Places to go, tips, etc. in Belgium

Don't mean to sound like an ass here, but if you're heading to Belgium why not hang out in an Art Deco pub or an outdoor cafe and drink something world-class, but not necessarily rare (i.e. Orval, Chimay, Rodenbach Grand Cru, etc. etc.), instead of heading to some antiseptic bottle shop? You can find the former almost anywhere you go -- and be surrounded by beautiful northern-European Renaissance architecture, friendly locals, and access to excellent Belgian cuisine. As for the latter, you can always go to Cantillon in Brussels or Westvleteren in West Flanders, but they are probably going to be lacking in good food options.

EDIT: as to places to stay, I can highly recommend Hotel Adornes in Bruges.

 

Obviously, a lot depends on where in Belgium you'll be visiting. The one negative for you is that many of the breweries don't really do tours during the week and are only open on the weekend for visitors.

I can second the Hotel Adornes in Bruges. Good spot right on a canal but far enough from the hordes of tourists to stay sane. If you go to Bruges, try the Beertje but know it gets packed straight away at opening. Stop by the Struise shop in the Burg. Thought Bier Tempel was overrated.

For Brussels, Cantillon is a must stop. Moeder Lambic is great. Another good cafe is Au Bon Vieux Temps. Lots of character. Best shop in city is Delices et Caprices. Pierre is great and get to taste right in the store. Hotel Welcome in Ste. Catherine is excellent.

If you visit St. Sixtus, I believe the cafe is closed Thursday/Friday. But they do have food options. Nothing serious but cheese plates and mini dishes. 10 minutes down the way in Oostvleteren is Struise but that could only be visited on the 9th from 14.00-18.00. You could drive by St. Bernardus, which is only 15 minutes away, but from what I gathered they don't do organized tours all that much but it could be worth an e-mail to Marco, who would handle that.

 

I wish they let me make a sticky for this question, buy the book, figure out what YOU want to do.
Good beer guide to Belgium


Must see, depends on your taste, you want beer must see? or what? Budget? Its hard to recommend you stay at a 5 star hotel and your on a tight budget. help us help you.

The most obvious is check out the places tab, and go there, there are 1000's. You can find good beer at many hole in the wall out of the way places. Or you could hit the big towns and the most popular watering holes. You will NOT have time in that short visit to do that much.

Westy all day thing unless your staying close by. Hours places are open is what pays for the guide.

 

I'd say hit Bruges - it's picturesque and worth going your first time in Belgium. I liked the NH Brugge Hotel. It's located adjacent a nice little square and is a short walk to the Markt.

While in Bruges, you can take the trip south to Westvleteren. You might as well go to the cafe and try some beers you might never get.

As mentioned, Cantillon is a worthwhile stop, as is Brussels in general. I do not recommend staying down that end of town though. The area around it is a little non-touristy. I also DO NOT recommend Citadines Toison d'Or Brussels. Our least favorite hotel - our room didn't even seem to have air conditioning. The good thing was, a walk to Cantillon wasn't so long. The bad thing was, the walk through that part of the city had my wife on edge AND Cantillon was closed when we got there - be sure to check their hours!

You can certainly hit Bruges and Brussels in 3 days time. To see most or all of Bruges, you only need one day really.

 

Brugges is gorgeous. They have a number of bottle shops, but the real gem there is Staminee de Garre http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1235. Go in there and have a glass of their tripel (and buy a magnum to bring back in your suitcase).