Articles - Trot Op!

The Castles & Gardens Region: A Quiet Escape from Amsterdam

Posted on August 6, 2025

Just 30 minutes from Amsterdam lies a completely different Netherlands. Swap the crowded canals for country roads, star-shaped fortresses, riverside castles and green estates – all of them close enough to make for an easy day trip from the capital. Away from the busy city, the Castles & Gardens region is Amsterdam’s green escape, and the perfect alternative for travellers who’ve already seen the highlights and are looking for something else to do near the Dutch capital. It won’t be…

City trip Culture Europe Featured

Ostrava: the Czech industrial city that reinvented itself

Posted on July 30, 2025

In the far east of the Czech Republic, just a stone’s throw from the Polish border, lies Ostrava. It’s the country’s third-largest city, but also one of its least understood. Built on coal and steel in the 19th century, Ostrava grew fast, got rich, and then had to reinvent itself when the mines closed. What was once known as “Black Ostrava” is now one of the greenest cities in Czechia – a place where blast furnaces were turned into cultural…

Asia City trip Culture Featured Japan

Kanazawa Travel Guide: Japan’s Quieter Alternative for Kyoto-lovers

Posted on July 7, 2025

Kanazawa is a medium-sized historic city on Japan’s west coast that has quietly emerged as one of the country’s most rewarding travel destinations. Here, you can stroll through well-preserved samurai and geisha districts, eat fresh sushi at a centuries-old fish market and visit one of the most beautiful traditional gardens in Japan – all far away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka. Kanazawa is often sold as “Kyoto without the crowds”. In my opinion, this is…

City trip Culture Europe Featured Gastronomy

Cascais, Estoril & Sintra: The Best Things to Do on the Portuguese Riviera

Posted on June 24, 2025

Just a stone’s throw away from Lisbon, you’ll find Cascais and Estoril. Once sleepy fishing villages, now elegant summer retreats and golf resorts for the rich and famous – even James Bond has a history here. Throw that same stone about half an hour inland into the forested hills overlooking the coast, and you’ll suddenly find yourself among the fairytale palaces and castles of Sintra. Combine all three and you’re in for the perfect mix of beach fun and cultural…

Europe Featured Winter sports

Coverfestival Davos: Music on the Ski Slopes in Switzerland

Posted on May 27, 2025

Looking to combine your ski holiday with a unique music festival? Head to Davos in Switzerland near the end of March. That’s when the Davos Cover Festival takes place, which has the world’s best tribute bands performing on different stages in and around town: from fancy conference halls and small rock joints to shows high up in the snow-covered mountains. Don’t forget to pack a coat. Always wanted to go to a festival where Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana, The Beatles, Tina…

Belgium Culture Cycling Europe Featured Limburg

Visit Riemst, Belgium: The Ultimate Travel Guide for a Weekend in Limburg

Posted on May 20, 2025

Riemst is a peaceful rural municipality in the south of Belgian Limburg, tucked between Maastricht and Tongeren. Rolling hills, quiet villages, vineyards and scenic cycling and hiking routes define the landscape, but some of the most remarkable sights are hidden underground. Beneath the streets lies a vast network of marl quarries, cellars and caves that make Riemst unlike anywhere else in Belgium. Trot Op! packed some cycling gear and went exploring for a weekend. Have any of you ever deliberately…

Asia City trip Culture Featured Japan

Discover Shinjuku & Roppongi: Tokyo by Night in 9 Steps

Posted on May 8, 2025

Roppongi 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 and late-night food spots to skyline views and impressive museums. Trot Op! took a small discovery tour and listed the most important sights to visit. Shinjuku & Roppongi after dark: more than just nightlife Shinjuku and Roppongi don’t…

Asia City trip Culture Featured Japan

Odaiba: beaches, robots and a touch of the USA in Tokyo Bay

Posted on April 19, 2025

Odaiba 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…

Asia City trip Culture Featured Japan

Shibuya & Shimokitazawa travel guide: from urban chaos to Tokyo boho vibes

Posted on April 13, 2025

Shibuya 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. Barely a six-minute subway ride away, Shimokitazawa is its polar opposite: a relaxed, creative, bohemian enclave full of vintage shops, cosy coffee bars and excellent live music venues. Trot Op! visited both neighbourhoods in one day and came back with 9 must-see sights, ranging from the world’s busiest intersection to quiet alleys lined with second-hand treasures. Shibuya:…

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