Tag: europe

5 Reasons To Visit Brussels

As I continue to reflect upon some of the wonderful places that I have visited by train, I wanted to suggest Brussels. For me, I pick countries that I can get to without using aeroplanes as my real intention is to be more ecofriendly. My last journey to Brussels was at Christmas time and so now is a good time to share my experience. You may end up wanting to visit during the festive season. There are definitely plenty of reasons to visit brilliant Brussels, especially at Christmas.

Brussels is relatively affordable and certainly cheaper than Switzerland or Luxembourg, but I also love those places very much. Here are my reasons for considering Brussels as a holiday destination in winter.

1) The Christmas Market

The market had 250 wooden stalls spread across the city.

Browsing the Christmas market was lovely because of all the scents and mouth-watering delights. There were so many continental meats and Vegan offerings as well as all my favourite sweet treats such as crepes and chocolates. At the far end is a Big Wheel which slowly rotates to give you a brilliant view of Brussels. We went straight to the wheel and then mused past the market, absorbed in the seasonal vibe.

2) The Grand-Place

You have to visit the Grand-Place during the daytime and at night. It is the historic city centre where government and city buildings sit around a beautiful pedestrianised square. This was definitely a hub of activity and the nearby streets had plenty of shops and restaurants offering a range of cuisines.

One of the beautiful shopping arcades with plenty of chocolate shops included.

At night time, the amazing Christmas tree and lights set a fantastic scene and at the heart of the square was a very detailed and intriguing nativity set. The reason I suggest going to Brussels in winter is to witness their incredible displays and lights. The place just represented Christmas perfectly.

Such a delightful and atmospheric city centre.
A detailed and well lit nativity scene.

3) Mini-Europe

I first saw Mini-Europe on an episode of Travel Man (Channel Four) and was totally inspired by it. It looked so cool that it became a must-see on my little trip to Brussels. Although it was winter, a fresh walk around the intricately made mini-buildings and waterways of Europe was pleasant and enlightening. It gave me ideas of other places in the continent that I still needed to explore. From a little Colosseum to a mini Eiffel Tower, this place had everything.

4) Atomium

This attraction was right next to the Mini-Europe venue and was an intriguing feature in the Belgian skyline. Constructed in 1958 for the Brussels Trade Fair, this 102m stainless steel structure is absolutely fascinating. You get to take a lift into the central sphere and then use escalators to access the other globes. Each one is unique and together they make a brilliant museum whilst having incredible views over this remarkable city.

5) Tintin

There are many murals and paintings throughout Brussels and many contain images of Tintin. Herge’s famous cartoon character is synonymous with Brussels and is celebrated in a museum and shop. We visited the beautiful little shop which was littered with Tintin memorabilia but we never had the chance to visit the Herge museum (maybe next time).

I like how the paintings on the walls celebrate diversity. The picture above was in the LGBT district of town. Below is an impressive painting of Tintin on a mission. These fabulous images add more intrigue to an already busy city, full of history, culture and Christmas.

Being just a two hour Eurostar train ride from London, Brussels is an easy to get to destination. I went before Brexit kicked in and the pandemic started so I cannot tell whether prices have remained the same, but when I went it was very affordable. I stayed about a fifteen minute walk from the centre in a lovely hotel which had everything I needed. You are able to use Uber to get around when you don’t feel like a walk, but I enjoyed plodding through the streets which were full of atmosphere and vibrancy, instead.

If you enjoyed this post please consider following my growing blog. For another post about a visit to a European city, check my Paris feature here.

5 Reasons To Visit Salzburg

Last week I mentioned my incredible trip to Zurich in Switzerland which I took by train in Autumn. Now I want to share my experience of travelling to the equally beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg during the summer. Hopefully I may persuade you to visit Salzburg and see the sights yourself.

