Day 1 – Saturday (24/01/2015)

Brussels

We left Dublin at 6:30 am and after a 2-hour flight, we arrived in Brussels. At the airport itself, we bought the train ticket to the station. Brussels Midi (8.50 euros per person), which was the closest to our hotel. We walked 20 minutes to it, passing by the Hal's Gate, which is a gate of a medieval fortress built in 1381. The first impressions of the city were already great:

We stayed at Ibis Styles Brussels Central Stephanie (59 euros per day, with breakfast), which is very close to the street Louise, which is quite busy and charming, especially at night with the lights on.

We left our backpacks and went walking around the city with the help of the guide we bought, the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent & Antwer. (I love their guides, as they have lots of details about attractions, suggestions for walks, places to eat, shop, etc., and this one, to make our lives easier, is small and light and covers the main cities in Belgium, so it's perfect for those who want to visit more than just the capital).

We started the walk along Louise Street, until the Palace of Justice, which is a building from 1883 that is impressive in size and beauty, even though it is undergoing external renovation. The view of the city from there is really nice. We took the subway to the station Central (ticket valid for 24 hours for 7 euros per person) and we went straight to see the Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule. Its construction began in 1225 and took 300 years to complete. In the 1990s, it was restored and cleaned, so its splendor was better appreciated. It is impressive both inside and out, especially its baroque pulpit with images of Adam and Eve being expelled from paradise.

We headed towards the square Now, whose surrounding buildings are very typical and beautiful and then we stopped to eat the famous Belgian fries (delicious!)

We continue to finally meet the Grand Place, The city's main tourist attraction. This square is truly impressive, with its 17th-century buildings. It's no wonder it's considered the most beautiful square in Europe, especially when they display a flower carpet every two years in August. In medieval times, the square was a major trading center and has some important buildings, including:

• Townhouse – The city hall was completed in 1455 and was considered the most elegant building in the country. The main attraction is the Conference Room Council Chamber, with its tapestries and decorated mirrors.
• House of the King – This building was built in 1536, but redesigned in 1873. It was used by the Spanish monarchy, but currently houses the City Museum, with 16th century paintings and tapestries, as well as the famous outfits of the most famous doll in the country, the Manneken Pis.
• The Pigeon – Victor Hugo lived in this building from 1852 onwards.
• Northeast Corner 
• The House of the Dukes of Brabant – Building with 6 guildhouses. In medieval times, the Low Countries had guilds (guilds), who had a stake in the city's administration.
• Everard 't Serclaes
• Le Renard, le cornet et Le Roi de Espagne 

We left the square through Rue au Bitter, which is a street full of chocolate and biscuit shops made in the country. The smell is delicious and makes you want to buy everything. Be careful lol! At the end of this street, there are St Nicholas Church on the right and the famous stock exchange building, The Stock Exchange, right ahead. The latter, from 1873, is impressive for its size and architecture.

We passed the old meat market, the Halles St-Géry, which has the River Seine running underneath (you can see it at number 23 inside an apartment complex…you can go there without fear!)

We kept walking until the Place Ste Catherine, which is where the church with the same name is located (Church of Catherine). There was a church there that was built in the 15th century, but the only thing that remained of it after the French attacked in 1695 was the tower. The church you see today was built in 1859, inspired by Church of St. Eustache from Paris.

To the east of the church is the Black Tour, which is a piece of the wall that existed there in the 12th century, surrounded by a modern building. The mix is interesting.

To the west of the church, there is an open space with water fountains and pools in the middle and many seafood restaurants on the sides. Before 1870, a canal ran through there, but it was covered over and that area became the fish market.

We then passed by Eglise St Jean Baptiste au Beguinage, which is a 17th century baroque church. Inside it, to our surprise, were sheltering some refugees from Afghanistan.

Already in Brouckère Square, we got to see the famous Hotel Metropole, a five-star hotel from 1895 with style Art Nouveau. We went in to have a little look around and it really is beautiful. 🙂

We crossed the North Passage, which is a gallery from 1882, and we arrive at one of the most famous shopping streets in the city, Rue Neuve, quite busy for our taste.

Nearby is the Place des Martyrs, square with a mausoleum with the 450 martyrs killed in the revolution of 1830, which gave Belgium its independence.

We passed in front of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, built in 1817. Only the front of the building is original, due to a fire that occurred there in 1855.

