Belgium offers “unforgettable experience for beer enthusiasts”
By Bill Lacy
Belgium, the land of beer, offers an unforgettable experience for beer enthusiasts.
Here are the highlights of my journey through Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, exploring some of the best beer spots each city has to offer.
Along for the ride, my wife tried her best as my companion.
By no means a beer lover, it’s safe to say her appreciation for the hoppy stuff has grown.
In Bruges, we started our adventure at The Vintage, a charming café-style bar famous for its Brugge Tripel.
A cosy place, I was slightly distracted by a live bird, singing happily from its cage in the corner!
Off the beaten track, I congratulated myself on finding such a spot, but even the touristy bars are superb. In London, I’d flinch at a tourist trap, but 2be, a market-style beer mecca bursting with Christmas colours, was one of my most memorable experiences yet.
Christmas beer flights and winter ales like Delirium Noel and Gordon Xmas, a scotch wee heavy, kept coming, and a Tintin museum upstairs, it looked like something built from my dreams. Is there anything more Belgian than Tintin and strong beer? But I was not done yet.
Bruges boasts many old breweries, and we didn’t want to miss Bourgogne des Flandres, savouring the brewery’s own beer, accompanied by cheese and and mustard, a city-wide signature dish.
Finally, we immersed ourselves in the Wintergloed, a magical Christmas market, which translates as Winter Glow. I enjoyed a Cherry Chouffe before heading off to the next city.
Winter Glow is open until 5th January 2025 so plenty of time to visit.
In Ghent, the beer journey began at De Dulle Griet with a nightcap of an Abt 12, a wonderful dark, plummy beer.
The next day, we took a leisurely stroll around the Graslei waterfront, dotted with delightful places. Enjoy an Omer blonde in the shadow of the Castle of the Counts. Make sure to check out the famous Waterhuis, a must-visit for any beer lover.
Antwerp is renowned for its vibrant beer culture; it hosts the international beer festival at Billie’s every November.
We made it to the famous Billie’s bar itself, a small place with a mezzanine floor, where you can find some English beers on tap, but the strong Belgian Tripels are the real stars. Be aware that many good places are closed on Mondays.
Although I missed the widely-recommended Kulminator, a beer connoisseur’s paradise specialising in aged beers, I enjoyed Paters Vaetje, located just under the Cathedral of Our Lady, before finishing my journey at the Beerlover’s Bar.
Belgium’s beer scene is a treasure trove of flavours and experiences, making it a must-visit destination for any beer aficionado. Cheers to an unforgettable beer adventure.
How to get there:
Travel by train from London to Brussels with Eurostar. Book cheap train tickets from £39 and travel in just 1 hr 53 mins. From Brussels, rail services to Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are frequent and cheap.
Eurostar tickets include onward journeys from Brussels to other cities.
Where to stay:
These hotels hit the right notes.
Waking up after a night’s rest find myself overlooking a canal and a 10-minute stroll from the city centre made Hotel Adornes a magical experience. www.adornes.be
Our stay at a former monastery takes some beating. An awe-inspiring feat of architecture, one night at Monasterium was not long enough. www.monasterium.be/en/
The most modern of the three hotels, NH Collection Antwerp Central served us well. Comfortable and spacious room were welcome after a weekend walking around Belgium. It’s location opposite Antwerp Centraal Station was also appreciated for our return journey back to Brussels.
For more information on the region: www.visitflanders.com
Pictured top: Belgian Beer Weekend – Brussels Grand’ Placel (Grote Markt) (Picture: Milo Profi)