Bruxelles-Netherlands

✈️ I landed at Brussels airport at 9.30am. 🚕 The most comfortable option is to take a taxi from Brussels Airport which takes around 18 minutes in light traffic conditions and costs around €47. 🚊 Another quick option is to take the train. The train from Brussels airport costs just €12.70 one way and the journey takes just 17 minutes. (I recommend this option) 🚌 The cheapest option is to take bus 272 or 471, which costs €3 one way and takes around 30 minutes depending on traffic.

🧳 As soon as I arrived, I left my suitcases at the hotel, which is located in this nice and central square.

✨ First of all, I walked towards this wonderful gallery. The gallery included shops, auditoriums, cafés, restaurants and apartments.

🍔 Tired and hungry we decide to have an early lunch in this very nice place, which cooks delicious burgers!

✨ The Atomium is the monument-symbol of the city, it features on all postcards and flyers that advertise tours of the Belgian capital. 🎟 The entrance ticket to the Atomium can be purchased online or directly at the ticket office up to half an hour before closing. The ticket price includes: - permanent exhibition - temporary exhibitions - panorama - entrance to ADAM – Brussels Design Museum ⏰ The Atomium is open 365 days a year from 10:00 to 18:00. 📍 The Atomium is located outside the center of Brussels in the north of the city, but is easily accessible by public transport. 🚊 The easiest and fastest way to get to the Atomium is to take metro line 6 and get off at Heysel/Heizel: from the station you can reach the entrance in just 5 minutes on foot.

✨ It is a square which extends on both sides of the Sainte-Catherine church.

🥾 On foot we then headed towards the Grand Place, the true jewel of Brussels. This bustling square is part of Belgium's most beautiful 17th-century architectural ensemble.

🍹 After resting in the hotel we went to dinner in this beautiful cocktail bar.

✨ After dinner we returned to the Grand Place to see it with the night lights, I must admit that it is even more beautiful!

🥐 We liked the Saint Hubert gallery so much that the following morning we came here for breakfast!

🥾 After walking around the city center we headed towards Mont de Arts. ✨ It is surrounded by some of the most significant monuments of the whole capital such as the Royal Palace, the Belgian Parliament and the American Embassy. ⏰ Access times to Mont Des Arts are Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00. 📍Nearby is the splendid Musée Magritte. I recommend the visit. (Ticket 10€)

📸 Beautiful photo spot.

📸 This is the place to go for a superb panoramic view of the lower part of the city. 🎡 Since 2019, the giant Ferris wheel 'The View' has taken up residence here and you can admire the Belgian capital from a height of no less than one hundred metres!

🥗 Lunch here! 📍 The restaurant is located in Ixelles, one of the most beautiful districts of Brussels. The neighborhood is chic and luxurious, here you will find many shops and many restaurants.

🥾 We walked back to the centre. This is one of my favorite roads.

🚊 We arrived in Utrecht by train. The train made a stopover in Rotterdam and took 2h10. The trains are super punctual and very comfortable, quite cheap when purchased in advance!

😋 In the evening we had dinner in this delightful restaurant. Dinner is multi-course, highly recommended even if quite expensive

🥞 Breakfast here highly recommended

🥾 We decided to visit the city of Utrecht getting lost in the beautiful streets, without a specific destination. The city is small and can be explored very well on foot ✨ The first thing that will strike you walking along the canals is that, unlike those in Amsterdam, they are below street level and full of locals! 📍 The Oudegracht is the canal that runs through the heart of the city. In the parallel street, Via Tolsteegzijde, you will find a succession of shops of various kinds and coffee where you can have something while sitting at the outdoor tables.

😋 Brunch here highly recommended

✨ The tower of the utrecht cathedral is the tallest and oldest bell tower in Holland, and can be seen from the main canal of the city. You can climb the tower of the Cathedral only by taking part in the guided tours. Check the tour schedule online (9€) 📍 entering the garden is free!

✨ This is a mill in the center of Utrecht! It can be easily reached on foot

😋 Dinner here

🚊 We left at 9am from beautiful Utrecht station to see Den Haag and Gouda! 🎟 The train to Den Haag costs around €25 and takes 40 minutes!

🥾 From Den Haag station we walked aimlessly through the centre. ☔️ It then started raining heavily so we waited for it to stop raining in a bar!

🌊 As soon as it stopped raining we went to the part of the city that I liked the most: the beach, which has an incredible charm even in winter! 🚌 There are 4 ways to get from The Hague to Scheveningen by tram, bus, taxi or on foot (45 minutes from the centre). We chose the tram (ticket 4€, 11 minutes from the center) 😋 We ate at one of the premises inside the tourist pier.

✨ It is an architectural complex located in the city center. 🎟 To visit the Binnenhof inside, you need to go to the offices of ProDemos. The offices are located right by opposite the entrance to the Binnenhof. Visits must be booked there: the cost is €11 per person for a guided tour (about 2 hours). Visits come conducted in multiple languages. If you don't find one language congenial to you, you can ask for have the audio guide. You will listen that but you will always be accompanied by a guide for security issues.

🥾 We walked aimlessly in the city center. 📍 Grote Markstraat is full of nice shops!

🚊 We took a train to Gouda (it takes 27 minutes and costs 9€) 🥾 Gouda is a very small city, it's easy to get around on foot and the main square is only a 10-minute walk from the station! 🧀 Gouda is most famous for its cheese. Stop by one of the many shops and try one or buy some to take home.

⏰ Monday to Saturday (March to November) 09.00-17.30 Monday to Saturday (November to March) 10.00-16.00 On Sunday the church can only be visited in order to attend a service. ✨ When the sun shines through the stained-glass windows it is immediately clear what makes St John’s in Gouda so special. 🎟 9.5€

🚊 We returned to Utrecht by train (20 minute journey - €14 per ticket)

😋 Breakfast here recommended

🚊 We took a train to Amsterdam where we spent our last night! The train takes 26 minutes and costs €18. 📸 These splendid houses are located very close to the central station. The photos here are beautiful!

🥾 Despite the rain we walked to the main square (Dam square)!

🥾 We walked all through the picturesque center of Amsterdam. Walking is certainly the best way to visit this beautiful city. Every spot is really beautiful and photogenic

📍 One of my favorite neighborhoods.

✨ Home to the world's largest collection of the legendary Dutch artist's work, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a must-see for art and art history lovers. 🎟 Tickets can be purchased both online and on site (cost around €20)

🍔 At 4pm we decided to stop at this restaurant to eat!

🏨 We chose to stay in this hotel which I recommend. 📍The area is close to the museums and therefore convenient for reaching the city centre.

✨ In the evening we decided to visit the Red Light District. ❌ Remember that taking pictures is prohibited in this neighborhood.

📍 One of my favorite neighborhoods.

✨ Zaanse Schans is a must-see if you visit Amsterdam (very easy to reach because it is only 20 minutes away from the city.) 🚊 There is no train station in Zaanse Schans so if you intend to reach it by train, you will have to get off at the Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans station and then continue on foot to the windmill village. The train leaves every 20 minutes from the central station and takes 17 minutes to arrive at the Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans station, 1.5 kilometers away from the village. 🚌 The bus is much slower.

🍻 We returned to Amsterdam and went to the bar of this hotel to have an aperitif.

🚊 We went back to the station to catch the train back to the airport.