Husband and I are currently in Trier, Germany and need to be back in Amsterdam on Saturday night... we want to make a stopover (we're driving!) somewhere along the way back to Amsterdam... this is a bonus trip, it wasn't part of our original plan, so any suggestions would be fabulous, otherwise, we're just gone drive and wing it, but the awesome opinions and suggestions at the Helpline are always fabulous! Also, any hotels you recommend off the top of your head would be great... again, I hate to ocme here with no research, but like I said, this is so last minute! Thanks!
Posted by
OP
Dallas "Expo Park", TX, USA
34 posts
Tom. Thank you very much. I really think we're going to do Antwerp. I'm about to browse through some hotels right now! In fact, we're getting a very early start to our day tomorrow so we're even thinking about stopping and having a walk around the major sights of Brussels and spending the rest of our day and early Saturday in Antwerp...may sound like a bit much to some, but we're okay with that ;-) Thanks again!
Posted by
OP
Dallas "Expo Park", TX, USA
34 posts
also wanted to add... any smaller areas along the way are also VERY MUCH welcome as suggestions.
And Brugge is out this trip.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Well, you could visit Antwerp and thus, you could be one of few posters to the helpline who has visited this city.
Tough choice between Antwerp and Brussels. Both cities have fabulous architecture, both have a magnificent Grand Platz (I think Antwerp's is slightly more impressive, but others would argue), and both have a slightly ragged, work-a-day feel about them. Antwerp also has one of the most under-rated Gothic cathedrals, filled with great art by Reubens. And if you're into high fashion and diamonds, Antwerp is one of northern Europe's hubs for both industries. I stayed at Hotel Scheldezicht, which offers huge rooms in a characterful old building... but parts of the hotel (not my room, thank God!) reeked of old urine.
Sorry, I don't know too much about Liege...
If you are within a decade of your college years, you may enjoy the nightly cafe scene in the center of the university town of Leuven, just to the east of Brussels. Otherwise, there's not too much to see here.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Enjoy Antwerp. I think you'll find that although the city won't win any beauty contests, there's a hustle-and-bustle vibrancy in Antwerp that many of Europe's museum cities lack.
Posted by
OP
Dallas "Expo Park", TX, USA
34 posts
We definitley appreciate "different" things, what have you...so I'm sure we'll really enjoy Antwerp! We had a hard time getting a hotel, but ended up getting in at the Park Plaza Hotel... we're at one rigt now in Trier, which is okay...so hopefully the one in Antwerp will be nice...would like osmething w/ more charm, but you get what you can in these last minute bookings! :)
Posted by
OP
Dallas "Expo Park", TX, USA
34 posts
Antwerp was wonderful. We wish we would have had more time there. We ended up moving to the Hotel Matelote, perfect for us. Had a great meal, enjoyed sitting outside enjoying local beer and just walking around enjoying the sights! I preferred it to Brussels, even though we spent only a few short hours in Brussels, I wish we would have gone straight to Antwerp and had more time there...thanks again Tom!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Glad you enjoyed it! Not the usual Rick Steves type of city, was it? I can better imagine Anthony Bourdain enjoying himself there...
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9220 posts
Antwerp was one of the first cities I went to after moving to Europe, so I found it fascinating just because it was different from Germany. We loved the art, the diamond district, the train station, the harbor, everybody sitting outside eating mussels. I would go back again. I'm glad you had a good time there.