Belgium

July 2017: We took a train from Amsterdam to Brussels, then continued on to Brugge, where we started our Belgium adventure. Both cities are very different, but each of them deserves a bit of time. We spent 3 nights in both places, which I feel was enough to see and do what we wanted. This was our last stop on our July 2017 Scotland/Western Europe trip.

highlights

Food . Brugge . Ghent . Beer .

lowlights

Lines . Busy Brussels .

brugge

We arrived in Brugge at night and decided to walk to our hotel, which wasn’t too far (maybe a 20 minute walk). On the way, we spotted some swans in the canal. Quite a perfect introduction to the quaint and charming Brugge. We stayed at Hotel Loreto, which is on one of the main cobblestone streets leading to the main square. The price was decent considering the amazing location. The street outside the hotel was very busy during the day, but really quiet at night. We spent a day in Brugge wandering the streets and stopping for waffles and french fries (both incredibly delicious). We went on a canal tour, which was nice. It was busy and we had to wait a bit, but it could’ve been worse. We also climbed up the Belfry. We went in the late morning and there was quite a long line, but it seemed to move alright. While we were climbing, we spotted the carillonneur playing the carillon (bells) through a window. We also went into the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where apparently Jesus’ blood is. It is of course locked up and hidden, so you can’t see it.

Just off the main square is the Beer Museum. After doing a bit of reading while eating a waffle, we decided to skip the museum part and just go up to the tasting room. It has some great views of the square, and the room is beautiful. We then went to De Halve Maan brewery and did a tour here. It is a very old and neat museum right in the middle of Brugge. It as a beer pipeline that runs under the city to the bottling plant, since space is an issue. The tour was great, but be warned that there are lots of small spaces and stairwells for any of you claustrophobes.

Other than all that, we spent an afternoon just wandering the streets. We saw some neat buildings, little hidden chapels, and it was just so quiet and peaceful. Brugge is more than just a day trip from Brussels, so I highly recommend spending a couple of days here.

*Wandering through Brugge. Canals everywhere.*

*The beer pipeline in De Halve Maan brewery.*

*A very cool little chapel we found while wandering the streets.*

ghent

On our way back to Brussels, we decided to stop in Ghent, which is located right in between Brugge and Brussels, about 30 mins each way. We stored our bags in a luggage locker at the train station, and walked into town for the day. As we were approaching the main area of Ghent, we stumbled upon an Etsy market in a church. We spent some time wandering the streets, sitting outside for a coffee or two, as well as some fries (of course). Then we visited Gravensteen Castle. It was self-guided and had some nice views at the top. A lot of it has been restored, and we really enjoyed the visit. Then we found our way to Graffiti Street, which is an alley with lots of…yes, you guessed it…graffiti. It was cool. So Ghent and Brugge are a bit similar I guess: very quaint, cute, and a lot calmer and quieter than big cities. I preferred Brugge, but I’m really glad we got to spend a bit of time in Ghent. And since it’s very close to Brussels, you could just take a day trip to Ghent if you’ve got a day to spare.

*One of the rooms in Gravensteen Castle.*

brussels

Brussels was very busy, and 2 days was enough time to see it all. There’s definitely lots to see, lots to shop for, and lots of great food options, but I think maybe we were a bit overwhelmed after being in charming and calm Brugge for a few days before. Having said that, there are still lots of great things to see and do! We stayed at the Bedford Hotel and Conference Centre. It was about a 5-10 min walk to the main square, and had some interesting food options and bars close by. However, we had a very sketchy ride to the airport by one of the hotel staff. I suggest calling your own cab if you need a ride somewhere. So our first day in Brussels we walked all day! We found an outdoor bar with lounge chairs overlooking the city, and there are lots of palaces, statues, and other important and giant buildings near the city centre that you won’t have trouble finding. The next day, before our flight home, we jumped on a Bus Tour. We basically wanted to see Atomium (a giant magnified iron crystal constructed for Expo ‘58), which was very far out of the city. I’m glad we went, as it is pretty neat to see up close. Unfortunately, the line was giant, and we didn’t have time to wait in line to go up. So we just wandered around the area for a bit before heading back to the city to catch a flight. We had some delicious Ethiopian food in Brussels, and around the main square there are so many little restaurants, you won’t have trouble finding a place.

*One of the streets leading to the main square.*

food

In Brussels, you’ll be able to find any and all kinds of cuisine. I’m easy to please, so when I think of Belgium, I think of:

French Fries, with any and every kind of topping you can imagine
Waffles
Chocolate - there are a million chocolate shops everywhere in Belgium, and they make delicious souvenirs!
Beer