Example Belgian Itinerary

This itinerary is an example that you can use to plan and design your own trip. It is not a specific down-to-the-minute step-by-step schedule, but rather contains ideas and suggestions to help you in your planning.
If anyone would like to submit their input for this itinerary, please go to the contact page and send me an email with your ideas. I will credit the submitted ideas with the name or id of whoever submits them.

Overview

Click on the map on the right for a larger map showing all of the cities and towns on this itinerary.
This itinerary has a theme of visiting Belgian breweries. However, it will not include all of them, since Belgium has about 130 breweries. Also, Belgium has a lot more to offer than just beer, so we will try to get a taste of that as well. If you are not all that interested in the breweries, you can use this same itinerary, spend more time in the main cities and skip many of the side trips.
And here are a couple of links that will help with information about Belgium:

• VisitBelgium.com
• Belgium Travel Network

Trains vs Car

If you were just going to visit the main cities and towns in this itinerary -- Brussels, Antwerp, Gent, Brugge, Mons, Namur, Arlon, Bastogne and Liege -- then you could probably do the whole trip without renting a car and just getting from place to place on the train. However, with all of the side trips included here, I think you really would need to rent a car to get everywhere.

Breakfast

Most hotels will have some sort of breakfast included in the price. At some hotels you can reduce the rate if you do not want to partake of their breakfast. Each day in this itinerary, you can either have breakfast at the hotel or get something somewhere else on your own.

Lunch & Dinner

Along the way, whenever it feels like a good time to eat, go ahead and find someplace to grab a bite. You can use the web sites above to help you choose restaurants.

The pace of your trip

I have attempted to make this itinerary such that you will not have to get up at 6:00 AM and stay on the go until midnight. You can go at it at a more leisurely pace and still see the things I have outlined here. However, you can adjust this if you want to see more in the same amount of time.

The Breweries

Since this itinerary is centered around the beers of Belgium, I am including a few links here that will give more information about what there is to offer:

• Brewed in Belgium
• The Multi-media Guide to Belgian Beers
• The Belgian Beer Paradise

If you want to tour the breweries mentioned in this itinerary, you should contact them before leaving home. This is the best way to be sure of their hours of operation. Also, some of these breweries do not have tours, and many of them that do have tours require reservations be set up in advance.

Day One, Friday evening, Fly to Brussels

Flight to Belgium

Day one consists of getting to the airport, boarding a flight to Brussels, and flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

Day Two, Saturday, Arrive in Brussels

Arrival in Brussels

On the morning of day two, the plane arrives at the Brussels Airport (Zaventem). Make your way through the passport check, get your luggage and make your way through the customs area.

Money

You will then want to get to the car rental desks, but along the way keep a lookout for the ATM machines. Get some money, whatever you feel you will need for the first few days in Brussels, but be sure to put it in a safe place once you get it out of the machine. There are ATMs everywhere, so you can get more money later when you need it.

Getting to the hotel

You can use the Brussels Airport website to get information about getting from the airport to your hotel. It has the address of the airport with information about how to access the ring road, as well as information about how to locate the car rental desks.

The hotel

Here are a few web sites with hotel and restaurant information for Brussels that you can check in addition to the ones listed above:

• eBrusselsHotels.com
• Brussels Hotel Guide
• Brussels Hotels at Hot-Travel.org
• Brussels Hotels Today
• Brussels Online
• Brussels Restaurants
• Fodors Brussels Restaurant Guide

One option is the Hotel Amigo which was a prison in the 16th century, but opened as a hotel in 1957. It is just a short walk from the Grand-Place.

Don't take a nap

Once you get to the hotel and get checked in, go ahead and "freshen up", but don't take a nap. Sure, you will be tired from the long flight and the difference in time zones, but you need to get your body adjusted to the local time. Get out of the hotel into the daylight. Even if it is overcast or raining, your brain will subconciously see that it is daytime, and begin to adjust its internal clock.
Try to go to bed at your normal time. For example, if you usually go to bed at 10:00 PM, try to wait until 10:00 PM local time before going to bed.

Day two, afternoon

OK, lets take a walk and get some lunch while we're at it.
There are a lot of options here, and the web sites as well as the concierge or front desk at your hotel can help you decide where you want to go.

Grand'Place

In front of the Brussels Town Hall is the Grand'Place, a medieval market square. On top of the 15th century gothic tower is a statue of the patron saint of Brussels, St. Michael fighting the dragon. You can go up in the tower to get a great view of the marketplace. There is usually a flower market in the mornings, and a bird market on Sundays, so this is a good place to return to tomorrow. The Guild halls and Trade halls surround the square.
Along with lunch, you can make this your introduction to the local beers of Belgium. For one suggestion, look for 11 Rue Tabora, head down an alley and find A La Bécasse. They serve Lambic variations from ceramic pitchers. Be sure to get the plate of local sharp cheeses for a perfect accompaniment.