We arrived at the famous Galeries Royales St-Hubert, which was the first shopping arcade in Europe, built in 1847, and is considered one of the most elegant to this day, with several shops, cafes, restaurants, a cinema and a theater.

We walked halfway down the gallery, where we turned right onto Rue des Bouchers. This street has several restaurants and some of them are well known for being tourist traps. Be careful here, especially because the staff are always approaching people as they pass by, offering countless promotions! I found the street very interesting, even more so after learning that the region is considered Sacred Island (sacred island) and cannot change its appearance, develop too much, etc.

We didn't stop to eat, because we wanted to take advantage of the daylight to see more of the city, but on the last day of the trip we went to At Leon and we loved it! Go to the end of post to know more details. 😉

We finally went to see the most famous statue in Belgium, the Manekken Pis. It is located very close to the Grand Place and is really one of the busiest tourist attractions we saw. It is only 61 cm tall (be prepared!) and is on top of a fountain, protected by a fence. I think it exists because in 1965 someone stole it, leaving only its feet and ankles and threw the body into a canal, which was only found the following year. Legend has it that this doll is a tribute to the son of a duke who was caught red-handed urinating in the middle of a battle during the 12th century. In 1698, the ruler of the Netherlands Maximilian Emmanuel brought the doll a dress as a gift and since then, several heads of state have done the same. The doll already has a collection of more than 800 outfits, which can be seen at City Museum, where 100 are displayed at a time.

Around it, there are several stores souvenirs Belgian, with typical tapestries and lace. If you want to buy, prepare your wallets!

We took a break from the tourist attractions and stopped to buy chocolates! We decided to buy the best chocolate in the country, according to some blogs and guides, the one in the store Pierre Marcolini. If you're going to mess around, you have to do it with class, right? 🙂 We bought a box with several types, but I confess that we didn't think anything was special.

From there, we went to another church (oh, how many!!!), Our Lady of Sablon and in Place du Petit Sablon, which is a garden from 1890 with 48 statues representing each corporation from the medieval era. I found everything beautiful!

We walked to the Place Royale, which has several museums, including the Fine Arts Museum, but we didn't get to go into any of them. We passed in front of the Musée des Instruments de Musique, It is located on a hill and is very beautiful on the outside! The idea was to visit it at the end of the trip, but we didn't have time, so we'll leave it for next time. It is really cool because it has more than 6,000 items and you can listen to each instrument, with great quality. Just a tip!

We went to dinner at the restaurant The Black Chat, because Celo read a review from a Brazilian woman who lives in the city saying that the restaurant has typical Belgian dishes at great prices, without being too touristy. We were served by the owner, who is super attentive and we loved what we ate. The restaurant was empty when we arrived, but then it filled up with locals, which seemed like a great sign! Oh, and it’s open 24/7.

From there, we went to end the night at the most famous bar in the city, Delirium Café, which is in that region I mentioned that is known as Sacred Island. The bar was packed, but we managed to get a table in the corner, which we later shared with other people. There is no waiter coming to your table to take your orders, so you have to go to the counter. Be careful not to end up waiting, like we did for a few minutes. Oh, next to the bar, you will find the statue of Jeanneke Pis. Don't forget to take a picture!

Day 2 – Sunday (25/01/2015)

We had a very hearty breakfast, with lots of croissants hotties (IBIS Styles, I love you!) and we ran to enjoy the ticket 24 hours from the subway to the Central subway/train station.

We bought our tickets at the ticket office, because we wanted to explain that we wanted to take a train to Ghent, we would travel there all day and then take another train to Bruges. It cost 34.80 euros for both of us for these two trains. I don't know how much it would cost on the ticket machines, but you already have the price to check if it would be the same... We read in some places that some people take the risk of buying just a train to Bruges and getting off in Ghent to spend the day, but I don't think it's worth taking the risk...

Ghent

After a few minutes of traveling, we arrived at Ghent and right there at the station we left our backpacks in a locker (3 euros for 24 hours) and we took the bus to the city center, right in front of the train station. You buy the tickets from a machine that only accepts coins and doesn't give change, so be careful! It cost 2.60 euros for the two of us.

