During our visit to Brugge in the Spring of 2001 we were able to take trains for very easy day trips to both Ghent and Brussels. I'm sure your use of the same from Antwerp should be fairly simple.

We loved Ghent. Of course, you'll want to take in The Mystic Lamb at St. Bavo's Cathedral. But you'll find plenty of other interesting sights and places while you are there. In particular we were impressed with the Design Museum Ghent located at Jan Breydelstraat 5 Website: http://design.museum.gent.be/ We gorged ourselves on waffles at Max at Gouden Leeuwplein 3. Then later we stopped at The Tap & Tepel at Gewad 7 (just up the street from the Design Museum). A very atmospheric restaurant with bookcases lining the walls, dogs roaming between the communal tables, fire roaring on the hearth, good wine and cheese. See a review at http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/03/kummer.htm This article also has further recommendations on Ghent and Antwerp.

In Brussels, if you enjoy architecture I highly recommend a visit to Albert Horta's house at Amerikaanse straat / Rue Américaine, 23-25 1060

Have fun, John in San Diego