BRUGES MARKET SQUARE IS LINED WITH INTERESTING HISTORICAL BUILDINGS: The Markt, one of the two main squares in Bruges, has many attractions that visitors like us come to see. This open space is lined with attractive gabled houses, restaurants and the imposing Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Palace). Also on the Markt is the Belfort, an 83-metre […]
Ghent – Famous for its Mystic Lamb
GHENT RIVALS BRUGES FOR ITS RICH TREASURY OF MEDIEVAL HERITAGE: With it’s quaint and medieval town centre made up of narrow canals, cobbled traffic-free streets and a fine castle and cathedral, Ghent (Gent in Dutch) is a very alluring place to visit, especially when it’s just a half hour train ride from Brussels. In the […]
Cuberdon – A Taste of the Ghent Nose
CUBERDONS OR GENTSE NEUS (GHENT NOSE) ARE A VERY POPULAR GHENT SWEET: On our recent trip to Ghent, we were introduced to the Cuberdon a very popular Belgian sweet. Cuberdon is also known as neuzeke (little nose) or Gentse neus (Ghent nose) because it is shaped like a nose. Little did we know that this […]
World-Class Belgian Lace
BELGIAN LACE IS ANOTHER OF THE COUNTRY’S FAMOUS EXPORTS: Belgium is famous for its chocolates and beers, but one important Belgian export which is perhaps not too well-publicised is Belgian lace. Belgium’s lacemakers have been a vital contributor to the country’s economy since the 12th century and if you’re interested in lace, Brussels and Bruges […]
NH Brugge Hotel in Bruges
HOTEL REVIEW – NH BRUGGE HOTEL: In Bruges, we stayed for two nights at the NH Brugge Hotel. The NH Brugge is a four-star hotel located on the Brugge ring road. Although the hotel describes its location as being “tucked away in the historic centre”, it is actually about one km from de Markt market […]
A Visit to Orval, Famous for its Trappist Beer
THE ORVAL BREWERY IS ONE OF THE TEN TRAPPIST BREWERIES IN EXISTENCE: From Dinant, we travelled south, taking the pretty country roads of the Semois Valley to Orval. Orval is of course famous for its Trappist beer and this visit was going to be one of the highlights of Tony’s Belgium visit. He’ll happily admit […]
A Visit to the Waterloo Battlefield
AT THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO, NAPOLEON WAS FINALLY DEFEATED IN 1815: For anyone with a passion for history, a trip out to the Waterloo Battlefield is an opportunity to learn more about this famous battle almost 200 years ago. The Battle of Waterloo was fought at a site about 13 kms south of Brussels. It […]
Mussels and Kwak – A Delicious Belgian Meal
MUSSELS AND KWAK WAS ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE MEALS IN BRUGES: In Bruges, it was suggested that we may like to try a dinner of ‘Belgian Stoemp and Kwak’. The Dutch language is not an easy one to figure out, well at least not for me. If you’re not a beer person, you may well […]
Cafedraal Restaurant in Bruges
FINE-DINING IN BRUGES AT THE CAFEDRAAL RESTAURANT: For one of our dinners in Bruges, we tossed up between the Cafedraal Restaurant and La Belle Epoque. Both these restaurants are within walking distance to the NH Hotel where we were staying. Not knowing anything about either restaurant, we chose Cafedraal as the menu looked interesting. Cafedraal […]
How Antwerp Got its Name – The Antigoon Giant Legend
ANTWERP’S BRABO FOUNTAIN TELLS THE ANTIGOON GIANT LEGEND: When you visit the Grote Markt (main square) in Antwerp, the Brabo Fountain in the centre stands out. In front of the Town Hall (Stadhuis), the fountain includes a statue which, according to a legend, explains how the city of Antwerp got its name. The statue shows […]
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