Suggestions welcome for one or all 4 cities!

Favorite architectural structure or must-see site?
Favorite neighborhood to walk around and get lost in?
Favorite local food to try? Where?

GO!

In Brussels you can take Art Nouveau tours of the city - the dominant form of architecture in the suburbs - although two of the standout structures will be the Horta Museum (house of the architect Victor Horta) and the Museum of Musical Instruments, housed in the former department store 'Old England'. You can also walk the Comic Strip route (not sure if this is the correct name), where many of the city's blank walls have been painted with scenes from comics (an important form of art in Belgium). And of course there are numerous medieval and baroque buildings (think Grand' Place) and the 19th century Galeries St Hubert, the first shopping arcade (filled with elegant shops, many of which sell chocolates).

You might like the Marolles, a former working-class neighbourhood which has been gentrified and which has many antique shops. It is near to the flea market (Place du Jeu de Balles), which is on every day but winds up at 2pm.

Lavandula

Antwerp:
Art deco district in Berchem
Central Station
Modern architecture: MAS, palace of justice, the Zaha Hadid designed headquarters of the Port of Antwerp,

Hendrik Conscience Plein with the Carolus Borromeus church is beautiful.

For Belgian food? no specific recommendation, you eat fairly well everywhere. Maybe Chez Fred, in Kloosterstraat, for prawn croquettes and Belgian beef stew with fries.

@pagngo Thank you for the restaurant suggestions, I will check them out! What a strange reason for the castle to be closed!
@lavandula Thanks, I probably won't have time for an actual tour as my schedule is rather tight, I will have to wander on my own! I already have the Museum of Musical Instruments high on my list and will be sure to check out the Horta Museum and Marolles neighborhood.
@Tulips I might only have a half day in Antwerp so this is helpful, thank you!

Speaking of the Castle, has anyone been there and did you find it worthwhile?

Antwerp is a diamond center of Europe and some shops and 'factories' are close to the main train station - a Jewish area with many men wearng skull caps and traditional Orthodox Jewish garb.

Thanksgiving Week in Germany and Belgium

Trip report from our adventures
We adored Ghent, enjoyed Bruges as day trip from Ghent, and wished we'd had longer in Antwerp

Gent makes a good base -easy day trips to Bruges one way and Antwerp the other.

Brussels has a lot of neat things but they take time to ferret out but one day there for many is enough. Fairly modern busy city with little old-world looks.

If time is at a premium in Brussels then you might be rewarded by visiting the tourist information in the town hall in the Grand' Place. They have self-guided tour maps so you can see the city in the best way, and possibly some of them are online, so do google the tourist bureaus for Brussels and Flanders. How much time do you have for your whole trip? and how much for each destination?

Lavandula

Were there recently on a Saturday evening. Very, very crowded and noisy. And the food is no longer what it used to be ten years ago (IMO).

Except for Central Station, this is the least interesting part of the city if you want to see the historic centre.

Very true, Myriam.

Two interesting museums that my husband and I enjoyed in Antwerp are the Museum Plantin-Moretus and the Museum Mayer van den Bergh. The first is a fascinating 33-room museum showing the home and printing plant of a family who ran a major publishing house for several centuries, beginning in 1576. The second contains a large and impressive collection of paintings, sculpture, stained glass, tapestries and manuscripts amassed by an art connoisseur in the 19th century.

In Brussels we really enjoyed the Horta museum mentioned by others. It is only open for a few hours on weekday afternoons, but for longer hours on weekends.

Interesting is subjective - I enjoyed strolling thru the Jewish/diamond district - not long. The most fascinating neighborhood to me was the Turkish area just north (?) of city centre - the red-light district in near there too-if it still exists - a mini one of Amsterdam's. I also enjoyed walking along the old warehouses of the old port area starting at the center. I went to Antwerp maybe 30 times on business but that was long ago but feel it is only better now.

@palenQ great thanks, that sounds like a perfect plan to me for Antwerp.

@texasbookworm thanks for the trip report, I plan to read it this weekend!

@lavandula I will have several evenings in Brussels, so will likely walk to the grand place and go from there. I'm looking at one day for Gent/Bruges, maybe 1.5 and then 1/2 to full day in Antwerp. We shall see

@MyriamC will see where the historic district falls as well

@vttraveler thanks for the suggestions

For a 17th century mansion, the Reubens museum in Antwerp. You can't miss its train station if you travel by train. And there is this building along the main walking street:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk1eDpkb

The Van Buuren Museum just outside Brussels is worth a visit for its interior and gardens.

For Art nouveau in Ghent, visit the Decorative Art museum:
and its folk art museum in a former beguinjehof (sp?) is also worthwhile:

If in Antwerp more than a day the Middleheim Outdoor and Indoor Statue Park is superb- lots of famous artists - easy tram ride from Antwerp and easy t mix with the ArtDeco area around Berchem station. Middleheim:

https://www.google.com/search?q=midd...h=526&dpr=1.75