Belgium

Has anyone been to Brussels, Ghent, or Bruges? Other Belgian cities? Looking for some insight! THANKS!

Yes, all are lovely. Found the people of Belgium to be hospitable and accommodation. Usual recommendation about touring during the heat/heart of the summer. Horde of tourists just take away from the experience.

Brussels has a lovely very large town square that dates back hundreds of years. Various colorful ceremonies held during the seasons.

Many years ago my wife introduced ice tea to Brussels. Should have hung around to collect the residuals.

Our son spent a year and a half living in the Netherlands and visited Belgium many times during that stay. He very much enjoyed Brussels, the old square, the active pub/bar scene for what's apparently an amazing selection of beers, and he raved about the chocolate as well. Whenever friends visited him, he always took them to Brussels - it was an easy train trip from his school.

I will have to ask if he visited Bruges - I would, because of the Michaelangelo statue that is there - that's something I wouldn't want to miss, both for its artistic worth and for the history attached to it.

I will be visiting Antwerp, Bruges, and Brussels in 2 weeks. I'll have much more knowledge for you then.

Beer and chocolate? What's not to like!

My husband and I spent a portion of our honeymoon in Brussels. We stayed in Brussels, and did a day trip to Brugge which I fell in love with. It's a beautiful and hospitable country.

I used to live in the Netherlands, and Belgium is a wonderful country as are the cities you mention. If you want some specific hole-in-the-wall type places to visit, especially in Ghent or Brugge, PM me. Summer will be full of tourists, but there are ways beyond that. Enjoy your planning/travels!

Will you have a car? Don't miss Bastogne if any of the travelers are interested in WWII history.

Somaper said:
I will be visiting Antwerp, Bruges, and Brussels in 2 weeks. I'll have much more knowledge for you then.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

ligeti said:
Will you have a car? Don't miss Bastogne if any of the travelers are interested in WWII history.

Just a rail pass as of now, but I'll check it out for sure.

Yes to Bruges and Ghent. Are you looking for accommodations, restaurants, sites or ??

Haven't been to Belgium, but a rail pass is great because you can do day trips (almost) to near by cities such as Amsterdam, Cologne, and Paris by the Thalys.

qrysdonnell said:
Beer and chocolate? What's not to like!

Don't forget the "French" fries. They were actually invented in Belgium, and they are fabulous there.

PeggyC said:

qrysdonnell said:
Beer and chocolate? What's not to like!

Don't forget the "French" fries. They were actually invented in Belgium, and they are fabulous there.

Yep. The pomme frites and I don't eat seafood, but those that do should have the mussels as well. I found all of the food I had there the two times I went quite tasty.

One of the other benefits of a place like Belgium is that it's a nice, cosmopolitan city but it's not overrun by tourists like Pairs or Prague. I find sometimes that heading to one of those (especially when I was living in Manhattan) was a little too much like being in NYC to be a proper relaxing vacation.

Good God, Bruges is lovely. Could have sat on or by the canals all day. With a stupidly good beer or two, of course. Had a white asparagus dish there that has ruined it for everywhere else since.

berkeley said:
Yes to Bruges and Ghent. Are you looking for accommodations, restaurants, sites or ??

Any and all. I am planning to take the train from Reims, France to Amsterdam and am looking for somewhere in between. I thought Brussels made the most sense, but Bruges seems silly to miss.

jim4284 said:
If you are in Reims I would suggest a private tour with Raw France. You visit the small champagne houses in Sacy France. Rachel is a wonderful tour guide. This is more fun then going to the big Champagne houses.

Ha! The very reason I will be in Reims!!

Antwerp - LOVED it

you can also so a day trip to Paris via train which is a pleasure

Sounds like you're a foodie. Many/most of the restaurants in Bruges are small so you should not expect to wander and pop in somewhere--reserve by phone or on-line. One idea I didn't follow through with but could be fun--there are a few Michelin starred restaurants in Bruges and at least one has on line reservations.

We rented a house--will give info if interested. In prime season, there will be LOTS of tourists. Very picturesque.

Do you know where you are staying in AMS? IMHO just as beautiful as Bruges, in a city version...

Yes. Ghent and Brugge are amazing. In many ways, Brussels was less impressive relative to other amazing European cities.

Use Trip Advisor. It helped us a lot.

In Ghent make sure you see the Ghent Altarpiece (aka The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb) in Saint Bavo Cathedral. It is a masterpiece of early Northern Renaissance painting by the van Eyck brothers.

Our plan is to stay in Antwerp for 2 nights and Bruges for 3 nights, traveling by train. We'll visit Ghent by train for a day trip from Bruges.

I've been told a bar called "Delirium" has an amazing selection of beers (in Brussels).

Antoninakc, we've returned from our Belgium trip (Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels) If someone can teach me how to private message, I won't have to bore the world with my specifics.

why do you think you will bore us?

I would like to hear about it as Belgium is on my list (soon)

thanks

oots

I would have enjoyed Antwerp more if it hadn't been as hot. It's a sophisticated city with lots of edgy fashion. My favorite part was the Red Star Museum, which tells the story of European emigrants from their starting point. Bruges is beautiful and quaint and crowded, but lots of fun. There are a couple of good cathedrals, as well as lots of beer and chocolate. We took an easy day trip to Ghent, did a Rick Steve's walking tour, saw the Ghent altarpiece, and had the best waffle of the trip at Max's. Brussels was OK. We only saw the area around the Grand Place, and went to the art museum. It was our last day and we were tired. We started our trip in Amsterdam, which was my favorite part of the trip.

For architecture buffs, Brussels is one of the world's centers of Art Nouveau architecture. I've never been there, so I can't point you to anything specific, but you could start by Googling the architect Victor Horta.

Somaper said:
Antoninakc, we've returned from our Belgium trip (Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels) If someone can teach me how to private message, I won't have to bore the world with my specifics.

PLEASE, bore us! I really want to see more of Belgium. Three nights in Brussels at a conference was not nearly enough.