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Tours & Walks Brussels
71 Reviews A meeting with a Brussels Greeter is a free of charge opportunity to get a unique and personal insight into the city. Your Greeter will take you to unusual and often hidden places that are off the...
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Pedestrian tunnel Antwerp
13 Reviews This is worth mentioning as well. There are two flights of escalators to reach the tunnel. Though they are still steep and very long. No wonder the escalator system were built to descent the height...
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Nearby Towns or Villages. Brugge
22 Reviews In Brugge, I rented a bike and followed an easy route to the Netherlands. The path was next to the tree-lined Damme canal with the occasional windmill and small town on the side - there was even a pub...
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Down on the Beach Oostende
7 Reviews When a grain of sand enters an oyster shell, the oyster covers it with nacre, a substance the oyster also uses to coat the inside of its shell. Layer upon layer of nacre is deposited on the grain of...
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WW I related Ieper
17 Reviews We visited the British "Canada Farm cemetery" in Elverdinghe, between Ypres and Poperinge. It's just one of multiple small army cemeteries in the region. It's not really a special attraction, but...
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Markets & Flea Markets Brussels
11 Reviews Go to the MAROLLEN (quarter in BRUSSELS) and walk around and I am sure that you will find beautifully coloured nice clothing and lots of fine gifts.......POTTERY e.g.. and....when the shops don't...
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Along the river, right and left bank Antwerp
19 Reviews Our favourite hang out was Cafe Beveren. Located on the riverbank in the centre of the city it is a `locals` bar in something of a timewarp. It seems to have stepped out of the 1960s and has at its...
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Quiet Streets and Areas. Brugge
46 Reviews Spend half a day making the walk from the north east corner of Brugge, along Damse Vaart Zuid, to the small town of Damme (about 5km distance each way). The entire walk is along a serene, tree-lined...
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Mercator Oostende
4 Reviews MERCATOR MARINE. You cannot miss it arriving at Ostend. The Mercator Yacht Harbour,the three masted sailing ship 'Mercator',it also contains many yachts. It is nice to take a walk among the pride of...
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Outside Ieper Ieper
14 Reviews Grab yourself a bicycle at the train station in Ieper...The surrounding countryside is beautiful and perfect for a ride exploring War Memorials or just to change up your pace of life for a day or...
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Chinese & Japanese Towers Brussels
14 Reviews These were commisioned to a French architect by king Leopold II. They are located on the northern corner of the Royal Park in Laeken area. I couldn't see much inside the Japanese Tower, because only...
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Antwerp-around Central Station Antwerp
13 Reviews As we were exiting Centraal Station, no doubt reading a map in one of our guidebooks, a local came up and suggested that if we liked architecture that we should visit the Antwerp Zoo, right next door...
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Belgian Windmills Brugge
18 Reviews There are four windmills along the canal that circles the old town section of Brugge. It seems as though most people do not bother to venture out to them, so, there are no bothersome crowds. I...
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Museums Oostende
2 Reviews A visit to Oostende is not complete without a visit to the Provincial Domain of Raversijde. One moment you will find yourself in the Middle Ages, the next shivers will run down your spine in the...
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Inside Ieper Ieper
7 Reviews This building on the Grote Markt caught my eye. It is reconstructed, of course, but its Renaissance-style frontage is fascinating. There was once a Medieval house here, called 'Der Wulf', then a...
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Jeanneken Pis Brussels
10 Reviews Where? Go to the dead-end in Impasse de la Fidelite, which is off the Rue des Bouchers What? Jaenneke Pis is a much more recent addition, dating back only to 1985. The statue shows a little girl...
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Surroundings-Zurenborg (Berchem) Antwerp
13 Reviews This area is situated between the Dageraadplaats and the Berchem Train Station ... for more info about the history of the Cogels Osylei and its surroundings, i.e. Zurenborg quarter, go to my...
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Churches / Museums / Parks Brugge
23 Reviews Where? In Potterierei, just under a mile from the old city centre What? A quirky museum of all things medieval: sculpture, books and manuscripts, religious articles, paintings, furniture - pretty...
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Statues / Monuments Oostende
2 Reviews Napoleon built this fort as defence against a possible invasion from the English. A British invasion never came and the fort was completed only upon the fall of Napoleon During worldwar I and II this...
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Parcs & Gardens Brussels
36 Reviews And suddenly we found ourselves in Spain. The statue of D. Quixote and Sancho Pança that I knew in Madrid was in front of us. Well, it is not Spain, but Spain square, wisely ornamented with a replica...
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Antwerp-South Antwerp
8 Reviews .. and a cultural center Off beat track regarding the evolution in the design: from hydraulic power plant to "cultural power plant". Also, off beat path considering its current activities and...
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Breweries / Cafes. Brugge
16 Reviews This is a great spot ....quiet at the time that I visited with the few people that participated in a bike tour with Quasimondo Bike Tours...we stopped in to have a refreshment...we discovered a GREAT...
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St Petrus & Paulus Church Oostende
1 Review Since the church looms above the cityscape when you exit the train station, you can't really call the Saint Peter and Paul Church "off the beaten path", and yet somehow it is. It's easy to disregard...
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Waterloo Brussels
8 Reviews Who never heard of Waterloo? The village itself might be small but the place of interest is outside the village. Here historici can dream of the big battlefield between Napoleon against big names as...
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Church: Saint Pauls church Antwerp
16 Reviews Inside the church gate, the Mount Calvary is situated, surround by houses from beginning 16th century. It's a peculiar, spectacular open-air theatre of statues, built between 1700-1734. It depicts...
