We have 3 full days to see Belgium. We will be flying from Reykjavik and landing in Brussels around noon. We want to see some of Brussels, probably 6-8 hours worth. On our first day we will be seeing Ghent and basing in Ghent with a car and on the second day we will be seeing Bruges. What would you reccommend we see on the the third day. We will be using a car and staying in June. Thanks!
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Hi Brendon. Tournai is only an hour from Bruges by car and it's a really cool city, if you like medieval history. The city is where Childeric, a 5th-century Merovingian king, is buried. Tournai is also where the first Carolingian church was built (no longer standing, but there's a stone outline of it in a small plaza). Tournai has Roman ruins and its cathedral is huge, really something to see. It took so long to build that the ribs in certain vaults were never completed because they went out of style. Leuven is also cool - it's a university town and has some wild late medieval/early modern architecture. It's east of Brussels so I don't know if you want to go back the way you have come.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Go to the coast. Spend the day at De Haan or De Panne.
Posted by
Austin
976 posts
If you are a history buff, Waterloo is very close to Brussels- consider the significance of Napoleon's defeat! You could do this in a half day or less, depending on traffic, then head on. The beaches mentioned are very pleasant.
Posted by
Spring, Texas
635 posts
Brussels doesn't get a lot of coverage as a tourist destination. I've been there and I would rank it well down the list of European capitals. The Grand Platz (sic) is about the most picturesque spot in the city and there are some typical older sections that could qualify as "scenic." I've been to Bruges and it's worth a short visit -- one day at the most. I haven't been to Ghent or Waterloo.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Since you'll be in Ghent, on top of Tournai you could also consider a road-day in Dinant, a drive through the Ardnees or, if you feel like crossing the border (extremely easy), visit the Delta Works in Netherlands (1h30 north from Ghent).
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
I agree with Andre on Dinant. What a picturesque town. You can take a cable car up to Citadel. It's located high on the cliff. You get gorgeous views from there. They invented saxofon in Dinant. You can see them on the Dinant bridge. I also liked La Roche. Small town in the Ardennes. There is a small museum of Battle of the Bulge there. You can visit a castle above the town.