Ross. Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Going to Belgium for a long weekend in December, planning on staying in Antwerp. Anyone been who can recommend anything I won't find in the usual places? If Antwerp is shite, where else would you recommend for a few days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Interesting, as I am planning a weekend there myself. Looking forward to the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Good city,always full of dutch hen parties at the weekend.Usual script theres a cobbled area around the cathedral which is full of bars/food shops . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 22 minutes ago, doulikefish said: Good city,always full of dutch hen parties at the weekend.Usual script theres a cobbled area around the cathedral which is full of bars/food shops . Not sure you're selling it too well. Considering it as well, see it's under an hour from Schiphol Airport with a direct link from Inverness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 1 hour ago, welshbairn said: Not sure you're selling it too well. Considering it as well, see it's under an hour from Schiphol Airport with a direct link from Inverness. I ts a reply to to Ross who likes a beer or 12 and a laugh and it takes about an 1hr and 20 on a local train service unless you pay for a thalys train Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 10 minutes ago, doulikefish said: I ts a reply to to Ross who likes a beer or 12 and a laugh and it takes about an 1hr and 20 on a local train service unless you pay for a thalys train Local train.....moi? Anyway Ross probably has to go with his missus or he could lose his Swiss residency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I've been to Antwerp a couple of times. It's a cool, vibrant city with no shortage of pubs, clubs etc. As doulikefish says it has the usual European old town with twisted cobbled streets and pavement cafes. There's a small Chinatown just across from the railway station and the world's biggest diamond exchange is there too. Plenty of art galleries and the like too, if that's your thing. I don't know what you're into so I'm not sure if I can recommend anything that you won't find in the usual guidebooks. I had a good time just strolling around, admiring the architecture and sampling as much Belgian beer as possible. Aside from Antwerp, Ghent is also really nice and isn't too far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 13 minutes ago, Johnny Däpp said: Haven’t explored the city as much as I’d like to have had, but Antwerpen is a stunning city, absolutely beautiful place. The train station is meant to be one of the most stunning stations in the world, the local area around the station however isn’t that great, best sticking to the Grote Markt area. Yeah. The square immediately in front of the station is pretty seedy. The diamond district is next to the station but only really consists of a couple of ugly office blocks and dozens of gaudy jewellery shops. The main shopping street, The Meir, leads from this area, towards the old town and the Grote Markt. Some cracking pubs down this way. My favourite is called Elfde Gebod and is immediately next to the big church. This place is decorated like a church itself and serves up a decent array of Belgian beer along with traditional cuisine, like mussels. It's a total tourist trap but well worth a visit. There are also some pretty cool, but less touristy, pubs in an area called Mechelseplein, which not too far from the old town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 15 hours ago, welshbairn said: Local train.....moi? Anyway Ross probably has to go with his missus or he could lose his Swiss residency. Many thanks for the replies. Above is sadly correct, no real likelihood of a decent session. Essentially we are going to Paris for a gig on the Monday evening but because we have been a few times before she didn't want to spend the weekend there. Instead decided on Antwerp for the Friday night, Saturday and Sunday and taking the train to Paris on the Monday. Hen parties can GTF regardless of the session-ness of the weekend. I will be there largely for the cultural aspects of the city, the (Hopefully fine) cuisine and perhaps a glass or two of red and the odd premium beer. That and the hotel sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 10 hours ago, tongue_tied_danny said: Yeah. The square immediately in front of the station is pretty seedy. The diamond district is next to the station but only really consists of a couple of ugly office blocks and dozens of gaudy jewellery shops. The main shopping street, The Meir, leads from this area, towards the old town and the Grote Markt. Some cracking pubs down this way. My favourite is called Elfde Gebod and is immediately next to the big church. This place is decorated like a church itself and serves up a decent array of Belgian beer along with traditional cuisine, like mussels. It's a total tourist trap but well worth a visit. There are also some pretty cool, but less touristy, pubs in an area called Mechelseplein, which not too far from the old town. I assume the "Big church" is the Cathedral? If so, I think our hotel is pretty much next to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 Just as an addition to this, has anyone ever bought tickets for a football game in Belgium? I noticed Antwerp are at home on the Saturday and I reckon I could convince the missus to go with me. No tickets showing online yet and the games that are listed are all sold out. Just wondering if anyone knows when they are likely to go on sale and if there is an easy enough way to get sorted other than registering online with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honestly united Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Having driven through Antwerp many time on my way to Holland always wondered what it was like, sounds like i might try it as a stop over at some point (as it is a nightmare to drive through). Agree that Ghent is really nice city, as above usual town centre of castles, cathedrals, ye olde shoppe's etc nice for a wander round, Brugge very similar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 4 hours ago, Ross. said: Just as an addition to this, has anyone ever bought tickets for a football game in Belgium? I noticed Antwerp are at home on the Saturday and I reckon I could convince the missus to go with me. No tickets showing online yet and the games that are listed are all sold out. Just wondering if anyone knows when they are likely to go on sale and if there is an easy enough way to get sorted other than registering online with them. The top flight clubs you have to be a member and have an id card to buy tickets but its been 5 years since ive been to game over there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Maturin Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 1 minute ago, doulikefish said: The top flight clubs you have to be a member and have an id card to buy tickets but its been 5 years since ive been to game over there We were at a top flight game 3 seasons ago and we just rocked up on the night and bought tickets. @Audaces Fortuna Juvatis the man to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 2 minutes ago, Tynieness said: We were at a top flight game 3 seasons ago and we just rocked up on the night and bought tickets. @Audaces Fortuna Juvatis the man to ask. Thats good to hear,the palava kinda put me off going to Belguim for any matches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 8 hours ago, Ross. said: I assume the "Big church" is the Cathedral? If so, I think our hotel is pretty much next to that. Yeah, that's the one. Here's the pub's website... http://11gebod.com Culture wise there's another church which has a garden round the back with some pretty cool statues... If your missus is into fashion/shopping etc you may score a few brownie points by taking her to the fashion museum. https://www.momu.be/en.html The area around it is chocka with high end fashion shops, some of them relating to local designers like Dries Van Noten and RAF Simons. It could be a trade off... Take her there in the morning then go to the fitba in the afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Tynieness said: We were at a top flight game 3 seasons ago and we just rocked up on the night and bought tickets. @Audaces Fortuna Juvatis the man to ask. Outwith the clash of the big clubs, you should find no problem getting tickets for games in Belgium. Ditto Holland these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girth Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 I been considering a trip to Antwerp. Possibly Ghent too. Are these cities pricey? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 13 minutes ago, Girth said: I been considering a trip to Antwerp. Possibly Ghent too. Are these cities pricey? Thank you. Antwerp looks like £45-50 a night for a room in a cheap hotel/hostel. Food and drink are probably about the same as anywhere else in Western Europe these days. Haven't been though, planning a possible weekend next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
senorsoupe Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 On 10/27/2017 at 08:22, Girth said: I been considering a trip to Antwerp. Possibly Ghent too. Are these cities pricey? Thank you. Was in Ghent in June, it's a nice town and not over the top touristy. Prices for food and drink were in the same range as most other places in that part of Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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