The “wow” factor is high as you walk through the narrow uneven cobblestone alleys to suddenly emerge on the large square at the Grand Place. It’s the number one sight in Brussels, and one of the finest medieval squares in Europe. The tall Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque facades of the elaborately crafted guild houses tower …
With her atmospheric medieval squares and castles, and magnificent renaissance palaces, Belgium is Western Europe’s most underrated tourist destination. Foremost amongst Belgium’s extraordinary historic sites are forty-one ancient weathered gray stone and red brick abbeys. Today, many of these monasteries lie sadly in ruins, derelict victims of revolution, war and other turbulent social events …
Europe has many elaborately crafted medieval town squares, but none is as ornate or theatrical as the Grand Place in Brussels. The stunning 17th century neo-classical Flemish façades of the superbly restored guild houses on this cobblestone square tell about its days of glory when Brussels was one of Europe’s main centers of industry. After …
Farmers and Antique Markets in Brussels My first experience with the markets in Brussels was on a drizzly Saturday, as many of them tend to be, at the Clemenceau market. A friend and I stepped out of the metro station and into a gauntlet of women who would flash iPhones to anyone who looked like …
Usually, the thought of a tasty, ice cold brew at the end of a long trek is what keeps even the most intrepid traveler fueled and focused when life on the road gets a little hard going. Thankfully, pretty much everywhere you go in Europe you’re up to your waist in world-class brew, and better …
Where to stay in Brussels Best place to Stay in Brussels for tourists Brussels has 19 main municipalities, but the most important tourist attractions are to be found in the following Brussels’ neighborhoods: Brussels-City, Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Schaerbeek, and Koekelberg. The Metro in Brussels lets you explore the sights easily though, so finding the best area to …
We’ve sung the praises of Bruges, Belgium’s Fairytale City. But Bruges charming sister village, Ghent, should not be missed; it is just a couple of train stops away and is one of the best things to do in Belgium. Ghent has the same medieval architecture as Bruges, and it too remains untouched by decades of wars. It also offers …
Belgium is best known for its gorgeous chocolate and beer products, but another key culinary delight is the humble waffle. If you really want to get to know the food favourites of a country, then the best way of doing so is to try them yourself. On a recent trip to Belgium, we found …
On the way to Ostend—an hour train ride from Brussels — I was reading Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in Eighty Days. In the book, the characters are constantly hopping boats and trains and going through port cities, so it felt appropriate to step off the train at the end of the line to …
Bruges is a fairytale paradise in the tiny European country of Belgium. Stepping off the train at the station, you are immediately transported back in time to medieval Europe, a period when the primary mode of transport was by horse and carriage. The city is popular with visitors worldwide for its canals as well as …