A friend and I will be spending about a week or a bit longer in Belgium in late September.
I am looking for advice as to where we could base ourselves for either the entire time or perhaps between 2 cities. We prefer smaller walkable cities so from what I have read so far, it seems Ghent might be a good spot. We will be coming from Normandy via Paris on the train.
We hope to visit Bruges, Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp. We are both interested in architecture, art, history and beautiful streets for walking. We will use trains to get around between cities. Ideally we would like to have enough time in each location to enjoy a relaxed visit.
Which cities might have the more economical accommodations, especially for late September. We don't need anything fancy but it would be nice to stay somewhere with little ambiance and walkable from the city centres.
I have ordered Rick's guide to Belgium but am interested in Forum travelers' opinions as well.
Coming from Canada!
Posted by
Sydney, Australia
216 posts
Hello Susan, how nice to have a week in September. This is my favourite time for Europe since the blast furnace of August is over and you have long sunny days, mild temperatures and the harvest is just starting. While it's not the South of France and it never gets crazy heat, even Belgium can get a little oppressive in the summer months. I think Ghent is a good starting place. The four cities you mention are all very close by train and you could base yourself equally well in any of them. The only thing to take on board about Ghent and Bruges is that the town centres are a short bus/tram ride from the station. This should not deter you. All of those cities, even Brussels, are walkable and public transport is not hard to use in any of them. If you are interested in architecture, you will find that the stand-out style to look out for is Art Nouveau. Cogels Osy Lei and Zurenborg in Antwerp are districts with a lot of this. Also the railway station in Antwerp is marvellous, and in Brussels, the Musical Instruments Museum and the Horta Museum are outstanding. If you are looking for accommodation bargains, time your visit to Brussels with a weekend and stay in the European Quarter. The civil servants and lobbyists are all at home in their own country and rooms are cheaper. You will want to travel from there by metro but it's cheap and very efficient.
Lavandula
Posted by
OP
Canada
43 posts
thanks for your interesting input Lavandula! I love Art Nouveau architecture!
Posted by
Washington DC
29959 posts
I think Ghent is your best bet for logistical convenience (you'll spend less time on trains if you stay there) and economy of lodging, but timing is everything: A major convention in one of the larger cities could make quite a difference. I'd suggest checking your dates on booking.com now, just to see how the cities compare. You'll need to pay attention to how far potential lodgings are from the train station since you'll probably be taking day trips on at least four days.
In considering whether to split your time between two bases (I stayed in all four cities), research how you want to spend your time in each one. Brussels is much larger than the others and has a lot of sights, so on a two-base trip I'd make Brussels one of my bases. However, since I spend a lot longer at each stop than the typical tourist, it's difficult for me to weigh the advantages of not needing to make two or three day-trips to the same city vs. the joy of not having to change hotels. There's a good chance you'll have a not-negligible walk between your hotel(s) and the train station(s) on the days you plan to take out-of-town trips.
I think you'll find a week a very short trip, given your interests. You could spend practically your entire week seeking out the Art Nouveau architecture in Brussels alone. I pretty much did that during a two-week visit to the city last year. Unlike the frequent situation with Art Nouveau buildings elsewhere, many of the best in Brussels can be entered, for a fee. As a general guideline, I'd say the most beautiful interiors are the ones with the highest entry fees; that may help you pick and choose. The Horta Museum was one of my favorites, but I thought the very best was the Solvay House (Hotel Solvay), which has limited opening hours and sells out ahead of time; if interested, you'll definitely need to prebook that one. (Note: There is limited photography time allowed there.) Because there are so many Art Nouveau interiors in Brussels, you need not feel the Solvay House is an essential stop since you'll be trying to cover a variety of interests during your time in Belgium.
Although many of the accessible Art Nouveau interiors in Brussels aren't within walking distance of the Grand Place, public transportation is very good. That's fortunate, because the city is fairly large, and it is not completely flat.
Part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels are currently closed. Check their status much later in 2026 to figure out how much time you may want to spend there. The Royal Museums are within walking distance of the Grand Place.
In Ghent there is a cluster of nice residential Art Nouveau exteriors just ESE of the train station. Exit the station and walk to the right on Pr. Clementinalaan. In the other direction and a bit farther away is a neighborhood with some interesting Art Deco and modernist houses. I found it after a tip from a local who saw me taking photos in his neighborhood. If you have a bit of extra time in Ghent, check out Duifhuisstraat and Sportstraat.