Bugler

My wife and I fly into Belgium on the evening of 6 September, 2010 and fly home on the morning of 13 Sept. Upon landing in Brussels, we will immediately take a train to check into a bed and breakfast in Bruges. I have reserved that room for three nights, figuring we could see the town, the coast, and day trip to Ghent and Antwerp during the days of the 7th, 8th and 9th, and then taking the train to the southern part of Belgium either the afternoon or evening of the 9th.

Since I will not arrive at my hotel until about 8pm on the first night, I am wondering if it would be wiser to stay a 4th night there to allow more time for day tripping in the north or just proceed south as planned? Since my flight leaves out of Brussels on the morning of the 13th, I was going to spend my last night there, and thus, was not going to go to Brussels in the early days of my trip. Is this a mistake?

I thought it would be nice to visit Luxembourg and the forrest in that area, but was wondering if I should plan on spending a night there. I am still researching what else to see in southern and other parts of Belgium. We will be visiting a brewery in the Belgian Ardennes and another just across the border in Orvall France as part of my wife's job. As a result, I probably do need a home base there for a day or so.

Thoughts and suggestions for our Belgium trip itinary are appreciated.

hetismij

Antwerp needs a day to it's self. I can't see how you could do all the side trips and see bruges really, so maybe an extra night there would be a good idea.
Where in the South are you staying? You don't seem to have time for a Luxembourg trip too they way things are planned.

Bugler

Actually, I do not have any reservations in the south yet. Correcting my earlier post, I will be visiting the Orval Brewery, which is far south in Belgium. According to wikipedia, the region where it is located shares borders with France and Luxembourg.

nytraveler

That part of Belgium/Luxembourg has a host of cute small towns, pretty churches, some castles and a bunch of memorials and small museums to WWII. We loved visiting the area - and you could easily spend several days there - but we had a car - and could wander wherever we wanted.

Also fascinating - but not so near the area you're heading for - is Aaachen - or Aix la Chapelle - where you can see remains of Charlegmagne's capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

joannyc

I'm doing my research on breweries and abbeys for my trip. A few other Trappist breweries may be closer for you to visit:

Westvleteren near Ypres - Sample Westvleteren's rich, malty beer in the welcome center cafe De Vrede across the street from the abbey. Their beer is sold only at the abbey and only with a reservation. You buy it by the case from the abbey or by the glass in the welcome center.

Abbaye de Floreffe - west of Namur

Westmalle Abbey - near Antwerp

Grimbergen Abbey - north of Brussels

joannyc

Sorry, Grimbergen beer is no longer brewed at the abbey...

Norbertine Abbey in Grimbergen. This abbey in the center of Grimbergen is the eldest inhabited Norbertine abbey of Belgium. Actually the abbey counts about 30 monks in Grimbergen and South Africa. The abbey beer "Grimbergen" is nowadays brewed by Alken-Maes, one of the biggest breweries in Belgium. In 1967 the astronomical observatory Mira was erected on abbey grounds and in 1997 the first abbey beer museum was opened in the 17th century farm of the abbey.

Here's a good link...

http://www.belgium-mapped-out.com/abbeys.html

zeppole

Did you see this recent story in the Guardian about Belgium's secret beaches with FANTASTIC food? Many places not far from Brugge.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/201...eaches-secrets

I'm not a huge fan of Brugge, although the area near the old brewery has real atmosphere, so I wouldn't have any trouble day tripping away to Antwerpen and Ghent, although I hear the latter has got a lot of renovation going in, including its artworks.

If you are dining in Brugge several nights in a row, you also might want to read this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/201...d-tour-belgium

I think you should avoid ALL towns and areas described to you as "cute" by guidebooks and tourists. And be very selective about what you tour in Brussels. It's a startlingly ugly city with isolated gems, depending on your interests. But you don't need to devote yourself to an "overview" tour there. The Grand Place plus what truly interests you is, I believe, is the most rewarding way to go. (If you spend 5 seconds at the Mannekin Pis, you've only yourself to blame.)

This isn't the $5000 reward trip, is it? If by any chance it is, spend all of that money on food!

isusie

nytraveler, have you been Rochefort?

Bugler

Thank your for the responses so far.

Yes, Zeppole, this is the trip in which my wife's company is giving her $5000 to cover expenses as an employee reward. However, with the last minute airfare travel, 15 days of hotels and food, including Copenhagen, Norway and Belgium, trains, we will already be spending past that $5000 even if we eat low budget and look for conservative lodging the entire trip. I hit $2500 with the passports and air travel to three countries lol.

