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My favorite cities for a city trip

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A city trip is great for short getaways. If you are an active person you can easily rent a bike to discover your city. If you are like me and more about food and chilling: you get a public transport card. I chose 3 cities, two that are really unique and one that is an all-time classic. Especially from Amsterdam, they are quite close by and you can get there in at least 1 or 2 hours. Because of this, you are not losing valuable time in your 3 or 5-day getaway.

Barcelona: the city trip with beach vibes

Barcelona is a great city to visit for a city trip. The best thing about the city for me is that it has a beach, great culture, amazing food, and nightlife as well. The Spanish people in general have a great food culture with tapas and late-night dinners. Also, siësta’s so after an amazing lunch you can head back to your hotel or Airbnb to take a nap and get yourself ready for a great night of food and discovering bars.

When I went to Barcelona I used the metro every day to discover the city. I love to switch from days with a lot of culture and tourist places to a chill day on the beach and wander around the boulevard. In the evenings I would go to the more student areas to find really nice bars and amazing restaurants. I found that the food was not that expensive as I first thought. We had amazing dinners with 3 or 4 courses and amazing wines for maybe 120 Euros for 2 persons.

Must-sees: 

  • Sagrada Familia – Not really went inside, but just passed by to see all the different layers of this cathedral.
  • Bunkers of Carmel – For a great view over the city I recommend going to Carmel. 
  • Chaka Kahn – Amazing bar and restaurant in the El Raval area. They serve a chef’s menu that is basically a trip around the world and downstairs they serve the best cocktails.
Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia is one of those places you need to visit. I only had a look outside, since during the days it can be really difficult to go in.
Bunkers of Carmel with great view
Bunkers of Carmel is a place that takes some discovering, but it was a great experience with an amazing view over the city.
We discovered this amazing restaurand and bar per accident. It was raining and the music and colorful lights took us in. The next day we went back for dinner and it was amazing.

Copenhagen: cozy and simple

Copenhagen is one of those cities that is so chill to go to for a city trip. From Amsterdam, it’s an hour flight, so you go up and when you are up in the air you are already preparing for landing. You can also go by train or by car in 11 hours. What I love about Copenhagen is the architecture: old historic buildings mixed with clean modern buildings. The food is also great: from classics such as smørrebrød and hotdogs to amazing pizzas with homemade charcuterie and homemade apple juice.

A few years ago I went with my mom to Copenhagen. Before we went we did some research and already booked some restaurants in advance. When I go on a trip with my mom food is the most important thing on our to-do list. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are sometimes booked in advance at places we saw at shows or food blogs. We try to look for authentic places, but also new trendy things. One of the places we couldn’t wait to go to was BÆST and Almanak.

Must-sees: 

  • The Little Mermaid – Typical thing that is a must-see in Copenhagen. You can compare it to seeing the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.
  • Tivoli Gardens – After some days of wandering the city and walking a lot, a day in this amusement park is great to chill a bit.
  • Boat tour – Another thing you can do when you are done walking is hopping on a tour boat. It will show you around the city from a unique point of view.
Little Mermaid in Copenhagen
It was quite a trip to find the Little Mermaid, but it was cool to see the statue with all her history.
Smorrebrod at Almanak
Smørrebrød for lunch at Almanak. As a Dutchie that loves good bread I loveeeed the open faced sandwiches.
Nyhavn Copenhagen
Nyhavn is so colorful to visit. With the boat tour you can also see it from the water and discover the rest of the city and it's canals.

Brussels: chocolate and amazing beers

I was doubting to go for Brussels and I wanted to go for Paris instead, although Paris is sometimes amazing and sometimes not… so I decided to go for Brussels. I’ve been there once in the summer and once right before Christmas and both times were amazing. I guess it has that same charm as Paris, but less grande. Also a bit more for everyone.

I love that Brussels is close to The Netherlands but it has a totally different vibe. Also really different from Antwerp. I love the old architecture and the big squares that you can find in Brussels with as masterpieces the Atomium and Manneke Pis as well.

Must-sees: 

  • The Atomium – when I think of Brussels I think of this amazing statue. You can easily get there by metro/train.
  • The Grand Place – This amazing square is in the middle of the city. Order your beer (they serve many!) at one of the old cafes and enjoy the architecture and other tourists.
  • Manneke Pis – Very funny to see, it is always a surprise to see what kind of outfit he will wear.
The Atomium
The Atomium is not only a statue, but also has a whole museum inside with amazing art.
manneke pis