Choose Ghent for a picturesque, cozy medieval vibe with stunning canals and a younger student feel, perfect for wandering, or pick Antwerp for a bigger, more cosmopolitan city experience with major art museums, high fashion, excellent shopping, and grand architecture like the stunning train station. Ghent is often seen as more charming and less crowded, while Antwerp offers more of a bustling city buzz and diverse cultural depth, both are easily reachable by train from each other and Brussels.
❣️Bruges is the most beautiful city in Belgium. When you come to Bruges, you will be attracted by its long history. There are many ancient buildings and charming streets here.
Is the Shopping Better in Ghent or Antwerp? Antwerp is a world-class destination for shopping. Also, Ghent is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its shopping opportunities. Antwerp is a famous shopping destination with plenty of stores.
Belgium's "30% tax ruling" refers to a special tax regime for expatriates and inpatriates, allowing employers to reimburse certain recurring relocation costs tax-free, generally up to 30% of gross remuneration, capped at €90,000 annually, plus other specific costs like school fees, replacing older schemes for many. This regime aims to attract international talent, exempting these allowances from tax and social security, with conditions like minimum salary thresholds (€75k for non-researchers) and a 5-year duration (extendable).
Combining modern and Middle Ages, Antwerp has a lot to offer all types of travellers. In terms of population, Antwerp is twice the size of Ghent so if you are looking for a city with an intimate feel, Ghent might suit you better.
Explore Antwerp and Ghent in one day on a guided tour from Brussels. Enjoy round-trip transfers, a professional guide, historic monuments, and charming neighborhoods.
Bruges is famous for its fairytale feel, canals and picturesque old town. Antwerp on the other hand is famous for its port, diamonds and historic city centre. Each city oozes character and charm but both give visitors different experiences of Belgian life.
Time speeds by when you're in Antwerp. There is so much to experience here, from Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens's artistic legacy, the Railway Cathedral, the port that is this city's lifeblood, ground-breaking fashion, sparkling diamonds and much, much more. Prepare yourself for 48 hours in Antwerp.
1. De Panne. De Panne is Belgium's westernmost seaside town and is known for its wide beach. Here you can get a breath of fresh air, sail on the beach or enjoy a quiet day in the sun.
Don't believe us? OK, so, the crew used castles in the UK such as Alnwick Castle for those majestic outdoorsy shots. Of course, Gravensteen being in the heart of Ghent city wasn't the good choice for that kind of scene. Instead, it was the inside of Gravensteen used for all sorts of shots.
CECIL COURT THE REAL DIAGON ALLEY. Cecil Court being "just off Charing Cross Road" and with its curious mix of bookshops and antique shops, is widely believed to be the real Diagon Alley, or at least the thoroughfare on which Diagon Alley was based.
The Hogwarts Express from the *Harry Potter* movies is a real train known as the Jacobite Steam Train, which operates in Scotland. Running along the scenic West Highland Line, it crosses the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, offering passengers a magical journey through breathtaking landscapes reminiscent of the films.
At the end of the 1930s, Antwerp was the preferred destination for many of the Jews who chose to flee the rampant anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. Historians estimate that there were about 35,000 Jews in the city on the eve of World War II. Many of them were foreigners, who did not have Belgian nationality.
Bruges is called the "Dead City" primarily because of Georges Rodenbach's influential 1892 novel Bruges-la-Morte (Bruges-the-Dead), which portrayed the decaying, melancholic city as a perfect setting for a widower's obsessive grief, making it a symbol of death and lost glory for Symbolist artists and a morbid tourist attraction for romantics seeking atmosphere, even as the city's importance declined historically due to its silting Zwin channel.
My first visit to Antwerp was on a day trip from Brussels. That was a few years ago, and I realised that one day in Antwerp wasn't quite enough. You can definitely see quite a few things in one day, but there's a lot more to do and see in Antwerp. So when I had a chance, I booked a longer trip to Antwerp.
