Anyone interested in visiting Belgium should make Ghent their base and explore via train from there. Ghent is a lovely town with friendly people and great sites, restaurants and, of course, great places to drink the wonderful Belgian beers. I would recommend staying at Bert's place which is centrally located, a short walk to trams, well equipped - plus it's on a canal and has an outside deck. Bert is a great host and responds promptly to any request. My wife and I stayed a month and loved every minute - visiting at least 13 different cities on day trips.