Day 1: Brussels
After 12 hours flight from Bangkok, I arrived here in Brussels. Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomy and its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
I spent my first day walking around the old town area and relaxing at one of the most beautiful squares in the world called “Grand Place or Grote Market”. The square is surrounded by numerous impressive guild houses, dating mainly from the late 17th century. The structured facades with their rich sculptural decoration and their lavishly designed gables are based on Italian Baroque with some Flemish influences.
Sitting on old cobblestones in the late afternoon was absolutely a pleasant time for me. By the way, there is free wifi at the square which faster enough for you to text a message to your friends and family or to post your gorgeous photos on social media. Guess! What did I do first?
Of course, posting photo haha . . .
Even though I could not wait to see when the light was up at night because I was exhausted from a long journey, I still enjoyed my time in this charming city. (I would love to explore more but I got shoe bites. Poor me!)
Day 2: Bruges
I traveled by train to Bruges, one of Europe’s best-preserved cities. The city has a picturesque medieval square, cobblestone streets, tree-lined canals, charming outdoor cafes and it is also perfect for museum-hopping.
A must-do activity here is a boat ride which I decided to do it first as it was not crowded by the time I arrive.
The motorboat ran quietly around the canal system that made Bruges unique and this fabulous trip lasted about 30 minutes. Even though the weather was hot, I found this a relaxing way to take in the green scenery and see a completely different aspect of the city.
In my opinion, I think the views of the medieval buildings from the canal perspective was so lovely and way better than the street. Moreover, there were also plenty of opportunities to takes good photos as well.
After completing the trip, I started walking around the old town again, and I saw many people riding bicycles here which I would love to do in my home country as well, however I think it will take a decade to make it happen as we do not have any proper biking lanes yet and the weather is too hot to ride. (I am from Bangkok, Thailand).
By the way, do you know that Belgium is a bike-friendly country? The country has one of the best lane networks in the world and its government encourages bike riding. Sounds great, isn’t it?
Anyway before leaving Bruges, I did climbed up Belfort (Belfry) where is located in the heart of the city next to The Markt (Market Square).
The 83-meter high Belfort (Belfry) dates back to the 13th century is one of the three iconic towers of Bruges. The Belfort is protected as a world heritage sites. It formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives and served as an observation post for spotting fires and other danger.
After walking up the steep and narrow steps, seeing a magnificent view was rewarding. Hearing the bell even made the climb memorable.
Day 3: Ghent
I took the morning train to Ghent. It was a cloudy day and the weather was a bit cold. After arriving at the station, I got on the tram to the old town. Everything outside looked so grey to me. It may be because it was going to rain sooner or later.
Ghent is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed city. It has a lot of charm with old-world buildings. Actually, if you have limited time, you can make a day trip to Bruges and Ghent from Brussels on the same day.
Anyway, my plan for today was to take photos of St. Michael’s Bridge, which is one of the most picturesque icons in town.
It is beautiful, isn’t it? . . . This is what I came for. As I traveled there alone, so selfie became my best friend along the trip. 1 2 3 C-H-E-E-S-E!!
After taking tons of photos, I walked down the bridge to the bank of the Leie river. Believe it or not? I did nothing for an hour except enjoyed myself seeing the magnificent medieval buildings at Graslei and Korenlei.
I would love to stay a bit longer, but as I expected, it was stating to rain so I ran to a small shop nearby and started enjoying my waffle instead.
Yeah, you can’t leave Belgium without trying Belgian waffle!!