Maartje

Maartje's enthusiasm and curiosity knows no bounds. She loves museums, nature, food, walking, architecture, history, animals. Writing and photography is a big passion and she has been writing about cooking, minimalism, food, hotspots and travel for many years. Above all, she has a special place in her heart for castles, royal jewels and ancient Egypt. Maartje gave up her job as a lawyer to bring more balance to her life: less work and more life. Besides to The Orange Backpack, she works as a legal entrepreneur.

Recent Posts

Vianden might just be the most picturesque town in all of Luxembourg. Tucked away in the north near the German border, it blends fairytale-like medieval charm with breathtaking natural scenery. The town’s iconic castle rises high above the rooftops, offering a dramatic backdrop but Vianden is far

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Gniezno might not be the first place you think of when planning a trip to Poland, but that’s exactly what makes it so special. This is where Poland’s story began—quite literally. As the country’s first capital, Gniezno is where the roots of the Polish state lie. It’s

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Standing on top of a towering sand dune, with nothing but silence around you and golden hills of sand stretching in every direction—that’s the kind of moment you don’t forget. It’s the kind of experience that ends up on bucket lists for a reason and Morocco is

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Cantabria is one of those places that leaves you wondering, “How did I not know about this sooner?” Nestled between the sea and the mountains in northern Spain, this relatively unknown region is bursting with diversity. One moment you’re winding your way through a rugged gorge, the

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Puglia is one of those regions that’s best discovered by car, a good dose of curiosity, and, most importantly, a thoughtfully planned route. On our road trip through Puglia, we traveled from whitewashed hilltop villages to rugged sea cliffs, slept beneath the cone-shaped roofs of trulli, tasted

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Sicily is filled with historical treasures, but nowhere does the ancient world feel as alive as it does in Agrigento. Here, you can wander among temples that have stood proudly for 2,500 years, explore ruins where one of the most powerful cities of the Greek world once

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The iconic city of Matera is known as one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on the planet. For thousands of years, people have lived here, slowly shaping a fascinating maze of narrow alleyways, ancient cave homes, and churches carved straight into the rock. Its rugged and

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