Free Weekend In Europe--Where to Go for Good Beer, Good Museums and a Generally Good Time?
 

DH and I need advice on a good weekend trip from the UK during the last weekend in July.

Here are the skinny--we will be based in Cambridge for almost 5 weeks. This is our 3rd trip there, and a working trip for my DH. We have 2 free weekends. The first weekend we are booked for Dublin. We have always wanted to go to Ireland, so we are very excited. Thanks to all the great advice I got on Fodors I am sure it will be a great trip.

For our second weekend, we were all set to go to Edinburgh, which I am sure we would love. However, after visiting England for 3 summers we are thinking it would be nice to go elsewhere. We love off the beaten path places and love hearing new languages. I have been to some of the places he is interested in (like Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Venice) but he wants to go somewhere I have not been. We have both been to Paris, Rome, Athens and Brussels.

SO...we are thinking perhaps Bruges? Or Oslo? Or Copenhagen maybe? Or.....?

We are both 35 and will be ready to have fun since we are leaving our kids behind. We are both very active, love art museums and quaint towns with lots of cafes and pubs/bars. Oh we also love beer. I know DH would love to see some of the Belgium open fermentation fields if he can. He is also a philosopher, so loves any places of interest pertaining to 17th century philosophers. We are willing to splurge if the place is worth it.

Any suggestions? I have checked many flights from Stansted and prices to most of these places are relatively cheap, but I would like to have something firmed up soon, as I know that can change.

THANK YOU!!!!

Antwerp, Antwerp and Antwerp.

Although Amsterdam is good, too -- it just doesn't have the great food Antwerp does. But it does have more and better museums.

The museum in Antwerp is wonderful though -- the kind of huge old fashioned museum you never see anymore with paintings piled high and circular velvet seating. And nobody else there buy you.

People think Brugge is so cute, and it is, but Antwerp rocks.

nessundorma--YEAH! That is just the kind of suggestion I am looking for. I would have never thought of Antwerp. Just checked it out and it looks amazing, and fits the criteria I mentioned.

Thank you!

I would do brugges or amsterdam. my dh spends a great deal of time working in Germany and his favorite weekends have been in those two cities plus baden baden or the wine road just beyond strasbourg. we did a long weekend in amsterdam last may after his first trip there and had a real blast! found lots to do and good food altho others have not been as lucky on the food side!

Always glad to send another person to Antwerp. I had a great stay at the Hotel t'Sandt, if that's in your budget, but ask for a quiet room.

There is a fantastic gin bar -- it is called "jenever" in Belgium -- whose name escapes me but everybody knows it. Do not fail to sample gin in Antwerp. THe beer is indeed tasty, the chocolates are the best and in Antwerp, I couldn't stop eating mussels, but the locals also eat something called something like "stampfenpot" which is some kind of comfort food made of mashed potatoes and sausage, I gather, and I'm sorry I never got to try it.

The cathedral is great. Marvelous modern art galleries around it. Antwerp rivals Milano as the fashion design capital of Europe.

Brugge is an easy day trip if you wants swans and canals.

Have a good time.

If flying to Frankfort is cheap, you can reach Wuerzburg on a train that leaves right from the airport terminal, and be there in 40 min or so.

That area is famous for its white wines, and of course the german hefe-weissen beer can't be beat.

OR, from Frankfurt, go west into the Mosel river valley. SO serene and relaxing.
EK

PS, if you fly Ryanair, they land at Frankfurt-Han airport, which is quite a way (north and east) of Frankfurt, but very close to the Rhine and/or Mosel river valleys.

How about Prague?

Amsterdam would fit that bill.

Ghent is another possibility.

Hieronymous Bosch and Belgian Ale. Medieval buildings.

And a quick google search revealed a philosopher, Henry of Ghent, though he belongs to an earlier era . . .

I think that Strasbourg would fit the bill. It's one of my favourite cities in all of Europe, and although it doesn't have the big museums and galleries of some other cities, it's perfect for a weekend. The food and beer (to say nothing of the Alsatian wine) are superb, and the centre of the city is a wonderful place in which to wander.

Copenhagen would also make a nice weekend trip.

Oh these are great ideas. Thanks very much everyone. I am going to spend the day google-ing these wonderful places. I am surprised at the cheap fares I can get from Stansted to just about anywhere. Not like the US! Good to know about Frankfurt airport being far from the city, that was in fact on our list.

Never heard of Ghent, going to check it out! And also did not think of Strasbourg. Prague is a wonderful city (haven't been there in a decade) but DH ruled it out b/c I have been there.

Off to Google....thanks again.

Graz (Austria). Fits everything on your list, a perfect place to go in July. Great beer (try Murauer, which comes from another town in the Steiermark part of Austria). Or the home grown beer, Gosser.
http://www.murauerbier.at/

Antwerp is nice enough, but Graz is more off the beaten track and a lot more interesting, IMO.

How about Delft and Den Haag (Mauritshuis + Gemeentemuseum)?

Brussels has great beer! I'm sure there are other kinds, but what we had was Leffe & Duvel. We got some good beer in Bruges too, but we left it up to the waiter, after telling him what we liked, so can't remember the names. Another great thing in Brussels is chocolate! Mmmmmm....

Sandy

Everyone...just thought I would post back and say we settled on Berlin. I know...not necessarily fitting of the criteria I initially required, however, it was DH's pick. There is a castle there that one of his philosophers (Leibniz of Hanover) frequented that is a must see. Anyway, we will be back, and I will try some of these wonderful places that were suggested. CHEERS!

I loved Berlin, and I hope you do as well. Be sure and report back!

For beer- someplace in Belgium - I prefer Bruges - but you might do Ghent or even Brussels. An incredible variety of beers, charming towns with manageable museums and very charming and relaxed.

Try Ryanair to Lodz, Poland. Europe's largest mall (?) will be open. ulica Piotrkowska is nearby. Hotels at all prices. No need for a car. Bus from the airport. Poland also has the best and most beers in Central Europe! Rickshaws for transport...

Amsterdam! .... did I mention Amsterdam!