Flevoland is a piece of the Netherlands almost literally pulled out of the sea, and you can get there in less than half an hour by train from Amsterdam. The country’s youngest province offers all the open space, nature and water fun the capital might not have room for. Trot Op! booked a seat on the Thalys and decided to take a look. Imagine this for a second: the Belgian government concludes ten provinces is not nearly enough to give…
Lithuania is often described as Europe’s best kept secret. Such statements get thrown around quite liberally, but in this case there’s some truth to it. Lithuania comes with tons of unspoiled nature, Vilnius is a lively, surprisingly hip city and Kaunas is this year’s European Capital of Culture. Perfect excuse for a visit, and that’s exactly what Trot Op! did. Lithuania is – with all due respect – probably the least known Baltic State, and it’s not like the other…
South Limburg is a somewhat atypical region for the Netherlands. Its rolling hills are scattered with vineyards and castles, there are plenty of cycling and hiking routes to explore and ex-mining cities such as Heerlen provide an enjoyable cultural touch. Trot Op! went exploring and came back with 6 things you should not miss on your weekend in South Limburg. Looking for a region in the Netherlands as little Dutch as possible? Then get your ass to South Limburg.…
Porto is one of the most atmospheric and photogenic cities in Europe, but there’s a lot to visit outside the city limits as well. In the north of Portugal several fun day trips from Porto can be planned. From cosy Unesco towns like Guimarães to the Peneda-Gerês National Park on the Spanish border. Trot Op! booked a long weekend in Porto and its surroundings, and came back with the following six things to see and do. Portugal is one of…
Lodz used to be a derelict industrial town, but became one of the rising stars of Polish tourism in just two decades. Twenty years ago, it was a city of forgotten factories and crumbling buildings; today it completely reinvented itself. Hip shops and bars, tons of exciting street art, interesting museums and lots of repurposed industrial architecture. Trot Op! booked a city trip and came back with seven things to see and do in Lodz. In long-gone, mythical times when…
Selecting the best coffee bars in Antwerp is not an easy task, mainly because there are so damn many of them. Antwerp has hundreds to choose from. You couldn’t even try them all out, without a couple of new ones popping up in the meantime. Trot Op! went looking for them anyways, and ended up with the following eight. For most Belgians living elsewhere, Antwerp is regarded as a city full of arrogant macho pricks with a superiority complex…
When coal was discovered in the early 20th century, Genk grew from a glorified village into one of the most important industrial cities in Belgium. In the eighties however, the mines were shut down and the city had to reinvent itself. This worked out quite well. Trot Op! visited the main attractions in Genk, as well as a few less obvious stops. Surprise: Genk is not the most beautiful city in Flanders. Even the locals would find it ridiculous to…
Hasselt is the embodiment of Limburgian hospitality: friendly faces, a lively oldtown with great restaurants, a surprising cultural offer and lots of nature around. Trot Op! booked a little house in the forest bordering the city, and decided to find out what to do in Hasselt in detail. Let’s not beat around the bush here: Limburg is not necessarily known as a destination for the most exhillarating of adventures. Belgium’s most musical province – we’re mainly talking about the local…
Join our discovery tour to the best African restaurants in Antwerp, and get to know some of the classics, a couple of hip newcomers and a few places almost no one will know about. Trop Op! went for a taste and saw it was good. Yes dear friends, it’s about time for a breather. After a long series of travel stories about exotic destinations such as Boom – which got me on VTM News: the pinnacle of quality – the…
