Ceci n` est pas la Toscane

Your definite guide to Brussels and the South of Belgium
Latin Europe in a Nutshell
Ceci n’ est pas la Toscane...
© J Martin - whybelgium.com
Café des Spores
The South of Belgium:
The destination for Gourmets
in the know!
Brussels and Wallonia boast some of the finest restaurants in the world. And you don’t need
to go to a Michelin-starred restaurant to enjoy an unforgettable gourmet experience. Southern
Belgians are simply obsessed by fine food, being the people who enjoy dining out in
restaurants the most in the world.
Don’t miss out on a chance to find out what Belgian Art de Vivre really means –
for more information on how to organise your trip,
visit our website belgiumtheplaceto.be
www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
The Petit Sablon
© Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Welcome to the 2011 edition of
our Revealed magazine!
This year you will discover the
UNESCO-listed heritage sites of both
Brussels and Wallonia, and there
are quite a few, as well as the many
wonderful Art Nouveau and Art deco
houses and monuments to see and
visit in Brussels.
You will also find out where some
of the best spots are to lunch
alfresco in Brussels, and how to
become a night owl in the Belgian
capital between the hours of
8pm and 8am.
And we just had to include walking
through the wonderful landscapes
and forests of Wallonia.
We hope you enjoy reading the
magazine, and don’t forget to
check our website
www.belgiumtheplaceto.be for
regular updates of what to do and
see in French-speaking Belgium.
Villers-La-Ville © Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Zeebrugge
Ostend
Ashford
Dover
Brussels
Mouscron
Calais
Waterloo
Wavre
Lessines
Lille
We feature some of the current
top Belgian designers from Brussels
and Wallonia, including the likes
of hatter to the stars Elvis Pompilio,
jewellers Mouton Collet whose
studded helmet was worn by one of
the models in Lady Gaga’s latest
video “Alejandro,” and BMW X5 and
X6 designer Pierre Leclercq.
Liege
Nivelles
Tournai
Spa
Namur
Charleroi
Durbuy
Stavelot
Mons
Thuin
La Roche
Dinant
Rochefort
Chimay
Bastogne
Saint Hubert
Bouillon
Orval
Arlon
Produced with the co-operation of the Belgian Tourist Office – Brussels and Wallonia, Telephone: 020 7531 0390 Facsimile: 020 7531 0393
Email: [email protected] www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any other means, electronic, mechanical,
photographic, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher.
Contributors: Chris Bourne, John Brunton and Nick Haslam.
Photography: The images by Joseph Jeanmart used within this publication are true to the subjects in terms of colour and light, none of the images have been digitally enhanced.
Graphic Design & Print Production: GreenApple Graphics · 01795 423277 · Revealed is now printed on 9Lives 80 recycled paper.
Although every effort is made to ensure that the editorial content is true and accurate at time of going to press the Belgian Tourist Office – Brussels and Wallonia cannot be held responsible
for any claims made within this publication. Please note that the views held in this publication are not necessarily those of the Belgian Tourist Office – Brussels and Wallonia.
Front cover image: © OPT - Jeanmart.
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Art Nouveau and
Art Deco Gems in Brussels
Art Nouveau detail at La Porteuse d’eau
© Jeanmart-OPT
Belgium was the first country in Continental
Europe to go through an industrial
revolution as had happened in the UK. As a
consequence, at the end of the nineteenth
century, Brussels was one of the wealthiest
cities in Europe, and its wealth was
concentrated in the hands of “nouveauriche” industrialists and professionals, who
had made their fortunes by innovating and
looking to the future and they sought an
artistic and architectural style that did the
same.
The first Art Nouveau building in Brussels
(and the world) was a house built by Horta
for Emile Tassel, a professor at the Free
University of Brussels, in 1893. Tassel gave
the young architect free rein to create a
sumptuous townhouse, in a sidestreet off
the Avenue Louise. The façade does not
clash too much with the others in the street
and is discreetly clad in stone, but it still
aroused the ire of the Archbishop of
Brussels who denounced its curved bay
4
window as provoking thoughts of a
pregnant woman’s abdomen. However it is
inside that Horta’s bold innovation is more
evident. The staircase rises through the
middle of the building, apparently floating
on air (the steps are cantilevered out from
the supporting wall) in a stairwell flooded
with daylight from a skylight at the top, and
its iron supports, which look like spindly
trees or even human bones, were to inspire
Hector Guimard in his designs for the
station entrances of the Paris Metro. The
walls are covered in extravagant green-andorange swirling frescoes and the floors with
exquisite marble mosaics. As a manifesto
for a new style, it is only rivalled in Europe
by Gaudi’s buildings in Barcelona. Horta
was a skilled self-publicist and soon
reporters and photographers from all the
major architectural journals were flocking
to Brussels to see it for themselves. Friends
of Tassel were impressed and
commissioned Horta to build houses for
them too: in the next decade he took on an
enormous workload, designing and building
s
As its name suggests, Art Nouveau (“New
Art”) was a new style of art and design,
developed by a group of young artists from
the 1870s onwards as a reaction to the
Revivalist or “Neo” styles that had
dominated the early nineteenth century.
They experimented with new subjects,
styles and techniques, inspired by flowers,
plants and other natural forms, often
shocking the artistic establishment in the
process. In Brussels, a young architect
called Victor Horta (1861-1947) had
ambitions to develop Art Nouveau from
a style of painting and sculpture into
architecture, and among the city’s
Freemasons and other anti-Catholic
intellectuals he found supporters with the
means to pay him to do so. Horta had
acquired a solid grounding in traditional
architectural styles, supplemented with
knowledge of engineering and interior
design, that permitted him to design what
the Germans call “gesamtkunstwerken”
(“total works of art”) where a single
designer created every part of a building:
structure, facade, interiors, furniture, even
fixtures and fittings such as door-handles.
Between Art Nouveau and Art Deco © Oliver Knight – belgiumtheplaceto.be
5
The Museum of Music Instruments © Oliver Knight - belgiumtheplaceto.be
houses for the industrialist Armand Solvay,
the Socialist politician Max Hallet, the
engineer Camille Winssinger, Baron
Edmond Van Eetvelde, the Managing
Director of the Belgian Congo Company
and Georges Deprez, owner of the Val
Saint-Lambert glassworks, among others.
His huge capacity for work (he worked
20-hour days) and his conviction in his
own genius allowed him to juggle several
projects at once that would have overcome
lesser mortals, and thus establish Art
Nouveau as a respectable style of
architecture. His only successful
contemporary was Paul Hankar, whose
shyness was in complete contrast to
Horta’s flamboyance and whose style is
more geometric, although equally
technically brilliant. Hankar’s death aged
42 in 1901 means he only built a few
buildings, although he had passed on his
knowledge to his pupils. Horta had a stormy
relationship with the self-taught architect
and designer Henry Van de Velde (18631957) which led Van de Velde to work
outside Belgium for much of his career.
Horta’s pupils included Paul Hamesse
(1877-1956) and Gustave Strauven (18781919), who took Art Nouveau architecture
into the mainstream in the first decade of
the twentieth century, along with the prolific
Ernest Blérot (1870-1957) and the brothers
Hotel Hannon © J Brunton – belgiumtheplaceto.be
Ernest, Léon, Aimable and Edmond Delune.
Between 1893 and 1911 around 18,000
Art Nouveau buildings were built in
Brussels, but only around 800 have
survived. the style that had burst
scandalously into life in the early 1890s,
died out as quickly during the First World
War.
After 1918, Art Nouveau was associated
with the “Belle Epoque” before the war
and was considered too frivolous for the
Modernist world that was emerging from
the war. The challenge of repairing war
damage and slum clearance called for a
cheaper style that could be built quickly,
and architects adopted the simple,
streamlined, almost minimalist lines of Art
Deco, a style which took its name from the
Exposition des Arts décoratifs held in Paris
in 1925. Alongside the massive public
building programmes, the rich and famous
continued to commission extravagant
private homes. Many Art Nouveau pioneers
like Horta adopted the new style, although
his post-war commissions are almost
entirely for public buildings, including the
Palais des Beaux-Arts (now called “Bozar”)
and Brussels- Central railway station.
Among the younger generation of Art Deco
architects in Brussels were Joseph Diongre
(1878-1963), Adrien Blomme (1878-1940)
and Antoine Courtens (1899-1969), but
6
many of the city’s best-known Art Deco
buildings were designed and built by Michel
Polak (1885-1948) a Swiss architect
brought to the city by the developer Lucien
Kaisin in 1923 to design and build the
spectacular Résidence Palace, a
development of 180 luxury apartments with
every modern convenience on Rue de la
Loi. Unlike Art Nouveau, which had to wait
for the “flower-power” movement in the
1960s to enjoy renewed interest, Art Deco
has never really gone out of fashion and
strongly influenced the Modernist and PostModernist schools of designers.
Art Nouveau buildings
to see today in
Brussels.
The best place to start if you are in
Brussels on a Saturday is to buy a ticket
for the 3-hour coach tour “Brussels 1900”
(€17) organised by ARAU (www.arau.org),
during which you will visit three Art
Nouveau interiors, as well as seeing the
facades of many Art Nouveau and Art Deco
buildings from the coach. Next, arm
yourself with a copy of the “Brussels Living
Art Nouveau” walking map (€3) from the
BITC tourist information centres at the BIP
or the Grand’Place. This illustrated map
contains details of five circular walks to see
Art Nouveau architecture in the city centre,
Saint-Gilles, Ixelles, the Squares district and
Schaerbeek, plus biographies of the major
architects and details of the decorative
techniques they used. Four of Horta’s
buildings are now UNESCO World Heritage
Sites, but only one, Horta’s former house
and office in Rue Americaine, is open to
the public. It is now the Horta Museum
(www.hortamuseum.be), open every day
except Monday from 2pm to 5.30pm, with
a well-stocked bookshop.
Other Art Nouveau buildings
open to the public include:
z the Musical Instruments Museum
(www.mim.be) housed in the former Old
England store (Paul Saintenoy 1899) with
a rooftop café and restaurant.
z the Belgian Centre for Strip Cartoons
(www.comicscenter.net) housed in the
former Waucquez drapery store (Victor
Horta 1906) with a bar-restaurant
z the Cauchie house (www.cauchie.be)
a hidden gem, designed, built and
decorated by its owner, the artist Paul
Cauchie in 1905, with a facade and
interior walls covered in sgraffiti panels.
(Open during the first weekend of each
month only).
z the Autrique house (www.autrique.be)
an early design by Victor Horta (1893)
now restored and converted into a
“Museum of the Imagination”
z Brasserie Falstaff (www.lefalstaff.be)
and Restaurant Vincent
(www.restaurantvincent.be), two citycentre institutions in the full-blown
“Belle-Epoque” style, recently joined
by the spectacular Belga Queen
(www.belgaqueen.be) a restaurant-cumnightclub in the stained-glass-roofed hall
of a former savings bank.
Art Deco buildings to
see today in Brussels.
If you read French, the best introduction
is “Promenades Art Déco à Bruxelles”
by Cécile Dubois (published by Editions
Racine, ISBN 102-87386-198-3, available
at FNAC, also in Dutch) which includes
detailed notes and photos of buildings of
interest on six walks in the centre and
suburbs of Brussels. Fortunately, public
interest in the style is growing, fuelled by
some excellent recent renovation projects.
