After the Ghent Marathon: Antwerp

The Route: Gent-Sint-Pieters → Antwerp → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train to Antwerpen-Centraal, about 45 to 60 minutes depending on the service. The centre is flat and most sights are within a 20-minute walk of each other, with trams for the rest. Marathon Month: March Duration: 1 night

Gent-Sint-Pieters ──(45-60 mins, SNCB)──> Antwerpen-Centraal ──(10-20 mins, walk or tram)──> Old town
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            Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 45 mins, SNCB)────────────────────────────────────┘

The Ghent Marathon ends in the Topsporthal on a Sunday in March. Antwerp suits one night because it is a single train, a level centre and a city with enough indoor stops that a wet day does not ruin it.

March in Antwerp: daytime highs are around 10°C, rain is likely and the wind off the river can feel colder than the number suggests. Sunset is at about half past six. Many museums close on Mondays, so check before you go. Churches and the station are open all week.

Trains run between Gent-Sint-Pieters and Antwerpen-Centraal several times an hour, and the journey time depends on whether the service stops at Brussels. Belgian rail has no advance fares and prices by distance, so there is nothing to book early. Check the SNCB planner for the day, and for engineering works.

Night One: Antwerp

Antwerpen-Centraal is a destination in its own right. Its domed hall of 1905 has been compared to a cathedral, and the stairs and platforms are on several levels, so use the lifts on tired legs. From the station, the walk to the old town runs along the Meir, a wide, level shopping street with plenty of benches and cafés. Allow 15 to 20 minutes, or take a tram for part of it.

The Cathedral of Our Lady has Rubens's Descent from the Cross on show, and the floor is level inside. Check opening hours and entry price. The Rubenshuis, where the painter lived and worked, is a short walk away and is closed on some days of the week, so confirm before you go. The Plantin-Moretus Museum, a printing house with a courtyard, has stairs, so check access.

The MAS museum on the Eilandje docks has a free rooftop terrace with a city view, and the walk across the docks is flat. Take a tram or taxi out and a slow walk back. Check the terrace hours, as they vary by season. The Red Star Line Museum, close by, tells the story of emigrants who sailed from the port.

For a meal, the old town has plenty of places for stoemp and carbonnade. Book a table for the first evening, because small places take few covers and Sunday nights fill early. Ask about early service if you want an early night.

For a room, the Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel sits beside the station and has lifts, which suits a train arrival. Citybox Antwerp is a budget option near the station. Both are an easy walk from the platforms, but check what the weekend rate includes. The old town is quieter at night, but needs a tram or a walk back.

Plan the second morning around Monday closures. The cathedral and the Meir are open, and a slow stroll through the Vlaeykensgang, a hidden alley of old houses in the centre, takes ten minutes. The Zuid district, with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, is a tram ride away, but check whether it is open on Mondays before you plan around it.

A March evening is a good time for a long café stop. The old town has heated terraces and many bars that serve Belgian beer by the glass, and it is worth sitting while the legs remind you what they did on Sunday.

Getting to Brussels Airport (BRU)

Antwerpen-Centraal to Brussels Airport takes about 45 minutes, with direct trains on many services and a change in Brussels on others. The airport station is under the terminal. Check the SNCB planner for the day, and allow extra time for platform stairs and for baggage. If you are flying early, the first train may not suit your check-in, so look at the timetable the night before.