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Not quite as fancy as the Source of the Somme or the Escault in neighboring France, still the Source of the Oise is marked alongside the road just north of the Auberge de Poteaupre. The actual source is hidden away in the woods east of the sign but it is close enough to declare it the ‘source’. The Oise is one of the main rivers of Picardy picking up the Aisne River at Compiegne and substantially adding to the volume of the Seine River just west of Paris.
There are several monasteries in Beligum that are well know for the food products that they produce - beer cheese and bread. Originally, the production was internal, but now, by selling to the outside world, they have ensured themselves a steady income. Belgian breweries, on the whole, brew beers of unique taste and quality. They are much sought after and can be surprisingly strong in alcohol content. The beer brewed at Val Dieu comes in three varieties: Blonde, Brune and Tripel with the last two being 8% and 9% in alcohol.The monastery, itself, is situated in a pretty little vale - the Valley of God, literally - near the town of Aubel in the NE corner of Belgium, close to the borders of Germany and Holland, just north of the Belgian city of Liege. the site is rural and bucolic, though judging by the size of the parking lot, it might get a lot crazier on the weekend than the weekday when...
Damme became the seaport for Brugge when the river Zwin silted in the port of Brugge. A beautiful town hall and old church demonstrates Damme's brief moment in history - before the port here silted in, as well. Damme is a short, flat bike ride northeast from Brugge.
Renting a bike in Ypres and cycling a part of this bicycle path, will bring you along a lot of interesting WWI-sites.http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Ieper-Diksmuide-Nieuwpoort-Diksmuide-Lo-Veurne-NieuwpoortSome other useful links :Ieperhttp://www.ieper.be/ieper_en.aspx?SGREF=10587 In Flanders Fields (Ieper)http://www.inflandersfields.be/Ijzertorenhttp://www.ijzertoren.orgCity of Diksmuidehttp://tourism.diksmuide.beTrench of Death (Diksmuide)http://www.wo1.be/ned/database/dbDetail.asp?TypeID=15&SubTypeID=33&ItemID=5377City of Veurnehttp://www.veurne.be
Mechelen's Town Hall is a strikingly attractive building. The building originated at the town cloth hall. This part of the building suffered damage during a great fire but was rebuilt. The cloth hall was redecorated during the Baroque era with flamboyant design. An additional building was built in the 16th century. This was designed as a palace for the supreme court of law but was partially unfinished. There were further additions to the building in the early part of the 20th century. This part of the building was designed according to the original plans as they were planned in the 16th century. The interior of the hall cannot be visited unless you are in a group and encompanied by a city official.
Belgium is best known for its cities, and for different reasons Bruges and Brussels are two key European stopping points, but much of the country is still strikingly rural, with small farms and neat little villages. It's well worth renting a bike or even a car to take in some of what the countryside has to offer: beautiful views, intriguing small breweries, or local bakeries and cheesemakers, among other attractions. Those interested in wartime history will also be interested in exploring the area around Ypres/Ieper, the site of a number of key - and very bloody - battles in World War I.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Koekelberg is known as "the national Basilica of Belgium". It was built to remember the 75th anniversary of the Belgian independence. In 1905 king Leopold II laid the first stone. World War I caused a change in plans and architect. The construction of the church depended entirely on which did not always meet the needs. The church was eventually finished in the late 1960's with the construction of a dome and dedicated to the war victories of 1918 and 1944. Since March 1997, visitors can climb into the dome of the Basilica from where one can have a beautiful panorama over Brussels and its surrounding area. Basilique of Koekelberg Parvis de la Basilique 1 Koekelberg - Brussels Nearest metro station: Simonis. Open summer: from 8 am to 7 pm Open winter : from 8 am to 5 pm Dome : summertime from 11 am to 3 pm Admission : 2 € (Euro).
In area Burge, Belgium is not big. Take a couple hours and just explore the alleys and back streets. There are no gangs to worry about and it is almost impossible to get lost. We found a house with about a dozen chimneys. A couple neat city gates in the old fortified city wall. A cafe on the Lake of Love. Romantic calnals and picturesque houses.
St. Paul's Church is a massive baroque church built over the remains of an earlier church that was burned down. In fact it might be one of the unluckiest churches in Belgium. It was burned down again but a tower was then added in 1679. St. Paul's was looted by French soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars but fortunately its treasures were returned. It again burned down in 1968. The church has since been superbly restored. St. Paul's Church holds a wonderful collection of art inside it's doors. This includes 50 paintings by a who's who of Flemish artists such as Rubens, Jordaens and Van Dyk. I was quite impressed and surprised too as I had never heard of the place before visiting Antwerp. As St. Paul's is located close to the Grote Market, it is easy to see as long as you go only in the afternoon. It is open from 2pm to 5pm only. Entrance is free.
Two World's Fairs have been held in Heysel Park in North Brussels. The first in 1935 and the second in 1958. Evidence from both still exist. One of the most recognized is the Atomium the monument was build for the World Fair of Brussels in 1958. This 102 meter high structure was first designed to last only through the run of the fair but was so popular that it was maintained long after the end of the World's Fair. Recently it has gone through a renovation. You can easily go there with the metro to Station Heysel
Conrad Brussels Brussels
11 Reviews and 322 Opinions Location, Building
Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce Brugge
4 Reviews and 299 Opinions The Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce is definitely the most romantic hotels in Brugges. Stunning location,...
Hilton Antwerp Antwerp
17 Reviews and 256 Opinions OK we´d been wanting to stay here for years, but was always too pricey. We managed to get a decent...
Reviews and photos of Belgium attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Belgium sightseeing.
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Q: WE are considering a short holiday in Belgium for about three days. WE would probably be taking a train to &/or from either...
A: Cheapest transport is not necessarily the 'best'. Flying from Venice or Switzerland might be a better option than train as those places are further away: check...
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