Quiet, slow towns in Northern Italy or Belgium
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Quiet, slow towns in Northern Italy or Belgium
Hi all,
We are a couple looking to get away for a few days in late March/early April - we can fly to either Brussels or Milan.
We will probably rent a car and drive, hoping to find a picturesque, quiet and non-touristy town (this is around the Easter weekend I know) not far from any of those two cities, that is nice to wander around in by bicycle and with good restaurants and cafes.
Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Daniel
We are a couple looking to get away for a few days in late March/early April - we can fly to either Brussels or Milan.
We will probably rent a car and drive, hoping to find a picturesque, quiet and non-touristy town (this is around the Easter weekend I know) not far from any of those two cities, that is nice to wander around in by bicycle and with good restaurants and cafes.
Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Daniel
#4
I like Alba in the Piemonte region of Italy. Great food and wine, and there are a few bike sharing stations scattered around the town...
If the bike sharing option would help you decide, the Bicincitta (Bikes in the City) website lists the cities in Italy they operate in. I'd sign up with a credit card and download the app after arriving so that you could figure it out with a local person (hotel personnel or TI office); otherwise, the online registration is in Italian only.
Comuni - Bike sharing
If the bike sharing option would help you decide, the Bicincitta (Bikes in the City) website lists the cities in Italy they operate in. I'd sign up with a credit card and download the app after arriving so that you could figure it out with a local person (hotel personnel or TI office); otherwise, the online registration is in Italian only.
Comuni - Bike sharing
#6
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Antwerp is not very touristy and nice to wander around in. Museums, churches, modern architecture and a lovely art-deco district. I wouldn't advise cycling there, as it's not that easy and a bit dangerous. It's also a bit difficult to get into by car; train is much easier.
If you want to do this, let me know and I'll tell you where best to park.
Gent is also very worth while - again hard to get into by car, better by train.
Mechelen and Leuven are small towns; If you are there for a couple of days, there's not much to do. (note; Leuven is the Flemish name. There's a Louvain-la-Neuve but you really do not want to go there)
If you like cycling, you could go to the coast if the weather is good. It's Easter holidays, so it could be busy. Very ugly appartment buildings along the coast, but if you go to Knokke, there's a nature reserve, you can cycle into the Netherlands at Cadzand, and there are plenty of good restaurants. You could also cycle to Damme if you're up to that.
Of course with a car you could go south and south-east from Brussel, into Wallonie and the Ardennen. I'm less familiar with that part of Belgium, but it certainly has more areas of natural beauty, whereas the Flemish part has more interesting cities.
If you want to do this, let me know and I'll tell you where best to park.
Gent is also very worth while - again hard to get into by car, better by train.
Mechelen and Leuven are small towns; If you are there for a couple of days, there's not much to do. (note; Leuven is the Flemish name. There's a Louvain-la-Neuve but you really do not want to go there)
If you like cycling, you could go to the coast if the weather is good. It's Easter holidays, so it could be busy. Very ugly appartment buildings along the coast, but if you go to Knokke, there's a nature reserve, you can cycle into the Netherlands at Cadzand, and there are plenty of good restaurants. You could also cycle to Damme if you're up to that.
Of course with a car you could go south and south-east from Brussel, into Wallonie and the Ardennen. I'm less familiar with that part of Belgium, but it certainly has more areas of natural beauty, whereas the Flemish part has more interesting cities.
Last edited by Tulips; Feb 10th, 2018 at 12:47 AM. Reason: wrote brugge instead of damme
#7
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Yeh I did not mention Antwerp or Gent or Bruges because OP seemed to want quiet slow towns off beaten tourist path. but Antwerp yes - large city with many nice neighborhoods outside city centrum.
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cycling in cities can be tough if you don't know the rules - at times bike paths can be really busy - I would recommend against cityn cycling and do a putz into the counryside like Tulips, a Belgian, recommends.
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