# Cerca de Brussels

From Brussels almost everything is done by train: Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Mechelen and Leuven, an hour or less away; Waterloo and Namur to the south, and further down the Ardennes, with Dinant, Han, Spa, Bastogne and the Semois.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgica/bruselas/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [From the Stock Exchange to the Mort Subite, beer by beer](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/brussels/itineraries/evening-of-lambic-and-trappists.md) (0 min en coche): Start on the Belgian Beer World rooftop, have dinner among the taps in Dansaert, Trappists opposite the Manneken Pis and the last gueuze at the Mort Subite, two minutes from the hotel.
- [Gouden Carolus in the morning, Bolleke in the afternoon](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/mechelen/itineraries/two-breweries-by-train.md) (20 min en coche): In the morning, the guided tour of Het Anker in the Grand Beguinage in Mechelen and lunch in its brasserie; in the afternoon, De Koninck in Berchem, with two beers. All by train from Brussels.
- [Waterloo: Memorial, mound and Hougoumont](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/waterloo/itineraries/waterloo-memorial-and-lions-mound.md) (25 min en coche): The Memorial 1815 and the Panorama, the 226 steps of the Lion's Mound, lunch at Le Bivouac and the Hougoumont farm, back in Brussels for dinner and mussels.
- [Leuven: library, beguinage and Oude Markt](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/leuven/itineraries/half-a-day-in-leuven-from-brussels.md) (30 min en coche): The Gothic town hall, the University Library tower, lunch at the Domus brewery, the Grand Beguinage and the Oude Markt. By train, about 25 minutes from Brussels.
- [Mechelen: tower, Dossin and Gouden Carolus](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/mechelen/itineraries/kazerne-dossin-and-het-anker.md) (30 min en coche): Kazerne Dossin in the morning, the beguinage and the Het Anker brasserie at midday, and in the afternoon the 538 steps of the tower and a boat on the Dijle. 20 minutes by train from Brussels.
- [Lier: clocks, beguinage and Joanna of Castile](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/lier/itineraries/beguinage-and-zimmer-tower-from-brussels.md) (40 min en coche): The Zimmer tower and the beguinage in the morning, the Sunday menu at Hof van Aragon, a boat on the Nete and the collegiate church of Joanna of Castile's wedding.
- [Villers Abbey and Waterloo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/villers-la-ville-abbey/itineraries/ruins-and-waterloo-from-brussels.md) (40 min en coche): A morning in the Cistercian ruins of Villers, lunch in its vaulted bistro with the abbey beer and an afternoon on the Waterloo battlefield.
- [Antwerp: Rubens, the port and the Bolleke](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/antwerp/itineraries/antwerp-station-rubens-and-more.md) (45 min en coche): The most beautiful station in the country, the Rubens paintings in the cathedral, the Grote Markt, the free viewpoint at the MAS and, to finish, the brewery of the Bolleke. By train, about 45 minutes from Brussels.
- [Ghent: Van Eyck, castle and canals](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/ghent/itineraries/mystic-lamb-and-castle-from-brussels.md) (50 min en coche): The Van Eyck altarpiece and the belfry in the morning, waterzooi on the Korenmarkt, the Castle of the Counts and a boat in the afternoon. By train, a little over half an hour from Brussels.
- [Namur: citadel, tunnels and the Meuse](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/namur/itineraries/cable-car-citadel-and-boat-from-brussels.md) (55 min en coche): Cable car to the citadel, Terra Nova and its tunnels, lunch at the Grill des Tanneurs and a 50-minute cruise on the Meuse and the Sambre. An hour by train from Brussels.
- [Liège: La Batte, boulets and Bueren](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/liege/itineraries/la-batte-market-and-bueren.md) (1 h 10 en coche): La Batte market in the morning, boulets à la liégeoise in a Bib Gourmand bouchon, the 374 steps of the Montagne de Bueren and the Walloon puppets. An hour by train.
- [Bruges with children: chips, a boat and swans](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bruges/itineraries/a-day-with-children-from-brussels.md) (1 h 15 en coche): The chip museum, half an hour on a boat along the canals, lunch with children's dishes at De Halve Maan and the swans of the Minnewater, back by mid-afternoon.
- [Bruges: chocolate in the morning, beer in the afternoon](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bruges/itineraries/beer-and-chocolate-from-brussels.md) (1 h 15 en coche): The Choco-Story museum with a demonstration, pralines at The Chocolate Line, Flemish lunch at Cambrinus and the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery with a terrace over the canal.
- [Bruges: belfry, canals and brewery](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bruges/itineraries/bruges-belfry-boat-and-brewery.md) (1 h 15 en coche): The belfry before the queues, the boat on the canals, lunch and a visit at the De Halve Maan brewery and the beguinage with the Minnewater. By train, an hour from Brussels.
- [By bike to Damme along the Damse Vaart](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bruges/itineraries/cycling-to-damme-from-brussels.md) (1 h 15 en coche): A hire bike in the centre of Bruges, seven flat kilometres along the Damse Vaart to Damme, lunch at Tante Marie and back past the Kruisvest rampart windmills.
- [Dinant: citadel and kayaking on the Lesse](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/dinant/itineraries/citadel-and-kayak-on-the-lesse.md) (1 h 25 en coche): The citadel above the Meuse in the morning, the collegiate church and Sax's house, lunch on the Rue Grande and in the afternoon the 12 km kayak on the Lesse. An hour and a half from Brussels.
- [Ostend and De Haan by train and tram](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/ostend-and-de-haan/itineraries/mercator-ensor-and-coast-tram.md) (1 h 25 en coche): The Mercator sailing ship and Ensor's house in the morning, North Sea fish at midday and in the afternoon the coast tram to the belle époque villas of De Haan.
- [Durbuy, Wéris and La Roche-en-Ardenne](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/durbuy-and-la-roche-en-ardenne/itineraries/two-ardennes-villages-from-brussels.md) (1 h 25 en coche): Durbuy's stone old town and topiary park, lunch of sharing plates, the Wéris dolmens and the ruins of La Roche castle.
- [Han: cave, park and trees](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/caves-of-han/itineraries/cave-bears-and-wolves-from-brussels.md) (1 h 30 en coche): The Discovery tour of the cave in the morning, lunch beside the Lesse at Le Pavillon and in the afternoon the park of bears, wolves and lynxes by safari bus and the treetop course.
- [Spa: baths with a view and springs](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/spa/itineraries/thermal-day-trip-to-spa-from-brussels.md) (1 h 30 en coche): Three hours at the Thermes de Spa, lunch on the brasserie terrace, the water of the Pouhon, the Museum of the Water City and the Sauvenière spring.
- [Bastogne without a car, by train and bus](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bastogne/itineraries/bastogne-by-train-from-brussels.md) (1 h 55 en coche): IC train to Libramont and TEC bus to Bastogne. McAuliffe's cellar in the morning, lunch on the tank square, the battle museum and the Mardasson memorial as the evening draws in.
- [Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge in a day](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bastogne/itineraries/war-museum-and-mardasson-by-car.md) (1 h 55 en coche): The battle museum in the morning, the Mardasson memorial next door, the foxholes of the Bois Jacques, lunch in the centre and McAuliffe's cellar in the afternoon, all with one ticket.

