Trip IdeasFodor's Belgium, 4th Edition
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About This Book
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Belgium!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Belgium provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Belgium features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Belgium.
Experience Belgium like a local! Fodor’s Belgium includes choices for every traveler, from sipping beer with monks and exploring historic battlefields to dining on moules-frites and chocolate, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Belgium!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Belgium provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Belgium features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Belgium.
Experience Belgium like a local! Fodor’s Belgium includes choices for every traveler, from sipping beer with monks and exploring historic battlefields to dining on moules-frites and chocolate, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Table of Contents
About This Book ............ 5
What’s Where ............ 6
Great Itineraries ............ 8
Quintessential Belgium ............ 10
If You Like ............ 12
Beating the Euro ............ 15
On the Calendar ............ 16
When to Go ............ 18
Chapter 1: Belgian Beer ............ 19
Touring & Tasting Beer in Belgium ............ 20
Brussels & Environs ............ 22
Antwerp & Environs ............ 29
Limburg Province ............ 32
Flanders ............ 35
Belgian Luxembourg ............ 38
Hainaut and Namur Provinces ............ 40
Chapter 2: Historic Battlegrounds ............ 45
World War I ............ 46
World War II ............ 56
Chapter 3: Brussels ............ 65
Orientation & Planning ............ 66
Exploring Brussels ............ 74
Where to Eat ............ 97
Where to Stay ............ 109
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 122
Shopping ............ 128
Side Trips From Brussels ............ 135
Chapter 4: Brugge & the North Sea Coast ............ 139
Orentation & Planning ............ 140
Brugge ............ 145
Side Trips from Brugge ............ 171
The North Sea Coast ............ 174
Chapter 5: Gent ............ 183
Orientation & Plannning ............ 185
Exploring Gent ............ 189
Side Trip from Gent ............ 210
Chapter 6: Antwerp ............ 213
Orientation & Planning ............ 214
Exploring Antwerp ............ 219
Where to Eat ............ 233
Where to Stay ............ 239
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 243
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 245
Shopping ............ 245
Side Trips from Antwerp ............ 251
Chapter 7: The Meuse & the Ardennes ............ 255
Orientation & Planning ............ 256
Namur ............ 262
Namur Province ............ 271
Liège ............ 277
Liège Province ............ 290
Understanding Belgium ............ 305
Travel Smart Belgium ............ 329
Index ............ 357
About Our Writers ............ 368
MAPS
Belgian Beer ............ 24-25
Battlegrounds ............ 50-51
Central Brussels ............ 70-71
Cinquantenaire & Schuman ............ 89
In & Around Ixelles ............ 94
Where to Eat in Central Brussels ............ 100-101
Where to Stay in Central Brussels ............ 112-113
Where to Stay & Eat South of Center/Schuman ............ 119
Brussels Shopping ............ 130
Flanders ............ 142
Bruges (Brugge) ............ 147
Where to Eat in Brugge ............ 157
Where to Stay in Brugge ............ 163
North Coast ............ 175
Gent (Ghent, Gand) ............ 190
Where to Eat in Gent ............ 200
Where to Stay in Gent ............ 204
Antwerp ............ 220
Where to Stay & Eat in Antwerp ............ 237
Antwerp Shopping ............ 247
Meuse & the Ardennes ............ 257
Namur ............ 263
What’s Where ............ 6
Great Itineraries ............ 8
Quintessential Belgium ............ 10
If You Like ............ 12
Beating the Euro ............ 15
On the Calendar ............ 16
When to Go ............ 18
Chapter 1: Belgian Beer ............ 19
Touring & Tasting Beer in Belgium ............ 20
Brussels & Environs ............ 22
Antwerp & Environs ............ 29
Limburg Province ............ 32
Flanders ............ 35
Belgian Luxembourg ............ 38
Hainaut and Namur Provinces ............ 40
Chapter 2: Historic Battlegrounds ............ 45
World War I ............ 46
World War II ............ 56
Chapter 3: Brussels ............ 65
Orientation & Planning ............ 66
Exploring Brussels ............ 74
Where to Eat ............ 97
Where to Stay ............ 109
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 122
Shopping ............ 128
Side Trips From Brussels ............ 135
Chapter 4: Brugge & the North Sea Coast ............ 139
Orentation & Planning ............ 140
Brugge ............ 145
Side Trips from Brugge ............ 171
The North Sea Coast ............ 174
Chapter 5: Gent ............ 183
Orientation & Plannning ............ 185
Exploring Gent ............ 189
Side Trip from Gent ............ 210
Chapter 6: Antwerp ............ 213
Orientation & Planning ............ 214
Exploring Antwerp ............ 219
Where to Eat ............ 233
Where to Stay ............ 239
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 243
Sports & the Outdoors ............ 245
Shopping ............ 245
Side Trips from Antwerp ............ 251
Chapter 7: The Meuse & the Ardennes ............ 255
Orientation & Planning ............ 256
Namur ............ 262
Namur Province ............ 271
Liège ............ 277
Liège Province ............ 290
Understanding Belgium ............ 305
Travel Smart Belgium ............ 329
Index ............ 357
About Our Writers ............ 368
MAPS
Belgian Beer ............ 24-25
Battlegrounds ............ 50-51
Central Brussels ............ 70-71
Cinquantenaire & Schuman ............ 89
In & Around Ixelles ............ 94
Where to Eat in Central Brussels ............ 100-101
Where to Stay in Central Brussels ............ 112-113
Where to Stay & Eat South of Center/Schuman ............ 119
Brussels Shopping ............ 130
Flanders ............ 142
Bruges (Brugge) ............ 147
Where to Eat in Brugge ............ 157
Where to Stay in Brugge ............ 163
North Coast ............ 175
Gent (Ghent, Gand) ............ 190
Where to Eat in Gent ............ 200
Where to Stay in Gent ............ 204
Antwerp ............ 220
Where to Stay & Eat in Antwerp ............ 237
Antwerp Shopping ............ 247
Meuse & the Ardennes ............ 257
Namur ............ 263
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