After the Ghent Marathon: Bruges and Antwerp

The Route: Gent-Sint-Pieters → Bruges → Antwerp → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train from Gent-Sint-Pieters to Brugge, about 25 to 30 minutes. From Brugge to Antwerpen-Centraal takes about an hour and may involve a change. Antwerp to Brussels Airport takes about 45 minutes. Marathon Month: March Duration: 3 nights

Gent-Sint-Pieters ──(25-30 mins)──> Brugge ──(about 1 hr, may change)──> Antwerpen-Centraal
                                     (2 nights)                              (1 night)
                                                                                 │
                                          Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 45 mins)

The Ghent Marathon finishes at the Topsporthal on a Sunday in March. Three nights lets the legs recover in the right order: a small, level town first, then a city with more to do, then a single train to the airport.

March in Flanders: daytime highs are around 10°C and rain is common. Sunset is at about half past six, and the days are cool enough that cafés are a pleasure rather than a luxury. Several museums close on Mondays, so check opening days before you plan around them. Belgian trains have no advance fares, so there is nothing to book early.

The train to Brugge from Gent-Sint-Pieters takes about half an hour. Brugge station is 1.5 km from the Markt, a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride.

Nights One and Two: Bruges

Bruges is level. The Minnewater basin on the south side has benches and a flat path, and the Begijnhof beside it is a courtyard of whitewashed almshouses with a lawn in the middle. Check opening times for the small museum in the convent. From there, the canals run through the centre, and a half-hour boat trip is seated and sheltered. Confirm that the boats run in March.

The Belfry on the Markt has 366 steps and no lift, so look at it from the ground. The Church of Our Lady holds Michelangelo's marble Madonna and Child, and the nave is level. The Groeningemuseum, a compact gallery of Flemish painting with seating and a lift, is a good wet-day stop. Check opening days, as several museums close on Mondays.

The cobbles are the real cost. They are uneven and wet in March, and a mile of them feels like three on tired legs. Walk the canalsides, where the paving is smoother, and take a bus for any long leg.

Stoemp with sausage and waterzooi, a creamy chicken or fish stew, are on most menus. De Halve Maan, the working brewery on Walplein, runs tours, so check times and book ahead.

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. A second night in Bruges gives you a quiet morning with nothing to do, which is the best thing the town offers.

Night Three: Antwerp

The train from Brugge to Antwerpen-Centraal takes about an hour, and may need a change, so check the SNCB planner. Antwerpen-Centraal has a domed hall of 1905 and platforms on several levels, so use the lifts on tired legs. The Meir, a wide, level shopping street, leads to the old town in 15 to 20 minutes.

The Cathedral of Our Lady has Rubens's Descent from the Cross on show. The MAS museum on the Eilandje docks has a free rooftop terrace with a city view, so check the terrace hours. Take a tram out and walk back across the flat docks. Many museums close on Mondays, so check before you plan around them.

Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel sits beside the station and has lifts. Citybox Antwerp is a budget option near the station. Book a table for the first evening in the old town, because small places take few covers.

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, look at the timetable the night before.