Hello,
My husband and I are thinking of traveling to Belgium in September. We are hoping that it is not too rainy. We enjoy art and history so Bruges, Ghent and WW1 battlefields. Also Luxembourg looks lovely!
Any thoughts on and Belgium weather and would Bruges be a good home base to explore
Ghent, Luxembourg and battlefields?
Much appreciated Val and Mark
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7936 posts
Don't overlook the large art museums in Brussels and Antwerp.
https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Belgium+battlefield&utf8=%E2%9C%93
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14818 posts
I love Bruges but honestly, I do not think it is a good base for Luxembourg. Ghent works well from Bruges.
Battlefields from which war? You can do the WWI battlefields + Flanders Field American Cemetery from Bruges (with a car) and you can go out to the nearby coast to see the remnants of the Atlantikwall from WWII (doable by public transport). Last time I went to Bruges I tried to figure out a way to do Waterloo battlefields from the Napoleonic Wars from Bruges but they work best from Brussels as Waterloo is now more of a suburb.
Be aware that Monday is museum closure day in Bruges so keep that in mind when you decide on a more detailed itinerary.
Posted by
129 posts
Luxembourg is too far away to be a day trip from Bruges, however Bruges is the best choice to stay overnight and then take day trips to both Ghent and WW1 battlefields.
I was in Belgium last in September of 2019 and it rained almost every day. Much of that was the remnants of a hurricane that had hit the U.S. some time before. Aside from the battlefield tours, you will not need perfect weather to enjoy Belgium as most of the interesting things to see and do are indoors.
Posted by
Sacramento, CA
290 posts
I’ve got nothing against Luxembourg. In fact, I’ve never been. However, I have been to Belgium and the Netherlands and I think you’d have plenty to do in those countries.
As far as the rain goes, it is a rainy area of the world. We were in the Low Countries in March and it rained a few of the days. We pulled out our ponchos and didn’t miss a beat.