Going to Brussels in October for the first time...

There are numerous similar threads on here that would give you ideas and I'm sure others will jump in with suggestions. My 2 cents would be that you're trying to cover a lot of ground in only a week, especially if two of those days are flying days. I'd consider staying longer if possible or cutting Cologne and/or Amsterdam.

 

i should skip cologne. and stay longer in amsterdam to combine it with haarlem, to go to the jopen church and het uiltje bar.

 

Best wishes on the wedding. I agree, you'll find tons of input here to get the beginnings of some ideas, but post back here to narrow down. The town-to-town travel you mentioned above is all pretty doable without a car, and some trips are probably faster by train than car -- for example, Cologne, and I wouldn't dissuade you from going there if it's a lifelong dream to get to Germany. (I suppose you could say that it's more culturally distinct from Flanders than the Netherlands is, and closer than Amsterdam. Then again, it is still distinct, and in Cologne you're drinking Kolsch, so, *shrug*.) But I also agree that you could wear yourself out doing a side trip every day.

For breweries, Cantillon is as evocative as any brewery gets, and it's right in Brussels. De Halve Maan is also well situated canal-side in Bruges, and I think worth hitting that rather than traipsing far out of town, when you don't have unlimited time.

If you want to get out into the countryside and see more breweries (not that you'll much top the above), also some castles and such, you could get a car for just a day rather than the whole time. In which case, you don't have to go further than Beersel for 3F (not that the brewery tour is so special, but the restaurant is great, and there's a castle to see nearby) and or other things in the area.

Anyway, happy planning, come back here for follow-ups, and good luck with the wedding.

 

I would stay in Antwerps and stay away from that grey and not friendly town Brussels. From Antwerps it will be much easier to go to all the good spots you mentioned e=and you can easliy go to Brussels by train....

 

Ghent, Castle Gravensteen, only one you need to see in Belgium, imo.

http://gravensteen.stad.gent/

 

I have much respect for the advice and help you've generously given many people over the years, but your personal anti-Brussels bias and continual suggestions that people avoid it is frustrating. You've admitted you simply don't like cities, and that's fine for you, but constantly telling people not to go to Brussels does a real disservice to them. Many people really enjoy exploring cities and Brussels has much to offer, beer and otherwise, to those that do. Some who have never been to Belgium might take your advice and miss out on some great experiences they would thoroughly enjoy.

Why not continue to recommend and promote the places you love without always badmouthing Brussels?

 

I was waiting for this, thanks Tut!

 

Have you ever been the the Ardens in Belgium , the french part ??
I don't think so !
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_castles_and_châteaux_in_Belgium

 

Actually I have been to the Ardenne, though it's unlikely I've been there as often as you. Most of those are chateaus. I'm not coming up with a medieval castle as well preserved and tour friendly as Gravensteen.

And besides, it really is "imo".

 

My advice is to skip the car. Brussels to Amsterdam by train only takes 2 hours, Bruges is an hour, Ghent 30 mins. We bought our tickets to Amsterdam a couple months ahead of time to get better rates (and our Rijksmuseum tickets at the same time); the others we purchased the day of.