DAY 1 | DIRECT FLIGHT TO BRUSSELS - GHENT BRUGES BY NIGHT WALKING TOUR
Meeting at the airport, check-in and direct flight to the capital of Belgium. Arrival and after collecting the luggage we will meet the tour leader, who is a permanent resident of Belgium and an absolute connoisseur of the country's history and culture. Departure for one of the country's most beautiful cities Ghent, a city that fascinates with its medieval historic centre. We will start our tour with the impressive medieval castle of the Counts of Flanders and continue through the market to discover the three distinctive towers that are the city's trademark. The first of these refers to the bell tower of the 16th century Saint Bavon Cathedral, which is worth a visit in order to admire its rich decoration. The second tower refers to the Beffroi which served as the medieval control tower of the city and next to it the covered market. The third tower refers to the church of St. Nicholas, one of the oldest churches in the city. At the end of our tour, we will admire the town hall, a building that marries different eras with their respective architectural styles. In the afternoon we will move on to the jewel of Belgium, Bruges. Transfer to our hotel in Bruges. After settling in we will take a night walk in the festive atmosphere of the city. Return to our hotel and overnight.
DAY 2 | BRUGES - THE VENICE OF THE NORTH
Having enjoyed our breakfast, we start our exploration of this picturesque city from T.ZAND square, where the city's cultural centre dominates, built in 2002, when Bruges was for six months the cultural capital of Europe. Entering the main shopping street, we will admire the Saint Sauveur Cathedral, the oldest church in the city, built in the 11th-14th century. Then we will reach the large Grote Markt square, where the Beffroi bell tower rises, a vigilant guardian of the medieval city and a symbol of its self-reliance and independence. Below the 83m tower, lies the covered market. On our tour, we will come across countless chocolate and waffle shops-workshops with a wide variety of flavours as well as shops where you will find Bruges' famous lace. We will admire the town hall, built in the 14th century in Gothic style, where all the municipal services are still housed, as well as the Church of the Holy Blood, a 12th century building, where a piece of cloth from the Holy Sepulchre is kept, soaked in the Holy Blood. A walk along the canals will give you the opportunity to discover beautiful and picturesque snapshots of the city. We will admire the 13th century Notre Dame church, which reaches a height of 120m, built entirely of brick. Inside the church there is a sculpture by Mickel Angelo , "The Infant Virgin", one of the only works of the artist found outside the borders of Italy. We will also see the 13th century St. John's Hospital, which houses the museum of the golden age of Flemish painters. We will pass through the Begijnhofkai monastery and end up at the Lac D'Amour, with its beautiful scenery where merchants passed through until the 16th century. We recommend that you conclude our tour with a visit to the oldest brewery in the city, where you will be introduced to the secrets of brewing the famous Belgian beer.
DAY 3 | AMBERSA - THE CAPITAL OF DIAMONDS
Breakfast at our hotel and transfer to Bruges Central Station for a unique optional excursion, from where we will take the train to Antwerp, one of the most important ports in Western Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day and one of the most important diamond processing and trading centres in the world. Arriving in the city, after a journey of about an hour and a half, we will admire the beautiful, architecturally distinctive, 19th century railway station, which still fascinates visitors today with its magnificent interior decoration. Our walk will take us through the beautiful town market to the town hall square. Along the way we will have the opportunity to admire the house of P.P Rubbens, one of the most important Flemish painters of the 16th-17th century. We will also see the Cathedral of Our Lady, a typical example of Gothic style from the Middle Ages. Arriving at the large square, we will see the town hall and the Brabo fountain. Our introduction to the city of Antwerp will conclude with a visit, for those who wish, to the magnificent house-labouratory of Plantin Mauretus, the second greatest printer in Europe after Gutenberg. In the afternoon, return by train to Bruges where we will have free time for a final walk.
DAY 4 | BRUGES - BRUSSELS
Breakfast at the hotel and departure for our tour of the capital of Belgium. We will start our walk from the Hill of Arts, a beautiful park flanked by the Royal Library. We will see the Royal Palace and the Brussels Park. We will continue our walk to the Palace of Justice, an iconic 19th century architectural monument that dominates the city. We will pass by the picturesque Grand Sablon square and arrive at what is considered the most beautiful square in Europe, the Grand Place. There we will admire the town hall, a 16th century architectural masterpiece, the bell tower with the statue of Archangel Michael on top, which protects the town, and the beautiful medieval guild houses that line the square. Through picturesque alleys we will be led to the Cathedral of St. Michael and Gudule. Transfer to our hotel for check-in and rest. In the afternoon we will have free time for a last walk around Brussels City.
DAY 5 | BRUSSELS - DIRECT RETURN FLIGHT
Breakfast at the hotel and then we will transfer to the airport, where we will take our return flight to Thessaloniki. Arrival in our city with the best impressions.
