Brussels and Bruges
 

We are heading to Brussels and Bruges in a few weeks for an anniversary trip. Would appreciate any suggestions on things to see, and places to eat. Thanks for any suggestions.

Djlawman

I was in Brussels and Brugge a few weeks ago. In Brugge we stayed at Relais & Chateau's De Snippe, which we enjoyed and which also has a very popular and highly rated restaurant. (Being vegetarians, it, as most restaurants in Belgium, had nothing for us, so we pretty much lived on waffles and Neuhaus chocolates, which are a bargain there.) There's a good cheese shop in Brugge - if you're interested I'll look through my stuff for the name. We didn't find any one site to be of particular interest, but simply walking and sitting and marveling at the architecture in Brussels' Grote Markt and also at the National Palace is quite enjoyable. The Royal Palace was open when we went and that was quite nice inside, but I believe it's only open for two weeks or so in August. Brugge is charming, but rather touristy and we felt two days there was plenty. Skip Brussels' chocolate museum. Cabs are very pricey there so it's best to try to avoid them.

Stop by the Grand Platz in Brussels and see what's going on there. Lot's of cool and notable buildings, and maybe a parade or festival.

Then, duck in a hotel and ask the desk to recommend a seafood restaurant among the cafes that line a series of alleys nearby. They all look good, but some offer a more genuine and local experience than others that are catering to tourists. A good recommendation for where the locals eat helped me find a fine meal!

I had to zip across town on the bus on business while there, and saw many lovely parks and lakes. If time allows, do some exploring in some of these places.

JP

Grote Markt = Grand Place

Take a day trip or a couple of days and go up to Antwerp. I enjoy it more than Brussels, though I concede that I have not spent as much time in Brussels. Brugges is nice, though sort of touristy, and a bit of time in Ghent is in order if you are heading the direction of Brugges. Belgium is very (very) small, so day trips are mostly practical. Another little place that I enjoyed a lot was in Louvain, which is a bit outside of Brussels to the east. It is a smallish college town with a very nice beguinage.

Jolly Hotel at Grand Sablon.
Grand Sablon is a nice area with trendy restaurants.
Brusseles has plenty of fine restaurants.
http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichel...oller/HomePage


Darren is right; Antwerp is very interesting. Lived in Radisson. Another good hotel is Firian or so. Also the Hilton is nice, central location.