We caught a train to Valkenburg which is a beautiful city and a fascinating place to explore. Before the train journey, we popped into a bakery for coffee and croissants. The shops and eateries in this area are so stylish and a joy to visit.

Wandering around the streets of Valkenberg was glorious with quirky architecture, castle overlooking the town and the ‘caves’. Apparently, the castle belonged to the illegitimate son of Duke Philip, known as the bastard of Burgundy. Much of the buildings are known to be similar to Burgundy, for this reason. The Burgundian lifestyle still means enjoyment, delicious food and extravagance. There are areas full restaurants where you can stop have a drink and a meal and watch the world go by. We did this for lunch and it was so relaxing and felt quite decadent and wonderful.

The castle is unique in the Netherlands because it is the only one built on a hill. We did a tour of the caves which was weirdly creepy but interesting nevertheless. The whole tour was in Dutch and we were given a paper with the main information. This was OK, but as it was so dark, we had to use the torches on our phones. I felt quite disorientated because I’ve always disliked caves but it was interesting. We learnt about the block cutter’s workstation, the Valkenburg Castle, the American army during WW2, the Royal House, and the sad tale of two boys getting lost in the caves and found perished in 1993. The tour guide turned his lamp off to demonstrate the darkness. At this moment, it became clear how you’d be lost without a lamp.

Overall, a great day out. Particularly enjoyed wandering around the old town and the lovely lunch whilst watching the world walk by.