Hougoumont
This classic fortified farm is around 20 minutes’ walk southwest of the Butte du Lion. Had Napoleon broken through here early in the battle, everything might have turned out very differently. Recently restored to its original appearance, this a peaceful rural spot: its hard to imag
Abbaye dEchternach
Reconstructed 18th-century abbey buildings spread back from the basilica towards the tree-lined banks of the Sûre. Tucked away just north of the main church, the atmospheric museum occupies the vaulted basement that once formed the famous scriptorium. You’ll see facsimiles of beaut
Museum Plantin
Giving a museum Unesco World Heritage status might seem odd – until you’ve seen this astonishing place. Once home to the world’s first industrial printing works, its been a museum since 1876. The medieval building and 1622 courtyard garden alone would be worth a visit, but the worl
St
Dominating the central Grote Markt and indeed the whole city, this vast, robust cathedral features a Van Dyck crucifixion on the right as you enter and dozens more fine artworks below the stained glasswork of the apse. But by far its most notable feature is the gobsmacking 15th-cen
Abbaye Notre Dame
None of Belgiums famous beer abbeys is more photogenic than Notre Dame, its sandstone glowing in the soft afternoon light. A Cistercian monastery since 1132, the complex had barely finished a total rebuild when, in 1793, it was wrecked by antireligious French Revolutionary soldiers
Cathédrale Notre Dame
Dominating Tournai’s skyline are the five spires of its remarkable cathedral, which survived WWII bombs only for a freak 1999 tornado to compromise its stability. Itll remain a vast building site until at least 2018; what you can see meanwhile depends on the restoration work. Despi
Musée Hergé
The inventive and touchingly nostalgic Hergé Museum celebrates the multitalented creator of comic-strip hero Tintin with an engaging, inventive and extensive display. Highlights include numerous models, pictures and source materials assembled by the artist to ensure the accuracy of
Bastogne War Museum
This marvellous modern museum takes you into the heart of WW2, audio-guided by imagined voices of civilian and military participants. The entrance level focuses on the lead-up to the war, then covers key events. Its a useful summary, with well-presented snippets and a short 3D film
Château de Bouillon
Slouching like a great grey dragon high on the central rocky ridge, Belgium’s finest feudal castle, accessed by two stone bridges between crags, harks back to 988, but is especially associated with Crusader knight Godefroid (Godefroy) de Bouillon, whose name you’ll hear a lot in th
Citadelle de Namur
Dominating the town, Namurs mighty fortress covers a whole hilltop with ramparts, tunnels and grey walls. What you see now is more 19th and 20th century than medieval, and is compelling, great for strolling and offers terrific views. The best are from a section known as Château des
Blégny Mine
For one of the best industrial experience tours youll find anywhere, don a hard hat, jump in the cage lift and descend through a pitch-black moment into the life of a 20th-century Belgian miner. The two-hour guided tour of Unesco-listed Blégny Mine starts with a 20-minute film (Eng
Mons Memorial Museum
A superb new museum, this extensive display mostly covers Mons experience of the two world wars, though the constant sieges of this towns turbulent history are also mentioned. It gets the balance just right between military history, personal testimony of civilians and soldiers, and
Collégiale Ste
This 11th-century church was part of one of Europe’s foremost abbeys, founded in 648. Its 102m long with a soaring multilevel western facade topped with a squat octagonal tower flanked by turrets. The interior’s enormous Romanesque arches are unadorned, but notice the 15th-century
Groeningemuseum
Bruges’ most celebrated art gallery boasts an astonishingly rich collection whose strengths are in superb Flemish Primitive and Renaissance works, depicting the conspicuous wealth of the city with glitteringly realistic artistry. In room 2 are meditative works including Jan Van Eyc
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb
Formidable queues form to see The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (De Aanbidding van het Lams God ), a lavish representation of medieval religious thinking that is one of the earliest-known oil paintings. Completed in 1432, it was painted as an altarpiece by the Flemish Primitive arti
Museum St
In the restored chapel of a 12th-century hospital building with superb timber beamwork, this museum shows various torturous-looking medical implements, hospital sedan chairs and a gruesome 1679 painting of an anatomy class. But it is much better known for six masterpieces by 15th-c
Doing business & staying in touch while in Belgium
Belgium: Doing business & staying in touch
Belgium Weather, Climate and Geography
Belgium Weather, climate and geography
Belgium History, Language and Culture
Belgium History, Language and Culture
Belgium Travel Guide and Travel Information
Belgium Travel Guide
