2 in Antwerp & 3 in Brussels or ?
 

It is my first visit to Belgium. I have to choose either 2 nights in Antwerp and 3 in Brussels or the other way round. Which would you suggest?

For background I will be first 3 nights in Brugge and have a 1-day visit to Ghent on my way to Antwerp. Will be arriving in Anterp quite late in the day, so 2 nights only there would really leave me only 1 or 1 1/2 days to visit the city before leaving for Brussels.

Looking forward to your suggestions.
Thank you.

Brussels is a lot larger than Antwerp. Probably better to do 3 days Brussels, 2 in Antwerp. I live near Antwerp, so know it much better than Brussels; look for posts on this forum by BTilke, who knows Brussels very well.
The main things to see in Antwerp are the Cathedral, Rubens' House, the Museum of Fine Arts (Museum voor Schone Kunsten). There's also a fashion museum. What are your interests?

Thanks Tulips.

I am more interested in history, culture, art. Fashion isn't my thing. CHOCOLATE is :))

Again, not a 'foodie' - anything cheap that will fill the belly is fine, but I do want to try some local specialties. That is something that I always enjoy while travelling.

Beer, mussels (moules) and frites... gaufres...
Belgians seem fond of rabbit dishes... then there is 'waterzoi', kind of creamy soup with chicken or fish (either, I believe)..

I like this website for sightseeing ideas:
http://www.trabel.com/brussels.htm

Thanks for the site. Lots of good info. Have Copied and Pasted a lot of it.

What is gaufres? The frites are definitely on my list of things to try! The waterzoi sounds interesting too.

Thanks!

I tried salmon waterzoi in Brussels and liked it. I had it at a local restaurant (I mean, not a tourists one), where my friends from Brussels took us. The name is Au Stekerlapatte
and it is at Rue des Prêtres 4.
http://www.stekerlapatte.be/index.php

Thanks Filloa - looks like my kind of place. I wonder if they would let me order just vegetables for a main course, or perhaps two starters?

Gaufres are waffles.
There's a lot more to see in Antwerp than the things mentioned by Tulips. Amongst the numerous historical buildings Antwerp has some of the most beautiful churches in Belgium: Our Lady's Cathedral, Carolus Borromeus Church, St. Jacobs Church, St. Paulus Church, ...
Check out Jack's website on http://www.jack-travel.com/Belgium/H...Visit_Page.htm
Jack is a proud Antwerpian ... and so am I.

Myriam, you gave me the advice to visit Antwerp awhile back and now I'm actually going to do it in May. You are a good spokesperson for the city.

I would definitely want two full days in Antwerpen (which has fantastic food and chocolate). I find Brussels the least magical of all the places I've visited in Belgium, although its fine arts museum, the Horta museum and the Grand Place are outstanding attractions. Were it me, two days in Brussels would be enough. (I'd also overnight in Ghent, taking one day away from Brugge.)

I wasted a lot of time in Brussels trying to use public transportation to get to the Horta museum, which is unique. Take a cab, and pay close attention to the opening hours.

unaS, I don't think there would be any problem at Stekerlapatte to order two starters, it is a kind of casual place (like a "meson" or a "casa de comidas" in Spain... I don't know how to say it in English).
We had a really good time there (well, good company always helps :) ).

MyriamC

Thanks for the translation.

Thanks even more for that fantastic site. I have been searching and searching for walking tours that I could do on my own. Jack's site finally has them! Marvelous!!

May I ask you another question - as an Antwerpian? I have found a budget hotel called Hotel Scheldzicht at Sint-Jansvliet 10-12, 2000. What is the neighbourhood like? I am a mature woman travelling solo. Should it be all right for me to return to the hotel in the late evening, after dinner?

Thank you for all of your help!

Thanks for the suggestions nessundorma.
Have noted and will add to my list!

Good news Filloa! I will definitely go there then. The menu you linked to has me getting hungry already :)

Una, the neighbourhood of the Scheldezicht is okay. It's still within the historical centre and it's on a square that has some cafés, so there's always people around.
On the other hand, I would like to inform you that it's a very plain and simple hotel. Don't expect any luxury. I've read some reviews on a Dutch board and most of them are not really positive ...

Una; St Jansvliet is a great location. I've seen the hotel, but haven't been inside. It's a small square close to the river and the cathedral. Also close to Kloosterstraat, with lots of antique/bric-a-brac shops. Perfectly safe (as is all of Antwerp really).
On the corner of the square is a rather unusual chocolate shop called Swiet & Sexy. Not sure you want to buy those chocolates for anyone though.
Pierre Marcolini, on Huidevetterstraat, is excellent. As is Swertvaegher on Schuttershofstraat; they do beautiful miniature chocolates.
You'll find lots of reasonable restaurants in that area. As for Belgian food; try prawn croquettes (garnaal kroketten). In Kloosterstraat there's a Moroccan restaurant that looks very nice. There's also a small cafe called 'take 5 minutes in Paris'.