We got off at Ghent Castle station, the The Gravensteen, and we were enchanted by it and the buildings around it. We paid 20 euros to enter the Castle and this gave us the right to a video-guide, which, as the name suggests, is a device that explains the castle through videos. We thought the videos were bad, because they were a kind of poorly made play, so we ended up walking around the castle just reading the signs. For me, they would take this out video guide and they charged less, right? The castle is from the 12th century, but much of it was built later. Until the 14th century, it was a military fortress and then, until the 17th century, it was the city's prison. Some photos:

We walked through the city towards the main square, the Koren Market, and we loved the canals and the typical houses.

In the main square, there is the St Nicholas Church, Due to its size, it could easily be the city's cathedral, but it isn't. This church began to be built in the 13th century and was only completed in the 15th century, with several sanctuaries and chapels, but in 1566 the Protestants destroyed them. In this square, you will come across a beautiful building opposite the church, which is the old post office building. Awesome!

We were starting to get hungry, but we didn't want to stop for lunch and waste the day, so we stopped at a healthy fast-food restaurant, Exki and we bought some things to eat while we walked (it was more expensive if we ate inside the restaurant!).

Behind this church, you can see a huge structure made of wood, steel and glass, which is the City Pavilion, place where some music and dance shows take place. On its side, there is the city bell tower, the Belfort, which was built in 1380 and is 91 meters high. You can go up by elevator to approximately 65 meters, paying 4 euros per person. Inside, you can see how the carillon with 54 bells works, as well as other details of the construction. The view is sensational, take a look:

Behind him is the city's cathedral, the St Bavos Cathedral, which was undergoing restoration. We passed in front of the Townhouse (city hall), which is also impressive, mainly because it has two very different and beautiful facades. Take a look...which one do you prefer?

We bought beer at a local store and were relieved when the guy said we could drink it on the street. Some countries don’t allow it, right? The perfect travel combination: drinking good, cheap beer while still seeing the attractions! 🙂 We walked to the square Farm market, which has buildings around it with typical architecture of the country. I loved the buildings with triangular tops and different colors, contrasting with each other. They are everywhere, but when you stand in a large square like this, with so many of them, you realize how harmonious they are. It looks like a doll town…

We passed by at the end of the day St Michael's Church, which is huge and is on the other side of the canal, but it was already closed. We walked around the city reading the menus of cute restaurants that we found along the way, but we ended up hooked on the restaurant Amadeus, because they offered thell-you-can-eat ribs for 15 euros and they had a super cozy decoration! We arrived early, when it was still empty, but later, it got packed!

We took the same bus back to the train station, took our backpacks out of the lockers and we took the next train to Bruges. There are trains every half hour leaving from there, always at 10 minutes or 40 minutes of each hour. (e.g. 7:10 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 8:10 p.m., etc.). 

Bruges

When we arrived in Bruges, the tourist center was already closed and there weren't many people around, so all we could do was ask the driver of the first bus that stopped there if he passed near our hotel (we didn't have a car). chip with internet) He didn't answer yes or no, but he told us to go upstairs, so off we went (we paid 4 euros for the two of us). When we got to the city center (I think it took less than 5 minutes), he explained to us that we would have to walk about 15 minutes to the hotel. Easy for us, especially in such a cute city as Bruges.

We stayed at the hotel Ibis Budget Bruges Center (39 euros per night, without breakfast), which is well located, considering that the city is small and very pleasant to walk around. They gave us a room that didn't have the wifi and after I complained a few times and requested another room, they moved us to one that did have one. Other than that, the stay was great.

Day 3 – Monday (26/01/2015)

We had breakfast at a charming little café on the street from our hotel, which was quite empty. As soon as we sat down at the table to wait for our orders, a group of students came in and ended up ruining the peace of the place (all the girls could be models, in my humble opinion…lol). We started the tour by entering the Church of Our Lady, which began construction in 1220 and took 200 years to complete. It was being restored, so unfortunately, I wasn't impressed by its interior beauty.

We passed by the canal and were enchanted. Look at this beautiful city:

We passed by Vismarkt, which is an open-air fish market that operates daily, very early in the day. We crossed an alley with an arch known as Alley of the Blind Donkey, until we reach the square Burg. This is where the city hall is (Stadhouse) of the city, which was completed in 1375, the Renaissance Hall and the main thing, in my opinion, The Basilica of the Holy Blood. The latter holds one of the most precious relics in Europe: a vial containing a few drops of blood and water washed from the body of Christ by Joseph of Arimathea. This vial was brought from Jerusalem in 1150 and can be seen up close. It is moving, even for those who are not so religious!

