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 […]
Orval Abbey – Famous for its Trappist Beer
ORVAL ABBEY IS AN IMPRESSIVE CISTERCIAN MONASTERY IN THE GAUME REGION: Mention Orval, and beer lovers will immediately think of the prized Trappist beer. The Orval Abbey may be famous the world over for its beer, but the Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval) site itself is an impressive place as we discovered during our visit. Orval […]
The Magnificent Brussels Hôtel de Ville
BRUSSELS’ HOTEL DE VILLE IS THE MOST MAGNIFICENT BUILDING ON THE GRAND PLACE: There are many great buildings on Brussels’ Grand Place, but none beats the magnificence of the Hôtel de Ville (Brussels Town Hall or Stadhuis in Dutch). This Gothic building from the Middle Ages is one of Belgium’s finest civic buildings. Amongst its […]
Atomium – A Futuristic Brussels Icon
BUILT FOR EXPO 58, THE ATOMIUM IS JUST AS POPULAR TODAY: One of the more unique landmarks of Brussels is the Atomium, a 102-metre high steel-clad structure that marks the city’s skyline. The Atomium represents the atoms of an iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times over. Made up of nine spheres interconnected by large tubes, […]
Steigenberger Grandhotel, Brussels
HOTEL REVIEW – A STAY AT THE STEIGENBERGER GRANDHOTEL: On our first couple of nights in Brussels we stayed at the Steigenberger Grandhotel at 71, Avenue Louise – and what a fabulous hotel to start our Belgium holiday from. Although I was initially disappointed that our hotel was not one on the Grand Place, it […]
Manneken-Pis – A Bemusing National Treasure
MANNEKEN-PIS IS ONE OF THE FAMOUS LANDMARKS IN BRUSSELS: Visitors may find it bemusing that a bronze statue of a little boy peeing into a fountain basin should be a national treasure for any capital city. Yet the Manneken-Pis in the centre of Brussels is one of the famous statues in the Belgian capital and […]
Brussels Grand-Place
BRUSSELS GRAND PLACE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SQUARE IN EUROPE: Many cities in Europe claim to have the most beautiful main square and Brussels’ Grand Place is up there as one of the most beautiful. As we stand in the middle of the square, surrounded by ornate 17th century architecture, I must say that the […]
Abbey No.8 has 100 of the Best Belgian Beers
ABBEY NO. 8 IS AN INTERESTING BEER BOTTLESHOP ACROSS FROM ANTWERP CATHEDRAL: It was 10:00 am and the Church of our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) was yet to open. Our apologetic guide said that whenever there is a large event on, they may open later, but there was no notice on the door to give us a […]
Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar) – A Mecca for Fine Arts
Palais des Beaux-Arts, or Bozar, Is A Multi-discipline Art Centre under the One Roof: Playing a key role in the cultural life of Brussels for over 70 year, the Palais des Beaux-Arts is a mecca for the city’s music and dance and also the home to the Belgian National Orchestra. The Palais des Beaux-Arts owes […]
Saint-Hubertus Royal Gallery – A Grand Shopping Arcade
SAINT-HUBERTUS GALLERY IN BRUSSELS WAS THE FIRST SHOPPING ARCADE IN EUROPE: Sitting high up, in the same class of grand arcades as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and The Passage in St. Petersburg, is the Saint-Hubertus Royal Gallery (Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen in Dutch). However, St Hubertus has the distinction of being the first shopping […]
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