Europe

Best Two Days in Amsterdam

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Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:42 pm

Amsterdam has plenty of sights and activities to keep you busy for two full days and three nights. If you’re pressed for time, you can see most of the high points in a two-night stay.

Following are my suggestions for two full days in Amsterdam. Stay in a hotel on one of the outer canals, such as the Herengracht, Prinsengracht, or Keizersgracht. From there, you’ll be able to walk almost everywhere.

Pinterest graphic with the text best two days in amsterdam over a picture of a canal in Amsterdam that includes a bridge and a bicycle.

Orientation to Amsterdam

The map below shows the places mentioned in this post. Click a number on the map for more information.

Trip map created with Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

Day 1 in Amsterdam

First thing in the morning, after fortifying yourself with a breakfast where good bread and Gouda cheese will likely play a role, head to the Museumplein.

Tour either the Van Gogh Museum (#1 on the map) or the Rijksmuseum (#2) as soon as it opens. Don’t try touring both museums on one day or you’ll risk art overload.

Buy your tickets online well ahead of your visit. I suggest visiting one major museum on one morning and the other on the next morning or later that afternoon.

Avoid going to either museum in the middle of the day when both are mobbed (particularly the Van Gogh Museum).

Here’s information about the Van Gogh Museum, with details about the Rijksmuseum provided under Day 2.

Van Gogh Museum

Armed with the ticket you pre-purchased, arrive at the Van Gogh Museum at your appointed time (preferably as early as possible).

The Van Gogh Museum lives up to the hype as one of Europe’s most visit-worthy art museums. You get a wonderful overview of van Gogh’s work from the early years to the very end.

In fact, the museum contains the world’s largest collection of van Gogh’s art, including such signature pieces as Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters, and a personal favorite, Wheatfield with Crows, one of his last paintings. Download the app provided by the museum. It’s a good one.

Buy tickets in advance for the Van Gogh Museum

Check out my detailed overview of the Van Gogh Museum and my suggestions for touring.

In the afternoon (weather depending), take a canal cruise and visit Anne Frank House.

Anne Frank House

I first visited Anne Frank House (#3) when I was fourteen–the same age Anne Frank was when she was murdered.

Walk behind the bookcase that concealed the hiding place to view the unbelievably cramped spaces. It’s impossible to imagine how Anne and seven other people lived there for two years.

You must buy your ticket online for a specific time slot up to two months in advance to visit the Anne Frank House. Tickets sell out fast so check the website two months before you plan to be in Amsterdam. Don’t wait or you may be disappointed.

Canal Cruise

Take a canal cruise (#4) while you’re in Amsterdam. If the skies are clear, go later in the afternoon when the light turns golden. During the summer months, consider an evening cruise. You’ll get a different perspective on Amsterdam as you glide past gabled houses and under bridges crusted with lights.

Here are options for canal cruises in Amsterdam. Some include dinner.

View of illuminated bridges in Amsterdam at night.
Amsterdam at night–it’s magical; this vista is next to where we stayed on the Herengracht.

On your first evening, venture into the lively Centrum. Enjoy a beer at a canalside restaurant, then wander back to the quieter canals to avoid marauding bands of partying Brits.

The people of Amsterdam are working hard to take back their city from the invasion of large groups–often from England. Here’s an interesting article about over-tourism in Amsterdam.

If you steer clear of the streets around the station (the infamous Red Light District) and stick to the canals in the outer rings of the Centrum (the Keizersgracht, Herengracht, and Prinsengracht), you’ll find plenty of peaceful walks, lively and safe squares like the Rembrandtplein (#5), and attractive canal vistas.

Day 2 in Amsterdam

Depending on which of the two art biggies you visited on Day 1, visit the other on Day 2. Again, make sure you purchase your ticket ahead of time and choose a time either early in the day or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.

Rijksmuseum

If you enter the Rijksmuseum (#2) when it opens at 9 am, you’ll have it all to yourself. On a recent visit there in April, we barely saw another person for a good hour after entering around 9:15.

By the time we left around noon, the line-up extended out into the rainy Museumplein. Satiated by great art and in cheery spirits after our leisurely stroll through near-empty galleries, we pitied the sad-looking tourists huddled under dripping umbrellas. Don’t be one of those tourists!

Facade of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in the Netherlands--the top site for travelers to Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum houses some of the greatest Dutch art in Europe. You’ll find numerous works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals in more than thirty galleries that feature art from the Dutch Golden Age.

A special room is devoted to displaying Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, a vast improvement from when I first saw the painting back in 1970. Then, the painting was so dark and ill-lit that my 14-year-old self left unimpressed.

Now, the painting holds pride of place in a special gallery that most of the time teems with camera-snapping tourists. Remember – go early and contemplate Rembrandt’s masterpiece in blessed solitude.

The Night Watch by Rembrandt: buy tickets in advance for the Rijksmuseum

Paintings from the Golden Age are just some of the attractions at the Rijksmuseum.

I was taken by the Medieval/Renaissance collection (1100 to 1600) displayed in beautifully lit and organized galleries. Since most visitors make a beeline for The Night Watch, you’ll find the medieval galleries comfortably empty. Enjoy numerous paintings, sculptures, objets d’art, furniture, and even tapestries.

As the premier museum in the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum has even more to offer, including special exhibitions. These usually require an additional ticket so check ahead.

For more about the Rijksmuseum, check my dedicated post detailing more fabulous things see during your visit.

Lunchtime Concert at the Concertgebouw

If you’re in Amsterdam on a Wednesday, drop in to the Concertgebouw (#5) across the street from the Museumplein for a free lunchtime concert. You’ll be one of the few tourists there enjoying classical music alongside locals.

We saw an amazing concert of two vibraphonists–one Dutch and one Italian. Arrive well ahead of time to make sure you get a seat. The concerts are popular and fill up fast.

Check the Concertgebouw website for details about the free lunchtime concerts.

H’ART Museum

When we’re in Amsterdam, we almost always pay a visit to the H’ART Museum (#6), which was formerly known as the Hermitage Museum. The H’ART Museum is an art museum where famous works of art and stories from around the world are brought together in one-of-a-kind exhibitions.  

In our experience, this large museum overlooking the Amstel River has never been crowded and is a delight to walk around. At the back, enjoy lunch in the courtyard garden, a calm oasis in this bustling city.

Begijnhof

Another calm oasis is the charming Begijnhof (#7) courtyard surrounded by old-style Dutch homes that date to the 14th century, although most of the facades were replaced in the 17th and 18th centuries. The wooden house (Houten Huys) at Begijnhof 34 is the oldest house in Amsterdam.

Step into the Begijnhof chapel to view a series of panels that tell the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

Begijnhof courtyard of characteristic Amsterdam homes
Lovely Begijnhof courtyard of characteristic Amsterdam homes

Walk Along the Canals

Apart from viewing art, one of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam is to wander along the main canals. Cross bridges, browse the shops, and snap picture after picture of the fabulous narrow houses, many dating from the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century.

Take your time getting to know the quieter parts of this lovely city. Walk over to Vondelpark (#8) and join other people at play.

If you’re feeling brave, rent a bike. But be warned – locals ride fast! When you’re walking, always check that you’re not in a bike lane or you risk hearing the clang of a bell attached to a sturdy bike ridden upright by an angry Dutch person.

For more to see and do in Amsterdam, check out these tours and suggestions.

Eating in Amsterdam

On at least one evening, enjoy a Rijsttafel meal. This Indonesian import consists of up to forty small dishes, including egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, nuts, and more, accompanied by rice. The variations of taste, texture, and heat make rijsttafel (in Dutch, “rice table”) an eating adventure.

Be careful! Some of the food is super spicy!

Staying in Amsterdam

In my experience, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most expensive cities. Plan on spending at least €300-€400 per night for a decent hotel in a central area of Amsterdam. We’ve found that splurging for a good hotel in an attractive area is well worth it.

Occasionally, we’ve stayed farther out in cheaper hotels in nondescript neighborhoods and have regretted the decision.

The Mokum Suites on Herengracht is a wonderful choice as is the apartment called Here’s Lucy that is right in the heart of Amsterdam. You can walk everywhere.

The map below shows options for hotels in Amsterdam.



Booking.com

Amsterdam Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Amsterdam!

Tours in Amsterdam

Here are some tours offered through GetYourGuide. I’ve booked tours with them several times and have always had a good experience.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Have you been to Amsterdam? Share your recommendations with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Here are some more posts on Artsy Traveler about recommended sightseeing in Europe:

Booming Berlin: Best Bets for the Artsy Traveler

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Germany Artsy Traveler 2 Comments on Booming Berlin: Best Bets for the Artsy Traveler

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 05:42 pm

Berlin is an artsy sightseer’s candy store. If you love museums, you’ll love Berlin. It’s worth at least three full days of your sightseeing time. If you have more time, you’ll find lots more to do and see. It’s a big city with a whole lotta history.

We spent a week in Berlin when my husband Gregg Simpson had an exhibition there and didn’t come close to seeing everything we wanted to. Check out Gregg’s paintings at Gregg Simpson Art.

In this post I feature the highlights I recommend in Berlin. To help you plan your time, I’ve grouped the sites in geographical order, moving from western Berlin through the historic core and Museum Island in eastern Berlin to the Kreuzberg neighborhood in south Berlin (where we stayed) and the fantastic Jewish museum.

Pinterest graphic with the text Booming Berlin: Sightseeing at Its Best with the brandenburg gate above the text and a grafitted wall below the text.

Orientation to Berlin

The map below includes the places mentioned in this post. Click a number to find out more information.

Map created with Wanderlog, a travel planner on iOS and Android

Getting Around Berlin

Make use of Berlin’s efficient subway system. The city is spread out, and distances between the places you’ll want to see require a lot of walking. Save your legs for touring the museums! For information about transit in Berlin, see the Official Website of Berlin.

Western Berlin

The two major sites we enjoyed in the former West Berlin are the relaxing Tiergarten and the Kulturforum near Potsdamer Platz.

Tiergarten

Chill out in the fabulous Tiergarten (#1), Berlin’s massive central park that stretches from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Zoological Garden. We spent the better part of a day there strolling the pathways and enjoying brunch overlooking a lake. From the Tiergarten, you can’t miss the Victory Column, built in 1864. Climb it to enjoy a panoramic view over Berlin.

Potsdamer Platz and Kulturforum

Check out the modern skyscrapers and shopping malls in Potsdamer Platz (#2), then walk over to the Kulturforum where you’ll find a complex that includes the Gemäldegalerie and the Philharmonie Berlin.

In the complex, you’ll also find the Musical Instruments Museum (Musikinstrumenten Museum) and the Museum of Decorative Arts (Kunstgewerbemuseum (#3)), touted as Berlin’s version of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Head here if you’re a fan of the applied arts. The collection of women’s fashions over the centuries is especially good.

Gemäldegalerie

An impressive number of European masters grace the walls of this wonderful art museum. The sleek, modern building houses works by Rembrandt, Dürer, Brueghel, Rubens, and Vermeer along with Italian masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli, and Caravaggio. On the Gemäldegalerie (#4) website, take a virtual tour of several of the main galleries.

