Zeebrugge

Zeebrugge — literally "Sea-Bruges" — was constructed in the early twentieth century as the maritime gateway to one of Europe's most enchanting medieval cities. The port earned a dramatic place in history on April 23, 1918, when the Royal Navy launched the Zeebrugge Raid, a daring attempt to block the harbor entrance during World War I. Today, Zeebrugge is Belgium's principal cruise port, a functional harbor that serves as the portal to Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, and the art cities of Flanders.

Bruges — a fifteen-minute drive — is the overwhelming destination. The medieval center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, appears virtually unchanged since the fifteenth century: the Belfry tower rises 83 meters above the Markt, the Church of Our Lady houses Michelangelo's Madonna and Child, and the canals that earned Bruges its nickname "Venice of the North" reflect gabled facades with mirror-like clarity. The Groeningemuseum shelters masterworks by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling.

Flemish cuisine is among Europe's most underrated. Moules-frites — mussels steamed in white wine served with Belgian frites — is the national dish. Stoofvlees, a beer-braised beef stew, achieves remarkable depth of flavor. Waterzooi, a creamy stew originating in Ghent, is Belgian comfort food at its finest. And then there is chocolate: Bruges alone houses over fifty chocolate shops. Belgian beer — from Trappist ales to lambics — is a civilization unto itself.

Beyond Bruges, Ghent offers St. Bavo's Cathedral with the Van Eyck brothers' "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb." Brussels delivers the Grand Place, the Magritte Museum, and art nouveau architecture. The World War I battlefields of Ypres and the Menin Gate Memorial lie ninety minutes south.

Zeebrugge welcomes A-ROSA, AIDA, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Azamara, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, CroisiEurope, Crystal Cruises, Cunard, Emerald Cruises, Explora Journeys, Explorations by Norwegian, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic River Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea, TUI Cruises Mein Schiff, Uniworld River Cruises, Virgin Voyages, VIVA Cruises, and Windstar Cruises. The season runs April through October.