MyriamC -

Thanks. I am a budget traveller, or I can't travel at all. I have always used hostels, only now they don't allow smoking anymore anywhere in the hostel, so I need to start using budget hotels.

Not looking for luxury. If it is clean and safe that is enough for me.

Your opinion is important to me and much appreciated!

May I ask what you mean when you say that most of the reviews are not really positive? I mean, is it dirty? Bedbugs? That sort of thing? Or just small and very basic rooms?

Hi Tulips,

Thanks for all of the extra details!

Your Swiet & Sexy chocolate shop might be just the thing for some of my friends :))

For the rest, I will stick to standard chocolates. I understand from a poster on LPTT that one can buy perfectly good Belgian chocolate bars in the supermarkets? A few specialty items will be nice, but for most people it is the flavour that counts I think.

Those cafés that you and MyriamC mention - are they good for breakfast? I do like a good breakfast with eggs or cheese, or even both. X(

Chocolate bars are for sale in every single supermarket. There's a large GB Supermarkt in the basement of Groenplaats Shopping Centre (a small mall at Groenplaats). Good brands for chocolate bars are Côte d'Or and Callebaut.

Scheldezicht: some posters said it was basic, some said the rooms were dirty, all said it was noisy (there must be an old wooden cracking staircase that passes along all the rooms).
Hotel Cammerpoorte (www.hotelcammerpoorte.be), also in the historical centre, gets far better reviews. It may be a bit more expensive than Scheldezicht though.

"De Granaetappel" (www.degranaetappel.be) is a nice place for breakfast. Unfortunately only on Saturday and Sunday. It's almost around the corner from Scheldezicht.
Some others nearby are Hangar 41 (St. Michielskaai 41), Het Dagelijks Brood (Steenhouwersvest 48 - smokefree!), Zuiderterras (Ernest Van Dijckkaai, along the border of the river Scheldt).
I don't know whether the cafés on Sint-Jansvliet (where Scheldezicht is) offer breakfast.

Myriam,
What do you think about the location of this B&B? I don't mind staying outside the old centre. I found this place and read 1 very favourable comment on Tripadvisor. Being a budget traveller, I'm always on the lookout for good, inexpensive places to stay.
http://www.bbantwerp.com/

I'll be staying 4 nights and 3 full days in Antwerp. I'm planning on two days in the city and one for a day trip. Are 2 days enough for sightseeing?

Also, I want try some cuisine from the former colonies when I'm there. Can anyone recommend an African restaurant?

Keren, that B&B looks lovely. The location is fine; not right in the old center, but an easy walk.

@ Keren
I can only agree with Tulips. Bed, Bad & Brood looks lovely and it's in a good neighbourhood.

@ Gary
You can see a lot in two days. Antwerp is only a small city where everything worth seeing is 'walking distance'.

Myriam you are a marvelous person. So much good information and such willingness to share! Thank you.

I have written to the Hotel Cammerpoorte. The price is fine if it includes breakfast. Also picked up on Keren's question and wrote to the B&B as well :)

Thanks for the extra info on the chocolate in supermarkets!

Looks like there will be plenty of places to get a good breakfast.

Yes, I read the reviews on the Scheldzicht on Trip Advisor and on Virtual Tourist. Seems that it is noisy because of the coffee shops/restaurants on the street under its windows. They all close by 2 am though and I am a night owl anyway. Also it seems that it is possible to request a room in the back. That part doesn't bother me. One person on Virtual Tourist did mention bedbugs, but I didn't see that anywhere else. Did you notice anything about that?

Una, no mention of bed bugs. If that were the case, they would have to close their doors anyway and have the place desinfected by a specialized company.

Thank you, both, Myriam and Tulips. If I go to Antwerp in April I think I'll choose this B&B for a place to stay.

I would recommend Antwerp, Brugge and Brussels in that order. Brussels is the largest but Antwerp is more lively and its city center is 100% walkable. Brugge is very charming for a night out.

We just got back from a trip to Baden-Baden, so I didn't have the opportunity to post earlier. However, given some of the OP's other posts, she would probably enjoy a longer stay in Antwerp.

I was very surprised to read this comment:
"I wasted a lot of time in Brussels trying to use public transportation to get to the Horta museum, which is unique. Take a cab, and pay close attention to the opening hours."

