Belgium beer trip.

There's a book that you simply must buy: The Good Beer Guide to Belgium and Holland, by Tim Webb. It's a good-quality comprehensive guide to the best beer-cafes in those countries, and will be an excellent resource during your sojourn.

Hotel budget? Makes a difference ... a decent, centrally-located Brussels hotel that's not too absurdly expensive is Hotel La Madeleine, in rue de la Montagne. You might try one of any number of discount hotel booking sites on the web to see if you can get a good deal on a single with en-suite facilities. More to read at

Beer in Brussels? Beer Circus in rue de l'Enseignement is the obvious choice, but there are other good bars in the city too. If you like Cantillon lambics, treat yourself to dinner at the Spinnekopke.

Brugge has a number of nice little hotels at varying prices, but if you want to splurge just a bit, the Erasmus is a good bet for the visiting beer hunter, not least because of its in-house beer bar. It's also a fairly easy walk from the Erasmus to several other excellent beer cafes, including the absolutely-must-visit Brugse Beertje (opens 4pm, closed Tuesdays).

Antwerp offers a range of accomodations, some fairly inexpensive; the last time I was there, I got a good deal at a normally-pricey kinda place, but I've stayed in the Ibis without complaint. There are a bunch of extremely good beer bars here, including the outstanding Kulminator and the Oude Arsenaal, just to name a couple.

Gent is a fine old town, less-appreciated than Brugge, but not without its charms, including places like Trappistenhuis and De Waterhuis aan de Bierkant for your drinking pleasure.

31 July Arrive Amsterdam, staying at the Ibis. Will stay until Sunday, train to Brussels, staying Sun-Tue at La Madeleine (I think! still not confirmed), then to Gent, staying Wed, Thu at Hotel Court St Georges, then Friday and Saturday at Hotel-Brasserie Erasmus, back to Amsterdam on Sunday.

Sucks to be me! :-)

Thanks for the advice. Now all I need is cafe listings on a map for Gent and Brussels. Already have one for Amsterdam, although I pretty much know my way around the Centrum area, and I sort of recall most of the places in Bruge. I think they might even have them there.

So many beers, so little time!

Okay, I guess... I like the Wiechmann myself. Not as close to the train station, no, but it's a nice, comfy little hotel, situated on one of the canals (Prinsengracht IIRC). From the Wiechmann, it's an easy walk to the popular Gollem beer cafe. Of course, from the Ibis, the Wilde Mann is close by, and there's no problem with that!

I stayed at the Couer St-Georges years ago, on a lovely late-summer trip to Belgium. The place is full of history, right in the town center, and the rooms are pretty nice; they gave us a two-room suite for something like the equivalent of $90 a night, which was a great deal for the quality of lodgings.

You'll suck if you don't report back on the Erasmus, and if you don't make the short walk from the Erasmus to the Staminee de Garre.

Part of the fun, isn't it?

Got it! Danke!

"Moron@Large" wrote

Watch the Cantillion Brewery (incl. museum). There you can see a traditional lambic brewery and you are able to taste the beers and buy some. For more Infos about the great museum and brewery see

Cheers Michael

-- For austrian beer watch my brewery and beerguide

I'm replying to all who responded in this thread:

Thanks! Thursday, Friday, Saturday in Amsterdam; Sunday, Monday, Tuesday in Brussels; Wednesday & Thursday in Gent; Friday & Saturday in Brugge, Sunday back to Amsterdam. If you see me stumbling from one great cafe to another, feel free to stumble along with...

I'll be at most of the well-known highlights.

I'm off to bleed my liver.... (sung to the Wiizard of Oz tune for those who might not know)

What a nice place it was! Just up the street from two cathedrals. Very pleasant staff. A short walk to the castle and not far from a place I found Dulle Griet which is on the Vrijdagmarkt (Friday's Market) that had a very nice beer selection.

The Erasmus was awesome! The proprietor was very friendly and helpful, even made sure to get me a nice Kriek after I put my bag in the room. The back garden was a nice place to sit with my morning coffee and the mini-bar had two very nice beers in it, although I went downstairs to the Brasserie instead. The view from my room was straight at one of the cathedrals. To the right of the hotel was the Grote Markt and DeGarre and Beertje. To the left was the Straffe Hendrik and de Brugse Beerkai, both only had small selections of their own beer, but well worth the walk (canals, cathedrals, gardens...).

So many beers, so little time.