I have always really enjoyed going away for a weekend. It provides a short break in which you are in a different environment and can truly relax and enjoy yourself. Over the past few years, I have been able to visit many cities and destinations for weekend trips. That is why I want to share my recommendations and turn-offs with you, so you know where to go for your next weekend away, and which destinations you might be better off skipping.
Recommendations
Ghent
Ghent is by far my favorite place to go for a weekend away. I live in the Netherlands myself, which means Ghent (located in Belgium) is relatively close. I have been there several times now with my boyfriend and family, and every time I am there, I genuinely have a really great time. It is a very charming city with a good mix of culture, history, coziness, and hospitality. In the city center you will find Gravensteen Castle. I visited it during my first trip to Ghent and would definitely recommend it. What I personally like most about Ghent are the pubs and terraces. This is something I should mention: if you do not really enjoy sitting on terraces or having drinks in pubs, I can imagine Ghent being less suitable for you. Since I really appreciate this myself, it is the perfect city for a weekend trip for me. You can find a lot of (Belgian) craft beers there, so if you are a fan of that, I would definitely recommend visiting Ghent at least once!
Paris
When I was younger, I went to Paris once with my parents. At the time, I was quite disappointed by the city. I think I had very high expectations of it, based on what I had seen in the media. I also found the Eiffel Tower less impressive than I had expected. However, last year (January 2024) I went to Paris again together with my boyfriend. I wanted to give it another chance, because everyone always speaks very highly of this city. When I was there last year, I was very pleasantly surprised and genuinely had a great time. In a city like Paris, there is something for everyone. You have nice terraces, museums, shopping opportunities, restaurants, cultural monuments, etc. I think that if you are visiting a world city for the first time and have a certain image of it in your mind, you always need some time to adjust to what the city is actually like. It is not the case that every corner or street of Paris is equally charming or looks like it came straight out of a movie, but overall it is a very beautiful city rich in history, and I would definitely recommend it for a romantic weekend away.
Prague
Last summer I went to Prague for a midweek trip (so officially not a weekend away, but it’s the same idea). I went there together with a friend of mine. I actually didn’t know that much about Prague beforehand. My friend mentioned that she really wanted to go to Prague and had heard good things about it, so we decided to go there. First of all, the architecture in Prague is really very beautiful to see, it feels a bit fairytale-like. Here as well, you once again have a nice mix of history, culture, coziness, and hospitality. In Prague, there are also many jazz clubs you can visit, if you are a fan of that. I myself went there in the summer, but I would recommend going in a season when it is a bit less warm. Prague is a city where you walk everywhere, which is fine when the temperature is pleasant. However, when we were there it was around 30–35 degrees Celsius, which is simply too hot to walk those kinds of distances. I would therefore recommend going either in spring, or sometime in winter (because of the atmosphere and possibly the Christmas markets).
Turn-offs
Luxembourg
I think there are several reasons why I do not have such a positive memory of Luxembourg. This is partly because my boyfriend and I wanted to drive to Luxembourg by car, and we ended up stranded on the side of the highway in Belgium due to a flat tire. We had to call 112, where they only spoke French. With a lot of effort, they eventually arranged for us to be taken by tow truck to a garage, and we were charged 500 euros. But of course, this ultimately has nothing to do with Luxembourg itself. However, I was also quite disappointed by Luxembourg itself. We were lucky that there were Christmas markets at the time, which meant we could still entertain ourselves well and there was a cozy and warm atmosphere. But apart from these markets, the city itself was actually quite boring. Mainly a lot of shops and cold, uninviting streets. If you enjoy shopping, it might be a nice city for you. But for someone who enjoys coziness, pubs, and culture, I do not think this is the right place to go for a weekend away.
Leuven
I was also quite disappointed by Leuven in Belgium. I did know that it is a much smaller city than, for example, Ghent, but since they should also have pubs there, I thought it would be fine. Now, Leuven does have some nice spots where you can sit and have a drink, but after an afternoon you have pretty much seen the city. In my opinion, there were far fewer sights or cultural attractions than in other cities in Belgium. There is the Grote Markt, which is basically the center of Leuven, here you will find most of the restaurants and bars. This is also where we spent most of our time. All in all, I did not think it was a terrible city, but I would not go back there or recommend it to someone.
Düsseldorf
Sometime in 2019/2020 I went on a long weekend trip to Düsseldorf. Honestly, I don’t remember very much from this weekend (I have a fairly bad memory, haha), but what I do remember is that I did not like the city. First of all, the city lacked charm. I am someone who likes cities or small towns with atmosphere and culture. In Düsseldorf, there are mainly a lot of gray and characterless buildings and architecture. In addition, I noticed that in Germany there is much less of a “terrace culture” than in, for example, the Netherlands or Belgium. I am someone who really enjoys sitting on a terrace with a glass of wine or beer and a snack platter, but that is something they simply do not have much of in a city like Düsseldorf. On top of that, I was disappointed by how much culture or history there was to see in the city. All in all, not a recommendation.
In the end, of course, it is your own choice where you want to go, but I hope my tips are helpful to you. If you go to one of the cities I recommend, have a great time! And if you go to one of my turn-offs, I hope you have a better weekend there than I did 😉
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