After the Bruges Marathon: Ghent and Antwerp

The Route: Brugge → Ghent → Antwerp → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then a second train to Antwerpen-Centraal. Both city centres are flat. Marathon Month: October Duration: 3 nights

Brugge ──(25-40 mins)──> Gent-Sint-Pieters ──(about 1 hr)──> Antwerpen-Centraal
                                                                   │
              Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 30 mins, direct)────┘

The Bruges Marathon finishes on the Grote Markt on a Sunday in October. This route trades medieval Bruges for two bigger cities, one night in Ghent and two in Antwerp, with one rail change.

October in Flanders: daytime highs are about 13°C, with rain common and sunset around half past five. Many museums close on Mondays, so keep indoor visits for the days they are open. Check opening hours.

Belgian rail has no advance fares and prices by distance. Trains from Brugge reach Gent-Sint-Pieters in 25 to 40 minutes and Antwerp takes about an hour from there. Check the SNCB planner.

Night One: Ghent

Ghent's Graslei and Korenlei quays are cobbled and short, with cafés between the bridges. Sint-Baafs Cathedral holds Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, with timed entry at around €16 and a level visitor centre. NH Gent Belfort, beside the Belfry, is the most central hotel. The Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, by the Graslei, is a short walk for a beer and a plate.

Nights Two and Three: Antwerp

Antwerp is flat and has trams. The MAS, the museum on the Eilandje docks, has a panoramic roof and lifts; check the opening day, as many Belgian museums close on Mondays. The Red Star Line Museum, in the old port buildings, tells the story of emigrants who sailed to America and has lifts. The historic centre around the Grote Markt and the cathedral is cobbled but compact, with plenty of cafés for rests.

Prize by Radisson Antwerp City, in the docks district, is the easiest base for the MAS. Radisson Blu Antwerp City Centre, at Astridplein, is beside the station. Both are in modern buildings with lifts. Balls & Glory, on Theaterplein, serves filled meatballs with stoemp or salad, and is a simple dinner.

In Ghent, take the second morning slowly. Sint-Michielsbrug gives the three-tower view of the Belfry, the cathedral and St Nicholas' church in a two-minute walk from the Graslei. The Gravensteen costs around €13 and has spiral stairs, so look at it from the quay if the legs complain. The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in the Citadelpark costs around €12 and has lifts, and STAM, the city museum in a former abbey, is level and costs around €12. Both may be closed on Mondays, so check.

Take the train to Antwerp after lunch. The MAS terrace gives a view of the harbour and the Scheldt from a level, free walkway, though the museum itself is paid. The Meir, the main shopping street, is paved and wide, and trams cross it. Dageraadplaats in Zurenborg, a residential square with fine Art Nouveau houses on the nearby Cogels-Osylei, is a flat, quiet walk of about 1 km.

If you spend a whole day in Antwerp, the Rubenshuis, the painter's house and studio, has a level garden and a small collection, and costs around €12. Check its opening days. The cathedral, with paintings by Rubens, charges a few euros for entry and is level inside. Antwerp's cafés give plenty of places to sit, and Sunday evening in the city is quiet, so book a table.

Getting to Brussels Airport (BRU)

Antwerpen-Centraal to Brussels Airport is a direct train of about 30 minutes, running several times an hour. The airport station is under the terminal. Check the SNCB planner, and allow extra time for platform stairs.