My blog often discusses environmental issues and this article is all about trying to avoid using aeroplanes when visiting Europe. I went to Salzburg via Brussels (2 hours on the Eurostar) and then Munich (about 7 hours with a stop off) with a final stretch of just over an hour before arriving at the main station. This sounds like a long time but the views were breathtaking and the food on the train was of a very good quality and affordable.

Have you ever wanted to go to Salzburg, Austria? Here are five reasons why you should.

1) The views

The mountains around the city are stunning and the whole place is situated in a scenic valley which has a very wide river, known as the Salzach, running through it. The city is divided into two sides, with the old town on one side and the newer part on the other. Many bridges cross the Salzach, including the MozartSteg which is built for pedestrian traffic.

The footbridge used in ‘The Sound of Music’.

2) Mozart and History

The city was especially musical when I visited in August because it just so happened to be the month that the well known Salzburg Festival took place. With theatrical productions and live music events held in the town square and prestigious buildings, the town was full of orchestras and a genuine buzz which was infectious.

The birthplace of Mozart is open to view as part of a museum called the Mozarteum. His music lives on all around Salzburg and the town seems very proud of its musical prodigy. The Mozart Wohnhaus is a second museum, where he lived for much of his youth, after the house he was born in became too small for his family. Along with two museums, there is a Mozart monument watching over Mozart Square. If there is one famous person you come to know more about after visiting Salzburg, I can bet it will most probably be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

A concert hall where we heard a lovely classical music performance.

Historical buildings such as the abbey and Nunnery (Nonnberg Abbey) are all within easy reach as the city is actually quite small and most places of interest are within walking distance of each other.

Another quirky place that we sampled was the intriguing Salzburg Marionette Theatre, where we saw a production of the Sound of Music usually exquisite puppets, much like those used in the film.

Some startling puppets from the marionette show.

3) Salzburg Castle (Hohensalzburg Fortress)

Up on the hill sits a large, intriguing castle which overlooks the city and is full of things to do. In order to get up there, we took the steep funicular railway which gave some stunning views and picture opportunities as we were whisked up to the castle itself. Inside there was plenty to see of the old fortress and there were shops and refreshments that included places selling local artwork, which was of a high quality.

Hohensalzburg Fortress overlooks the old town and river.

4) The Sound of Music

One of the main reasons that I was originally intrigued by this beautiful city was because it appeared in ‘The Sound of Music’ movie. I have always loved this movie and wondered what the places featured on it were actually like. So naturally I booked us onto the Sound of Music Tour organised by Panorama Tours. I was not disappointed as we went to all of the key locations.

I especially enjoyed seeing the Mirabelle Palace gardens which were used during the famous ‘Do-Re-Mi’ song in which Julie Andrews and 7 children danced around the fountain and raced through the hedge tunnel which was covered in overhanging plants.

The painted wall mural as seen in the film.
The Mirabelle Gardens
The tunnel that Julie Andrews ran through while singing Do-Re-Mi.

5) Mondsee and the countryside

Taking time out of the city, we got to see some of the incredibly beautiful sites of the surrounding hills. The Sound of Music tour took us to the huge church at Mondsee where Maria and Captain Von Trapp got married in the sixties musical. The town of Mondsee had a lovely market square with some wonderful shops and eateries which made the visit even better.

Mondsee Abbey

On the way we saw some of the popular lakes that locals flock to when the sun comes out, nestled beneath the mountains. As a geographer, I found myself marvelling at the landscape and enjoying taking photos of the green valleys and tranquil waters. The fresh air did me wonders as well.

A few things I have taken away from my visit are:

– a taste for sauerkraut (which it turns out is very good for your gut)

– a fascination with Austria with its traditions and Christmas shops, its love of music and intriguing history

– the satisfaction of visiting the locations of my favourite musical movie, ‘The Sound of Music’

– lots of knowledge about Mozart and classical musical history

– a desire to go back to Salzburg very soon

I hope that you enjoyed this post and it has shown how intriguing Austria can be. I especially loved that I could travel there by train from the UK. The scenery was impressive and the reception was welcoming. Salzburg is such a culturally interesting and friendly town where I felt totally at ease.

