Tag Archives: Where to Sleep

Belgium: Liege by Bike

Posted on May 6, 2022 | Leave a comment

It’s Spring, Let’s Go Out!

We decided to discover the city center of Liege by bike with a guide! How to plan a visit with a bicycle guide: contact Liege city tourist office, where you can also book bicycles. Ours weren’t electric: if you’re not used to cycling, prefer electric bikes because the distances are long and sometimes your guide can be in a hurry (lol!). What a fantastic breath of fresh air! Starting with the historic center, then its canals and parks: mixing history and nature! After the guided bike ride, we choose to continue alone “on a bicycle”.

We stopped for a long time at the museum of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Fascinating: galleries with large mammals! Then we went to two exhibitions in different areas of the city, including one at La Bouverie, the modern and contemporary art museum. And if you want to extend your long day in Liège, with a short romantic weekend: here is a very very charming boutique hotel, the Hotel Neuvice. Beautiful modern decoration in a historic residence, with an efficient and very friendly team.

                                  Pictures Below : Liege by Bike

Exhibitions

Where To Sleep

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés

Informations

Visitez Liège

Leave a comment

Posted in "On the road again", Arts, Hotels

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Czech Republic: Short Road Trip In Bohemia And Prague

Posted on May 24, 2020 | Leave a comment

  


Disclosure: this article was first published in late 2019, 
following a trip made a few months earlier.

Before this trip, for me, the Czech Republic and especially Prague were exclusively linked to Milan Kundera and Kafka, two of my favorite writers. I am happy to have discovered a bit of Bohemia: the extremely green landscapes, forests and castles. And of course Prague, the architecture, rhythm, small and large streets.

Our short road trip begins with the Brussels Airlines flight which lands in Prague at 11 a.m. Then we collect the rental and take the road to Pilsen and its surroundings.


Text and images below of our exciting itinerary.

Day 1: Pilsen And Surroundings

On Our Way To Pivovarsky Dvur Plzen (Near Pilsen)

Where I experience my very first beer spa at the Purkmistr Beer Spa   (photo above 1). In fact, I’m immersed in a warm beer. Nice! We continue to Pilsen, where we join the Pilsner Urquell Brewery Tour, in order to discover the huge Pilsner Urquell brewery (photo below 3). The tour is interesting, but a bit long if like me, you don’t drink beer (2).    

On the road again, we cross beautiful super green landscapes and arrive in the early evening at Kašperské Hory (4), a picturesque village. We dine at the restaurant of Nebespan, Boutique Hotel, whose chef is French. I really enjoy the cool setting, atmosphere, food and team. 

Day 2: Kašperské Hory & Sušice

On The Program: Castles And Bikes

We spend the day with our very friendly guide, Veronika who takes us to the emblematic Kašperk castle (photo above 1 and the two first photos of the article) built in the 14th century on the Ždánov mountain. Near the castle, hiking trails in the Bohemian forest allow you to have different panoramas of the castle.

In the afternoon, from Sušice we take a superb (and sporty) 46 km bike ride in the countryside. Thanks to Veronika, we visit small villages and a romantic castle transformed into a luxury hotel, the Zámek Hrádek (photo above), where we stop for a drink.

Day 3: From Dobříš To Prague

Dobříš & Slapy

We leave Kašperské Hory, where we slept the first two nights. After 1 hour 40 minutes, we arrive in Dobříš, to visit the Dobříš chateau dating from the 18th century (1 & 2). We have lunch on the terrace at Zámecká restaurace Dobříš, the castle restaurant. Then back on the road, we head to the Slapy Water Reservoir on the Vltava, in the Prague-West district, a famous resort for Prague people. 

Lively and colorful surroundings: many small sailing boats come and go (3). While the shores are filled with people in bikini sunbathing on grass. Family and summer atmosphere. We do a nice ride on the water which allows us to better enjoy the landscape sourrounded the lake. And then, we are off to Prague. We leave our luggage at Mama Shelter Prague (6). I cool off and we go to the historic center.

I am super excited: Prague! I’ve been wanting to see Prague for so long! In the historic center, there are too many tourists! We step on each other and lots of drunk young tourists (from 7 p.m.). The monuments are superb, but we decide to return to the Mama Shelter’s area with a quiet hype neighborhood. We dine in the very trendy Cobra Bar (4). I liked everything, the cool atmosphere, music, my hamburger with coconut sauce (5) and the proximity to the Mama Shelter: I said, e-ve-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! 

Day 4: Prague

The Last Day Of Our Breakaway

And my real first day in Prague! We walked for a long time in the center much quieter and more pleasant than the day before. Finally, I enjoy the beauty of the city. Long dreamy break in a terrace bar overlooking the Vltava. I would love to explore more and visit the museums, but we must return to the hotel to collect the car and go to the airport, our return flight is at 6 p.m.

