Belgium: Bruges and Brussels
Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide © 2004 | We start in Bruges to check into a medieval hospital, savor the exquisite art of Memling, climb a bell tower to get up close and fortissimo at a carillon concert, and sample fresh frites and the world's tastiest chocolate. Then we ride the train to Brussels, where we stroll Europe's finest square, revel in Bruegels' country scenes and Magritte's surreal dreamscapes, then pay a visit to the bustling hub of European democracy. #ricksteves #ricksteveseurope #belgium
Visit www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
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• Travel Classes: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read...
• Rick Steves Audio Europe App: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read...
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
this has great quality, cant believe it's from 2004!
Hello 🖐️
How are you doing??
Hey how are you?
That’s because it was made for tv, not the internet.
*_God bless you Belgium for telling EA to take a hike with their lootboxes and started the investigation on them!!! THANK YOU!!!_*
I second that! It would've paid a fraction of Brazil's bills!
Yea well and it backfired. Devlopers tend to skip belgium and not release in our region. I like the law as well but it doesnt work if only one country has that law.
Belgium and Belgian people are amazing. I never miss an opportunity to stay in the smaller cities -and there are a million of them. The beer is outstanding and have a Duvel on me - my favorite beer.
I hope to visit Belgium as soon the pandemic is over. Seems so great. Huge respect from Denmark to Belgium 🇧🇪🇩🇰
I've lots of respect for Denmark as a Belgian
Huge love to Belgium from US! And Denmark!
ok, i wait for you 😁👍 I'm from Ghent but now I live in the near of Bruges 😊👍❤️
Hey can we be friends ?
@@casperacket7745 hey, I'm also coming to Belgium, will you be my friend in advance ?
I'm also from Belgium, and I can confirm that this is one of the best "representations" of Bruges and Brussels I have seen on KZhead. Very well done !
ከቡልጋ መስሎኝ ነበር ለካ ቡልጋርያ ነው ማናት ቡልጋርያ የሀገራችሁ ስም ያስጠላል
The fries chef was adorable and charming! Great sense of humor. So sweet. Ha ha!
welcome to europe.
I just returned from Brugge and it's just as charming as 1973. Regarding Michelangelo's "Madonna and Child" in the Church of Our Lady, our tour guide said that they are looking down because they were made for a church in Sienna, Italy where they were supposed to be installed 30 feet high and they would be looking down at the viewer. But Michelangelo had a disagreement with the Sienna church and refused to give the statue to them, so the Brugge businessman, who shared the same lawyer with Michelangelo, was able to buy it--the only Michelangelo to leave Italy during his lifetime. This statue is also featured in the movie "Monuments Men".
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Hello Janis
Hello beautiful how was your day today,oh my God you are very beautiful ❤️, you look lovely,it is nice meeting you dear, how are you
I love this story, but a little correction: it’s Siena not Sienna
Typical, I suppose they don't like to pay bills. Sometime around 1546 Pope Paul III , was not paying Michaelangelo for murals work, and after several attempts to collect, he wrote a note to the Pope, at the bottom he wrote: "For Pete sake". The end. !!!
Rick Steves is an amazing citizen of the world, not just of the US or any one nation. His true and fervent passion to understand the commonalities and variations on the human experience is refreshing and enlightening. During these times of COVID and reduced ability to travel, I have taken some sweet refuge in Rick's video tours like this one. My favorites are of course Rick in Europe, but increasingly more often, he is reaching out to other nation on other continents. His Iran, Ethiopia and Turkey videos have blown me away. Seeing people and cultures I have no experience with humbles me and reduces my ethnocentrism. When you're a kid or if you don't have a chance to travel, watching Rick come into contact with wildly different societies shows just how much more in common we have than that is different.
I'm Belgian and I really enjoyed this, also learned a little bit too about my own country haha! I approve of this video!
Hi.. I would try to tourist in Belgium.. how much it cost..i am Filipino working here in Bahrain..pls reply my message soon..thank you.
From karachi bunder road
Great man in the beautiful country will meet you again Rick best wishes to you
Bangladesh pon juyel Belgium
Where are you originally from though?
Rick you bring joy to people like me who cant afford travelling the world
But you don’t have to be rich to travel :O
@Veronica Pascucci plane tickets are cheap depending on what month you pick You don’t have to stay at a hotel~ an Air BnB is cheaper and more affordable Food wise just buy groceries and cook at your Airbnb
@Veronica Pascucci no it’s not 😂 It’s cheap AF rn
Belgium's beer is amazing! It would be my #1 reason for visiting. Also Bruges looks like a wonderful city full of history.
