Bruges & Historic Flanders – Going Solo

LeShuttle to Calais and onwards to our hotel in Ghent. 

Bruges & Historic Flanders – Going Solo

Bruges is ours to discover today. Wander its cobbled streets, soak up the atmosphere of its picturesque squares and follow the canals through the heart of this beautiful Belgian city. Browse tempting chocolate shops, seek out delicate lace or stop for a Belgian waffle and a plate of frites. With a full day to explore at our own pace, we can see the sights that catch our eye before returning to the hotel for dinner.

Bruges & Historic Flanders – Going Solo

Medieval streets, historic guildhalls and a castle rising above the River Leie – Ghent has plenty to discover. An included canal cruise offers a different view of this atmospheric city before we have time to explore at leisure. Visit the imposing Gravensteen Castle, stroll along the picturesque Graslei or browse the shops for Belgian treats. With the city centre ours to explore, there’s no rush. Perhaps sample local specialities such as waterzooi or simply soak up the atmosphere.

Bruges & Historic Flanders – Going Solo

On our journey back to Calais, we stop in historic Ypres, giving us time to explore at leisure. See the imposing Menin Gate, browse the shops or find somewhere for lunch. We may also wish to visit the In Flanders Fields Museum (entrance not included) to discover more about the city’s wartime history before continuing to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.

Explore Ghent’s historic centre around the Graslei and Korenlei, where ornate facades reflect in the River Leie. Pause at cafe terraces, browse independent boutiques and photograph the three-tower skyline of St Nicholas’ Church, the Belfry and St Bavo’s Cathedral.

This former medieval port prospered on textiles and the guild system, leaving a handsome urban tapestry of quays, markets and cloisters. Architectural contrasts and a lively student energy give Ghent a lived-in charm that rewards wandering and close-up detail.

Discover UNESCO-listed Bruges, a confection of cobbles, canals and carillons. Wander Markt and Burg Squares framed by Renaissance facades, hear the chime of the Belfry of Bruges, and find the intimate Basilica of the Holy Blood tucked beside the Town Hall.

Linger by mirror-still canals, the swans of Minnewater and the white-washed serenity of the Begijnhof (Beguinage). The city’s trading past whispers from stepped-gables and stone bridges, while chocolatiers perfume the lanes with roasted cacao and praline.

Visit historic Ypres to reflect beneath the arches of the Menin Gate, inscribed with the names of missing soldiers. Stroll the Grote Markt and admire the soaring Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle), a landmark of mercantile wealth rebuilt with meticulous care.

Once shattered by the Ypres Salient, the city rose again, preserving memory and identity in brick and stone. The Last Post ceremony still sounds here each evening, and the solemn beauty of the centre invites quiet contemplation between cafes and arcades.

Explore the In Flanders Fields Museum inside the Cloth Hall, where multimedia exhibits, soldiers’ letters and battlefield maps illuminate the human cost of the Great War.

Personal testimonies and immersive displays trace the Ypres Salient’s grim arc from trench to town, deepening understanding of remembrance in Belgium. This visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Step inside Gravensteen Castle, Ghent’s forbidding 12th-century fortress. Walk the ramparts for river-threaded views, and explore halls, dungeons and an armoury that evoke the city’s martial past.

Built by the Counts of Flanders, the complex reveals layers of power, justice and spectacle within massive limestone walls. Entry is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Visit St Bavo’s Cathedral to view Jan and Hubert van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a radiant polyptych of jewel-toned panels and meticulous detail.

From luminous saints to the central altar scene, this Van Eyck masterpiece anchors Northern Renaissance painting in place. Admission to the altarpiece is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Glide along the canals of Bruges on an open-boat cruise, slipping under low bridges past the Rozenhoedkaai (Quay of the Rosary) and St John’s Hospital, one of Europe’s oldest medical complexes.

From the water, stepped-gables, bell towers and quiet courtyards compose a living gallery of medieval urban life. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Cruise Ghent’s serene waterways as you join an included canal cruise that reveals the medieval heart of the city. Glide beside the Graslei and Korenlei, passing stepped-gabled guildhouses and stone quays while catching sight of the three medieval towers that define Ghent’s skyline.

From water level, views open to Gravensteen Castle and former warehouses that once fueled the cloth trade. On-board commentary shares stories of merchants, boatmen and counts, enriching a gentle ride beneath low bridges and along willow-lined banks.