Things to do in Belgium
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Oud Arsenaal
This is one of the city's most congenial brown cafés, located on a pedestrianised street opposite the Grand Café Horta, in an area that has undergone massive regeneration in recent times. Popular with stallholders from the weekend Vogelmarkt and elderly locals during the week, it will be interesting to see if a pint-sized pub like this can hold out against the fashion nudge. Beers are among the cheapest in town and it's one of the few everyday pubs in Belgium to stock Westvleteren Trappist beer.
Catch it while it lasts.
reviewed
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Brussels Night Walking Tour: Gourmet Belgian Food
3 hours (Departs Brussels, Belgium)
by Viator
Discover Brussels, the gourmet city, by night on this fantastic three hour, small-group, foodie walking tour! Visit Brussels’ tastiest restaurants, sample…Not LP reviewed
from USD$103.97 -
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FotoMuseum
Five blocks south of MuHKA and with an excellent reputation is the newly renovated and expanded FotoMuseum. Once again housed in a renovated warehouse, this museum has a huge collection of B&W photographs, old portraits and ancient cameras. One of the highlights is the Keizerspanorama, a huge, motorised, slide-viewing contraption built in 1905 for Antwerp Zoo. In the evening you can take in a golden-oldie film in one of two auditoria. The kitchen of the stunning black-and-white café (also closed Mondays) stays open until 22:00.
reviewed
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Maagdenhuis
In the 16th and 17th centuries the Maagdenhuis was an orphanage and refuge for girls of poor families. Today it's home to a small art collection. As you enter, note the delicate sandstone carvings of young girls above the archway. Of the museum's exhibits, the most nostalgic items are the playing cards, or identification tokens. These cards were cut in half when girls were brought into the refuge - one piece was retained by the parent and the other kept with the child.
Just down the road from Museum Mayer Van den Bergh.
reviewed
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Museum of Contemporary Art
Ghent's highly regarded Museum of Contemporary Art, better known by its acronym, SMAK, is located south of the city centre. It opened in the 1990s under the direction of Jan Hoet, one of Europe's most famous museum curators. It's a huge place and you'll need the map handed out at reception to find any of the big names.
Look out for works by Karel Appel, Pierre Alechinsky and Panamarenko - three of Belgium's best-known modern artists - as well as artworks by international celebrities such as Christo, Warhol and Hockney.
reviewed
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Brussels Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Flexible (Departs Brussels, Belgium)
by Viator
See the best of Brussels on an easy and convenient hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour! The perfect do-it-yourself sightseeing tour in Brussels, the hop-on hop-off…Not LP reviewed
from USD$28.59 -
Canal Tour
Taking a Canal Tour is a must. Yep, it's touristy, but what isn't in Bruges? Viewing the city from the water gives it a totally different feel than by foot. Cruise down Spiegelrei towards Jan Van Eyckplein and it's possible to imagine Venetian merchants entering the city centuries ago and meeting under the slender turret of the Poortersloge building up ahead. Boats depart roughly every 20 minutes from jetties south of the Burg, including Rozenhoedkaai and Dijver, and tours last 30 minutes.
Expect queues in summer.
reviewed
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Brussels Half-Day City Tour
2 hours 45 minutes (Departs Brussels, Belgium)
by Viator
Choose between a morning or afternoon guided coach tour and get better acquainted with Brussels. See the world-famous market square, glance at the remarkable…Not LP reviewed
from USD$33.79 -
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Broussaille
Don't miss Broussaille, by Frank Pé. Painted in 1991, it was the city's first giant comic mural, depicting a young couple arm-in-arm discovering Brussels. This strip is located in Brussels' gay nightlife hub and, in the original version, it was difficult to tell whether the couple was straight or not.
Gay establishments used the mural to promote the quarter until 1999 when the mural was repainted and the black-haired figure was given a more feminine hairstyle, earrings and (slightly) bigger breasts.
reviewed
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Luxembourg Day Trip from Brussels: Two Countries in One Day
12 hours (Departs Brussels, Belgium)
by Viator
If you have just one day to spare, take a full-day tour from Brussels to explore Luxembourg and the picturesque Meuse Valley. With your professional guide,…Not LP reviewed
from USD$71.48 Advertisement
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De Roma
Antwerp's last old cinema and concert hall. It dates from 1928, and in the '70s was a popular venue for international artists - AC/DC, Lou Reed and James Brown all played here. Recently returned to life thanks to determined community effort, it now screens a varied line-up of off-beat films, Hollywood hits and kids' matinees. It's located east of Centraal Station in Borgerhout, a suburb that's chiefly home to Moroccan immigrants, and is rarely visited by tourists.
Tram 10 or 24 stops out the front.
reviewed
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Fondation Jacques Brel
Chansonnier Jacques Brel (1929–78) made his debut in 1952 at a cabaret in his native Belgium, and shot to fame in Paris, where he was a contemporary of Édith Piaf and co, though his songs continued to hark back to the bleak ‘flat land’ of his native country. This dedicated archive centre and museum, set up by his daughter, France (named for Brel’s adopted home), contains more than a hundred hours of footage and another hundred of audio recordings, as well as thousands of photographs and articles.
reviewed
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Musée d'Art Réligieux et d'Art Mosan
Just steps away from the Museum of Walloon Life, is the excellent Musée d'Art Réligieux et d'Art Mosan. Spanning several floors, this museum is chock-full of well-preserved religious relics and paintings from the region. Start on the 3rd floor - home to glowing 16th-century statues of St Hubert, the region's patron saint of hunters - then weave your way down. On the 2nd floor, note the worn but nevertheless delicate wood carving of the Vierge (Virgin) that dates right back to 1070.
