The Antwerp six - Toerisme Vlaanderen

Fabulous
Flanders
TRADITIONAL YET TRENDY
Seductive
Brussels
Bruges, an unfinished
love affair
Food of the Gods
The
Antwerp six
UNESCO made in
Ghent
Flanders
in 48 Hours
© Koen Broos
For you
International travel writers focus on their Flanders
4-11
The art of living
More...
France I
Food of the Gods
France I
4-11
HUGUES DESPLACES
Hugues Desplaces (“Figaroscope”
magazine) was asked to visit
Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels and
Ghent without going into one
single museum. Reluctant at first
he relates his itinerary that is new
and refreshing, “Art de Vivre” with
shopping, interesting addresses
and night life.
JEAN MICHEL CHARBONNIER
Jean Michel Charbonnier, journalist and art historian – writes
for “Beaux Art Magazine” &
“Connaissance des Arts” – and
is always on the look out for
new unusual museums. Here he
discovers four places that may
surprise you.
JUAN NIETO BARROSO
(Spain) Editor in Chief of
Sie7e (“Seven”).
The marvels of Mechelen
MARIE EUDES LAURIOT
(France) Contributes a.o. to
“L’Express Magazine” and
“L’Echo Touristique”.
Ghent in 48 hours
I
JOHN BRUNTON
(Great-Britain)
Writes for “Elle”, “Gala”,...
Bruges, an unfinished love affair
HARRY KAMPIANNE
(France) Contributor to
“Art Actuel” and “Art
Actualité Magazine”.
22-25
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A sip of beer for hangdogs
Fashion
Germany I
18-19
REINHARD KRIECHBAUM
KLAUS SIMON
Klaus Simon contributes to Fazz,
Geo Saison and is the author of
35 travel guides. He wrote his first
article about the “Antwerp Six”
fashion phenomenon 15 years
ago. Since, he has published articles about Louvain, Ghent, Bruges
as well as articles on Magritte and
Ensor. In short Klaus Simon is a
Flanders connoisseur.
INTRODUCTION
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(Austria) Travel writer for
“Salzburger Nachrichten” and
other newspapers.
Leuven in 24 hours
H I L D E VA N D U R M E & E L I N E
(Belgium) Hilde free lances for
“De Standaard”, “HR Magazine”
& Eline is press officer at the
Tourist Office for Flanders.
Flanders by bike
Only in Flanders
28-29
VERBAUWHEDE
I
MOGENS HANSEN
(Denmark) Journalist and news
editor of Denmark’s largest newspaper “Jyllands-Posten”.
Spain I M A R I A P I L A R Q U E R A LT E L H I E R R O
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20
Maria Pilar Queralt el Hierro is a
contributor to “Viajes National
Geographic”. She published a
historical novel and many travel
guides of Spain. In Flanders she
persued both her passions for
history and travel.
Spain I
HISTORY IN THE WINDOW
With a pen in one hand and a
camera in the other, journalist
and art-lover Milena Ercole Pozzo-
MAOLE CEREZO
Maole Cerezo is a contributor to
“Paisajes desde el tren” and “Elle”
Spain. Fascinated by the rich fantasy and sensuality of Art Nouveau,
she traveled to Brussels and
Antwerp to find some of the most
beautiful buildings to be found in
Europe.
li (Italy) eagerly seized the opportunity to visit Belgium and discover the wealth and variety of
its antique shops and markets.
She writes for such popular magazines as “Dove” and “Viaggi
e Sapori”.
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© Koen Broos
Fabulous Flanders
traditional yet trendy
Americans are often puzzled about
Flanders. Mysterious though Flanders
may be it’s easy to unlock its secrets...
INTRODUCTION
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03
Now the hour that’s striking belongs to
Flanders. Word is circling in smart sets that
new vitality is blossoming in the land known
for its fashion designers, literary sorts and
trendy eateries. People from all over the
world are flocking to partake in the scene
that is Paris sans l’attitude and Amsterdam
minus the frat boys. Those who arrive here
discover that Flanders is dripping with fabulous architecture, brimming with fireside
nooks, and layered in multi-cultural complexity, all of which have made it one of the world’s
creative spots...
DISTANCES ARE SHORT AND TO YOU IT WILL LOOK AS IF FLEMISH CITIES ARE
ONLY A SUBWAY RIDE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER
Getting
there
NETHERLANDS
NORTH SEA
UNITED KINGDOM
AMSTERDAM
LONDON
O O
Brussels - Paris
C
Channel
294 km (183 miles)
Tunnel
Brussels - London
328 km (204 miles)
Brussels - Frankfurt
409 km (254 miles)
Brussels - Cologne
219 km (136 miles)
Brussels - Amsterdam
209 km (130 miles)
Bruges
Antwerp
Mechelen
Flanders
Hasselt
Ypres Oudenaarde BRUSSELS
Ghent
Leuven
Mons
BELGIUM
Liège
Namur
GERMANYY
LUXEMBOURG
FRANCE
PARIS
You cannot find a country that is more
centrally located in Europe than Belgium.
From the U.S. there are six NON STOP
flights daily and from New York the trip
takes only 6,5 hours. But many other
combinations can bring you to Belgium
Cologne
via London, Paris, Amsterdam or
Cologne. Excellent trains connect these
cities to Brussels. So next time you go
to Paris or London you should board one
urt of our sexy (and fast) trains to come to
urt
Frankfurt
our country for a few days.
LUXEMBOURG
An extraordinary house
The painting hangs so discretely in a corner of the room above the
sofa that a casual visitor could easily miss it. And yet it is one of
the two versions of Pieter Bruegel’s masterpiece, The Fall of Icarus.
Even the cushions have an artistic pedigree; they were designed
by Sonia Delaunay. And notice the black marble fireplace, built in
the same dimensions as the painting above it, Seascape at Night,
by Constant Permeke (1913). Nothing has been left to chance in
the house-turned-museum of David and Alice van Buuren. This
wealthy Dutch banker and his wife from Antwerp spared no
expense to make their home a work of art.
Completed in 1928, the one-time van Buuren residence is now a
source of delightful surprises in the Art Deco style: the furniture,
stained-glass windows, chandeliers, carpets and curtains were
all supplied by the noted Parisian decorator Dominique, or else
commissioned from designers of the Amsterdam school. Several
rooms were conceived with paintings of the van Buuren collection in mind: the landscapes of Hercule Seghers, portraits by Kees
van Dongen or Foujita, a still life by James Ensor, several pictures
by Gustave van de Woestyne, one of the leading figures in the
Laethem-Saint-Martin school of painting.
The David and Alice van Buuren Museum /
Interior
A house that seems to be all one with its garden, construction
began in the Twenties and grew until it reached its present size
and form in 1970. To the rose garden they added a picturesque
Japanese garden and a hedge shaped into a maze inspired by the
Song of Songs. Finally, Alice commissioned a secret garden set
aside for meditation, her last expression of love for her husband
who had died fifteen years earlier.
WRITER
I JEAN MICHEL CHARBONN IER
THE DAVID AND ALICE VAN BUUREN MUSEUM
41 Avenue Leo Errera, Brussels
Telephone: +32 2 343 48 51
www.museumvanbuuren.be
© A. Kouprianoff
MUSEUMS
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© J. De Brie
Br u ssels
Museums
The art of living
Seductive Brussels
The city’s many voices
The Place Saint Gery is another meeting place for
friends and for strangers who soon become friends.
It’s a stroll from the Rue Dansaert and the Rue du
Vieux Marche aux Grains where the creative community lives or has set up shop: here are the boutiques of decorators or fashion designers and some
of the best inexpensive restaurants.
At midday, the Quartier Sainte Catherine, once the
city’s port, the atmosphere is decidedly cosmopolitan: an Englishman sits reading The Times, a
Spaniard his El Pais while a German shouts into his
cell phone to make himself heard above the raucous laughter of a group of Italians. A Belgian family
on their bicycles glides by indifferent to the general
hubbub. In Brussels, Europe is a neighbourhood and
a daily experience where residents and visitors have
learned to live contentedly together.
And that’s not all...
Thanks to the city’s relatively modest dimensions, it manages to
combine the chic and the simple, the monumental and the modest in one harmonious community. Perhaps the secret of Brussels
lies in this juxtaposition of traditional and trendy. Whatever it is,
the result today is a capital city that has become one of Europe’s
most desirable destinations.
WRITER
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THE ART OF LIVING
For proof, you need only visit the Grand’Place. Any one of seven
narrow streets will take you to this prodigious architectural vision
of the past. At night when the façade is illuminated all the way
up to its sky-piercing spire, the Hotel de Ville is, if possible, even
more impressive.
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There’s always that other Brussels, too, the everyday Brussels that
the natives enjoy. Lovers of mussels and fries and the incomparable Belgian beers, fans of the Manneken Pis, admirers of the
Royal Family who can look up at the imposing Royal Palace where
Albert II has his office, shoppers who wander the covered Galeries
Royales Saint Hubert with its splendid boutiques of every kind,
they all feel at home in the postcard Brussels that never disappoints.
I HUGUES DESPLACES
1 I Fancy café in Gallery St. Hubert
2 I Beautiful Art Nouveau door
3 I View of Brussels at dusk
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© Johan Jacobs
Not far from the world-famous Grand’Place is the
Rue Marche au Charbon where artists, poets, students, tourists, gays and happy families all coexist. Bookstores, art galleries, shops for stamp collectors and much else besides have made the nearby
Quartier Saint Jacques a Belgian bohemia.
At night the streets become even livelier and the
cafes and bistrots (Le Soleil is only one of many) fill
with the young or young-in-spirit looking for a good
time, and sure to find it.
The newcomer to Brussels soon discovers there’s always something exciting going on. Two of the biggest, best and most reliable venues are the Bozar, the cultural pleasure palace built by
Victor Horta with its concert halls and art galleries, and, on the
other side of town, Flagey, the fabulous Art Deco building converted from a major radio broadcasting centre to an avantgarde
“sound and image factory”. Then there’s the restaurant unlike like
any other, Belga Queen, in the Rue Fosse aux Loups (be sure to
book ahead!).
© Van Hulst
Architecturally eclectic, Brussels embraces a variety
of styles: neo-classical, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and
contemporary. Perhaps it’s this very absence of unity
that makes it seem anything but settled or sedate. It
begins, as much as anywhere, in the Vieille Halle aux
Bles where you’ll find the Fondation Jacques Brel,
then connects up with the grand outer boulevards
first dreamed up in the 19th century by Leopold II,
King of the Belgians.