The Covered Arcade - Galleries St. Hubert

Here you can find shops, cafes, a theatre and movies.

Chocolate, Lace, Cheese

Shop for chocolates at the Godiva store at Grote Markt 21 or Planète Chocolat at Lombardstraat 24. Shop for lace at Rubbrecht at Grote Markt 23. Shop for gifts at Dandoy at Boterstraat 31. Shop for cheese at Sunwa at La Crèmerie Cachée (the hidden cheese shop) at Jourdanplein 37. Or just walk around and you will find many others.

Dinner

For dinner, head to the Rue des Bouchers (Butcher's Street) where you can find many fine restaurants to choose from. Walk all the way through the St Hubert arcade to A La Mort Subite ("Sudden Death"), at 7 Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères. Built in about 1880 and restored in 1926, this cafe gives its name to a nationally marketed range of Lambic variations.
Or stay near the Grand'Place and you will find some place to your liking.

Day Three, Sunday, Brussels

These are just a few of the options you have for today:

The Art and History Museum

Jubelpark / parc du cinquantenaire, 10
This museum, with its collection of art objects from around the world, gives you an overview of the history of civilization. Founded in 1835 in one of the last remaining medieval city gates of Brussels, the Hallepoort/Porte de Hal, it is now located in the Cinquantenaire Park.

Autoworld Museum

Jubelpark / parc du cinquantenaire, 11
If you are interseted in cars, go and see one of the world's top collection of classic and vintage cars, and the history of automaking.

Cathédrale Saint-Michel et Sainte-Gudule (Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudule):

Parvis Ste-Gudule
At the Treurenberg hill on the edge between lower and upper town
This is a 13th century gothic church with two towers.

Manneken pis

You cannot go to Brussels and not see what is probably its most famous feature. This small bronze statue of a chubby urinating boy is located at the corner of Rue de l'etuve and Rue du chêne.

Sablon Square - antiques area

This prestigious part of Brussels is a fine place to go if you are interested in antiques and art galleries.

Day Four, Monday, Brussels

Spend the day traveling in a small loop south of Brussels, seeing some historic sites and sampling the Belgian Lambic beers.

Waterloo Brussels to Waterloo: 10 miles

The actual battlefield lies in the nearby village of Mont-Saint-Jean, about 5 kilometers south of the city.
Some places to visit at Waterloo:

• The Visitor's Center and Panorama
  Location: Route du lion 252-254, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud.
  Open: From April through September from 9.30 am till 18.30 pm, from October to March from 10.30 am till 17 pm.
• Wellington Museum, the inn that Wellington used as his headquarters a few days before the battle.
• The Caillou Museum, the farmhouse where Napoleon spent the night before the battle.
• Lion Hill, the main memorial monument of the Battle of Waterloo, where the Prince of Orange (of the Netherlands) was wounded. This is a great place to get an overview of the entire battlefield.
• Hougoumont Farm, a memorial to the British Brigade of Guards who defended it from the French.
• The Haie Sainte Farm, another farm turned into a fortress by the British and her allies.

Lembeek Waterloo to Lembeek: 16 miles

From Waterloo, drive to the town of Lembeek to view the Lambic brewery Brouwerij Boon. As mentioned above, call before you leave home to check on days and hours of operation, etc.

Brouwerij Boon
Fonteinstraat 65
Lembeek, 1502
Belgium
phone +32 (0) 23 56 66 44

Beersel Lembeek to Beersel: 7 miles

Then take a drive to the small town of Beersel. You can visit the castle, which is just an empty triangular shell, but has a moat and large towers at the corners.
Beersel has several renowned Lambic cafés. The most famous is Drie Fonteinen (3 Teirlinck Plein), which brews its own Lambic and serves dishes prepared with beer. At weekends, reservations are recommended (02-331-06-52). Not to be missed.

Return to Brussels Beersel to Brussels: 8 miles

Whenever you are ready, return back to Brussels. I would take all day making this loop, finishing off with dinner in Beersel before returning to Brussels.

Day Five, Tuesday, Brussels

Hoegaarden Brussels to Hoegaarden: 29 miles

Hoegaarden Brewery
46 Stoopkenstraat
Tel. (3216) 76 98 11 - Fax (3216) 76 76 91

Jardins Flammands d'Exposition
Unique Theme Garden with 22 Model Gardens.

