Riemst is a peaceful rural municipality in the south of Belgian Limburg, full of rolling hills, beautiful cycling and hiking routes and a few unique attractions. Surprisingly, the best sights in town are found underground. Trot Op! packed some cycling gear and went exploring for the weekend. Have any of you ever deliberately been to Riemst? Come on, raise your imaginary hands. I’m guessing there might be a few among you, but it can’t possibly be an insurmountable number. Riemst…
Discover Shinjuku & Roppongi: Tokyo by night in 9 exciting steps
Posted on May 8, 2025Roppongi and Shinjuku are two of Tokyo’s liveliest nightlife districts. You can party through the night in both, but there’s a lot to discover for those who tend to head to bed a tad earlier as well: from atmospherically lit alleys to impressive museums. Trot Op! took a small discovery tour and listed the most important sights to visit. Shinjuku and Roppongi don’t seem all too similar at first sight. They’re not particularly close to each other, attract different audiences…
Odaiba: beaches, robots and a touch of the USA in Tokyo Bay
Posted on April 19, 2025Odaiba is an artificial island in Tokyo Bay with some of the strangest attractions of the entire city on display: from psychedelic light installations and huge robots to a museum completely dedicated to unko. You’ll find out what that last thing is soon enough. A visit to Odaiba is like going on a day trip outside Tokyo without actually having to leave the city. Everything feels somewhat different here compared to the rest of the capital. It’s a bit less…
Discover Shibuya & Shimokitazawa: from urban chaos to Tokyo boho vibes
Posted on April 13, 2025Shibuya never sleeps. It’s one of Tokyo’s most lively neighbourhoods and Japan’s foremost fashion capital, blessed with a nightlife scene like no other. Nearby Shimokitazawa is its polar opposite: a relaxed, creative, hipster paradise full of vintage shops, coffee bars and great live music. Trot Op! visited both neighbourhoods in one day and came back with 9 must-see sights. Shibuya is a name that usually rings a bell even with people who know next to nothing about Tokyo. This is…
Discover Harajuku: the ultimate travel guide to Tokyo’s most kawaii district
Posted on March 12, 2025Harajuku was once Tokyo’s premier counter culture neighbourhood: the place where the latest styles and subcultures originated. Today, parts of the area devolved into a spectacle mostly enjoyed by tourists, but away from the main draws, the original rebellious spirit persists. Akihabara has by far the most maid cafes, but the beating heart of Japan’s Kawaii culture will always be Harajuku. This is a peculiar neighbourhood in the north of Shibuya, where just about everyone seems to spend their days…
Akihabara: The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo’s Gaming and Anime Paradise
Posted on February 28, 2025Akihabara is one of Tokyo’s craziest and most unique neighbourhoods, and the go to destination for everyone in love with anime and gaming. Trot Op! took to the streets and navigated every game center, maid café and otaku store to list Akiba’s twelve best sights for you. Look for images of Tokyo online, and chances are the neon-lit streets of Akihabara will pop up as one of the first results. This is no coincidence. It’s one of the wildest and…
The 27 best Italian restaurants in Antwerp
Posted on February 16, 2025Looking for the best Italian restaurants in Antwerp? Aching for a tasty plate of pasta, an exceptional pizza or a traditional dish by la mamma? Trot Op! explored the scene for you and came back with 27 authentic Italian restaurants. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like Italian food. It’s an arbitrary rule, but I stick to it. The Italian kitchen is one of the most loved on the planet, and one of my personal favourites as well. Italians take…
Ginza & Tsukiji: 12 travel tips for Tokyo’s most exclusive shopping district
Posted on January 30, 2025According to people who know about these things, Tokyo is the best city in the world for luxury shopping. There are more than 200 designer stores in the Japanese capital and a whole bunch of them are located in Ginza: the most prestigious and expensive shopping district in the whole country. If your bank account can take a pounding, you could spend a whole day here parading through endless malls, but Ginza and nearby Tsukiji have plenty in store for…
Marunouchi and Tokyo Station: a tour of central Tokyo
Posted on January 18, 2025All roads in Tokyo – be it mainly underground – lead to Tokyo Station. The city’s most beautiful train station is one of Japan’s main travel hubs. Most of the Shinkansen bullet trains stop here, and they’re always right on time. Opposite the station – shielded by a forest of skyscrapers and surrounded by timeless gardens – lies the Imperial Palace. Unlike places such as Amsterdam, Brussels and maybe even New York, Tokyo doesn’t really have one city centre to…