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For more nearby ideas, see our ",{"text":370,"type":326,"marks":371},"Europe travel guide",[372],{"type":373,"attrs":374},"link",{"href":375,"uuid":163,"anchor":197,"target":376,"linktype":28},"\u002Fen-gb\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinations\u002Feurope\u002F","_self",{"text":378,"type":326},".",[],{"_uid":381,"body":382,"card":438,"layout":331,"component":332,"article_rounded":200},"7689f641-c5fe-474d-9cae-88c37b798e28",{"type":318,"content":383},[384,389,395,408,413,418,423,428,433],{"type":353,"attrs":385,"content":386},{"level":355,"textAlign":197},[387],{"text":388,"type":326},"Which city should you choose?",{"type":353,"attrs":390,"content":392},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},3,[393],{"text":394,"type":326},"Brussels, the capital",{"type":321,"attrs":396,"content":397},{"textAlign":197},[398,400,407],{"text":399,"type":326},"The Grand-Place, art nouveau townhouses, the European quarter and strong museums. The obvious base for day trips. Read our ",{"text":401,"type":326,"marks":402},"Brussels guide",[403],{"type":373,"attrs":404},{"href":405,"uuid":406,"anchor":197,"target":376,"linktype":28},"\u002Fen-gb\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinations\u002Feurope\u002Fbelgium\u002Fbrussels\u002F","0272f5cf-830d-401b-a36e-1904d446a8c6",{"text":378,"type":326},{"type":353,"attrs":409,"content":410},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[411],{"text":412,"type":326},"Bruges, the medieval showpiece",{"type":321,"attrs":414,"content":415},{"textAlign":197},[416],{"text":417,"type":326},"Small, beautiful and crowded at midday. Stay the night and you will have it almost to yourself in the evening and early morning.",{"type":353,"attrs":419,"content":420},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[421],{"text":422,"type":326},"Ghent, the student city",{"type":321,"attrs":424,"content":425},{"textAlign":197},[426],{"text":427,"type":326},"As old and nearly as lovely as Bruges, with more students and fewer tour groups. Plenty of visitors end up liking it best.",{"type":353,"attrs":429,"content":430},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[431],{"text":432,"type":326},"Antwerp, fashion and diamonds",{"type":321,"attrs":434,"content":435},{"textAlign":197},[436],{"text":437,"type":326},"Belgium's second city has a big port, fashion boutiques and one of the grandest railway stations in Europe. City energy without capital-city stress.",[],{"_uid":440,"body":441,"card":453,"layout":331,"component":332,"article_rounded":200},"293718a7-2c62-46e6-ab17-561f802d8f4c",{"type":318,"content":442},[443,448],{"type":353,"attrs":444,"content":445},{"level":355,"textAlign":197},[446],{"text":447,"type":326},"Food and drink",{"type":321,"attrs":449,"content":450},{"textAlign":197},[451],{"text":452,"type":326},"There are two kinds of waffle: the light, rectangular Brussels waffle and the denser, sweeter Liège waffle. Chips come in a paper cone with mayonnaise, and mussels with chips is close to a national dish. Belgian beer culture is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage, and many cafés hand you a beer menu that runs to several pages. Buy chocolate from a small chocolatier rather than at the station.",[],{"_uid":455,"body":456,"card":468,"layout":331,"component":332,"article_rounded":200},"c657abf9-1af7-4739-9756-f54c01f46994",{"type":318,"content":457},[458,463],{"type":353,"attrs":459,"content":460},{"level":355,"textAlign":197},[461],{"text":462,"type":326},"Getting around",{"type":321,"attrs":464,"content":465},{"textAlign":197},[466],{"text":467,"type":326},"Rail is the answer. Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp share one network, journeys are short and fares are reasonable, with weekend discounts. A car makes little sense in the cities, where parking is expensive and centres are often closed to traffic.",[],{"_uid":470,"body":471,"card":503,"layout":331,"component":332,"article_rounded":200},"8dc0b8ea-71a2-48c0-84a2-d0bf688c2f12",{"type":318,"content":472},[473,478],{"type":353,"attrs":474,"content":475},{"level":355,"textAlign":197},[476],{"text":477,"type":326},"Good to know",{"type":479,"content":480},"bullet_list",[481,489,496],{"type":482,"content":483},"list_item",[484],{"type":321,"attrs":485,"content":486},{"textAlign":197},[487],{"text":488,"type":326},"Flanders in the north speaks Dutch, Wallonia in the south speaks French. Brussels is officially bilingual. English is widely