Between this square and the main square, there is an amazing street with many chocolate and biscuit shops. We had to stop to try some in the shop The Gourmet Coure. We picked up some random ones and paid by weight. They were all delicious, especially the one with chocolate inside. I recommend them!

In the city's main square, the Market, you can't help but be enchanted by everything you see. The bell tower (Belfort) is the building that stands out the most, with its 83 meters of height. It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries and does not have an elevator, so you have to climb almost 400 claustrophobic steps (and pay 8 euros per person) to see the spectacular view of the city and the working carillon of bells. The cool thing is that the carillon plays 4 different songs, which play every 15 minutes, so you don't get tired of them so much. This square is also home to the Provincial Palace, which is charming and imposing. We took the opportunity to buy French fries at a kiosk in the square, this time with sauce Joppiesaus, recommended by the seller. Delicious sauce!

We went to the St Saviour's Cathedral, which only became the city's cathedral in 1834, when the French destroyed the one that already existed in the city. Unfortunately, it was also being restored, so we were not impressed with what we saw.

We returned to the main square and began the 90-minute walk indicated by our guide. We passed by the Municipal Theater, from 1869, which is not as imposing as some seen in larger cities. We pass in front of number 35, where the building that may have been the first stock exchange in Europe is located, the House to Be Lovely (13th century). Nearby is the Postal Code, which was a club for leaders in medieval times. On the other side, there is the Old Customs House, where traders had to pay their taxes. We passed by St Walburgakerk, the most elegant baroque church in the city, built for the Jesuits between 1612 and 1642. We continue on our way to the oldest tavern in the city, from 1515, Vlissinghe Coffee, but it was closed. We continued until the Jerusalem Cathedral (7 euros for both of us), which is a chapel built in 1428 by a wealthy Italian family (Adornes), who had just returned from Jerusalem. We passed several places, which are not that prominent, until we arrived at the only 5-star hotel in the city, the Princeshof, which was the palace of the former Dukes of Burgundy. What a beautiful thing!

At the end of the day, without Internet, we got a little confused about restaurants and ended up going to a Chinese place near our hotel, Shanghai. It was empty, but it got quite crowded during dinner. We ordered starters, main courses and Belgian beers and everything was delicious, served by the owner of the restaurant. We liked the special attention we get when the owner is the one serving us... I think we feel more pampered, you know? Anyway, everything was great, but it was only after we left the restaurant that we realized that they had added up the bill incorrectly and had added more. There wasn't much we could do, right... we had to accept the loss (about 5 euros, not bad).

Lesson: always check every penny of your account! 

Day 4 – Tuesday (27/01/2015)

We did the checkout from the hotel and when we asked the receptionist how to get to the train station, she said it was a 15-minute walk, so the day before, we could have just walked…lol. We stopped at the supermarket to buy our breakfast to have on the train and then we walked around Minnewaterpark, which has several swans. It's a delight to walk around there.

We bought the train to Brussels from the machine and didn't even have to wait long for it.

Brussels

After 1 hour, we arrived at the Central station, where we left our backpacks and went to finish our tours. We took the subway to the station Merode, because we wanted to visit the monument Fifty-fifty years, which was built to celebrate 50 years of Belgian independence, but was not finished in time. It was modeled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. We also visited the Army Museum (free), which is a huge museum that covers all aspects of Belgium's military. It's very interesting, but I confess that I only visited it because Celo really wanted to. These men love wars, don't they?

We took the subway at the station Schuman and we went to the station Park, because we wanted to see the Royal Palace  and the Brussels Park, which in winter is not as interesting as in other seasons (I hope). We walked to the Center Belge de la Bande Dessinée, which is a comic book museum, with exhibitions of the main Belgian creations, such as Tintin and Smurfs. It cost 20 euros for the two of us and I thought it was expensive for what it offers. I thought there would be more interactivity and more explanatory videos, but a large part of the museum is made up of panels with comics and information.

From there, we finally went to eat the famous ones Moules Frites Belgian mussels, which is the country's most famous dish, consists of mussels and fries. The combination sounds a bit strange, I know, but believe me, it's very good! We stopped to eat at the restaurant Chez Leon, which is in Rue des Bouchers, because it was recommended by a friend. The restaurant is super nice, with great service and great food. It's a shame that the price is not that affordable and we didn't have much time left, because otherwise we would have eaten more and more...

We left a little late for the airport, but in the end, everything worked out. 🙂

Here are some suggestions for tours around Belgium: