Bruges
Under ongoing redevelopment since 2015, ’t Zand is Bruges' largest public square and a major transport hub, fringed with shops, hotels and restaurants…
Must-see attractions in West Flanders
Bruges
This appealing Museum of Folk Life presents visitors with 18 themed tableaux illustrating Flemish life in times gone by – a 1930s sweets shop, a hatter’s…
Ostend
Once a vibrant fishing village, Walraversijde disappeared entirely following the strife of 1600 to 1604, leaving mere foundations. Today the…
West Flanders
The mythical Westvleteren Trappist beer comes from this isolated abbey in Westvleteren village, 7km north of Poperinge; it's reached via a web of tiny…
Bruges
Founded in 1856, though there has been a brewery on the site since 1564, this is the last family brouwerij (brewhouse) in central Bruges. Multilingual, 45…
Bruges
Stacked sub-towers top the massive central tower of 13th-century St Saviour’s Cathedral. In daylight the construction looks somewhat dour, but once…
Sanctuary Wood (Hill 62) Museum
West Flanders
This gnome-fronted, surreally ordinary house displays a chaotic hotchpotch of WWI helmets, shoes, guns and harrowing photos, some in antiquated wooden…
West Flanders
Though English troops nicknamed it 'Good old Pops', Poperinge had a more sinister side – it was a place of execution for wartime deserters. Hidden behind…
Bruges
Admission to this small historical church-hospital complex is free with a St-Janshospitaal museum ticket. Ring the bell to gain entry and you’ll find fine…
Bruges
In the 13th century, Bruges' great walls were dotted with molens (windmills) where cereals were ground into flour – at one time 25 ringed the city. Today,…
West Flanders
This lake-fronted Normandy-chalet-style mansion and gardens are located in the centre of Zonnebeke village. The mansion was built in 1922 to replace a…
Bruges
While Antwerp is now the centre of the diamond industry, the idea of polishing the stones with diamond ‘dust’ was originally pioneered in Bruges. This is…
Bruges
In the 13th century, Bruges' great walls were dotted with molens (windmills) where cereals were ground into flour. Four still stand on the eastern rampart…
Bruges
The Markt's newest attraction will appeal to the many who love a Belgian beer. Guided by a multilingual iPad app, the museum takes you through the history…
Bruges
The Kantcentrum displays a collection of lace in a row of interlinked old cottages. In the afternoons (2pm to 5pm) you can watch bobbin lace being made by…
West Flanders
Highlights of this fine art museum include Roelandt Savery’s 1604 masterpiece Plundering of a Village and Emmanuel Viérin’s semi-impressionist scenes of…
West Flanders
A classical 17th-century farmstead houses this delightful museum that comprehensively examines baking from grain production to speculaas (a type of…
Ypres
Unrelated to WWI, this museum faithfully reproduces a French manor house dating from 1774 and is filled with period antiques and artworks. The catch: it's…
Belgian Coast
This cute popular theme park is based around Belgian TV character Plop the gnome and his friends. It's a kid-pleasing world of rides, roller coasters and…
Bruges
This stately 18th-century patrician house displays the powerful paintings and dark-hued etchings of Frank Brangwyn (1867–1956), a Bruges-born artist of…
Ostend
Most of the beachfront is overshadowed by 10-storey concrete buildings, but beside the very ‘50s Thermae Palace Hotel there's some respite where a…
West Flanders
Promising seven centuries in one day, this modern multimedia ‘experience’ museum delves deep into the background events leading up to the Battle of the…
West Flanders
Kortrijk's curved central square is scarred by insensitive 20th-century constructions, but the slightly leaning, multi-spired brick belfort (belfry)…
West Flanders
This iconic pair of three-storey fortress towers guards a picturesque arched stone bridge across the River Leie in central Kortrijk. Last reminders of a…
Ostend
This fully rigged, three-masted 1932 sailing ship was once used for Belgian Navy training purposes and is now a nautical museum that hosts changing…
West Flanders
Small but utterly delightful, Kortrijk’s enclosed begijnhof is as charming a cluster of whitewashed old terraced houses as you could hope to find. Enter…
Bruges
The 13th-century former market halls occupy a rectangular building at the base of the Belfort, only 44m across but 84m deep. The halls have been at the…
Ypres
Directly behind the Lakenhalle, this vast church was a cathedral until 1797 and was almost totally destroyed in WWI. Reconstruction has beautifully…
West Flanders
Echoing with wistful music, this church has a gilt sunburst altarpiece, heraldic panels in the 1373 St-Catherinekapel and features Van Dyck’s 1631…
Bruges
The enlightening Domestic Lamp Museum has over 6500 artefacts relating to domestic lighting throughout history, making it the largest collection of its…
West Flanders
The 13th-century Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk was vastly expanded in the village’s heyday, only to be partially torn down in 1725 when it (and its maintenance…
West Flanders
The 1628 octagonal belfort (belfry), a Unesco World Heritage site, rises behind the 17th-century former courthouse building. It now houses a helpful…
Museum-Gallery XPO Salvador Dali
Bruges
Located within the Belfort, this small gallery has one of the largest private collections of work (primarily sketches, painting and sculpture) of the…
West Flanders
Diksmuide's imposing Saint Nicholas Church anchors the Markt and is a great backdrop for your Flanders Fields photo album. The church was almost…
Ostend
The last Ostend trawler to have fished around Iceland (1970s) is brought to life with waxwork figures, videos and sound effects. Highlights include the…
Bruges
Originally built around 1420, St James' Church was significantly expanded into its present structure in 1459, but it wasn't until the late 17th and early…
Belgian Coast
One of the largest marinas in northern Europe. Come here to gaze at the tall masts bobbing on the water, or to hook up with a skipper for local cruises,…
West Flanders
The noble 83m tower that adds such finesse to the Kortrijk skyline belongs to this mostly 15th-century Gothic church, built on the site of St-Eloi’s 7th…
Ypres
This excellent visitors centre should be your first port of call if you're a Commonwealth citizen looking for information about a family member who died…
Belgian Coast
De Hann's circular park is located at the heart of the village and features a playground, tennis courts and manicured lawns perfect for picnicking and…
