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My husband was scheduled to attend a work conference in Ghent, so I thought I would come along for the ride and make a holiday of it. I had been dying to visit Belgium for a long time, so I was super excited to finally be going, especially in December when it’s all lit up with Christmas lights and there are lovely Christmas markets to explore. What I love about Belgium, is that its four beautiful historic cities of Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp and Belgium are all within a short train ride of each other. That means you can easily visit all four of these cities in just four days. However, if you can, I would definitely recommend spending more time in Belgium if your itinerary allows for it, as it’s a beautiful place and there is so much to see and do. I hope to come back here in the future to continue exploring.
We decided to base ourselves in Ghent for the first three nights, then we moved onto Brussels for the final night so we could be a bit closer to the airport as we had to get up insanely early to catch our flight home. However, there is something special about getting to stay the night in these cities, as seeing them all lit up at night is very special, so I have added some accommodation options for each city.
Day 1: Ghent
I flew into Belgium via the smaller Charleroi Airport (cheap airline!) and caught the airport shuttle bus to Ghent which I booked quite easily in advance using the Flibco.com website. It took about an hour to get to Ghent and the bus dropped me off at the back of Ghent central train station, Gent-Sint-Pieters. The old town is actually about a 30 minute walk from the train station, but the modern, number 1 tram leaves regularly from the front of the train station and goes directly up to the old town centre in about 15 minutes.
I arrived just after lunch, so headed out to explore in the afternoon. You can read more about my time in Ghent in my detailed post to gain some further inspiration and ideas on what to see and do.
Ghent Highlights
- St Nicholas’ church
- Ghent’s medieval castle, Gent Gravensteen
- The Old Fish Market
- Walking along the waterfront on Korenlei
- Saint Michael’s Church and St Michael’s bridge
- Ghent city hall
- Het Belfort van Gent
- Saint Bavo’s Cathedral
- SMAK Museum of Contemporary Art
- Museum voor Schone Kunsten
Accommodation Options in Ghent
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Day 2: Bruges
Jump on the train from Ghent to Bruges’ central train station, Brugge-Sint-Pieters, which only takes about half an hour. From the train station, it’s about a 15 minute flat and picturesque walk into the heart of Bruges’ old town. Bruges is a wonderful fairy-tale medieval town, with picturesque cobbled lanes, romantic canals, and photogenic market squares lined with historic churches and buildings. This place apparently gets super busy during summer, so I think winter is the perfect time to visit, especially as you also get to enjoy the Christmas markets.
Read my detailed post on visiting Bruges to get some further inspiration on what to see and do.
Bruges was also the filming location for the black crime/comedy movie [amazon_textlink asin=’B001PMRBJA’ text=’In Bruges’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’howbeautifullifeis-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5ea11cfc-f0a0-11e7-9606-970984fdcc77′] with actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. In my Bruges post, I have included the filming locations of the In Bruges movie.
Bruges Highlights
- Enjoy a hot chocolate and some waffles at The Old Chocolate House
- Arentshof sculpture park
- Church of Our Lady
- St Bonifacius bridge
- Shop for chocolate and souvenirs along Katelijnestraat
- Sint-Janshospitaal museum
- The Market historical square of Bruges
- Rozenhoedkaai, the picturesque street along the river
- Burg square and the Stadhuis and Basilica of the Holy Blood
- Belfort bell tower
- Minnewaterpark
Accommodation Options in Bruges
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Day 3: Antwerp
Take the train from Ghent to Antwerp’s central train station, Antwerpen-Centraal. The trip takes about an hour. The train station itself is a really cool feature of Antwerp, with amazing architecture.
Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city and biggest port. In the mid-16th century it was one of Europe’s most important cities. Despite severe bombing during WWII, Antwerp retains an intriguing medieval city centre, with plenty of chocolate shops, cobbled lanes, a riverside fortress and a truly impressive cathedral.
Read my detailed post on visiting Antwerp to get some further inspiration on what to see and do. If you love shopping, then add an additional day in Antwerp to take advantage of the fantastic shopping on offer.
Antwerp Highlights
- Antwerpen-Centraal
- Plantin-Moretus museum
- Antwerp City Zoo
- Meir shopping street and luxury shopping along Schuttershofstraat you will find luxury shopping
- Steen castle
- Grote Markt with sights such as the Brabo fountain, Guidlhalls, and City Hall
- Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp
- Learn the sad tale of Nello and Patrasche and visit their statue
- Visit Groenplatz square and see the statue of Rubens, the famous artist, then visit his nearby family home
- Take a walk in St Anna’s Tunnel
Accommodation Options in Antwerp
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Day 4: Brussels
Take the train from Ghent to Brussels which only take just over half an hour. Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the administrative capital of the European Union (EU).
