It's fun how you say Brussels, Ghent and so on are "close" by train when for us, Belgians, a one hour drive is just too far away haha.

@LincolnintheAdirondacks

4 жыл бұрын

haha We Americans are used to long travel times!!

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah :) I go visit my mom for lunch and come home... she lives 3 hours away and it's no big deal.

@wowamy4196

4 жыл бұрын

We have super commuters that travel 2 hours one way to work.

@Ramin2340

4 жыл бұрын

When I went to the US I wanted to visit two of my friends that both lived in California. Then I realised they lived 6 hours apart. Meanwhile in England I would consider a 3 hour journey the longest I would settle for.

@tube.brasil

4 жыл бұрын

It takes 10 hours to cross the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 1000 km.

I visited Brugge in September, it was one of my favourite cities we visited in Europe. So beautiful!

It never ceases to amaze me how tourists can complain about cities having too many tourists. It fascinates me.

@woltersworld

Жыл бұрын

Yep :)

Who does not love the newer and "improved" version of Mark? Like a fine wine...

I wanted to say thank you to you I've just come back from Rome and Sorrento and went for 3 guided tours with the guide operator you recommended in your video. They were fantastic! Never had such amazing knowledgeable guides, made our trip really special

NIce to see you promote 'Flanders' Fields' as well. Still at least a 45 minute drive from Bruges (Brugge) though. Here in Belgium we already consider that 'far' :-) Don't forget to stop for food and drinks in the many local towns and villages on the way. Like Ypres (Ieper), Roeselare, Kortrijk, Veurne, Diksmuide... Usually less pricy than Bruges but the same quality food. Bruges is also not far from the sea, certainly check out Ostend as well! If you can, you should visit Bruges in the fall, the light and the multicolored leaves give it an even more fairytale look! If the weather is nice of course... You have been lucky I gather, because you can have all sorts of weather in April and September :-) Certainly in early April, it can still freeze at night, but in late April you could have downright summer weather as well with temperatures approaching 30°C (85°F). September can be summery or 'automny', so be sure to come prepared!

I love it! I was there last January after watching your video! Loved everything!

Thx iam from brugges and tourist some times forget that its still a working city. It's not Disneyland. :)

@helixac6360

4 жыл бұрын

Haha

@potatooo6139

3 жыл бұрын

agreed

I enjoy all your videos. You are true. Gentleman and Scholar. Thanks for your videos do all of us less fortunate who can afford to travel a round the world. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

2nd! And no idea what to comment 😂 Love the videos! ❤️ Bruges looks a bit like Delft Hope all’s well :)

Great place to travel and awesome place to walk as well. Great work.

2 years later I still feel nostalgia!

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

It does that to you :)

Loved it when I was there in 1988, I remember Louven also being very charming, a little smaller and the canals really adding a wonderful character.

My favorite and best city in Belgie. So many cool sights and activities here

Thanks for sharing👏🏽👍🏽

All these great videos, thank you !

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

I live in Bruges and work in Brussels. Train Time scheduall Bruges to Brussel 20 years ago was 58 minutes, nowadays it's 1 hour and 20 minutes without everyday delay :-) Great progress...

Definitely on my bucket list. Looks amazing there. Might even be able to do it in a day trip from England

@flitsertheo

7 ай бұрын

By bus or car you can forget the day trip from England thanks to Brexit. You'll need that day to get to and trough Dover. Maybe by train if you take the Eurostar from London to Brussels-Zuid/Midi and then a train to Brugge (arrival and departure in same station).

How were the alcoves?

Looks fab! I was supposed to come here last month but, never got here because the holiday company went bust. It's now rescheduled can't wait now I've watched this!! Thanks

I just love your vids. I look trough your eyes to my country and I just have to admit that you are a great observer.

Have been traveling alot and visiting many cities around Europe, but Bruges for me is the most beautiful one I have ever visited!

Always great. thanks for the videos. You travel so I don't have to! ;)

We arrived on a rainy weekday and it was empty....the next day was a sunny Friday and it was crazy....but still loved it. The people were super friendly.

There are HATES in Bruges??? We loved every second of it.....but then again, we had Wolters World to guide us! CHEERS, MARK & JOCELYN!!! Geno & Jared "The Shoestring Vagabonds" (P.S. Come visit the Outer Banks again soon!)

lived in bruges all my life and the feeling is mutual when it comes to tourrists randomly crossing streets lol other than that, it is a really nice place to live, though expensive, true.

it looks like you are happier & more chill than back then~~~

Mark, my boyfriend and I both love watching your channel! We went on a trip through Europe in August and used your videos as guides for all of our destinations! Some of the most helpful videos I've seen for traveling

Spent a few days in Brugge earlier this year and loved it.....we loved the great beer you can get there...oh and of course the chocolate shops were great 😀

I was there with my wife in 2016, and we had a fantastic lunch by getting away from the square and the tourist traps. We found a restaurant named something like "Pigeon House", and the Chef came out and invited us to look at his special roaster in the kitchen, then the owner showed us the basement which was hundreds of years old and was where they stored the wine.

