>>> Is Brugge like Venice? <<<

I was in Venice last summer and hate hate hated it. Rivers of people in every direction, all the stores selling Chinese made kitschy bobbles… couldn’t wait to leave, really sorry I went, don’t want to repeat the experience. The whole city is one big tourist trap.

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; Is Brugge like Venice? %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

I asked in the Brugge forum, but I%26#39;m curious what Ghent folks would think about Brugge as Ghent is on our list as a replacement .

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If you mean, is Ghent like Venice, no and it is less touristy than Brugge, being an industrial and university city. Brugge%26#39;s attraction is precisely that it entered a long period of decline after the Middle Ages which protected it from development, therefore it is more picturesque. Ghent is more %26quot;real%26quot; and for that very reason more gritty in places. But if you are going to be there in July, watch out for the %26quot;Gentse Feesten%26quot;: if you don%26#39;t like crowds you certainly don%26#39;t want to be there then.

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Is Brugge like Venice?

No, it%26#39;s definitely not! Both cities cannot even be compared to one another. Brugge is called the %26quot;Venice of the north%26quot; because it has a few canals, but that%26#39;s about it. There are tourists, many tourists sometimes, but in no way comparable to Venice.

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Hi again and thank you for your responses.

qaminari you asked, %26quot;If you mean, is Ghent like Venice%26quot; ... No that%26#39;s not what I meant. We are considering forgoing Brugge in favor of Ghent, as Ghent seems to be more of a %26quot;real%26quot; place. A place where people live, and work, without the need of tourists.

I asked my Venice question here b/c in a few travel blogs, I read folks writing that Ghent was a more authentic Belgium experience than Brugge; and I%26#39;m curious what Gent folks think.

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Visit both and let us know which one you liked best ;)

Ghent is only 25 minutes away from Bruges by train...

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One of the things I loved most about Brugge was that although it was somewhat touristy, the people were still very friendly and you never felt like you were being over charged for goods or services. Very lovely place, I hope it remains as such. This time I visit Ghent and Antwerp too, I suspect Belgium is all a pretty wonderful country. (especially if coming from a tourist infested place like Venice or Paris)

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