Belgium is a small country, but is has a lot to offer. Like many other countries, I did not know very much about it before I went there. Belgium hasn´t been on my travel list, but my husbandˋs friend from San Diego was in Brussels for a conference and we decided to meet him there for the weekend.

Normally I prefer going by train, but the connections from Hamburg to Brussels were inconvinient and expensive, so we took a flight and stayed at a hotel in Brussels the capital city.

Brussels is not big, so you can see a lot simply by walking around. The Grand Place is in the center of the city, so you will likely run into it at some point. When we found the Grand Place a festival was going on. It was a middle age festival and fun to watch. The square is surrounded by old baroque buildings and for the festival they have been lit up.

 

Besides amazing architecture you find great food in Belgium. The country is known for its chocolate, waffles and Belgian fries. Of course I tried all of it 🙂

The chocolate and the waffles are really great and you find stores like on the picture in every street. For a chocolate addict, like me it’s just awesome! 😀 I was not impressed by the Belgian Fries though, but maybe I just went to the wrong place. We got the fries at a touristy location, I guess the local restaurants would be better.

Just like in Copenhagen you can find, right next to amazing architecture, lots of beautiful parks in Brussels. All the parks are a little outside of the center, like the Parc du Cinquantenaire that you can see on this photo.

With it’s narrow streets, people sitting outside in bars and its baroque buildings, Brussels reminded me a little bit of Spain.

In Brussels you can see a lot in three days. We decided to spend one day in another place and we took a train to Bruges/Brugge. It is really easy to get there from Brussels and it takes about 1 h. On the way back we stoped in Gent, which is half way between Brugge and Brussels.

While Brussels reminded me of a Spanish city, Brugge reminded me of Amsterdam with the water canals, bridges and cute little houses. Besides that you can also see traditional windmills there.

If you have enough time it’s definitely worth doing a day trip to Brugge. Unfortunately I just spent a few hours in Gent on the way back, so I can’t really give you any recommendations. It is also easy to get to by train and takes 30 min from Brussels.

Have you been to Belgium yet? If so, I’d like to hear what you like about the country. I’m happy to read your comments!

At the beginning of June I visited Copenhagen for a few days. Since I live in Hamburg, the  Scandinavian countries are easy to get to. In this post I want to share with you what I liked the most about my visit.

 

1. A Train on a Ferry ?!

I took a train from Hamburg to Copenhagen and the ride takes about five and a half hours. I like going by train because it is relaxing and you can watch the landscape fly by. But the trip to Copenhagen is kind of special.

The Fehmarn Belt is a strait in the Baltic Sea between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland. To cross the strait the train goes on a ferry! It is a pretty amazing experience and well worth it 🙂

 

2. Great Architecture

Are you also interested in architecture? If so, then you should definitely visit Copenhagen. You will find great historic architecture there as well as contemporary architecture.

The area around the Bella Center, which is in the south-east, is pretty new and still being developed. Therefor it’s a great place to find contemporary architecture, like the AC Hotel. Another area to find contemporary architecture is around the port, where you can also go for a nice walk along the river.

And if you go a little north you will find amazing old buildings, like Rosenborg Castle. What’s really nice is that there is a pretty park next to the castle.

 

3. Frederiksberg Park

Next to Copenhagen there is another city called Frederiksberg. It seems like it’s part of Copenhagen, but actually it is its own town. I had an Airbnb in a nice and quiet area there. The best thing about Frederiksberg is the park. It’s pretty big, with lots of water and another castle 🙂

The park is a perfect place to relax and for taking photos. When I was there I wanted to take the opportunity to do a photoshoot. On Facebook I found an Indian couple, Shashi and Sumit, that live in Copenhagen. We met at the park to take portraits. We had a really good time together. Feel free to check out the results.

 

4. The Language

I’ve always been interested in languages and listening to foreign languages makes me very happy. It makes me feel like I’m on holiday 🙂 Of course there are languages that sound nicer or prettier than others. A language I really like is Spanish, I think it sounds beautiful and melodic. In Copenhagen people speak Danish and the best way to describe the language is: cute. Imagine all these pretty blond people walking around and speaking a really cute language – I love it!

 

5. Designmuseum Danmark

The Scandinavians are known for having great design and making designer furniture. To see more of that you might want to visit the Designmuseum Danmark. It showcases the design of furniture, fashion, kitchen accessories and much more from many eras.

 

I really enjoyed my days in Copenhagen. Although it is a little expensive compared to Germany I definitely recommend visiting. I just spent four days there but the city is not too big. A couple of days is enough to see lots of things and explore different areas.

If you want to see more photos check out my photography website. You can find my portfolio of portraits there.

Have you already been to Copenhagen? If so I’d like to hear about it. If you liked Copenhagen, you might also be interested in visiting Amsterdam.

Next month I will spent a few days in Brussels. I’m exited to explore and of course I will share my experiences with you again 😉

Last weekend I visited Amsterdam with some friends and I really liked the flair of the city. It’s a relaxing atmosphere and a young, multicultural society. About half of the population is under 35! In this blogpost I want to share with you what I enjoyed the most while I was there.

 

1. Getting lost

If you go to Amsterdam you don’t need a travel guide. Just get off at the main station (Amsterdam Centraal), wander into the streets and get lost along the canals.

The whole city center looks exactly like on a postcard with all these nice old houses, water canals, boats, bicycles and boat houses. Walk around and take a break in one of the nice restaurants or cafés.

 

2. Take a boat

Instead of going on a sightseeing bus, take a hop-on-hop-off sightseeing boat! It’s the best kind of transportation to explore and to see more of the city, especially when you get tired of walking 😉 Most of them start next to the main station and you can get a ticket that is valid for 48 hours for 27€.

If you don’t want to spent any money any all you can take ferries for free. They start at the big river behind the main station and take you across the river to the northern part of Amsterdam.

 

3. Visit NDSM and see artists at work

The NDSM building used to be a shipyard, but today it is a place for artists. You can get there with one of the free ferries.

Inside this huge building there are many shipping containers that have been turned into offices. The rent is quite cheap, so it’s good for people who want to try new ideas or start a business. It’s also kind of like a gallery where you can see artists at work – definitely worth visiting.

 

 

4. Enjoy a great view from the Sky Lounge

I really love rooftop bars. No matter what place I visit I need to find at least one rooftop bar where I can enjoy the sunset and a nice drink. If you also love to have a great view you need to go on the Sky Lounge in Amsterdam. Although there aren’t any skyscrapers it still has an amazing view.

 

5. Go to a coffeshop

Have you ever noticed that some places have a certain smell? Well, if not then go to Amsterdam. The whole city smells like pot and that’s not a exaggeration. There is literally a coffeeshop at every corner where you can buy and smoke a joint legally.

I don’t like smoking but it’s worth having a look at a coffeeshop anyway to see how many different kinds of marihuana you could buy there – pretty amazing.

Besides the coffeeshop you also find stores where you can buy marihuana chocolate, marihuana tea, marihuana seeds etc.

 

6. Have a look at the red light district

Yes I know that’s kind of weird, but it’s also interesting to see the red light district. Every prostitute has a window or sometimes it is like a glass door. So potential costumers can have a look at them and then come inside if they want. Of course it is not allowed to take photos of the prostitutes.

Besides there are also strip clubs, sex shows, sex shops and lots of other crazy stuff.

 

I will definitely go back to Amsterdam at some point. Since I live in Hamburg it is not very far. I went there by train within 5,5 hours. Of course the city also has an airport if you want to fly there, and from the airport to the main station it only takes 15 min.

Have you already been to Amsterdam? If so it love to hear what you liked best there.