Antwerp, Bruge or Brussels
 

My daughter will be on exchange in the Netherlands during her spring semester. I have a nine day trip in April planned. I want to see Amsterdam and want to see parts of Belgium. She will be close to Antwerp so I wonder if i can break up the week and see Antwerp, Bruges and Brussels or if that is too ambitious which of three cities should I concentrate on for half the time I am in the area.

Thanks so much,

Never been to Antwerp, but Brugges is much more interesting than Brussels. With a week I would think you'd be able to see all three cities comfortablely.

Also, want to recommend Den Hague and Delft in the Netherlands as possible side trips from Amsterdam, time permitting.

Agree, I found Brussels to be dirty and the famous square to be too touristy.

I loved Brugges and Ghent (about 20 minutes from Brussels by train as I recall) to both be much better.

As these cities are so so close together play it by ear and visit them all if you want - less than an hour by train to Brussels and not much more to Bruges, which is the consensus finest city in Belgium for the average tourist. Dreamy - canals - hump-backed drawbridges, huge belfry towering over the main square and loads of old Flemish warehouses lining canals extant from the day when Bruges was one of the world's most important ports and cities. When the port silted up the action moved to Antwerp, still one of the world's busiest ports.

I like Antwerp too - very different - lots of Art Nouveau - in fact a whole street full of acclaimed Art Nouveau edifices close the Berchem train station (two miles from Antwerp Central station, which is itself IMO one of Europe's prettiest looking train stations - a grandiose Art Nouveau extravaganza

Don't miss Middleheim, a famous statue park a few miles south of Antwerp's city centre - lots of famous works all set in a sylvan setting - take a tram to close to its entrance.

Brussels gets mixed reviews - often negative from the 'average' tourists yet i believe it merits a look over - to see the Grand' Place - Europe's so-called drawing room and one of the most exquisite main squares in all of Europe - and of course the Mannequin Pis - the statue of a peeing boy that is, ironically, now the symbol of Brussels if not Belgium.

And IMO Gent rivals Antwerp and Brussels for attention - again it is very close to Antwerp so it depends just how much you want to travel out of Antwerp, where you could spend days - lots of great museums and even an Amsterdamesque redlight district with scantilly clad gals being red-neon-lit picture windows (Brussels and Gent also have one).

Middelheim Sculpture Museum, Antwerp
Sculpture Park, Middelheim, Antwerp. Sculpture Park. The museum's collection has a high international reputation. It contains more than 200 sculptures, ...
www.aviewoncities.com › Antwerp › Antwerp Attractions -

Could be a swell mom and daughter few-hour experience - it is really a sweet alfresco statute park. Have tea in the museum cafe!

Antwerpen is my favorite of all the places because of the variety of interest and the terrific food and drink.

I would have no trouble completing your entire itinerary in your allotted time, but there are several popular museums and sights in Brussels and Amsterdam that don't interest me, and I wouldn't give Bruges more than half a day tops. I would spend 3 days in Amsterdam, and give the rest to Belgium, adding Gent to your list. I especially recommend that if you like good food.

and I wouldn't give Bruges more than half a day tops. I would spend 3 days in Amsterdam, and give the rest to Belgium, adding Gent to your list. I especially recommend that if you like good food>

and what makes the food in Gent so great or so much better than in the other cities? Perplexed by that seemingly foolish comment - was it one restaurant you happened into - you make a generality - please explain - BTW Brussels, with its international contingent of Brusselscrats is known as a culinary capital - i did not know Gent was? Hope you are waffling on that description?

I hope you will also see the Netherlands - so much more than just Amsterdam (or even Delft, Den Haag and Leiden). ;)

Is your daughter in Breda? or the HS Zeeland?

You could combine all three easily in a two day break - train to Antwerp, then on to Brugge and finally Brussels before heading back.

Belgium is like The Netherlands of say 30-40 years ago in many ways IME

What a very odd thing to say Pal. I'm not sure any Belgian would appreciate that, and nor do I think it is true.

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I have only one piece of advice, don't miss Brugge and spend at least one FULL day there. The rest is really strictly my personal opinion (I have been to Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp also. I lived near Brugge.)
Ghent - 1/2 to 1 day
Antwerp - 1 full day
Brussels - 1 full day

Eat frites and mussels at a friture.
Eat Belgian chocolate from a good shop.

If you want to spend more time in Belgium, head for the Ardennes - QUITE different from Flanders.

Thank you all for this detailed and very very helpful advice. In answer to where my daughter will be she is in going to be in a small town I believe called Well. It appears to be in the Southeast corner of the Netherlands. It all sounds beautiful. Do you recommend I fly in and out of Amsterdam or into Amsterdam and out of somewhere else.

thank you!

If your daughter will be in Well in Limburg, which I suppose since you mentioned the southeast of the Netherlands, she will be very close to the German border. The location is somewhat unfavorable for you to travel to Brugge or Antwerpen (around 4 hrs on the train for a single journey!) unless of course you will have a car. If you can get to Eindhoven, which is the nearest 'big' city, you can easily train to Amsterdam, though.
Flying in and out of Düsseldorf would be perfect, don't know if that is possible from where you fly from.

Hi yes she will be in Limburg. If we did have a car would you say it is doable to reach Brugge or Antwerpen? They sound like such cool cities. If we were to look at options in Germany close to her do you have any recommendations? Finally I am looking at flights and am a school counselor so I have February breaks and April breaks. The cost to fly in Feb obviously is significantly cheaper but I don't know if is desirable to be there at all then. My sister lives in Paris and I frequently visit her in Feb and have found nice weather also as it is the last week of the month. However if is is much more worth being in that part of Europe in April I would bite the bullet and pay the extra 200 to 300 hundred dollars.

Again thanks for the help

Weather ... so difficult to predict which will be better, Feb or April. February is still mid winter and days are short, but sun-wise it may be nicer than April. It's different every year. The winter of 2009-2010 has been very long. Next year may be totally different.

With a car you can reach Brugge in about 2,5 hours. Antwerp in about 1 hr 45 min.

Germany: Düsseldorf is a great city for shopping but this area of Germany near to the Dutch border is mostly industrial.

Another pretty city in the Netherlands, not too far away from Well, is Nijmegen. It's the oldest city in the Netherlands.

With a car, you can easily go to all three. My husband is from Limburg and whenever we go to the Netherlands to visit his relatives, we take day trips or overnight trips to Belgium and Germany. I liked Brugge a lot and I love going to Antwerpen. Brussels was ok. It just depends on what your interests are.

I wouldn't be able to recommend Feb. vs. Apr. since I'm from southern California and I consider anything below 70 degrees to be cold.

thank you thank you. This is all very helpful and exiting!

hetismij - don't feed the troll.