Read my detailed post on visiting Brussels to get some further inspiration on what to see and do. If you love museums, then add an additional day in Brussels to take explore the range of museums on offer.
Don’t forget to buy some chocolate to take home with you (well, if it ever makes it that far). Brussels have lots of chocolate stores to choose from, we went to Corné Port-Royal (Rue de la Madeleine 9, 1000 – there is also a store at Galerie de la Reine 5, Brussels 1000). They have been around since 1932.
Brussels Highlights
Treat yourself at Aux Merveilleux de Fred (Rue du Marche aux Herbes 7, 1000) patisserie
Visit Grand Place to see the city’s Town Hall, a Gothic building from the Middle Ages; grand Guildhalls; the Museum of the City of Brussels, and the statue of Everard’t Serclaes, whose arm brings luck to those who touch it.
Mont des Arts for views of the city
Eglise Saint Jacques Sur Coudenberg
Visit museums such as the Magritte art Museum; Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium; Musical Instruments Museum; and the fine arts museum Fin-de-Siècle Museum
- Église Notre-Dame au Sablon
- Square du Petit Sablon
- Egmont Palace
- Law Courts of Brussels
- Royal Palace of Brussels
- Parc de Bruxelles
- Parc du Cinquantenaire
- Manneken Pis, Jeanneke Pis, and Zinneke Pis
Accommodation Options in Brussels
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Food & Drink
Beer: To get the full Belgium experience, try the massive range of Belgium beer on offer. But be warned, the alcohol content varies greatly and they can be really strong. The strong ones are extremely drinkable and it’s very difficult to tell that they have high alcohol, so always check the label before indulging too much.
Frites: What makes Belgium chips so good? They fry them up to three times for a super crispy outer and fluffy inside. Also, the potato variety they use tastes awesome. To get the true Belgium experience, make sure you eat them with a side of mayonnaise.
Waffles: There are actually two types of waffles sold in Belgium, the Belgium waffle is a yeast-leavened batter that is light and fluffy, and the Leige waffle is a thicker, more bread like texture with delightful sugary lumps through it. I loved them both equally, honestly, I can’t decide on a favourite. You can choose from a variety of toppings to go on your waffle, however, I just love to keep it simple with some chocolate sauce and cream. However, waffles don’t just have to be served sweet, in Belgium you can also get see savoury waffles.
Hot chocolate: Expect to have your mind blown. You will never be able to enjoy your old boring hot chocolate powder ever again. Expect extensive hot chocolate menu’s with a variety of flavour and cocoa bean types to choose from. You will be served a large bowl of steaming full cream milk and provided with a cup of chocolate nibs to tip into your milk and a special whisk to blend it all in together. Absolute heaven.
Chocolate: It’s well known that Belgium is the land of amazing chocolate. Yes, expect to pay more than your usual supermarket varieties, but you will get amazing chocolate flavours that you’ve never experienced before. They are incredibly rich, so you will find you can’t eat as much as you usually do, so make sure you pace yourself. Popular brands include Corné Port-Royal, Côte d’Or, Godiva, Leonidas and Neuhaus.
Practical Tips for Visiting Belgium
- How long should I visit for? I recommend spending a least a day in each of these cities. However, if you have more time, then there is plenty to see and do, so take your time and spend longer in order to truly explore all they have to offer.
- Language: Flemish Dutch is spoken in Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp, however, in Brussels from the late 19th century it shifted to French, but people there speak both Dutch and French. Everyone we came across all over Belgium spoke perfect English as well. However, do try your hand at some Dutch:
- Yes = Ja (yah)
- No = Nee (nay)
- Please = Alstublieft (allst-oo-bleeft)
- Thank you = Dank je wel (dahnk yuh vel) (familiar – dank u vel is the formal form)
- Hello = Hallo (hah-low)
And in Brussels, try a few French words:
- Yes = Oui (wee)
- No = Non (no)
- Please = Sil vous plaît (Seal voo play)
- Thank you = Merci (Mare-see)
- Hello = Bonjour (Boh(n)-zhoor)
- Currency: Euro
- Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
- Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Belgium as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
- Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices. If you prefer a paper map, then your accommodation will likely give you a free tourist map or you could stop in at the tourist office and pick one up. Otherwise, you could purchase a Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp city pocket map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!
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