Suggested buildings to visit:
z The Villa Empain is a dazzlingly luxurious
L’Archiduc Jazz club © J Brunton – belgiumtheplaceto.be
millionaire’s mansion (Michel Polak
1931) complete with huge swimming
pool, now the Boghassian Foundation’s
Centre for East-West dialogue
(www.villaempain.com)
z The David & Alice Van Buuren Museum
(Govaerts & Van Vaerenbergh 1928) is
a lovely house packed with works of art,
surrounded by delightful gardens, in the
leafy suburb of Uccle
(www.museumvanbuuren.com)
z The Basilica Church of the Sacred Heart
at Koekelberg (Albert Van Huffel 192671) is the fifth-largest Roman Catholic
church in the world, with a solemn
glazed terracotta interior, decorated with
many sculptures and spectacular views
from the dome (www.sacreddestinations.com/belgium/brusselsnational-basilica-of-koekelberg.htm)
z The BOZAR Fine Arts Centre shows
Victor Horta’s mastery of the Art Deco
style and his ability to ingeniously fit art
galleries, concert halls and a cinema
into this harmonious complex,
completed in 1928. Guided tours of the
building (not the exhibitions) every
Sunday at 12h (www.bozar.be).
z The Flagey Arts Centre now occupies
a building (Joseph Diongre 1938) that
the locals nicknamed “the ocean liner”
when it opened as the Belgian radio and
television broadcasting centre. Today the
former recording studios have been
restored to their former glory as concert
An Art Deco vase © J Brunton – belgiumtheplaceto.be
7
s
z the Contretype Photographic Art Gallery
(www.contretype.org) which now occupies
the sumptuous town house of Eduard
Hannon, Managing Director of the Solvay
company, designed and built by Jules
Brunfaut in 1902 with furniture (now lost)
by Gallé and Majorelle, the great French
Art Nouveau designers.
Flagey Building in the evening © Jenamart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
halls and cinemas (www.flagey.be) and
the complex has a very popular bar-caférestaurant.
z Wiels (www.wiels.org) is a contemporary
arts centre in the former WielemansCeuppens brewery (Antoine Pompe
1930), a rare industrial Art Deco
building in the city, with a caférestaurant in the vast former brewing
hall.
z The city centre has two tiny Art Deco
café-bars: “L’Archiduc” (Van
Ruyskensvelde 1937) in Rue A Dansaert
(www.archiduc.net) and “L’Espérence”
(Léon Govaerts 1930) just off Boulevard
A Max (www.hotel-esperence.be)
z The Plaza Hotel (Michel Polak 1930) has
undergone several refurbishments but
retains much of its original elegance in
its lobby and restaurant (www.leplazabrussels.be). The old Nord Hôtel in Place
Rogier is now the Comfort Art Hotel Siru
and has retained its Art Deco facade, as
have the Palace Hotel and the Hilton
Hotel (formerly the Hôtel Albert Ier) on
the opposite side of the square.
Cécile Dubois also leads bicycle tours of Art
Nouveau and Art Deco architecture in
Brussels for Pro Vélo (www.provelo.be) and
other visits and tours are regularly
organised by the members of Voir et Dire
Bruxelles (www.voiretdirebruxelles.be).
The main museum exhibits of Art Nouveau
and Art Deco furniture and smaller works of
decorative art are at the Royal Museum of
Art & History at the Cinquantenaire Park.
Six new galleries are due to open in June
2012, allowing the entire Art Nouveau and
Art Deco collections to be displayed
together for the first time. (www.mrah.be).
2011 is the 150th anniversary of Victor
Horta’s birth, and a number of special oneoff events to celebrate are planned. Keep
an eye on www.belgiumtheplaceto.be for
details. The Art Nouveau Biennial Event will
be held during the weekends in October
2011. The last event expanded to cover Art
Deco too, so there should be lots of events,
including guided tours, discussions,
concerts, recitals and visits to normally
inaccessible interiors to keep fans of both
styles happy! The full programme and
booking details will be available at
www.voiretdirebruxelles.be.
© J Brunton – belgiumtheplaceto.be
Back in the 1990s, Brussels called itself
“Capital of Art Nouveau”. This title seem to
have been supplanted by “Capital of
Europe” these days, but there are still more
than enough fascinating buildings and
other attractions to keep architecture and
design fans happy for several days!
Art Deco Portrait © J Brunton – belgiumtheplaceto.be
8
© J Martin - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Belgian Designers
from Brussels and Wallonia
If the revival in fashion design in Belgium
was led in the late eighties by the School of
Fashion in Antwerp and its graduates
known as the “Antwerp Six”, other Belgian
fashion schools have equally, if more
quietly, been producing some of the most
talked-about talent to come out of Belgium.
In Brussels of course there is the infamous
“La Cambre”, founded as part of the Higher
Institute of Decorative Arts by the great Art
Nouveau and Art Deco designer Henry Van
de Velde in 1927, and now known as the
National College of Visual Arts, while In
Tournai, there is the St Luke’s College of
the Arts and in Liège the Institute of
Construction, Arts and Industry. The
graduates of all these institutions are now
among leading European designers of
clothes, accessories, cars and furniture.
Fashion Clothing
Céline Petit, who graduated from La
Cambre in 2009, now also works for JeanPaul Gaultier, having done work experience
placements with Cathy Pill, Xavier Delcour,
Dice Kayek and Viktor & Rolf. She has
acknowledged the influence of Magritte and
the Surrealists on her design philosophy.
Another Belgian is Jean-Paul Gaultier’s
9
Creative Assistant: Christophe Beaufays.
He is in charge of the fashion house’s
concept development, and he conducts
research for the haute couture collections,
including experimental fabrics and buying
vintage clothes. In addition, Christophe has
served as a jury member for several fashion
shows and exhibitions, and has lectured in
fashion design at the Parsons School of
Design in New York and the IFPME in Liège.
He was recently appointed Associate
Artistic & Creative Director of ESMOD, the
fashion university in Dubai, and his
seminars there will give students an insight
into the haute couture world.
Sami Tillouche was born in Belgium to
a Tunisian father and a Walloon mother
and won the “Golden Bobbin” as the best
fashion student graduating from La Cambre
in 1989, having initially studied drama.
He worked with the Italian fashion house
Romeo Gigli and then won an ANDAM
scholarship which enabled him to launch
his first personal collection in 1994. Five
s
In the days before a fashion show in
Brussels could attract much interest among
the fashionistas and the media, young
Belgian designers had to leave the country
to gain experience of working in a major
fashion house, with Paris and Milan being
the most popular destinations. Among the
big names from Paris, Jean-Paul Gaultier
has taken a particular interest in Brussels:
as a member of the assessment panel for
the students on the fashion course at La
Cambre he has offered jobs to several
Belgian graduates, and has collaborated
with others while they were still students:
for example his 2011 Spring collection
included embroidery by Olivia Clément
and weaving by Sarah Crickboom, both
students at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts
in Brussels.
Olivier Theyskens’ work for Nina Ricci – fashion show
© Image Globe / François Guillot
10
Anthony Vaccarello © Image Globe / Pierre Verdy
more collections followed before financial
constraints led him to concentrate on his
work as a freelance stylist and consultant
for Guy Laroche (menswear), Joseph Tricot
(menswear), Lanvin (womenswear), Kookaï
(women’s knitwear) and Malo (men’s and
women’s knitwear). Although he spends as
much time as he can in Italy, the fashion
press has described his clothes as being
infused with a “Nordic rigour”.
While Olivier Theyskens only spent two
years studying at La Cambre (the fashion
degree course lasts five years) he managed
to exploit his connections to finance his
first personal collection and launch his own
brand in 1997 at only 20 years old! In
2002, he was head-hunted to become
Artistic Director of Rochas, whose fortunes
he dramatically revived, leading to the
award of the “Best Foreign Designer” prize
for 2006 from the Council of Fashion
Designers of America. When Rochas’
owners decided to withdraw from the readyto-wear market in 2006, he was made
redundant but almost immediately joined
Nina Ricci as Artistic Director. He has just
been named Artistic Director of
contemporary sportswear designers Theory
after having launched a Spring /Summer
2011 capsule collection for the company in
September 2010.
studying fashion at La Cambre before
dropping out to help her classmate Olivier
Theyskens set up his own brand in 1997.
After a few “renegade” years developing
the Theyskens brand, she returned to the
fashion establishment by joining Chanel
as Head of Accessories and Jewellery. In
2006, Chanel took over the tiny Parisian
milliners Maison Michel, as part of its
campaign to preserve traditional craft skills,
and Crahay was made Artistic Director.
Having designed a new collection of hats
for Maison Michel, she then made full use
of her showbiz connections to get them
worn by Lara Croft and Lady Gaga, leading
to a huge amount of media hype. Her 2010
hats catalogue used her friends as models,
including her neighbour Theyskens, and the
photographer was none other than Karl
Lagerfeld, Chanel’s legendary Artistic
Director.
Anthony Vaccarello was a star student at
La Cambre: his graduate collection won the
“Grand Prix” at the prestigious Hyères
Fashion Festival in 2006, and he was
immediately hired by Karl Lagerfeld to
design a fur collection for Fendi. After only
two years, he launched his own personal
collection of womenswear, described by
critics as “powerful yet succinct and highly
ornate”. He says his Italian side corrects his
Belgian side, allowing him to avoid
“belgeries”. Today he splits his time
between Paris and Brussels.
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Elvis Pompilio has become one of the
Belgian fashion world’s most recognisable
faces. Following his studies at the ICADI in
Liège, he moved to Brussels where he set
up his millinery workshop, supplying hats
to fashion houses such as Dior, Thierry
Mugler and Ann Demeulemeester, as well
as to celebrities such as Madonna, Yannick
Noah, Debbie Harry, Harrison Ford and
members of the Belgian, Swedish,
Norwegian and British royal families. In
1987, he opened a ready-to-wear hats and
accessories shop in Brussels, followed by
others in Antwerp, Paris and London, but in
2002 he decided to close them all and set
up a new workshop-showroom on the Place
du Grand Sablon in Brussels. He remains
as outspoken as ever: “There is no fashion
in hats, they have always been there.
I rarely buy fashion magazines, I just do
what I want and that’s to create something
beautiful” he says. He decided to stay in
Brussels because “Belgians are modest,
simple and very different, even a bit surreal
and definitely not superficial. We are also
very cultivated, humble and open-minded...
Belgium still makes me dream”
Matthieu Mouton and Nicolas Collet met
as fashion design students at St Luke’s
College in Tournai in the late 1990s. After
graduating, they set up their own company,
Mouton Collet, and moved to Paris in 2001.
Their collections include clothes, jewellery,
hats and other accessories, and they have
s
Laetitia Crahay began by studying
architecture and then spent two years
© elvispompilio.com
© Elric Petit
designed items for Martin Margiela,
Shirtology, Jitirois, Kenzo, Nina Ricci and
Hervé Leger, which were featured in many
fashion magazines. They also created Lady
Gaga’s much talked-about feathered antler
hat, as well as the studded helmet worn
by one of the male models in the video for
her latest hit “Alejandro”. Their hand-made
silver jewellery is now sold at Liberty’s in
London.
Cédric Charlier is another La Cambre
graduate who was hired as an assistant
to Alber Elbez, Creative Director at Lanvin,
from college. In 2009, he was head-hunted
to be Artistic Director at Cacharel, a Paris
fashion house that was in the doldrums.
“It was always a romantic label and kind
of girly... I want it to go boyish girl... a sort
of nonchalant chic” said Charlier. He
negotiated a production deal with Aeffe
in Italy which enabled Cacharel to cut the
prices of its ready-to-wear collection, thus
appealing to a wider buying public.
Other Products
Belgian design graduates have not just
thrived in the rarefied world of haute
couture, but also in high-volume, massmarket sectors, such as the motor industry.
Pierre Leclercq recently stepped into the
limelight as the designer of the new BMW
X5 and X6 cars. The design of the X6 was
influenced by Italian racing coupés of the
1950s, and Leclercq calls it “the first
coupé SUV in the world”.
