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Val St
Seraing’s one compelling attraction is this world-famous glassworks, which has occupied a former monastery site since 1826. Once the planet’s leading glassmaker, its workforce has dwindled from 5000 in 1900 to a few dozen today, but it still manages to create lead-crystal masterpie
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Openluchtmuseum voor Beeldhouwkunst Middelheim
Some 4km south of the city centre is a large, landscaped park known as the Openluchtmuseum voor Beeldhouwkunst Middelheim. It contains more than 300 works by sculptors, including notable nationals (Rik Wouters) and influential internationals (Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore). Dont d
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Cantillon Brewery
Beer lovers shouldn’t miss this unique living brewery-museum. Atmospheric and family run, it’s Brussels’ last operating lambic brewery and still uses much of the original 19th-century equipment. After hearing a brief explanation, visitors take a self-guided tour, including the barr
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Universiteitsbibliotheek
Dominating Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein, this imposingly grand Flemish Renaissance–style palace features a soaring Scandinavian-style brick tower topped with a three-storey octagonal stone cupola. The library was convincingly rebuilt after WWI with the financial aid of 400 American uni
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Onze
Belgium’s finest Gothic cathedral was 169 years in the making (1352–1521). Wherever you wander in Antwerp, its gracious, 123m-high spire has a habit of popping unexpectedly into view and it rarely fails to prompt a gasp of awe. The sight is particularly well framed when looking up
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Souterrains
Between 1659 and 1815 Philippeville was an ultra-fortified enclave of France, completely encircled within the Holy Roman (and later Habsburg) Empire. At the eastern end of the main square, the tourist office organises fascinating 90-minute guided walks through sections of the fort’
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Kasteel van Beersel
The 1310 Kasteel van Beersel is the closest medieval castle to Brussels. And from outside it’s a beauty. The picture-perfect brick towers, rebuilt in 1498, are topped off with 17th-century roofs and rise proudly above a tree-ringed moat. However, it’s an empty shell, the building h
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Porte de Hal
For centuries Brussels was surrounded by a grand 8km fortress wall. It was partly demolished in the 1790s, then removed altogether on Napoleon’s orders in 1810. Well, almost. In fact, a few isolated parts survived, including the Porte de Hal, one of the seven very imposing 14th-cen
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National Basilica
Ghastly but gigantic, this is the world’s fifth-largest church and the world’s largest art-deco building. When construction started in 1905 (to celebrate Belgium’s 75th anniversary), a truly magnificent feast of neo-Gothic spires was planned. However, WWI left state finances impove
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Archéoforum
Once one of the greatest churches in northern Europe, St-Lambert’s Cathedral was demolished from 1793 in the aftermath of the Revolution Liégeoise, very decidedly marking the end to the independent prince-bishopric of Liège. All that now remains is a mere scattering of foundation s
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Distillerie de Biercée
Around 6km south of Thuin, the Distillerie de Biercée is a great opportunity to see inside one of Wallonias classic fortified-farm complexes. This one is impressively renovated, the brick vaults hosting a spacious café decorated with historic enamel drink advertisements and winding
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Stadhuis
The beautiful 1420 stadhuis features a fanciful facade that’s second only to Leuven’s for exquisitely turreted Gothic excess. Inside, an audio guide explains numerous portraits in somewhat excessive detail before leading you upstairs to the astonishing Gotische Zaal (Gothic Hall).
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Brugse Vrije
Most eye-catching with its early baroque gabling, gilt highlights and golden statuettes, this was once the palace of the ‘Liberty of Bruges’, the large autonomous territory and administrative body that ruled from Bruges (1121–1794). Much of the building is still used for city offic
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Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk
From the 7th century, the relics of local saint St Trudo made the town a major medieval pilgrimage centre. These relics are now housed in the treasury of this 1854 church.
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Rubenshuis
The 1611 building was built as home and studio by celebrated painter Pieter Paul Rubens. Rescued from ruins in 1937, and extensively and sensitively restored, the building is a delightfully indulgent one, with baroque portico, rear facade and exquisite formal garden. The furniture
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Coudenberg
Coudenberg Hill (now Place Royale) was the site of Brussels’ original 12th-century castle. Over several centuries this was transformed into one of Europe’s most elegant and powerful palaces, most notably as the 16th-century residence of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Around the pala
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Schatkamer
The St Pieterskerk Treasury boasts two triptychs by Flemish Primitive artist Dirk Bouts (1415-75), who spent much of his life in Leuven. Bouts painted the triptychs between 1464-67, one of which, Het Laatste Avondmaal (The Last Supper), is considered to be one of the periods master
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Belfort
Ghent’s soaring, Unesco-listed, 14th-century belfry is topped by a large dragon. That’s a weathervane not a fire breather and it’s become something of a city mascot. You’ll meet two previous dragon incarnations on the climb to the top (mostly by lift) but other than some bell-makin
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Royal Palace
Photogenically a-twitter with little pointy turrets, this 1573 palace has been much extended over the years. It now houses the Grand Duke’s office with parliament using its 1859 annexe. In summer the palace opens for gently humorous 45-minute guided tours, dealing mostly with famil
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Red Star Line Museum
Over two million passengers sailed from Antwerp on Red Star Line ships between 1873 and 1934, the great majority of these immigrants bound for America. The museum, housed in the very building where those many embarkations took place, is beautifully designed and extremely engaging,
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