Reading Suggestions for Belgium?
 

We are leaving for Belgium next week. We will be there for 5 days visiting Brugge, Ghent, and Brussels. I have been to all 3 cities a couple of times before, but would love to bring along a book or two to read on the plane.

I prefer historic fiction, though plain history is fine as long as it's not too dry. We won't be visiting any WWI or WWII sites, so no to books on that.

My interest is more of the Flemish golden age and we will be spending a lot of time in museums admiring the Flemish Primitives paintings.

If you have any book suggestions in mind, please feel free to reply. I prefer a lightweight paperback... no heavy hardcovers please.

Thanks!

Try Dorothy Dunnett's Niccolo Rising, set in Bruges in the late 15th century. It's the first of a series.

Tracy Chevallier, The Lady and the Unicorn.

yk, like nonconformist, I would recommend Dame Dunnett's Niccolò series. She paints a very rich picture of the times, blending real-life historical figures with complex and intense fictional characters. Reading her descriptions of medieval Brugge truly enhanced my visit to the city several years ago. (As a matter of fact, many of the features of Brugge that she describes so eloquently are still there, including the famous white bear on the Poorterslogie.)

Oh, by the way, one of the characters who appears throughout the series is a merchant banker of Brugge named Anselm Adorne. His family was of Genoese extarction and I rather liked him.

AA

... extraction, of course.

not historic fiction but for a really light book (in both senses--comic and very short)for the plane you could try Cheese by Willem Elsschot and Paul Vincent

Thanks for the suggestions!

PatrickLondon, I have already read Lady and the Unicorn last year (though stupidly AFTER our visit to Cluny Museum in Paris).

yk
Since you have experience in Belgium,
do you mine if I ask you a few questions on your thread? We will have 5 nights but only 4 days in Belgium next May as a "stopover" on our return home from Croatia.
I know I want to have 2 days and 2 nights in Bruges. (maybe a day trip to Ghent from Bruges) and , of course Brussels. Does Brussels require 2 days? Antherp?
If you had this short of time, how would you recommend we plan the time??
Do you have a hotel suggestion for Brussels and Bruges?
We fly out from Brussels airport at 10:30 am. Should we have a hotel near the airport the night before? If so, do you know of one that is reasonable? 3 star is perfectly fine.
Thanks! Have a wonderful trip when you go!
Nannibray

nannibray-
<i>Does Brussels require 2 days? Antherp?
If you had this short of time, how would you recommend we plan the time??</i>

Most people feel that there's not much to see in Brussels and don't recommend spending much time there (max 1 day). HOWEVER I beg to differ. It really depends on what your interests are. If you're a casual tourist, perhaps 1 day is enough: see Grand Place, Mannekin Pis, Sablon, chocolate shopping.

But if you have any remote interest in paintings and/or ARt Nouveau, you can easily spend 2 days in Brussels. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts is excellent, as well as Musee Horta (both of which I will revisit this time). A lot of people also enjoy the Musical Instrument Museum though I was the minority. In addition, there's the comic strip museum (TinTin).

I have been to Antwerp twice, and I like it okay. If you are a Rubens fan, then you should consider going. Or if you're into the modern Antwerp Six designers.

For me personally, with 4 days (which is what I have on this trip, and my husband has never been), I plan it with 2 days in Bruges, 1 day in Ghent, and 1 day in Brussels.

I don't think anyone will argue if you do: 2 days in Bruges, 1 day in Antwerp, 1 day in Brussels.

<i>Do you have a hotel suggestion for Brussels and Bruges?</i>

Without knowing your budget, I can only tell you where we're staying. In brussels, we're staying at Floris Hotel Arlequin. I've stayed here a few years ago before the renovation, so I assume it'll be nicer this time. WE're staying on the weekend which makes it <i>very</i> cheap. I think I booked it for less than &euro;60/night including breakfast.
http://www.florishotels.com
One other time I stayed at Le Dixseptieme because of an excellent weekend rate.
http://www.ledixseptieme.be/main.html

For Bruges, we'll be staying at B&amp;B Verhulst. It's got lots of great reviews here. I will post a trip report and hotels review when I return, so keep an eye out for it (prob end of Sept).

<i>We fly out from Brussels airport at 10:30 am. Should we have a hotel near the airport the night before? </i>
The train to the airport from Brussels Central is very efficient, so I don't think there's need to stay out by the airport the night before. Our return flight is actually at 10:10am and we will be staying in the city the night before.

HOpe this helps. If you have more questions, you should start your own new thread. That way, many Belgium experts (which I am NOT) can chime in, esp with the latest info.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, yk. Have a good trip. I look forward to your trip report.
I checked the Floris Hotel Arlequin and it looks FINE! We are not particular and the price is great. Also will check out the B&amp;B in Bruges.
One last question: If we spend the first 2 nights in Brussels (plane gets in from Budapest at 7:30 pm, is this too late to try to spend the night in Bruge?)
That will give us a Sunday in Brussels. Are Sundays dead there and will a lot of things be closed? Museums etc? Would we be better off to go directly to Bruges from the airport? But would we arrive in Bruges TOO late? Would Sunday in Bruges be better? Seems like 3 nights in Bruges (day trip to Ghent) and then last 2 nights in Brussels. You have been immensely helpful!
Nannibray

Staying in Brussels over the weekend will most certainly be cheaper than staying there during the week. Museums are open, and Grand Place of course is open 24hrs/day. I think most shops are closed, but IIRC, there's a Sunday Antiques market in the Sablon.
http://www.sablonantiquesmarket.com/en/index.htm

Bruges gets overrun by daytrippers, and my understanding is the crowds are often worse on weekends. So given a choice, you're better off staying in Brussels for the weekend and head to Bruges during the week.

Sounds like a PLAN!

Looking forward to your trip report. We're planning one night in Brussels, and then onto Brugge for 4 nights with a day trip to Ghent.

Nannibray: please do start a new thread with questions! I'm finding the board lacking in much current info on Belgium and we're not going until May so am not even sure what to ask yet. But we do have our accommodations in Brugge reserved, staying in a fabulous apartment for 4 nights.
http://www.kanthuisje.com/d3kon/e/e_appcarmers.htm
Can't wait.