Belgium Travel Forum

Hello everyone.
I would like to know which city/town to chose in Belgium for 4 nights later this month - family with 2 very small kids, would be happy with 2-3 day trips that would neither tire the parents, nor bore the kids. Interests - culture, history/museum & maybe also a trip to a beach.
Ideas of a place outside of the popular towns also welcome if the landscape & accommodation options (B&B) are to die for.

Awaiting the responses!
Regards, Sam.

Ostend on the coast,nice beaches ,plenty budget hotels, and Bruges for historic buildings. Travel by train is easy in Belguim.

Tongeren of course! :-)
From here you can visit the 2 neighbouring countries of The Netherlands (Maastricht for instance) and Germany (Aachen) very easily in a day and the nearby town of Liege has a lot to offer... and here in the town itself you can see a medieval wall and visit several points opf interest along the wall on a walking tour ...there is also an electric "train" which ridesa around the sites..we have a fantasic and beautiful church in the town center and we have a very nice large park with kids toys and a wonderful cafe and a boating lake ...the Gallo-Roman museum has recently been voted as european museum of the year for 2011...
There are also many award winning cafes and restaurants which have been featured on television.
From here you can enjoy a day out at a subtropical swimming pool which is very good and you can easily get to Antwerp for the Zoo and the Aquarium in one day.
you can also go Go karting with the kids nearby and especailly for the kids and to give you a rest there is a covered playground in Hasselt.
there are hotels and B&B s for all ranges here-
http://www.guesthouses.be/tongeren/
http://www.ambiotel.be/en

July and especially the second half (21/07 national feast day) is the vacation month in Belgium.
That means that seaside and Ardennes are full of tourists but that cities like Brussels are less crowded.
I presume that you will use public transport in Belgium.
Cultural interests and two very small kids is not easy to combine.
My suggestion would be to stay in Brussels. Hotels make promotions in July because there are less business travelers in Brussels.
It's here that you will find most things to see also for kids. For example for kids (and adults) Atomium, Grand Place, Natural history museum, Army museum at the Cinquantenaire with the medieval section and the old airplanes, African museum in the nice park of Tervuren. (I put museums because it often rains in July in Belgium).
From Brussels you are by train (see www.be-rail.be) within a half hour in Antwerp (zoo) or Gent (Gravenkasteel - Medieval castle). 1 hour to Brugge/Bruges, 1 hour 20 min to Ostend and seaside.

Bruges would be a nice place, not to big, nice to stroll or take a boat trip on the canal , close to the Belgian coast and maybe for the kids a visit to the Boudewijn seapark. ( http://www.boudewijnseapark.be )

Thanks a lot everyone for taking the time out! just the information I was hoping for.