## Two airports with flights from Spain

Brussels has two airports with direct flights from Spain. Brussels-Zaventem is served from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Málaga, Asturias, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Charleroi, to the south, repeats almost all of those cities and adds Girona, Zaragoza, Vitoria, Santander and Palma de Mallorca.

Belgium is small and almost everything can be done by train. SNCB trains leave from Bruxelles-Midi, Central and Nord, and in under an hour drop you in [Mechelen](/en/belgium/mechelen) (about 20 minutes), [Leuven](/en/belgium/leuven) (25), [Ghent](/en/belgium/ghent) (just over half an hour), [Antwerp](/en/belgium/antwerp) (40 to 50) or [Namur](/en/belgium/namur) (an hour). To [Bruges](/en/belgium/bruges) there are three trains an hour, taking about an hour; to [Liège](/en/belgium/liege), the same, and to [Ostend](/en/belgium/ostend-and-de-haan), 1 h 15 direct. Towards the Ardennes the train is still an option, with a change: [Dinant](/en/belgium/dinant) via Namur in an hour and a half, Rochefort-Jemelle and TEC bus 29 for the [Caves of Han](/en/belgium/caves-of-han), Pepinster for [Spa](/en/belgium/spa) and Libramont and TEC bus 6 for [Bastogne](/en/belgium/bastogne).