Ye, if u ever visit our country, brugge, gent and antwerpen are the best city’s to visit. Brugge is also close to blankenberge at the coast, only about 15mins while taking the train
Belgium is absolutely awesome. It was one of the European countries that was big enough but also small enough. I liked the people a lot and that is not how i always feel in Europe. It was kinda industrial and also very old. I also thought the food was killer. i will be back for sure
Thx for ur very kind words!
My father got his engineering degree in Bruges in 1951. I visited the city in 1982. Breathtaking.
Just went to Brugge yesterday. An amazing city. Almost like fairy tales. And yes I remember seeing the potatoes being fried twice. Now I know why lol!
You should go to ghent
Bruges is lovely, but can be a little too touristy at times. Rick spoke of the chocolate shops, and he's right, there are more chocolate shops than there are bakeries or grocery shops, but this is a living city, not just a tourist attraction. I have friends living there who go out of town for shopping... Ghent has a nice balance, I'd say, the city is made lively with the student life, the industry, and the historical sites, without outright banning new architecture. Antwerp is a nice city as well.
Belgians consider it barbaric to do otherwise, we consider the rest of the world crazy when it comes to fries lol :D
I'm just breathless!,this place looks unreal!!
Nora S. Isabey del Villar don't.mean to be cheesy ..but u make me breathless
Its even better,in Person
@@thedahkterizzin8831 What others are on your list? Amd ill tell you my list
Belgium poem juyel Bangladesh
Hello beautiful how was your day today,oh my God you are very beautiful ❤️, you look lovely,it is nice meeting you dear, how are you
Belgium is so underrated. Thanks for this Rick, and maybe you should explore more Belgian regions such as Antwerp, Liege and Waterloo
And he forgot " Durbuis" in the south.
Been there’s 6 times as I live in Europe and trust me when I say this ‘every time I go there it’s a new experience’
I'm a big fan of Belgium, a country I will never tire visiting.. It has a unique magical effect on me, so I'm very glad that from my hometown of Vienna, it's quite easy to reach.. 😊
Hello beautiful
Hope you're doing good today?
Rick, you’ve got the best job in the world. You make me miss Anthony Bourdain.
they should have teamed up
How I long for this beautiful melancholic world of Rick Steve's he truly is the king of his world of peace
Love it, thanks, for making Belgium a little stand out, a little country, but so much to give...Een fiere Belg/American.
Wow illove belgium peoples
WOW. Rick Steve is an all-around sophisticated historian. I don't think there is any body out there that describes and show a place better than him. !!!
Belgium is beutiful country respacted people's loving and caring
wonderful place, I was there and I liked much, peace and quiet and the friendly admosfer .
Beautiful
+Monica Alonso pH
Um... Atmosphere*
@@davismoore5004 But Europeans take America, Australia, new Zealand...!!
Lived in Mons and then Brussels for 2 yrs... I really enjoyed my stay as the people and food are superb. I made many friends there, someday I'll revisit. The beers are great and the fritz (fries) were fantastic! as well...
Frieten, friet, frites, etc ... but not "Fritz". That refers to our German neighbors.
Lived in Belgium Brussels for a year in 2003 till 2004 as my brother was born here. Great city.
The closest we got to Belgium was Luxembourg. We were stationed in Germany and my father was researching genealogy so we went traveling a lot. Related to the Chief of Police in Luxembourg and relatives in Liechtenstein. It was Amazing. We played on the playground while my parents looked up relatives in the cemetary.
Bruxelles, Bruges, Gand.. I love tbese amazing places .. Near with my heart to Belgium
Renata Limarzi *brussels
Wow! This is our first time in Belgium but not the last Time. Merci! Nos amis de Belgique. Les Québécois adore votre pays. Bienvenue à Montréal.
We also loved visiting Montreal, Québec and la Gaspésie. Wonderful cities, so close to beautiful and untouched nature! Something that we don't really have in Europe, and especially not in Belgium. I would love to come back soon!
Just came back from a trip to Brugge and Brussels and absolutely fell in love with the medieval Brugge, it is definitely a must for every travel enthusiast!
Hi how many hour is required for brugge n brusells ? I am planning to visit it for a day trip while traveling from paris to amsterdam
@@tasneemyusufi3055 one day each should be fine I’d say. This also depends a bit on what you are into when travelling. Personally I felt like Brugge had more to offer also in terms of the whole package tourists usually look for - including the “i am in a different country/world” feeling. And in Brussels I felt like in just another big city.
