Welcome to The Adventure Lion!
Are you a Gen-Xer (or beyond) who wants to finally live your dream of European travel? Are you in that in-between space where the nest is empty, but you’re still young enough to climb those castle stairs? Looking for inspiration to find hidden gems and visit cultural attractions, important historical sites, museums, castles, cathedrals, and gardens? You’re in the right place!
🐾 And you’ll get bonus content if you’re also the lucky owner of a dog-child who can’t be left behind!
What You’ll Find at The Adventure Lion
💎 Off-the-beaten-path city guides and hidden gems that will fire you up to pack your bags!
🏛 A big buffet of museums, castles, cathedrals, Roman ruins, beautiful villas and gardens, and nerding out on historical places and people.
🇪🇺A focus on Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. We’ve been all across Europe in the last few years, but you have to start somewhere!
🗝 Insider tips to avoid pitfalls, and make the most of your travel
🐕 Plus lots of dog-friendly travel content with tips and tricks, and dog-friendly hotel and airline reviews – because sometimes you think you’re an empty nester, and then realize you have a four-legged toddler!
Who’s Your Guide?
I’m Jeanne, an award-winning blogger and NY Times best-selling author, bringing decades of storytelling experience to uncovering Europe’s cultural and historical treasures. I moved across the world from New Jersey to Alaska in my 20s, and am now finally experiencing my bucket list dream of living in Europe!
You won’t see me twirling my skirt on a private balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, or telling you how to save money by sleeping in a tent. I’m just an enthusiastic art/history nerd who’s on fire to see the world and its wonders – with a good roof over my head, my dog, my guy, and a glass of wine.
Since moving to Europe three and a half years ago, I’ve explored dozens of historic towns, museums, and hidden cultural gems across the continent. Every recommendation you’ll read comes from my own visits, photography, and research, not hearsay.
The little village where I live in southern Germany may be small, but it’s right in the heart of Europe. My husband David and I, and our trusty neurotic sidekick Helga the frenchie, make the most out of it – exploring the art, history, culture and food of this amazing continent.
The thing I wish for most is that my words and photos inspire you to dust off the suitcase, visit some of these unique and amazing places, and do the thing you’ve always wanted to do. The future is never guaranteed, so take your “some day” and turn it into right now!
Where to Next?
If you want the scoop about our recent travels, next destinations, cool things we find, insider tips and recommendations, definitely subscribe to The Scenic Detour. It’s a newsletter that reads like a postcard, and you’ll get one or two a month!
You can also follow along with The Adventure Lion on:
If you’d like to work together, or have a question, feel free to reach out and contact me at: contact[at]theadventurelion[dot]com!
Why “The Adventure Lion?”
On a trip to Budapest, I started noticing the lions. Not just one or two, but dozens, carved in stone, guarding bridges, perched on buildings, watching quietly from corners of the city. I began photographing them. Then I noticed them again in Prague, in Heidelberg, in the Tyrol. Once I started looking, they were everywhere.
Lions appear across European art and architecture, but no two are the same. Each one reflects the hand that shaped it, the era that imagined it, and the place it calls home. Some are fierce, some serene, some playful, some worn smooth by centuries of weather and time.
For me, the lions became a thread connecting these places. A reminder that while cultures differ, they speak to one another across borders and centuries. The Adventure Lion is about that connection, discovering beauty in unexpected details, seeing familiar symbols in new ways, and understanding Europe not as a collection of countries, but as an intertwined, living story waiting to be explored.
Heads up! This site may contain ‘affiliate links’, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through those links. This doesn’t cost you anything, and you can rest assured I’m not linking anything I don’t fully endorse! So if you do use the links here, thank you so much for helping me provide you with useful and entertaining content!