Bruges: World's History

Who has not yet heard of this imposant town at 20km from the sea. Bruges has a name which is will be remembered forever, certainly not for someone who has been to this city and wandered around in the medieval alleys. This city is all about the world's history. The entire inner city was declared Word Heritage by the Unesco. Bruges became a major player on the European market due to its connection with the sea.

During medieval times Bruges was basis for many concepts of the modern world. Including modern banking and modern trade. Historic facts most people don't know. The canals through Bruges were once the blood of the beating heart of the world's leading tradepower of the northern countries. Bruges is a city which you should visit at least once if possible. The charm and romance found in this European city will easily carry you away.

Of course in such a city it is difficult to know what to visit first so here are a few important places:

• The basilic of the holy blood: They have a relic containing Jezus Christ's Blood. It is on display every day and absolute worth visiting. The basilic of the holy blood itself is a very old roman church unique in Flanders.
• The famous belfry watching over Bruges which you should be climbed all the way to the top. At clear weather the towers of Ghent maybe even Antwerp and a major part of the coast can be seen from up there.
• A little less well known in Bruges are the diamond museum, the chocolate museum and the lamp musuem (Lumina Domestica). But they are certainly worth a visit and explain a lot of Belgium history.
• The kathedral of our Lady with the famous work of the Italian carpenter/painter Michelangelo (Madonna with child) and the graves of Maria of Burgundy and her husband or on display

Bruges has a rich amoutn of hotels and restaurants to offer. The overwhelming choice makes it rather difficult to decide on your hotel in Bruges aswell as on your place for dinner during the evening.

Hotels in Bruges

Hotels in Bruges come in all sizes and shapes. There are many luxurious and  more expensive hotels but the main part of hotels in bruges are smaller and charming family run and owned hotels. Honestly I do believe that those are the hotels in Bruges were you should stay during your visit to Bruges as they will most certainly add to the experience of medieval Bruges.

Luxurious hotels in Bruges

The Pand hotel in Bruges is a very luxurious charmant and cosy hotel but of course has quite a priceticket to it, but if money is not the issue than The Pand hotel in Bruges is an absolute preferred choice during your stay. The Pand Hotel is situated just next to the most beautiful canal in Bruges right in the middle of the city's centre. A romantic stay in Bruges in absolute luxury is guarateed in the Pand Hotel.

Hotel de Tuilerieën in Bruges is very close to the Pand Hotel and offers the same amount of luxury but is a different style. It is one of Bruges' most reknown hotels so expect to be charmed upon arrival. Hotel de Tuilerieën is located along the canal "De Dijver" close to the magnificent cathedral of our lady. In short, hotel de Tuilerieën in Bruges: Charming 4 star hotel in Bruges.

Hotel Die Swaene in Bruges is also situated in the surroundings of the hotels above. Hotel Die Swaene is also a beautiful pearl in the inner centre of Bruges, it can be considerd as one of the most charming hotels in Belgium. After a busy day in Bruges Hotel die Swaene offers you a nice, warm swim in their indoor swimming pool. They have suites at water level which are unique in Bruges.

Small romantic hotels in Bruges

A few examples of nice relaxing romantic hotels in Bruges:

The charming Hotel Maraboe in Bruges is situated just out of the city centre. The Maraboe hotel Bruges has everything a big hotel tends to offer but on top of that you will find a housely atmosphere, a feeling that large hotels cannot come up with. The Maraboe familyhotel in Bruges is uniquely located a short stroll from the picturesque canals, the lovely " ’t Zand " and the new concert building of Bruges.

Hotel Walwyck in Bruges is a fairly new hotel and just newly renovated, offers a very good price/quality and is located calmly in the heart of Bruges Hotel Walwyck is most definitely worth a visit and guarantees a pleasant stay in Bruges.

The elegant Hotel De Castillion in Bruges is located at the very heart of the historic city of Bruges. You will fancy yourself in an 18th century mansion during your stay in this hotel. Bruges is a city to explore and the hotel De Castillion has the perfect location to do so. It is found in the shadows of the Sint-Salvators church. Also this hotel offers quite some specials and arrangements as the have an excellent restaurant in house.

The elegant and luxury 4-star Hotel Oud Huis de Peellaert in Bruges has also a remarkable location right in the historical centre of Bruges at no more than 200 metres away from the Market Square of Bruges. A charming hotel in Bruges with an exceptionnel friendly and helpfull staff. Hotel Oud Huis de Peellaert is a hotel which to my opinion is close to the 3 luxurious hotels in Bruges mentioned above.

Restaurants in Bruges

Restaurant in Bruges are even more numerous than hotels in this city. Choosing your preferred table is best done during the day. While you are walking through the streets keep one eye open for a nice restaurant where you would like to have your dinner. There is one restaurant on the other hand which you will probably never pass walking throught the city but has an excellent kitchen and charming atmosphere. Restaurant Aneth is a restaurant with only 7 tables so an early reservation is probably the best.

From Bruges to where ... ?

From your hotel in Bruges it is easy to visit some other regions of Belgium worth visiting. For example we have the coastal region closeby Bruges. No more than 20km away you will find Knokke-Heist, a city to see and to be seen, this coastal city is one of the most expensive places of Belgium. Also just a 30min trainride away is the harbourtown of Ostend, well known amongst UK travellers. A day in Ostend at the sea can be a welcome intermezzo from visits in Bruges. It might be an idea to choose Bruges as a base to visit Brussels. This city is a must see when you are in Belgium but although many times stated otherwise, Bruges has far more to offer than Brussels if you are looking for historic visits and want to have a romantic vacation.

Antwerp: Diamondcentre

Antwerp is one of the  major economic centers in the north of Belgium. It has the biggest harbour of Belgium and is an important distribution center of goods throughout Europe. Antwerp is of course even better known as the world's leading diamondcentre. Antwerp became fully grown during the 16th century during the decline of Bruges due to the closing of the Zwin ( the waterway that connected Bruges to the sea ).

At the end of the 15th century bit by bit all important trading houses were replaced from Bruges to Antwerp and Antwerp became for a short period of time the leading power of the entire international economy.

During the years 1500-1550 Antwerp became the second largest European city norht of the Alpes. At the end of the 16th century Amsterdam came up as new world center and Antwerp lost most of its power to the golden age of the Dutch Republic.

The famous Grand Place and city hall still remind of the times were Antwerp was the centre of the world. Antwerp is absolutely worth a visit as it has a great history and still plays a leading rol in diamond trading.

Hotels in Antwerp

There are 2 main parts in Antwerp's city centre where the hotels of Antwerp can be found. You'll find many hotels in Antwerp close to the central railwaystation close to the diamond quarter, and another big chunk of hotels in Antwerpen is situated in the historical city centre. Antwerp has many different types of hotels. There are a few charming family owned and run hotels but most hotels are bigger hotels and specialized in bed and breakfast and nothing more. There is one hotel in Antwerpen that is part of worldwide chain: the Hilton Hotel Antwerp.

Charming small hotels in Antwerp

The beautiful 4-star hotel Firean hotel in Antwerp is a familyhotel in Antwerp. The Firean hotel has a well established reputation of being one of the most charming hotels in Antwerp. This old Art deco building was built in 1929 and converted into a boutique hotel in Antwerpen by the family Iserbyt in 1986. This family takes a lot of pride to offer more than outstanding service and quality. All the hotelrooms and suites of the hotel Firean have been individulally designed and almost all the original features remain. A perfect 4-star hotel.

A comfortable, peaceful and very friendly welcome in Antwerp, this is how the hotelguests describe their home away from home in Antwerp in Hotel Industrie. Enjoy your stay in Antwerp in an oasis of hospitality and tranquillity. Just as soon as you cross the threshold of this carefully restored, stately mansion, you become conscious of its very calm surroundings. The pastel decoration, soft music, and personalized attention, all provide you with a nice, warm welcome. The Hotel Industrie offers you a visit to Anvers full of peacefulness and comfort.

One can expect a warm welcome in Antwerp in this superb elegant 4-star hotel Prinse in Antwerp, the 16th century building is in perfect harmony with its modern, comfortable interior. Eye catchers are the charming courtyard and the stunning reception by Fabiaan Van Severen. Hotel Prinse is a quiet home in Antwerp away from home to return to after your exploration of Antwerp, All important sites of Antwerp are only at walking distance of the hotel Prinse.

Hotels nearby the trainstation and the diamondquarter

The Tourist Hotel in Antwerp is a very friendly budget hotel in the heart of the city. When you book a room at the Tourist Hotel, you may expect a quite simple but very comfortable room, provided with all modern appliances such as full comfort bathroom, TV and minibar. The cosy restaurant, Curnonsky, serves gastronomic and modern menus. You are always welcome to visit the lively hotel bar for a chat, a drink and a snack. The Tourist Hotel is situated in the middle of the Diamond district.