reviewed
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St Carolus-Borromeuskerk
This stunning Flemish baroque church was built in 1621 by the Jesuits on one of the city's most beautiful public squares. Much of the church, including the façade and tower, was designed by Rubens. Unfortunately, most of the marble interior and 39 ceiling paintings by Rubens and his colleagues were destroyed by fire in 1718. However, baroque art at its prime can be seen in the small Onze Lieve Vrouwekapel (Chapel of Our Lady), inside to the right of the entrance, which was spared by the flames.
reviewed
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Costume and Lace Museum
A stone's throw from the Grand Place, the Costume and Lace Museum is Belgium's second-best lace exhibition (top honours goes to the Nationaal Vlas, Kant en Linnenmuseum in Kortrijk). Notice the sombre black attire once worn by women en promenade (out walking in public) and the more colourful lace gowns for women en visite (visiting someone's home). Note also the antique underwear, including an old bustehouder (bra). Pick up the English-language booklet before setting off.
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Stadhuis
Life in Antwerp radiates out from the Grote Markt, a vast, triangular market square and it's presided over by the impressive Renaissance-style Stadhuis. Designed by Cornelius Floris De Vriendt and completed in 1565, the stadhuis' palatial façade is a blend of Flemish and Italian styles, an innovative departure from the standard Gothic architecture prevalent at the time of construction. The commanding gable is topped by a fine gilded eagle and flanked by statues representing wisdom and justice.
reviewed
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Musée du Costume et de la Dentelle
Lace-making has been one of Flanders’ finest (and most eye-straining) crafts since the 16th century. While <em>kloskant</em> (bobbin lace) is believed to have originated in Bruges, <em>naaldkant</em> (needlepoint lace) developed in Italy but was predominantly made in Brussels. The Costume and Lace Museum reveals lace’s applications for under- and outerwear over the centuries, as well as displaying other luxury textiles such as embroidery. Ask for an English-language booklet.
reviewed
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Bar Tabac
Tiny bar that looks like it was plucked from an obscure village in rural France and plonked in 't Zuid. The odd thing is it has been going for years and is always packed. The décor's no more than a faded Michelin map and two old cigarette vending machines, plus a hotchpotch of old metal tables and chairs. In summer there's a terrace section for relaxing on crusty cinema seats; in winter everyone's jammed inside. 'Drunk Wednesdays' see beers going for around €1 and a DJ spinning tracks.
reviewed
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Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
The clip-clop of hooves hitting cobblestones resounds constantly in the streets of Bruges. In summer, aim to jump on board between 18:00 and 19:00 - by this time day-trippers have left the city, locals are stirring dinner at home, and most tourists are taking a shower. Bruges' streets take on a semitranquil air at this time of day, and the gold-topped buildings shimmer in the late sun rays. Carriages depart from the Markt, and their route takes 35 minutes (including a pit stop at the Begijnhof).
reviewed
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St Pauluskerk
Marking the start of the sailors' quarter, or 't Schipperskwartier, is St Pauluskerk. The proud, white Gothic church (1517) was built for the Dominicans. It suffered over the years due to fires, the latest in 1968 when locals rallied to save the art treasures inside. The baroque interior is resplendent with a stunning procession of wooden confessionals and carvings, altars, a (partly) ancient organ and marble embellishments, as well as paintings by the 17th-century masters and lesser artists.
reviewed
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St-Baafskathedraal & The Adoration Of The Mystic Lamb
Flemish Primitive artist Jan Van Eyck's richly detailed 20-panel altarpiece, De Aanbidding van het Lam Gods (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb; 1432) is one of the earliest-known oil paintings in existence and the highlight of Ghent's 22-altar, stained-glass-adorned cathedral. A rare depiction of God the Father can be seen on the altarpiece's upper tier, while the lower tier features the eponymous lamb, symbolising Christ's sacrifice. The altarpiece's survival defies the odds - see .
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Het Pomphuis
Monumental restaurant-brasserie-bar that occupies an old pump house located on a spit way to the north of the old city centre in the surreal world of Antwerp's mammoth harbour. Inside it's one big glassy space, overseen by eclectic architectural features, including Art Nouveau elements. Enter and come face-to-face with a 7m deep pit where the pumps once turned. The restaurant does Belgian and world cuisine, and the service is friendly and attentive. If you're without a car, a taxi's a must.
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Tierenteyn-Verlent
Ghent’s traditional mustard-maker, the 1790-established Tierenteyn-Verlent, has occupied this heritage-listed shop since 1860, and it retains its original interior of tall glass cabinets of apothecary and spice jars behind varnished timber counters. Mustard is still made using original techniques and only natural ingredients: vinegar, salt and ground mustard seeds. Each jar comes with its own little wooden spoon (plastic spoons can also be used, but not metal, as it separates the vinegar).
reviewed
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Tierenteyn-Verlent
Ghent's traditional mustard-maker, the 1790-established Tierenteyn-Verlent, has occupied this heritage-listed shop since 1860, and it retains its original interior of tall glass cabinets of apothecary and spice jars behind varnished timber counters. Mustard is still made using original techniques and only natural ingredients: vinegar, salt and ground mustard seeds. Each jar comes with its own little wooden spoon (plastic spoons can also be used, but not metal, as it separates the vinegar).
reviewed
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St-Baafskathedraal & The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb
Flemish Primitive artist Jan Van Eyck’s richly detailed 20-panel altarpiece, De Aanbidding van het Lam Gods (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb; 1432) is one of the earliest-known oil paintings in existence and the highlight of Ghent’s 22-altar, stained-glass-adorned cathedral. A rare depiction of God the Father can be seen on the altarpiece’s upper tier, while the lower tier features the eponymous lamb, symbolising Christ’s sacrifice. The altarpiece’s survival defies the odds.
reviewed