Elric Petit has diplomas in Plastic Arts
and Architectural Drawing from the Institut
des Arts, Techniques et Artisants de Namur
and a degree in Industrial Design from La
Cambre. He won the Design for Europe
Prize in 2002, while still a student at La
Cambre. The following year, shortly after
his graduation, he won the Young Belgian
Designer of the Year Prize, which included
a work experience placement at Vitra, a
Swiss manufacturer of “designer” products.
He then studied at the Ecole Cantonale
d’Art de Lausanne where he became
friends with Grégoire Jeanmonod (from
Switzerland) and Augustin Scott de
Martinville (from France). In 2004, the three
friends set up Big-Game, a design studio
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with offices in Lausanne and Brussels.
The studio specialises in products made
from industrial materials used in unusual
ways, such as a self-assembly stag’s-head
trophy, and furniture assembled by folding
a sheet of plastic into shape. Big-Game’s
collections include “Heritage in Progress”
(2005), “Plus is More” (2007) and “Ready
Made” (2009).
Marina Bautier was born in Belgium
and studied for her degree in Fine Art
at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University
College (now Buckinghamshire New
University) in the UK. She returned to
Belgium in 2002 and set up her own
design studio in Brussels. She works as
both an interior designer for private clients
and architects and as a product designer
for manufacturers. Exhibitions of her
furniture were held at La Centrale
Electrique in Brussels and at Le Grand
Hornu Images in 2010. Her most recent
product is the “Cruiser” folding easy-chair
for the Swedish manufacturer Swedese.
Benoît Deneufbourg trained as an
architect and as an interior designer, and
then worked as an assistant to designer
Xavier Lust for two years, before setting
up his own design studio “Bdnb design”
in Brussels in 2004. He specialises in
designing mass-produced furniture and
home accessories for manufacturers,
including Interni Edition and Vange, as
well as interior designs. His products
s
One of the most recent Belgian design
successes is the popular Ice Watch, which
sold over 700,000 units in 2009, and is
worn by Paris Hilton as well as a host of
famous pop singers. The Ice Watch
company was founded by Jean-Pierre
Lutgen, who had previously run a corporate
gifts company based in Bastogne, and the
company’s tiny head office (only 15 staff)
is split between Bastogne and Hong Kong.
There are now 10 Ice Watch collections,
which change twice a year, in line with the
slogan “Change. You Can”, and 35 national
distributors, organised in a network that
has been described as a “micromultinational”.
Cédric Charlier’s work for Cacharel
© Image Globe / François Guillot
13
include the “La Liseuse” reading-lamp, the
“CoatHook” and the “Twist” table. He also
designed a range of furniture made from
second-hand furniture for the Brussels
workshop for the homeless “Les Petits
Riens”.
For more information and to find out where
you can buy products designed by these
designers, please visit the websites listed
below:
Alain Berteau was born in Germany and
studied architecture at La Cambre,
graduating in 1996. He set up his own
architectural practice in 2002, which
expanded to cover interior design and
product design. He won the “Designer of
the Year” prize at the Intérieur Biennale
in 2006, and joined the teaching staff on
La Cambre’s furniture design course. He
is interested in ecological solutions for
offices and homes, including his well-known
“Pick Up Wood” coat-hangers, made of tree
branches, originally designed for the
Brussels workshop for the homeless “Les
Petits Riens.” Other designs include chairs,
desks, storage units, lighting and taps for
a wide range of manufacturers, including
Montis, Vange, Bulo, spHaus, Feld,
Wildspirit and RvB. As an architect, he has
designed new buildings, including offices
for Suez-Tractabel in Buenos Aires and
Renault in Paris and a school in Lauzelle,
as well as restoring historic buildings such
as Laurensart Castle in Belgium.
Christophe Beaufays
www.jeanpaulgaultier.com
www.french-fashion-university.com
Céline Petit www.jeanpaulgaultier.com
Sami Tillouche www.kookai.fr
www.guylaroche.com, www.malo.it
www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1195/
26807.php
Olivier Theyskens www.ninaricci.com
Laetitia Crahay
www.chanel.com, www.michel-paris.com
Anthony Vaccarello
www.anthonyvaccarello.blogspot.com
Elvis Pompilio www.elvispompilio.com
Mouton Collet www.moutoncollet.com
Cédric Charlier
www.cacharel.fr/styl.html
www.cacharel.com
Jean-Pierre Lutgen www.ice-watch.com
Elric Petit www.big-game.ch
Marina Bautier
www.lamaisondemarina.com
Benoît Deneufbourg
www.benoitdnb.com, www.vange.be
www.interni-edition.com
Alain Berteau
http://web.me.com/berteau/alain_berteau
_designworks/Alain_Berteau_designworks./
Alain_Berteau_designworks..html,
http://www.architonic.com/pmpro/alainberteau/8102745/2/2/1
And for the latest news on emerging
Belgian talent, here are the websites of the
leading Belgian design institutes:
Ecole Nationale Supérieur des Arts Visuels
“La Cambre” www.lacambre.be
Institut de la Construction, des Arts
décoratifs et de l’Industrie (ICADI Liège)
www.icadi.be
Ecole Supérieur des Arts Saint-Luc de
Tournai www.stluc-sup-tournai.be
Pierre Leclercq
www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/x6/ov
erview.html
© Alain Berteau
Alain Berteau © Image Globe / Frank Abeloos
14
The Ultime Atome café terrace
© OPT - JP Remy
Brussels Terrace Culture
in the hidden garden of one of the city’s
top dining spots. A lot of the fun is just
wandering around Brussels and discovering
the perfect spot by yourself, without
resorting to guide books, but here are a
dozen addresses that are definitely worth
tracking down.
Piazza San Marco, then you would expect
to get a fright when the bill came, but here
in Brussels - even on the Grand Place prices remain reasonable, with a set lunch
costing €13.50 and a draft beer €4.
Open daily 9am till 1am.
Brasserie Jaloa Jardin
La Chaloupe D’or
Grand Place 24-25,
tel: +32 2 511 41 61
The magnificent Grand Place has been
described as ‘The most beautiful theatre
in the world’, and several venerable cafés
compete fiercely to offer the best ‘seats in
the house’. Perfectly located right opposite
the towering Gothic facade of the Town Hall,
the best spot has to be La Chaloupe d’Or,
‘The Golden Sloop’, and when the sun is
shining, you can be sure that every outdoor
table is taken, as visitors and locals alike
settle down for a long lunch of ‘stoemp’, a
Brussels version of sausages and mash, or
just a cold beer. The café is housed in what
was once the sumptuous Tailor’s Guild
House, and the statue on top of the roof is
of their patron, Saint Boniface. If this were
the Champs Elysées in Paris, or Venice’s
15
Place Sainte-Catherine 5-7,
tel: +32 2 512 18 31
www.brasseriejaloa.com
Behind the façade of many Brussels
restaurants and cafés hides an enchanting
shady garden, and few can compare to the
aptly-named Jaloa Brasserie Jardin. This
used to be the gourmet dining room of
talented young chef, Gaetan Colin, but he
recently opened a new space for his
gastronomic cooking, turning this into a fun
brasserie serving huge seafood ‘plateaux’
and traditional Belgian dishes like pork
cheeks braised in beer, at affordable
prices. The garden features vines and
exotic papyrus, and is a peaceful oasis
compared to the hip Sainte-Catherine
square that is just outside. Open Daily
midday to 11pm.
s
Brussels is a city that continually surprises
the visitor, but even the seasoned traveller
would not expect to hear claims that the
Belgian capital is one of the most fun
destinations for lovers of the café terrace
culture. When you think of lazing away a
sunny day sitting at a table on the
pavement terrace of a café, ordering an
outdoor lunch or romantic dinner in the
shady garden of a restaurant, then the
cities that come to mind are Barcelona or
Rome, Marseilles or Lisbon. But the
Bruxellois are imbibed with what can only
be described as a Latin or Mediterranean
‘joie de vivre’, so that the moment the sun
peeks its head out, then everyone heads
straight for the nearest pavement terrace
to celebrate by ordering an ice-cold beer.
And there really is something for everyone
who loves to get the perfect outdoor table the best view, the best place to see or be
seen, where to watch local life pass by,
opposite a bustling market. And likewise,
when it comes to budgets, you can while
away a few hours on a wobbly table
balanced on cobblestones and just spend
a couple euros on a coffee or glass of wine,
or you can reserve an elegant table under
a shady tree for a splash-out gourmet meal
Le Chalet de la Foret © J Brunton - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Quartier Leopold
Place du Luxembourg 9,
tel: +32 2 280 25 52
www.quartier-leopold.be
The Place du Luxembourg is straight across
from the imposing European Parliament
building, and the café and restaurant
terraces that teem over the square are the
preferred rendezvous for sharp-suited
Eurocrats who discreetly sit out in the sun
wheeling and dealing. You can choose from
sports bars, cocktail lounges, bistrots and
brasseries, but the most elegant place to
be seen for a power lunch is the Quartier
Leopold, a chic restaurant which has a
discrete, verdant garden at the back.
Although the clientele here could not be
more cosmopolitan, with conversations
going on in a dozen different languages,
the cuisine of Quartier Leopold is decidedly
Belgian, featuring local favourites like
‘chicken waterzooi’ and ‘vol au vent a
l’ancienne’. Open Mondays to Fridays 10am
to 11:30pm. Closed on Saturdays and
Sundays.
Rouge Tomate
Avenue Louise 190,
tel: +32 2 647 70 44
www.rougetomate.be
Cafe des Halles Saint-Gery
Place Saint-Géry 1,
tel: +32 2 289 26 60
www.cafedeshalles.be
Sitting outside the bar of Saint-Géry’s
beautifully-preserved red brick market is
the place where everyone wants to be seen
the moment a ray of sunshine appears.
Don’t come here expecting food or even
snacks, as only drinks are on the menu,
and most people order the brilliant
cocktails - mojito, caiphirina, margarita.
In summer, the bar sets up a sand pit to
play ‘pétanque’, there are avant-garde
exhibitions inside the market, and DJ nights
and a dance club downstairs. The streets
surrounding the Saint-Géry market form an
island of funky bars where it can be difficult
to walk between the hundreds of people
chilling out on the pavement terraces. Café
Pardus has the most original seating, with
bamboo hammocks, Le Zebra attracts
bohemian students as the food is so
cheap, while a smarter set vie for the
perfect table outside Le Roi des Belges.
Café des Halles St Géry is open daily from
10am until 1am.
Le Chalet de la Foret
Drève de Lorraine 43,
tel: +32 2 374 54 16
www.lechaletdelaforet.be
What is really fun and surprising about
terrace culture in Brussels is the variety
16
of choice on offer, ranging from cafés
serving a simple bowl of homemade soup
and a hunk of crusty bread to gastronomic
temples tempting diners with a mouthwatering appetizer of an artichoke heart
surrounded by tender morsels of braised
veal cheeks topped off with slices of black
truffles. That is one of the dishes on the
menu at the Chalet de la Forêt, an exclusive
restaurant in the heart of the Cambre
forest, beloved by the city’s movers and
shakers, where you need to book well in
advance to be sure of a table in the shady
garden terrace. The chef here, Pascal
Devalkeneer, cultivates an extensive herb
and vegetable garden in the Chalet’s
grounds, and creates seemingly simple
dishes, such as a succulent mackerel fillet
wonderfully flavoured with a tangy leaf of
wild sorrel. Open Monday to Friday from
midday to 2:30pm and 7pm to 10:30pm.
Closed Saturday and Sunday.
