I have a few days to go to Belguim as a side trip form my 3 weeks in France.
I will spend a couple days in Bruges but is Antwerp worth a visit? I heard much was destroyed in the war.
And Brussels what do you think? I was going just for a day there and the next day I would check out Antwerp?
thanks
I personally liked both of these cities, and I recommend you google some of their tourist boards to see for yourself what kind of neat things they have to see. There are some who say they are boring, but they think the same thing about my city too and it isnt really true. So, who to believe??? Lots of Europe was destroyed in the war, but it doesnt mean they did not rebuild any of it. Look at Dresden for goodness sakes or Munich or Berlin or Nuremburg. All have been rebuilt.
I agree with Jo, not to listen to people that say a place is boring! Like Rick Steves says, go with your gut, what you want to do.
Thats good advise.
From the picture I see both cities look interesting.
I do plan to see Bruges and I want to go to Flanders as my grandfather fought there in WW1.
Stew, when I first saw the question my first response was, "Of course, everything is worth seeing in Europe." My primary question is, "Is it worth seeing a second time?" Only have had "no" to that question a couple of times. If it is questionable, allow a little time for your to make the judgement on whether to return or not. Go !!!
In my opinion, Antwerp is worth at least a quick visit if you're in the area. It doesn't boast many knock-out sites of interest to tourists, but Antwerp is a vibrant, slightly gritty modern city. I imagine if Bruges had not gone into hibernation, it would today probably look and feel much like Antwerp.
What is there to see? If you like art, visit the Reubenshuis. The city's late Gothic cathedral is probably one of the most under-rated in Europe. There's also a nautical museum located in a small castle on the river. And like most old Flemish cities, there's an old Grote Markt lined with elaborately decorated guild houses.
If you want to know about the region's past, visit Bruges. If you want to see it's present and future, visit Antwerp.
I enjoyed Brussels quite a lot, was there for 4 days. The food is especially good there, with the waffles and frites and chocolate, oh my! IMO, the Grand Place in Brussels is absolutely breathtaking and worth going there just to see that square. Definitely worth at least a day in my opinion.
Don't skip Ghent! Lovely medieval buildings.
Hi Stew--A half an hour by car from Bruges is Ieper. Check out the In Flanders Fields museum and shop for chocolates on the square (beautiful medieval town that was completely reconstructed after WWI--lots of fabulous chocolate shops) and walk along the ramparts, if you like that kind of thing. Visit the Menin Gate, and time your visit so you're there at 8 pm for the Last Call and pay your respects to the Canadians who gave their lives in the Great War. I don't know if you're a history buff, but I think Ieper is worth a day. I'm not a big fan of Antwerp--it's not a big city, it's expensive, and traffic is bad. Traffic is very bad in Brussels as well and not my favorite sight-seeing place, either. If I had a day to spend in that area, I'd go to Ieper, see the sights, and have fries and mussels at Der Anker on the square. (Wish I was there now!) Happy travels!
Sorry to post twice in a row, but I just read your post and saw that your grandfather spent time at the western front in WWI. I am not a big fan of organized tours, but the guided WWI battlefield tour in Ieper was incredible.
Hello Stew. I know a professional Travel agent, in the state Missouri in the U.S.A., who travelled in several countries in western Europe. I asked her : "What is your favorite place in Europe?". She answered : "Antwerp in Belgium". She said she liked seeing the old big government buildings in Antwerp. She is not an architect, and I think her tastes are not odd or unusual or weird.
Hi Stew, being Canadian you may recognize Ieper as Ypres and I second/third the suggestion you visit the town and try to take in the evening ceremony at the Menin Gate. Would also recommend at least a short visit to Antwerp. Short walk from the train station to the old Town Square, a few sights along the way and slightly beyond is the waterfront if you're into boats.
A bit hokey but right behind the train station, in the centre of Antwerp of all places, is a very well done zoo; if you like zoos. I'm not a big fan but had some time to kill one day so bought a ticket, walked the entire site in a few hours and was impressed at how much they displayed within a very small area.
