Brussels + Bruges

Getting There

We flew by plane from Manchester to Brussels Charleroi. Outside the airport, we boarded a Flibco bus, which drove us to Brussels Midi Railway Station. After that, we took the underground to our accommodation to check in.

Accommodation

We secured our accommodation through airbnb. The host was incredibly welcoming and informative.

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Day One

We were greeted by the host and settled into the apartment by 5 p.m. After getting ready, we walked to the city's centre, passing the St. Michael & St Gudula Cathedral.

Dinner

Ricotta & Parmesan

After dinner, we strolled through the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, admiring the window displays and stopping by a few open stores. We headed back to the apartment, pausing briefly to see the sunset nearby Notre Dame.

Day Two

Day Trip to Bruges

We had Bruges on the agenda for the day. On our way to Brussels Central Railway, we had a light breakfast snack and stopped at Exki for a drink. We enjoyed a journey full of fun and fresh memories, stunning views, too.

Bruges had beautiful houses and streets. We ventured into Bruges on foot, went shopping, and then went in search of brunch. While some of us ate at House of Waffle, others chose Go.fre for a lighter meal.

We looked for Rederif, a boat excursion company that offers canal cruises. Our captain, Yani, was incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining. The canal provides a perfect viewpoint from which to admire Bruges' beauty.

2Be Beer Tasting and Beer Wall

We chose 2 beer trays, 1 light and 1 traditional.

As we leisurely made our way to The Old Chocolate House to enjoy the hot chocolate there, we went in and out of a variety of different stores.

Dinner

FritBar

After dinner, we made our way to the oldest pub while passing by the house Audrey Hepburn once owned. Along the way, we made several stops at various shops.

We stopped at a bridge to take pictures and chatted with a nice Chicago family. They talked to us for a while before joining us for drinks at the Oldest Pub in Bruges, Vissinghe.

We all walked from here to the dock where we had boarded the boats earlier in the day. Just as the sun had begun to set. We said our goodbyes and hurried to the train station.

Day Three

We got up, dressed, and left for breakfast. On the way to The Sister Brussels Cafe, we made a brief diversion at Jeanekke Pis.

Brunch

The Sister Brussels Cafe

We walked to Grand Place, where we marvelled at the stunning architecture and gold accents. Here, there were a lot of wedding parties.

We continued on in the direction of Manneken Pis, where a festival was taking place with musical instruments, costumes and free beer. After taking it all in for a moment, we went into a local store to buy chocolate and some of the infamous sweets.

We next went to the Choco-Story Chocolate Museum, where we were able to sample some chocolate, watch a live chocolate demonstration, and acquire information in each room via a listening device. There were games in each area of the museum, relating to that specific room and a free photo booth with props.

After the museum, we had a drink and then pre-organised transportation back to the airport. Once booked, we headed to Pierre Marcolini, a delightful chocolate shop with an accompanying ice cream business serving sorbet.