I’ve had enough of summer so I’m going north to get some cooler weather. I’ll be based in Brussels, but am planning day trips to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven.
Any “must see” things? Any things to avoid?
If you like beer, go to 't Brugs Beertje in Bruges. If you REALLY like beer, go to the Kulminator in Antwerp.
When will you poor American saps realise - Belgium doesn’t exist!
Ah, Flanders is awesome. Those are my very favoritest towns. Need more detail-- what do you like? (art? beer? music? architecture? history?) Need some prompts for the deluge of words I shall unleash on you.
Yes to architecture and history and music.
Not so much for beer.
[straight line]Visit the birthplace of Aristotle.[/straight line]
Bruges-- go as early in the day as you can. At least it’s not summer. If you like early Flemish painting the Groenigemuseum has some nice van Eycks and such. The Memlingmuseum/Sint Jan hospital is interesting, too,and if you’re interested in applied arts/ cultural history, check out the Gruuthuse museum-- very interesting and some neat views out of the back upper floor of very picturesque corners of town. If you’re hale and healthy the climb up the Belfort is worth it. Regarding food, eh, you’re screwed, but if you head out to the Zand or so there are a bunch of the sort of restaurants Belgians go to and you can get some honest grub. If you’re Catholic or you have morbid/curious character you might see when the Holy Blood goes out for revering. The two big churches are also worth a gander-- most people will flock around the (mediocre) little Michelangelo so you’ll have lots of room for the rest of OLV.
Ghent-- St Bavo’s is splendid. Shell out the cash for the van Eyck, but also check out the stuff in the crypt. The rest of town’s nice for puttering around. Your chances for decent food are much better than in Bruges or Brussels–not as much of a tourist town. The Design Museum is kind of cool if you like modern stuff. You can skip the fine arts museum in Ghent; it’s merely ok. Oh, the Steen castle is pretty neat.
Antwerp-- oh, where to start. The Cathedral. . . Carlo Borromeo is a fantastic example of Baroque. . . it’s just another cool town to wander around in. If you’re into clothes shopping this is your best bet. If you are exceedingly into art nouveau you might just off the train at. . . Antwerpen-Berchem, I think, and check out the Cogels-Osylei neighborhood.
Brussels. . . the comics museum (Strippenverhaalmuseum? whatever its called) is a lot cooler if you can read Dutch/French decently, not quite as awesome if just English, but again if you like art nouveau the Viktor Horta building it’s in is swell. The big fine arts museum is superb. Brussels will be a bit easier/more obvious as to what to check out. Look both ways before crossing the street because they’re all completely insane. Good luck with food-- avoid eating on the Beenhouwers (I think that’s what it’s called) street-- it’s all crap tourist trap food and an icky experience. There are supposed to be decent places in back of the Mint, in that neat neighborhood back there. Little Sint-Huberts gallerie is kind of neat in that it’s one of the earlier ‘mall-like’ structures.
There’s a start.
How about the evening ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres? See my link at post #6 of your November 11 thread.
Most of the corner pubs in Brussels serve up a killer pepper steak and frites, and the obligatory beer. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get anything but the best goddamn french fries on the planet anywhere in Brussels.
Thanks for these suggestions.
I had a great time. I enjoyed Brussels very much. Lots to see, and very easy to get around. The weather was pretty good too: cloudy and temps of about 1-3 every day, so a pleasant relief from the heat of summer. I enjoyed the Musées Royaux and the Cinquantenaire museum, as well as Notre Dame du Sablon. And I liked the Atomium too, one of those iconic places that I remember learning about at school. I even satisfied the law geek in me by sitting in on a hearing in the Cour d’Appel in the Palais de Justice.
Bruges was lovely: there were almost no tourists, so I felt as if I had the place to myself. And it was snowing while I was there, thus making it feel even more authentically European.
I liked Antwerp too, especially the church of Saint Charles Borromeo (thanks capybara). I’m just a sucker for those Jesuit Baroque explosion churches. I also had a bit of look around the diamond area too.
I went to Waterloo to have a look at the battlefield. It was a bit disappointing. Rather amazingly, they’ve built a motorway right through it. But the museums and monuments were interesting.
And **Northern Piper **- I got to Ypres and the Menin Gate. Very moving.
Ghent (or Gent as they call it) has a medieval harbour with boat trips. The boats don’t go anywhere, just around the corner and back again, but it is still fun and offers nice views.
I’d say Brugge is the most beautiful, followd by Gent. Antwerp is a busy industrial harbour city, and the least romantic. Brussel, the capital, has largely been demolished and rebuilt and has littel to offer in the way of medieval city centre, except for the central square, that has been saved/reconstructed and which is indeed beautiful.
Leuven is nice, small, and has an absolutely georgeous city hall.
I missed this the first time around, but adding for people who may find this thread for their own research purposes: I have friends in Antwerp, so I’ve been there a few times… I could just wander around the central city for a day and be perfectly happy. You just sort of stumble on things to do. The main street is called De Keyserlei, but that’s mostly important for navigational purposes, as the side streets are every bit as interesting if not moreso. Just be aware that if you follow De Keyserlei towards the diamond district, things start to get, well, less respectable - look out for pickpockets, the usual drill. Unfortunately that’s also where the train station is.
I remember my boys liked the maritime museum there, and are still a little unhappy that I didn’t leave time in our schedule for a tour of the locks and the harbor. Bad mamma, I know. If you’re into boats and ships, though, the area down by the river is especially interesting.
The boys also insist on eating at Quick (a Belgian fast food chain that has expanded into France) every time we’re there. Now, don’t tell my Belgian friends, but I’m not 100% sure I believe this “the Belgians invented French fries” story. That doesn’t really matter, as these people care about their fries, to help preserve the image if nothing else. Quick’s fries make McDonalds look like a bunch of pikers. 
I went there too. I agree.
I ate at a Quick’s place once, and I agree with this too.
Antwerp has a very compact, yet well-stocked zoo right beside the train station, if you want to see yaks or other assorted critters…
sounds like you had a good time - I’ve never been to Belgium - it sounds interesting. Glad to hear the Menin Gate was worth the trip. I’d like to go to the Menin Gate some day- that, and the Vimy memorial in France.