Getting to the Horta museum by mass transit is really quite simple. And the opening hours are 2 to 5:30 pm, except for Mondays when it's closed

So, to help future visitors confused by Brussels mass transit

Getting to the Horta House in 4 Easy Steps:

1. Get on the 91 (direction Stalle) or 92 (direction Fort Jaco) trams. Sometimes the tram routes may be shortened, with the final stop listed as Ma Campagne. Which is fine because that's the stop you want. The easiest places to catch the trams are in front of the church on the Sablon or by the Louise metro stop. If you're staying over in the EU area, either catch a metro to Louise or take the 27 bus to the Sablon.
2. Take the tram to the Ma Campagne stop. The trams will run along the Ave. Louise briefly, then bear right at Place Stephanie, heading up the Chaussee de Charleroi. Keep looking out the RIGHT side of the tram. Once you pass the big Brico building (a hardware store chain, Belgium's answer to Home Depot), you will be getting off at the next stop: Ma Campagne. It is at this intersection, FYI, that the Chaussee de Charleroi's name changes to Avenue Brugmann.
3. Exit the tram at Ma Campagne. Turn and walk back down the Chaussee de Charleroi for two minutes on the opposite side of the street from the Brico store. When you get to the corner of Chaussee de Charleroi and rue Americaine, turn right. Note: at this corner, you will see a Gil's Intermin temp agency sign and the Univers Particulier bookstore. It's also directly across the street from Brico.
4. Walk one minute along rue Americaine until you reach number 25. Voila! The Horta House!

Anyway to continue:

Best time to visit the Horta house and Ixelles neighborhood:

Plan your visit, if possible, for about 3 pm on a Wednesday afternoon. You will be finished with Horta by about 4 or 4:30 PM. After you leave, head UP the rue Americaine instead of going back to Chaussee de Charleroi. When you get to the rue Page, turn left and you will find yourself in a block full of cafes and wine bars. If you're still in an Art Nouveau mood and you don't mind a little smoke, the Bistro des Restos on the corner of rues Americaine and Page is a great little spot. Anyway, continue down rue Page for a block and you wil come to the wonderful Wed. afternoon Chatelain street market. As good as anything in Paris. One of the first stands you will pass sells delicious artisanal waffles. Mmmm. They're made to order. The market also has numerous stands selling food you can eat on-site as well as places to sample wine.
But after spending an hour or so wandering the market and having a drink or two, you may be hungry for an early dinner. Well, congratulations, you are in one of the best parts of town for finding excellent, attractive restaurants serving terrific food at moderate prices.
Go back to Rue Americaine. Keep heading "up", checking the restaurants you pass along the way. Nothing catch you fancy? Continue along, go pass the Audi/VW dealer until you reach a round point. Bear right on rue Tenbosch and head up to the corner of Tenbosch and rue Prevot. A couple of choices there: the new and elegant Le Fruit Defendu or the casual and friendly local Chinese restaurant, La Cantonnaise. In the mood for tapas? Then turn left onto rue Prevot and walk a block (another round point at the entrance of the park; note the memorial to the Armenian genocide in the middle) to Parachute Parc, also a new spot.
OR you could continue along the rue Tenbosch to the Chaussee de Waterloo. At the corner is the ever popular Toucan brasserie and the newly renovated Lettre a Elise, specializing in grilled meats. Turn left on the Chaussee de Waterloo and you'll pass En Face de Parachute, another neighborhood institution. The boots, FYI, are made with antique wooden tram seats. Or turn right on rue Americaine and browse the choices there, like Element Terre, a vegetarian favorite. And note, heading down the Chaussee de Waterloo will take you right back to the Ma Campagne tram stop where you can head home.

Btilke,

Maybe your confusion stems from not knowing where I was in Brussels when I began my journey to the Horta house.

Having dealt with the Brussels tram system and its maps as a visitor, and looking at your directions, I stick with my advice to another first time visitor that a cab to the Horta museum is worth the few extra euro when you time is at a premium, and you get to see more of Brussels aboveground to boot.

Terrific information. Bookmarking.

Nessundorma, actually, by taking the trams I suggested, you'll see as much above ground as you would with a cab, perhaps more so. Because the taxis tend to use the tunnels whenever possible, which run underground.
I am not confused at all. I believe you said in another post that you were in the EU area. The 27 bus serves that area and takes you to the Sablon (all above ground, FYI). Or you can take the nearest EU metro stop (Schuman, Merode, or Trone if one happens to be over by the Luxembourg train station, which is also EU territory).
It's not difficult to negotiate by mass transit.

BTilke,

But I didn't go to the Horta House from the EU area. The museum doesn't open until 2pm.

I disagree that it is not difficult to negotiate Brussels mass transit for a someone just arriving for 2 days, and while you didn't say this, mass transit in Brussels is not particularly good relative to other European capitals.

I stick with my tip that the Horta museum is most efficiently reached by taxi for people short on time.

Well, stop being so coy and tell me where you were when you had such great difficulties getting to the museum.

The problem with taking the taxi is that when you go to leave, there are no taxi stands in the immediate vicinity. It's much easier to walk all of *3* minutes along a VERY straightforward route to catch a tram that takes you back down to the Louise metro stop in less than 10 minutes. And from there, you can get to almost anywhere in town.

I go all over the city by mass transit. And have done so for more than 6 years. There are very few places where you can't go by mass transit. And if you're confused...all you have to do is ask for help.