Things to See & Do in Belgium
Belgium is small enough that one or two bases cover a lot, with trains doing the rest. These are the places I plan around.
Bruges
The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Climb the 366 steps of the Belfry on the Markt, take a canal boat, walk to the quiet Begijnhof, and see Flemish masters such as Jan van Eyck at the Groeningemuseum. The centre is small enough to cross on foot in about 20 minutes.
Ghent
About 25 minutes from Bruges by train, Ghent is a livelier university city with its own canals, the Gravensteen castle, and the Van Eyck brothers’ Ghent Altarpiece in St. Bavo’s Cathedral.
Brussels
The Grand-Place is one of Europe’s great squares, and the city has excellent museums, comic-strip murals and food. Many travellers treat it as the rail hub rather than the main base.
Flanders Fields
Around Ypres (Ieper), about an hour from Bruges by car, are some of the most important Canadian First World War sites: the St. Julien Memorial, Passchendaele, and Essex Farm, where John McCrae is believed to have written “In Flanders Fields.” The Last Post is sounded at the Menin Gate every evening at 8 p.m.
Food and drink
Belgian beer culture is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Add waffles, frites and chocolate shops, and Belgium is a very easy country to eat your way through.
Let’s plan your Belgium trip
Tell me whether Bruges is the main event or one stop on a longer route, and whether Flanders Fields is part of it. I’ll plan the nights, trains and guided days.
The initial 30-minute consultation is complimentary. The professional research fee is $50 per traveller aged 2 or older, paid before research begins.