understood.",{"type":482,"content":490},[491],{"type":321,"attrs":492,"content":493},{"textAlign":197},[494],{"text":495,"type":326},"Many museums close on Mondays.",{"type":482,"content":497},[498],{"type":321,"attrs":499,"content":500},{"textAlign":197},[501],{"text":502,"type":326},"Bruges is packed at summer weekends and through Advent. Go midweek if you can.",[],{"_uid":505,"image":506,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":346,"caption_text":513,"caption_title":508,"image_caption":14},"15bf82cc-1faf-48c8-88dc-2461afa54276",{"id":14,"alt":507,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":508,"width":338,"height":339,"source":509,"filename":510,"copyright":509,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":511,"public_id":512,"aspect_ratio":344,"content_type":345,"is_external_url":200},"View of the Brussels town hall tower from Hotel Amigo","Hotel Amigo","Hotels.com (Expedia Group)","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1792606694\u002FPicolo\u002FHotels\u002Fbrussel\u002Fhotel-amigo-view-town-hall-tower-brussels.jpg",{"alt":507,"title":508},"Picolo\u002FHotels\u002Fbrussel\u002Fhotel-amigo-view-town-hall-tower-brussels","Photo: Hotels.com",{"_uid":515,"body":516,"card":536,"layout":331,"component":332,"article_rounded":200},"562ddb92-30cc-401c-80e5-67fa0c8f4a66",{"type":318,"content":517},[518],{"type":321,"attrs":519,"content":520},{"textAlign":197},[521,526,528],{"text":522,"type":326,"marks":523},"Book your stay:",[524],{"type":525},"bold",{"text":527,"type":326}," ",{"text":529,"type":326,"marks":530},"Check availability and prices at Hotel Amigo",[531],{"type":373,"attrs":532},{"href":533,"uuid":197,"anchor":197,"target":534,"linktype":535},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hotels.com\u002Faffiliates\u002Frocco-forte-hotel-amigo-brussel-belgia.e7yBgtx","_blank","url",[],{"_uid":538,"body":539,"card":595,"layout":331,"component":332,"article_rounded":200},"35383fd6-bda7-486e-a2a0-b44b21565e85",{"type":318,"content":540},[541,546,551,556,561,566,571,576,581],{"type":353,"attrs":542,"content":543},{"level":355,"textAlign":197},[544],{"text":545,"type":326},"Frequently asked questions about Belgium",{"type":353,"attrs":547,"content":548},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[549],{"text":550,"type":326},"Which city in Belgium is best to visit?",{"type":321,"attrs":552,"content":553},{"textAlign":197},[554],{"text":555,"type":326},"Brussels is the practical base, Bruges the prettiest and Ghent the liveliest. With four days you can see all three by train.",{"type":353,"attrs":557,"content":558},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[559],{"text":560,"type":326},"Bruges or Ghent: which is better?",{"type":321,"attrs":562,"content":563},{"textAlign":197},[564],{"text":565,"type":326},"Bruges is more intact and romantic, Ghent livelier and less touristy. Many people base themselves in Ghent and visit Bruges for the day.",{"type":353,"attrs":567,"content":568},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[569],{"text":570,"type":326},"How long is the train from London to Brussels?",{"type":321,"attrs":572,"content":573},{"textAlign":197},[574],{"text":575,"type":326},"Eurostar takes around two hours from St Pancras to Brussels-Midi, with onward trains to Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp.",{"type":353,"attrs":577,"content":578},{"level":391,"textAlign":197},[579],{"text":580,"type":326},"Where should I stay in Belgium?",{"type":321,"attrs":582,"content":583},{"textAlign":197},[584,586,593],{"text":585,"type":326},"Brussels has the widest choice of hotels and the best rail links. Our ",{"text":587,"type":326,"marks":588},"Brussels hotel guide",[589],{"type":373,"attrs":590},{"href":591,"uuid":592,"anchor":197,"target":376,"linktype":28},"\u002Fen-gb\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinations\u002Feurope\u002Fbelgium\u002Fbrussels\u002Fbest-hotels-brussels","63a786ee-6f83-48a1-97c8-73b9ab9dff51",{"text":594,"type":326}," picks the best.",[],"page","2026-10-25 00:00","belgium","en-gb\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinations\u002Feurope\u002Fbelgium\u002F",-20,[288],233085174366746,"0631b9dd-6e89-4f48-9489-93aa428e5ebd","2026-10-25T10:37:24.256Z",[606],{"id":607,"name":608,"slug":609,"published":208,"full_slug":610,"is_folder":200,"parent_id":611},233085173645849,"Belgia","belgia","nb-no\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinasjoner\u002Feuropa\u002Fbelgia\u002F",233085172597272]