Concerts and cuisine
© Brussels Gewest
Brussels is the capital of all the Belgiums – there’s
more than one – and even, in a sense, of Europe.
And yet Brussels doesn’t really have the look of a
conventional capital; it lacks the air of an arrogant
megalopolis. It ’s a seductive city, altogether human
in scale and style. Even with its population of a million it manages to retain something of a village-like
atmosphere: at the heart of it are the narrow streets
and a jumble of buildings that spread out to its busy
periphery. Unlike most European cities, the elegant
residential area has grown up on the heights that
overlook the centre.
© N. Matsumoto
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A change of decor at the Groeninge Museum has brought a stunning new look to this showcase of Flemish, Belgian and Dutch paintings of the last six centuries. Curator-in-chief Manfred Sellink has
entrusted the renovation of the museum to three young Flemish
architects. The first shock comes at the entrance: the floor beyond
the revolving glass door is an intricate pattern of tiny white tiles
(more than six million in the eleven rooms) and a vast blood-red
carpet. The violent colour goes perfectly with the paintings: the
victim flayed alive in Gerard David’s Judgement of Cambyses; the
incandescent cauldrons in Bosch’s Last Judgement; the sumptuous robe in Van Eyck’s The Virgin and the Canon van der Paele.
Throughout the museum, visitors can expect to find a surprise
around every corner. Austere portraits of Dutch burghers of the
Golden Age and paintings of the neo-classical period hang from
ink-black mouldings. To appreciate the collection of still-lives visitors are invited to sit on a series of white porcelain steps. Then the
display of landscapes occupies an entire wall from floor to ceiling
in a fascinatingly jumbled chronology from seventeenth century
marine views to Symbolist visions. The reserves have recently
been opened and there are canvases united by themes that hang
on panels of metal grid work. For the last act of this museumspectacle, James Ensor, Marcel Broodthaers and other modernists
bring the exhibition to a dramatic finale.
WRITER I JEAN MIC HEL CHARBONNI E R
© cel fotografie Stad Brugge
MUSEUMS
S
Museums
Surprise at every corner
Art lecture at Groeninge Museum
THE GROENINGE MUSEUM
12 Dijver, Bruges
www.brugge.be
Telephone: +32 50 44 87 11
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 5 pm
The art of living
Wandering about Bruges
© J. De Brie
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The people of Bruges know how to prepare and to appreciate good
food, as the number of shops selling fresh fruit and vegetables,
fish, meat and cheese clearly demonstrate. The best of them is not
necessarily the biggest: De Westhoek has to be seen to be believed
with its display and heady aroma of cheeses like “Oud Brugge” or
its varieties of ham and sausage.
I P H I L I P P E D E S P LA C ES
© P. Monney
Later, after dark, the old theatre quarter lights up to become the
haunt of insomniacs and the lovers of nightlife. With its borrowed
air of the Parisian Palace of the good old days, the Coullisen is a
popular spot where the blue-jeans-and-T-shirt crowd hang out.
The pavements of Vlamingstraat are another animated venue for
the in-crowd. And suddenly the visitor realises that the Bruges
famous for its museums and past splendours is very much a
young, lively and thoroughly entertaining town. But then when
the time comes to tear yourself away and return to your hotel the
darkened street illuminated by the moon once again recreate the
atmosphere of the Middle Ages. And as you walk along brightly-lit
monuments statues surprise you in square after square. A unique
place to walk, look and wonder – that’s Bruges for you!
WRITER
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THE ART OF LIVING
Many visitors leave the city after six o’clock when the residents
come out for an evening on the town. One of their favourite meeting spots is the miniature café in the smallest street in Bruges,
De Garre, no more than a metre wide and about 20 metres from
one end to the other. Inside this typical estaminet they serve all
of 135 different kinds of beer. No danger of driving home under
the influence because in Bruges people go everywhere on foot.
Cars are a rarity. Here the pedestrian is king (or queen, as the case
may be), living in happy coexistence with the cyclists and horsedrawn carriages.
Floating on a romantic canal
Fresh fish from nearby North Sea
Cozy terrace by the water
Gate to Medieval Times
© D. de Kievith
Looking at the city from the inside we discover, among so many
other wonders, the statue of a rare beauty by Michaelangelo of the
Madonna and Child. Tourists in their thousands explore the narrow cobbled streets on foot or take boat trips along the canals that
thread the city. While at the height of the season Bruges attracts
eager visitors from all over, in the evening when the rush is over
there’s another kind of Bruges to be discovered. The newcomer
in search of peace and quiet can always find an uncrowded street
between two tall brick walls or an inviting canal-side bench.
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© P. Monney
Wherever you wander, wherever you look in Bruges you are surrounded by loveliness. You couldn’t escape it even if you tried.
A glittering canal encircles the center of this ancient town like a
jewelled necklace. Bruges has had the wisdom to keep the urban
planners at bay and leave its handsome, centuries-old buildings
alone. And yet, old as she is, Bruges has kept the trim form that
has made her famous ever since the 11th century when she first
began to grow prosperous on a healthy diet of international trade.
Economic capital of northern Europe, Bruges became the envy of
her neighbours. The Burgundians, the Austrians, the French, the
Dutch, they all had their way with her, either regaling her with
architectural wedding presents or as reparations for violating her
sovereignty: the Basilica of Saint John, the Town Hall, the Law
Courts, the Church of Our Lady, the Saint John Hospital, the bell
tower... The list is endless.
WRITER
I J E A N M I C H E L C H A R B O NNIER
MOMU
28 Nationalestraat, Antwerp
Telephone: +32 3 470 27 70
www.momu.be
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm
Catwalk in reverse
© A. Conway
All kinds of things go on here at once – teaching, creating, restoring, exhibiting and promoting the fashions of today and tomorrow (with a backward glance at yesterday). No place in Antwerp
is more stimulating to the imagination than ModeNatie or House
of Fashion. Once the city’s gas works, this early 20th century building has been superbly renovated by Ghent architect Marie-Jose
Van Hee. Tourists mingle with the students in the famous fashion section of the Academy of Fine Arts on the upper floors.
The ModeNatie also houses the offices of the Flanders Fashion
Institute (FFI), the dynamic international promotional organisation
for Belgian fashion. The Institute directs the forum on the ground
floor where the fashion shows, performances, conferences and
exhibitions take place. It coexists with the Museum of Fashion
and Costume or MoMu that has inherited a good part of the historical collections of the former Textile Museum and the Costume
Vrieselhof. There is no permanent collection at the MoMu, but
some exciting temporary shows.
© H. L. Weichselbaum
MUSEUMS
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© DVT Antwerpen
Antwerp
Museums
Stimulating the imagination
The art of living
Antwerp, open to the world
In the old quarter of the city near the
railway station a chic new community
has recently come to life, featuring
the latest in contempoary design. A
mecca for young creative talent, the
Winkelhaak at Offerandestraat is a cultural as well as architectural curiosity.
All over the neighbourhood are modestly sized buildings that have been
restored and turned into boutiques
featuring the latest in design innovation. Nearby is MoMu, Antwerp’s
popular fashion museum that has
given the city its reputation as a lead-
Rubens’ atelier
Not far from here is the Horta, recognised as the restaurant for good food
and atmosphere. It has been restored
with some of the valuable remains
of Victor Horta’s famous Maison du
Peuple in Brussels, torn down in the
For a contrast in sightseeing – a
way of changing your world without
switching cities – there is always the
temptation of strolling through one
of the city’s elegant shopping districts
(rumour has it that even members of
the Royal family drop by sometimes).
Then when it’s nighttime...
WRITER
I
I PHILIPPE DESPLACES
Soaring Antwerp
cathedral
... and night
A café for day...
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When much of the city goes to sleep
then it’s time to go to Hopper’s,
well-known to the locals but still
undiscovered by most casual visitors. This intimate, jazz-flavoured
bar is in the Leopold de Wael Plaats.
If you go in on your own you will
find plenty of customers ready to
strike up a conversation. There’s a
wide-open friendly spirit here that
is often characteristic of port cities. And just because you ’re in
Flanders don’t think for a minute
that the atmosphere can’t be just as
Mediterranean as you’ll find it anywhere.
THE ART OF LIVING
From diamonds to design
The old quarters of Antwerp where the
shadowy streets form gentle curves
amid the houses with their medievalstyle Flemish architecture reveal clear
traces of the commercial success that
has made this city a prosperous trading centre for centuries. But when we
emerge from these streets and come
to the banks of the river Scheldt, we
can see the Antwerp skyline in all its
brilliance. Wharf after wharf jets out
into the river for the shipping from
round the world, the perfect setting
for a waterside promenade. A monumental staircase leads you up to a
broad esplanade from where you can
enjoy a panorama of the river and the
city with the second biggest port in
Europe.
© G. Op de Beeck
As a major international port for river and sea traffic, Antwerp has both
gained and suffered from its highly desirable geographical advantages. The Spanish, Austrians, Dutch,
French and of course the Belgians
have all contributed to make it what
it is today. A rich variety of distinct
neighbourhoods jostle one another
all the way to the historical heart of
the city at the foot of its magnificent
cathedral. In a limited space, Antwerp
has acquired the art of blending its
contrasts in architectural style and its
demographic diversity.
Sixties. The Antwerp Zoo houses
rare animals in most extravagant
buildings. Elephants, giraffes and
onyx seem very happy in a brightly
colored Egyptian temple while rhinoceros and okapis share a Moorish
home. The buildings were designed
to reflect the habitat of their animal
inhabitants. The most spectacular are the homes for the lions and
elephants that have moats instead
of bars to keep them at a safe distance.
© G. Op de Beeck
The city by the sea
ing European capital of la mode.
Something else again entirely is the diamond quarter where some of the world’ s
experts in the fine art of cutting, polishing and trading in diamonds are to
be found. No tour of Antwerp would
be complete without a visit to the
churches where the Flemish genius
of Peter Paul Rubens can be seen in
all its glory – the Cathedral of Our
Lady, the Church of Saint Paul or Saint
Charles Borromee. There is Rubens’
own home, of course, and the Plantin
Moretus Museum.
© T. Gonzalez
Antwerp is a capital in everything
but name. It looks like one and acts
like one. The best way to approach
this thriving Flemish city is by train
which brings you into its gloriously,
even fantastically decorated railway
station. Here’s Antwerp in a nutshell:
baroque, cosmopolitan and busy.
The Museum of the Decorative Arts in Ghent has come to dramatic new life as the Design Museum. The 200-year-old building has preserved its lovely cream-coloured Rococo facade,
some floorboards still creak, the furniture and objets d’art of
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries gleam as before.
But in the courtyard Andrea Branzi has installed a stunning greenish yellow vase that stands two floors high.
Equally impressive is the museum extension. The interior spaces
have been transformed to house two new sections: the applied arts
between 1880 and 1940 and twentieth century design. Belgian Art
Nouveau architects and designers Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde,
Paul Hankar and Gustave Serrurier-Bovy occupy the place of honour with examples of their furniture, tableware and even clothing.
The huge central area composed of coloured glass tiles is a fine
example of modern museography; it conceals a hydraulic elevator
that carries museum-goers from one floor to the next.
WRITER
© Design museum Gent
MUSEUMS
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© Dienst Toerisme Gent
Ghent
Museums
From Rococo to Art Deco
The Design Museum
I J E A N M I C H E L C H A R B O NNIER
DESIGN MUSEUM
5 Jan Breydelstraat, Ghent
Telephone: +32 9 267 99 99
http://design.museum.gent.be/
www.gent.be
The art of living
Ghent, the secret splendour
Whenever foreign visitors find Ghent on the map and
along are the many churches and
notice that it’s on the way to Antwerp or Bruges, they
abbeys that make a walk through the
usually plan to spend an hour or two there before
town an experience of living history.
rushing off to the other two cities. Big mistake! Ghent
Without turning into a museum of a
is a destination in its own right. A city of a rare splen-
city, Ghent has made a future out of its
dour, there’s something distinctive about it that sets
past. For example, a disused old con-
it off from other must-see places. In fact, it stands out
vent in an alley on Saint Bavo Square
even in Flanders. As one of its proud inhabitants has
32, is now a bar that the locals have
said, “Before I’m a Belgian or a Fleming I’m a citizen
dubbed Glengarry where they serve a
of Ghent.”
choice of 200 different whiskies. Then
ter is a former sugar factory called
Having learned from a long and tumultuous his-
Temmerman that has acquired a cosy
tory never to give in, he or she loves nothing bet-
doll’ s house atmosphere. At Van
ter than to fight for a good cause. Only recently, the
Hoorebeke’s, the best chocolate shop
announcement of plans to build an underground park-
in town, you can look down through
ing garage in the centre of town so infuriated them
a big opening in the floor and watch
that the authorities were forced to scrap the ill-con-
chocolate-making artisans preparing
ceived scheme.
the delicious dark brown liquid accord-
© J. De Brie
in the Kraanlei in the Patershol quarYour typical Gentenaar is a chauvinist and a rebel.
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ing to traditional recipes.
swarms into the major commercial
Even though Charles V tried to crush the city by reduc-
arteries such as Hoogpoort or Lange
ing it to a mere province, the people have remained
Munt which connects the Vegetable
Burgundian in spirit through their love of festivities
Market to the Friday Market (in busi-
and good food and by making commerce the main
ness since the 12th century). At least
focus of their economy. On weekends, a contagious
part of the reason why Ghent seems
fever spreads out from the centre of the city, known
so lively is that it’s a city where youth
as De Kuip, to transform it into an island of romantic
is very much in evidence. The nation’s
delight caught between two rivers, the Leie, whose
second University City, visitors can
source is in France, and the Scheldt.
take a boat-taxi from De Kuip and go
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comes out into the streets and
in an era that has left its mark on the city ever since.
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campus. Overpoortstraat is the main
Within the Cuve are several monuments that speak of
street in this neighbourhood with its
a past that has had its influence on the architectural
abundance of coffee shops, bars and
styles of different historical periods. Take the Town Hall,
inexpensive boutiques. Here you’ll see
for example, with its extraordinary pair of contrasting
brightly coloured houses in a variety of
facades at either end, one Gothic, one Renaissance
architectural styles. Some people have
– an idea imposed by Emperor Charles V.
even called it Belgium’s Notting Hill. A
© Stad Gent
along the canal to visit the animated
The persistence of history
short stroll away is Ghent’s splendid
Giving away its secrets
new contemporary art museum with
Ghent likes to think of itself as just a bit secretive,
its amusing acronym of SMAK.
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and yet the poliptych of The Mystic Lamb by Jan and
famous paintings in the history of art. On display in
Putting Ghent’s name up
in lights
the church since it was painted in 1432, it has now
Ghent has made remarkable strides in
been placed behind protective glass.
getting its name and fame better appre-
Hubert Van Eyck is without a doubt one of the most
monuments are lit up in a magnificent
the pleasures of the Design Museum now installed in a
electric celebration of itself. One visitor
handsome 18th century residence. Humbler but no less
even went so far as to describe it as a
charming are the houses whose stepped-gable facades
Medieval Manhattan!
© L. Buerman
ciated abroad. At night the city’s many
In another category entirely, the visitor can discover
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are recognisable as typically Flemish. Outstanding are
the Grain Hall and the Butchers Guild as well as the
impressive castle built for the Count of Flanders and
inspired by his experience of the Crusades. Farther
WRITER
I PHILIPPE DESPLACES
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The Graslei
Fun shopping for young and old
Ghent at night
A pub at every corner
THE ART OF LIVING
On Saturdays, the whole of Ghent
the authority of the Duke of Burgundy, thus ushering
© Stad Gent
ried Philip the Bold she brought Ghent with her under
11
In the 14th century when the Countess of Flanders mar-
© L. Aerts
© J. Almblad
© Koen Broos
Food
of the gods
GASTRONOMY
I
12
Only the best is good enough
Quetzalcoatl, god of air, light and life, stole a plant from the
land of the Sun to feed his people: ambrosia, delicacy of the
gods. Used as money by the Maya and Aztecs, cocoa became
chocolate when mixed with corn, pepper and vanilla.
Tradition and luxury
Chocolate: One of Belgium’s guaranteed gastronomic hits. We walk
through Brussels, a city full of chocolate boutiques. At Planète Chocolat,
rue Lombard 24, we drink hot chocolate and watch the delicacies being
made. “Our motto: 100% cocoa”, says
Frank Duval. We continue on rue du
Chène, bump into Manneken Pis, and
end up on Grand Sablon. At No. 39, we
admire the window of Pierre Marcolini.
The crystal jars contain different
colored cocoa beans. “By their origin:
South America, Africa, Trinidad”. With
that lesson in mind, we go down to
chez Mary, rue Royale 126. Founded
by Marie Delluc in 1919, it has kept its
traditional flavor. “The best ingredients, no additives”. They make more
than 70 kinds of chocolate and fillings. Via rue des Bouchers leads to
the Grande Place. At No. 22 is Godiva,
founded by Joseph Draps half a century ago. We savor the smell of a unique
formula: the best cocoa, new textures and... gold molds. We leave this
sweet temple for the Queen’s Gallery.
At No. 25-27 is Neuhaus (1857), “the
city’s best chocolaterie”. “Listen,
feel, touch, taste and live a supreme
moment”, while savoring a champagne snobinette.
gilded boxes. The best way to end this
sweet journey.
WRITER
I JUAN NIETO (Nox Magazine)
Wisdom
On to the university town of Louvain.
From Grote Markt, we walk Louis
Melsensstraat, and stop at No. 14:
Tartufo. Its secret? “Good ingredients,
experience and patience”. Another
famous chocolaterie is Raet–Putseys,
Bondgenotenlaan 85, where we sample their best pralines. It started in
1671, when the cook of a nobleman
poured melted sugar on almonds.
Journey’s end
We are in Antwerp. A walk along the
river Scheldt brings us to the city center via Kloosterstraat, a street of antique
shops. After a visit to the Cathedral,
we take the Meir to Appelmansstraat
5. There, since 1949, is Del Rey, where
we sample the city’s best pralines.
Exquisite delicacies matched only by
the 18 types of cookies, presented in
GOSSIP IS AS ADDICTIVE
AS CHOCOLATE
We all promised ourselves to give up
chocolate and gossip but often without success. Fortunately we know that
chocolate makes happy as it triggers
serotonin. Some researchers suspect
that gossiping activates the same serotonin hormone and has therefore the
same effect. Alas, in both cases the
happiness is short lived. As long as we
gossip with friends we feel happy but
afterwards guilt settles in...
HTTP://USERS.SKYNET.BE/CHOCOLAT
WWW.VISITBELGIUM.COM/CHOCOLATE.HTM
© J. De Brie
The Marvels of Mechelen
WRITER
I MARIE-EUDES LAURIOT PRÉVOST
Astronaut in the making
Seize the day
© Technopolis
In ten minutes by car from Mechelen
there’s the extraordinary animal park
of Planckendael, a 40-hectare site
that’s home to 1,200 permanent residents that enjoy five-star accommodation. Just ask Hortense, Zamba and
Kidojo, three of eight Bonobos monkeys from the Congo.
Another visit sure to amuse children
and their young-hearted parents is the
Toy Museum in Mechelen that evokes
the nostalgic delights of childhood.
On display are dolls, tin soldiers,
games and many other favourite toys
that retrace the history of children at
play.
And don’t miss Technopolis, the science centre for
six-year-olds or anyone fascinated by the marvels
of technology. The 250 exhibitions are designed to
allow children and grownups alike to participate.
Where else could you find out what it’s like to sit
inside a giant soap bubble?
WRITER
I MARIE-EUDES LAURIOT PRÉVOST
I
Mechelen today you wouldn’t think the people here worried too
much about the afterlife; they would much rather sit peacefully at a
café table along the banks of the river Dyle facing the prosperouslooking new conference centre. Its glass roof will give audiences
a dramatic view of the cathedral.
Halfway between Brussels and Antwerp, Mechelen is an attraction for many residents of those two cities who are glad to leave
the metropolis for the calmer atmosphere of the former Low
Country capital. Cited by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the
Grand Beguinage with its lovely gardens and red-brick facades is
a delightful spot for residents and visitors to gather.
Monday morning the students of Mechelen’s renowned carillon
school perform a series of brief concerts of lovely bell music. And
then, for an incomparable moment, Mechelen turns into the grandest auditorium on earth.
CITY GUIDE
Climbing to the top of the cathedral of Saint Rombout the visitor
will discover the mighty eight-tonne bronze bells that for more than
three centuries have sent their clamorous music into the skies over
Mechelen. Saint Rombout, ambitiously conceived in 1450 to be the
world’s tallest building was meant to thrust its Gothic spire all of
167 metres towards the heavens. But it never quite made it. After
70 years of trying, lack of money caused the glorious project to be
abandoned, and today the tower is a more modest 97 metres high.
In 1530, the Ghent-born Habsburg Emperor Charles V ordered his
magnificent court moved to Brussels and thus ended Mechelen’s
flirtation with Folly.
Every Saturday morning a fresh produce market spreads out as
far as the Grand’Place surrounded by the famous stepped-gable
architecture of Flanders. Among the delicacies on display is the
delicious grain-fed Malines chicken. In season, you’ll find the white
asparagus and the endives, the leeks, the strawberries and a variety of other good things to eat.
With your shopping bag full, you can retire to the Café d’Hanekeef
for a flowing glass of the potent Triple Carolus beer. Through the
cafe window you will see the Jesuit church of Saints Peter and
Paul... Another grand church is Saint John, originally Gothic but
decorated on the inside in elaborate Baroque, and here we find
Rubens’ magnificent Adoration of the Magi. Here too is one of
those intricately carved dark wood pulpits, an exercise in sculptural
virtuosity with its starkly realistic vision of the hereafter. Visiting
13
On the way from Brussels to Antwerp, a side trip
to the town of Mechelen will provide surprises
galore. Once the capital of the Low Countries in
the 16 th century, Mechelen was by turns Gothic,
Renaissance, Baroque and now distinctly modern.
Its proud cultural heritage rings down through the
ages in the music of the world’s most famous carillon.
Ghent in 48 hours
Where old meets new
© Aitor Diago
A walk through Ghent is like
traveling from the 14 th century
to the 21 st , from medieval
guild houses to the Museum
of Modern Design or from
the crenellated belfry to the
contemporary S.M.A.K.
But have no fear, Ghent is
far from a boring museum
town. When the sun goes
down Ghent comes to life and
where you least expect it you
find a trendy jazz club, a cozy
lounge bar, a hot salsa spot or
a lively night club. Leave your
car at home, Ghent is best
discovered on foot.
© Aitor Diago
CITY GUIDE
I
14
All who know agree; Ghent is
the hidden treasure of Europe.
Rushing to dinner
Friday 10am
It’s Friday morning and at the stroke of 10 we are
standing in the crypt under the Belfry where the
Tourist Office is located. We get a city map and
a “Café Map” to plan our evenings on the town.
Before we start our walking tour we cannot wait to
visit the great St.Bavo cathedral. The underground
crypts with 15th and 16th century frescos are magnificent. But what really overwhelms us is the painting
by the brothers Van Eyck the incredible “Adoration
of the Mystic lamb”. This must be the most famous
painting of the School of Flemish Primitives that every art student hopes to see at least once in his life.
We continue our walk through the Korenmarkt with
a glance at the popular jazz club the Damberd and
make a mental note to come by here tonight. At
the nearby Groentenmarkt food is the focus point.
Weekly markets are colorful and lively but the shops
around deserve our attention as well. Tierenteyn is
an old fashioned delicatessen where you should definitely buy the famous mustard made by the family
and... you guessed it, the recipe is a secret. While you are there
have a look at the beautiful bakery next door. Cross the street
and you will see ‘t Galgenhuisje, a tiny little restaurant with only
three tables where you should sample the delicious Ghent specialty Waterzooi, a creamy fish or chicken casserole. The Meat
hall or Gentse Vleeshuis dates from 1251 and now houses a great
bar, a café and a delicatessen, all displaying specialties from all
over Flanders.
Friday 1pm
After a great lunch of mussels and fries we head to the Graslei
where the boats moor. While floating down the canals it is fun to
listen to the Captain’s stories of Ghent’s historic past. The Design
Museum is located in one of the prettiest streets of the city. The
first part is an opulent 18 century mansion and the second part
is modern and airy and showcases design from the 1970ies and
onwards. Taking in so much fabulous design has made us thirsty.
At the Dreupelkot we find a local jenever, a Flemish gin, delicious
but dangerous. We just have one as some jenevers are up to 54%
proof. But we are sober enough to brave the forbidding Castle of
the Counts, het Gravensteen, torture chambers and all. It’s time
to go back to the hotel to freshen up.
15
I
Mysterious theft
© Dirk Pauwels
The famous altar piece by the
brothers Van Eyck has a history
wordy of a mystery novel.
In 1934 the verger of the cathedral
discovered that one of the panels
Now is the time to consult our “Café Map”. A quick look convinces
us that the night will be long. First we have a delicious dinner in
‘t Pakhuis, a former warehouse where we splurge on fresh oysters.
Later we wander past the Hotsy Totsy Club café, a nice club decorated
in the style of the twenties. The owner loves the famous Flemish poet
Hugo Claus, whose work has been translated in many languages and
pinned one of his poems on the wall. To round off the evening we
head for the White Cat, where the DJs Deep house, Funk and Jazz,
mix tunes until the wee hours.
“The Honest Judges” was missing.
The thief was never found.
After 3 weeks the bishop received
a letter demanding 1 million francs
ransom and a note saying that
the painting was in a place where
nobody could take it away without
attracting public attention. A famous criminologist, Commissioner
Mortier, has researched the case
and found the file very incomplete
and tampered with. He thinks that
the valuable panel may still be hidden somewhere in or around the
Sharing secrets by the canal
© Manuel Asensio
© Toerisme Gent
cathedral. So far the mystery has
never been solved.
And the panel remains lost.
CITY GUIDE
FACTFILES
Saturday 10am
side. From there we go discover the
fashion and design shops. At Sjapoo
we admire the crazy hat collection and
at Eva Bos the vintage dresses. The
latest creations by Belgian Designers
such as Dries van Noten and Ann
Demeulemeester can be found at
Oorcussen. All along the streets
around the Vrijdagmarkt there are
great Design stores such as Cargo and
Verzameld Werk. A stop at the Pink
Flamingos café is a must, it’s a kitschy
bar with the epitome of bad taste: a
chandelier made of Barbie dolls.
To top it off we have an after diner drink
in a superb mansion Het Oeverloze
Eiland. To come down from our aristocratic fantasies we go for a humble
beer to Aba Jour, a cafe on the water.
Our last stop is at the café Bal Infernal
but then... we can not resist having a
peek at Suite 16 where the DJ is so
good that we dance all night.
Sunday... the last hours
With great difficulty we crawl out of
bed because there is of course a price
to pay for all that fun. So we decide to
take it easy today. The weather is fabulous and there are markets to visit
all over town.
Under the St. Jacobs church tower
is a lively antique and flee market.
The Vrijdagmarkt with its stalls heaped
with fruits and flowers and even birds
is fun as well.
We spend our last hours in the
S.M.A.K. one of the most interesting museums of Contemporary Art
in Europe. The collection has been
started by Jan Hoet, the “enfant ter-
Saturday 7pm
Tonight we go for the gastronomic
kill. First some oysters at the bar of
the Belga Queen a little pricy but so
nice with a gorgeous view over the
canal. Then we go one step further to
build an appetite with an aperitif in
restaurant Grade which brings us in
the mood for a fantastic meal at The
House of Eliott.
2I
4I
1 I Restaurant in Patershol district
2 I Students enjoy their preferred
watering wholes
© L. Aerts
5I
3 I Any fish out there?
4 I Is this for ever?
5 I Are we lost?
© J. De Brie
3I
© Bart Van Leuven
1I
© L. Aerts
© J. De Brie
CITY GUIDE
I
16
We forgo breakfast and buy a crusty
croissant at a charming cafe the
Brooderie on our way to the Museum
Huis van Alijn. In the middle of the
city surrounded by a beautiful garden this museum is an oasis of calm.
We wander into an old part of town
called Patershol. It’s a maze of narrow streets with small houses where
the poor used to live. Gentrified it has
become a chic little enclave of beautiful restaurants and boutiques. At the
“Vier Tafels” you can find food from
all over the world while the “while
A Food Affair” serve oriental food.
While walking through the street we
feel like part of a Dickens novel, why
else would we hear the story of Mie
Nekkenbijter, a woman of ill repute,
who left love bites on the necks of her
clients so as to let their wives know
what their husbands were up to. At
the Vrijdagmarkt we have coffee in
“Keizershof café” a nice restaurant
with a terrace where one can eat out-
rible” of the art’s world and comprises fabulous works by Appel, Christo,
Joseph Beuys, Panamarenko and Jan
Fabre. A feast for the eye and a wordy
ending to a great stay in Ghent.
MUSEUMS:
NIGHTLIFE:
DESIGN MUSEUM GENT
Ghent is known for its nightlife, so give it a try!
Jan Breydelstraat 5 I +32 9 267 99 99
There’s something for everyone: from having a
http://design.museum.gent.be
quiet drink in a jazz pub to dancing the night
S.M.A.K.
www.smak.be
HUIS VAN ALIJN
WRITER I JOHN BRUNT ON
away in one of the clubs:
Citadelpark I +32 9 221 17 03
Kraanlei 65 I +32 9 269 23 50
www.huisvanalijn.be
DAMBERD CAFÉ
Korenmarkt 19 I +32 9 329 53 37
HET DREUPELKOT
Groentenmarkt 12 I +32 9 224 21 20
HOTSY TOTSY CLUB
Hoogstraat 1 I +32 9 224 20 12
WHITE CAT
CAFÉS, RESTAURANTS,
STORES:
Waterzooi, Oriental cuisine, haute cuisine or
cheap eats... there are dozens of restaurants
in Ghent where you’ll certainly find what you’re
looking for or “goesting” as they say in the
local dialect.
Drongenhof 40
PINK FLAMINGO’S
Onderstraat 55 I +32 9 233 47 18
HET OEVERLOZE EILAND
Oudburg 39 I +32 9 234 32 00
ABA JOUR BAR
Oudburg 20 I +32 9 234 07 29
BAL INFERNAL
IN ’T GALGENHUISJE
you can eat waterzooi from Ghent,
Groentenmarkt 5 I +32 9 233 42 51
Kammerstraat 6 I +32 9 233 14 03
SUITE 16
Oude Beestenmarkt 5 I www.suite16.be
HET PAKHUIS
Schuurkenstraat 4 I +32 9 223 55 55
KEIZERSHOF
BELGA QUEEN
Ghent is synonymous with great shopping.
17
Below are a few addresses where you can
I
Jan Breydelstraat 8 I +32 9 225 06 23
SHOPPING:
pick up a souvenir or two.
Graslei 10 I +32 9 280 01 00
6I
© Design museum Gent
DE GRADE
Charles de Kerckhovelaan 79-81
+32 9 224 43 85
THE HOUSE OF ELIOTT
Jan Breydelstraat 36 I +32 9 225 21 28
www.thehouseofeliott.be
VIER TAFELS
Plotersgracht 6 I +32 9 225 05 25
A FOOD AFFAIR
Korte Meer 25 I +32 9 224 18 05
www.afoodaffair.be
AT TIERENTEYN
you can find the tastiest mustard in Ghent,
Groentenmarkt 3 I +32 9 225 83 36
SJAPOO
Sluizeken 29 I +32 9 225 75 35
EVA BOS
Vlaanderenstraat 66 I +32 495 49 61 64
OORCUSSEN
Vrijdagmarkt 7 I +32 9 233 07 65
CARGO
Kromme Wal 1 I +32 9 224 13 41
VERZAMELD WERK
Onderstraat 23 I +32 9 224 27 12
TOURIST OFFICE
7I
6 I Design chair - Beautiful yes, but is it
comfortable?
7 I Check out Alijn Museum for a comfy
chair
© Huis van Alijn
DIENST VOOR TOERISME GENT
Botermarkt 17 A
www.gent.be
[email protected]
More information about the places mentioned in this article can be found
at www.gent.be. Definitely also take a look at www.use-it.be, a site for
young people with lots of interesting tips about visiting Ghent.
CITY GUIDE
Vrijdagmarkt 47 I +32 9 223 44 46
BROODERIE
18
I
© D. de Kievith
HERITAGE
Why do we say unfinished? For the very good
reason that when you have once seen Bruges
you will be sure to leave with a lingering sense
of nostalgia, the wish to return. That there was
still more to see and do. It’s a city that’s easy to
fall in love with. And there’s more than one way
to enjoy it. Take your choice! You can go strolling, biking or boating, or take a one-horsepower
calèche. Or why not all four?
Bruges,
an unfinished love affair
Bridges and stepped-gabled houses
ground you will find a caleche waiting for you – for you and the one
Bruges is a city for all seasons, but to see it at its very best try to go
you choose to take with you on a romantic tour of the old town.
there near the end of spring or the beginning of fall. There’s some-
But Bruges is not just cobblestones and canals; there’s a lively night-
thing about the light at those seasons that shows off the streets and
life too. The brasseries, the pubs and the clubs stay open to all hours
canals, bridges and stepped-gable houses at their best. Famed for
with plenty to keep you entertained.
the medieval charm of its historical centre (recognised as a Unesco
World Heritage Site), Bruges is in no hurry to reveal its secrets. It can
The best Flemish primitives paintings
best be appreciated a little bit at a time, not all at once. It deserves
Of course, many people come to Bruges from far and wide not just
at least a good long weekend. It rewards your wandering, encour-
for the picturesque streets or the partying, but for the world-famous
ages your dreaming.
museums. The Groeningemuseum presents an incomparable panorama of six centuries of Flemish, Dutch and Belgian works of art.
arts take you back to the most creative period of the Middle Ages.
Burg, you will see the basilica of the Holy Blood with its double chap-
Not to mention the Museum of the Traditional Arts or the
el, one in the Romanesque style, the other medieval. Here too is the
archeological museum or, coming back to the present, there’s the
Town Hall, one of the oldest such buildings of what was once known
Arentshuis with its temporary exhibitions which often have distinct-
as the Low Countries. Beyond this is the Guild Hall and the statue of
ly unusual displays of objects, events or other features of histori-
The Lovers, an indulgent reference to the nearby Town Hall where
cal interest, such as the Choco-Story, a mini-museum that tells the
so many newlyweds have pledged to be faithful forever.
story of the cultivation and preparation of the cocoa bean from its
A short stroll away is the broad main square, the Grote Markt, with
makes fascinating browsing and may even inspire some visitors to
its imposing belfry built between the 13th and 16th century. Be pre-
become customers.
pared for a climb to the top of exactly 366 steps. But everyone who
© Daniël de Kievith
has done it will tell you that the view is worth it. Back down on the
for a fabulous view take a
deep breath and climb the
366 steps of the Belfry
No walking or riding tour would be complete without a stop at
the beguinage of the Prince de la Vigne, once a religious home for
widows or the unmarried, for laywomen with a vocation for the
secluded life, now inhabited by Benedictine nuns, but open to the
public from morning to sunset – a living remnant of the past. If you
take Minnewater Street you will soon come to a magnificent park by
that name with its delightful Love Lake where couples often go hand
in hand. Legend has it that a love-sick knight buried his inamorata
1 I Bridge leading to mystic beguinage
© J. Berquez
here after she died of grief when forced to marry another.
If there’s still time don’t miss the experience of a boat trip on the
canals of Bruges; the guide books will tell you it’s the Venice of the
North, but see for yourself. There are five small wharfs or landings
that are clearly marked on any map of the city. As for bicycle rides
2 I She knows the way!
3 I Sleepy street
© Antonio Fernández
in or around Bruges, the departure point for rentals by the day or
half-day is just in front of the train station, as well as elsewhere
downtown. Whatever you decide to do, and however much you
manage to see, you are pretty sure to feel that your visit was still
not quite finished...
WRITER
I HARRY KAMPIANNE
HERITAGE
humble beginning to its worldwide appeal. The Diamond Museum
19
Then there is the Gruuthuse, its splendid collection of the decorative
of the city’s many renowned landmarks. In the square known as the
I
We might as well start our promenade at one of the most famous
© Hotel Hannon – Brunfaut – OPT Remy
20
I
HERITAGE
Belgium,
birthplace of
Art Nouveau
Brussels and Antwerp reflect the urban,
cosmopolitan character of Art Nouveau,
the style exemplified by gems like the
house of Victor Horta.
To understand the stylistic revolution that was Art Nouveau visit the country where it first manifested itself through the genius
of Victor Horta. In Brussels, there is the chance to do just that, as
close to 100 Art Nouveau buildings are preserved here, including
the artist’s house-cum-studio. A good place to start your tour is the
Grande Place. Admire its beautiful architecture, while enjoying a
typical dish, such as mussels or cheese croquettes.
architecture abounds, especially on Cogels-Osylei with 170 landmark houses. More Art Nouveau is to be found in the Zuidkwartier.
“The four seasons”, “Help U Zelve” or the famous “Five continents” with its corner in the shape of a ship, all deserve more
than one picture.
WRITER
I MAOLE CEREZO
HTTP://WWW.BRUSSELSARTNOUVEAU.BE
Creative imagination
HTTP://WWW.BRUXELLES-ART-NOUVEAU.BE/
Continue to MIM in the former Old England Department Store,
De Backer florist and the Bailli quarter, with many examples of Art
Nouveau architecture, such as Hotel Tassel and Hotel Solvay. Horta
unleashed his imagination in the design of Waucquez Warehouses,
now the Belgian Center of Comic Strip Art. There works no less
ingenious and creative by his compatriot, graphic artist “Hergé”,
are on display. Here, Tintin and Spirou invite you to a half en half at
Le Cirio or Falstaff, both Art Nouveau cafés.
In the lively medieval city of Ghent, birthplace of Charles I of Spain
and Victor Horta, visit the Design Museum, where Europe’s largest
Art Nouveau collection is on display, with pieces by Horta, Hankar
and Wolfers.
Art Nouveau gem
Architect Henri Van de Velde, native of Antwerp, is our guide
through the city of Rubens, with Europe’s largest trove of Art
Nouveau treasures. In the Zurenborg neighborhood, magnificent
DESIGN MUSEUM I Jan Breydelstraat 5 I http://design.museum.gent.be/
IMAGES OF ART NOUVEAU BUILDINGS I www.cupola.com/html/
bldgstru/artnouv/artnouv1.htm
Unesco
made in Flanders
Two of the biggest attractions of
Flanders are its bell towers and
beguinages, both of which were
put on the World Heritage list.
WRITER
I M A R IA PILAR QUERALT
I
Like Mechelen, many other belfries
(Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Lier) attract
travelers who are eager to experience
Flanders, a place where tradition is felt
at every meal, where the past is linked
to the present and where its welcoming inhabitants live life at a historical
pace.
One of the best preserved Flemish
beguinages is in Louvain, Flanders
university town par excellence. Today,
the beautiful enclosure, bisected by
narrow canals and interspersed with
green areas is a university residence
where the silence is broken only by the
passing of a lonely bicycle. Nearby,
the serenity and silence become lacework in stone on the façade of the
town hall or chaos in the Old Market
square, known as the “biggest bar on
earth” for its large number of cafes.
HERITAGE
Leuven, the learned city
peculiar female
republics
© D. Rys
were storage silos and their spires
commanded the surrounding countryside. They became the symbol of
an urban bourgeoisie which displayed
the power of its city by building graceful towers. In some cases, they also
housed a klokkenspel or “carillon”.
That is what happened in Mechelen, a
peaceful town that grew in the shadow
of Saint Rombouts. With its height of
97 meters, its double carillon continues to invite travelers and students, as
the city has become the seat of the best
European school for carillon players.
© Aitor Diago
The beguinages grew between the
exploits of noblemen and the strokes
of the Flemish masters when Flanders
dominated Europe both culturally
and economically. In these strange
female “republics”, women, be they
noble or lower class, retired driven by
the loneliness imposed on them by
wars, widowhood or religious vocation. They had their own living quarters within a communal precinct and,
like a monastic order, they followed
the vows of chastity and obedience,
but not of poverty. Today, tracing
this history, Bruges, Ghent, Louvain,
Mechelen proudly display their
beguinages. Genuine refuges for the
soul, they are worth a visit. Walking
in them is a unique and unforgettable
experience.
21
Details of serene beguinages
D EL H IERRO
HTTP://WHC.UNESCO.ORG/EN/STATESPARTIES/BE
WWW.VISITBELGIUM.COM/BELFRYBEG.HTM
In the period between the Middle
Ages and the Renaissance, the most
beautiful bell towers of Flanders were
erected. Always in the city center, they
© D. de Kievith
Mechelen: in the shadow
of the bell tower
© Etienne Tordoir
22
I
FASHION
On Saturday morning at
about 3 a.m. the sound of
techno beat reverberates
throughout the two floors
of Café d’Anvers. A colorful crowd of fashionistas
and trend scouts frolics
in the great hall whose
balconies and chandeliers
remind one at once of its
past as a movie theater.
The Antwerp six
INFOS:
ANTWERP TOURIST OFFICE
Grote Markt 15 I B – 2000 Antwerpen
www.visitantwerpen.be
23
trendsetter Antwerp,
on cutting edge
The Fashion Tour takes you on a discovery tour of “The Antwerp
Six“, as well as Antwerp’s Design and Architecture highlights.
The Fashion Guide is available at the Antwerp Tourist Office.
I
Antwerp’s hallmarks are vivaciousness and a zest for life, more so
than anywhere else in Flanders. Brussels is the capital, Bruges the
idyllic city. As a trendsetter, Antwerp is on the cutting edge. For
the last twenty years, the street life on the Schelde River has been
inspiring a generation of fashion designers whose creations earn
rave reviews on the runways of Paris, London and Milan.
SIGHTSEEING TIP:
1 I MuKHA, Museum of Contemporary Art
2 I Baroque masterpiece, Carolus Boromeus
FASHION
Throngs of dance enthusiasts gather in clusters outside the
entrance door. After clubbing and bar hopping along the banks of
the river Schelde they somehow always end up at Café d’Anvers in
the Verversrui – a quarter our parents have always warned us not to
visit: red neon lights bathe the scantily clad representatives of what is
allegedly the world’s oldest profession in a hazy hue. Muscle-packed
leather clad men from the gay community hang out at the corner pub.
And wouldn’t you know... beautiful people in designer clothes step
out of cabs and into the scene. Café d’Anvers is in the middle of it.
Church
1I
2I
© DVT Antwerpen
Antwerp’s fame as a fashion capital took a meteoric rise in the
Mid-Eighties. Fashion that was never before seen emanated from
the studios of Dirk Bikkemberg, Dries Van Noten, Walter Van
Beirendonck and three other young designers. Evening gowns
were inspired by the wealth of style flaunted by the fashion conscious women posturing on Verversrui Street. Flowing and yet
revealing coats seemingly pulled off the saints depicted in paintings by Rubens. Men’s suits that toy with fetish-related objects
from the deepest Congo and gay S&M clubs: fashion with a forthright view of life, très Antwerp. All of the six young designers graduated from the fashion design program at the Royal Academy of
Fine Arts in Antwerp. A British fashion critic coined a phrase for
the six rising stars that stuck: “The Antwerp Six”. The French edition of Vogue picked up the phrase and from then on their fame
increased rapidly. In the late Eighties, the American Time magazine sent an editor to the Belgian port city with an assignment to
research a story about the “Young Wild Ones” of the Belgian fashion scene. “Look on the Wild Side” was the result printed in the
magazine. What Time magazine’s reporter had seen on the banks of
the Schelde made Jean-Paul Gaultier in Paris, as well as the street
gangs of the Bronx, appear tame by comparison. America came
to know that Antwerp is not only the city that accounts for 55 percent of the world’s trade in polished and industrial diamonds, and
where Rubens created his master pieces – but that it is a bold and
vivacious city where everyone has a good time.
© A. Kouprianoff
Six young designers
Fashion without elitist pretensions
©DVT Antwerpen
“young wild ones”
of the fashion
scene mingle with
the ones of the
night scene
Wall of fame - Our famous designers
Somewhat outside the Fashion Districts, and yet in a first-class neighborhood, you will find Ann Demeulemeester’s flagship store. Besides
the big names, two dozen fashion designers and as many flagship
stores of lesser-known labels are represented. Young fashionistas
from London, Berlin and Madrid are drawn to Kammenstraat 36-38.
At first glance the building looks like an architectural nightmare
in concrete. “Fish & Chips” in the basement is filled with cheap
designs from furniture catalogues of the 1970’s, which, of course,
means that the store is hip. Hundreds of hands dig into the heaps
of trousers and dresses with single-minded attention. Only the self-
Shopping for that perfect dress
absorbed rhythmic trembling makes one realize that the earsplitting street beat is being noticed at all. “Fish & Chips” is a paradise
for those just starting out. And for those in the prime of life it is
a veritable fountain of youth. One sinks into a sofa, draws a cup
of java from the vending machine and relaxes. After a while, the
music no longer seems so loud. Even the pedestal lamp next to
the sofa, decorated with cheerful pop art flowers, striking onlookers as a horrific symbol of their teenage years, appears after the
second coffee in a new light. In fact, at second glance it doesn’t
look bad at all. Antwerp makes it easy to feel young at any age.
Wonderful.
Join the trendy clubbing scene
© DVT Antwerpen
Young fashionistas
© Etienne Tordoir
FASHION
I
24
To this day, Antwerp’s fashion scene has lost none of its verve,
in spite of the international success. The Fashion District flourishes between Nationalestraat and the Het Zuid quarter. It is no
exaggeration to say that it vies for attention with such classical attractions as the Rubens and the Cathedral. On account of
its trendy window display, Dries Van Noten’s “Modepaleis” on
Nationalestraat is on its way to becoming a classical attraction
in the southern part of the Old Town. Visitors delight in looking around. Walter Van Beirendonck‘s own collection in his flagship store “Walter” seems to be almost of secondary importance: The changing exhibitions and the hall featuring an Alpine
hut, a conveyer belt and a giant reclining teddy bear in the SintAntoniusstraat remind one more of an art gallery than a store.
A few yards further, at the corner of Drukkerijstraat and
Nationalestraat, the prow of a department store from the late
nineteenth century comes into sight: After thorough renovation
in 2002, the new ModeNatie Fashion Center, including the MoMu
Fashion Museum and the Flanders Fashion Institute, found a marvelous home here.
Rediscovering the Schelde river
The fashion shows held by the Antwerp Six in what
was then the no man’s land on the embankment of
the Schelde contributed in no small measure to the
rebirth of the idea that the Schelde River was the
city’s lifeline. Ever since those fashion shows, the
Schelde waterfront belongs again to the citizens of
Antwerp and their guests. “L‘Entrepôt du Congo,”
a meeting place in the center of the scene recalls
the time when Antwerp Harbor was the gateway
to the Congo: In bygone days, colonial goods were
piled up in the freight houses at Vlaamsekaai. Today,
Antwerp’s scene crowds into the bar and around
the tables – the culinary offerings are as popular as the assortment of whiskies, if not more so.
FLEMISH MASTERS
Off the waterfront, you’ll find a heavyweight contender for the title
of Antwerp’s best museum: the 19 th -century Fine Arts Museum, a
veritable “temple of the arts” that dominates the imposing Leopold
De Waelplaats. The collection includes works by Jan Van Eyck,
Rubens and Van Dyck, and provides a great introduction to more
modern Belgian masters, notably Ensor and the Fauvism-inspired
Rik Wouters. The square is fringed by a host of fashionable eateries,
bars and cafes, with terraces well placed for people-watching in
fine weather, while the Belle Epoque town houses on the surrounding streets form an excellent backdrop for an early-evening stroll.
Constantly discovering
new quarters for clubbing
FASHION
I
25
All roads lead to the magnificent Old Town. The
culture-minded visitor can’t miss it. In summer, if
one glances from the northern Tower of Onze Lieve
Vrouwe Cathedral across the late medieval stepped
gables on Hoogstraat and the Renaissance facades
of Grote Markt, or the Art Nouveau buildings at the
Meir pointing to the heavens, one sees a sea of colorful umbrellas. Four hundred pubs surrounding the
late Gothic church beckon the visitor to tarry awhile.
In the first days of spring the entire Old Town turns
into one large terrace. The demand for seats in the
pubs is so great that the locals are constantly looking
for new places to have a glass of wine or beer.
“Het Eilandje” is on its way to becoming the latest quarter of the sizzling scene, eclipsing even
“Het Zuid”. The aroma of exotic spices mingles with
the salty sea breeze. Antwerp has nearly a half million
inhabitants, representing not less than 157 countries.
Only the newcomers wear black: advertising people,
stock brokers, fashion designers. The cash-strapped
who can’t afford a loft in Het Eilandje, dance the night
away in Hangar 26 down at the harbor. The Club
with a view of the cargo-mountains, containers and
cranes is already considered a serious alternative to
Café d’Anvers.
WRITER
I KLAUS SIMON
ModeNatie, the national fashion center, comprises the Fashion Museum and the Flanders
Fashion Institute.
It’s a research center for all interested in
clothes, fashion, textiles and their technologies.
MODENATIE
Nationalestraat 28 I 2000 Antwerpen
w w w. m o d e n a t i e . c o m /
Flamboyant Gothic arches inside Antwerp’s Cathedral
© DVT Antwerpen
MUSEUM TIP:
History in
the Window
Happy hunting ground for devotees of that delightful pastime
the English call browsing,
Flanders has treasures in store
for both the serious antiques
collector and the casual visitor.
And then there are the popular,
ever-surprising flea markets and
second-hand shops.
The first stop on my three-day visit is the Place du Grand Sablon
in Brussels where every weekend a crowd of enthusiastic collectors and idle strollers gather to look over the open-air stalls that
display antiques of every sort: both trinkets and treasures. And
that’s not all: in the streets on both sides of the square are elegant
shops that rival the best anywhere. After a good half-day of looking, I decide to extend my search since Flanders with its wealth of
“kunst en antiek”, art and antiques, is famous as the repository of
a great variety of objects.
I
26
Now let me see, I say to myself as I look at the map: Which is it to
be, Bruges or Ghent? Maybe this time somewhere among all those
chandeliers and shawls, convent furniture, silverware and lace, tapestries and staturary, I just might come up with a cheerful watercolour for my bedroom or a lovely vase for the mantlepiece.
© Milena Ercole Pozzoli
1I
© Milena Ercole Pozzoli
LIFESTYLE
Right, this time let’s go for Bruges. I’ll visit Ghent on the way back.
But then on a sudden impulse I decide to try my luck at Jabbeke,
just half an hour from the central station in Brussels. Here is where
Paul De Grande has his vast gallery – a veritable browser’s paradise! Antiques of every sort with very reasonable prices, thanks
to a steady turnover.
wherever you look you find
traces of the ever-present
splendour of Flanders
A rare and precious Art
De Grande explains that well-to-do families in Flanders have
always collected antiques, objects and curiosa from all corners of
the world, so it is not unusual to come across rare and valuable
pieces if you know how to look.
Among the extravagant oddities on display in this
giant Wunderkammer I found an amusing papiermache
goose from a country fair merry-go-round. I’m sorely tempted...
Bruges, that jewel of a city, “the colour of amber and slate,” in the
words of Jacques Brel, boasts a wide choice of fine antiques shops
in its historic centre – Antiek en Kunst, Omamentis, the Jean Moust
gallery and The Fallen Angels with its fantastic collection of rare
postcards, old biscuit tins, au graphed photographs of forgotten
actors of stage and the silent screen.
1 I XIV century brass plates for your next
2I
dinner party?
2 I Treasure chest for antique lovers
It was here that I unearthed a decidedly original and
even useful object at summer’s end: a scaldino, a brass
basin to put glowing embers in that nuns used to put
on the floor under their skirts to keep warm in winter.
Ghent is not a big city but it doesn’t need to be
because its main attractions – its churches, old
stone facades, canals and bridges – are all within
the single square kilometre of the historical centre. And not far away from here are some of the
most prestigious of Ghent’s antiques shops and
galleries. The one that impressed me most is without a doubt the Galleria Sint-John which is hidden inside a deconsacrated chapel where – the irony of fatel – it has been decorated with the voluptuous curves of Art Nouveau objects – vases,
statuettes, silverware of the Bell’Epoque.
Basta! I guess that’s about enough for today.
WRITER
I MILENA ERCOLE POZZOLI
IN BRUSSELS I THE SABLON, Saturdays until 6 pm
and Sunday mornings; the Jeu de Balle (flea market)
every morning all year round.
IN ANTWERP I VRIJDAGMARKT, every Friday morning
IN GHENT I SINT JACOBS, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday mornings
IN BRUGES I DIJVER, Saturday and Sunday
afternoons from March to October
A Sip of Beer for Hangdogs
Taking a shower
in beer foam
In the Dulle Griet on Vrijdagmarkt, one
should order a “Kwak”. The beer is
served in cylinder-shaped glasses that
sit on a wooden stand. The glass is
brought to the lips, together with the
wooden stand, and the effect is that
of drinking from a glass boot without
having any practice. At a certain angle,
the beer spills over and the drinker
takes a shower in beer foam.
Many a Kwak glass would depart with
the tourists if the host of Dulle Griet
had not invented an ingenious method
to prevent that. Whoever orders a
Kwak is requested to take one of his
shoes off. The shoes are collected in
a special basket that is heaved by pulley to the ceiling. Only after the customer has paid the bill and returned
the glass will the customer receive his
pawned shoe back.
WRITER
I REIN HARD KRIECHBAUM
HTTP://WWW.BEERPARADISE.BE
© Koen Broos
Belgium is Europe’s No. 1 beer
country. Reinhard Kriechbaum
tracked down 350 kinds of beer,
and he came to know a good
number of strange customs. Here
is his report.
One hundred and nine
breweries
Just outside the town center there is
a peculiar pub: De Hopduvel is decorated with brewery utensils and countless old tin advertising sign-plates.
Believe it or not, even at the turn of
the century there was the unimaginable number of 3,200 breweries in
Belgium. Today, there are still 109
breweries, which produce 350 kinds
of beer that are sold under more than
a thousand brand names.
No better beer ever, anywhere.
GASTRONOMY
I
27
Tintin at the flee market
© Jerry De Brie
The land of Bruegel and Brel is now the new frontier
for antiques-lovers. Put these venues at the top of
your shopping list:
Leuven in 24 hours
A venerable old lady – young at heart
If Leuven is a venerable old
lady, she certainly has a young
heart. Renaissance Colleges
remind us that the Alma Mater
was founded in 1425 and is
one of the most important
universities in Europe. With
little respect for these dignified surroundings, students
rush to their classes or more
often to the pub en route to
the next lecture.
CITY GUIDE
I
28
In this city students prepare to become professionals
and beer connoisseurs since the 15 century.
1I
© Toerisme Leuven
2I
At only 20 minutes from Brussels by train, you are
quickly in the center of the old town.
To start off the day we look for a cozy café. Not a difficult task as in the neighborhood of the Town Hall
there are at least a dozen. The terraces fill the entire
square and allow one to sit back and admire the intricate details of the splendid gothic building and the
St. Pieters church on the other side. At the church
we start with a visit to the Museum of Religious art.
The “Last Supper” the luminous masterpiece by Dirk
Bouts charms us with its strong colors and serenity.
On the façade of the town hall we count more than
236 gothic statues. They represent Kings, Dukes,
counts of Flanders as well as famous patron saints
and artists of Leuven. A nice long walk brings us to
the Beguinage which is part of the UNESCO World
Heritage list. Founded in the 1230 it first included
the district around the church. In the 17th century the
Beguinage was considerably extended and became
the largest Beguine convent in Belgium. The last nun
died in 1988. Lovely narrow cobble stoned streets
lead to the Beguinage church and every half hour the
carillon sends romantic tunes in the air. The houses
are now occupied by faculty and some lucky students.
The long walk made us thirsty again and we are happy to find a pub close to the main square where we
can taste the local brew Domus. Three direct pipes
bring three different beers directly to the taps in the
café: Nostra Domus with a wink to Nostradamus,
© M. De Lausnay
1 I Always good music on the square
2 I Students need their café, don’t they?
the pilsner ConDomus and in the winter the dark Christmas beer
“The Angel”.
Leuven is proud of its old botanical garden: the Hortus Botanicus
Loveniensis dates back to 1738 when it served the medicine of the
time with strong herbs and plants. Now you can walk through 4
acres of parks and green houses full of exotic plants. Well worth
a visit.
On the main square “the biggest bar of Leuven” you will find one
pub or café next to the other. The temptation is strong. To build
up extra appetite we recommend a walk to the fish market. On
the same square you will see a Renaissance building that once
housed the Collegium Trilingum, where Latin, Hebrew and Greek
were once thought.
You never go hungry in Leuven you have the choice: Belgian fries,
French haute cuisine, Asian specialties or a pita form the Turkish
food stand. A beautiful restaurant in two combined houses, one a
18 century patrician house the other a 17 century annex, was once
occupied by a baroness, a professor and a statesman.
WRITER
I HILDE VAN DURME & ELIN E VERBAUWHEDE
DID YOU
KNOW?
THAT:
The library of the 15 th century
University of Leuven burned
down during WW II. Some 300.000
precious books, manuscripts
and treatises were destroyed.
Ivy League colleges and public
schools all over the United
States contributed funds for the
reconstruction. But no contribution was more amazing than
the $ 38.000 raised by the school
children of the City of New York
collected in nickel and dimes,
nothing more-no quarters or
half-dollars.
IN & OUT OF LEUVEN:
open week days from 10am
to 5pm
www.inenuitleuven.be
CITY TOURS
www.citytours.be
SINT-PIETERS CHURCH:
Sun - Thurs from 10am to 5pm
Sat. Sun and holidays open in
the afternoon.
HORTUS BOTANICUS LOVANIENSIS
Kapucijnenvoer 30,
© M. De Lausnay
open 8am - 8pm
GROOT BEGIJNHOF
Schapenstr. April thru September,
Tue - Sun 1.30pm - 4.30pm.
Enjoy your mussels outside!
I
CITY GUIDE
THAT:
Every year, around mid-August, the
Marktrock festival attracts more
than 350.000 people to listen to
famous national and international
pop and rock bands.
29
THAT:
That Erasmus founded the College
of three languages; Greek, Latin
and Hebrew and that this college
was to serve as a model for the
College de France in Paris.
WELLNESS
I
30
Flanders by bike
The terrain covered by the Tour of
Flanders – although one of the world’s
toughest cycle races – is also ideal for
anyone wanting to enjoy a bicycling
vacation.
From morning to evening, my
traveling companions and I bicycled
through beautiful scenery absorbing a
wealth of impressions. We thoroughly enjoyed cycling though the farming areas of East Flanders with its
picturesque villages and fertile fields.
At local inns we were able to experience for ourselves just how good the
Belgians are at taking primary produce from the fields and barns and
combining it into exquisite food and
beverages. We were always pleasantly tired at the end of each day.
Belgian drivers are very considerate, always giving way to cyclists and
pedestrians on minor roads and in
villages. When overtaking they allow
plenty of space between the car and
the “vulnerable” cyclist.
You can select whatever level of difficulty most suits you. There are flat
routes, hilly routes and steep, strenuous routes. The terrain is ideal for eve-
ryone, from family cycling to professional training.
To the west and north of Oudenaarde,
the terrain is far less hilly, and anyone who can ride a bike will be able
to manage this. There are plenty of
churches, mills, stately homes and
abbeys to see, so it is easy to find an
excuse to dismount along the way.
After trying your strength on the cobblestones and slight inclines, you can
relax by studying the exploits of professional cyclists in Oudenaarde’s
Tour of Flanders Center.
Tour of Flanders
A great starting point for cycling tours
is Oudenaarde. The town is located by
the River Schelde and has a great choice
of accommodations, restaurants and
stores – all reasonably priced.
The area to the south and east is interesting to regular cyclists and for those
who cycle for exercise or training. The
villages are close together and the
changing landscape includes hills,
woodlands and fields of corn, grain,
potatoes and cabbage.
In this area, known as the Flemish
Ardennes, the classic cycling event,
the Tour of Flanders, has its most
demanding section, with tough
inclines and treacherous, uneven paving. Some of these are included in the
bicycle routes for tourists.
A town with soul
The town of Oudenaarde has a history
of more than a thousand years. Its
golden age was in the 16th century,
under the rule of Emperor Charles V.
Although he is reputed to have visited the town only once he left an
enduring legacy in the form of (at
least) one “illegitimate” child. You
can find out more about the history
of Oudenaarde at the Town Hall, an
impressive, elaborately embellished
building in the Late Gothic style, with
collections of locally produced items
including tapestries and silver. You
can study the tapestries and their restauration in greater detail at Huis de
Lalaing.
WRITER
I MOGENS HAN SEN
HTTP://WWW.VISITBELGIUM.COM/BIKE.HTM
HTTP://WWW.CYCLING-BELGIUM.BE.TF/
© J. De Brie
Ready for
a “Merckx”
challenge?
2009 Vibrant festivals,
outstanding exhibitions
and a heartfelt welcome!
Year-round throughout Flanders visitors find art exhibits,
antique fairs, concerts and colorful, exuberant festivities.
Come, discover and join in these manifestation of a people
joyously preserving and enjoying their traditions.
BRUSSELS
54 th ANTIQUE FAIR:
Combining quality and prestige, this superb
antiques fair is a must of art lovers.
details: www.antiques-fair.be
THE HIGHLIGHT OF 2009
BRUSSELS
RENE MAGRITTE MUSEUM OPENING
JUNE 2009:
Be the first to visit the permanent home for a collection of
GHENT
about 150 paintings by surrealist painter René Magritte.
BURGUNDIAN DUKES:
For more information: www.fine-arts-museum.be
EVENTS
FLEMISH TAPESTRIES FROM THE
31
THROUGH MARCH 29
For years Flemish workshops transformed
wool, silk, gold and silver thread into sumptuous and marvellous textiles. This exhi-
created.
Visit: www.gent.be/spa
MARCH 27 THRU JUNE 30
BRUSSELS
BD COMICS STRIP:
2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the
Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art and the
Royal Museums of Fine Arts celebrate the
occasion with an fun filled exhibition. It is
© Charly Herscovici, with his kind permission –
c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2008
bition at the Abbey of Saint Peter brings
together the most magnificent tapestries
but one of the many events planned in cel-
Website of the Belgian Center for Comic
Strip Art: http://www.cbbd.be/en/home
http://www.brusselscomics.be
END OF APRIL - BEGINNING
OF MAY
BRUSSELS
ROYAL GREENHOUSES OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC:
Each year for a very short period of time the
Greenhouses of the Royal Palace at Laeken
are open to the public.
© D. de Kievith
ebration of the 9th art . Brussels streets
will also see 13 new comic strip murals.
I
JANUARY 23 – FEBRUARY 1
AUGUST
BRUSSELS
LEUVEN
BRUSSELS JAZZ MARATHON WEEKEND:
MARKTROCK:
Jazz lovers enjoy their favorite artists
This city festival hosts groups from
in bars and clubs all over the city. Over
home and abroad in the heart of this
350 first-rate musicians perform.
university town.
Visit: www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be
Website: www.marktrock.com
BRUGES
PROCESSION OF THE HOLY BLOOD:
SEPTEMBER 20 THRU
DECEMBER 6
LEUVEN
One of the oldest and most beautiful
ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN – MASTER
historical and religious processions in
OF PASSION:
continental Europe.
A prestigious exhibition about a master
Visit: www.holyblood.com
painter with an exceptional talent for
© H.L. Weichselbaum
MAY 21
© H.L. Weichselbaum
MAY 25-27
portraying emotion. More than 100 mas-
JULY 2-5
terpieces on loan from major European
WERCHTER
and American collections at the
ROCK FESTIVAL:
Municipality Museum of Leuven.
Internationally famous rock groups per-
Visit:
form open-air concerts.
http://www.rogiervanderweyden.be/
Website: www.rockwerchter.be
BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS CHRISTMAS MARKET:
Yearly colorful pageant on Brussels’
A holiday shoppers’ delight!
Grand’Place commemorates celebration
For more information visit:
In honor of Emperor Charles V in the
www.plaisirsdhiver.be
EVENTS
OMMEGANG PAGEANT:
32
NOVEMBER 27 THRU
DECEMBER 27
I
JUNE 30 & JULY 2
16th century.
For reservations www.ommegang.be
JUNE 26-28
BRUSSELS
COULEUR CAFÉ:
A highly atmospheric, multicultural
music festival on the magnificent
Tour & Taxis site.
Website: www.couleurcafe.org
JULY 18-27
GHENT
MUST SEE
BRUSSELS
JULY
GHENT FESTIVITIES:
In the traffic-free city center visitors
THE BRUSSELS’ OMMEGANG :
can enjoy a medieval fair with street
Together with the Palio
entertainment and music.
For details email: [email protected]
Visit: www.gentsefeesten.be
AUGUST 1 THRU
SEPTEMBER 15
BRUSSELS
ROYAL PALACE:
Open every day, except on Monday
from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm – Entrance
in Sienna, the Brussels’
Ommegang is certainly the most
fascinating medieval pageant
in Europe. Every summer this
historical evocation stages the
festivities held to celebrate
the visit of Emperor Charles V
free.
and his son Infant Philip II to
Details: http://www.monarchie.be/en/
Brussels in 1549.
visit/palace/index.html
Must see: www.ommegang.be
Practical
Information
© N. Matsumoto
The airport is located 8 miles/13km
northeast of the city center. Taxis to
city center cost approximately $35.00.
The train shuttle to Brussels runs every
20 minutes and takes about 20 minutes.
The train station is located on the lower
level of Brussels International Airport
(1st Floor). One way fare is approximately $3.50. Direct busses also run to
Antwerp (SN Brussels).
Call Rail Europe (800)438-7245 to reserve
rail passes such as the Benelux Pass and
point to point tickets on the Eurostar and
Thalys. Both the Eurostar and Thalys operate out of the South Station (Gare du
Midi) in Brussels. International train reservations may also be made by visiting
the Belgian rail website: www.b-rail.be.
Check with the closest Belgian consulate as requirements vary.
DRIVING
A valid US driver’s license is accepted
for stays of less than 90 days. A minimum
of 25 years of age is required by major
car rental companies. Driving is on the
right hand side of the road.
TIME ZONE
Brussels – London via Eurostar: 1.51h
Brussels – Paris via Thalys: 1.20h
Brussels – Amsterdam via Thalys: 2.30h
GMT + 1 hour
LANGUAGES
Dutch but English is widely spoken.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
US and Canadian citizens need only a
valid passport; no visa is required for
stays of less than 90 days. Other nationalities may need both passport and visa.
CLIMATE & CLOTHING
With 4 distinct seasons, Belgium is
seldom too hot or too cold. Summer
temperatures range from 54° to 72°F
and winter temperatures range from
32° to 43°F. In summer bring lightweight, comfortable clothing, and a
sweater or a jacket for the evening.
During the winter bring warm clothes,
and it is always a good idea to pack
an umbrella and a rain coat.
CURRENCY
The Euro. Visit our website for daily
exchange rate.
ELECTRICITY
A.C. 220 volts using round 2-pin plugs.
SIGHT-SEEING TOURS
Book via city tourist offices or your concierge in the hotel. In Brussels there is
also a hop-on hop-off bus.
TELEPHONE &
AREA CODES
To call Belgium from the US:
dial 011 + 32 (country code) + city code
(without 0) + telephone number.
To call the US from Belgium:
dial 001 + area code + telephone number.
When calling a Belgian number within
Belgium: always dial (0) + city code +
number.
33
BRUSSELS
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TRAIN INFORMATION
IN THE US
I
American Airlines I (800)433-7300
SNBrussels Airlines I (516)622-2248
United Airlines I (800)241-6522
Delta Airlines I (800)221-1212
Continental Airlines I (800)523-3273
Jet Airways I (877) 835-9538
PRACTICAL
AIRLINES
AREA CODES
Brussels
Antwerp
Bruges
Ghent
Leuven
Mechelen
Oostende
Information
Emergency
2
3
50
9
16
15
59
1307
112
ATM machines are available in all
major cities.
DISTANCES OF CITIES FROM
BRUSSELS
Antwerp
Bruges
Ghent
Leuven
Mechelen
Oostende
29
60
35
16
16
71
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
CITY TOURIST
OFFICE WEBSITES
PRE-PAID CALLING CARDS:
Always included in the price; however
an additional gratuity is welcome for
exceptional service.
PRACTICAL
I
34
TIPS AND TAXES
BANKING HOURS
Banks are open Monday through Friday,
9:00am-4:00pm and are closed on
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Some
banks close for an hour during lunch.
CREDIT CARDS & ATM
All major cards are accepted (Visa,
American Express, Diners Club and
Eurocard) as well as Traveller’s Checks.
SHOPPING
Regular store hours are:
Monday-Saturday, 10:00am-6:00pm.
Stores are closed on Sundays. Antique
and flea markets are generally open on
Saturdays and Sundays.
Brussels:
Antwerp:
Bruges:
Gent:
Leuven:
Mechelen:
www.brusselsinternational.be
www.visitantwerp.be
www.brugge.be
www.gent.be
www.leuven.be
www.inenuitmechelen.be
POST OFFICES
DOMESTIC TRAIN TRAVEL
A dense train network connects all of
Belgium. Trains leave, on average, every
1/2 hour between all major Belgian cities. National and international passes
are available at major train stations
in Belgium. Seat reservations are not
available on Belgian trains ( except for
groups). Travel is valid only for dates
shown on the ticket. First and second
class tickets are available. The first train
leaves at approximately 5:00 am and
the last one departs at approximately
11:00 pm. Coin- operated lockers as
well as luggage services are available
in major train stations. Children’s fare:
12 years of age and under ride free during
Post Office hours are from 9:00am12:00pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm Monday
through Friday. Stamps may be purchased at news stands and souvenir
shops. Post boxes are red and marked
“Post”.
COLOFON
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Raymonda Verdyck
Grasmarkt 61 – 1000 Brussels
© Koen Broos
The Belgacom Phone Pass TM can be
used with private phones, pay phones
and cellular phones. Belgacom Phone
Pass TM as well as other calling cards
are available in post offices, train stations, book stores, newspaper stands,
supermarkets, convenience stores and
Belgacom Teleboutiques.
off peak travel (after 9:01 am). Otherwise
children ride for 50% discount off a normal ticket price. Senior citizens (over
65) can purchase a roundtrip ticket for
3 Euros. (Restrictions: weekdays before
9am, weekends during public holidays.)
For an online schedule information
for trains in Belgium www.b-rail.be.
CONCEPT & PRE-PRODUCTION
Gramma – Wendy Guns
PRINTED BY
Artoos
COPYRIGHT COVER
Daniël De Kievith
D/2009/5635/2/4
This brochure has been compiled with the
greatest possible care and all information
was correct at time of going to press.
The publisher cannot be held liable for any
errors, inaccuracies or changes during the
intervening period.
Find
Flanders
North Sea
Bruges
Ghent
FLANDERS
Mechelen
Brussels Leuven
FRANCE
BELGIUM
the hidden jewel
of western Europe.
www.visitflanders.us
GERMANY
HOLLAND
Antwerp
www. visitflanders.us
Tourist Office for Flanders, Belgium - New York Office
Email: [email protected]