Day trip to Ghent and Bruges with Brussels City Tours: a wonderful experience

Having recently joined Keolis in May, I discovered the various services offered by the company as if I were a new customer. It is this young and external vision of the company that we wanted to exploit with the team, to be able to better understand the customer experience by becoming one for a few hours.
 

8.45am, I arrive in Brussels for the first time, like any good customer, I arrive at our meeting point in advance. The meeting place was quite close to the station, which made it easy to get to without having to walk too far.

Here, we meet Johan and Pascal, our guide and driver for the day.
 

Let's go... 9am, it's time to set off for our first destination: Ghent!

During the journey, Johan tells us about the history of Brussels and Belgium, including the formation of the Kingdom of Belgium in 1830 with Leopold I and the various confrontations with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for example. You can tell straight away that Johan is a fountain of knowledge, he is truly passionate about history.

At 10.15am, we temporarily leave Pascal and start our visit to Ghent in bright sunshine! The city has a rich architectural heritage with many medieval, Gothic and Baroque monuments. Our journey starts at the St Bavo's Cathedral, then we head towards the Belfry and St Nicholas' Church, then we go to the Graslei, a quay lined with 17th and 18th century Flemish guildhalls, with richly decorated facades and a bewitching charm (this is my favourite place in the city). Ghent is a real treasure for me, as I am passionate about photography. In fact, apart from my work as a mystery shopper, I am also a mystery photographer. We wander through the city's narrow streets, passing by the Castle of the Counts, a fortress surrounded by water, and discover hidden corners of the city such as the Great Butchers' Hall.
 

It is now time to return to Pascal and head for Bruges.

At 12.45pm, we drop anchor in the Venice of the North and arrive at Minnewater Park, the ultimate romantic spot. It is 1.30pm, time for lunch.
 

After a few recommendations for lunch from our guide, I choose to relax in the sun with a panini, enjoying a moment of calm by the lake.
 

2.30 p.m., we resume the tour in the city's former red-light district and historic monuments such as the former Saint John's Hospital dating from the 11th century. The tour literally transports us back to medieval times, especially when we arrive at the market square, surrounded by majestic buildings such as the Belfry and the provincial palace.
 

Once you arrive at the market square in the centre of the city, you feel very small in the face of the immensity and beauty of the square that surrounds you.

This square is home to the Belfry, the all-white provincial palace, the Halles, the Butchers' Hall with its pointed roof, and right in the middle of the square, you will find the bronze statue of the Flemish heroes.
 

Earlier in the day, the guide had suggested an optional 5.30pm boat tour of Bruges, which most of the tourists chose and all came out smiling, but I decided to do something different and savour a delicious waffle by the lake. In our free time, I also took the opportunity to buy a little gift for Mother's Day, have you heard of ‘The Child of Bruges’?

It's after 6pm, our bus is waiting for us. On the way back, Johan takes us along a shortcut through a small winding alleyway to show us the oldest brewery in Bruges. The guide also takes the opportunity to reveal a little anecdote about the city of Bruges. Did you know that the city of Bruges has an underground beer pipeline system that stretches for several kilometres? Incredible, isn't it?
 

6.30pm marks the beginning of the end of our excursion, as we board the bus to return to Brussels. It has been an eventful day, full of information, and I take advantage of the return journey to take a little nap to recover, and I don't think I was the only one.
 

7:45 p.m., the adventure ends where it began. We thank Pascal and Johan for accompanying us during this unforgettable day. I have very fond memories of it and I highly recommend this tour to anyone who would like to explore Ghent and Bruges.