I have been to Europe many times before but am trying to figure out where to go for a week for my next trip. I was thinking of Bruge for a couple of days but don't really want to go to Brussels (was there years ago for a few minutes LOL but what I saw was too modern for me so didn't stay and headed to Amsterdam at that time). So if I went to Bruge for a day or two, what other places do you suggest? Or is there a country you would suggest over going to Belgium? Any help would be great.
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
What about Berlin? It would be a great city for one week and you could take day trips from there if you run out of things to do in the city.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Well, Brussels' Grand Place is one of the oldest surviving large city centers in Europe, with parts dating from the 15th century...not Neolithic, but certainly not modern. If you're already in the area, it's worth a few hours on your way from Bruges.
That aside, why not Paris? It's just a few hours away from Bruges with lots to see and do.
Another thought would be to bypass northern Europe completely and head for Spain. It's a unique culture in western Europe.
Posted by
OP
Patterson, California, U.S.A.
22 posts
I was thinking about that LOL and was wondering if I should have posted where I have been to narrow down the places that I should try and go to.
These are the countries I have been to when I went backpacking for three months years ago.
Ireland, Scotland, England, Switzerland, France, Spain, Poland, Czech, Italy, Greece, Poland, Austria.
I also went to Amsterdam and was in Belgium for only a few hours, the same with Germany. Now I am sure I am missing a few places cause it seemed like I went to more countries then this but this is what I could remember.
Posted by
Oklahoma City, OK, USA
430 posts
Lots of places make great 1-week stays.
I like your idea of the Bruge / Amsterdam corridor -- it makes a nice week. I'd also encourage you to give Brussells another shot, it's a neat city with great food. Also, if you didn't stop in Haarlem last time you were in that area I'd recommend 1 day there. You could consider Ghent and Normandy as possible near-trips. Vimy Ridge (WWI site). Also, when passing through see Cap Gris Nez (spelling? That's the point in France closest to the British Isle). What about... Den Haag. Caen. Bayeaux. 3 hrs to Cologne.... 4 hours to Luxembourg.
Other places that spring to mind for me as 1-week stops in a compact area...
Rome: Pompeii / Sorento / Ostia Antica
Munich: Fussen / Salzburg / Black Forest
Rhine / Wurzburg / Munich
Swizterland: Zermatt / Berner Oberland / Basel / Freiburg Germany
Paris-Barcelona-San Sebastain-Paris
Prague / Budapest
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Nearby Ghent seems to be ignored by most American tourists on their way to Bruges. But personally, I find this city much more lively and interesting.
If you are within a few years of college age, you may find a night hanging out with the crowds on Leuven's Oude Markt a worthwhile experience.
If you like beaches and you travel in the summer, the resort towns along the coast (Oostend, De Haan, Blankenburg, etc) offer wide expanses of sand (similar to the beaches in the NE of the US) with a cool ocean breeze.
If you travel during the holiday season, Hasselt has an amazing Christmas market, the most elaborate I have ever seen.