@@tasneemyusufi3055 don't forget to take a day in Gent 😉
Why do I watch Rick show me amazing places like this that I've already visited? It's makes me remember and makes me want to go back!
Absolutely! That's the ironic thing about travel: if you enjoyed a trip, you want to go back, but there's always the lure of the new and never visited.
Well done and thanks for promoting Belgium!
I truly love and respect Belgium.. Europe's one of amazing country ..divine has graced and blessed Belgium with abduant wealth love like else where ..love Belgium people and their wonderful culture❤👍
I live in Belgium, and it's a beautiful little country with very kind and hospitable people!
I live in the Belgium the capital city Brussels wlahi I love the people All the people very nice good Brussels
I have been to Bruges/Brugge just almost two weeks ago and I must day IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!! I hope I can make a return to this beautiful medieval city!!
You should probably visit Ghent, if you haven't done so already. Seriously underestimated by tourists if you ask me... It's like Brugge but bigger and less overcrowded by tourists.
@@Yourebeautyfull exactly 👍🏻..... But it's Gent 😅
i m from pakistan..i just love the people ,culture and places in belgium..may the peace prevails...
well said faisal, i hope the same
nah u prolly like that lady who brazenly took off her sock huh
Yeah! Leopold 2 was peaceloving man!
i have live in Belgium KNOKKE everything soooo great!!!
If you want to extend the Belgium experience, also go to Namur, it's a nice smaller town with a lot of medieval history. And Dinant too (where the Saxophone was invented), a little more south along the Meuse river.
i am born PILIPINA living and working in Belgium. i am here for good. loving it.
Hello
Hello beautiful how was your day today,oh my God you are very beautiful ❤️, you look lovely,it is nice meeting you dear, how are you
Belgium, Bruges & Brussels.....Oh i love, i love very much!! Thank you for sharing & as always, your global documentaries are awesome & very educational. HNY to all & may peace & joy permeate your lives. Equally, may 2022 & beyond, be much better years, for all of us humans across the seas. x
Thank you for this beautiful documentary. As we are but a little 'artificial' country in the bigger Europe, people tend to forget that a lot of beautiful art has had its place of birth here. So thanks again for shifting the emphasis from 'Chocolate and Waffles' (they are still great ;-) ) to the finer arts.
To be perfectly honest!, A good chocolate shop gives me more pleasure than a visit to a museum. !!!
Belgium is a giant tourist attraction in a small country. Belgians must be very proud of their country Greetings from Lima Perú
Belgium is a very disunited country, but we are proud of our cities, achievements and respective cultures, important to note is that Belgium has a darker side to it, and I am not speaking of the Congo in this case stil, thank you
@@istoppedcaring6209 Belgium is a non-country :)
I love Rick Steves! I'm a guide in Belgium and I cannot even keep track of how many visitors (mostly Americans doing a private tour) have mentioned Rick Steves' travel books. I started checking out his work and he's really that good. I hope one day my videos are as good as his.
Keep dreaming. !!!
Belgium is so wonderful, I'd recommend it to anyone.
I agree. I loved both Brussels and Brugge. Brugge, I expected to enjoy, but I read so many negative things about Brussels online and found something totally different when I got there. Not tons to do like London or Amsterdam, but I highly recommend a day or two
Are there jobs for foreigners
Cecilia yes there are jobs if you know french, dutch ,english and or german
@@elijahBD1 would you share any contacts or any? It would be really helpful..
@Slightly Burned Pancakes would you share any contacts or any? It would be really helpful..
We Enjoyed Mussels in Brussels Mmmm Dellicius!!!
I was taken to Belgium by surprise on a trip to Amsterdam, I loved it , the history of walking on cobblestone
The architecture is just unbelievable , nice.
Rick Steves feels like the perfect tour guide. Even his voice is the exact voice you would hear in the audio guides in touristic places. Also, Bruges and Brussels look so nice! I wonder what it feels like living there and looking at the beauty of one of those cities every day, altought I assume residential parts look somewhat different.
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The Rue des bouchers is exactly the street you want to avoid if you're going for a bite in Brussels. Every belgian knows that :p
It used to look pretty but it is no longer the case.
Pierre P go to Osteria Winehouse. In a quiet, dark street not to far from La Grande Place. Italian specialties, made by a Belgian-Italian couple...magnificent. And, they have a fantastic line of wonderful Italian wines that you can buy by the glass. Just leave the choice to the sommelier and you WILL enjoy yourself. Prices about 50-60€/person. Reservation necessary since they have only six tables
Why? What does that street have?