Prague, I will come back!

Where To Sleep? The Mama Shelter Prague

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés

Informations  

Czech Tourism 

Related articles : Destinations & Hotel Review

Many thanks to Czech Tourism for this beautiful invitation. As always, these are my opinions. 

Leave a comment

Posted in "On the road again"

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Germany: Arty Weekend in Düsseldorf

Posted on December 14, 2017 | Leave a comment

  

Day 1 : Gallery & Street Art Tour

After Berlin, Cologne and the Black Forest,  I’m on my way to Düsseldorf! As always, I’m not fully awake. And I forgot to download the app of b-europe to check in real time my train schedule. I find my buddies in the Brussels-Düsseldorf Thalys! 2h15 of laughter with cool mates (yes, it happens especially when I’m tired, lol!). And here we are at Düsseldorf station, ready to discover the city!

As soon as you arrive, I recommend you to buy the DüsseldorfCard for free public transport and discounts in museums and attractions. 

After a late lunch, we have an appointment with Klaus Rosskothen, the owner of the Pretty Portal Gallery specialized in street art artists. Photos above: on the left, a painting by the Irish artist FinDAC. And on the right, a painting by Kurnachzehn. Guided by Klaus, we discover many Street art works in the district where his gallery is located. End of the tour around 16h30-17h. Awesome overview of a less touristy Düsseldorf!

Polar temperature! Of course Brussels is not the Caribbean either, but all the team had a big shock with the cold here, lol! I go to the hotel to warm up (with a good hot shower) and get ready for dinner, we have an appointment at 18:30. 

  

Dusseldorf By Night 

Dinner at Küzert

At night everything is more beautiful, starting with this huge wheel (photo above). The team gathered again, I discovered the very lively cool atmosphere of the crowded streets of Altstadt, the old town. At Kurze Straße 18-20 is the Brauerei Kürzer, a traditional brewery on the Rhine, where we will have dinner tonight.

Outside, standing people drink glasses of beer. Ditto indoors where we sit down to eat (photos below). I like the contemporary setting, the mix of generations and genres with hipster waiters and a soundtrack for picky clubbers (with fine and demanding hearing, lol!).

Difficult for us to leave as the place was really cool! About the tasting of the beer produced by this brewery? Er, how can I tell you, I do not drink any beer, oops! But very good I enjoyed the chicken wraps. 

  

Back To The Hotel

After a long walk, we finally got back to the Hotel Friends Dusseldorf, with an awesome (Instagram) bohemian interior design of the common areas (left picture above and pictures of the photo montage below). It feels like being in Portlandia (the series) …

The + : The photogenic hotel where to have a drink, with music live and DJs sets. Located near the central station of Dusseldorf, 5 to 10 minutes walk or a bit less in tram. Very good breakfast. It feels good and friendly.

The – : the neighborhood is not reassuring at night. I didn’t like the interior design of my room (except the small modern clean bathroom). I think the common areas are the best.

Jour 2: Archi & Contemporary Art

Another Day, Another Weather

We take the new metro to the commercial complex, Kö-Bogen designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, facing the Hofgarten Park. Great mix of modernity, heritage and nature! I’d have liked to have more time to look at all the details of the building facades and stroll in the park.

And  viisiting the Gerhy buildings… We head by foot to Altstadt, the old town. 

  

A Small Museum

A Concept

As the small group walks towards the Rheinturm, I stop at the small museum of contemporary art, opened in 2007. I liked the architecture and exhibition spaces of the KIT – Kunst im Tunnel.

Photo above: in the foreground, a composition of Rosa Sarholz. Photo below: the further you go towards the black wall of the bottom, the more the floor tends to reach the ceiling. If we want to continue to move towards the “black board” of Marcel Stahn, we must stoop more and more. I stopped when my head touched the ceiling.

On the photo montage above: photos on the left, the main exhibition hall. Photo on the right (top): a flat screen – table, where hands are exchanging photos and flipping through magazines. An art work of Fabian Ruzicka.

Then we will have a late brunch in Frida, the warm tapas bar with Mexico colors on walls. Cosy atmosphere, nice interior design and impressive salad size!

Have a Nice Weekend Everyone !

  

Photos & vidéos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

To make a train reservation: the website of b-europe , or the b-europe appli.

Düsseldorf Tourist Board

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to b-europe & the Düsseldorf Tourist Board for this lovely invitation. As always, these are

Leave a comment

Posted in "On the road again", Architecture, Arts, Fooding & Bars

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,