Kerniel-Borgloon Hoegaarden to Kerniel-Borgloon: 22 miles

Marienlof - Cistercienne brewery (Nuns)

Leuven Kerniel-Borgloon to Leuven: 42 miles

Beautiful University Town
Stella Artois Leuven's oldest brewery, Den Horen (The Horn), dates back to 1366, but it wasn't until 1717 that master brewer Sebastian Artois gave his name to one of Belgium's best-known export products - Stella Artois. Guided tours in the Interbrew brewery (Vaartstraat 94) might give you a glimpse of how water, malt, hops, yeast and non-malted grains blend into perfect draught and bottled beer. But as local legend has it, the best Stellas are served at Jeeskesboom (Diestsestraat 147), which is rumoured to have direct piping from the brewery. Your presence may raise an eyebrow or two with the - mainly elderly - customers, but the magic words "a Stella please" will surely put a friendly smile on everyone's face and, as some of Interbrew's commercials would have it, will "stop the time".
Vaartstraat 94 - 96, 3000 LEUVEN
Tel. (3216) 24 71 11 - Fax (3216) 24 74 07

Return to Brussels Leuven to Brussels: 18 miles

Day Six, Wednesday, Brussels to Antwerp

Meise Brussels to Meise: 7 miles

National Botanical Garden surrounding the castle of Boechout

Malle Meise to Malle: 36 miles

Westmalle - Trappist brewery

To Antwerp Malle to Antwerp: 16 miles

Cathedral - Rubens paintings
Rubens House (Museum)
Royal Museum of Ancient Art - more Rubens
old town
Antwerp is full of great pubs. In just one short thoroughfare, Reynders Str, you find a chapel and chamber music at De Groote Witte Arend, jazz and blues at De Herk; Belgian gins at De Vagant and a Belgian Beer Shop.

De Koninck Brewery, Antwerp

brewery

Day Seven, Thursday, Antwerp

Hamont-Achel Antwerp to Hamont-Achel: 55 miles

Achel - Trappist brewery
This Trappist abbey is partly in Holland and partly in Belgium. The brewery is in Belgium, in the hamlet of Achel, in the community of Hamont. It is across the border from the Dutch city of Eindhoven.
They have just recently revived their brewing of ale by installing a new brewhouse in 1998. The abbey had lost their kettles during WWI. Achel is the world's only Trappist brewpub, and has a terrace where you can drink their beers. Some of their beers are only available here.

Oud-Turnhout Hamont-Achel to Oud-Turnhout: 32 miles

Brewery Corsendonk

Plantyn Moretus Museum, Antwerp Oud-Turnhout to Antwerp: 29 miles

printing house from the 16th century

Day Eight, Friday, Antwerp to Brugge

Sint-Sixtus Antwerp to Sint-Sixtus: 90 miles (1.5 hours)

Westvleteren - Trappist Brewery
St.-Sixtus Trappist Monastery's Brewery Tap, In de Vrede, Donkerstraat 13, Westvleteren, Belgium. tel 057 40 03 77 (bar), 057 40 10 57 (beer availability in the Monastery), www.indevrede.be & www.sintsixtus.be (Monastery)
It is generally not possible to buy the Westvleteren bieren in beer shops. They are available in the best Speciality Beer bars, simply because someone from the bar has gone to the trouble of personally picking them up from the Monastery by the crate, see below, or by the bottle, in the shop within In de Vrede.
No trade on Fridays, Sundays, official holidays, from Jan 1-14 and the week after the first Sunday in September.
Pub: In de Vrede
Donkerstraat13
8640 Westvleteren
open every day, from 10 o'clock.
Closed:
- Friday
- 1st half January
- 2nd half September
- Spring half-term
For information or bookings:
- philip@indevrede.be
- Tel: 057/40.03.77

Roeselare Sint-Sixtus to Roeselare: 22 miles

Rodenbach Brewery
Restaurant in producing area: In Roeselare, Den Haselt (53 Diksmuidse Steenweg, 12am-2pm and 6.30pm-10pm, closed Tuesday enenings and Wednesdays, tel 051-225240) is an haute cuisine restaurant, using the Rodenbach range as an accompaniment and an ingredient.
Farther West, there are redder, more acidic beers of a similar style, aged for up to two years in fixed, ceiling-high, wooden vessels. The most spectacular brewery in this style, with nearly 300 of these tuns, is Rodenbach, in Roeselare, West Flanders. A "must see" for the beer-lover; no other brewery in the world has anything like so much oak.

To Brugge Roeselare to Brugge: 23 miles

Brugge (Bruges) is considered by many to be the most romantic town in Belgium (Europe?)
Medieval bridges over romantic canals
Memling Museum in the 12th century Hospital of St. John
Chapel of the Holy Blood
Town Hall
Groeninghe Museum
Gruuthuse
Belfry
lace

Our Lady's Church

This church houses the only work by Michelangelo to leave Italy. It is a statue of the Madonna originally commisioned by the cathedral in Siena. However, it was sold to Jan and Alexander Moscroen, two travelling merchants from Brugge, after Michelangelo was unable to receive payment for it.

