← Antwerp Marathon·3 nights

Bruges and Ghent: Two Medieval Canal Towns After Antwerp

Ghent for the first night and Bruges for two, two medieval canal towns by one rail line, then a rail route to Brussels Airport.

Duration3 nights
TransitSNCB train from Antwerpen-Centraal to Ghent, about 1 hour, then to Bruges, about 25 minutes
DepartsAntwerpen-Centraal

After the Antwerp Marathon: Ghent and Bruges

The Route: Antwerpen-Centraal → Ghent → Bruges → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then a short Intercity to Bruges. Both old towns are flat. Marathon Month: October Duration: 3 nights

Antwerpen-Centraal ──(1 hr)──> Gent-Sint-Pieters ──(25 mins)──> Brugge
                                                                   │
         Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 1.5 hrs, change in Brussels)──┘

The Antwerp Marathon finishes at the MAS on a Sunday in late October. This route spends one night in Ghent, then two in Bruges, because Ghent has the larger city and Bruges the better canal walking.

October in Flanders: daytime highs are about 13°C, with rain common and sunset around half past five. Bruges is quieter than in summer, and boat tours generally still run, though not always in the last weeks of the month, so check. Many museums are closed on Mondays.

Trains from Antwerpen-Centraal reach Gent-Sint-Pieters in about an hour, and the Intercity to Bruges takes 25 minutes from there. Belgian rail has no advance fares and prices by distance. Check the SNCB planner for the day.

Night One: Ghent

Ghent's Graslei and Korenlei quays are cobbled but short, and the cafés give frequent places to sit. Sint-Baafs Cathedral holds Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb; timed entry with an audio guide is around €16, with a level visitor centre. NH Gent Belfort, beside the Belfry, is the most central hotel. The Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is a short walk for a beer and a bite.

Nights Two and Three: Bruges

Bruges is flat, though its cobbles are rough. The Minnewater and the Begijnhof are the best low-effort walks: a paved path of about 1.5 km between the canal and the beguinage, with benches. The Groeningemuseum, around €14, has lifts and seating; the Belfry is 366 steps with no lift, so skip it. A canal boat tour of 30 minutes costs around €14 and gives a seated view.

Hotel de Orangerie, on a canal, is a small hotel near the Begijnhof. Hotel Heritage, in the centre, is bigger and near the Markt. Check lift access in both. De Vlaamsche Pot, a restaurant on Helmstraat, serves carbonnade and stoemp.

On the first morning in Bruges, start at the Markt and walk to the Burg, the second main square, a ten-minute loop on cobbles. Sint-Janshospitaal, a medieval hospital with six paintings by Hans Memling, is flat inside and costs around €14. The Church of Our Lady, with Michelangelo's Madonna and Child, is level and a short walk away. The cobbles in the centre are the main strain on tired legs, so wear shoes with cushioning and take the benches along the canals when you need them.

The Halve Maan brewery offers a tour with a long staircase and a steep route, so it is not the best choice on the first day after a marathon. The Sint-Salvator Cathedral is quieter and free to enter. A seated canal tour is the easiest way to see the quiet side of the city, and the boats are small and low, so mind your head at the bridges.

On the last morning, walk the paved path around the western ramparts toward the windmills, a flat loop of about 2 km that is mostly empty in October. The route is the old city moat, and the benches face the water. Return to the station by taxi or city bus if the legs have had enough, then take the train to Brussels Airport with a change in Brussels.

Getting to Brussels Airport (BRU)

Bruges to Brussels Airport takes about 1.5 hours, usually with a change in Brussels. Trains run every 30 minutes or so. Check the SNCB planner, and allow time for platform stairs.