Brussels
An unpretentious mix of grand edifices and modern skyscrapers,
Brussels is a modest, confident capital that many visitors find
to be an acquired taste. Since it doubles as the capital of the
European Union, it's packed to the rafters with bureaucrats and
Eurocrats who have given the place an air of bustling efficiency
without exactly festooning it with fun. The city is built along
a pentagon of boulevards known as the Petit Ring. At its heart
is the Grand Place, arguably Europe's most beautiful central square.
Within a twenty-minute walk is much of the city's accommodation,
most of it easily accessible by tram, bus or metro.
Around the Grand Place are a number of museums, architectural
gems and oddities. To the south, behold the famous Manneken Pis,
the statue of a boy taking a leak on a street corner. Are the
Belgians taking the piss? You decide. To the north, Tintin fans
should not go past the Comic Strip Centre in an Art Nouveau building
designed by Horta. To the east, near the Royal Palace, the Ancient
Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum complement each other brilliantly.
Brussels' dining heart is Rue des Bouchers (Butcher's Street),
near the Grand Place. Here you'll find lobster, crab, mussels
and fish awaiting conspicuous consumption in one terrace restaurant
after another. And to think, not a sprout in sight.
Antwerp
While its name may evoke heavy sighs from any would-be Pieter
Paul Rubens who ever picked up a paintbrush, the compact and richly
historic city of Antwerp is Belgium's most underrated tourist
destination. It's bordered by the Scheldt River and the 'Ring',
a highway built on a 16th-century moat which encircled the city
in a vain attempt to keep the Spanish out.
As a world port, Antwerp's air is international and just a tad
seedy, while from behind the discreet facades of the Jewish quarter
the world's largest diamond industry thrives. Few places tangle
the old and the (relatively) new quite so enchantingly. Here eclectic
Art Nouveau mansions stare back at Neo-Renaissance villas, and
medieval castles provide a magical backdrop for the city's myriad
bars and cafes.
Home to Belgium's largest Gothic church (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Katedraal),
and the birthplace of Rubens, Antwerp is a haven for art lovers,
architecture buffs and aimless wanderers. For a great collection
of Flemish Primitives, check out its Royal Museum of Fine Art.
And for a great collection of exotic beasties, the Antwerp Zoo
is highly recommended.
About 40km due north of Brussels, Antwerp has an airport and there
are international trains and buses from Brussels and neighbouring
countries.
Bruges
Europe's best-preserved medieval city and Belgium's most visited
town, this 13th-century 'living museum' was suspended in time
five centuries ago by the silting of its river. Blessed with two
medieval cores, the Markt and the Burg, the town also boasts some
of the country's most compelling art collections. The Groeninge
Museum specialises in blood-and-guts Early Primitives and the
14th-century Stadhuis features both fine paintings and furniture.
For a spectacular view of this ambler's delight, climb the 366
stairs of the central belfort.
You can catch a train to this north-eastern town from Antwerp
or Brussels. Buses pass through from Antwerp to London, via Calais
in France. Day trips are also popular from Bruges to the famous
poppy-filled battlefields of Flanders.
Ghent
If it wasn't for Paris, Ghent would be medieval Europe's largest
city. Steeped in history both rebellious and industrious, it sits
at the junction of the Leie and Scheldt rivers and was once the
site of armed battles by its townsfolk, who raged against heavy
taxes and restricted civil liberties. Ghent is grey and somewhat
begrimed - not picturesque like Bruges, but ultimately more realistic.
Like Bruges, the town has a belfort well worth climbing and, at
the Sint-Baafskathedral, a must-see masterpiece by Jan van Eyck
- Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
Between Brussels and Bruges, the city is best reached by bus or
train.
The Ardennes
Home to deep river valleys and high forests, Belgium' s southeast
corner is often overlooked by travellers hopping between the old
art towns and the capital. But here you'll find tranquil villages
nestled into the grooves of the Meuse, Lesse and Ourthe valleys
or sitting atop the verdant hills. It was in this area that the
Battle of the Bulge once raged. There are several tours available
which make the most of the ancient citadels of the region.
The town of Namur is the best base for exploration - well positioned
on the railway line to Luxembourg and with rail and bus connections
to some of the more inaccessible spots.
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