- Wednesday 18 March 2015
When you think of Belgium as a city break destination, you automatically think of Brussels. With breath-taking medieval cities like Bruges and Ypres, Flanders fields memorial sites and the world's finest chocolate and beer, Belgium has a lot more to offer than the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Brussels. The west and east Flanders regions are rich in history, amazing hotels, delicious local cuisine and much more, all of which I got to experience on a recent trip to this fascinating region.
Bruges I flew directly from Dublin into Brussels airport, which was a short 1 hour and 35 minutes flight. From here I made my way to the enchanting city of Bruges. On arriving into Bruges, your excitement and awe starts to swell as you are struck by how exquisitely beautiful the city is. You are surrounded by medieval buildings, gothic architecture and narrow cobblestone streets that hark back to the Middle Ages, all of which adds to the charm and appeal of this compact city. You could be forgiven for thinking that Bruges has no place or desire for modernity. The opposite is true in fact with visitor attractions like the Historium which lets you take a step back in time using interactive audio and visual technology to give you a taste of daily life in Bruges during the Middle Ages. While in Bruges, I stayed at the fantastic 3 star Martins Brugge Hotel which is perfectly located behind the iconic Belfry (made famous in the movie 'In Bruges' ) and the main square of the city. Every part of Bruges is within walking distance of the main square which makes it an extremely easy and enjoyable city to explore. You could spend hours just aimlessly meandering through the spectacular streets perusing all the chocolate shop windows and gaping up at the magnificent architecture. If, like me, you are a fan of Belgian beer, then you are going to want to check out the beer museum, where you can see every aspect involved in the brewing process and sample some of the many beers on draught. With some cafes and pubs in Bruges boasting to serve hundreds of different beers, Bruges is a beer connoisseurs paradise. During the summer you can experience Bruges from a different perspective on a canal tour and see why they call it the "Venice of the North" or take in the scenery along the picturesque cycling routes. During winter the Christmas Markets are a treat not to be missed. With Christmas market stalls lining the main square and surrounding streets, the air is filled with the intoxicating aroma of chocolate and the stalls filled with charming Christmas ornaments. There is always plenty to do in Bruges at any time of the year so there is no time like the present to visit this captivating city
Bruges is about an hour and 10 minutes by car and an hour and a half by train (you will need to change trains at either Brussels North, Central or South Station to catch a connecting train to Bruges) from Brussels airport.
Ypres Ypres, much like Bruges, is a stunning city full of medieval gothic architecture. Perhaps the jewel in Ypres's architectural crown is the Menin Gate Archway which was constructed after World War 1. Each evening throughout the year at 8pm the Menin Gate hosts the Last Post which is a bugle playing ceremony to commemorate the Commonwealth soldiers who lost their lives during the Great War. The 30,000th Last Post sounded on July 9th 2015 and brought together Buglers from fire stations worldwide for this ceremony. Located on the same street as the Menin Gate is the Cloth Hall and Belfry. The Cloth Hall was constructed in 1304 but was partially destroyed during World War 1 and then reconstructed. It is a stunning Gothic building which houses The Flanders Fields museum and visitor centre where you can also learn about the Flanders region of Belgium during the First World War and the devastating impact it had on the area. While in Ypres I also partook in a ComingWorldRememberMe workshop. In this workshop I got to create 1 of the 600,000 sculptures which will be used to commemorate the estimated 600,000 people who lost their lives in Belgium during the First World War. Ypres is also full of amazing restaurants and cafes which serves both international and national cuisine and pour some of the finest Belgian beers I have ever sampled. Ypres is also a compact city which makes for easy exploration on foot
Ypres is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes by car from Brussels airport and 2 hours and 10 minutes on train.
Ostend Ostend is a delightful city on the Belgian coastline which has a different feel and aesthetic then its more medieval looking Flanders counterparts of Bruges and Ypres. It is a city by the sea and fully embraces it with an abundance of spectacular yachts moored up on the beautiful harbour dock and a charismatic beachfront boardwalk which is lined by hotels and cafes. It was in one of these fine cafes that I devoured delicious Belgian waffles while watching the world go by on the boardwalk outside. While in Ostend I stayed at the fantastic 4 star Andromeda hotel which is located right on the beach and boardwalk. With stunning views out on to the North Sea, the Andromeda was a great base for exploring the city. Even though Ostend is a modern city, it isn't without a rich and interesting history and culture which is evident from the Napoleonic Fort which rises out of the sand dunes and the Museum Ann Zee ( Museum By The Sea ) which houses fine and modern art. Ostend is a great city for relaxing with fantastic shopping and a new golf course on the grounds of the 120 year old Wellington Hippodrome. This fascinating city can be explored by bicycle or on foot and there is a tourist centre located across the road from the Andromeda hotel where you can sign up for a guided walking tour of the city.
Ostend is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes by car and 1 hour and 52 minutes by train to travel to Ostend from Brussels airport
Bruges, Ypres and Ostend, 3 extremely mesmerizing cities, also make fantastic bases for anyone who wishes to set out and explore the Flanders countryside and the many World War One museums and memorials, which are which dotted around the surrounding countryside and towns
Belgium is an exciting and charismatic country and is one that I will definitely be visiting again in the near future.
