ribeirascra - sorry about the Benidorm thing - I mistakenly thought tulips was quoting you and not some article. My sincere aplogies - right I should read what you wrote - mea culpa. Still not sure what the OP is looking for exists in Belgium - at lest what's in her/his mind's eye.

I feel they want everything rolled into one. Hence my suggestion of the Ardennes. Belgium is a over looked except for the usual 3 cities. I did expect a bit more activity on this forum for on the WW1 anniversary. I have only personally found one location rather strange that is the battle of Waterloo site. When I went there there was no mention of Wellington and most of his allies. Also found the pissing boy in Brussels very disappointingly small. I have read it is the same for the mermaid in Copenhagen too.
The Belgium TV programme I watch has given me ideas for a lot of places to see in Belgium and use the information on regular trips to and from The Netherlands. However it is not going to be produced for much longer as it is too expensive.

I agree with Tulips. We love to be in Knokke-Zoute, especially on weekdays in the off-season when there are no crowds. We usually cycle along the boardwalk, through the Zwin, to Cadzand or Breskens in the Netherlands. Great cycling! Furthermore, outstanding restaurants, luxury shopping opportunities, good hotels/holiday rentals, and a great beach.

We've decided to skip Amsterdam and concentrate on Belgium. Please help us decide how to split up 9 full days between Bruges and the Spa area. We want to stay in Bruges to experience the city mornings and evenings when there are fewer tourists. We will do a day trip to Ghent. We are thinking three full days in Bruges then on to Spa for the remaining 6 days. Your feedback would be most appreciated.

Id rather do 4 and 5 - unless of course you're searching for war cemeteries , relics, etc. or into hking and nature. From Bruges you could day trip to Antwerp too - a really neat city. I guess Luxembourg would be an easy day trip from Spa - interesting Duchy and Luxembourg City is one of Europe's physically most gorgeous cities - lovingly bisected by a deep gorge.

Thank you PalenQ--most helpful. We're now thinking we will do the end of the trip in Dinant rather than Spa.The 4/5 split of days would be good as we will need a little relax time in Bruges after a two-week safari!

Dinant is a neat town and right by I believe a dramatic stretch of river - stayed there once long ago - better spotted than Spa perhaps for day trips - Maastricht Holland is a really neat regional town not far away I think.

Loved Dinant, even if only for a few hours! Went out of my way to see it on my way from Reims to Namur.

Terrific photo op across the river of the river, Notre Dame, and the Citadel!

Home of Adolph Sax, inventor of the saxophone.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dina...2&ved=0CCUQsAQ

Belgium is so small! You can easily daytrip from Dinant to the Spa area and visit Durbuy (the smallest town in the world) along the way. Also La Roche en Ardenne and Houffalize are worthwhile if you like to hike or mountainbike. And Liège with its railway station designed by Santiago Calatrava (the 3rd most beautiful station in the world).

BTW, I'd do 4 and 5 days, too. When in Brugge, do make a daytrip the the WW1 cemeteries in the Ypres Salient (http://www.greatwar.co.uk/places/ypr...cemeteries.htm) and visit the interactive 'In Flanders Fields' museum in Ypres. There is still a lot of 'countryside' in this part of Flanders. It is flat, though.

What Belgian and European may consider 'countryside' often differs with what Americans consider 'countryside' - which led to my saying there is really no countryside IME of biking around there for years - countryside in Amewrican terms - just flat tilled farm lands with tall trees as windblocks - very few really wild places except along the coast in sandy areas.

So it depends on how you parse the word 'countryside'.

We're talking about a very tiny country called Belgium. Of course the Belgian countryside is nothing like the American countryside but there is enough space to bike for hours or days. Just ask my husband!

In Flanders is there - of course all of Belgium yes because the west Ardennes is real country here or there. But in Flanders my years on a bike were lots of little farms and side roads yes but no real expanses of wild country like there is in Belgian Ardennes.

Bike routes in the Ardennes.
http://www.fietsroute.org/Fietsroutes-Wallonie.php
http://www.belgie-toerisme.nl/conten...n/nl/4470.html
The best* 100km on bike in the Ardennes.
http://www.fietsen.123.nl/entry/8193...ische-ardennen

*according to this website that is.

The website may be correct. The route passes through Houffalize, La Roche, Nisramont, ... a cyclist's paradise!

PalenQ let me assure you that we are well aware that the "countryside" of Belgium in no way compares with the vastness of the American mid-west and west. We have traveled through the country on our way from Amsterdam to Paris. We are not naive at all about Europe and what it has to offer.

BTW, the quarrelsome back-and-forth between 'experts' on this forum sometimes keeps me from posting a question. I never know what sort of response I may get when just asking for basic advise.

Again, thanks to all of you who sincerely responded to my query.

Wm, often the advice you get from locals is different to that of people who have just visited a place. It's just a different point of view.
If you stay in Brugge, make sure you have somewhere to park your car.
Enjoy your time in Belgium!