Day Nine, Saturday, Brugge

Veurne Brugge to Veurne: 32 miles

market square, etc.

Ieper Veurne to Ieper: 20 miles

battle of the trenches in WWI
Former name Ypres

Return to Brugge Ieper to Brugge: 44 miles

Day Ten, Sunday, Brugge to Rochefort

Rochefort Brugge to Rochefort: 133 miles (2hrs, 20min)

One option is to stay at the Hotel Restaurant La Fayette, 87 Rue Jacquet, 5580 Rochefort, Belgium, Phone: +32/84/2142 73

Abbaye de Notre Dame de St. Remy (Rochefort)

Rochefort - Trappist brewery

Han sur Lesse Rochefort to Han-sur-Lesse: 4 miles

Grottes de Han - giant calcareous cave - 10km long

Return to Rochefort Han-sur-Lesse to Rochefort: 4 miles

Day Eleven, Monday, Rochefort

Namur Rochefort to Namur: 33 miles

Citadel

Maredsous Namur to Maredsous: 17 miles

Abbey of Maredsous - Monk's beer and cheese

Dinant Maredsous to Dinant: 10 miles

the region of Dinant has the highest "density" of castles "per square inch" in the world
Freyr Castle, just outside Dinant

Brasserie La Caracole (brewery) in Falmignoul, just outside Dinant.
the last brewery still brewing its beer(s) in copper tanks heated up by wooden fire

Return to Rochefort Dinant to Rochefort: 21 miles

Day Twelve, Tuesday, Rochefort

Villers-devant-Orval Rochefort to Villers-devant-Orval: 51 miles

Orval - Trappist brewery
Brasserie d'Orval S.A. B-6823 Villers-devant-Orval brasserie@orval.be Tél [32] 61.31.12.61
The conditions for visiting the brewery are the folowing ones: to be "more than" tourists, having something to do with the beer distribution or coming from a brewery; on weekdays; on appointment; without any entry fees.

Bouillon Villers-devant-Orval to Bouillon: 23 miles

Clairfontaine - Trappistine brewery

Return to Rochefort Bouillon to Rochefort: 41 miles

Day Thirteen, Wednesday, Rochefort

Chimay Rochefort to Chimay: 58 miles

De La Paix - Trappistine brewery

Scourmont Chimay to Scourmont: 5 miles

Chimay - Trappist Brewery
Visits are possible all the year round by appointment, from Tuesday to Friday, from 09.00 to 13.30 h and for a minimum group of 15 people.
Individual visits are possible from Tuesday to Friday at 10.00 h precisely from 15/06 to 15/09.

Return to Rochefort Scourmont to Rochefort: 60 miles

Day Fourteen, Thursday, Rochefort to Liege

Bastogne Rochefort to Bastogne: 30 miles

battle of the bulge

Houffalize Bastogne to Houffalize: 14 miles

North of Bastogne, near the small town of Houffalize, the Ardennes hamlet of Achouffe has a well-known speciality brewery. Its emblem is La Chouffe, a bearded gnome wearing a red hood. The brewery La Chouffe has a tavern and dining room serving dishes prepared with its beers (tel 061-288147, fax 061-288264) and a shop selling its products. The principal beer, made with soft (piney?) spring water and coriander, has great complexity and delicacy, and can be laid down to mature.

To Liege Houffalize to Liege: 45 miles

St. Bartholomew's church, St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Jamesd Church
Ansembourgh Museum, Arms Museum
shopping
puppet theatre (at night)
cafes of the Ilot Sacre
Liege the hidden city
Rue Roture - alley buzzing with activity at night
Church of Saint Jaques (gothic), St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Croix Church
Place Saint-Lamnbert (Ilot Saint Michel)
Carre district - pedestrian shopping
Sentier des Coteaux

Day Fifteen, Friday, Liege

Francorchamps Liege to Francorchamps: 31 miles

Spa Francorchamps - F1 race track
with advance notice, take a spin on the track

Aubel Francorchamps to Aubel: 22 miles

Val-Dieu - Cistercian brewery

Return to Liege Aubel to Liege: 20 miles

Day Sixteen, Saturday, Liege to Brussels

Back to Brussels Liege to Brussels: 60 miles

Day Seventeen, Sunday, Return home

Fly home

If you stayed at a hotel near the airport, they should be able to shuttle you to the airport for your flight. If not, you will have to make your own way. Refer to the resources at the beginning of this itinerary.