Allocate a morning to enjoying the collection at the Gemäldegalerie.

Philharmonie Berlin

The magnificent home of the Berlin Philharmonic (Berlin Philharmoniker)(#5) will take your breath away. With its unusual tent-like shape and bright yellow color, the concert hall has been a landmark in Berlin since 1963, well before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Berliner Philharmonie concert hall in Berlin, Germany

We scored tickets to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring performed by the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin. The orchestra’s concerts are less expensive than concerts featuring the Berlin Philharmonic, and the quality was fantastic. Hearing Stravinsky played in the iconic hall was a special experience.  

Check event listings for the dates you’ll be in Berlin and consider getting tickets to a concert at the Philharmonie Berlin.

If you’re not able to see a performance, try to find time for a guided tour of the Philharmonie Berlin. One-hour tours are offered daily at 1:30 pm except during July and August and several days at Christmas. The tours are conducted in German and English.

Historic Core of Berlin

When you arrive in Berlin, make your first stop the area around the iconic Brandenburg Gate at the entrance to the Tiergarten. An 18th-century neoclassical monument built by Frederick William II, the gate once stood forlornly in no-man’s land between East and West Berlin.

Reichstag

The big-ticket site in Berlin is the Reichstag (#6)(Bundestag), Germany’s historic parliament buildings. Also located in no-man’s land between East and West Berlin throughout the Cold War, the Reichstag was rebuilt in 1999. With its glass dome dominating the skyline, the Bundestag has become a symbol of a unified Germany.

Entrance is free but you’ll need to make a reservation at www.bundestag.de. Be sure to get tickets well in advance or you may be out of luck. You’ll need to show your passport to pass through security.

Brandenburg Gate

Walk through the Brandenburg Gate (#7)—something you couldn’t do until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The weight of history hangs heavy over the gate. Stand in front of it and realize that armies from Napoleon to Hitler have marched through its massive archway.

Now it’s a selfie stop.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Walk into this labyrinth of 2,711 pillars of different sizes. The sobering—and gigantic—memorial (#8) to the six million Jews executed by the Nazis is a center of calm in the middle of bustling Berlin. In the Information Center, a continuously running soundtrack recites the names of known victims.

Regrettably, the memorial attracts more than its share of selfie sticks with people posing against the pillars and even climbing and jumping on them.

Go directly into the memorial to get away from the photography mayhem at the peripheries and to experience the dislocation and fear that inevitably arises when you try to find your way out again.

Unter Den Linden

The Unter Den Linden (#9) is the Champs-Élysées of Berlin. Stroll down it from the Brandenburg Gate and stop to sample a currywurst at one of the many kiosks in the center strip. A currywurst is Berlin street food consisting of a fried pork sausage (Bratwurst) cut into bite-sized chunks and seasoned with curry ketchup. Eat it with French fries. Fortunately, you’ll walk off the calories pretty quickly.

Plate of currywurst--street food in Berlin
Traditional German currywurst, served with chips

I’ve tried currywurst once, and I’m good now. It’s an acquired taste, but when in Berlin…

Ampelmänn Stores in Berlin

At the corner of Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse—another main drag—you’ll find the flagship Ampelmänn shop (#10).

This place ranks high on my list of favorite souvenir stores. The entire store is devoted to selling products inspired by the iconic Ampelmännchen pedestrian crossing symbols.

You’ll always know when you’re in a neighborhood that was once part of East Berlin because you’ll see Ampelmänn on the illuminated pedestrian signals. The green striding one tells you to Go, and the red standing one tells you to Stop. Both Ampelmännchen wear jaunty, flat-topped hats.

I don’t know why, but I fell in love with Ampelmänn and even bought a plastic one for my keychain. Berlin has several Ampelmänn shops. Search for Ampelmänn on Google maps and you might find one near your hotel. At the very least, treat yourself to a tea towel!

Museum Island

Keep walking down the Unter den Linden and you’ll eventually arrive at Museum Island, home to five world-class museums.

You could spend days, weeks even, exploring the museums here. Each historic museum building was built under a different Prussian king, with the whole site declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

I recommend visiting Museum Island over two days. You can’t see all five museums in a day without completely wearing yourself out, so don’t even try!

Neues Museum

Of the five, my favorite is the Neues Museum (#11), where you’ll find the bust of Nefertiti along with several floors of treasures from the prehistoric, Egyptian, and classical antiquities eras. The displays on Floor 3 are awesome. Here you’ll find the artifacts from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and other cultures of the pre-Roman Iron Age.

All the displays are well described in English. You could spend days in this one museum alone.

Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum (#12) draws the crowds because of its jaw-dropping buildings from ancient Babylonia, Assyria, and the Islamic world. Unfortunately, you won’t see the enormous Pergamon Altar until 2025, but exhibits such as the Ishtar Gate (46 feet tall and 100 feet wide), the grandest of Babylon’s gates built during the time of Nebuchadnezzar, are worth the price of admission.

Alte Nationalgalerie

The Old National Gallery (#13) is the place to see German art, including the work of David Caspar Friedrich which pretty much sums up Romanticism. Check out his craggy mountains, bare-limbed trees, and swirling clouds that celebrate nature in the raw.

The gallery also includes works by French and German Impressionists.

Bode & Alte Museums

These two museums will appeal to connoisseurs of Byzantine art, historic coins, ecclesiastical art (Bode), and other classical antiquities from Etruscan, Greek, and Roman times.

If your time is limited, go to the Neues Museum and the Pergamon Museum on separate days, with one day split with the German History Museum (#14).

The museums on Museum Island are pricey. Consider purchasing the 3-day Museum Pass Berlin for €29 to gain entrance to just about every museum you’ll want to see in Berlin. See below.

Other Museums in the Historic Core

Deutsches Historisches Museum

Not far from Museum Island is this massive museum which presents 2,000+ years of German history. Over 7,000 exhibits take you from the early Middle Ages to the present day.

It’s another exhausting experience so pace yourself!

DDR Museum

I enjoyed this museum which shows what life was like in communist East Germany—the DDR (#15)(Deutsche Demokratische Republik).

Many kitschy items are on display, including the reconstruction of a typical home from the period, complete with drawers and cupboards that you’re encouraged to open and rifle through.

Buy your tickets for this popular museum in advance to avoid long lines.

Spree River Cruise

On the river not far from the DDR Museum and behind Berlin Cathedral, hop onto a Spree River Cruise. For a relaxing hour, you’ll listen to an English audio guide and enjoy a riverside view of amazingly nifty modern architecture in the former West Berlin.

You can get off at the Tiergarten, like we did, for some quality nature time – or stay on the boat until it turns around and returns to the dock.

Buy tickets at the dock or online before you go.

South Berlin

Two museums we enjoyed in this area of Berlin, near where we stayed in Kreuzberg in south Berlin, are the Asisi Panorama of the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie and the Jewish Museum.

Checkpoint Charlie

You can’t miss Checkpoint Charlie (#16), with its costumed guards and legions of tourists snapping pictures. In the souvenir shops on both sides of the street, you’ll find Soviet army hats and other kitschy memorabilia of the Cold War. The area is kind of a DDR Disneyland.

Between 1961 and 1989, Checkpoint Charlie, located in the middle of Friedrichstrasse, was one of the few places where people could legally pass between East Berlin and West Berlin. The giant back-to-back photographs of two young soldiers dominate the area.

Facing east, the photograph shows a young Soviet soldier (see below). Facing west, the photograph shows a young American soldier. The disconnect represented by the photograph remains a salutary warning that the Cold War wasn’t that long ago.

Photograph of a young Soviet soldier at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin
Photo of a young Soviet soldier faces east at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.

Asisi Panorama–Die Mauer (The Wall)

While in Berlin, I became fascinated by its recent Cold War past. You’ll find museums and memorials commemorating the Cold War throughout Berlin, including the DDR Museum mentioned earlier.

I enjoyed the Asisi Panorama: Die Mauer (The Wall), located across the street from Checkpoint Charlie. The Panorama is a multi-storey immersive experience created by artist Yadegar Asisi in which you step back in time to 1980s Berlin and peer over the Wall from West Berlin into East Berlin.

Climb a set of stairs in front of a massive curved screen. You are five meters back and four meters up on the western side of the Berlin Wall, watching a day unfold over the course of 24 hours.

Sophisticated lighting effects cycle through changes from day to night every half hour or so in the shadow of the guard towers. You experience the contrast between the lively streets and graffiti-daubed wall on the West Berlin side and the drabness and aura of danger of East Berlin.

I was riveted–and fascinated that the scenes depicted on-screen in East Berlin happened a relatively short time ago.

The Berlin Wall existed for almost thirty years of my lifetime, and yet now when you walk around Berlin, you often have no idea when you’re in the former East Berlin. Your only clues are the pedestrian crossing signals (Ampelmänn!) and the stark utilitarian facades of some of the government buildings. Thirty years of unification have blurred the divisions, and pretty much everyone under the age of 35 has little or no memory of the Cold-War past.

Buy tickets in advance to avoid line-ups.

The Jewish Museum Berlin

Housed in a spectacular modern building, the Jewish Museum Berlin (#17) is a must-see. The museum chronicles Jewish history and culture in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The building itself adds to the compelling visitor experience, with its bold zigzag design and occasional empty spaces (called voids) that stretch the full height of the building and symbolize the cultural loss caused by the Holocaust.

In one space, metal discs representing upturned faces make weirdly disturbing sounds as you walk across them. The effect underscores the dehumanization of the Holocaust.

Room of metal discs representing upturned faces in the Jewish Museum
A room in the Jewish Museum
Exterio of the Jewish Museum
Exterior of the Jewish Museum

Stumble Stones (Stolpersteine)

As you walk around Berlin, particularly in the old Jewish quarter north of Museum Island, you’ll come across slightly raised stones set into the sidewalk and polished by the thousands of feet that have walked over them.

Called stumbling stones (#18), each 10-square-centimeter polished brass square is inscribed with the name of an individual or family that once lived in the building you’re passing.

The inscription on each stone begins “Here lived”, followed by the victim’s name, date of birth, and fate: internment, suicide, exile or, most often, deportation and murder.

Dr. Martin Happ and Sophie Happ were deported from their home in 1943 and murdered (ermordet) in Auschwitz.

Over 70,000 stumble stones are laid in sidewalks in more than 1,200 cities and towns across Europe and Russia.

I wanted to stop and read each one as we walked along the streets, but there were so many, it was heart wrenching. The stumble stones have been controversial, but I found them to be moving tributes to people who were going about their daily lives until ensnared by the horrors of fascism.

According to the Guardian, despite their international scope, the Stolpersteine are a grassroots initiative. Local groups – often residents of a street, or schoolchildren working on a project – unite to research the biographies of local victims and to raise the €120 it costs to install each stone.

Museum Pass & Other Tour Options

I recommend purchasing the three-day Museum Pass Berlin. At €29, the pass gets you into 30+ museums in Berlin, including the five Museum Island museums, the German History Museum, the Jewish History Museum, the Gemäldegalerie, and other museums in the Kulturforum area.

Considering admission to each museum on Museum Island costs €10, a Museum Pass makes sense.

