Visiting Belgium this Fall: Looking for Suggestions

[craiginthecorn]

My wife and I are going to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary early this autumn by touring Belgium for 2 weeks, enjoying the many breweries and Michelin-starred restaurants. We visited Belgium for a few days in 1985, visiting the American WWII cemetery, the Ardennes, and Brugge. We plan to find three or four places to stay during and do day trips from those bases. We’re starting in Brugge after a night in Brussels (can’t miss going to Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen, even though my wife dislikes large cities). After that, I’m not sure.

I am also hoping to stop in Vincent Manil’s tobacco shop, as I do enjoy smoking his Semois on occasion. Are there any excellent pipe or cigar shops that I should make a point to go to?

Any special sightseeing suggestions would be helpful.

What is the smoking culture like in Belgium? I assume it is banned in most public places.

Tagging @Liebaart since he is in Flanders.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Wittamer Pastry shop in Bruxelles is a must visit. Nothing short of amazing.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Their is a really nice flea market in Brussels in a square surrounded by nice cafes an such. Probably a good place to look for pipe related things. Barbara Goldstein has a nice gallery in the same district.

 

[runscott]

I would visit Waterloo if you haven't. Autumn will be a great time to find a small cafe in the countryside, and share a carafe of Tavel. I would also do some advance research on the best chocolate in Belgium, and score some of each - you will have to go to different towns probably.
The cigar shop in Bruges is nice, but fancy. I got the evil eye when I appeared at their door dressed 'not like a businessman' back in the late '90s.

 

[sablebrush52]

If you do visit Waterloo be sure to check out the large diorama of the battle, painted in the mid 19th century. You walk up a set of stairs onto a platform centered in a large circular room whose wall is covered with the painting. Puts you in the center of it.
Best Belgian chocolate? Côte D' Or.

 

[jwesthurl]

I went to Belgium to play baseball when I was younger and Antwerp was by far my favorite place. We would ride the train every morning into the city and explore the streets all day. Nice shops, food stalls and cafes everywhere. Also had a great experience going to a local football game! Nothing quite like it here in the States.

 

[Liebaart]

Almost overlooked your mention of me. Since you plan to go in autumn, I guess I'm not too late in responding.

I live in Brugge, and from the sound of it, you plan to visit my town. Be sure to pass by Missault. Home - Missault - https://www.missaultbrugge.be/
They are primarily a liquor shop, but they do have a large selection of pipe tobacco and some standard pipes on sale. It is where I go to buy my tobacco. I can highly recommend the Oud-Brugge tobacco, a very nice honey flavoured tobacco.

 

[Liebaart]

Oh, the smoking culture in Belgium is that smoking is prohibited inside all public buildings. You can smoke on the streets outside. Pipe smoking is a rare thing over here, just like it is everywhere I guess...

If you need some visiting tips, you can always contact me privately.

 

[mawnansmiff]

You will have to check out the fantastic brews of the Trappist Monks....and that tobacco whose name escapes me that comes in a paper wrapper, quite different to run of the mill pipe tobaccos.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[simong]

Quite a few tobbaconist shops in Oostende, geared up for the tourists off the ferries.

 

[mso489]

When I've traveled, I've always checked the custom-free shops at the airport for pipe tobacco and never found any, but it is always worth a look while you are maybe picking up a bottle of something elegant. It seems like you either have three minutes to catch your plane or you are waiting for hours. Your wife might like some scent, before you change your Euros to dollars, which right now is a good deal.

 

[vosBghos]

If you are not already a fan check out the music of

Jacques Brel​

a quick search will give you a deep dive into some of the best songwriting on earth , though the English translations are not the best “Scott Walker sings Jacques Brel” is a great primer in English to hear his haunting melody’s and profound content” he is the Kubrick of songwriting , epic to say the least… Again you might already be fans but if you could pay a street musician to come to your hotel and serenade you two from the street with one of his songs it might be a real winner in the romance department…

PS if you could pick me up some Gauloises Brunes while you‘re there for me that would be great or at least smoke some for me especially since you like Semois , if they have the pipe version even better…

 

[krizzose]

I’m envious!!!

Brugge is very high on my bucket list, as are the Hohe Venn, Antwerp, and the military-history sites: Bastogne, St. Vith, Waterloo, the Liege forts, et cetera ad infinitum. Have fun and please share some photos on the forum.