I am well aware that traveling by watching videos is a strange concept and not one that gets you close to hot and crispy French croissants but at this point, when it seems like maybe (fingers crossed) we can travel again soon-ish, I’d like you all to consider this list as future planning.
Heading into the unknown, as we all have been for the last three months, I really needed a focus point that I can turn into reality, even if I don’t know when that might be. Writing this, and “visiting” these places, has been an inspiration that for a moment made me forget that I’ve hardly seen beyond the 3 blocks around my apartment building since the snow melted. So here we go, lets see something new and plan an adventure together!
Visit Denmark, maybe even all of Denmark
Danish and Norwegian have a word for a way of life: hygge – it’s a word for a feeling of fun, comfort, and content – and this virtual Visit Denmark experience is all about finding hygge. Here you can go on a virtual walk through the forests, cycle bike paths, explore Copenhagen, learn to cook Danish food, and watch spring come to life on the fields in real time! Doing research for this blurb made my heart flutter with excitement like a cartoon character – perhaps this is the next destination…
Tour the Helsinki city centre
It may not be a city you’d typically think of visiting but it’s a great one to visit. The city of Helsinki and local business operators came together to create a rich virtual experience called Virtual Helsinki: Begin your tour at the empire-style Senate Square and the White Church, continue to the home of architect Alvar Aalto, the father of Nordic design, and end with a view on the city skyline and the nature of Lonna Island. The experiences include all four seasons, you can visit museums, and go shopping in a virtual souvenir shop where you can actually buy things.
Virtual visit link here and more information on different virtual activities here. I’ve also been to Helsinki myself a few years back, here’s more on that ☺️.
Virtual tours of Bristol, England
A city surrounded by hills of the South West EnglandBristol from Home is where you can explore the street art, visit galleries and historic museums, listen to music and explore attractions online with virtual tours, podcasts, and playlists. For example: you can walk the Brunel’s iconic Victorian luxury ship SS Great Britain, see the stained-glass windows of the Bristol Cathedral, take a virtual balloon ride with Bailey Balloons, go on a Banksy tour through the Banksy Bristol Trail app, or even hotel-hop from home!
Link to the full list of virtual activities here.
Amsterdam, various experiences
Amsterdam, one of the coolest cities in Europe in my humble opinion, has created a series of virtual experiences you can click through on their homepage. Now you can finally visit some of that hard-to-get-into museums, see the surrounding area at 360 degrees, enjoy the tulip fields, see castles and windmills, go on a virtual canal tour or visit the North Sea beaches.
For further Dutch exploration here are some images from my visit to Zaanse Schans and the North Sea.
See a short film about Scotland
Created by the national tourism organization the film is built around the idea that absence is meant to rekindle memories of previous visits and inspire your next one while spending time in social isolation. The film is only a minute-and-a-half long so everyone can find the time to “go” 😄.
Film link is here and the Scotland tourism site here
Go on a virtual vacation in Florida
Multiple locations and travel detonations across Florida have created Digital experiences you can go on from your couch. For example, you can explore the 825 miles of beaches, visit hotels, get a bird’s eye view on Caladesi island, swim in the Boca Raton Reef, or fall asleep to the white noise of a beach-front fire.