The €18 Museum Island Pass saves you money if you tour two or more of the Museum Island museums on one day.

Here are some other tour options in Berlin:

Powered by GetYourGuide

Berlin Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Berlin!

More Berlin

Even after spending a week in Berlin, I hadn’t seen everything I wanted to. Depending on your interests, you’ll find many more museums, lively nightlife, and interesting neighborhoods to wander through.

Although we stayed in the Kreuzberg area in south Berlin, I recommend the trendier and more interesting Prenzlauer Berg in north Berlin. We enjoyed dining out in this area that features older buildings, lots of cool restaurants, and a youthful, neighborhood vibe.

The author at an outdoor cafe in Berlin
Enjoying lunch at a sidewalk café in hip and happenin’ Prenzlauer Berg

Where to Stay in Berlin

For accommodation suggestions in Berlin, see Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks.

Have you been to Berlin? Please share your experiences and tips with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Here are more posts about Germany on Artsy Traveler:

Row os half-timbered houses in Germany. A sign in the corner says "Zimmer Frei" which means "Rooms Free". The picture represents the theme of the post which is accommodation options in Germany.

Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks

Destinations, Germany, Hotel Reviews, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler 1 Comment on Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 05:44 pm

You’ll find accommodations in Germany to be clean and reasonably priced, but not always comfortable.

Get used to single duvets on double beds! For reasons I don’t understand, each person gets their own duvet, and double beds are often two single beds pushed together.

In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in Germany and then list hotels I recommend.

Pinterest graphic with the text "Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks". The picture is of a elaborate wrought-iron balcony on an old style building that has a sign that says "Zimmer frei Room available".

Choosing a Room

To Book or Not to Book?

I book almost all the hotels on my itinerary before I leave home so I know I have somewhere to stay in every location. Then, while traveling, I sometimes alter bookings to follow a new route or in response to hearing about a cool location I hadn’t known about.

TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.

Choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. I mostly use booking.com and trip.com.

Both sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price. I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel.

For example, I’ll select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from, because those locations won’t change.

But overall, stay flexible. I’ve learned that sticking to a rigid itinerary with no-cancellation accommodations can end up costing you a lot more money than you save.

Breakfasts in Germany

In addition to the usual fruits, cereals, and eggs, hotel breakfasts in Germany always include meat, cheese, and a great selection of breads and pastries.

The abundance and quality of some of the buffet breakfasts I’ve seen in Germany defies belief and stomach capacity. Usually, I opt for the hotel breakfast only if it’s included in the room rate.

Breakfast at a typical hotel in Germany
Breakfast with bread, buns, croissants, coffee, and juice

Star Rating

I favor three- or four-star properties that offer amenities I value, such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, and in-room WIFI.

I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters will be very small, with a child-sized shower stall and barely enough room to wedge your suitcase against the wall.

Reviews – Should You Care?

Yes, I think you should pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate review score is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, I usually pass.

Sometimes, the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property is worth the extra money.

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. Check the star rating and realize that a 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star, and proceed accordingly.

TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in Germany and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.

For more tips on finding accommodations, read Six Steps to Making Awesome Accommodation Choices in Europe.

Accommodation Options by City in Germany

To help you plan your travels in Germany, here are my recommendations. I describe properties I’ve stayed in along with a map of some destinations to help you choose additional properties.

Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation.

Berlin

During a week in Berlin, I rented an apartment in the Kreuzberg area. While relatively central and close to a U-Bahn stop, I didn’t find the area as interesting as the Prenzlauer Berg in northern Berlin.

I suggest looking for a small hotel in Prenzlauer Berg or in the Mitte (the historic core). Apartments can be a good choice if you’re staying for several days.

The map below shows accommodation options in Berlin.



Booking.com

Cologne

I stayed close to the river in the area of Cologne that was rebuilt in the old style. I wholeheartedly recommend the Hotel Drei Kronen, a comfortable three-star property. From our room, we enjoyed a panoramic view over the Rhine.

Area near the hotel Drei Kronen in Cologne, a great place to stay in Germany
Area near the Hotel Drei Kronen in Cologne

Have a look at the map below for additional accommodation suggestions in Cologne. I recommend staying by the river.



Booking.com

St. Goar (Sankt Goar)

In St. Goar, I recommend the Hotel Rheinfels, which overlooks the river. The room was large and comfortable, the breakfast excellent, and the proprietor very friendly.

Trier

In Trier, we stayed at the Hotel Estricher Hof on the outskirts of the city and overlooking the Mosel River. I was driving, and didn’t want to navigate the narrow streets of the city.

As it turned out, I drove into Trier for the evening with no problems, so consider a hotel in Trier proper so you can walk to the various sights.

The map below shows other options in Trier.



Booking.com

Nuremberg

We stayed one night in Nuremberg at the TIPTOP Hotel Burgschmiet Garni , located outside the city walls. The room was tiny and the parking tight, but the breakfast was incredible!

If you’re not driving, consider something more quaint and interesting inside the city walls. Nuremberg is a pretty town with lovely views over the river and its fair share of half-timbered houses.



Booking.com

Leipzig

In Leipzig, I loved stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel Leipzig, located across the road from the Gewandhaus concert hall where we attended a Chopin piano concert (sublime!). The hotel was close to the center of Leipzig and easy to drive to.

Our room was enormous, with great views over the city. Usually, we don’t choose chain hotels, but the Radisson was comfortable and stylish.

Here are other options in Leipzig.



Booking.com

Munich

In Munich, I scored an excellent deal at the Hilton Munich Park. Sometimes, you can find surprisingly reasonable rates at Hilton properties. I’m not sure why.

I enjoyed a large room that overlooked the English Garden. The hotel is a 14-minute tram ride from the Marienplatz and includes an indoor pool and possibly the largest breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen in Europe.

Here are other options in Munich.



Booking.com

Tours & Tickets in Germany

Here are some options for tours in Germany through GetYourGuide and Tiqets.com, both companies I’ve booked with several times, and had good experiences.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Share Your Best Picks in Germany

Do you have accommodation recommendations to share? Please let me know in the Comments section. I’m always on the lookout for new places to stay in Germany.

Here are some more posts about Germany:

Exploring Cologne & the Rhine Valley

Destinations, Germany Artsy Traveler 2 Comments on Exploring Cologne & the Rhine Valley

Last updated on April 4th, 2025 at 03:51 pm

Heading for Cologne and the Rhine Valley? You’ll find plenty to see and do in this beautiful corner of Germany.

Visit the Rhine Valley with its castles and charming villages to steep yourself in fairy-tale Germany.

Then, spend a few days enjoying lively Cologne with its awesome cathedral and world-class Roman museum

Finally, hop over to Bonn to visit Beethoven, and then meander up the Mosel to cute Cochem and beyond to Trier.

You can easily spend a week or longer in this scenic area of Germany.

Pinterest graphic with the text EExploring Cologne and the Rhine Valley over a picturesque scene of Bacharach, a small Rhine town.

Cologne & Rhine Valley Highlights at a Glance

Getting Around the Rhine Valley

The Rhine Valley is easiest to enjoy with a car. Distances are short, and the driving isn’t too frantic, although the traffic in Cologne and Bonn can be heavy.

On a recent trip to Bonn, I had to abandon the plan to revisit the Beethoven Museum because it was impossible to find a parking spot!

Public transit is efficient in this area. Take a train from Cologne upriver to Bonn, then another train to St. Goar. From there, take a short Rhine cruise to Bacharach or as far as Bingen. Catch the train back to where you plan to stay (Bacharach and St. Goar are great choices).

If you’re driving and want to experience a short Rhine cruise, stay the night overlooking the river in St. Goar, then catch the K-D Rhine boat to steam upriver to Bacharach.

After checking out this impossibly adorable town, hop on the train for the short trip back to St. Goar.

By boat, the journey from St. Goar to Bacharach along the most scenic stretch of the Rhine Valley takes about an hour. By train, the trip takes about 15 minutes.

Suggested Itinerary

If you’re driving, I suggest spending two nights in Cologne, three nights in Saint Goar or Bacharach to enjoy a Rhine cruise and to explore local castles, and then either two nights in Cochem to explore the Mosel Valley or a visit to Trier with its excellent Roman ruins and charming town center.

If you’re traveling by train, explore Cologne, take the train to Bonn, then continue to St. Goar. Take the boat down the Rhine to Bacharach, stay a night or two, then get back on the boat to travel to Koblenz. From there, catch a train to your next stop in Germany.

Map of the Rhine and Mosel Valleys

Refer to the map below as you plan your Rhine and Mosel itinerary.

Days 1 and 2: Cologne

I really enjoyed Cologne (Köln). Situated on the Rhine River, the city has a walkable old town, an impressive cathedral, a state-of-the-art concert hall and art museum, and one my my favorite Roman museums.

The city was pretty much bombed flat in the war, with most of the city rebuilt in modern style and one neighborhood—the old town a few blocks south of the cathedral—rebuilt in the old style.

I stayed in this area, steps from the walkway bordering the Rhine.

Buildings in Cologne alongside the walkway bordering the Rhine
Buildings in Cologne alongside the walkway bordering the Rhine

On my visit to Cologne, my husband and I were invited to a family birthday party for an artist friend of Gregg’s. Everyone spoke English, and copious glasses of Kölsch were downed (especially by me).

Kölsch is a local beer brewed only in Cologne and served in a tall and skinny 20-cl “Stange” glass. I’m not a huge beer lover, but I did enjoy my (many) glasses of Kölsch at that birthday party.

When you’re in Cologne, make sure you sample a glass or three of Kölsch. Here’s a brewery tour where you can really whet your whistle!

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Cologne Cathedral

If you arrive in Cologne by train, you can’t miss the cathedral. Step out of the station and look up, waaaay up, to see Germany’s largest Gothic cathedral looming above you. During the Second World War, the cathedral was hit by 15 bombs, but, remarkably, the medieval structure more or less held.

Lots of stained glass and a massive 140-foot tall ceiling are gasp-worthy. Entrance is free.

According to Rick Steves, the one-hour English-only tour is “reliably excellent.” It runs Monday to Saturday at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm and on Sundays at 2:30 pm only.

Romano-Germanic Museum

I highly recommend the Romano-Germanic Museum (Römisch-Germanisches Museum). The collections are stunning, in particular the large collection of Roman glass vessels, jewelry, and mosaics.

In addition to Roman artifacts, you’ll see displays chronicling the archaeological heritage of Cologne from the Palaeolithic period to the early Middle Ages.

Museum Ludwig

The sleek, modern building next to the Romano-Germanic Museum is the Museum Ludwig. The museum holds an extensive collection of Pop Art, the third-largest Picasso collection in the world, seminal works from the Russian avant-garde, and an important collection of German Expressionists, including Otto Dix and Oskar Kokoschka.

Kölner Philharmonie

Get tickets for a performance at this modern concert hall located in the same complex as the Romano-Germanic Museum and Museum Ludwig. I visited the box office in the afternoon and purchased tickets for that evening’s performance of symphonic works.

