Hi everyone, thought this would be a great place to ask for advice about traveling to Belgium. I am going this November and have never been before. Spending about a month there. Any suggestions of things I need to do let me know!
Keep in mind that there are many great beers in Belgium beside Cantillon. Don't get hung up on an American obsession--drink what the locals drink. Also, ask this question in the Benelux subforum.
For beer, some suggestions, other probably have better / more suggestions: Recommended breweries to visit: Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen (brewery & restaurant), De Dolle & Struise (last two are difficult by public transport) Recommended bars to visit: Kulminator, ‘t Anwaerps Bierhuiske, ‘t Waagstuk, Gollem (Antwerp) Chez Moeder Lambic Fontainas, Delirium Hoppy Loft, Le Poechenellekelder (Brussels) ‘t Brugs Beertje, De Kelk & Struise Shop (Bruges) Recommended restaurants with good beer: Heeren van Liedekercke (obv.) De Groote Witte Arend (if you are in Antwerp) Bier Circus (spaghetti is very cheap, nice & you can get some nice beers) Belgian breweries which might be lesser known (I think) but are very recommended: De Dochter van de Korenaar, Hanssens Artisanaal, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Alvinne, Viven, De La Senne, De Ranke, Abbaye des Rocs, De Dolle, Malheur, Gulden Spoor, Troubadour, Alpaide, Glazen Toren,…. Stores: Willems & Zoon (Grobbendonk) Hopduvel & Dranken Geers (Gent) You could do that but you would be stuck with crappy pale lager most of the time or Duvel or Westmalle at best. I think there is more to Belgian beer than crappy pale lager.
1) Go to St. Sixtus Abbey and get some Westy 12. 2) Go to Cantillon and take a tour, drink beer, and buy stuff to bring back home. 3) Go to 3 Fonteinen and do the same. 4) Make sure to visit Brugges and Antwerp. 5) While in Antwerp look up a small sandwich and coffee shop called "Starfish and Coffee" (Address: Bresstraat 9, 2018 Antwerpen), it's awesome and the owner, Katya, is really cool. 6) Look up Kurt from belgiuminabox.com and meet up with him at his warehouse in Antwerp (you can contact him from his website), he's a really cool guy and he has a lot of cool stuff you can buy and if you're already over there, you won't have to pay the shipping costs. 7) While in Brussles visiting Cantillon, make sure to stop by a restaurant called "Bia Mara" (Address: Rue du marché aux poulets, 41, Kiekenmarkt 41, 1000 City of Brussels) it is hands down the best fish and chips you'll ever have. Period. The owner's name is Barry, he's from Ireland, and he's really cool. 8) Definitely pack warm stuff (I had fleece jackets and fleece lined pants when I went) 9) Pack a rain shell 10) Bring a good back-pack, you'll be walking... a lot Hope you have fun; I loved it when I was there.
Since food was mentioned above me. Belgian dishes that might be interesting. Since seeking out Fish & Chips (no offence to the guy above me) in Belgium seems pretty bizarre to me. Make sure not to eat any of these in places that look touristy or are near a lot of tourist. Don’t go to places located at the central squares, high prices, food aimed at tourists (inauthentic) & very crappy in quality. Exception to the rule are waffles which are yummy. French fries are obviously big, don’t eat these in restaurant, find a place where you can buy them on the street through a window. You will be within mussels season, Mussels with French fries are nice. As well as the following dishes: Beefstew (stoofvlees) made with beer. Gentse Waterzooi Eel in green (Paling in ‘t Groen) Rabbit (3F serves Rabbit cooked in geuze) Oven baked chicory with ham Vol-au-vent (technically French as well but it is typical Belgian fare)
No offense taken. None of the places I mentioned are touristy at all. And I agree, fish and chips in Belgium seems bizarre but that doesn't mean they aren't absolutely amazing. You should give it a try and then judge for yourself. Cheers, John
While I haven't been to all of Belgium, I've been to most of Europe. Ghent is a MUST visit city in Belgium. It's a lot better than Brugge IMHO (although it's also worth a visit, especially if you've seen In Brugge). Spend of couple of nights in Gent, best over the weekend and enjoy what the city has to offer, not just beer. Luxembourg is to the south and is incredibly scenic. Another place worth a weekend trip is Amsterdam, which isn't too far away. Al
There are weekly questions along this line -- always welcome, don't get me wrong -- but also search around in this forum for more.
I am not questioning the quality, will be sure to check it out, next time I am there. I just have a thing of trying to do more local dishes when abroad.
Vidarose, as you're listed as a Masshole (said in the spirit of home-state fellowship), don't let the South Carolinian bluff you into fleece lined pants. Figure on a chilly drizzle, no worse than you'd expect back home. But it does explain the tradition of hearty ales... BTW, if you give a sense of what you're into (beer styles, tourist interest) and what sort of time you have (totally idle, nights and weekends) we might drum up some more ideas.
