Suggested Itineraries

Brussels and the Flemish Art Cities (Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent)
in three days

Day 1 - Brussels

Museum of Ancient Art (Brueghel room), Cathedral of St. Michael, Grand’Place (mandatory stop for a beer), shop for lace and chocolates, visit covered arcade St. Hubert, Sablon square which is the antiques area (second mandatory stop for beer on the charming square). 

At night you can go to the famous opera or catch a movie in the original language

(Sylvester Stallone will not speak French, he comes subtitled!) or go to the ballet or a concert.

You can also go to a wonderful restaurant," eat mussels in Brussels, it’s a must" and wash them down with one of our 350 beers. Some are potent, be careful.  Always check the local newspaper for festivals and folklore.

Day 2 - Antwerp (Train:1 hour or Highway E19: 28 miles)

Antwerp is a city that reached its peak in the 16^th century. Now it is a bustling harbor city and a world center for the diamond industry. Musts are the Cathedral with smashing paintings by Rubens, Rubens house (now Museum), Plantyn Moretus museum (Printing house from the 16^th century), Royal museum of Ancient Art for more Rubens paintings. Get a fresh nose on the promenade along the river Scheldt, buy a diamond if you are rich or very much in love, stroll in the old town, stop in the trendy fashion stores, go to some of the cozy cafes, on Sundays don’t miss the "vogelmarkt". At the outskirts is Middelheim, one of the best open air sculpture parks in Europe.

Day 3 - Ghent (Train:45 minutes or Highway E40: 35 miles)
and Bruges (Train: 1 hour or Highway E40: 25 miles)

Bruges is the most romantic city in Belgium and maybe in the whole of Europe. Medieval bridges span romantic canals. Discover Bruges on foot or by boat. An absolute must is the Memling museum housed in the 12^th century Hospital of St, John. But you also have to visit the Chapel of the Holy Blood, the Town Hall, the Groeninghe Museum, the Gruuthuse and climb the Belfry. You will still have time to buy some lace if you forgot to do so in Brussels.

Off the Beaten Track Itineraries in Flanders

Take the ring from Brussels to highway E40 and exit no 18 to N46 to Oudenaarde.

Oudenaarde
During the Middle Ages Oudenaarde was repeatedly attacked by the people of Ghent who were their great rivals in the cloth weaving business. Emperor Charles V seduced a local beauty and their daughter, Margareth, became the governess of the Low Lands under Philips II.

The town hall is a must and with the one in Brussels and Mechelen among the most beautiful gothic buildings in Europe. Visit the 13^th c. church of our Lady. In the aristocratic roccoco Lalaing house a collection of “Verdure” tapestries, specialty of Oudenaarde, are on display.

Take N 8 to Kortrijk.

Kortrijk
Kortrijk was at the peak of its glory in the 15^th c. when, like all the other cities in Flanders, it produced the coveted cloth in Europe. But ,here, soon the wool weaving was replaced by flax as the soft water of the Leie river is particularly suited for the retting of flax.   In July 1302 it was under the walls of Kortrijk that the French King, Philip the Handsome’s elite cavalry was defeated by the craftsmen of Ieper and Bruges in the famous battle of the Golden Spurs.    Visit the Beguinage founded in the 13thc. And the church of our Lady built by Balwin of Constantinople.  The national linen museum is housed in a 19thc. farmhouse. Kortrijk is a small but very wealthy town, ideal for shopping. The stores are elegant and sophisticated.

Take A19 to Ieper.

Ieper
Ieper was another important cloth making town that was at the peak of its power in the 12^th and 13^th centuries.   During WWI Ieper was completely destroyed. The region was the terrain where the British and the German fought the horrible battle of the trenches. More than 300.000 allied troops died and more than 170 military cemeteries are scattered over the countryside.   The Menin memorial gate carries the names of 54.896 British soldiers and every night the last post is played in their honor.   The 14^th c. Cloth Halls were completely destroyed but carefully rebuilt in the original style.

Take N8 to Veurne

If you have time, take one of the yellow roads to the west and then north and enjoy a pleasant ride through the countryside that will bring you to Veurne as well.   The market square is lined with gabled 17^th c. houses and dominated by a 17^th c. town hall in Flemish Renaissance style.    Every year the procession of the Penitents goes through town with floats where groups represent life and death of Christ.   If you feel like ending this excursion with a peck at the sea, go to the Panne where you can walk or sand sail on beautiful wide beaches all the way to the French border.

Via E40 it takes less than 11/2h to get back to Brussels

Leave Brussels via the beautiful avenue de Tervuren. If you wish you can visit the Museum of African art.

Continue to Leuven, together with Paris, Cambridge and Oxford this city is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe. The "Alma Mater" was founded in 1425. The Town Hall built in late gothic style by Jean Keldermans II is a particularly elegant building. When the students are in residence there is a lot of atmosphere and Belgian beer flows freely. Continue to Diest where you should visit the beguinage. Beguinages and belfries are found all over Belgium. They are all on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.



Hasselt is an elegant provincial town with great shopping and a local gin worth stopping for.   Aldenbiezen is a formidable castle founded by the knights of the Teutonic Order.   Tongeren founded by one of Julius Cesar's lieutenants has a Gallo-Roman museum to prove it.  St. Truiden is a charming town in the midst of "Haspengouw", a gently undulating region of orchards especially beautiful in the spring when the fruit trees are in bloom.   You can go back via Tienen or directly via the super highway E 40 which will take you to Brussels in less than 30 minutes

From Bruges you can make a nice day excursion by car or by bike.

Leave Bruges via the Dammepoort and go along the canal to Damme once the outer harbor of Bruges on the Zwin estuary.

There is a lovely small town hall, a few fun restaurants and cafes.

Continue to Knokke het Zoute our most elegant and trendy sea resort with a great golf course and a bird sanctuary "het Zwin" which is a world of channels, tides and salt marshes.

On the way back to Bruges stop at Lissewege a delightful village dominated by the brick tower of its church.

From Ghent we suggest a day excursion to the Leie region.

The banks of the river Leie inspired many a painter in the late 19th and early 20th century. They formed a loose group of young bohemian artist "soon to" be called the school of St. Martens Latem.

Visit Nevele; Deurle for its Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum (The collection features works by, James Ensor, George Minne, Constant Permeke, Albert Servaes, Gustave van de Woestijne and Rik Wouters);

Continue to St. Martens Lathem and the castles of Ooidonk, once the home of the Count of Hornes.

From Ooidonk you can continue on N 43 to Kortrijk another prosperous town where in the 14th century the craftsmen of Ieper and Bruges defeated the cream of the French nobility sent by the King to defend his interests in rebellious Flanders. The weather was against the King that day, the swampy fields were saturated with rain and the knights in heavy armor and on horseback were literally stopped in the mud by the agile foot folk.

Rather than returning directly to Gent take N 8 to Oudenaarde just to have a look at the spectacular late gothic town hall. Highway N 60 will bring you back to Gent in no time.