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Souvenirs Bought During My European Tour

A Quick Recap of My European Tour

The four-month-long European tour that started at the end of September has come to an end.

I created a route map to show the journey I took. In summary, I started by participating in Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany at the end of September → traveled overland to Hungary in Eastern Europe → explored the Balkan Peninsula, which is outside the Schengen area → then made my way through Italy, Switzerland, France, and Spain, finally ending in Portugal.

European Travel Route

I had heard that racism against Asians was severe in Europe, but I didn’t experience any at all. Also, I didn’t lose any luggage, so the trip was smooth and stress-free throughout (maybe I was pretty lucky?).

From a digital nomad perspective, Kosovo was amazing. As the newest country in Europe, Kosovo has a much lower cost of living compared to other European countries. The cafes and coworking spaces were well-equipped for remote workers.

I worked at the following cafes and noticed that there were many young people who seemed to be digital nomads! (I had a feeling that most of them weren’t from Kosovo.)
I personally love Cold Brew, and it was delicious there—definitely worth trying!

For eSIMs, I compared prices between the following three and used the cheapest one. Most of the time, I ended up using MobiMatter

  • BNE eSIM
  • MobiMatter
  • Global YO

Souvenirs

Here are some souvenirs I bought in Europe! Hopefully, this will be helpful for anyone wondering what to bring back as gifts.

🇦🇹 Austria – Hallstatt Salt

Hallstatt’s name originally comes from the Celtic word meaning “salt town,” so it’s the perfect souvenir when visiting the area!

🇸🇰 Slovakia – Tatratea

Although called "tea," this is actually a high-proof alcoholic drink! It’s a Slovakian liqueur made with a base of traditional herbal tea from the Tatra Mountains. Originally, it was an alcoholic herbal tea that mountaineers drank to keep warm. A great souvenir for anyone who loves strong spirits!

🇭🇺 Hungary – Embroidery & Paprika Powder

Hungarian embroidery is adorable and immediately comes to mind when thinking about souvenirs from Hungary. I also discovered paprika powder while I was there—it’s a spice made from dried chili peppers and comes in a variety of flavors, from sweet to spicy. It’s commonly used in traditional dishes like goulash and paprika chicken!

🇦🇱 Albania – Embroidery & Albanian Brandy

Culturally, the Balkan countries are quite similar, and I found that many souvenirs were nearly identical across different nations. When I visited Krujë, near Tirana, I fell in love with some embroidery at a local souvenir shop and bought it on the spot. I also picked up a bottle of brandy that caught my eye in the city.

The most famous brandy in Albania is "Skënderbeu", made from locally grown grapes and aged in oak barrels. It has a rich aroma and smooth taste!

🇲🇪 Montenegro – Plazma Cookies

I kept seeing Plazma cookies in supermarkets all over the Balkans. Since the plain ones seemed like they would crumble easily while traveling, I went with the chocolate-coated version!

🇭🇷 Croatia – Zagreb Heart Decorations

Most people visiting Croatia tend to go to coastal cities like Dubrovnik, but my route led me to Zagreb.

I got a Licitar heart decoration—originally a traditional handmade gingerbread-like confection, now commonly sold as decorative souvenirs. It’s even recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage!

🇸🇮 Slovenia – Pumpkin Seed Oil & Salt

Pumpkin seed oil might sound unfamiliar, but it has a deep green color and a nutty flavor. It’s known for its health benefits and is commonly used in salads, soups, and desserts.

I also got sea salt produced using traditional methods at the Piran Salt Pans along the Adriatic coast—another popular souvenir!

🇮🇹 Italy – Lemon-Flavored Olive Oil (Spray) & Lemon Soap

Italy offers tons of great souvenirs, but I went with lemon-based products this time!
The combination of olive oil and lemon seemed interesting—I imagined it would be great for salads. The lemon soap had an amazing fragrance, so I grabbed that too.

🇨🇭 Switzerland – Toblerone Chocolate

When it comes to Swiss souvenirs, Toblerone was the only thing that came to mind. It came in three different flavors, so I bought them all.
The chocolate comes in a distinctive triangular shape—just break off a piece and enjoy!

🇫🇷 France – Lyon Sugar Confections

Lyon is famous for Pralines Rouges—almonds coated in caramelized red sugar. They’re often used in brioches and tarts and are considered a specialty of Lyon!

🇪🇸 Spain – Traditional Turrón Sweets

Turrón is a traditional almond-based confection, especially popular around Christmas. Made with honey and egg whites, it comes in two types:

  • Alicante (hard)
  • Jijona (soft)

I bought mine at a market in Barcelona—four pieces for a total of 10 euros. They were easy to carry, making them a great souvenir, though they might get slightly crushed if packed with too much luggage.

🇵🇹 Portugal – Cardholder

On weekends, Porto’s riverside along the Douro River turns into a bustling market. I found this cardholder there for just 1 euro and bought it instantly!
It features traditional Portuguese patterns and looks very stylish.

Keychains from Every Country

I wanted to keep memories from each country, so I collected keychains throughout my trip. (Keychains are great since you don’t have to overthink them!)
They did end up getting a bit heavy, but I’m really glad I did it!

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  • Author

kaz

Full-stack Engineer specializing in Backend/Frontend/Cloud Infrastructure | Digital Nomad since June 2023, traveling the world | Sharing programming tips and insights | Posting travel updates on X

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