Oh yes, we love Bruges. We took the Field of Flanders tour in 2003 or so and it was fantastic. We’ve been back about three more times. It is one of our happy places in Europe.

Mark I gotta say mate I’ve always enjoyed your top 10’s and love/hate vids. Keep it up man and can’t wait for you to review my homeland straya 🇦🇺

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

I am glad to hear it :) I was an exchange student in Temora, NSW many many moons ago and we will he back next year!! :)

@scottholthouse6004

4 жыл бұрын

Wolters World awesome 😎

Great video , this is one place I would like to visit

I am from Bruges and my school is there too, there are so many tourist and its very special to see people being amazed by bruges because i am there everyday and live there.

@dylan2478

4 жыл бұрын

Its Millie das waar, ik passeer er zoveel zonder eigenlijk er veel bij stil,te staan wat voor een prachtige stad het is

Love your vid! Its my home town, I love it :D

THX Mark, Ieper is so important to understand the WWI. Thank you for mentioning !

Was there three weeks ago and really enjoyed visiting!

I visited Bruges last week and lasted about three hours before leaving. It's a beautiful town, but the number of tourists is matched only by that of Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto. We went to Ghent afterward and it was great.

We went to Brugge in July this year for my birthday and it was lovely! But sooo busy! We spent the night in a bivouac zone outside of the city. Free to camp for the night! Belgium is good for Bivouac zones for those on a budget who can't afford the expensive hotels

Love being there early on a Saturday morning, before the groups start showing up. The cobble stone streets early am are AMAZING

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

So true

2019 Mark is a jollier soul.

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

That is a very nice way to put it

Heading there late April for a week. Can't wait. Looking for a good day trip via train.

Happy to see how much you love the city where i live.

Train times update: to Brussels 1:06 to Ghent 0:24 to Antwerp 1:25

@horseplop9

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks man.. Lille?

@Londronable

4 жыл бұрын

@@horseplop9

I went in February 2018 and it was great! I stayed in a residential area of Ghent, and just took the train to Brugge for the day. That let me avoid most of the tourists and eat at the cheaper local places, at the expense of needing to travel for a few minutes to get down town.

I live there and I love living there🇧🇪❤

Thanks Walter. Can’t stand places ruined by overtourism so this vid has convinced me to skip Bruges and visit other towns in Belgium

Went there in Oct of 2015 on a day trip from Paris. I had seen the movie In Bruges, and I told my husband we must go there. Loved it, would like to go back and stay longer.

I’m glad you love my city!

After watching the movie In Bruges, I have wanted to visit. Now you’ve reignited my interest with this video.

I have literally just got home to the UK after driving from a weekend in Bruges and saw your video..... This is scarily true even after being there 3 times now I agree with every word you said!!!! The Flanders Fields if anyone gets chance to go I recommend going to the Tyne Cot cemetery.

Was upset by the lack of dwarfs hight on ketamin

@watermelonineasterhay

Ай бұрын

hahahaha what a film!

I would suggest staying at a hotel right in the Markt. We had an amazing taxi riding from the train station into suddenly cobblestoned streets to an AMAZING reveal of the Markt. And it just got better from there. Everything you want to see is walkable from your (tiny) hotel room.

The movie was great :)

Skip Amsterdam and Brussels. Do Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

I agree 100%!!

@topzozzle5642

4 жыл бұрын

Bro amsterdam is in a different country....

@nathanwall2808

4 жыл бұрын

@@topzozzle5642 Yes. I know. People go to Amsterdam and they can get a better experience for what they're looking for in those other places.

@topzozzle5642

4 жыл бұрын

@@nathanwall2808 Totally depends on what youre going for, theres no Anne frank house or Van Gogh museums in any of those locations you mentioned.

@nathanwall2808

4 жыл бұрын

@@topzozzle5642 But there is Ruben's house, The King's Museum, awesome breweries, The Cathedral of Our Lady (the prettiest in Europe), gorgeous medieval architecture, cheaper food/hotels/transportation, Bell towers you can ascend, etc...

Hello in one of your Bruges videos you spoke of visiting WW1 sites/history. Can you please tell me if a rental car is needed to really see most of the highlights or is there a tour you recommend?? Thinking of renting a car for a couple of days to see as many WW1 sites as possible. Thanks!

