Honeymoon in a big city

Budget tips for both peace and excitement

Bröllopsguiden presents four major cities that offer both vibrancy and tranquillity, perfect for those of you who want to make the most of your honeymoon without breaking the bank.

PHOTO: PONTUS WALLIN / VING

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Amsterdam is the perfect destination for art lovers; with over 50 museums, you can fill your days with leisurely bike rides (in Amsterdam, people prefer to get around by bike) between the museums. Be sure to visit the Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandt Museum and Anne Frank’s museum, but also do a quick search online to find more abstract galleries – there’s plenty to see here. If you’d rather watch a film, there’s what’s considered one of the world’s most beautiful cinemas, the Art Nouveau-inspired Abraham Tuschkinis, which first raised its curtain in Amsterdam in 1921; both Marlene Dietrich and Édith Piaf have performed here in the past.
Amsterdam is considered one of the more liberal cities and boasts a decadent nightlife; it’s also gay-friendly with a rich queer culture, and there are two major gay areas to hang out in if you’re in the mood for a party. Many tourists take the opportunity to visit coffee shops or the Red Light District in Amsterdam, but it might not be the best choice if you don’t want to come home separated or if you’re into gender.
The Albert Cuyp Market is Europe’s largest, with over 300 stalls for those of you keen on a spot of shopping and looking for a bargain.

PHOTO: PONTUS WALLIN / VING and www.szechenyispabaths.com

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a fantastic city divided into the districts of Buda and Pest. The Buda side is ideal for those who enjoy walking and sightseeing; whilst this part of the city is more expensive than the Pest side, if you appreciate peace, quiet and architecture, it’s well worth staying there instead.
Check out the Parliament Building and the Statue Park, and make sure you go to the Opera when you’re in Budapest – it’s not that expensive. Take boat trips on the Danube or go for long walks on Margaret Island; also pop into a flea market and definitely visit the WestEnd City Centre – a huge shopping centre with a waterfall and more shops than you can manage in a single day. If you’re shopping in the city centre, you can fill your bags with accessories and bits and bobs at low prices; the second-hand selection varies, but there are some really good bargains to be had. Head up to Castle Hill and make sure to visit St Matthias’s Church; it’s definitely worth visiting both the churches and cemeteries in Budapest if you’re into Catholic kitsch. If you’re into architecture, Budapest has plenty to offer. Vajdahunyad Castle is definitely worth a visit, but simply walking around the city and admiring all the stately buildings is very rewarding.
In Hungary, you mustn’t miss out on the spas, of course, and the largest spa complexes are the Gellért and Széchenyi Baths. The treatments are very reasonably priced – you can get a massage or a pedicure for around a hundred – but if you just want to wander around the beautiful buildings, surrounded by gentlemen playing chess and hot springs, it’s the perfect place.

PHOTO: CARLOS NORLÉN / VING

Istanbul, Turkey

Istiklal is Istanbul’s main shopping street, where upmarket shops sit alongside cafés, clubs and restaurants, but if you’re on a budget, try to find the markets or head to the Kapali Carsi bazaar, housed in a 16th-century building with over 4,000 shops and stalls; there’s also an Egyptian and a Russian bazaar to check out in the city. Istanbul’s nightlife offers everything from rock to jazz clubs if you’re a music enthusiast.
If you’re in Istanbul, you mustn’t miss the mosques – they’re a must-see. The Blue Mosque was completed as early as the 17th century. The Sunken Palace, Yerebatan Saray, is an underground complex where, if you’re lucky and the timing is right, you can catch concerts, but there are many, many more mosques to discover. If you’re into museums, there’s the Archaeological Museum and the Military Museum to visit, amongst others. If you fancy a walk in the woods, there’s Belgrade Forest where you can walk for hours; it’s actually a park. You can sail under the moonlight on the Bosphorus – there are boat trips that are popular with tourists – or head to the Princes’ Islands and swim in the Sea of Marmara, with its jetties and small beaches. Cemberlita’s Hamam is one of the oldest and most beautiful Turkish baths, and if you’re in Istanbul, visiting a Turkish bath is practically a must.

PHOTO: KAJSA FAGERSTRÖM / VING

Barcelona, Spain

If you’re in the mood for a city with a vibrant nightlife and people who live in the moment, believing that everything will sort itself out tomorrow, then Barcelona is the perfect city for you. Here, you can either retreat from it all or throw yourself right into the thick of things. Why not take long walks through the Gothic quarters of Ciutat Vella/Gòtic, snog in the narrow, winding alleyways and spend hours sipping coffee in the cafés, before rounding off the day on the beach. Visit the Barcelona Aquarium, one of the world’s largest aquariums, where you can watch sharks swimming all around you from the safety of a tunnel. The Picasso Museum is well worth a visit, and art lovers absolutely mustn’t miss the Caixaforum exhibition hall. If you’re into architecture or a film buff, you simply must visit Gaudí’s ‘Sagrada Familia’, which featured in Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’.
If you enjoy shopping, most of the major fashion houses are represented here, and Spain is famous for the ZARA chain, the El Corte Inglés department store and its many shoe shops. On the main shopping street, La Rambla, street performers jostle with mimes, and you can find just about anything here, but if you’re into quirky clothes, you should head for the outskirts of the city and its more bohemian neighbourhoods.
Don’t miss a stroll past Barcelona Cathedral, the construction of which began as early as 1298; if you’re into a bit of a spooky atmosphere, it’s worth taking the walk at night, when the cathedral can look particularly Gothic. If you fancy a night out, Port Vell is a shopping centre by day and comes alive with bars and restaurants by night. If you’re the ‘bohemian type’, La Ribera is where you’ll find like-minded people, and if you’re gay, you’ll find the clubs in Eixample. If you fancy day trips, head out to a vineyard or visit the Labyrinth Park with its 750-metre-long maze to wander through; and for those of you who want to fully immerse yourselves in your honeymoon, ‘The Romantic Garden’, which dates back to the 19th century, is the perfect choice
.” Budget weddings –
tips” Use Bröllopsguiden’s budget tool”
Honeymoon – 3 ways to book