@@estebanburitica1882 tourist trap with mediocre restaurants catered to tourists (ofc)
@@Tomskii5 exactly. Some restaurants are okay, (Armes de Bruxelles, Léon), but most are average at best, and waiters are too pushy to most Belgians' taste, and crowded with too many seats. You won't necessarily leave with stomach pain or something, but it's a lot of reheated semi-industrial stuff, but more likely than not, your experience could have been better. With the current crises, restaurants had to close shop, so let's hope most survive, but I would definitely recommend other restaurants in stead. Ste-Cathérine is generally a better area, I'd say, especially if you like seafood, there are good restaurants all over the city centre, and outside of the city centre as well, in areas worth a visit in their own right (if you like art nouveau and art déco, check out St-Gilles and Ixelles, for instance)
I had a chance to visit Bruges on a Sunday. It was incredibly peaceful and quiet. Just a beautiful city. And yes... the combination of Belgian beer, mussels, Flemish fries + mayonnaise. Is. Awesome.
belgium is a calm country.lovely weather.beautiful brugge.super chocolates.very nice brussels city.i love belgium.
help me get to Belgium. I love it. albahama2014@gmail.com
I agree, except the 'lovely weather'. I live in Belgium and weather here is just sad most of the time.
Also it feels like its evening every time
i almost lost my feet yesterday due to the cold weather lol
I am live in the Belgium the capital city of Brussels wlahi
In 1973, I loved the lace makers in the streets demonstrating their art, so I was disappointed to see that they were not there. But I was glad to see them in this video teaching others.
Hello
Hello beautiful how was your day today,oh my God you are very beautiful ❤️, you look lovely,it is nice meeting you dear, how are you
I love world history so I enjoy to travel. I visited the cities of Bruges which they call the Venice of Belgium due to their canals and their famous laces and tapestries, Brussels and Antwerp.But of course last but not lease the Godiva chocolate factory.
The first time I went to Europe I was a teenager and the first place I saw was Brussels Grand Square. I was absolutely spellbound.
I am going to Belgium in Easter 2020 as long as the Corona Virus doesn't stop my travels. I am really looking forward to it too. Going to be based in Brussels but will be travelling to Bruges, Ostend and others.
rip
@@aidancollins1591 And of course thanks to Corona Virus I never got to go.
@@jeffallinson8089 :(
@@aidancollins1591 A complete bummer.
I'm from Japan. I went to go Belgium three years ago.It's very beautiful country.
@@karateka-J no.yet.
Im a Filipino who spent 11 months in Leuven, Belgium. Actually I attended a training there at the Catholic University of Leuven. I had an oppurtunity to ride a boat in the canal of Brugge with Malaysian co trainee. We were invited by a friend named Francois, also a co trainee. A number of our Belgian classmates invited us to their homes to spend a night. Brusels and Antwerp are nice. I hope I could visit again this country. That was 40 years ago.
Great work Rick Steve. Love to watch these beautiful Videos on Europe.
Life is a opportunity to learn something new everyday. Thanks Rick for sharing. 👍
It is more beautiful than this video can show. I must see, the people of this country make you want to come back. Love you forever Belgium 🇧🇪
These kind of documentaries are jewels.
I was fortunate enough to live in Brussels for several years! There is so much to see and do. (The Carpet of Flowers done every 2 yrs in the Grand Place is a MUST see, over 750,000 Begonias made into a massive design by Flower Architects) Plus its close proximity to so many other cities/countries made travel easy. We could repeatedly drive to Amsterdam, Paris, Cologne(Koln), The Hague, etc.. and be back by dinner! (or take the train) My children have been lucky enough to extensively travel over 15+ countries,.including as far as Egypt!
Loved Brugee, this boat trip is really good to go on and the chocolate was YUM. . Belgium was so massive and the traffic, OMG was not prepared. So worth the trip.
Patat Frites or Flemish fries with Bearnaise Sauce, sold as street food in a (Sno-cone type of) paper cup. Oh. My. De-LISH, Folks. The food in Belgium, the sweets AND savouries, are worth the trip! 🌍
Rick Steves' travel series ignites the fire for travel! I wish I has his travel guide during my early travel days.
Bruges looks beautiful. Love Bruegel and will have to go to that museum.
The way he presented is sooo interesting and also Belgium is amazing. I'd love to go there. < 3 Love from Thailand
Rick, I love to watch and re-watch all your travel documentaries! They are of great quality and content, a sublime pleasure to see this kind of travel presentations. It's fun, it gives us knowledge and it really takes one in a dreamy world, with each travel that you show us!
Beautiful Country.Someday I hope can visit there...