About those difference. I think you did a good job of describing them.

Anybody who uses the phrase, "some fair coin" is alright in my book! I've been wanting to visit Bruges ever since I watched In Bruges many years ago. My list of must-visit places just gets longer and longer. Oh, and do you have a new camera,? Because that image is SHARP! 📸 Love the old hair, btw.

I was able to see the WWI Verdun battlefields a few yeas back, it was amazing and reminded me our US Civil War battle fields in Gettysburg. I just returned from 2-weeks in Paris and Lyon and was on the fence about going to Brugge...a must see for my next trip. Thanks young and mature Mark!

Ok. You convinced me. I need to see Bruges

Have you ever been to SPA in Belgium , I have heard a lot of interesting features including the hot spring water swimming for tourist , any ideas Mr Walter , love your channel and I am big fan ❤

I live in ostend 25 mins away so cool that you were here

Your loves and hates can easily apply to any large European Cities . I was in Bruges 2 weeks ago and fell in love with this wonderful city !

@dylan2478

4 жыл бұрын

Brigitte Samson thank you, hope you had a great time

Younger Mark as a bit louder than current Mark! And I have to say, the ponytail and beard look good on you :)

For awhile after I discovered this channel, I went back and checked out some old videos and thought that this version of you and the current version were 2 different guys lol

I went for 3 days last week and loved every minute. The hotel was right by the famous view of the canal and it was beautiful just sitting there eating waffles. The hospital museum and the Dali gallery was excellent. My sister enjoyed the belfry but found it very claustrophobic due to the stairs. I have tendinitis in my knees so had to miss it. I know what you mean about the service, some were friendly but some were a little snotty and cursory. Though its amazing how everyone speaks english. The beguinage is also very peaceful and interesting.

Im from Mexico... I've been in Bruges 5 times and I will come back the next year hehe

@piedrablanca1942

4 жыл бұрын

hay mas cosas en el mundo muchacho

@jebm

4 жыл бұрын

@@piedrablanca1942 Trabajo como Tour Leader, chaval

@anoncrazynonevilgooddecent7631

3 жыл бұрын

oh wow

Great video, Mark. This helped alot. I was torn between Bruges and Brussels for my upcoming trip this February. Would you recommend Dusseldorf or Cologne, Germany for a day trip?? My home base for 12 days will be in Paris.

@angelic3450

4 жыл бұрын

I live in Belgium. Ive been to all cities you mention. I would not take the trouble to go to Cologne or Dusseldorf from Paris. There's nothing in Dusseldorf and just a cathedral in Cologne. I would recommend you just divide your time between Paris, Bruges and maybe Gent (even better then Bruges) in stead of Cologne/Dusseldorf if you do want to add something. Personal opinion. Enjoy your trip!

@TheTexanTraveler

4 жыл бұрын

@@angelic3450 Thank you for the reply and suggestions. Do you have an IG??? I would love to get more in depth advice from someone who lives in Europe.

I regularly visit Brugee from England as we have direct ferries. When I come for three days - I use one day to take the bus from Brugee to a town in Netherlands called Sluis, 20 minutes on the bus and I bring back shopping.

@flitsertheo

7 ай бұрын

3 years later ... there are no direct passenger ferries between Belgium and the UK anymore. The last route, Hull to Zeebrugge was cancelled due to the combination of Covid and Brexit. The closest routes are now Dover to Dunkirk or Hull to Rotterdam. There are rumours about a new Rosyth (Scotland) to Zeebrugge line but the first time they tried that (early 2000s) it didn't end well.

Thanks Mark! this is a city I run and did not got to see as much as I should have. So I will return! I did notice the nonamerican service, but I not an american so I am fine and I just order all the beer and all the chocolate I was going to had and went on with my drinking, and yes I did paid! It was such a pretty city well worth it to go back a couple of times.

Hi Skinny and not so skinny Mark, great timing I am in Bruges in less than a months time.

hi i'm from Bruges, you said it's really expensive but that's just the grote markt it really is expensive there.. but if you go anywhere else less touristy you will pay the 'normal' prices also we have a bus route from the train station to the grote markt , locals with bikes , truck drivers .. it is really anoying for the locals to get somewhere without stopping every 5 meters for tourist that don't pay attention and crossing the street loved the video :)

I loved Brugge!! Yummy waffles

@rottytops4727

4 жыл бұрын

Thats brussels

As someone who lives near Bruges and frequently goes to Bruges, I totally agree with the amount of tourists in the city. They walk slow and I always wonder why. But yes, in their perspective it’s nice, they want to see everything. I could go any time I want, so it isn’t special to me.

It’s like a fairy tale ...