A hire car is useful for what the train doesn't link: [Villers-la-Ville Abbey](/en/belgium/villers-la-ville-abbey) with Waterloo on the same day, [Durbuy and La Roche-en-Ardenne](/en/belgium/durbuy-and-la-roche-en-ardenne), [Bouillon](/en/belgium/bouillon) and the Semois, and Orval, which is far from any station.

## Leuven and Waterloo fit into half a day

**Less than an hour by road** are almost all the cities of Flanders and Namur: [Waterloo](/en/belgium/waterloo), 25 minutes; Leuven and Mechelen, 30; [Lier](/en/belgium/lier) and Villers-la-Ville, 40; Antwerp, 45; Ghent, 50, and Namur, 55. Leuven and Waterloo fit into half a day; the rest, into an unhurried day.

Liège (70 minutes), Bruges (75), Dinant, Durbuy and Ostend (85), and the Caves of Han and Spa (90) are **between an hour and an hour and a half** away. This is the band of the coast and the first of the Ardennes, where the day already calls for an early start.

**An hour and a half to two hours** away are [Ypres](/en/belgium/ypres) (95), Bastogne (115) and Bouillon (120). For that distance there are overnight plans: [Ypres and the Last Post](/en/belgium/ypres/itineraries/ypres-last-post-night), [Bastogne with Orval](/en/belgium/bastogne/itineraries/one-night-with-orval-from-brussels) and [Bouillon and the Semois](/en/belgium/bouillon/itineraries/weekend-in-the-semois).

## In autumn and winter, look for a roof

In autumn and winter it pays to look for somewhere indoors. [Spa and its thermal baths](/en/belgium/spa/itineraries/thermal-day-trip-to-spa-from-brussels) is the plan for that time of year, with three hours at the Thermes; in December there is a Christmas market on Antwerp's Grote Markt, and Bastogne fills up for the anniversary of the battle, so you need to book the museum slot. On Sundays, all year round, the Batte market makes sense of a [Sunday in Liège](/en/belgium/liege/itineraries/la-batte-market-and-bueren).

In spring and summer the river and the forest beckon. [Kayaking on the Lesse from Dinant](/en/belgium/dinant/itineraries/citadel-and-kayak-on-the-lesse) runs from 4 April to 31 October, as does the [weekend in the Lesse valley](/en/belgium/dinant/itineraries/weekend-in-the-lesse-valley); the Namur cruise, from April to early November, and the boats in Lier and on the Dijle in Mechelen, from April to October. From May to September the gardens at Villers are in bloom and the beach season opens in [Ostend and De Haan](/en/belgium/ostend-and-de-haan/itineraries/mercator-ensor-and-coast-tram). The Han estate is open from spring to 11 November; in July and August, dated tickets and arrive before 11:00.

Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are worth it in any month, although from April to October the Bruges belfry is open until 20:00 and the boats run more often.

## The Ypres Last Post with a night

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Ghent from Brussels](/en/belgium/ghent/itineraries/mystic-lamb-and-castle-from-brussels). Just over half an hour by train, Van Eyck's altarpiece and the belfry in the morning, waterzooi on the Korenmarkt and the boat in the afternoon; best Tuesday to Saturday.
- **With one night:** [Ypres and the Last Post](/en/belgium/ypres/itineraries/ypres-last-post-night). Train with one change, the First World War museum, Tyne Cot in the afternoon, the Last Post at 20:00 and a tour of the salient the next morning.
- **With two nights:** [Bruges and Ghent](/en/belgium/bruges/itineraries/two-nights-with-ghent-from-brussels). All by train: a day and a night in Bruges, with belfry, boat and brewery, and another in Ghent with the Castle of the Counts and the Mystic Lamb.