La Clef D’or
Place du Jeu de Balle 1,
tel: +32 2 511 97 62
There really is no better place to put your
finger of the pulse of authentic Brussels life
than by sitting outside of the dozen cafés
that encircle the sprawling daily flea market
at the Place du Jeu de Balle. All the locals
have their own favourite - La Brocante, Chez
Willy, Café Marcel - but it is hard to beat the
ambiance at the Clef, d’Or, especially on a
Sunday morning. Don’t be surprised if you
see customers on the pavement terrace
singing along to a trad Bruxellois song, as
inside, there is an accordion player and a
cloth-capped singer, known as Le Petit Jojo
de Marolles. Weaving in-between the
tables, the waiter balances a tray of
foaming beers, and this is the spot to try
speciality snacks like ‘kip kap’, a creamy
cheese with herbs. Open from 5am to 5pm
Tuesday to Friday.
s
The place where everyone in Brussels
wants to go shopping is the Avenue Louise,
whose showrooms range from international
haute-couture brands to the cutting-edge
names of Belgium’s hip fashion scene.
And when you have shopped till you are
ready to drop, head straight for the swish
Rouge Tomate restaurant, where tucked
away at the back of this grand mansion is a
lush, inviting garden and a wooded terrace
shaded by giant century-old beech trees.
And although this tranquil oasis may be the
perfect spot for diners to parade their latest
glamorous outfit, it also has a respected
reputation for its light, contemporary
cuisine that puts the emphasis on healthy,
nutritious cooking rather than the rich
sauces that mark much of Belgian cooking.
Wine enthusiasts should also note that the
excellent sommelier, Pascaline Lepeltier,
has assembled a surprising cellar of
organic and biodynamic vintages. Open
midday to 2:30pm and 7pm to 10:30pm
Monday to Friday, and from 7pm until
10:30pm on Saturdays.
La chaloupe d’or © Jeanmart - OPT
17
dancing and a dozen different bars
serving food and cocktails on this eccentric,
ephemeral garden. Open from 8:30am to
1:00 am weekdays and from 10am to 1am
on Saturdays, Sundays and public
holidays.
Quentin
Rue du Page 7,
tel: +32 2 537 85 97
www.quentinvins.com
Le Jardin de Jaloa © J Brunton - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Cafe Leffe
Place du Grand Sablon 46,
tel: +32 2 513 47 94
www.cafeleffe-bruxelles.be
While the Place du Jeu de Balle is known
for its bric-à-brac stalls and raucous bars,
the imposing Place du Grand Sablon offers
visitors a connoisseurs antiques market,
haute-couture boutiques and gourmet
restaurants, and could be a million miles
away rather than just a ten minute walk.
The most popular terrace at which to grab a
seat and watch this elegant world saunter
by is the Café Leffe, named after one of
Belgium’s most famous beers. There are a
host of other brews served here too Trappist ales like Chimay and Westmalle,
the oddly-named Kwak, and a cherryflavoured, Kriek - and the kitchen is open
all day serving hearty bistrot fare. The other
speciality of the Sablon is its irresistible
chocolate boutiques, and for those who
would rather enjoy a delicious hot chocolate
Café Leffe is located right next to two of the
most famous ‘chocolatiers’, Pierre Marcolini
and Godiva. Open daily from 9am to 2am.
Le Plattesteen
Rue du Marche au Charbon 41,
tel: +32 2 512 82 03
The popular street side terrace of this
typical café-brasserie sits right beneath one
of the tall Comic Strip murals that decorate
dozens of building around Brussels. On a
sunny day there is always a crowd milling
around outside, desperately waiting for a
table to become free, and although Le
Platt, as everyone calls the place, serves
generous portion of great-value dishes and
dozens of different beers, it is located right
on the edge of the colourful gay
neighbourhood of Saint-Jacques, so this is
also a terrace where everyone wants to be
seen on. They serve one of the best
‘américains’ in town, the Belgian take of
steak tartare, and for an early evening
aperitif why not try Bruxellois specialities
like ‘half&half”, a mix of white wine and
bubbly ‘mousseux’, or the lethal ‘zizi coincoin’, a shot of Cointreau with lemon juice.
Open 11am to midnight.
L’Ultime Atome
Rue Saint Boniface 14,
tel: +32 2 511 13 67
www.ultime-atome.com
The Saint Boniface and neighbouring
Matongé quarters have the same buzz as
Notting Hill. This once genteel
neighbourhood of grand mansions, is today
crammed with vintage boutiques and funky
restaurants, where bohemian chic sits
alongside exotic African bars and clubs. The
one place where everyone comes to
hangout is L’Ultime Atome, a vibrant
brasserie in a converted factory, whose
terrace is packed with a cosmopolitan
crowd enjoying café and croissants in the
morning through till dinner, and cocktails
and jazz late at night. There is even a
wonderful street party once a year, when
the whole of Place Saint-Boniface is
covered with grass for the day, with DJ’s,
18
Nowhere illustrates the importance of
terrace culture in Brussels life more than
the weekly market held every Wednesday
in the ultra-fashionable Place du Châtelain.
While everyone is ostensibly here to do
their shopping, the real reason is to relax
outside one of the cafés and bars around
the square till well after the sun has gone
down. While the square is packed with
colourful stalls and shoppers, the
surrounding pavements are turned into
impromptu bars, and while the market
winds down in the early evening, this is
just when the party atmosphere gets going.
While Le Châtelain bar may have the
wildest atmosphere - think dancing in the
street - the biggest crowds teeming outside
are inevitably at Quentin, a stylish wine bar
that has tapped in to the new trend of
‘natural’ wines without sulphates, and also
serves tempting ‘apéro-snacks’ of
charcuterie, cheeses and olive tapenade.
Open Tuesday to Saturday from midday
to 10:30pm (closes 11pm on Wednesday),
Mondays 5pm to 10:30pm, closed
Sundays and official holidays.
Cafe Belga
Place Eugène Flagey 18,
tel: +32 2 640 35 08
www.cafebelga.be
Café Belga has long been an institution for
Brussels café aficionados, the hip place to
be spotted sipping a cappuccino outside on
the terrace, waiting for one of the
headlining concerts that are regularly
programmed at The Flagey, the vast Art
Deco building which originally housed
Belgium’s earliest radio stations, and
whose ground floor has been taken over by
Café Belga. It has to be said that for years,
sitting out at Café Belga meant putting up
with the din of construction crews who
seemed to be tearing up the vast Place
Flagey forever. But this year, all the works
are finally over, and the whole
neighbourhood seems to be reborn with
trendy new spots mushrooming all around.
And on the other side of the Cafe’s terrace
is the bucolic Ixelles lake, which makes you
think you’re right in the countryside rather
than in the heart of the city. Open daily
from 8am to 2am and from 8am to 3am on
Friday and Saturday.
Brussels Grand’Place © O Knight - belgiumtheplaceto.be
The World Heritage
of Brussels & Wallonia
UNESCO World
Heritage in Brussels
La Grand’ Place
When UNESCO decided in 1998 to add
Belgium to its prestigious list of nations
possessing World Heritage Sites, it did not
come as a surprise that the first
nomination to be accepted was the Grand
Place situated right at the heart of
Brussels. No matter how many times you
have visited this magnificent square, this is
a place that always takes your breath away
the moment you walk in, because it is
monumental and awesome in architectural
terms, but also remains the vibrant life and
soul of the city itself, as it has been since
the day it was founded.
With its glorious guild house embellished by
gilded coats of arms and the immense,
towering Gothic Town Hall, you would think
at first that this all dates back to the Middle
Ages. And although the Grand Place has
been at the centre of Brussels since it is
the city’s earliest days, the reality is that
the French King, Louis XIV, actually
bombarded most of the original medieval
square into a pile of rubble in 1695. It only
took Belgium’s powerful guilds a few years
to rebuild all their mansions though, and
these have been splendidly preserved ever
since, while the 15th century Town Hall
remains the only original edifice. And for
19
today’s visitor, to discover all the fascinating
secrets and stories behind these opulent
facades, it really is worth joining a guided
tour. That way you will learn dozens of tales
such as why the guild house of the Belgian
Beer Brewers is known as The Golden Tree,
you’ll understand the significance of
sculptures representing Africa, Europe,
Asia, and the Americas emblazoned on the
Haberdasher’s guild house, and learn that
a guild house known as The Pigeon, was for
the guild of Painters, and that Victor Hugo
once lived here.
Art Nouveau Houses
of Victor Horta
Four of Horta’s buildings are now UNESCO
World Heritage Sites. At this point in time
only one of these, Horta’s former house
and office in Rue Americaine, is open to the
public.
Horta Museum rue Américaine 23-25
To understand the unique world of Victor
s
When people talk of UNESCO heritage sites
you often have the impression of something
that will be preserved like a museum, but
with the Grand Place this could not be
further from the reality, as it is a hive of
activity day and night every day of the year,
be it the cafe terraces that teem out over
the cobblestones, museums and boutiques,
the Sunday flower market, or the constant
parade of events that range from a lively
beer festival, a fun Christmas Market, to an
al fresco opera with the diva singing from
the balcony of the Town Hall.
Horta, the man who almost single-handedly
imposed Art Nouveau design on the city of
Brussels, you have to begin at the house
he designed not for one of his wealthy
patrons, but for himself, his family and the
team of dedicated master-craftsmen who
worked with him in the Horta Atelier. When
visiting it is advisable to go on a guided
tour, because although the house is visually
stunning, there are so many incredible
details waiting to be discovered that many
of us would miss most of them, and come
away without gaining an insight into the
incredible mind of Monsieur Horta. Building
began in 1898, and three years later, Horta
and family moved in. He had originally
wanted to live on the prestigious Avenue
Louise, but funds were lacking, so the
Hortas settled on Saint Gilles, a new
neighbourhood where rapid urbanisation
was transforming the countryside into new
town houses. Designed in his classic
narrow, high and deep style, Horta was
creating a remarkable new way of using
and decorating a house. Influenced by
Japanese design, the Arts and Crafts
movement of William Morris in England,
revolutionary stained-glass techniques from
America, and the availability of fabulous
woods and precious ores from Belgium’s
African empire, he revolutionised
architecture in Brussels while his influence
spread all over Europe.
Everywhere you look in his house there
are surprises - an early system of airconditioning, a dining room that has a
built-in telephone to call the servants and
a table with a its own electric hot-plate to
keep dishes warm, a comfy sofa with its
own heating system hidden at the back,
his daughter’s bedroom that has an idyllic
winter garden, a bathroom that offered hot
water, an ornate toilet made in England
with the wonderful name ‘The Venerable
Crapper’, and in the master bedroom, a
discrete porcelain ‘pissoir’ hidden away in
a cupboard for Mr Horta, while poor
Madame had to make do with a chamber
pot. Behind a series of sliding doors and
hidden staircases there is also the Atelier,
a secret labyrinth of artisan studios where
craftsmen worked on Horta’s interior
designs - furniture, lighting, glass, marble all leading to his office, where he also
received wealthy clients and patrons,
although they came in through the
prestigious front entrance.
Hotel Tassel Rue Paul Emile Janson, 6
Just around the corner from the Horta
museum is the first house that Horta
designed, a revolutionary new building at
that time andarguably the world’s first-ever
Art Nouveau building. Commissioned in
1893 by Monsieur Tassel, a well-known
engineer and freemason, this was the
perfect first client to make Horta’s
reputation, as the owner was a popular
One of Horta’s Art Nouveau master pieces detail © J Brunton - belgiumtheplaceto.be
host for Brussels high society, and
everyone coming to the elegant parties he
held in his new home immediately wanted
to commission a Horta masterpiece for
themselves. The front of the building is
in discrete stone, as Horta disliked using
bricks, while the interiors feature all his
hallmark Art Nouveau creations - mosaics,
stained glass, Japanese panelling.
one of Brussels many hidden green oases.