I will check out the links provides thus far. Thank you again guys.

franco

THE sight in southern Belgium is Tournai, one of the greatest cathedrals anywhere, half Romanesque and half Gothic. Unmissable if you have any interest in medieval architecture. Same goes for southern Belgium's second world-class sight: Nivelles, an early Romanesque cathedral in the style of imperial German westwork cathedrals. Another excellent sight, for people who are interested in really early industrial architecture, is Le Grand Hornu (near Mons). Their website, http://www.grand-hornu.be, is not very practical; click on "English" as often as you see a toolbar where you can choose languages, until it finally opens; click "orientation", and click anywhere into the plan to view photos.
As zeppole said, Brussels is a difficult city to visit, BUT it has also some of the very best art nouveau buildings on this planet. Belgium's greatest art nouveau architect was Victor Horta, and it's worth checking out any of his buildings, they're terrific. The best among them is Horta's private mansion, now the Horta Museum. Terrific, as well, is Palais Stoclet, built by (Austrian) art nouveau master Josef Hoffmann, though you can't get in - but seeing it from outside alone is definitely worth the trip to Brussels. Plus there are several exciting mansions by other (less famous) art nouveau architects. Those art nouveau buildings are, for me, the best sights of Brussels, though I don't intend to demean the Grand Place. There is also an excellent museum of antique cars in Brussels, if you are at all interested in such a sight. All in all, since those really interesting sights are not in the very center and quite distant from each other, I think one and a half days is the minimum if you want to see Brussels.
Also, I agree with zeppole that Brugge doesn't quite live up to its fame, atmospherically; it's kind of a ghost town that's only alive as long as the daytrippers from Brussels are around, and incredibly dead at night. I love Gent and would probably base there, even though I don't know anything about the ongoing renovation works that zeppole mentioned.
By the way, also Antwerp has a bunch of terrific art nouveau mansions. If you have time in that region (which frankly seems unlikely), you should include Veurne, which is a really cute small town (late Renaissance - early baroque).

zeppole

For me the Horta mansion is the most rewarding site in Brussels beyond the Grand Place, so if you have any interest at all, it is a treasure.

I quite enjoy the royal museum of fine arts in Antwerp because it in itself is an unrenovated behemoth of a certain kind of grand imperial painting museum that scarcely exists anymore (it may be being modernized as I type), with gallery walls clad in velvet and huge tufted seats for contemplating the oversized paintings, some of which are quite worthwhile, and nothing cute about it!

http://www.trabel.com/antwerp-finearts.htm

There have been reports on the boards that not only are the streets in much of the central quarter of Gent torn up by repairs but that one panel of van Eyck's masterpiece in St Bavo's is being restored and thus not viewable.

franco

Oops, zeppole, I notice I called Veurne "cute" when I shouldn't have in the light of what you (justifiably) said above. But it's really difficult to find another word for that town... it must have been cute from the very beginning, when this word didn't have the connotation of tourism-aimed and over-restored that it has now. I swear Veurne is not at all touristy! The Grand Place there is much like the one in Brussels, just a miniature version somehow. Loads of pictures are on this site: http://www.belgiumview.com/belgiumvi...pictoshow=main - I don't succeed to link to the Veurne pictures directly, please type "Veurne" into the search box.

Tonny

Hello, we live near Ghent and i am working near Bruges.
If i could give you some good advice about our country i would be happy to give a few tips. What exactly are you looking for ? an impression of the cities ? Shopping ? WW2 cimetries ? You will find good food everywhere in Belgium. It is always a good idea to have lunch in a small bistro. We call it "dagschotel" (menu of the day). prices +/- 15 € soup, principal dish + coffee included. We have some top Michelin restaurants which will cost you about 190 € pp !! Avoid the touristic places to eat and drink in Bruges. You should absolutely visit the beachside, rent a bike and ride along the coastline. Have a stop anywhere to enjoy one of our famous beers (Duvel, Karmeliet, Leffe, ....)
Ieper and Veurne are also very nice. You will need 1 day to visit Ghent and another day for Antwerp. To reach the south of Belgium you need +/- 2,5 hours.
have a nice holiday !

zeppole

Tonny,

What I would love to know is whether it is now possible to see all the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb in St Bavo's, or is it having restoration? Are the street works finished?

Is t'Dreupelkot in Ghent as good for jenever as De Vagant in Antwerp?

Veurne looks both dignified and a joy.

MyriamC

@ isusie
The Abbey of Rochefort, where the excellent trappist Rochefort 6, 8 and 10 is brewn, is not accessible for the public. It is possible to visit the abbey church, though (not during service hours).

Bugler

I know that some have described Bruge as cute and indicate that it gets swarmed by tourists, but I am going there for what I hope will be a wonderful atmosphere once the day trippers have left for the day.

Ten years ago, we spent several nights in the walled city of Rothenburg, Germany and also time in a small town in Austria. Our greatest memories were of sitting at an outdoor cafe late at night in Rothenburg, sharing our table and food with vistors from three countries. We each knew just enough of each other's language to make a circle of conversation. It was wonderful to do the night watchman's tour, go up in the walls at midnight, and just stroll down the faintly lite cobblestreets.

That is what does it for me.

isusie

MyriamC
Have you been to the castle ruins in Rochefort?

MyriamC

isusie, I probably have ... very long time ago on a school trip.

Bugler

Those ruins in Rochefort look interesting Isusie. I will be passing thru that area on my way from Bruge, Belgium to three days in Luxembourg. Thanks for the info.

isusie

Bugler
Please post a trip report after you return. I'm real interested in going to Rochefort.