Paul Smith

Innsbruck is worth visiting in its own right, but there are buses leaving for nearby skiing in the Alps constantly, and it’s great! I’m no skier, but being on top of those mountains was totally worth the pulled groin on the way down …

A magnificent seaside fortress, Dubrovnik is gorgeous and ancient. The town itself is small, but the orange terra cotta tiled rooftops and the streets of marble (really!) are quite a site. The Adriatic is clear and there are many interesting islands good for day trips.

Skip the hotel and hostel listings in your guidebook and look for a private room with a local family: Croatians are extraordinarily friendly and welcoming; I found great accomodations with a nice family in a home overlooking the city up in the surrounding foothills.

There’s nothing particularly interesting about Zagreb (save the city’s lovely garden sanctuary, which is nice for a stroll), so only stop there if heading on to more compelling Croatian destinations, like Dubrovnik.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Ohrid is one of the oldest settlements in Europe, and a lovely little old town that juts into the beautiful Lake Ohrid. Snow-capped mountains ring the lake, which is strikingly clear and deep. You can see the coast Albania many miles across the lake.

I highly recommending climbing up to the fortress in the old town for a stunning 360-degree view.