This statuesque house is just one of dozens
of elegant mansions that make up Square
Marie-Louise, and the owner, Baron
Edmond van Eeetvelde, the King’s private
secretary and Secretary General of the
Congo Free State, commissioned Horta to
design a prestigious residence that would
stand out from the rest.
Hotel Solvay Avenue Louise, 224
The most prominent of Horta’s Art Nouveau
mansions, Hotel Solvay, sits perfectlyplaced on Avenue Louise, the grandest
boulevard in Brussels. In his typical style,
Horta designed a house you barely notice
walking past, the epitome of discretion, yet
behind a relatively small street facade, the
mansion stretches back an incredible 64
metres, filled with luxurious salons, a
fumoir and billiard room, and a verdant
winter garden. Horta was allowed to design
every single aspect of the house, from the
furniture and carpets to lamps and cutlery,
and he took full advantage of Solvay’s
riches to use the most precious materials,
from rare tropical woods to more than 23
different types of marble. But quite
incredibly, Armand Solvay and his English
wife hardly even lived here, using it as a
luxurious pied-à-terre, but then in the 1957,
the couturier Louis Wittamer purchased the
house and brought it back to life as a
venue for fashion shows and to receive his
exclusive clients. Today, his children have
maintained Hotel Solvay as the best
preserved Horta house, and continue to
rent out it out for sumptuous receptions.
Horta considered this to be one of his
most daring Art Nouveau creations, and the
interior is marked by a quite stunning winter
garden that is flooded with natural light.
Hotel van Eetvelde Avenue Palmerston, 4
Not far from the European Community
neighbourhood, the Hotel van Eetvelde
looks out over an idyllic lake and park, just
20
Palais Stoclet Avenue de Tervueren
The latest site in Brussels designated by
UNESCO as World Heritage as recently as
June 2009 is the Stoclet Palace. For the
moment, it is an intriguing mystery for
visitors as it is totally closed off to the
public, so you can only admire from afar the
arresting facade, and fantasise about what
wonders must be preserved inside. Adolphe
Stoclet was a wealthy Belgian industrialist,
banker and art lover, who discovered the
avant-garde designs of Austrian architect
Josef Hoffman while staying in Vienna. He
gave him carte blanche in 1905 to create
a palatial mansion that would be a turning
point in the transition of Art Nouveau into
Art Deco and Modernism.
This was before the days of financial belttightening, and as Hoffman had no budget
restrictions he brought the finest Viennese
craftsmen with him, including none other
than the painter Gustav Klimt. The family
still own the building today, and although
there is no immediate plans to open it up
to the public, its designation as a Heritage
Site means none of the precious interiors
can be sold-off or altered.
Mons UNESCO listed Belfry
© Jeanmart – OPT
There are seven grand belfries in the south
of Belgium, and a tour around Wallonia’s
bucolic countryside, stopping-off to visit
each of these noble towers can stretch over
a lazy weekend road trip where you can
stick to quiet rural lanes rather than
rushing around on motorways, discovering
not only these unique examples of
European heritage, but also surprising
museums, castles and cathedrals, local
farmers markets, traditional ‘estaminet’
bistrots specialising in regional cuisine,
micro breweries and even wine from
Belgium’s well-hidden vineyards.
The perfect place to kick off this tour, and
get a real feel for the history embodied by
these belfries, is at the picture postcard
town of Thuin, which nestles on the bank of
the Sambre river and then rises up steeply
into a fortified town, topped off by a
statuesque ‘beffroi’. Thuin has had a belfry
since the 13th century, and while the
present one dates to 500 years ago, it only
opened to the public in May 2004, instantly
becoming a major tourist attraction. Visitors
are given an audio guide where an
imaginary bell-ringer, known here as a
‘trinouleur’, and spoken by someone with
a wonderfully plummy English accent,
explains the history of the belfry as you
climb up to the top.
Be warned that this is not for the fainthearted, especially the last couple of steep
ladders that lead to windows with
wonderful panoramic views over the town
and surrounding pastoral countryside. At
the end of the visit, you then understand
that belfries are basically watchtowers -
initially a military defence built to protect
the town, keep watch for invaders from and
also guard against any outbreak of fire. But
the belfry is also a potent symbol, signalling
the end of feudal times, when emerging
towns wanted to demonstrate their
independence from the nobility and clergy.
There is a lovely walk from the belfry
through Thuin’s narrow medieval streets,
leading you to a scenic series of suspended
terraced gardens, which have recently been
planted with vineyards producing an
authentic Belgian wine.
In nearby Binche, the belfry is actually
part of the town hall, dominating the main
square, and in medieval times, this was
also the site of a vibrant food market. Look
at the surrounding streets and you’ll see
they still bear names such as Rue de la
Triperie, for tripe butchers, and rue de la
Hure, the rather wonderful ‘Pig’s Snout
Street’. Binche is home of one of the
world’s most famous and colourful
carnivals, also recognised by UNESCO, and
although the belfry may be closed to the
public, take the time to visit their excellent
Museum of Carnival Masks, and when you
hear the bells of the belfry chime, they are
actually playing popular melodies from the
carnival.
The belfry of Mons is just one of many
attractions that draw tourists to this
surprising, delightful town, which will be
Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2015. Begin
at the imposing Grand Place, where dozens
of cafe terraces line up in front of the
magnificent flamboyant Gothic town hall.
It is a short walk up from here to the 17th
century belfry. As befits its name, Mons is
built atop a series of hills, and its proud
citizens chose the highest point to build
21
their belfry as a symbol of ‘Liberté
Communale’. Not only was it used to look
out for fires, but it’s bell tolled at sunrise
to mark the start of a day’s work, and at
sunset to mark it’s end, as there was a
strict rule that the town’s renowned
artisans were not allowed to work in
artificial light as that could result in poor
quality goods being produced. The belfry
has not been accessible since 1984, and
still has another two years of renovation
before the public can enter, and it will be
quite an event as even visitors in
wheelchairs will be able to reach a high
level of this towering 87 metre Baroque
edifice.
Just outside Mons are two other UNESCO
Heritage sites not to be missed. Twice a
day, from the Cantine des Italiens at the
village of Houdeng-Goegnies, a converted
barge filled with tourists starts slowly
chugging up the pretty Canal du Centre.
Everyone knows how locks work on canals,
but nothing quite prepares you for these
century-old hydraulic lifts that enable the
barge to descend a quite staggering 70
metres, with all the mechanical engineering
in its original state, explaining the official
UNESCO recognition. A very different
surprise awaits you in the hamlet of
Spiennes, the site of a quite incredible
labyrinth of Neolithic mines which were
discovered by accident in the 19th century
when rail lines were being constructed. For
the moment, the mines can only be visited
by organised groups, though there are
plans to build a museum, and even allow
a limited number of people to go down and
explore one of the 6,000 year old shafts.
It certainly is quite an experience being
hooked up to a safety rope, slowly climbing
t
Unesco World
Heritage in Wallonia
down a steep ladder to the floor of the
mine and finding yourself in a kind of
Aladdin’s cave of hollowed-out white chalk
with gleaming slices of silex still embedded
in the rock.
beautiful medieval belfry, only rising up to
20 metres, but pretty much unchanged
from the days when it was built in 1388 to
protect the town. It was originally named
the Tour Saint-Jacques.
At the end of the tour, you certainly have
a different image of the stereotyped
‘caveman’, as these people were
sophisticated miners, creating complex
underground galleries, and skilled artisans
who succeeded in making vital tools and
weapons from the valuable silex.
Namur is surrounded by verdant
countryside, and a half an hour’s drive
away, tucked away in the hills is the
bustling market town of Gembloux, famous
for it’s 10th century Benedictine abbey,
today converted into a vibrant university
faculty, and of course, a grand ‘beffroi’ that
sits high above a maze of narrow lanes that
rise up from the main square. It was the
Benedictine monks who first built the belfry
in the Middle Ages as the clock tower of
their church, and visitors today can still see
the marks on the wall where the nave once
stood. But when Gembloux came under the
influence of the French Revolution, the
abbey was sold off and the church
demolished, leaving the belfry as a symbol
of independence from both clergy and
nobility.
Next stop is Charleroi, a metropolis that
grew up around once-thriving coal and steel
industries - which is why it was twinned with
the gritty American city of Pittsburg- but
today is in the midst of reinventing itself
based on modern technology. Its belfry is
very different from any others in Wallonia,
only built in 1936 in a strikingly modern
Art Nouveau style. The belfry is actually
part of the sumptuous town hall, which
was conceived as a symbol of Charleroi’s
wealth and prosperity, and it is well worth
wandering in to marvel at the Art Deco
interiors.
Although it is only a short drive away,
you enter a very different world arriving in
grandiose Namur, a city steeped in history
and tradition, whose origins date back to
Roman times, centuries before Charleroi
was founded. Namur majestically straddles
two strategic
rivers, the Meuse and the Sambre, and
is home to the parliament of Wallonia. It
is an utterly charming place to visit, with a
grand fortified citadel, an ornate Baroque
cathedral, and sunny squares like the Place
du Marché aux Legumes, perfect to sit out
in and sample a local abbey-brewed beer
like Rochefort. And right in the heart of the
old town, almost hidden away by more
modern architecture, is a really rather
Gembloux is fortunate to have one of
Belgium’s most famous bell-ringers,
Monsieur Serge Joris, and he has been
climbing up the steep steps to the top of
the belfry for over 30 years now. He plays
the melodic ‘carillon’ every Friday morning,
when the streets below are transformed
into the teeming weekly market, and he
entertains his fellow citizens with an
eclectic array of tunes that range from
Jacques Brel to Elton John.
Outside of Brussels itself, it is the imposing
city of Tournai that reserves the most
impressive examples of Wallonia’s World
Heritage sites. Standing side by side are
Belgium’s most ancient belfry, constructed
in 1188, and the majestic Notre-Dame
cathedral, one of Europe’s most sumptuous
Gothic buildings. The cathedral has been
on the UNESCO protected list since 2000,
but its origin predates the belfry by several
centuries, especially since recent
renovation works have unearthed the
original Roman church that had been
buried from sight several metres below
today’s cathedral. It can come as quite a
surprise for visitors from the U.K. to learn
that Tournai was the only Belgian town ever
to be under English rule, for the brief period
of 1513-19 during the reign of Henry VIII,
with its very own Member of Parliament in
London. Henry even came to visit the
cathedral and installed his court favourite,
Wolsey, as the Bishop of Tournai. Today,
it is clear from the outside that one of the
cathedral’s towers is not straight, and
locals refer to it as Tournai’s Leaning Tower.
Don’t leave before visiting the Treasury,
which has a spectacular collection of Holy
Relics and priceless bejewelled caskets.
The towering 70 metre belfry is one of the
town’s biggest tourist attractions as it is
open to the public and you can climb all the
way to the top where there are breathtaking
360° panoramic views. It dates back to
1188, when the French King, Philippe
Auguste, who then controlled Tournai,
awarded the town its own charter, then
symbolised by the right to mount a
communal bell, and the good citizens
immediately took the opportunity to show
their independence by building a belfry that
was significantly higher than any of the
cathedral’s five towers. When you walk
round the windswept balcony atop the
‘beffroi , the only thing that is hard to
believe is that, apart from the cathedral,
much of Tournai, including the splendid
mansions encircling the Grand Place, was
destroyed during the last war. But the town
made every effort to rebuild everything as
it was, and only an expert could tell these
are not the original buildings.
The boat lift experience – a view from above!