If you enjoyed my blog post please consider following my blog. Here is a link to a post about a trip I made to Switzerland:https://jamieadstories.blog/2021/06/13/5-reasons-to-visit-switzerland/

5 Reasons To Visit Switzerland

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Continuing my write-ups on holidays I’ve enjoyed which have not involved air travel, I want to share with you just how wonderful Switzerand is. Nestled in the Alpine region, between Italy, France, Germany and Austria, this incredible nation has everything you could wish for.

Beautiful Zurich

1) It has good rail links

For me, it became increasingly important to try and avoid aeroplanes and make more of an effort to travel in a less polluting kind of way. Trains in Europe are electric and depend a lot less on fossil fuels, so are easily the best option when journeying across some distance. From London to Zurich it was only six hours (two to Paris, then an easy connection and four more hours to Zurich). The best thing about travelling by train is that you get to sit back with a drink and watch as the beautiful scenery changes from flat farmland to mesmerising mountains.

2) Mountains and Valleys

There is nothing quite like being amongst mountains and Switzerland has some of the most stunning views I have ever seen. One November day I used a very steep funicular to get to the top of Stoos, a skiing village perched above the town of Schwyz. At times the vehicle almost goes straight up as it clings close to the cliff and gives you a majestic view of the surrounding valley and breath-taking countryside.

The incredibly steep funicular up to Stoos.

3) Cheese!

Switzerland is famous for Swiss Army Knives, chocolate and cheese. Every main street has a variety of intriguing chocolate sellers with astounding displays of the sweet stuff of the highest quality. I bought my friends plenty of chocolate and they all really appreciated it as generally it outdoes the standard sweets you get back home in the UK.

Cheese is also a delicacy and you can’t visit Switzerland without trying some deliciously hot melted cheese. Otherwise know as fondue, this treat for your tastebuds will knock your socks off. Don’t worry though, even if you are dairy intolerant, the fondue restaurants have other delights on their menus. There is always dairy free cheese, which in my experience is just as tasty.

4) Towns and Cities

Although I stayed in Zurich, which was lovely and full of energy, I also managed to visit beautiful Bern and lovely Lucerne. All three places were incredible in their own right. In Zurich I shopped, had a wonderful afternoon at the Zurich OperaHaus and sampled some amazing food. I also sampled the nightlife and enjoyed some cool cocktails as well as the great nighttime views of this old city, steeped in history and intrigue.

Lucerne was hot on the day that I visited and the lake looked stunning. Walking across its famous Chapel Bridge was great when wanting to take photos as it provided plenty of different perspectives of the town. I particularly remember sampling pastries at one of its brilliant bakeries and not only being full up but also thinking how exquisite everything was.

Bern was one of the government centres. In Switzerland the seat of government moves between Geneva, Bern and Zurich on rotation but some of the larger and architecturally interesting buildings are situated in Bern. It is also full of shops and when I visited it was raining a lot so plenty of undercover places to snack and browse proved popular with me.

Einstein was born here in Bern.

5) Lakes with views to die for

For me, the bodies of water that I came across in Switzerland were distinctly magical. From the entrance to Lake Zurich to the tranquil Lake Zug, Switzerland is full of watery views that will take your breath away.

Taking a ferry from Zurich to the other side of Lake Zurich, I was amazed by the delightful views of both the city in all its splendour and the surrounding hillsides. It felt so peaceful in the middle of that surprisingly clean water, taking in the incredible panorama. Our bus driver also showed us the mansion that Tina Turner now lives in, nestled right next to that enormous lake. It’s true to say that you haven’t seen anything until you have set eyes on the stunning Swiss lakes and mountains.

Charming Zurich is full of history.

Why not try taking a holiday by train?

This was one of the holidays I took by train and I cannot speak highly enough of the service I received on the journey. If you enjoyed reading my post, perhaps consider commenting your thoughts and following my blog for more of the same content.