Category: EUROPE

IF WALLS COULD SPEAK: The Best Street Art Project in Amsterdam

Posted onAuthorRenata6 Comments

There are dreamy canals and cute house gables. They have some of the most famous art museums and far more bikes than people: All this is Amsterdam, the quaint’n’quirky capital of the Netherlands. But the city is also famous for some of Europe’s most vibrant urban art. Some of the best pieces were created during the street art project If Walls Could Speak in the otherwise uneventful Eastside of Amsterdam.

IF WALLS COULD SPEAK: The Best Street Art Project in Amsterdam - Better a good neighbor than a distant friend by Smug One.
Better a good neighbor than a distant friend – muralist Smug One from Australia is so right!

In this post, I’m guiding you to the murals that were created on the walls alongside Platanenweg. So tie your trainers, polish your camera’s lens, and just follow me.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Four Days in AMSTERDAM – Unique Things To See on a Long Weekend

Posted onAuthorRenata13 Comments

Four days in Amsterdam: Just the perfect amount of time to get to know the most iconic spots and landmarks as well as some truly unique gems on a long weekend.

Boats on the Amstel in Front of the Brug 76.
Rush hour on River Amstel in front of the Brug 76 bridge.

During a long weekend in Amsterdam, I got to experience a lot. In this post, I’m introducing my long list of activities and places for you to follow. Or you just pick what suits you most. Either way, you’ll spend a highly inspiring city break.
And if this time, you have only one day to spend, I also have you covered: In my post 24 hours in Amsterdam, I put together custom-made itineraries for either a sunny or a rainy day.

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PARIS Museum Pass: Skip the Lines And See It All For Less

Posted onAuthorRenata5 Comments

You’ve been to the Eiffel Tower, you’ve seen Sacre Coeur and sailed on the river Seine? Great, after you’ve checked the most important tourist sites off your list, you, my fellow culture vultures, can focus on Paris’ amazing museums.
Actually, it’s mainly the city’s museums and monuments that make me come back to Paris again and again.
Therefore, in this post, I’m introducing the key that allows me to skip the lines and quickly opens the doors to the best venues: It’s the Paris Museum Pass that grants access to no less than 50 museums and monuments at a very reasonable flat rate.

A visit to the observation deck of the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is included in the Paris Museum Pass as well. Paris Museum Pass Skip Lines
A visit to the observation deck of the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile is included in the Paris Museum Pass as well.

Isn’t that far too much, you might ask. Well, you probably won’t visit all of them in one go.
Nevertheless, since with the Paris Museum Pass*, you don’t have to wait in the long lines that often form at the entrance doors, you’ll get to see more than you’ve ever expected.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

LONDON – Off the Beaten Path

Posted onAuthorRenata8 Comments

Yes, London is packed with iconic landmarks that every first-time visitor should see. But what if this is not your first visit to London or you simply want to add some unusual and quirky – in short: very British – spots to your itinerary? Fear you not, after many visits to London – and with a little help from a local – I put together the most intriguing, interesting, and idiosyncratic places off the beaten path.

Street in the center of London.
There’s a lot going on in the streets of London, hence, it’s not always easy to find your way off the beaten path. Yet, this is what this post is for.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

24 hours in LONDON

Posted onAuthorRenata Green6 Comments

In this post, you’ll find excellent itineraries that will miraculously transform an annoying layover at one of the six London airports into a brief extra vacation of up to 24 hours. However, since my itinerary is so inspiring and fun, make sure you don’t miss your connecting flight!

Phone booths in London
Gone are the days when people had to stand in the iconic red phone booths. Yet, they remained one of London’s many trademarks.
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MURANO – BURANO – TORCELLO: A Self-Guided Island Tour

Posted onAuthorRenata13 Comments

Sure, there is a lot to see in Venice’s Centro Storico, the historic center, yet, there are also those smaller gems. In this guide, I show you how to visit Murano, Burano, and Torcello, comfortably on a self-guided tour. It’s actually pretty easy and inexpensive to visit these three islands on a day trip from Venice.

Getting to Murano by Vaporetto
Travelling between the islands in the Venetian Lagoon is very easy. Therefore, you can happily visit Murano, Burano, and Torcello on a self-guided tour.
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PUERTO del ROSARIO – Fuerteventura’s Underrated Capital

Posted onAuthorRenata17 Comments

Puerto del Rosario is Fuerteventura’s capital and totally underrated. No wonder, the competition is powerful: Golden beaches, turquoise waters, gigantic sand dunes, and windy surfing grounds.

Statue in Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura's Capital
Pescador de Viejas – the old fisherman by local sculptor Juan Miguel Cubas from Betancuria is greeting visitors next to Puerto del Rosario’s promenade.

Hence, it’s understandable that hardly any tourist spends time in Puerto del Rosario. If you ask me, that’s a big mistake since the city has enough to offer to spend at least one day there.

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Day Trip to the LIDO di VENEZIA. Breaking Away from Venice

Posted onAuthorRenata11 Comments

Venice is magic, without a doubt: The canals, the bridges, the palazzi, the gondolas – I could go on and on. Nevertheless, a visit to Venice can also be very stressful: The tourist masses, the pushing, the shoving, the lines, the heat. Therefore, especially if you are in Venice for more than just two or three days, you should treat yourself to a day trip to the beaches of the Lido di Venezia.

View of the Lido di Venezia on a day trip from Venice
Ciao, Lido, here I come. A day trip to the beaches of the Lido di Venezia is a well-deserved break for every culture vulture.

Break away from Venice and hop on the vaporatto that rushes you to the Lido di Venezia in about half an hour’s time. Here, you’ll enter a world of serenity and the flair of a Mediterranean beach resort.

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Weekend in FRANKFURT – 25 Best Things To Do

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One of Germany’s most misconceived cities is certainly Frankfurt on the river Main. Derogatorily nicknamed Mainhattan, it is mainly recognized as Germany’s financial hub, hence, economically relevant but otherwise absolutely neglectable. Well, since this vibrant metropole is one of my favorite German weekend trip destinations, in this post, I’m introducing you to the 25 best things you should by no means miss on your visit to Frankfurt. Also, they’ll prove that the city is absolutely worth a trip!

View of Frankfurt from the Eiserne Brücke. Weekend Frankfurt 25 best things
View across the love locks on the Eiserne Brücke of what Frankfurt is all about: A bold mix of ancient history and powerful bank buildings.
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TORCELLO – a church, a bridge, and 15 residents

Posted onAuthorRenata27 Comments

If you are going on a day trip to Burano, the colorful gem in the Venetian lagoon, you should definitely spare an hour or two to cross the 150 meters to the island of Torcello. Here, a church, a bridge, and 15 permanent residents are awaiting you.

Chiesa di Santa Fosca on the island of Torcello where you can visit a church and a bridge
Chiesa di Santa Fosca on the island of Torcello.

While the islands Murano and Burano are beautiful yet still not that very different from the main island, the so-called Centro Storico, Torcello is a whole different world with very few landmarks surrounded by meadows and fields.

Enjoy the silence.

This Way to the Whole Story ->