakia really wasn't too though: They are both strikingly beautiful cities with clean streets and adorable cafés. I'm probably not doing either of them any justice by describing them together, but considering that they're the closest capitals in all of Europe, they sure have a lot in common: Pretty architecture, art deco coffee houses, picturesque squares. Granted, I've spent a few days in Vienna, and I've [...]

By Julika|2014-09-19T14:27:56+02:002014/09/19|Categories: Austria, Destinations, Europe, Slovakia|Tags: Austria, Bratislava, Europe, Slovakia, Vienna|8 Comments

Two Years Later: The Journey Continues

I've come up with a lot of stupid ideas in my life. Like that time I thought driving a motorcycle at a car show with fake nails was a good idea. (It was my last time on a motorcycle and the one and only time I ever had fake fingernails.) Or like that time I wanted to become a chemist. Or that time I wanted to become a sniper. Or that time my biggest life goal was to become the second Celine Dion. Or that time I started to write a novel about a girl who owned a horse. And [...]

By Julika|2015-08-17T15:26:12+02:002014/09/10|Categories: Specials|Tags: Europe, thoughts|18 Comments

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