2020 was an atypical year – to say the least… But it also proved that it’s possible to be tourists in our own countries, regions, or even cities. In reality, I have to admit that some of my best travel experiences of 2020 happened precisely in Portugal, my country!

With so many restrictions and security measures that have become part of our daily lives, traveling has become a more complicated task, but not impossible. Compared to last year, I may have not explored that many countries, but I managed to visit many more monuments, for example!

So, do you want to know more about My Best Travel Experiences Of 2020? Keep reading!

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Best Travel Experiences of 2020: The Countries

Unlike last year – when I had the opportunity to visit six countries – in 2020, I only managed to visit three: France, Spain, and Portugal. Besides, I traveled through these countries for a very simple reason: in the first half of the year, I was living in France, and in the second half, I returned to Portugal.

None of them was a first for me, but the time I took to explore each of them – especially France and Portugal – turned out to be one of my best travel experiences of 2020! Therefore, these were the 3 countries that I visited in 2020:

• France – from February to May and in September
• Portugal – in January and from May to December
• Spain – in January

Best Travel Experiences of 2020: The Cities, Towns, and Villages

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe in March, I decided to go to Braga (my homeland) as soon as the land borders reopened. However, I ended up returning to Paris in September to enjoy a few days of vacation abroad. And the result? Streets, museums, and monuments with no tourists!

As I said before, even though I stopped traveling for several consecutive months, I made the most of the time I had between January and March and then when the borders reopened around summer, to create some of my best travel experiences of 2020! Here are the 13 cities, towns, and villages that I visited in 2020:

• Amares (Portugal) – in August
• Braga (Portugal) – in January and from May to December
• Esposende (Portugal) – in December
• Fontainebleau (France) – in February
• Meaux (France) – in March
• Mirandela (Portugal) – in August
• Paris (France) – from February to May and in September
• Provins (France) – in February
• Sever do Vouga (Portugal)- in January
• Sintra (Portugal) – in September
• Sistelo (Portugal) – in July
• Torres Vedras (Portugal) – in August
• Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal) – in January

Best Travel Experiences of 2020: The Museums

Everyone knows that museums, cultural spaces, and other types of monuments were closed for most of 2020. And even when they reopened, they did so with dozens of health safety rules regarding visitor capacity, access to exhibition spaces, and circulation in them.

Well, once again, my year of travel was saved by the period before the pandemic started in Europe! In fact, during the time I was in lockdown, I realized that my trips in February and March had become my best travel experiences of 2020! These were the 6 museums that I visited in 2020:

• Bossuet Museum (Meaux, France) – in March
• Great War Museum (Meaux, France) – in March
• Louvre Museum (Paris, France) – in September
• Meaux House of Brie (France) – in March
• Napoleon I Museum (Fontainebleau, France) – in February
• Provins and Provinois Museum (Provins, France) – in February

Best Travel Experiences of 2020: The Palaces

The “enchanted palaces” of Sintra – managed by Parques de Sintra – are to Portugal what the châteaux of the Loire Valley are to France: a paradise of great historical and architectural value, which looks like something out of a fairy tale!

I love all kinds of castles, palaces, and manor houses, so returning to Sintra and falling in love with these imposing and sumptuous buildings was one of my best travel experiences of 2020! These were the 7 palaces that I visited in 2020:

• Episcopal Palace of Meaux (France) – in March
• National Palace of Pena (Sintra, Portugal) – in September
• National Palace of Sintra (Portugal) – in September
• Palace of Fontainebleau (France) – in February
• Palace of Monserrate (Sintra, Portugal) – in September
• Palace of Regaleira (Sintra, Portugal) – in September
• Palais-Royal (Paris, France) – in February and September

Best Travel Experiences of 2020: The Religious Temples

Since I’m a great architecture and history lover, I need to include visits to religious temples in my travel itineraries. After all, churches, synagogues, mosques, and monasteries (among others) are almost always linked to the history of the city, region, and/or country where they are located!

While gathering the places I visited in 2020 to write this article, I took a look at my article on my best travel experiences of 2019 and noticed that I didn’t fulfill a goal I had set for myself: visiting religious temples of other religions! These were the 9 religious temples that I visited in 2020:

• Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre (Paris, France) – in February and September
• Church of the Holy Cross (Provins, France) – in February
• Church of Saint Ayoul (Provins, France) – in February
• Royal Chapel of the Trinity (Fontainebleau, France) – in February
• Royal St. Saturnin’s Upper Chapel (Fontainebleau, France)
• Saint-Quiriace Collegiate Church (Provins, France) – in February
• Saint Stephen’s Cathedral (Meaux, France) – in March
• Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte (Braga, Portugal) – in October and November
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro (Braga, Portugal) – in November

Best Travel Experiences of 2020: The UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Last but not least, what was one of my best travel experiences of 2020 and will likely continue to be one of my best travel experiences for years to come: collecting visits to new UNESCO World Heritage Sites! Do you like visiting them too?

These were the 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that I visited in 2020:

• Cultural Landscape of Sintra (Portugal) – in September
• Paris, Banks of the Seine (France) – in September
• Palace and Park of Fontainebleau (France) – in February
• Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs (France) – in February
• Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (Portugal) – in October and November

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