Sometimes, you don’t need a three-week journey to the Caribbean to recover from your stressful everyday life. A well-organized weekend trip to a place nearby can be the perfect solution for an occasional little change of scene, some funny days with your best friend or for a romantic short trip with your beloved one.
We’ve compiled some of our favourite places in Europe which are not overrun with tourists and which unfortunately must take a second place in the popularity rankings of acclaimed metropolises – entirely unjustified, as we think.
Brighton
Barely an hour’s drive from London is Brighton. Its romantic Brighton Palace Pier, whose first pole was set in 1891, the vibrant boardwalk as well as the Royal Pavilion, built at the English Channel in the style of Indian mogul palaces about 200 years ago are legendary.
“London by the Sea”, nicknamed because of its proximity to the British capital, is not only the centre of Big Beat, thus, a perfect city for musicians like Fat Boy Slim, The Kooks or Passenger who own their place of refuge here, it’s also popular amongst British actors, fashion designers and other creative minds to escape the stresses of daily life.
The perfect day:
Our journey starts at Redroaster Coffee House with freshly roasted coffee beans and crunchy croissants. After the caffeine dose it’s time for a walk on the Pier with its legendary sea bridge, the rollercoasters and the Victorian beer pubs.
The fresh sea breeze makes you hungry and therefore we quickly enjoy some “Fish and Chips”, for example at the near Druids Head pub at Brighton Place. Thereafter we stroll along the Brighton Dome and flash back to the year 1974, when ABBA with their evergreen “Waterloo” revived the European Song Contest exactly at this location.
Also worth seeing are the Fabrica, a modern art gallery and former church, The Record Album, displaying a weird hotchpotch of rare vinyl records and… obviously the many boutiques and stores Lanes and North Laine.
The night is reserved to Concorde 2, a former Victorian tea room where up-and-coming bands play live and where you could dance ‘til dawn. Dress code? The wilder, the better…
Travel tip:
The closest airport is London Gatwick. From here, best take a train to Brighton Railway Station. In Brighton, all places can be reached comfortably by walking.
English Translation: Danielle De Bie
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