Just spotted this thread. I'll be contrary to the group, and say Antwerp was the nastiest, rudest, worse price gouging city I've been to in over 40+ years of travel on 3 continents.

On the other hand, I love Brugge, stayed there for multiple days on 3 different trips. If you're the active sort, consider one of the bicycle tours of the city, and a canal boat ride is a delight. Only been to Ghent for 48 hours, and would love to spend more time there. Brussels is pleasant, but unexciting (seriously, that statue of a kid peeing is probably the most overrated tourist attraction in western Europe.)

Rotterdam, if you're interested in 20th century history and urban design with a sprinkling of awe-inspiring gothic churches, is fascinating. Leiden - a lot like what Amsterdam was like 20+ years ago (top tier museums, great food, scenic, very walkable) , only smaller and more compact, and minus the soft drug scene. Amsterdam, sadly, these days struggles with excessive tourists and prices lodging accordingly. It's still an amazing place to visit, but overall less pleasant.