The Details

On our original European road trip itinerary, we had Amsterdam for five days before heading over the water to Ireland and Scotland. But an old friend from college suggested stopping off in Belgium if we could swing it. We went for it, allotting a day and a half in both Brussels and Bruges.

Nate and I have decided (we’re now done with Europe), that Brussels has the most impressive and unique square that we came across. It’s not the largest by any means. But the way the sun hits the gold accents on the buildings, and the detailing on the buildings themselves is just unmatched.

Both had great food options, were walkable, and VERY diverse cities which seemed to have an artistic feel – Brussels especially.

We stayed in VERY different accommodations between the two cities and I think it’s worth noting. In Brussels we stayed in an airbnb which I won’t link…It WAS in the middle of the city, which was very convenient. But I would not recommend staying here. We had the POLAR opposite in Bruges. We used our Chase Sapphire Reserve points and booked a five star hotel, also in the city center. You can find it on booking.com here. It was a straight up high end full apartment. Naturally I used the setting to film my Body Weight for Weight Lifters program; which you can check out here. #shamelessplug

Alright! Let’s dive in to the beauty that is Brussels first!

Brussels Belgium

Of course stop to see the famous peeing boy. It’s nothing truly special, but you just HAVE to, okay?

Keep an eye out for street art, and grab a waffle. If you don’t, were you really even in Belgium? I think not.

Also, the row houses are the view straight out of our aribnb window. The airbnb that won’t link because I care about you and don’t want you slipping down a tiny spiral staircase, over and over and over again. You’re welcome.

From Brussels to Bruges

I hope with all that is me, that you get to see some Belgium Blues if you’re ever in Belgium. These are cows with what’s called “double muscling.” If I am being honest, I’m jealous. Like, can I please just have glutes that resemble this cow’s? Forgive me if you’re not into muscles.

Moving on to the next city. Which we personally liked better than Brussels – welcome to Bruges!

Bruges Belgium

As stated above, we LOVED Bruges. It is a quaint, storybook-like city with canals and great food. What’s not to love?

Bruges is “shorter” than Brussels in that it doesn’t have skyscrapers, or new apartment complexes. Not around the city center anyway. You feel like you’ve gone back in time when you’re in Bruges. The pictures speak for themselves.

It’s worth noting that the weather was on our side in both Brussels and Bruges. So the photos are that much better. Nobody hates a clear blue sky.

Verdict

Between the two, Brussels has more to do, and is a city that never sleeps. Bruges on the contrary feels like an older town, that goes to bed early. This is a personal opinion, but I also felt safer in Bruges than Brussels. Perhaps just because it’s a smaller town. Both have great food, beer, and plenty to look at from an architectural standpoint.

I’d say both are 100% worth going to if you’re ever in Western Europe. You can find hostels, five star hotels and everything in between in both cities. Belgium is not necessarily cheap, so you’ll pay a decent price for most accommodation if you’re in the city center (which we like to be).

That wraps up Belgium! Now it’s on to our LAST location of our European road trip. Next up, we drop our beloved car off in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Then it’s on to Ireland and Scotland! We were getting tiiiiiiiiiiired by this point fam. Stay tuned.