Where to stay in Flanders, from Bruges hostels to Oudenaarde houses

Where to stay in Flanders, area by area

The places I have gathered here sit in two towns, Bruges and Oudenaarde, and they could not be more different. One is a cheap bed in a famous old centre, the other pair offers a comfortable hotel and a roomy house in a quieter market town. Pick the town first and the rest follows.

Bruges

Bruges is the Flanders everyone has in mind, with canals, brick gables and a centre made for walking. It is also busy, so a bed close to the sights saves you a lot of tiring back and forth.

• Hostel 28, in Brugge. A budget hostel on Dweersstraat in the historic centre, a short walk from the Grote Markt and the Belfry. Rooms are small and simple, and most guests find them clean.

Oudenaarde

Oudenaarde is a calmer market town with a big square and a strong cycling culture. It works well if you would rather wake up somewhere that feels lived in than somewhere built around visitors.

• La Pomme d'Or, in Oudenaarde. A hotel on the Markt with a bar, a terrace and a restaurant. Rooms are large and tidy, and breakfast is served at your table.
• Sint-Jacobshoeve, in Oudenaarde. A spacious holiday house with six bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a garden with terrace and barbecue. Guests praise the comfort and the friendly hosts.

What kind of places you will find in Flanders

In this guide you will find a hostel, a town hotel and a holiday house. That is a small selection, but it covers three very different ways of travelling: cheap and central, comfortable and served, or self-catering with room to spread out.

The hostel is the budget option and it behaves like one. Rooms are small and plain, and it is a place to sleep between long days on foot, not a place to linger. I would be honest with myself about how well I sleep before booking it, because a hostel in a lively old centre is not for light sleepers.

The hotel gives you the classic setup, a restaurant downstairs, a bar and a terrace on the main square. You do not need to plan dinner on the first night, and that counts for something after a day of travelling.

The holiday house is the odd one out, and for the right group it is the best of the three. It has a full kitchen, a garden and plenty of bedrooms. The one warning from guests is about low attic beds, so anyone who dislikes sloping ceilings should think twice.

Which place to choose for your trip

If you are on a tight budget and mostly want to see Bruges on foot, the hostel is the match. If you want comfort and a central base, choose the hotel. For families and groups who want space, the house is the one to look at.

For a romantic escape I would lean to the hotel, mainly for the terrace and the easy dinner. For a long weekend with friends who want to cook together, the house wins without much argument.

How to choose between Bruges and Oudenaarde

Choose Bruges if you want the famous Flemish postcard and do not mind crowds. Choose Oudenaarde if you prefer a quieter town with a proper square, and you are happy to travel a little for the big sights.

Bruges rewards early starts and late evenings, when the day visitors have gone. The Grote Markt and the Belfry are close to the hostel, so you can reach them on foot without thinking about transport. That is the real value of the location, more than the room itself.

Oudenaarde suits slower trips. The hotel sits on the square, and the house gives you the countryside. If you travel by bike, this side of Flanders is a natural choice, and the region as a whole is easy ground for cyclists.

When to go and how to get around Flanders

Flanders works in most seasons, but spring and early autumn are the easy ones, with mild weather and fewer crowds than high summer. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, and the old centres feel different once the visitors thin out.

It is a flat, compact region with a dense network of trains, so you can move between the towns without a car. The cities are best explored on foot, and the countryside around Oudenaarde is made for a bicycle. If you pick the holiday house, a car will make daily life easier, since it sits in the countryside rather than in the middle of town.

Whichever you choose, book early for weekends and holidays, because Bruges fills up first. I would also read the room descriptions carefully, as a small room at a budget price is fine as long as you know that is what you are getting.

A simple plan for a short stay

If you have only a few days, split them. Spend the first nights in Bruges to see the canals and the main square, then move to Oudenaarde for a calmer finish with good food and, if you like, a ride through the surrounding countryside.

It is an easy pairing, because the two towns feel so different that the trip does not repeat itself. A hostel followed by a hotel is also a sensible way to keep the budget in check without giving up comfort for the whole stay.