Traveling to Europe ? Here Are My Top 5 Cities to Visit For The Culture

This weekend my husband and I traveled to Zurich to celebrate a 4 year wedding anniversary. It was a beautiful get away - minus the stares. The stares typically coming from people wondering what are these black people doing here. The stares we get never stop us. I will continue to be black as shit everywhere I go. People tend to forget the deep ties that Europe has with black people. This weekend got me thinking about the cities in Europe that have a huge black culture that no one seems to talk about. News flash ! We here ! Check out my Top 5 Cities in Europe That Are For The Culture.

# 1 PARIS, FRANCE

After you’ve done all of the usual stops at the Eiffel Tower and the local bread shop, your next stop should be a tour with Le Paris Noir. Created by Kevi Donat, the goal of his Black Paris Walks is to help break the stigma of all Parisians being being white folks wearing berets and stripped shirts. Le Paris Noir features two different tours: Pioneers of the Left Bank, a neighborhood that has always been on the cutting edge of artistic innovation and political debate, discussing the diversity in French History, colonial exhibitions and the rise of a global black culture. The second tour offered is Pigalle and “Little Africa” which takes place in three iconic working-class neighborhoods, showing much about the evolution of immigration in the city. If Pigalle and Montmartre are now internationally known for their nightlife, La Goutte d’Or with its African community is a fascinating example of contemporary diversity in Paris. When you are there make sure you check out Waly-Fay for some authentic Senegalese cuisine- simply amazing.

# 2 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam is the city of canals and one of my personal favorite places- period. Since the Dutch started the slave trade there, you can definitely expect to find small trinkets of Black culture all around. One of my favorite things to do is hit up The Black Archives, especially when there’s an event going on. The venue is home to thousands of books focusing on all things Black & Dutch. Its the perfect way to learn about the past and present day folks of color in Amsterdam. Of course I have to mention the coffee shops - I mean c’mon, it is Amsterdam lol. A necessary stop to make is African Black Star Coffee Shop - the only black owned coffee shop in the city. After indulging there, the next obvious stop to make is for food lol - Africa Kitchen will get you right with West African soups, grilled or fried fish, & Jollof rice. My favorite restaurant though was Sal Muera, especially if you are craving some Latin vibes.

# 3 LISBON, PORTUGAL

As a direct result of colonization, Lisbon is a city full of influence from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe. The influence of these African countries is apparent in the food, culture, and music. For dinner head to Restaurante Moçambicano Roda Viva where you can try some amazing food and drinks from Mozambique. Walking the streets of Lisbon I kept seeing these posters for Afrobeats parties up and down Pink Street. I thought it was a little odd as Carnival was months away. Man, was I surprised. Not only do they party hard year round, they party all night! The sounds of the African drums mixed with the Brazilian Baile Funk transported me to another place. It was the perfect way to work off all of the food I had eaten for the day !

# 4 LONDON, ENGLAND

When I think of Black London, one place comes to mind - Brixton. Located in the middle of South London , Brixton is like a Black Utopia. Brixton Market & Village is probably my favorite place to visit when in London. Between the fresh farm food and the bright, colorful clothing, I feel like a kid in a candy shop! I usually squeeze in a little cheat day and make a stop at Fish , Wings , and Tings. Between the fritters, wings, and roti, I walk out of there needing a nap! Brixton makes me feel right at home.

#5 DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

If you are looking for a #blackaf place in Germany that is not Berlin, well Dusseldorf is a good place to start. Below I captured Prince Georges Strasse (Street) because it reminded me of my black home town, Prince Georges County, MD, aka The Mecca. Similar to PG County, Dusseldorf probably has the country’s highest concentration West African immigrants, touting almost twice the percentage of Africans in Germany’s general population. When most people think Germany, they immediately fear they may be the victim of some Nazi hate crime, and this is simply not a common occurrence this day and age. It certainly hasn’t been my experience. Anyways when you are in Dusseldorf be sure to check out Treasure African Restaurant, especially if you are feeling nostalgia for some Nigerian home cooking. Also don’t forget that Dusseldorf is the bourgeoisie fashion capital of Germany, so make sure you are looking fly and cheers with some Dusse!