Rick, your videos are the best thing on KZhead. I used to watch them on PBS back in the day.
I love Brugge, one of the most amazing city in Europe, it's an unbelievable atmosphere,peace and the best beer in the world (my opinion and taste)
Must see > a short video > (Co ops mondragon Thom Hartman interviews Richard Wolff) PHD. It's a more advanced workplace system. It's on the increase. Just trying to help.
Amazing country
I have been in Bruges. One of the loveliest cities I have ever visited from architecture , history , canals , cathedrals etc. All wonderful. For me it is on top two towns to see along with Verona in Italy.
I love Belgium 😘
Awesome, class & beauty all over!
Beautiful Belgium enjoy
Just came back from a long trip in Belgium, stayed in Brussels, visited Ghent and Bruges, I must say that people are very kind there and you can find food everywhere.
It's good to remember. all this is born out of the actions of my own people, not forced by the EU .. long live all countries and their own culture !!
it's interesting..., and beautiful country, I wanna visit bruges and brussels of course.
Mr. Steve Thank you so much for your efforts to capture beautiful nature and art.
I would love to visit. We once drove trough Belgium But only stopped for a meal. Had the best cordon bleu and chocolat in my life. Respect from Denmark 🇧🇪🇩🇰
What a great video, I really want to go back to Belgium now!
You gotta love my country :)
I am an Iraqi and I wish to live in Belgium because of its ancient history and wonderful people
I'm just curious if Belgium is really a united country having been made from two different communities: the Waloons and Flanders ? I just wanna know because world geography and history is one of my hobbies besides my best hobby:football!!! Thanks!
@@nofalalssade716 Iraq 🇮🇶 and my wonderful country Ethiopia 🇪🇹 are two of the oldest nations in the world with amazing history,wonderful cultures,music, people, foods etc!!! All we need is to be wise and work together within our countries rather than being divided along ethnic and religious lines!!! Europeans prospered because they learned from their grave mistakes of fighting and killing each other!!! We all MUST do the same too!!! Greetings all from a proud Ethiopian 🇪🇹 in the 🇺🇸!!
Good Job Rick, I love the way you travel and enjoying the life. You share your best journey moments with the world. Once again tremendeouse job.
Thanks for hosting a virtual revisit of one of my favorite trips!
Nice video Rick. bruge is my favorite part of Europe. it's really cool and old. also ton ton garby is an amazing sandwich shop in Brussels. the delirium bar is a must if you want the beer also.
Read Rick's response to the tragic attacks in Brussels on March 22: blog.ricksteves.com/blog/stand-with-brussels-and-keep-on-traveling/
Thorshammer92 Odin Please Stop! Everyone should have the right to explore these beautiful sites. I think its amazing and extremly intresting to learn about all of this. Keep going Rick Steves.
I have been to bruges beautiful place to stay can't wait to see it again Finbarr coffey cork irelandr
Brugge is lovely, as are the towns all along the coast. Well worth visiting
Hi
Bruges and Brussels two really beautiful places to visit!!! We loved the beer, food and of course the chocolate !!! We hope one day be able to go back and spend more time in Bruges, after we checked your video out we saw we missed to visit inside of some beautiful places!
I visited Belgium a few years back and used Brussels as my base. From there I took day trips to Bruges - quite scenic - and Tournai - believed to be Belgium's oldest city. All three are well-worth visiting. And the chocolate and fries are quite good. Thanks for posting this.
Belgium's oldest city is 'Tongeren'
MarkHitsTheRoad it was the home of Clovis (466-511). The first french king.
Unfortunately, Tournai has become sort of a ghost town, or at least the old center. A real shame !
Chocolate! More than you can imagine. Fine chocolate shops all over the country.
Just beautiful. Thank you.
I'm spaniard and I love belgian beer, hope one day I will be able to go to belgium, looks nice
You are very welcome here and hope you will visit our country someday! We as belgians realy love spain and your culture. Even my best friend moved to portezuelo in extremadura and we are always very welcome there by the locals, so you are also very welcome here!
I might not be get chance to see this world but I enjoyed lot.
This is really an amazing documentary of two beautiful cities in Belgium!
A WONDERFUL EXPLANATION BY YOU, THANKS MR RICK STEVENS
2 beautiful city's in belgium! Big big like! Thumps up !
lol brussels is ugly
es tranquilo, buena comida, y arte por doquier ! saludos desde colombia
Love it, no pollution around. They live their lives so natural.
Beautiful video this city guide with a friend
Hello beautiful how was your day today,oh my God you are very beautiful ❤️, you look lovely,it is nice meeting you dear, how are you