'Bruges a small town', Bruges the biggest city of my province :P

Is your family planning a trip to Thailand? I would love to see more videos in that area. That's really fun how you had you and your former self do this video. The only thing it's missing is the high five like the one video you did where you dropped 50 pounds and chatted with your former self. The sound quality is so much better now too.

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

We will get there

Was just there for the first time this past July. It was the hottest day in Belgium’s recorded history. Would like to go back when it’s not so hot. We kept popping in stores to try to cool off and spent a lot of time sitting in restaurants! Karen

I went there too many times and so far I don’t have any complaints about Bruges besides the weather that often windy and rainy...,

This is really accurate. The place is gorgeous, but it rained the whole time we were there. The boats on the canals had no covers. Service people were really brusk.

Man if you are in belgium come to Turnhout ! It’s a small city near antwerp, you will love it !😃✌️

@rottytops4727

4 жыл бұрын

Nee man

I love bruxells and buggenhout mu school is there and it's so peaceful

Not so far from Brugges is Ostends, and just outside Ostends is Raversyde. There you can go visit a piece of WO II history, a restored piece of the Atlantic Wall.

Belgian beer is awesome

Same great delivery’!

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

As a local cyclist myself, on multiple occasions I got thrown to the cobbles because of tourists who aren't aware what a street is and just crossed without looking - with multiple broken ribs as consequence, so yeah, we can be a bit bity towards tourists. Also, never ever ever go eat something on the Markt. As you said, horrible service (implemented by their bosses I might add, to get a better flow as people want to leave), and almost Venetian prices. You'll never see a local there, they go to smaller places just outside the Markt, there's a lot of good restaurants in the Mariastraat/Ezelstraat and the Langestraat. Edit: Oh, and always welcome back!

I FREAKING LOVE BRUGES!!

@horseplop9

4 жыл бұрын

Ya me too

I love Bruges, was meant to go last May but had to postpone till this May because of covid, and now it looks like we won't be going this year either 😐

Does anyone have tips on how to get to the WW1 battlefields from Bruges without taking a tour? I am planning a trip for end of april. Any advice is appreciated!

Mmmh the mussels it always looks so good but i cant have the taste and texture sadly enough :( but it makes me happy to see someone enjoy some mussels

The same reasons I no longer go to Brugge for, although I live in Belgium.

As someone who has lived in Bruges all my life, it is not that we don’t care about the safety of tourists. We are simply living our daily lives, going to work or going home after a long day of work, grocery shopping, getting the kids off school, etc. We drive our cars and bikes in public roads meant for tragic. Tourists (even more so these lasts years) are walking in the middle of the road or suddenly cross over without even looking and then get angry when they almost get hit or you ring your bike bell. The speed in the centre is not fast at all and many of the streets are one direction. So it’s really not that there is a lot of careless driving but rather that a lot of visitors are just not paying attention when using the roads. It’s understandable to be in your own tourist bubble of enjoying the sights and looking around but Bruges is still a functioning city with locals living and working there.

Brujis is a great spot to visit

Been there in 2009. None of the hates, no problem being run down by a bus or anything, the place is amazing, loved it, food is amazing and I love the blond people travelling there.

Is it best to stay in ghent or bruges for solo traveler??

hello Mark, I am from Bruges, I was born there, and I live there, yes indeed Bruges is a beautiful city, but you are absolutely right we are not the nicest people towards tourists (read the comment of that one troll who want to race through Bruges)

You son is wearing a Flamengo Jersey. Very Nice.

Younger Mark's voice sounds higher-pitched, but I'm not sure if that's due to age or audio quality. I will say that the picture quality has most definitely improved over the years, but you could say that for a lot of long-time KZreadrs. Just look at some videos done this year vs. 2011, 2013, or even 2014. A lot of times I'm able to tell how recent/old a video is just by looking at the picture quality alone.

@flitsertheo

7 ай бұрын

the 2023 future here : in 2011-2014 1024p was considered "high res" and 720p acceptable. In 2023 1024p is acceptable and 4K "high res". Though there are already cameras shooting 8k. In another 10 years time someone will find those resolutions laughable.

Hello from Wallonie (where there are beautiful places too). :)

@samvandevyver7822

4 жыл бұрын

Flanders is more city wise, wallonia is more nature wise. Together it makes a wonderful country

Me: Wait, how did he find 5 things you will "hate" in Bruges?! One of my absolute favourite destinations

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

Could you tell I was searching? Took me 5 years to find 5 hates :)

@b2h316

4 жыл бұрын

@@woltersworld 5 things that may possibly mildly annoy you before you have a beer and a walk around and realize how incredible it is

@woltersworld

4 жыл бұрын

@@b2h316 exactly!!!! 🤣