Hi there, Looking to plan a trip to Belgium next year. I was hoping do it in the first half of the year. Is there a particular time that you folks would say is best to visit? Obviously excited for the beer, but I want to be able to experience the entire culture as well.
it's a bit of a loaded question. you go in the summer and it's nicer weather. you go in the winter and you can see brewdays at Cantillon. summer's more touristy. i've been in November, May, June and July. i found cities like Ghent to be unbearable tourist-wise in the summer. it's a university town and that doesn't show as much in the summer. one May, i lucked into extremely shitty weather. rain and wind and 4 C in Antwerp. the bottom line: Europe's full of tourists from late May until the end of August. decide whether or not outdoor events, festivals, large crowds, etc is your thing. All the breweries are up and running 4 seasons of the year (except, arguably, Cantillon, which is not brewing during the summer)
I always go in March or November. If you are sensitive to heat I would pick those two months. Cool weather and beer drinking go together, especially if you are sporting a few extra pounds.
We often get a burst of nice spring weather in Brussels then (often before reverting to a sodden, post-winter-not-nice-enough-to-be-spring time).
Concerning the weather here in western Europe it is a hit or miss - you can't say how the weather in spring or fall will be - from heavy rain and cold temperatures to nice sunny and warm it could be everything... I would decide on the things I want to see
Don't go over Easter - it seems that a lot of businesses take an extended Easter holiday break. I went in early April 2013 and Kulminator and De Heeren van Liedekerke were closed.
I wouldn't recommend visiting any later than October, nor earlier than March. Rather than the month, the main thing to do is consider your days, because I found things aren't always open when you might expect them to be.
I'm going in November. While not ideal weather wise, I'm still looking forward to my visit. Hopefully the crowds will be small.
Went in early December a few years ago. The weather can be spotty (sweatshirt one day, layered up with winter coat the next), but there's a benefit: the Christmas markets. I had a wonderful time at the markets in several different places. Skating rinks, booths for beer/wine/food/gift items, etc. The only (somewhat) traditional Christmas market within hours of me in the states is in the middle of Chicago.
November is when those strong dark Belgian ales really start appealing to me. If you get lucky with the weather it wouldn't be a bad time to go.
Didn't think about that, good to know! I have been there in November and enjoyed it, it's just that it gets dark very early. If you want to look around then you'll need to get up early.
