The weekend before Christmas 2024, Dennis and I went to Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia for the Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas market. Germany is a master in Christmas markets. And a successful excursion to Bonn in 2023 left us wanting a sequel. On our way to Germany on Friday night, we learned about the 2024 Magdeburg Christmas…
Tag: Switzerland
ANTWERP | Restored masterpiece ‘Christ & John Group’ shines in exhibition ‘Public Favourites’
After an absence of nearly two years, the ‘Christ & John Group‘ or ‘Christus-Johannesgroep‘ can be admired in again in Antwerp since July 2025. This Flemish masterpiece, a rare and moving highlight of Gothic sculpture, is now on display in the exhibition ‘Public Favourites An Intimate Look at Masterpieces from the Museum Mayer van den…
Antwerp 5th on 2025 Happy City Index
The 18th edition (since 2008) of Antwerp Pride takes place from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 10 August 2025 in Antwerp. This year’s theme is “Do not just march! Listen. Understand. Commit”. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2025 edition, the organising committee focuses on belonging. Belonging…
RAIL TOUR OF GERMANY | Avoiding delay-plagued ICEs in favour of regional trains
October 2024. During a week-long whistle-stop tour of Germany, we visit Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt, Weimar in Thuringia, Coburg in Upper Franconia (Bavaria) and Kassel in Hesse. Smaller cities, yes. But each with their own significance. Untouched by overtourism. We’re avoiding using the white trains of DB Fernverkehr, Deutsche Bahn‘s long-distance section and opt to use…
NMBS / SNCB sees popularity increase of international train travel
Year after year, Belgian railway operator NMBS / SNCB is seeing growing interest in international train travel during the summer months. Since 2019, the number of bookings via NMBS / SNCB International has increased by more than 50 per cent, the operator says in a press release.
2025 | The Channel Tunnel prepares for more trains, more competition and new destinations
From Berlin to Geneva and beyond, so far – it’s July when this is written – 2025 has seen a wave of announcements shaping the future of international train services to and from the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom and Germany are aiming for a direct London – Berlin train link
On 17 July 2025, the United Kingdom and Germany signed a landmark bilateral treaty that could pave the way for direct train services between London and Berlin within the next decade.
Eurostar and St. Pancras Highspeed back major station expansion to double capacity amid growing international demand
Eurostar and London St. Pancras Highspeed have formally announced their joint ambition to significantly expand the international capacity at St. Pancras International, one of Europe’s busiest cross-border rail terminals. A letter of intent signed by the two parties on Wednesday 2 July 2025 marks the first step in a major revamp project aimed at more…
Visit Antwerp in a day or two
On 22 June 2025, Annabelle Thorpe named in The Guardian our hometown of Antwerp in Belgium as one of the ‘Five of the best European city breaks for summer‘. Thank you for that shoutout. But ask myself. How to visit Antwerp? And how long?
Introducing the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
We haven’t travelled to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg since 2018 and 2019, but in January 2025 we returned to get a taste of the Alstom Coradia Stream HC which the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) runs under the name Série 2400. The Coradia Stream HC was a candidate to become NMBS…