Belgium

[Brokenfurnitureandroses]

Has anyone ever had a holiday in Belgium? We want to go in August but not somewhere too hot. Like the idea of a short flight (from Ireland) and the northern Belgian coast. Thinking of staying in a place called Diksmuide and renting a car. Has anyone been before or have any tips/recommendations? it will be a family holiday for a week.

It's not that they don't like each other, but in Flanders people speak Dutch as a general rule and in Wallonia French, and in Brussels all bets are off (though it's mostly french speaking). Flanders can get a bit pedantic about Dutch speaking to be fair - so normally its much safer to speak English, which pretty much everyone will understand. So this covers the Belgian coast, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Mechelen etc....

If you're also interested in WWI history, there's the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres and the Passchendaele Museum which also has trenches you can walk through.

Dinant is nice to visit, especially if you like saxophones. And war history. Has a lovely river frontage.
Namur has an interesting castle.

Apologies - back to Ypres (aka Leper). It might be worth asking on Tripadvisor forums for the area, but it looks as if they are going to be doing some restoration works on the Menin Gate this year. Try to arrange things so that you are there at 8pm for the last post. This link might be a good starting point: www.visitflanders.com/en/flemish-destinations/ypres

There are some lovely chocolate shops in Ypres, I seem to remember!

Talbot House in Poperinge, might also be of interest:
www.talbothouse.be/en/museum/home

Oops - "Ieper", NOT "Leper"

My favourite place in Belgium is Kortrijk. Lovely little place and well worth a visit.