Little Belgium is a great country for the restless traveller. The distances are small and you can see a lot in a short time. We visited Ghent and Bruges in the course of two days and also had time for a castle in between. The picture above is of the mighty Gravensteen Castle or Castle of the Counts towering over the road into Ghent.
For those interested in history, we can also recommend a visit to Ypres, an important place during the First World War. Here you can read more about when we visited the city and its amazing museum In Flanders Fields.
Jetty
The historic centre of Bruges, with its cobbled streets and medieval houses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a beautiful place to just wander around, browsing the small shops and walking the narrow alleys. If you prefer to see the city from the water, you can also take a trip on one of the many boats that ply the canals.
If you come by car, or as in our case with a motorhome, it is not easy to find parking in the city. We were tipped off about something called Park & Ride, which is available in both Bruges and Ghent. It's exactly what it sounds like, parking within reasonable bus distance of the city centre. If you buy the special P&R ticket, you can ride the bus all day and it's actually cheaper than buying a regular ticket. A smart way to get the motorists out of town and also convenient for us tourists. If you don't want to take the bus, Belgian cities also have excellent cycle lanes everywhere. Just remember to look around, because it usually goes fast!
The pictures above were taken a bit outside the historic centre. It was much quieter and not as touristy. It was also a great way to walk into town along the canal.
If you get tired of wandering around, there are plenty of museums and churches to visit. Among other things, there is a chocolate museum similar to the one we visited in Colmar (read more here) but there is also a lace museum, Canteen centre, and one diamond museum. Bruges was once the centre of Europe's diamond trade and the museum covers both the historical trade and how mining and polishing is done today.
If you want to see a beautiful cathedral, visit the medieval Sint-Salvatorskathedraal in the centre of Bruges.
Isn't it time to eat something soon? Of course it is, in Belgium the sweet tooth need not go hungry. In addition to the world-famous chocolate, you'll find other treats on every street corner. Waffles are everywhere and I'm not at all sure we found the best ones, but they were good. What was a real hit, however, was The Old Chocolate House, a classic café specialising in hot chocolate. Check out the delightful creations below, dipped in a big cup of hot milk. Then it was a matter of whisking with the little whisk and you had a cup of really good hot chocolate.
Ghent
Ghent is the slightly larger of the two cities and doesn't have as many tourists as Bruges. While Bruges feels like something out of a Disney film, Ghent feels more like a "real" city. There are not as many sights and museums but the city felt more genuine. This is a city made to stroll in, or maybe to sit on an outdoor terrace and have a beer in the sun. There are many famous beer halls and good microbreweries.
The architecture in Ghent is medieval with newer elements here and there. The coolest is of course the 12th-century Gravensteen Castle, which has been the residence of Flemish counts but also served as a prison and cotton factory. There's plenty else to look at too, for example check out the funny little figures dancing on the roof below. Are they little dragons? Or little devils?
In Ghent we didn't go without sugar either. In addition to nice chocolate shops, one of which you can see in the film below, we also ate Belgian noses, called Cuberdons. They were a bit like marmalade balls but with a hard surface. They got 10+ from Henrik while I was slightly more sceptical. I think I'll stick to chocolate, but fun to taste these noses anyway. đ
Ooidonk Castle
When you're in the neighbourhood, don't miss the castle Ooidonk located just west of Ghent. This medieval castle from 1595 is said to be one of Belgium's most beautiful. The castle is privately owned so it's only open a few days a week and you need to book in advance. Unfortunately we had missed this so we couldn't go in. However, during the summer months you can visit the garden every day, either for a stroll or for one of the many markets and festivals held here.