The Antwerp Diamond hotel is situated in the residential neighborhood behind the diamond quarter and the large city park. Although the Antwerp Diamond hotel still has a very central location, the vicinity is very peaceful. It takes a 10 minutes walk to reach the Central Station and the Meir (shopping street) and a 20 minutes walk to get into the old city.

The Hyllit Hotel Antwerp is a luxurious modern hotel, situated on the most prestigious shopping avenue “De Keyserlei”. The Hyllit Hotel is in the financial heart of Antwerp, near the diamond district. The Central Station, the zoological garden as well as renowned museums are within a radius of 500 metres. All the rooms of the Hyllit hotel are equipped with Wireless Internet Access (WiFi).

Hotels in the city centre

The Hotel Scheldezicht in Antwerp is a special place for special guests. The ones who prefer budget prices and comfortable hotelrooms, right in the liveliest part of the old city center of Antwerp, are the most regular guests in Hotel Scheldezicht Antwerpen. The hotel Scheldezicht is situated in the active area nearby the town-hall and the Cathedral of Antwerp.

If you would like trying the delights of Antwerp, then the Postiljon hotel Antwerp is the place to stay. You 'll find this pittoreque familyhotel Postiljon literally next to the cathedral. The unique location of Hotel Postiljon is ideal for exploring the heart of the old city centre with a minimum of effort. Shops, musuem, theatres and a wide choice of restaurants and pubs are within walkingdistance. Tariffs are also very reasonable even in this excellent location.

Visit Antwerp

The Antwerp Zoo

The Zoo in Antwerp was build in 1843 and has more than 6000 animals and about 769 species. The Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world and is highly recommended because of research done in the Antwerp Zoo. The Zoo is all year open for visit

Royal museum of fine arts

As Antwerp has been a home to different flemish primitives and many important figures in the world of science. ( Rubens, Plantijn, Moretus, Mercator). Antwerp has a fine collection of Art to offer. In this museum you can find different works from Rubens, Titian and Van Dyck.

Cathedral of Our Lady

This cathedral was build during the high times of Antwerp's evolution. Building started during the 14th century and was completely finished in the year 1518. Inside the cathedral you can find different works of Rubens, one of the most prominent flemish primitives. If you are in Antwerp this is an absolute must-see during your stay in Antwerp.

The Central Trainstation

The entire Central Station is a monument on itself it has been completely restaurated during the last few years and is probably one of the finest trainstations in the world (The antwerpen zoo is right next to it so it is easy to visit both the same day) The railway station was designed by Mr. Delacenserie and is completed in the year 1905. It has a huge glass dome of about 60m and two enormous neo-baroque facades. Much of the interior is created out of Marble.

What to visit from Antwerp?

Brussels

Brussels' inner city is about forthy minutes in train from Antwerp. It is certainly worth to visit Brussels while you are staying in Antwerp. There are many hotels in Brussels so it would be easy to stay a night in the European Capital but unfortunately prices tend to be a lot higher in Brussels in comparison to Antwerp. So a hotel in Brussels might turn out to be quite expensive. Places to visit in Brussels are of course the main market square and if possible the royal palace. If you do tend to stay in a hotel in Brussels the hotel Husa President Park might be quite a good idea or the Sheraton Brussels hotel close to the North railway station.

Ghent

Ghent is about 30 min. from Antwerp and easy to reach by train. Ghent is the capital of the Provice Oost-Vlaanderen, it knew just like Antwerp a big grow during the middle ages and thus has a rich history. The historic inner city is worth a visit during your stay in Belgium. A stay in Ghent would be a nice idea moving from Antwerp to the most beautiful Bruges. The hotels in Gent are almost all situated in the city centre. A few nice hotels in Gent are Hotel de Flandre, Ghent River Hotel, Hotel Gravensteen Gent close to the Castle Gravensteen or maybe the hotel Cour Saint Georges due to its very central location in Ghent.

Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the flemish part of Brabant and was a long time home of the dukes of Brabant and still is the university city of Belgium. It has about thirthy thousand students and was founded during the middle ages. It takes a prominent places in the European universities. The gothic ciy hall is supposed to be one of the finest of Belgium. A visit to the university if possible so it would be a nice citytrip. Staying in a hotel in Leuven can be a bit problematic as this city only has a few hotels Leuven. If you do plan to stay in Leuven look for one of these hotels in Leuven: Theater hotel, De Klimop, Hotel Industrie, Hotel Binnenhof.