Day-by-day programme of this 7-day itinerary across Brussels and the art cities of Flanders.
Day 1 â Arrival in Brussels
Landing in Brussels, capital of Belgium and of Europe: a city of contrasts between Baroque palaces, Art Nouveau, comics and excellent food. A first impression in the sumptuous Grand Place.
- âïļ Brussels â Aeroporto di Bruxelles (BRU)
- ð Grand Place â The Grand Place, a UNESCO site, is one of the most spectacular squares in the world: a jewel box of gilded Baroque guild-house facades, dominated by the Gothic Town Hall and the Maison du Roi. Victor Hugo called it 'the most beautiful in the world'. All around, lanes full of chocolate shops, breweries and the famous Manneken Pis, the emblematic little statue. You dine on mussels and fries. You sleep two nights in Brussels.
- ðĻ Motel One Brussels â Centro, Bruxelles
Day 2 â Brussels between art and comics
A day in the capital: the Atomium, a futurist symbol, the Mont des Arts with its museums, the elegance of the Sablon and the essential tasting of Belgian chocolate and beer.
- ð Atomium â The Atomium, built for the 1958 Expo, is the modern symbol of Brussels: a giant iron molecule 102 metres high, with nine spheres linked by walkable tubes and a panoramic view from the top. Surreal and fascinating. Back in the centre, you climb to the Mont des Arts, a panoramic terrace among the great museums (Magritte, Fine Arts). In the afternoon, the chic Sablon district.
- ðŊ Brussels â Belgium is the homeland of chocolate and beer. In the Sablon district, elegant and full of antique shops, you find the best pralines (Wittamer, Pierre Marcolini): a tasting is a must. In the evening, in a historic bar, you taste the extraordinary variety of Belgian beers (Trappist, lambic, gueuze), each in its own glass. Brussels is also the comics capital, with Tintin murals around the city. You return to the hotel.
Day 3 â Antwerp, the city of diamonds
Train to Antwerp, a lively Flemish port: the cathedral with Rubens' masterpieces, the astonishing central station and an avant-garde fashion and diamond scene.
- âïļ Brussels â Antwerp â Anversa (centro)
- ð Cathedral of Our Lady â The Cathedral of Our Lady, the largest Gothic church in Belgium, holds four masterpieces by Rubens, the great Baroque painter whose city Antwerp was. The Grote Markt with its guild houses and Renaissance town hall, the Steen castle on the river and the fashion district (Antwerp is home to the 'Antwerp Six' designers) complete a surprising, creative city. You head to Ghent in the evening.
- ðĻ Motel One Antwerp â Centro, Antwerpen
Day 4 â Ghent, Flemish jewel
Train to Ghent, one of the most beautiful cities in Flanders: the counts' castle, the medieval canals, the guild houses on the Graslei and the masterpiece of the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers.
- âïļ Antwerp â Ghent â Gand (centro)
- ð Gravensteen Castle â The Gravensteen, the 'castle of the counts', is a mighty moated medieval fortress right in the city centre, offering views over the stepped gables. Just beyond, along the Graslei and Korenlei, the splendid guild houses mirror in the canals. In St Bavo's Cathedral is kept the Mystic Lamb (1432), the polyptych by the Van Eyck brothers, an absolute masterpiece of Flemish painting. You sleep in Ghent or continue to Bruges.
- ðĻ Hotel Harmony â Centro, Gent
Day 5 â Bruges, the Venice of the North
Train to Bruges, Belgium's postcard city: an intact medieval centre and UNESCO site, of canals, bridges, belfries and squares, to discover on foot and by boat.
- âïļ Ghent â Bruges â Bruges (centro)
- ð Markt and Belfry â The heart of Bruges is the Markt, the great square dominated by the Belfry, the 83-metre civic bell tower that you climb (366 steps) for the view over the roofs. All around, houses with stepped gables, horse-drawn carriages and the scent of chocolate. The nearby Burg is the oldest square, with the Gothic town hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Afternoon among chocolate shops and lace. You sleep two nights in Bruges.
- ðĻ Martin's Brugge â Centro storico, Brugge
Day 6 â The magic of Bruges
A full day devoted to Bruges: a canal cruise, the quiet Beguinage, the Lake of Love and the most photogenic medieval views in Flanders.
- ðŊ Bruges canals â Bruges should be experienced from the water: a cruise on its canals (the 'reien') offers the most evocative perspective, gliding under stone bridges and past houses overlooking the water, among swans and willows. The most photographed spot is the Rozenhoedkaai. You continue on foot towards the south of the city.
- ð Begijnhof of Bruges â The Beguinage (Begijnhof), a UNESCO site, is an oasis of peace: a tree-lined courtyard surrounded by 14th-century white cottages, where the beguines (devout laywomen) lived and today Benedictine nuns. In spring it is a carpet of daffodils. Beside it, the romantic Minnewater, the 'Lake of Love', and the medieval St John's Hospital with the Memling museum. A poetic finale. You dine and sleep in Bruges.
Day 7 â Departure from Brussels
Train to Brussels and return flight. End of the journey among the art cities of Flanders.
- âïļ Brussels â Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (MXP)