© J Brunton – belgiumtheplaceto.be
22
View from the Belfry’ top onto the 5 spired catherdral
© Jeanmart.eu – belgiumtheplaceto.be
23
Semois Valley © H Caitucoli
Take a Walk
in the South of Belgium
One of the best ways to visit the beautiful
rolling country, hidden rivers and ancient
forests of Wallonia is the RAVel (réseau
autonome de voies lentes). Today, on
disused railway tracks, canal embankments
and river towpaths which crisscross the
entire region there are more than 1100
kilometres of RAVel trails, from the French
to the German and Dutch borders. Literally
meaning the independent network of slow
ways, most of the RAVel paths are surfaced
yet all motorised transport is banned and
cyclists, walkers, and horse riders can
travel for days in absolute security through
forested river valleys, secret hidden gorges
and wide open plateaux studded with
ancient chateaux and tiny villages.
before widening out at the bigger towns
where wharves are busy with cranes
unloading massive barges which carry
cargoes to and from Germany, Holland and
France. This dramatic contrast between the
tranquil rural backwater and the modern
working landscape is one of the most
attractive facets of the RAVel, with
unexpected surprises around practically
every corner.
The southern most sections of the RAVel
pass through some of the most ancient
forests still surviving in Europe, on long
abandoned rail tracks which were used to
bring timber, stone and coal down to the
larger rivers for onward transport by canal.
In the centre of Wallonia the RAVel follows
the Meuse river, the towpath winding
through sleepy woodlands and gorges
There is a wide variety of accommodation
available along the entire network, from
reasonably priced youth hostels, to
charming country B and Bs or luxurious
hotels in the larger towns. Getting to and
from the RAVel network is never a problem
for Wallonia has an excellent public
transport network of trains and buses.
There are detailed maps of the entire
In the north, the gently undulating trails
follow long disused branch lines which wind
across the plateaux of wheat fields and
woodlands, linking tiny hamlets and villages
where the old stations seem to have
changed little since the last train left some
fifty years ago.
24
network which can be viewed online
(/ravel.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/)
or bought at the Maison du Tourisme (the
tourist office) in the larger towns.
The RAVel Routes:
There are 5 principal RAVel routes in the
country, and new sections are being
opened every year. Shorter trails, known
as the Pré-RAVel are being set up by local
communes, provinces and the Walloon
regional Council to add to or link with the
existing RAVel. Details of the Pré-RAVel are
usually included in the maps of the entire
network.
The RAVel 1
The RAVel 1 is the longest of the RAVel
routes. Extending for more than 300
kilometres east west across the country,
it starts in the lush rolling country close to
the French border and travels across the
heart of Wallonia, passing the most
important cities of Tournai, Mons, Charleroi,
Namur, Huy and Liège. The itinerary follows
the biggest rivers of southern Belgium
which are linked by canals to form the
transport system which helped the country
become one of the most prosperous
European economies of the late 19th and
early twentieth centuries. Today the network
is still a vital artery and large barges laden
with stone, coal, sand and other goods are
frequent sight on the larger open stretches
of the big rivers. In complete contrast the
smaller tributaries and canals now have no
commercial traffic, and are used instead by
pleasure boats, rowing skiffs and canoes.
RAVel 1 West.
Heading east now, the RAVel 1 follows
the towpath of the Meuse passing stately
chateaux and high rocky gorges before
slowly widening out at Huy, where the long
quays by the river are busy with cranes
loading barges with all kinds of cargo.
Crossing the river here at Huy a disused
railway (line 142) which used to bring
agricultural produce and passengers down
to the town is now a newly opened RAVel
trail and it is well worth spending some
time exploring the lovely remote country
The extent of the walking trails network in Wallonia
© Les Sentiers de Grande Randonnée
of the Condroz, where the line climbs
through old cuttings and steep sided valleys
to a wide open plateau of rich farmland and
forest.
From Huy the RAVel 1 follows the wide
valley of the Meuse to the province of Liège
and its eponymous capital, set on a gentle
curve in the river. Here sections of the
RAVel are still being completed and walkers
and cyclists will have to follow the clearly
signposted trails which run beside the
highway. Whilst in the city take time to visit
the Musée de la Vie Wallonne which will
give an excellent insight into the history of
Wallonia, from medieval times to the more
recent industrial age. Beyond Liège the
RAVel 1 runs beside the Albert Canal,
passing through the spectacular chalk
gorge of the tranchée de Caster, to the
Dutch border just south of Maastricht.
to the 11th century perched on a sheer
rocky cliff overlooking the landmark Gothic
Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame. If you
have the energy climb the 408 steps to
the citadel for the wonderful views over
the town and the Meuse valley (for the
fainthearted there is also a cable car).
Now the RAVel 2 continues along the
upper Meuse, passing the spectacular
18th Chateau de Freyr looking like a mini
Versailles by the river. At Hermeton the
RAVel 2 heads south west close to the
French border following the long
abandoned 156 railway line. This lovely
little visited region, known as the Petite
Fagne has wide pastures on undulating
wooded hills interspersed with small farms
and villages. At Mariembourg on the French
border there is a thriving steam railway
museum, with many of the locomotives
which used to run on the branch lines of
this area over the past century.
s
Starting on the tranquil Lys river the RAVel
1 meanders through pastureland dotted
with tiny villages to the upper Escaut river
where it follows the towpath into Belgium’s
oldest city Tournai. A former Roman
settlement, Tournai has one of the finest
cathedrals in the country, listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage site, and its
Romanesque steeples rise above the
towpath which passes through the heart
of the old city. The rolling country of the
western part of Wallonia, known as the
Brabant Wallon was the powerhouse of
Belgium’s industrial prosperity for more
than a century, and the RAVel 1, now
running beside the Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes
canal which, with the Canal du Centre links
the Escaut river to the Meuse, passes close
to the centre of the bustling town of Mons.
Just downstream, a series of locks and boat
lifts built more than a hundred years ago
are classified as UNESCO World Heritage
monuments for their engineering
sophistication. Skirting around the large
city of Charleroi, with its industrial skyline
of factory chimneys and huge blast
furnaces, the RAVel 1 then plunges back
into lush farmland to enter the region of
the Ardennes on the towpath beside the
beautiful Sambre river which winds through
woodland and fields to the Meuse at
Namur. This picturesque town, which is the
capital of Wallonia and the seat of the
Walloon Regional Council has a massive
citadel built under the period of Spanish
occupation in the 17th century dominating
the confluence of the two rivers. Take time
off to explore the narrow streets of the old
centre or climb up to the citadel which has
wide views over the two rivers.
The RAVel 2
The RAVel 2 which is approximately 110
kilometres long crosses Wallonia from north
to south, using mainly disused railway lines,
passing through some of the most beautiful
country the region has to offer.
The RAVel 2 starts on the old 142 railway
line at Hoegaarden, where the best white
beer in Belgium is brewed from corn which
flourishes on the rich fertile plains here.
The line passes close to the medieval town
of Jodoigne, once the seat of the dukes of
Brabant, and continues to the large village
of Éghezée, with its fine 19th century red
brick railway station before winding on
down to Namur. Here the trail briefly joins
the RAVel 1 on the towpath of the Sambre
river though the city and then heads south
on the Meuse to the striking town of
Dinant with its high citadel dating back
25
Walking through the Ardennes
© Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Ravel 5 along the river Ourthe © Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
The RAVel 3.
The RAVel 3 runs north south across the
Brabant Wallon and the Hainaut regions. At
90 kilometres long, it has some of the most
varied landscapes of the entire network,
from the lost rural backwater of Seneffe
and its wonderful chateau, to the heart of
industrial Charleroi and its mighty steel
plants.
The RAVel 3 begins in Tubize and follows
the wide towpath of the Brussels Charleroi
canal, built in the early part of the 19th
century to exploit the rich coal fields south
of the Belgian capital. At the extraordinary
inclined plane of Ronquières, where barges
are lifted nearly seventy metres in huge
sliding locks, the RAVel 3 divides, one
section following the new canal, and the
other passing through the sleepy little used
old canal which climbs through a series of
small locks to the graceful 18th century
chateau of Seneffe set in a 22 hectare
landscaped park. The trail then joins up
with the RAVel 1 into Charleroi where the
RAVel 3 heads south east, climbing along
the upper Sambre river and passing close
to the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey d’Aulne,
once the centre of a rich church run estate
which was sacked by French revolutionaries
Durbuy © OPT
in 1794. On a more modern note at Thuin
a little further upriver the ASVi museum has
working trams and locomotives from the
regional tram system, which once
connected major towns and villages to the
Belgian capital. In the centre of Thuin, the
lofty belfry - listed as a UNESCO heritage
site - towers above the RAVel 3. Open to
visitors it is well worth climbing to the
gallery close to the top which has splendid
views over wooded country to the French
border at Erquelinnes where the RAVel 3
ends.
The RAVel 4
The RAVel 4 is 51 kilometres long and is
the shortest of the principal RAVel Routes.
It follows the tow paths of the Blaton-Ath
and Dendre canals through the rich rolling
country of the Hainaut region in western
Wallonia to the French border at St Aybert.
The RAVel 4 begins just north of Lessines
at Overboelare, following the tranquil
towpath of the Dendre river which was
canalised in the mid 19th century. At the
small town of Lessines the trail passes
close to the graceful cloisters and
courtyards of the Hôpital Notre-Dame à la
Rose founded in 1242 as a hospital run by
26
Augustine nuns. Today there is an extensive
museum with exhibitions of medical
treatment and a restored ward of the 14th
century. The canal continues through rich
farmland to the town of Ath, well known for
its carnival in late August each year when
huge figures representing Goliath and
Sampson are paraded through the narrow
streets. Now following the towpath of the
Blaton-Ath canal the RAVel 4 continues to
the small town of Chièvres - which started
life as a Roman garrison - and then to
Beloeil. Here the stunning 13th century
castle, one of the largest and most
beautiful in Belgium is surrounded by
ornate French gardens set in a 120 hectare
estate. The trail now follows the narrow
Nimy-Péronnes canal through verdant
pastureland and woodlands to the French
border at Harchies. Birdwatchers here can
take a short deviation along the
Pommeroeul-Antoing canal to the wetlands
of Harchies, where the reed beds and
marshes provide food and shelter for more
than 250 species of birds.
RAVel 5
The RAVel 5 which is approximately 80 kms
long is the hilliest route of the entire
network, starting on the old 38 railway line
at Plombières close to the Dutch and
German border, and then running through
Herve to Liège. Here it joins the Canal de
l’Ourthe and then follows the beautiful
Ourthe valley to Durbuy - said to be the
smallest town in the world.
Starting in the area known as the three
frontiers where Germany, Holland and
Belgium meet, the RAVel 5 runs south east
across the flat verdant farmland of the
Herve plain. At Hombourg, once a busy
marshalling yard on the rail network with
Germany, old wagons still stand on the
disused railway tracks where the station
building has been converted to a
restaurant. Close to Herve, the RAVel 5
passes beneath the ramparts of the World
War 2 fortress of Battice. A massive
structure of concrete surrounded by
embankments its occupants fought a
heroic defence for 10 days in 1940 before
being overrun by the German army. The
RAVel 5 then enters the outskirts of Liège
at Fléron before looping back on the
towpath of the Canal de l’Ourthe to head
south towards the forests of the Ardennes.
Now the trail runs along the winding Ourthe
valley, passing the beautiful 18th century
chateaux of Sainval and Tilff, surrounded
by manicured gardens which run down to
the river banks. At Comblain-au-Pont, a
series of caverns sculpted by underground
rivers are open to the public and above
ground climbers pick their routes on the
cliffs of the spectacular Roches Noires
which rise steeply above the river. At the
small village of Hamoir, walkers and cyclists
have to briefly take to the road to Bomal
where the RAVel 5 starts again, following
the river bank through wooded valleys for
10 kilometres to Durbuy. Here the trail ends
beneath the lovely 12th century chateau
which dominates the narrow streets of the
smallest town in the world. Everything is in
miniature, from the cobbled passageways
to the tiny square, yet with many excellent
restaurants, and a surprising range of
shops, Durbuy is a popular destination for
the people of the Ardennes and tourists
alike.
The Tarpan Network
Set up in 1995 by a group of 4 councils in
the Ardennes of southern Wallonia TARPAN
has similar objectives to the RAVel project
but the trails are more rugged and intended
for use by mountain bikers, walkers and
long distance runners. TARPAN trails are
not surfaced, and often follow remote
hidden hilly forest tracks and trails.
The TARPAN trails run through Belgium’s
highest country and oldest forests, and
combine pristine natural beauty with
Namur River Sambre embankment © jeanmart.eu-belgiumtheplaceto.be
27
rugged terrain. There are more than 600
kilometres of separate trails and pathways
which vary in length from 14 to 49
kilometres.
The trails are clearly signposted, and
detailed maps can be obtained from the
Maison du Tourisme of the principal villages
and towns, or from the website.
There are a series of themed walks which
run throughout the year across the region from tracking beavers to butterflies - details
of which are advertised on the TARPAN
website (English speaking guides will need
to be hired in advance through the local
tourist office).
There are four main areas for the TARPAN
network:
z The nature park of the Forest of Anlier in
the southern Ardennes which has some
of the most untouched forest and
woodland surviving in Europe.
z The woodlands and steep valleys of the
Ourthe and Amblève rivers.
z The rugged beautiful and thickly forested
valleys in the heart of the Ardennes close
to Lierneux and Vielsalm.
z The rolling farmland south of Namur on
the western fringes of the Ardennes.
28
Wallonia, where Belgium is full of colourful surprises
© Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
© BITC
Brussels for Night Owls
The great Belgian singer Jacques Brel was
a night owl and celebrated Brussels in the
wee small hours in his song “Les Paumés
du Petit Matin” (“The lost souls of the wee
small hours”) released in 1961. The first
verse begins: “Ils s’éveillent à l’heure du
berger/Pour se lever à l’heure du thé/Et
sortir à l’heure de plus rien...” (“They wake
up in the afternoon/And get up at teatime/
And go out when there’s not a soul
about..”). Brel was singing from experience,
about his nights on the town in Brussels in
the 1950s and 1960s, seeking, like many
of his contemporaries to “live it up” in
contrast to the dreary days spent working
in a factory.
Bars
z Dali’s Bar, Petite Rue des Bouchers, 35
(Grand’Place), 10pm-5am Thu-Sat
(www.myspace.com/dalisbar). Main
house music bar in Brussels
z Le Roi des Belges, Rue Jules Van Praet,
35 (St Géry), 10am to 1am ( to 2am Fri
& Sat). Large terrace and windows to
see and be seen.
z Le Duquesnoy, Rue Duquesnoy, 12,
open 9pm to 3am ( to 5am Fri & Sat).
A long-established no-nonsense, “spitand-sawdust” gay bar for men only.
z Mappa Mundo Rue du Pont de la
Carpe,2 (St Géry), 11am to 2.30am
(to 4am Fri & Sat). Wood-panelled, Latin
American atmosphere and music for
thirtysomethings. Serves snacks until
3am Fri & Sat.
There are no UK-style licensing hours in
Belgium. Here are a selection of bars open
after midnight (all are in postcode 1000
Brussels (centre) unless indicated
otherwise):
z Monk Rue Sainte-Catherine,42
(Ste Catherine), 4pm to 2am (to 3am
Fri & Sat). Large wood-panelled bar
popular with art students and jazz fans
that serves draft Faro beer.
z L’Archiduc, Rue Antoine Dansaer 6,
(Bourse) 4pm-dawn. An Art Deco hidden
gem with live jazz concerts on Saturdays
and the odd impromptu jam sessions at
other times (www.archiduc.net).
z L’Ultime Atome Rue Saint-Boniface, 14
(1050 Ixelles) to 1am. Usually packed
and full of noisy conversation as “bobo”
customers enjoy drinks and bistrostyle food.
29
s
Today Brussels has changed a lot from
Brel’s day, but the city’s development as a
business conference venue and meeting
place has led to a huge expansion of its
hotel and restaurant sector, where staff
work long hours and often finish late at
night, but want to go out for a meal and
some entertainment before heading home
to sleep. And, of course, there are
restaurants and bars to cater to this
clientèle, just as there are for the city’s
young clubbers and fun-seekers, and you
can still find plenty of “lost souls” making
their uncertain way home through the city’s
streets as dawn breaks.
Getting there and back
Most buses and trams run until about
midnight and the last metro leaves each
metro terminus around 12.30am, with
metro stations closing after it passes
through them. The network starts again
around 5.30am. On Fridays and Saturdays,
11 “Noctis” night-bus lines run from
12.15am to 3am: they are designated by
an owl logo on the relevant stops. During
the metro, tram and bus shutdown, taxis
are the only option. To cut down on the cost
of using a taxi, the “Collecto” system has
been set up: if you book a taxi from one
of 200 selected bus stops 30 minutes in
advance, up to 4 passengers can travel
to a destination anywhere in the Brussels
region for €6 each. More information at
www.bruxellesmobilite.irisnet.be/articles/taxi.
© Le You
Restaurants
Night Clubs
From the vast number of restaurants in the
city, relatively few are open after 11pm.
Here is a selection:
z Mirano, Chaussée de Louvain, 38
(Madou). A plush club for well-dressed
thirtysomethings with mixed music and
occasional theme nights.
(www.justmirano.be).
z Belga Queen, Rue Fossé aux Loups,
32 (De Brouckère) 12am, ( www.belgaqueen.be). The stained-glass ceiling and
marble columns of a former banking hall
give this place a touch of quirky nightclub
glamour, enhanced by the resident DJ
and the ultra-modern washrooms.
z ‘t Kelderkerk, Grand’Place, 15, until 2am
(www2.resto.be/kelderke/default.htm).
A Brussels institution in a cellar on the
Grand’Place.
z Brasserie La Roue d’Or, Rue des
Chapeliers, 26, until 12am
(www2.resto.be/roudor). Usually packed
with locals tucking into traditional
Brussels “grandma cuisine”
z Bazaar, Rue des Capucins, 63
(Marolles). 7.30pm to 12am (to 4am
Fri & Sat) www.bazaarresto.be
z Au Stekerlaplatte Rue des Prêtres, 4
(Marolles), 7pm to 1am. A moderatelypriced traditional Brussels bistro tucked
away in a sidestreet behind the Palais de
Justice.
z Recyclart in the former BrusselsChapelle station, Rue des Ursulines, 25
(Marolles) An urban art, music and
skateboarding collective that organise
regular late-night parties
(www.recyclart.be).
z Le You, Rue Duquesnoy, 18, from
11.30pm to 5am Thu (to 6am Fri & Sat).
Mainstream dance club (www.leyou.be)
z Studio 44 Avenue de la Toison d’O, 44
(Louise). Huge mixed club that hosts
regular all-night theme parties
(www.studio44.be).
z K-Nal, Quai Béco. Isolated canalside
30
location for this two-floor club that hosts
“Anarchic” parties on Fridays and
“Libertine Supersport” on Saturdays
(www.k-nal.be)
z Louise Gallery, Galerie Louise (1050
Ixelles) 11pm to 7am Fri & Sat. Upmarket
trendy-blingy crowd
(www.louisegallery.com)
Night Bars
These have developed for people who
want to go out and dance without having
to dress up or pay an admission charge or
buy overpriced cocktails.
z Le Soixante Rue Marché au Charbon,
60, from 9pm to 3am Wed-Sun
z Dali’s bar see under Bars above
z Havana Rue de l’Epée, 4, from
7pm to 3am (Wed), 4am (Thu) or 7am
(Fri & Sat).
Jazz Clubs
Brussels has no shortage of the traditional
smoke-filled refuge of the night owl!
z Music Village, Rue des Pierres, 50, from
7pm to dawn (www.themusicvillage.com)
z Sounds, Rue de la Tulipe, 28 (1050
Ixelles), 8pm to 4am
(www.soundsjazzclub.be)
z Le Blue Note Rue Defacqz,32 (1050
Ixelles)
z L’Archiduc, see above under Bars
s
z Si Bémol Rue Aux Fleurs,30 (De
Brouckère). 6pm to 7am. Popular among
hotel & catering staff for all-night food
and drink.
z Fuse, Rue Blaes, 208 (Marolles) 10pm
to 5am Thu ( to 7am Fri & Sat). Infamous
for hosting the non-stop 24-hour or 36hour “La Démence” gay one-nighters that
attract coach-loads of night owls from
Paris and Cologne, the club also hosts
other themed dance parties, whose
patrons can often be seen staggering
out into the morning daylight. Fortunately,
the bars and cafés around the nearby
flea market keep eccentric hours,
meaning you can get a drink and
something to eat at any time.
© The Music Village
© Oliver Knight – belgiumtheplaceto.be
31
Sunrise in Brussels
© Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
All-Night Events
z La Nuit Blanche Once a year around
October, Brussels stays up for an all-night
multi-venue cultural celebration.
www.nuitblanchebrussels.be
z Hallowe’en The city’s many Englishspeaking residents have developed 31
October into a celebration of all things
spooky and an opportunity (as if one
were needed) to have fun. Fortunately,
it usually coincides with the end of
Summer time, meaning an extra hour’s
partying!
z New Year’s Eve Traditionalists still go to
Midnight Mass and then go home to a
huge “Réveillon” feast and party. There is
a big firework display up by the Royal
Palace at midnight and the Grand’Place
is usually full of revellers all night.
z Museum Night Fever Around fifteen
Brussels museums stay open until 1am
in an unusual evening of music, fashion,
guided visits and workshops. The huge
after-show party lasts until 3 am. In
2011Museum Night Fever will be on 26
February.
z Belgian National Day A “bal populaire”
(open-air dance) is held on the Place du
Jeu de Balle in the Marolles in the
evening of 21 July each year, and there
are usually plenty of other late-night
events the night before and after.
Night Shops
These are shops that open around 9pm
and stay open all night, selling sweets,
essential groceries, milk, cigarettes, beer,
wine and spirits.
z White Night is a chain of night shops in
Brussels. In the city centre, there are
branches at Rue du Lombard, 8 and in
Rue G Allard (Sablon). For other
locations, see wwwwhitenight.be
Fritkots
Cooking chips is a pretty smelly operation,
so all over Brussels are small shops selling
this Belgian delicacy so you don’t have to
cook them at home. Some are famous and
relatively palatial, some are in the back of
a van! Brussels tradition says that a
“mitraillette” sandwich (a baguette filled
with chips and burgers) is a sure-fire
hangover cure!
z Maison Antoine, Place Jourdan
(European district). Frequently
designated the best chips in Brussels.
See www.maisonantoine.be
z Friteland, Rue Henri Maus (Bourse)
z Friterie Tabora, Rue Marché aux
Herbes (Bourse)
z City Shop Boulevard A Max,64 (Rogier)
z Frit’Flagey, Place Flagey (Ixelles)
z Delhaize automat in Manhattan Centre
(Rogier) and GB Night Robot on corner
of Chaussée de Boondael and Rue
Vanderkinderen (Ixelles) are giant
vending machines filling the rear façade
of supermarkets, selling a selection of
essential goods, payment with cash or
Bancontact debit cards.
z Friterie de la Chapelle, Place de la
Chapelle (Sablon)
32
z Friterie Georges, Avenue du Parc
(St Gilles) Open to 6am.
For general information on Brussels nighttime entertainment (mostly clubbing and
one-off events) see www.noctis.com.
Mons town hall door detail
© Jeanmart.eu – belgiumtheplaceto.be
By Road and Sea
Those wishing to drive over to Belgium
will need to travel either by ferry, or by
shuttle with Eurotunnel. All relevant
contact details can be found below.
Eurotunnel: 0870 535 3535
www.eurotunnel.com
Norfolkline: 0871 574 7235
www.norfolkline.com
P&O Ferries: 0871 664 64 64
www.poferries.com
Practical
Information
Visa & Passport Information
Visitors must be in possession of a valid
passport to travel to Belgium.
Further information can be obtained
from the Consular section of the Belgian
Embassy, 17 Grosvenor Crescent, London
SW1X 7EE - Visas can be applied for at the
Belgium Visa Application Centre, 1-8
Bateman’s Building, South Soho Square,
London W1DN 3EN. More information on
visas can be obtained by calling
0871 376 0023 between 08:30-17:30
hours Monday-Friday or on
www.vfs-be-uk.com .
approximately 1 hour. Alternatively you can
get the “bus A” from the airport to CharleroiSud train station from where you can catch
a train to Brussels. For more flight
information call Charleroi Airport on
+32 (0) 71 251 211 or visit
www.charleroi-airport.com
More information can also be obtained
from the individual airlines below.
bmi 0844 8484 888 www.flybmi.com
British Airways 0844 493 0787
www.britishairways.com
Ryanair 0871 246 00 00 www.ryanair.com
Getting to Brussels
and the South of Belgium
Brussels Airlines 0870 600 1728
www.brusselsairlines.com
Brussels & Wallonia are easily accessible
from various points in the UK by air, train,
road, and sea.
By Train
By Air
A number of airlines operate regular
services out of Gatwick and Heathrow,
as well as from the main regional airports.
Most scheduled airlines fly into Brussels
Airport, which is situated in Zaventem,
14kms from Brussels city centre, to which
it is connected by a train service that runs
up to 4 times an hour from the train station
located at the basement level of the airport
terminal. There are also direct train
services to the rest of Belgium. Flight and
departure information is available by calling
+32 (0) 2 753 77 53 or on
www.brusselsairport.be
Some airlines from the UK (Ryanair) also
use Charleroi-Brussels South airport which
lies 46kms south of Brussels. A coach
service to Brussels Midi station runs every
half-hour costing 13.00 euros each way or
22.00 euros return. The journey takes
An excellent way to reach Brussels and
southern Belgium from London and the
Southeast of England is via Eurostar
from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet
International or Ashford International in
Kent. Trips from London to Brussels take
1 hour 51 minutes; trips from Ebbsfleet
take 1 h 41 minutes. For more information,
contact Eurostar directly on 08432 186
186 or click on www.eurostar.com. Other
agencies through which tickets to Brussels
and other Belgian destinations can be
booked are
International Rail: 0871 231 0790 –
www.internationalrail.com
RailEurope: 08448 484 046 –
www.raileurope.co.uk
Railbookers: 0203 327 08 00 –
www.railbookers.com
Information on rail services within Belgium
can be obtained from the Belgian National
Railways www.b-rail.be .
33
Sea France: 0871 222 07 11
www.seafrance.com
Those who do drive their own cars across
to Belgium are advised that a valid national
driving licence is required and that national
stickers must be displayed on cars.
In addition, EU nationals are strongly
advised to obtain a Green Card.
Getting around in Brussels
and the South of Belgium
Brussels is so compact that it is possible
to go everywhere on foot. However there
is also an excellent public transport system
integrating underground, tram and bus
services. In addition, there are taxi ranks
dotted throughout the city, most often
outside the city’s top hotels.
When travelling outside Brussels, there
is a reasonably priced and efficient train
network, or the possibility to hire a vehicle.
Car hire is available to drivers aged 23
years or more (who have held a licence
for at least a year) on presentation of a
passport or identity card and valid driving
licence. Cars can be hired from the
locations listed below.
In Brussels - Avis: +32 (0) 2 720 0944
located at the airport, on the rue
Americaine, and Brussels Midi station;
Budget: +32 (0) 2 712 08 48 at the
Brussels Airport Novotel (Da Vincilaan 25);
Europcar: +32 (0) 2 721 0592 at the
airport and Brussels Midi station; and
Hertz: +32 (0) 2 720 6044 at the airport,
Brussels Midi station (TGV - Eurostar Thalys Arrivals ). Please note that some
agencies only hires out cars to drivers aged
25 years or more.
In Charleroi - Avis +32 (0)71 35 19 98 (at
the airport), Budget +32 (0)71 25 12 65,
Europcar +32 (0)71 25 19 65 Sixt +32
(0)71 34 66 40, Hertz +32 (0) 70 69 56 95
(airport).
Please note that in Belgium, cars are
driven on the right-hand side of the road,
seat belts must be worn (both in the front
and back seats of the car) and generally
there is a charge for parking. However, the
motorways, on which there is a speed limit
of 120kph (74mph), are toll free in the
South of Belgium. Parking is easily
available in inner city car parks, many
of which are underground.
Accommodation
A Destination Closer than You Thought...
Comprehensive brochures on
accommodation are available from the
Belgian Tourist Office
Miles
Bank & Money
Banks are open from 9am till 12, noon and
2pm till 4pm Monday to Friday, but most
large cities have foreign exchange counters
that have longer opening hours. Exchange
facilities are also available at airports and
major railway stations and also at cash
points. The Euro is legal\ tender in Belgium.
Opening Hours
In most cities, shops are open from 10am
until 6pm or 7pm, Monday to Saturday.
In addition, souvenir shops and flea
markets (in towns where they exist) tend
to be open on Sundays until 2pm.
Assumption Day 15 August
Health Issues
It is advisable for visitors to carry an EHIC
card with them in case of medical
emergencies. Medical services in Belgium
are among the best in the world. Chemists
(“pharmacie” in French) are normally open
from 9am till 6pm, Monday to Friday. During
the night and at weekends, one chemist
always remains open to deal with
emergencies - the names of the chemists
that are open are shown in the window of
every pharmacy.
Disabled Travellers: For information and
advice, please contact the Belgian Red
Cross, well in advance of travel. The
address is Croix Rouge de Belgique, Rue de
Stalle 96 - 1180 Brussels, Tel +32 (0) 2
371 31 11 or www.redcross.be
Emergencies
For an ambulance and the fire brigade,
dial 100; for the police, dial 101.
Public Holidays in 2011
New Year’s Day 1 January
Easter Sunday 24 April
Easter Monday 25 April
May Day 1 May
Brussels Capital Region Day 8 May (1)
Ascension Day 2 June
Whit Sunday 12 June
Whit Monday 13 June
National Day 21 July
French Community Day 27 September (2)
All Saints’ Day 1 November
Armistice Day 11 November
German Community Day 15 November (3)
Christmas Day 25 December
(1) Only in Brussels
(2) Only in Brussels and Wallonia (except
for the German-speaking communities)
(3) Only in the German speaking cantons
of southern Belgium
Brussels
00:45 Charlerol Airport
02:00 02:15 Calais
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Bastogne
Binche
Bouillon
Dinant
Durbuy
Han Sur Lesse
La Roche en Ar
Liege
Marche en Far
Mons
Namur
Saint Hubert
Spa
Tournai
Vielsalm
Waterloo
Wavre
The Square in Brussels: © Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Belgium is one hour ahead of Greenwich
Mean Time.
Brussels
38 Charlerol Airport
127 145 Calais
73 197
Ostend
92 83 219 170 Bastogne
38 16 132 106 Binche
92 68 192 175 Bouillon
58 37 173 136 Dinant
72 63 199 150 Durbuy
69 60 196 147 Han Sur Lesse
78 69 204 156 La Roche en Ar
59 58 188 134 Liege
66 57 193 144 Marche en Far
41 28 117 92 Mons
40 24 160 118 Namur
85 76 211 163 Saint Hubert
86 86 216 161 Spa
54 58 86 61 Tournai
96 89 228 174 Vielsalm
14 32 135 83 Waterloo
17 28 150 95 Wavre
More Information
In the UK, more information can be
obtained from:
Belgian Tourist Office Brussels & Wallonia
217 Marsh Wall, London E14 9FJ
E-mail: [email protected] www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
Tel: 0800 9545 245 (free brochure line)
or 020 7537 1132 (live operator)
Fax: 020 7531 0393.
Once in Brussels, more information can be
obtained from the tourist information desks
at Brussels Airport, Charleroi Brussels
South Airport and Midi Station, or from
Tourist Information Brussels
Hotel de Ville, Grand-Place
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0) 2 513 8940
Fax: +32 (0) 2 513 83 20
(Open daily 9am-6pm/
Sundays 9 am - 6pm)
34
© Jeanmart.eu - belgiumtheplaceto.be
Time
Time
Lucien original creation
© J Martin + whybelgium.com - Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle Lucien
The South of Belgium:
Where Style and lifestyle are
so close!
Ever wondered why ageless stars like Audrey Hepburn and Diane von Furstenberg are effortless style icons?
They were born in Brussels, capital of French-speaking Belgium, of course!
With the likes of creators like Olivier Theysken (a favourite of Nicole Kidman), Jean-Paul Knott
(a former Yves Saint Laurent designer), Olivier Strelli (who made suits for Mick Jagger) or Laeticia Crahay
(head of accessories at Chanel), Brussels & Wallonia are a hotbed for the latest and most stylish trendsetters
in the world, often acclaimed by magazines such as VOGUE or ELLE.
For a girly weekend, or a must-do break for the well-informed traveller, why go anywhere else
than Brussels & Wallonia?
To find out why effortless Style is so important, prepare your trip on belgiumtheplaceto.be
and get for all our best tips....
www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
At - A - Glance Guide
To The Latin South Of Belgium
Its history is older than antiquity • It was an opera that sparked off
its revolution • The people treasure their liberty above all else
The language is among the world’s most romantic • Its gastronomy is up
there with the Michelin stars • The wine it produces is low in quantity, high
in quality • The speciality soup is a meal in itself • Its artists lead the world
in the Ninth Art • The rustic ‘rivieras’ along its riverbanks are very laid back
Legend has it that fairies, goblins and elves are at home here • It boasts
palaces that rival Versailles • Its people champion open borders and
free passage • More types of beer are brewed here than there are days in
the year • The night life pulsates, even more famously underground
A nobleman led its first crusade to the Holy Land • The whole population
revels in the year-round merry-go-round of fiestas • In the past most of the
great powers have fought over it • Slimmers make a meal of its thin-sliced
salami • Trout, the ‘king of fish’ graces the best tables • The people are
famous for the warmth of their hospitality • The baguettes are oh, so well
bred • The climate is micro: somewhere the sun’s always smiling
Upmarket sports include hunting, shooting, fishing, riding, golfing
Victor Hugo decried its obscurity as a tourist destination • In the national
supermarket’s outlets a sommelier is available to offer free advice
One of its famous towns was dubbed the Café Of Europe • More spiced
beers are brewed here than anywhere else • Its haute couture competes
with the world’s very best • Its connoisseurs love their meat and wine
strictly red • Its capital city is the capital of avant-garde • Its people’s joie
de vivre is infectious • Two’s company, but three is always a party
The high ground is reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands • You can take
the world’s purist waters here • Racing drivers claim its Formula One track
is the finest • The French Fries were invented here and are crisper than
anywhere else • The only museum of its kind in the world is here
Clients who can’t abide bums on beaches, will love it • Its capital city
is ranked No 2 as a convention destination worldwide
It’s the south of Belgium. It’s the most Northern part of Latin Europe.
Belgian Tourist Office
Brussels & Wallonia
217 Marsh Wall
London E14 9FJ
www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
Tel. Admin:
Tel. Trade:
Tel. Press:
Fax:
020 7531 0390
020 7531 0391
020 7531 0392
020 7531 0393