so for new year's, i decided to do a mini eurotrip, going to belgium, netherlands and germany in 10 days..
following recommendations, i skipped brussels and took a train to ghent, a university city about 1 hour northwest of the capital.. the weather wasn't great, cold and windy, but if i knew how worse it would get the following days, i wouldn't have complained..
ghent is a cute city, with a very compact center.. i saw everything i planned to see in just about 2 hours walking.. the main places are the sint-baaf cathedral, sint-niklaas church, the gravensteen (a medieval castle) and the beautiful patershol district behind the castle..
the city wasn't exactly empty, there were tourists, but i heard normally it's full with students, but because of the holidays (and the exams week ahead), the locals weren't really out and about.. i went out for a beer with my couchsurfing hostess and her brother, and now i can officially say belgian white beer is the only one i actually like (so far!)..
next day i took a train to brugge, only some 30 minutes away further northwest.. the city is more well known, so there were a lot of tourists, but still, i was blown away.. it's the most beautiful city i've seen so far..
the center is also quite walkable, and the medieval streets, the canals, the gothic architecture, it's all so amazing i was walking around wearing a big, silly smile.. people must've thought i was crazy.. but oh well..
brugge has some historical places (the basilica of the holy blood, the burg square, the grote markt), but i think just getting lost and appreciating the beauty of the city is where the magic is.. there are also four windmills along one of the canals bordering the main part of the city..
when i was already tired of walking, i met another local couchsurfer for some hot chocolate (with belgian chocolate, delish!) and went to see some other parts of the town i wouldn't have discovered by myself, like this great underground beer cellar with some interesting beer labels..
i spent only two days in belgium, and it was a destination i almost skipped, but i'm glad i didn't.. i met some great people, and some of the most beautiful cities i've been to so far.. and tried good beer! it's a win-win+win!
--
korenlei, ghent | ghent by night
--
werregaren, awesome graffiti alley in ghent
--
korenlei, ghent
--
brugge
--
markt square, brugge
--
the begijnhof (the convent), brugge
following recommendations, i skipped brussels and took a train to ghent, a university city about 1 hour northwest of the capital.. the weather wasn't great, cold and windy, but if i knew how worse it would get the following days, i wouldn't have complained..
ghent is a cute city, with a very compact center.. i saw everything i planned to see in just about 2 hours walking.. the main places are the sint-baaf cathedral, sint-niklaas church, the gravensteen (a medieval castle) and the beautiful patershol district behind the castle..
the city wasn't exactly empty, there were tourists, but i heard normally it's full with students, but because of the holidays (and the exams week ahead), the locals weren't really out and about.. i went out for a beer with my couchsurfing hostess and her brother, and now i can officially say belgian white beer is the only one i actually like (so far!)..
next day i took a train to brugge, only some 30 minutes away further northwest.. the city is more well known, so there were a lot of tourists, but still, i was blown away.. it's the most beautiful city i've seen so far..
the center is also quite walkable, and the medieval streets, the canals, the gothic architecture, it's all so amazing i was walking around wearing a big, silly smile.. people must've thought i was crazy.. but oh well..
brugge has some historical places (the basilica of the holy blood, the burg square, the grote markt), but i think just getting lost and appreciating the beauty of the city is where the magic is.. there are also four windmills along one of the canals bordering the main part of the city..
when i was already tired of walking, i met another local couchsurfer for some hot chocolate (with belgian chocolate, delish!) and went to see some other parts of the town i wouldn't have discovered by myself, like this great underground beer cellar with some interesting beer labels..
i spent only two days in belgium, and it was a destination i almost skipped, but i'm glad i didn't.. i met some great people, and some of the most beautiful cities i've been to so far.. and tried good beer! it's a win-win+win!
--
korenlei, ghent | ghent by night
--
werregaren, awesome graffiti alley in ghent
--
korenlei, ghent
--
brugge
--
markt square, brugge
--
the begijnhof (the convent), brugge
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