Here are some more things to do in Cologne:

Days 3 to 5: Rhine Valley

Leave Cologne in the morning and head to the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl, about a twenty-minute drive from Cologne on the way to Bonn.

If you’re in the area, stop by to enjoy the excellent collection and lovely grounds.

Gregg Simpson next to a Max Ernst statue on the grounds of the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl
Gregg next to a Max Ernst statue on the grounds of the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl

Pop into Bonn for lunch and a visit to the Beethoven Museum. Here, in the place where the maestro was born, you’ll get a strong Beethoven vibe. This museum is one of the world’s most popular music museums.

The museum features Beethoven’s manuscripts, a music room for regular concerts on historic keyboards, and a special area for temporary exhibits. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

If you’re traveling by train, you’ll easily be able to tour the Beethoven museum before getting back on the train to travel upriver to St. Goar.

Spend two or three nights in one of the towns along the Rhine. We stayed in St. Goar at a place overlooking the river.

An equally adorable choice is the town of Bacharach. I first stayed there when I was 18 in a tiny B & B with the date 1492 carved into the lintel over the door.

St. Goar

Splurge for a place overlooking the bustling Rhine. I spent a lot of time on the balcony of the riverside hotel, watching the little car ferry go back and forth across the rushing river.

The ferry set off bravely from the St. Goar side to be gripped seconds later in the watery clutches of a ferocious current. With a tremendous burst of power, the ferry turned 360 degrees across the river in a graceful arc and docked on the other side.

Every time the ferry crossed, we held our breath thinking it wouldn’t make it. Hours of fun!

St. Goar ferry crossing the Rhine against a swift current.

The big attraction in St. Goar is the Rheinfels Castle (Burg Rheinfels). Its grey and turreted bulk broods on a hill high above St. Goar.

Some consider it the best of the Rhine Valley castles. On a sunny day, the view is spectacular. If you visit, leave a comment below and let other Artsy Travelers know what you think.

Rhine Boat Trip

Go down to the dock for the Koln-Dusseldorfer (K-D) line and purchase a ticket to take you to Bacharach. You can check schedules and pre-purchase tickets online.

Buy the ticket that includes your train trip back to St. Goar. If the weather’s fine, sit on the open top deck and watch the castles go by.

On the day I took the cruise, the misty, drizzly weather was very Germanic-romantic.

Carol Cram & Gregg Simpson on the deck of the K-D Rhine boat on the Rhine River.
Enjoying our cruise down the Rhine on a damp April day

On the stretch between St. Goar and Bacharach, you’ll pass the famous Lorelei Rock, a sheet of slate towering over the narrowest point of the Rhine. You’ll hear the legend on the boat, so I won’t spoil it!

The boat provides indoor seating if the weather is iffy, and hot drinks and snacks are available.

Bacharach

What a cute town! Wander around the cobbled streets, admire the half-timbered houses, do a spot of shopping, eat a meal, and chill.

Aerial view of Bacharach from Postenturm, Germany

The castle on the hill overlooking Bacharach is a youth hostel and hosts a medieval music evening. Check local schedules for performance times.

Costumed performers showcase medieval instruments, and at the end of the performance a large portion of the audience gets up to shuffle through a guided version of an old German folk dance. I had a ball!

The Rhine Valley includes many more castles and the charming towns of Bingen (of Hildegard von Bingen fame) and Koblenz. Here’s an option for a tour that includes a cruise on the Rhine:

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Days 6 and 7: The Mosel Valley & Trier

After exploring the Rhine Valley, consider traveling a bit farther southwest to the Mosel Valley. Wine from super-steep vineyards is the thing here. Drive along the twisting Mosel River, visit Burg Eltz, and stay in Cochem.

Burg Eltz is a medieval castle in the hills above the Mosel River
Burg Eltz is a medieval castle in the hills above the Mosel River.

Burg Eltz is one of the superstars of German castles. Set in the middle of a forest, the castle is every kid’s dream of a foreboding fortress preparing to defend itself against marauding bandits.

The castle is over 850 years old and is largely intact, with the same family owning and caring for it since it was built. Tour sumptuously decorated rooms containing many original furnishings and check out the Treasury and Armory.

Another highlight of the castle is its location in the Eltz Forest, a nature reserve intersected with numerous hiking trails.

The castle gets crowded during the middle of the day, so consider visiting in the early morning or after about 3 pm when the tour busses start to trundle away. The castle will reopen on April 1, 2020.

Cochem

Cochem boasts a gorgeous castle (the Reichsburg Cochem) and lots of narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses. It’s pretty darned cute and a good place to stay while exploring the Mosel Valley and sampling the local wine.

Row of houses on the river in Cochem, Germany
The lovely town of Cochem

Have you stayed in Cochem? Share your experience with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Trier

If you’re into Roman ruins, drive a little farther to Trier, which is Germany’s oldest city and the birthplace of Karl Marx.

The town center in lovely Trier

When I was in Trier in 2018, the town was about to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx on May 5, 1818. A hot item in the stores was a yellow rubber duckie decked out like Karl Marx, complete with beard, a copy of Das Kapital clutched under one wing, and a quill pen in the other.

Photo Credit: Vaaju.com

I wonder how the father of socialism would have felt seeing his birth so celebrated. On the other hand, I’m sorry I didn’t buy one.

Where to Stay in the Rhine Valley

In Cologne, I stayed at the Hotel Drei Kronen very close to the river and rebuilt after the war in the old style. I had a view of the Rhine from my window.

In St. Goar, treat yourself to the Hotel Rheinfels overlooking the Rhine. The room was spacious with a balcony and a great breakfast.

In Trier, the Hotel Estricher Hof on the outskirts of the city is a good choice for drivers.

Cologne Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Cologne!

Conclusion

Have you traveled to Cologne and the Rhine Valley? Share your tips and suggestions for other Artsy Travelers in the Comments below.

More posts about Germany:

Take a Cooking Class in Paris

Activities, Arts & Culture, Destinations, France Artsy Traveler 3 Comments on Take a Cooking Class in Paris

Last updated on January 16th, 2025 at 01:36 am

Have you considered taking a cooking class while traveling in France? Paris is the place for cooking classes, but you’ll also find classes in other French cities such as Lyon.

Several years ago, guest poster Liz Reding moved with her husband Michael to France and settled in the charming city of Lyon. Every few months, she and Michael take trips to explore different areas in Europe.

Picture of Liz Reding, the guest poster with a meal in Spain
Guest poster Liz Reding enjoying paella in Spain; Photo credit: Liz Reding

One of the things Liz likes to do when she travels around Europe from her new French home is to take cooking classes. 

Here’s what Liz has to say about taking cooking classes in Paris and Lyon.

Cooking in France by Liz Reding

Is cooking art? If you’ve ever seen a great chef at work or eaten a beautifully plated meal, I think you’ll agree that cooking is an art form.

Maybe you love to cook, maybe you don’t … but you have to eat, right? So, doesn’t it make sense to spend time perfecting your cooking skills?

Some might say, YES… but not while I’m on vacation. I say, YES, especially while I’m on vacation! 

The quality of the local produce, cheese, seafood, and meat in French markets is outstanding. When you take a class taught by a local chef at a cooking school, you learn how to use local ingredients to prepare regional favorites.

Cooking Classes in Paris

Thanks to the ongoing popularity of French cuisine and French cooking, several culinary schools offer short-duration classes designed for travelers.

Paris is the undisputed center for cooking classes in France. Consider spending a morning or an evening taking a class. You’ll meet interesting people and learn new skills and cooking methods.

Several kinds of cooking classes are available in Paris. In some classes, you focus on how to make specific dishes, such as macarons or baguettes, while in others, you cook several dishes which you then enjoy along with a glass or two of wine.

The Market Class

My favorite type of cooking class is the Market Class. 

Choose a market class that starts early in the morning and includes lunch or one that starts later in the afternoon and includes dinner.

You’ll start a market class by meeting up with the chef at a local outdoor market. With the help of the chef, you’ll choose whatever is seasonally available and then return to the kitchen to start cooking. 

Several hours later, you’ll sit down to the wonderful three-course lunch or dinner that you and your classmates prepared. A glass or two of wine is often included, along with wine-tasting tips.

In some market classes, the chef decides ahead of time what you’ll make. You pick up the ingredients and then head to the cooking school to start learning and cooking. No surprises! 

Seafood in a Paris market; photo credit: Liz Reding

Other classes take more of a let’s see what we can find approach. You go to the market with the chef and see what’s fresh.

Will it be crayfish or lamb? New asparagus or an oozing camembert? Fresh tomatoes from Provence or foie gras from the Dordogne?

The chef accompanies you around the stalls and helps you make the selections.

Either type of class is a wonderful experience, but the laissez-faire version is more exciting and a test of the chef’s ability to create a yummy menu on the fly. 

If you have a food allergy or other dietary restrictions, let the chef know. He or she will either tell you how to modify the recipe or will provide an alternative.  

Recommendations in Paris & Lyon

I’ve taken four cooking classes in Paris (a baguette-making class and three market classes) as well as in Lyon, France, where I live. All the classes were conducted in English.

In the French baguette class, I learned an important lesson—read the reviews of the cooking class before you sign up! Two of the three ovens weren’t working which made the experience less enjoyable than it could have been.

Fresh baguettes made in the baguette class; Photo credit: Liz Reding

Nevertheless, I did learn how to make baguettes the old-fashioned way by smacking the dough against a granite surface. In my kitchen at home, I was able to adapt the baguette recipe and make it in my mixer with a dough hook. The results were fabulous!

Some of the cooking techniques I learned in cooking classes were fun but not useful. For example, I learned how to strain potatoes through a screen, but why would I want to? 

No matter what type of class you take or where you take it, you’ll always learn new techniques and new recipes. And at the end of the class, you can relax and enjoy the meal you helped make, often with people from around the world.

Paris Cooking Classes

Here are the three cooking schools I attended in Paris. Typically, a cooking class that includes a meal costs between €150 and €200 per person. Some cooking schools offer group rates. If you’re traveling with a group, you may be able to save money by booking a private class.

Cook’n with Class – Market class

La Cuisine – Baguette class

Le Foodist – Market class

Lyon Cooking Class

Plum Lyon – Market class

I highly recommend adding a cooking class to your itinerary.

If you’re really into cooking classes, consider going on a cooking retreat. Plenty of options are available in places such as Tuscany and Provence.

About Liz Reding

Liz Reding is a retired computer textbook author who lives in Lyon, France. Born in Manhattan and having lived in Boston and New Mexico (Santa Fe and Albuquerque), she and her husband are discovering the joys of traveling and exploring the world. She enjoys learning French, cycling, and cooking nutritious meals. 

Conclusion

Have you taken a cooking class while traveling? You can find them all over the world! I took a cooking class in Rome that I write about in Cooking in Roma with InRome Cooking.

Share your experiences in the comments below.

And here’s some more inspiration for cooking classes in Japan, Morocco, and Madrid.

Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks

Destinations, Portugal, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler 3 Comments on Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:44 pm

I don’t think we’ve ever stayed in a bad place in Portugal. Hotels and apartments have been comfortable, reasonably priced, and well located.

In Portugal, you can choose to stay in a palace such as the Palace Hotel do Bussaco located north of Coimbra and pictured above. I haven’t stayed there, but if you have, please share your experience in the Comments section. The Palace Hotel do Bussaco is a 5-star hotel housed in the hunting palace of the last Portuguese kings. It looks amazing!

In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in Portugal and then list hotels I recommend.

Pinterest graphic with the text where to stay in portugal my best picks over a castle-like hotel relfected in a pond with a swan swimming past.

Choosing a Room

To Book or Not to Book?

I book almost my hotels before I leave home so I know I have somewhere to stay in every location on my itinerary. Then, while traveling, I sometimes change bookings to follow a new route or in response to hearing about a cool location I hadn’t known about.

TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.

Choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. Most sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price. I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel. For example, I will select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from, because I know those locations won’t change.

But overall, stay flexible. I’ve learned that sticking to a rigid itinerary with no-cancellation accommodations can end up costing more money than you save.

Breakfasts

In addition to the usual fruits, cereals, and eggs, hotel breakfasts in Portugal pretty much always include the wonderfully creamy Portuguese egg tarts called Pastéis de Nata. Save money by picking up some tarts at the local bakery or going out to a café to enjoy a few with your morning coffee.

Plate of Portuguese egg tarts
Pastéis de nata (custard tarts), traditional Portuguese pastry

Pousadas

Consider spending a few nights at one of Portugal’s historical pousadas. Similar to the paradors in Spain, the Portuguese pousadas are government-run properties selected for their historical and artistic merit or their location in a beautiful landscape.

Some pousadas are converted castles or palaces. The pousada experience can be pricey but worthwhile and interesting. You can book pousadas on booking.com.

Below is a picture of the Pousada Castelo de Alvito in Portugal, a 15th- century castle in the village of Alvito east of Lisbon. It looks awesome. I haven’t stayed there. Have you? Let me know in the Comments section!

Pousada Castelo de Alvito in Portugal
Pousada Castelo de Alvito in Portugal

Star Rating

I favor three- or four-star properties because I appreciate amenities such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, and in-room WIFI.

I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters will be small, with a child-sized shower stall and barely enough room to wedge your suitcase against the wall.

Reviews – Should You Care?

Yes, I pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate score is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, I usually pass. Sometimes the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property makes the extra money worth spending.

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. Check the star rating, keep in mind that a 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star, and proceed accordingly.

TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in Portugal and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.

For more tips on finding accommodations, read Six Steps to Making Awesome Accommodation Choices in Europe.

Accommodation Options by Region

To help you plan your travels in Portugal, here are my recommendations. For each destination, I describe properties I’ve stayed in and provide a map to help you choose additional properties.

Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation with booking.com.

Lisbon

Downtown Lisbon is expensive. On our most recent trip in 2019, we stayed in the Vincci Baixa, close to the Praça do Comércio. The location was perfect. We could walk everywhere in downtown Portugal and were only about two blocks from the plaza and its many outdoor cafés. The room was small but with four-star appointments befitting the price. The Vincci chain offers reliable premium accommodation. I’d stay there again.

On our extended stay in Lisbon when Gregg had an exhibition there, we rented an apartment in the Alfama district. The interior of the apartment had been beautifully renovated and included a tiny terrace with a view over Lisbon. On another trip, we rented an apartment in the Bairro Alto area. The apartment was huge and well-appointed, but the neighborhood was rough.

In Lisbon, splurge on a place in the super-central Baixa-Chiado area. You want to be able to walk as much as possible in this very walkable city.

Check the map below for other accommodation options in Lisbon.



Booking.com

Central and North Portugal

Porto

In Porto, we chose the Douro Apartments Rivertop and were thoroughly satisfied. The gorgeously renovated studio apartment on the fourth floor of an old, narrow building overlooked a panoramic view of the Douro River. A carafe of port was left for us on the table, and every morning, a basket filled with breakfast items, including my favorite pastéis de nata (custard tarts), was delivered to our door.

If you’re driving into Porto, do not try to drive to the office where you pick up the keys for the Douro Apartments Rivertop.

Park the car in the large car park on Rua do Infante d. Henrique (the main drag as you drive into lower Porto). The car park is called Parque estacionamento SABA – Infante.

view over Porto rooftops to the Douro River.
View from the window of the Douro Apartments Rivertop

Have a look at the map below for additional accommodation suggestions in Porto. I recommend staying by the river. You’ll have to walk uphill to reach some of the sites in Porto, but you’ll be close to the restaurants lining the riverside and just across the river from Gaia where you can go for a spot of port-tasting.



Booking.com

Coimbra

We stayed at the Vila Gale Coimbra, a modern property overlooking the Mondego River in Coimbra. The location was convenient for drivers and the rooms comfortable.

Here are other options in Coimbra.



Booking.com

Figueira da Foz

We splashed out for the Eurostars Oasis Plaza Hotel, a brand new modern hotel dubbed “The Titanic” by the locals. At least, that’s what the friends we visited in Figueira da Foz told us. The rooms are spacious and the view over the Atlantic stunning. The location right across the street from one of the main beaches is excellent.

Algarve

Tavira

In Tavira, we stayed in the hills at a gorgeous country house called Herdade da Corte Lodging. The place is perfect for drivers because it’s 15 kilometers from Tavira. The large room had rustic décor and a sloped, wooden ceiling. When we stayed, dinner was served, which was great, because there weren’t any restaurants nearby, and we didn’t have a car.

Luz

The Aparthotel Vila Luz was a great find just outside the village of Luz. The large suite included a terrace overlooking the ocean. We did our share of lazing by the pool and enjoying the buffet breakfast. The village of Luz was a scenic ten-minute walk along the top of the cliff.

Alentejo

Évora

The 4-star Albergaria Do Calvario, just inside the city walls in Évora, was a worthwhile splurge. Housed in a 16th-century olive oil mill, the hotel featured bright, airy guest rooms and suites, decorated with local art. We loved this place!

Here are other options in Évora.



Booking.com

Estremoz

In all our travels, one of our favorite country hotels is the Monte da Fornalha, located a few kilometers outside Estremoz. Surrounded by cork trees and cows, the rural property has simple rooms, fabulous breakfasts, and a tiled pool that, even on the hottest days in July, was refreshing enough to raise goosebumps. If you’re in the Estremoz area, consider staying here for a few days to totally relax and soak up the Alentejo beauty.

Tours & Tickets in Portugal

Here are some options to explore through GetYourGuide and Tiqets.com, both companies I’ve booked with several times, and had good experiences.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Share Your Best Picks in Portugal

Do you have accommodation recommendations to share? Please let me know in the Comments section. I’m always on the lookout for new places to stay in Portugal.

Here are some more posts about Portugal:

Breathtaking rocky coastline of the Algarve with turquoise waters and dramatic cliffs, a scenic detour for travelers extending their Andalusia itinerary to Southern Portugal.

Best Tips for Exploring the Algarve & Alentejo in Portugal

Destinations, Portugal Artsy Traveler 2 Comments on Best Tips for Exploring the Algarve & Alentejo in Portugal

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:44 pm

The Algarve gets a lot of attention as a primo travel destination, and it’s worth a visit, but for my money, the Alentejo region is more interesting from an artsy perspective.

I recommend you include both regions in your Portugal itinerary.

Visit the Algarve to explore spectacular scenery and bask on some of Europe’s best beaches.

In the Alentejo, experience the “Tuscany of Portugal” — hill towns, ancient megaliths, and amazing food.

Travel blog cover image featuring a natural cave with sunlight streaming through, titled 'Exploring Southern Portugal: My Best Tips,' ideal for combining with an Andalusia itinerary.

Map of Portugal

Check the map below to get your bearings when planning your trip to the Algarve and Alentejo.

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

Algarve

The Algarve—holiday central—stretches along the southern coast of Portugal from the Spanish border in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

If spectacular scenery and sun ‘n fun are your thing, then include two or three days in your itinerary for chillin’ on a beach in the Algarve.

I suggest dropping in to Tavira (#1) in the east and then scooting along the highway to the western Algarve (or the other way around). I’ve spent more time in the western Algarve than the eastern, because the scenery is more gorgeous the farther west you go.

Eastern Algarve

The charming town of Tavira is worth a stop during your exploration of the Algarve. The town straddles the Gilão River and is close to long, sandy beaches and salt pans that attract flamingos, spoonbills, and other wading birds.

The Roman bridge makes for a great photo op, and the cathedral is worth popping into. Although a holiday town, Tavira feels much calmer and laid-back than other parts of the Algarve.

Roman Bridge spanning the river at Tavira in the eastern Algarve
View of Tavira in the eastern Algarve

Western Algarve

The western Algarve from the town of Lagos (#2) to the southwest tip of Portugal at Sagres is the least touristy and least crowded part of the Algarve. That said, it doesn’t feel particularly Portuguese. I think we were in the area for two days before we heard anyone speaking a language other than English, Dutch or German.

The big attraction in the Western Algarve is the scenery—rugged red rocks, secret coves, sea caves, and aqua ocean stretching south to Africa. We visited in July, and the weather was perfect, with a breeze always cooling us off.

Rocks and ocean near Lagos in southern Portugal
Beach near Lagos – Algarve region in Portugal

Luz

Find a town west of Lagos to settle into. We chose Luz (#3), a pretty town with a sandy beach, an attractive boardwalk, and a few good restaurants. The town also has a couple of British pubs, a sweet little church, and fabulously rugged cliffs.

You won’t find a whole heck of a lot to do in Luz apart from going for walks and lying on the beach or by the pool. But that’s why you visit, so take a break from sightseeing and lather on the sunscreen.

The Aparthotel Villa Luz, about a ten-minute walk along the cliff top from Luz, is a good choice—a spacious, breezy holiday apartment complex with a bar, a pool, and good breakfasts.

Lagos

Make time on one of your ‘relaxing’ days for a boat trip to see the incredible cliffs that have made the Algarve famous.

Several options are available—from large cruisers to teeny runabouts. We went for the teeny runabout.

Along with a couple from San Diego, we clambered into a small boat steered by a guide who was full of jokes and good humor. Once out of Lagos Harbor, he swung the boat to the right and headed for the cliffs.

The area buzzed with tour boats but didn’t feel crowded. Because we were in a small boat, we were able to enter many of the caves carved into the porous red rocks. The jade green water inside the caves is crystal clear and heavenly.

Gregg Simpson on a boat tour near Lagos in southern Portugal
Gregg enjoying the cliffs and caves on a boat trip near Lagos

Ask at your hotel about local boat tours, check brochures, and look online for options. I recommend going with a small boat so that you can venture into the caves. We enjoyed every minute of our trip.

Sagres

The southwest tip of Portugal is stunning and, in recent years, has been well-discovered by visitors. If you’re looking for a change of scenery from wherever you’ve chosen to home-base in the western Algarve, consider spending an afternoon on one of Sagres’ windswept beaches.

This area of the western Algarve is popular with surfers. In fact, Sagres (#4) is widely known as a surfing town. I enjoyed watching the surfers kitted out in black wetsuits paddling out to the rolling swells then jumping up and riding back in before wiping out.

Dip your toes into the crashing waves and you’ll realize why the surfer dudes wear wetsuits. The water’s freezing!

You won’t find much in the way of artsy attractions in Sagres. Go for the beaches, the scenery, and the surfing (or at least to watch the surfing).

Here’s a 360-degree view of the scene on a beach at Sagres.

The dramatic Sagres Fortress (Fortaleza de Sagres) is worth a quick look. Stroll the 1.5 kilometer cliffside walk inside the fortress, then check out the lighthouse and Henry the Navigator’s large wind compass (rosados ventos).

Tours of the Algarve

Here are some tours of the Algarve with GetYourGuide.

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Tickets for Algarve Attractions

Purchase tickets for Algarve attractions with Tiquets.com

Alentejo

Visit the Alentejo (#5) to enjoy the “Tuscany of Portugal”. Like its Italian cousin, the Alentejo is famous for great food, beautiful countryside, medieval hill towns, olive oil, and wine.

The Alentejo hill towns are whitewashed and dazzling under the hot, blue sky, and the Alentejo has something that Tuscany does not—hectares and hectares of cork forests.

Cork has to be one of nature’s most amazing substances. We went crazy for cork on our first visit to the region and bought several items made from it.

Cork tree forest in the Alentejo in Portugal
A plantation of cork oaks in Portugal

TIP: Buy cork items in places such as Évora rather than waiting to do your shopping in Lisbon. Prices are lower, and the selection is much greater. Good options are handbags and purses, glasses cases, toiletry bags, and hats made from cork. You can even buy a cork umbrella. Cork items are lightweight and easy to pack, perfect to take home as gifts.

The first time we visited Portugal, we bought a cork item for every person on our holiday gift list.

Évora

Home-base in Évora (#6), the largest town in the region with the most to see. The main square includes the remains of the Roman temple known as Templo de Diana. The temple is well preserved and extraordinarily evocative, particularly when photographed against the brilliant blue sky.

Don’t miss the Cathedral of Évora, the largest cathedral in Portugal. I wasn’t able to visit it nor the Chapel of Bones when we were in Évora, but both look interesting.

The Chapel of Bones is a 16th-century chapel decorated with the bones and skulls of over 5,000 corpses. Sounds cheerful.

If you’ve been to the cathedral or the chapel, please add a comment below and tell me about your experience.

Gastronomic Tourism

The Alentejo is famous for its excellent cuisine. Go on a wine-tasting tour, sample local olive oils, and eat at least one meal featuring the region’s famous black pork.

Évora boasts several excellent restaurants. Consider eating at Fialho Restaurant—one of Évora’s most historic and famous restaurants that put Alentejo cuisine on the map. We enjoyed one of our best meals ever at Fialho.

A few kilometers out of town is the Almendres Cromlech, the largest megalithic complex on the Iberian Peninsula. I describe it in more detail in the Artsy Sightseeing section of the Portugal page.

Spend an afternoon driving around the area to see evidence of a civilization that flourished millenia ago.

Almendres megalithic enclosure near Evora in Portugal
The Almendres megalithic enclosure is the largest megalithic monument in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in the world.

Estremoz

We have a soft spot for this beautiful Alentejo hill town, because Gregg had an exhibition there a few years ago. The town still feels authentic and not at all touristy.

Gregg and me at the opening of his exhibition in Estremoz

Visit the Museu Municipal Prof. Joaquim Vermelho to see a marvelous collection of local crafts dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Of note are the handcrafted clay figurines called the Bonecos de Estremoz.

The figurines are dressed in the regional outfits of the Alentejo and reflect the spirit, humor, work, and traditions of the region. The craftsmanship of these clay figures was recently added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

White-washed church in Estremoz, Portugal
Location of Gregg’s exhibition in Estremoz (#7): the poster is on the wall

Where to Stay in the Algarve and Alentejo

For accommodation suggestions in Tavira, the western Algarve, Évora, and Estremoz, see  Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks.

Have you toured the Algarve and Alentejo? Let us know your experience in the comments.

Here are more posts about Portugal on Artsy Traveler:

Best of North & Central Portugal for the Artsy Traveler

Destinations, Portugal Artsy Traveler 1 Comment on Best of North & Central Portugal for the Artsy Traveler

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:44 pm

There’s lots to see as you travel north from Lisbon along the Atlantic coast in central Portugal to Porto and the Spanish border.

Spend most of your time in Porto but spare a few days getting there via Óbidos, Nazaré, and Coimbra.

This post presents my best tips for touring central and northern Portugal.

Pinterest graphic with the text touring central & northern portugla my best tips over a picture of Porto t hat includes the river.

Exploring the Atlantic Coast

Drive north from Lisbon or west from Évora in the Alentejo to the Atlantic coast. Drop by the cute little town of Óbidos and watch the massive waves pound the coast around Nazaré. Head north to Figueira da Foz and inland to Coimbra, then explore Porto and points beyond.

Óbidos 

Stop first in enchanting little Óbidos, about an hour north of Lisbon. This fine example of a Portuguese walled town was presented by King Afonso II to the Queen of Portugal on their wedding day in 1210. Now, that’s a wedding present that beats a blender any day.

Town of Obidos in Portugal
Lovely town of Óbidos in Portugal

The town is achingly sweet, with its cobbled streets, white-washed houses trimmed in bright yellow and blue, and a Moorish castle that is now a pousada. A Portuguese pousada is like a Spanish parador—a building of historical significance renovated for use as a hotel. You’ll find pousadas throughout Portugal.

Nazaré

This beautiful town scrambles up the hill above a long, sandy beach jam-packed with candy-striped bathing tents. Fishing traditions are strong here, and you’ll see female fishmongers wearing the traditional seven petticoats (although I didn’t ask to count them).

Striped tents on the beach at Nazare
Striped tents on the beach at Nazaré

We got a kick out of watching ancient widows dressed in black, looking like they’d just stepped out of the 19th century, talking on cell phones.

A major attraction on the coast close to Nazaré is its world-class surfing. The Nazaré Canyon is a submarine geomorphological phenomenon that contributes to the formation of perfect giant waves. Champion surfers ride waves up to 30 meters high at Praia do Norte.

Standing on the beach to watch the waves crash is a sobering reminder of the power of nature.

I suggest staying the night in Nazaré so you can enjoy a fish dinner in one of the restaurants facing the beach.

Figueira da Foz

This town is wonderfully far off the tourist track, but we’ve visited a few times because we have friends there. I like it because I’ve never run into a visitor from anywhere other than Portugal and, occasionally, France.

The beach is massive, sandy, and windy. In the old town, you’ll find authentic restaurants and a lively bar scene.

We visited the Museu Municipal Santos Rocha, a modern art complex consisting of several airy galleries. Highlights include a wonderful archeological collection featuring Roman coins as well as displays of objects from former Portuguese colonies in Africa.

Check the website for Figueira da Foz to see what’s on at the Museu Municipal Santos Rocha and elsewhere in the city.

Coimbra

In medieval times, Coimbra was the capital of Portugal. The historic center, with its old cobbled streets, dates from Moorish times.

The big attraction is the University of Coimbra, Portugal’s oldest and most prestigious university—the Oxford of Portugal. Originally founded in 1290 in Lisbon, the university is one of the oldest in the world. It was permanently relocated to Coimbra in 1537.

Entrance to the library at the University of Coimbra
Entrance to the library at the University of Coimbra

Stand in the middle of the vast Pátio das Escolas to appreciate the surrounding buildings, most dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Buy tickets to explore the buildings, particularly the magnificent old library. You’ll likely be guided by students wearing the traditional black cloaks that look as though they’ve stepped out of a Harry Potter movie.

In the evening, attend a fado concert. The Cultural House àCapella – Fado Center features a nightly show starting at 9:30 pm. The center is housed in a 14th-century chapel and includes a bar and tapas service.

Porto

In recent years, Porto has become the place to visit in Portugal. People describe it as the cool and funky place that Lisbon used to be.

I get that. On our visit in 2019, Porto reminded me of Lisbon of ten years ago when it hadn’t yet been gussied up with souvenir shops and fresh coats of paint.

View of Porto from across the Douro River
View of Porto from across the Douro River

However, Porto has been discovered, and its funkiness likely will be slowly gentrified. See it soon!

The city tumbles down a series of steep streets to the Douro River. We stayed a few steps from the river in the thick of the action, and it was marvelous!

Throngs of tourists crowd the walkway alongside the river while tour boats whisk sightseers upriver to the Douro Valley.

Exploring Porto

The attraction of Porto is the city itself–the narrow old houses, some covered in blue and white tiles, the relaxed atmosphere, and the many staircases!

Old houses in Porto
Old houses in Porto

Trudge up to the Church of Sao Francisco to view the fabulous tilework. Then attend a fado concert at the Casa da Guitarra that features a spectacular female singer and includes a glass of port. Highly recommended!

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Crossing the River to Gaia

Take the launch from Porto across the river to Gaia to visit the port warehouses. Old-fashioned port boats that transport the casks of port downriver from the vineyards are moored in front of the warehouses.

Sample a few glasses of port, admire the view of Porto, then walk back across the river via the Dom Luis Bridge.

Cork boats moored on the Douro River in Porto
Cork boats moored on the Douro River in Porto

Port wine shows up frequently in Porto. In addition to the glass of port included with our ticket to the fado concert, we received a glass of port at the Picasso exhibition and had a decanter of port left for us at our rental apartment. They’re nuts about port in Porto.

Find a place along the river for dinner. The quality of the restaurants varies, with some being excellent and others not so much. But the service at every restaurant we went to in the area was friendly and efficient, and the views were unbeatable.

North of Porto

Consider adding a few days to your trip to head north to the interesting town of Guimarães, regarded as the birthplace of Portugal and home to several historic buildings and an ancient castle. Also check out Braga, the third largest city in Portugal. Visit the Bom Jesus do Monte, a church famous for its stunning baroque staircase that depicts the ascent to heaven.

Bom Jesus do Monte staircase in Braga
Bom Jesus do Monte staircase in Braga

Another option is to explore the beautiful Douro Valley to the east, with its vineyards and rolling hills.  

Here are two tours to consider.

Keep going north and you’ll end up in Spain, where green and gorgeous Galicia awaits.

Where to Stay in Central and Northern Portugal

For accommodation suggestions in Nazaré, Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, and Porto, see  Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks.

Have you traveled in central and northern Portugal? Share your tips and suggestions with other Artsy Travelers!

Here are some more posts about Portugal:

Plaza in Lisbon with wavy lines in the pavement

How to Spend Three Amazing Days in Lisbon

Destinations, Portugal Artsy Traveler 2 Comments on How to Spend Three Amazing Days in Lisbon

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:44 pm

Thinking of visiting Lisbon?

It’s a beautiful city that deserves a stay of at least two or three nights. You want to be able to enjoy Lisbon at night when the crowds dissipate and the sounds of Fado waft from cafes in the Alfama and Bairro Alto.

Ideally, stay three nights so you have one full day to explore Lisbon and another day for a trip out to magical Sintra.

In this post, I share my suggestions for enjoying Lisbon.

Pinterest graphic with the text "Three Amazing Days in Lisbon" over a picture of the Praça do Comércio in central Lisbon.

Lisbon Highlights at a Glance

Overview

Most of your Lisbon sightseeing will be concentrated in the three adjacent and historic Lisbon neighborhoods.

Imagine you’re facing downtown Lisbon with your back to the Tagus River (Rio Tejo).

The Bairro Alto is on the hill to your left; the Baixa-Chiado district (or just Baixa), with its orderly grid of streets is in the center; and the twisty lanes of the ancient Moorish district of the Alfama crawl up the hill to your right, crowned by the Castelo São Jorge.

By basing yourself in one of these three districts, you can walk almost everywhere. When you get tired of walking, hail a taxi (not expensive in Lisbon) or hop on one of the historic trams.

They clatter and shudder up the steep hills and, although packed with fellow tourists, are a lot of fun to ride at least once.

Take the metro or a bus out to the Gulbenkian and to the Belém district, and catch the train to Sintra from the Rossio train station at Praça Rossio.

Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon

If you’re arriving in Lisbon after a driving tour around Portugal, drop you car at the airport and take a taxi into Lisbon. Avoid driving in Lisbon. The streets are very narrow and the hills very steep.

I suggest booking a hotel in the central Baixa-Chiado district. I’ve stayed in all three districts, but I most enjoyed staying in the Baixa because it is the most central of the three districts. The Vincci Baixa where I stayed is only about a block from the massive Praça do Comércio with its breezy outdoor cafés and stunning views of the Tagus River.

Alfama

Walk to the Alfama district, tour the Fado Museum, then climb the narrow streets to the Castelo São Jorge. You’ll be rewarded with great views over Lisbon.

The streets and houses in the ancient Alfama have retained some of their old world charm, but the area feels cleaned up, and the atmosphere has changed over the ten years since we first visited Lisbon.

In 2010 when I stayed for a week at an apartment in the Alfama, a rooster was tethered to a leash a few meters from our front door, salted cod hung in the windows of tiny grocery stores, and I never saw a souvenir shop.

On my last visit post-COVID, the Alfama swarmed with tourists, the salted cod was a memory, and souvenir shops abounded.

Rooster in the street in the old Alfama in Lisbon
Rooster in the street in the old Alfama

It wasn’t an improvement.

But go for a wander through the area anyway. If you visit towards the end of the day when the crowds have thinned, you’ll get a bit of the Moorish/Medieval vibe.

Lisboa Story Center

After spending time in the Alfama, walk into the Praça do Comércio, and check out the Lisboa Story Center. It’s open until 8 pm (last entry at 7 pm), making it a great early evening stop.

Buy tickets and an audio guide ahead of time to skip the lines. The Lisboa Story Center can get crowded.

Yes, it’s touristy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the interactive displays chronicling the history of Lisbon. You don an audio headset and take a 60-minute journey back in time. The displays are engaging and interesting.

For part of the journey, you enter a sensory theater to experience the 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon. I was also intrigued by the displays about the Carnation Revolution of 1974 and the making of modern-day Portugal.

Evening of Day 1

Enjoy dinner in one of the outdoor cafés in the Praça do Comércio, then stroll up the wide avenues of the Baixa to the Praça do Rossio, the central square with its wonderful wavy brickwork. Stop for a drink and watch Lisbon go by.

Looking toward Lisbon from the massive Praça do Comércio
Looking toward Lisbon from the massive Praça do Comércio

Day 2: All Day in Lisbon

If you’re staying in the Baixa, skip the expensive hotel breakfast and grab a coffee and a croissant at an outdoor café.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Head out early to enjoy a morning of fabulous art at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. This place blows me away! Take the metro (blue and red line) to S. Sebastião.

Get your tickets online in advance to avoid waiting in line.

The Gulbenkian features a spectacular collection of sculptures, paintings, jewelry, furniture, and other objets d’art from Egyptian times to the present.

Another attraction is the 7.5-hectare park surrounding the buildings that make up the foundation.

Belém 

From downtown Lisbon, head to Belém on either the E15 tram or the 728 bus. It will drop you in front of the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos.

Several of Lisbon’s iconic tourist attractions, as well as great views of the Tejo Estuary, are located in the stylish Belém district in west Lisbon. This area has enough attractions to fill a day, but with only an afternoon, here’s what I suggest you see, in this order.

Mosteiro dos Jeronimos

Tour this ornate UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s one of the foremost examples of the Manueline architecture and one of Portugal’s most decorative churches.

See lots of spindly columns and fine stonework that remind me of icing sugar decorations on a wedding cake. The huge, two-level cloister is worth seeing. This place gets mobbed with tourists so buy your tickets in advance. Here’s an option that also includes a tour of Belém:

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Berardo Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Located close to the Jeronimos Monastery, this new museum was touted as the most visited museum in Portugal, according to The Art Newspaper.

The Berardo Museum presents the most significant artistic movements from the 20th century to the present day. Artists include Picasso, Duchamp, Mondrian, Miró, Ernst, and Bacon.

Two Iconic Monuments

When you’re in Belém, you can’t miss the two monuments that everyone comes to see: the iconic Belém Tower (Torre Belém) and the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos).

The Belém Tower is one of Lisbon’s most photographed sites. The Tower was built in the 16th century to protect the coast from attackers.

Stroll along the river to the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), a striking, modern structure rebuilt in 1960 to celebrate 33 prominent figures in Portugal’s Age of Discoveries, including Henry the Navigator. A great photo op!

The Belem Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, a historic waterfront structure with Gothic and Romanesque architecture, standing in the Tagus River against a soft sunrise or sunset.
Belém Tower
The Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument in Lisbon, Portugal, displaying a detailed sculpture of historical figures looking forward, symbolizing the Age of Exploration, under a partly cloudy sky.
Monument to the Discoveries

And, if you have time, sample the famous pastéis de nata at the Pastéis de Belém, reputed to be the best place in Lisbon to enjoy the creamy custard tarts in puff pastry.

If not, don’t worry; these tarts are on the menu of every café in Portugal (and I ate my fair share of them).

Fado Performance

In the evening, head to the Bairro Alto for dinner and fado. Showy tourist shows are available, but I prefer prowling the back streets of the area in search of small restaurants and less touristy shows.

My favorite place in Lisbon is Restaurante Canto do Camões on Travessa da Espera in the Bairro Alto. It’s low-key, with a friendly owner, good food, reasonable prices, and lots of fado.

When I was there, singers dropped in, performed a few songs designed to rip your heart out, collected a few euros from the proprietor, and then left, presumably to go sing in another place.

Restaurante Canto do Camões doesn’t appear to have a website, but you’ll find reviews on TripAdvisor. It’s not the flashiest place in Lisbon, but it feels authentic and I loved it.

You can also purchase tickets for one of the slick fado performances designed for tourists. Here’s one option:

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Day 3: Sintra

Fill your last day in Portugal with the heady delights of Sintra. Even Byron mentioned it in his epic poem, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage: Lo! Cintra’s glorious Eden intervenes, in variegated maze of mount and glen.

Old Byron did have a way with words.

Catch the direct train from Rossio station to Sintra. The round-trip costs €4,30. Another option is to take a day tour from Lisbon.

The town of Sintra, with its pastel-colored mansions, is delightful, but the two big draws are the Pena Palace, with its Romanesque-Revival architecture, and the Moorish Castle.

Pena Palace

Get tickets ahead of time for the Pena Palace, and be prepared for a crush as you tour it.

Bus 434 from the Sintra train station does a circular loop through the historic center, up to the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle, then back to Sintra. Or you can visit the castle after seeing the palace and walk down along a 2- kilometer trail.

The place is a fairy tale on acid—so bizarre with its turrets and bright colors that you can’t help smiling with disbelief and a touch of awe. What kind of mind envisioned it?

A close-up of the Clock Tower of Pena Palace in Portugal, showcasing its vibrant red and yellow facade, intricate white details, and a prominent clock against a clear blue sky.
Clock tower at Pena Palace
A panoramic view of Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal, featuring its vibrant yellow, red, and gray structures surrounded by lush green forest under a clear blue sky.
Pena Palace in Sintra
Carol Cram at Pena Palace near Sintra in Portugal, a great day trip destination from Lisbon.
Carol at Pena Palace

Moorish Castle

After going through the palace, walk down to the Castelo dos Mouros—the Moorish Castle. It’s usually less crowded than the palace. The views from the castle’s 10th-century ramparts take your breath away.

Gregg Simpson sits on a stone ledge of the Moorish Castle at Sintra, a great day trip from Lisbon.
Gregg at the ramparts at the Moorish Castle in Sintra

Other Sites in Sintra

You’ll find plenty more to see in Sintra, including the National Palace of Sintra and the wonderfully ornate Monserrate Palace. Consider staying in Sintra on your last night.

Lawrence’s Hotel, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, opened in 1764, making it the oldest functioning hotel on the Iberian Peninsula. All the rooms have names rather than numbers.

If you do stay longer in Sintra, catch the bus out to Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of Europe. Enjoy incredible views from the rocky cliffs along with the feeling of standing on the edge of a continent, because you are.

Where to Stay in Lisbon

For accommodation suggestions in Lisbon and Sintra, see Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks.

Tickets and Tours in Lisbon

Here are some more options for tickets and tours purchased through GetYourGuide:

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And how about a walking tour? GuruWalks provides some good options for exploring Lisbon on foot with a local guide:

Conclusion

Have you visited Lisbon? Please share your recommendations in the comments below.

Here are more posts about things to see in Portugal and Europe:

Exploring Spectacular Northern Spain & Basque Country: My Best Bets

Destinations, Spain Artsy Traveler 1 Comment on Exploring Spectacular Northern Spain & Basque Country: My Best Bets

Last updated on January 18th, 2025 at 01:04 am

Northern Spain stretches from the Atlantic to the Pyrenees, a distance of almost 700 kilometers. This area of Spain boasts extraordinary scenery and something else you won’t see much of in the rest of Spain: rain.

Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain is green and gorgeous, with a culture that owes more to its Celtic neighbors in Brittany and Cornwall than to the rest of Iberia.

You’ll find a lot to enjoy in northern Spain—historic Santiago de Compostela, the Picos de Europa mountains, pinchos (pintxos) in San Sebastian, and the Guggenheim Bilbao, one of Europe’s top modern art museums.

Pinterest graphic with the text northern spain and basque country over a picture of rock formations on the spanish coast.

Devote at least a week to this area of Spain. To help you plan your tour of northern Spain, I’ve compiled a ten-day itinerary that starts in Santiago de Compostela and ends in San Sebastian.

Orientation to Northern Spain

The map below includes the places mentioned in this post. Click a number to find out more information.

This map was created with Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

Getting Around

My itinerary presumes you’re driving. It’s possible to visit this area by train, but if you rent a car you can explore more of this fascinating and beautiful region, particularly the Picos de Europa.

A Single Stop for European Rail Travel

Consider flying to Santiago de Compostela and touring the city for a few days before picking up your car and heading east. Drop it off in Bilbao and take a train to San Sebastian, or drive all the way to France and drop the car off there. Bordeaux is a convenient choice.

I suggest spending two days and three nights in Santiago de Compostela, one night on the north coast, three nights in or near Llanes to explore the Picos de Europa, one night in Santillana del Mar, one night in Bilbao, and one night in San Sebastian.

That’s a lot of one-night stands, so if you prefer and have the time, add more two-night stays. There’s a great deal to see in northern Spain!

Days 1 to 3: Santiago de Compostela

We spent a week in Santiago de Compostela a few years ago when Gregg had a major exhibition at the Granell Museum. The city of 100,000 people is a compact and lovely place with wonderful restaurants and parks and an atmospheric old town.

One of my favorite things to do was hanging out in the Praza do Obradoiro in front of the cathedral to watch Camino pilgrims enter the plaza. Santiago de Compostela, while not the actual end of the Camino de Santiago, is commonly the place most pilgrims stop.

The Cathedral at Santiago as seen from the Praza do Obradoiro
The Cathedral at Santiago as seen from the Praza do Obradoiro

It was moving to see the pilgrims enter the plaza. Some were limping after weeks on the road, and most carried their pilgrim’s staff topped with a distinctive scallop shell similar to the shells that mark the Camino route. I saw a lot of tears and hugs and selfies.

Catedral de Santiago de Compostela

Pilgrims crowd into the cathedral (#1) where the remains of Saint James are allegedly buried. The cathedral is a jumble of architectural styles— Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque. A highlight inside the west entrance is the Pórtico de la Gloria, containing 200 Romanesque sculptures dating from the late 12th century.

Truth be told, I found the cathedral dark and overcrowded, but there’s no denying the atmosphere of piety, particularly from the pilgrims who walked the Camino for religious reasons.

The Old Town

Wander the granite streets of the old town of Santiago, enjoying the arches, squares, and monuments that contributed to the city’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. You’ll find plenty of good shopping, particularly for jewelry. The atmosphere is laid-back and friendly, with throngs of students, pilgrims, tourists, and locals.

A street in the Old Town in Santiago de Compostela
A street in the Old Town in Santiago de Compostela

Parks and Museums

Alameda Park (#2) is a large green space, wonderful to chill out in away from the crowds in the Praza do Obradoiro. You also get a marvelous view of the cathedral from the park.

When Gregg was in Santiago on a solo trip, he came across a large group of people in traditional costumes playing instruments and dancing in San Domingos de Bonaval Park. Watch his video on YouTube. Notice how Celtic the music sounds with the drums and bagpipes—completely different from the flamenco rhythms in the south.

In Bonaval, you’ll also find the Galician Contemporary Art Centre and the Museum of the Galician People (Museo de Pobo Galego).

In Santiago de Compostela, you’ll notice that you’re in Galicia first, Spain second. Local people speak Galician and are proud of their heritage. You’ll be understood in Spanish, and likely in English, in restaurants and hotels.

On the Pazo de Bendaña, not far from the cathedral, is the Granell Museum, housed in a beautiful old Baroque building. If you’re a fan of Surrealism, check out this museum that includes an extensive collection of work by Eugenio Granell and other artists linked to Surrealism, including Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, and Roberto Matta.

Dining in Santiago de Compostela

With so many students, tourists and pilgrims swelling its population every year, Santiago de Compostela has become known for its excellent restaurants. We enjoyed several memorable meals during our week-long visit. Check restaurant apps and reviews and make reservations.

Day 4: North Coast

Head north from Santiago de Compostela to the coast then meander eastwards into Asturias, stopping at one of the many beachside towns. Magnificent rock formations are a draw at Playa Las Catedrales (#3), located near Ribadeo on the north coast.

Playa Las Catedrales beach near Ribadeo, Galicia of Lugo, Spai
Playa Las Catedrales beach near Ribadeo, Galicia of Lugo, Spai

Slow down and get off the main roads. Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, is a possible stopping place for the night. The Fine Arts Museum of Asturias looks intriguing.

Days 4 to 5: Llanes and the Picos de Europa

You’ll encounter rugged mountain vistas as you continue east toward the Picos de Europa. The jagged peaks of Picos de Europa (#4) National Park, Spain’s first national park, are nicknamed “Spain’s Dolomites.”

The mountains straddle southeast Asturias, southwest Cantabria, and northern Castilla y León. If you’re a hiker, you’ll want to spend a few days here.

One option is to home-base in the charming coastal town of Llanes (pronounced YAH-ness).

We discovered Llanes (#5) by accident on our drive across northern Spain. For once, I hadn’t booked a hotel, deciding that we’d just stop driving when we got tired and hope for the best. I don’t recommend that approach, particularly in the busy summer months, but sometimes it’s fun to live dangerously!

I saw the sign for Llanes, figured it was as good a place as any, and directed Gregg to the old town.

What a fortuitous decision! The little seaside town of Llanes turned out to be delightful, with beautiful buildings covered in fine woodwork and small windows. An inland waterway lined on both sides with cafés runs through the town center. Pull up a chair in one of the cafés to enjoy some tapas and beer, and watch the boats go by.

Traditional houses in Llanes, Asturias, Spain.
Traditional houses in Llanes, Asturias, Spain.

Take a walk out to the breakwater. An artist has painted the huge concrete blocks that protect the town from high tides with all sorts of crazy patterns.

Painted cement blocks on the breakwater in Llanes, Spain
Painted cement blocks on a jetty in Llanes, Spain

Watch the sun set over the Atlantic and prepare to be enchanted.

Eat dinner at an outdoor café in the network of tiny lanes in the old town. Two three-course meals and several glasses of red wine cost us just €10. Now, that’s a bargain!

The waiter insisted on giving us several of his cards so we could tell everyone we met about his restaurant. We wandered back through picturesque squares to our hotel, situated in a renovated convent.

In the middle of the night, I woke up, terrified that something—someone—was in the room. Perhaps a nun, long dead, was not happy to find me sleeping in a room that had once been her cell. I was so frightened that I had to wake up Gregg!

Is it likely that thousands of years of history—much of it violent—has produced its share of discontented ghosts?

Maybe.

Day 6: Santillana del Mar

The Caves of Altamira are located close to Santillana del Mar (#6). Seventeen caves are decorated with art of the Paleolithic age dating from 35,000 to 11,000 BC. Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved. You can visit the replica caves. Check out the official website.

Bilbao

The drive from Santillana del Mar along the coast to Bilbao (#7) is gorgeous. Get off the highway and explore some of the windswept, rock-choked coves. This part of northern Spain is spectacular.

Bilbao is a large port city with a tangle of highways leading to the Nervión River and the Guggenheim. Use your GPS to navigate into the city, and avoid hotels in the old town. We chose the Hotel Melià, a modern hotel on the river, which was easy to find and included a large parking garage.

The street signs written in the Euskara language are daunting and largely unpronounceable, at least for foreign tourists like us! Many of the streets have names consisting of 20 letters, most of which are X’s and Z’s. When you’re in Basque country, you may forget you’re still in Spain.

Fortunately, you’ll easily get by in Spanish and English.

The big attraction in Bilbao is the Guggenheim Museum (#8), one of the world’s top modern art museums. I love that the city of Bilbao decided to revitalize itself and attract tourist euros by building a world-class art museum. That choice showed vision along with a heartening belief in the importance of art and culture.

Exterior of Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Basque, Spain
Exterior of Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Basque, Spain

We chose one of the ultra-modern hotels in an ultra-modern area of Bilbao about a ten-minute stroll along the river from the Guggenheim. Read my suggestions for hotels in Bilbao in Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks.

Likely your first view of the Guggenheim will be of Puppy, the colossal topiary of a West Highland White Terrier that stands guard in front of the museum. With its variegated coat of flowers that changes with the season, Puppy is remarkably photogenic.

Puppy at night in front of the Guggenheim Bilbao
Puppy at night in front of the Guggenheim Bilbao

After you’ve satiated your thirst for Puppy pics, walk around the building to admire the silvery-gold slabs of hammered, stamped steel of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim and to view more of the modern sculptures.

You’ll see Anish Kapoor’s astonishing sculpture of huge silver orbs stacked almost as high as the roof of the museum and facing the river. The piece is perfectly situated to catch the sun, turning the entire column of orbs into one pulsing, glistening beacon. Another marvelous sculpture is Maman by Louise Bourgeois—a massive spider and not recommended for arachnophobes.

Once you’ve had your fill of the exterior, enter the Guggenheim and get your bearings. See what the special exhibition is, study the maps or download the app, and plan your route.

A highlight is the enormous sculpture by Richard Serra on the ground floor. The work consists of six steel slabs bent and curled in various ways that invite you into their depths to wander until you feel dizzy. We went into two of the sculptures, and that was enough! The effect is startling, and a little goes a long way.

When we visited, we saw a stylishly curated exhibition of new paintings and digital works by David Hockney.

Following your visit to the Guggenheim, stroll across the bridge to the old town to spend your evening enjoying tapas and drinks. On your way back, you’ll see the Guggenheim and Puppy evocatively floodlit.

San Sebastian

If you’re driving to San Sebastian—called Donostia (#9) by the Basques—your first view may be nondescript suburbs miles away from the famous sweep of beach. Persevere until you reach the water and the old town.

Our hotel was situated at the top of Mount Urgull, one of two mountains that flank San Sebastian. Here’s the stunning view of San Sebastian from near our hotel.

View over San Sebastian, Spain
Overview of the Bay of San Sebastian, Spain

Traffic in San Sebastian was remarkably sedate when we were there. Head for one of the big parking lots in the commercial center and then explore San Sebastian on foot.

San Sebastian consists of three main areas – the long sweep of beach bristling with frolicking holiday-makers, the modern town built on an easy-to-navigate grid system, and the old town with its narrow streets and intriguing aromas.

Spend your evening in San Sebastian bar-hopping in the old town to sample as many pinchos (pintxos) as possible.

Squeeze into a bar (they’re all crowded!), grab a plate, select a few cold pinchos from the platters lined up on the bar (so many varieties to choose from!), grab a glass of local wine, eat standing up amid the crowds, then saunter off to another place.

Platters of pinchos on a bar in San Sebastian
Spanish tapas called pintxos of the Basque country served on a bar counter in a restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain

Each pincho is a mini work of art. If you don’t see something you like on the cold platters, order hot pinchos listed on chalkboards behind the bar.

The incredibly efficient servers keep track of what you’ve eaten by the number of toothpicks left on your plate. You also crumple up your used napkins and throw them on the floor—a practice that takes some getting used to!

Go from bar to bar sampling two or three pinchos at each, along with a glass of wine. Prices are amazingly reasonable. Our evening of pincho-eating and wine-guzzling cost just €30, including two gelatos.

Everyone seemed in great humor. Families with little kids filled the streets late into the evening. The San Sebastian people know how to live!

Where to Stay in Northern Spain

For accommodation suggestions in Santiago de Compostela, Llanes, San Sebastian, and Bilbao, see Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks.

Other Tour Options in Northern Spain

Here are some more tour options in northern Spain offered through GetYourGuide:

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Conclusion

Have you been to northern Spain? Please share your experiences and tips with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Here are more posts about Spain on Artsy Traveler: