Discovery of the flat country
2024
Highlights of the trip
During your stay you can enjoy the following highlights: Culture / Heritage, Discovery.
Best times to go
The best time(s) to go is/are : Printemps, Eté, Automne.
Petit Futé
Where to stay - Bruxelles - Brussel ?
The map of your stay "Discovery of the flat country"
Detail of the stay : Discovery of the flat country
How to get there - Bruxelles - Brussel
Brussels Center
Steps: Bruxelles - Brussel
The Belgian capital will surprise you. The nerve center of the European Union is more than just an administrative and bureaucratic hub: Brussels is a dynamic city that shines thanks to its architecture, its green spaces, its gentle way of life, but above all thanks to its friendly, lively inhabitants. To get started, head for the Grand-Place via Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes. Admire thetown hall and surrounding houses, including the Maison du Roi, home to the Brussels City Museum. A stone's throw from the Grand-Place, stroll through the charming cobbled streets of the Saint-Jacques district, brimming with bistros and small boutiques. And, of course, pay a visit to Manneken Pis, one of Brussels' most famous symbols. Its size (60 cm) may surprise you, but it represents Belgian humor and its tendency to self-mockery. The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Europe's first covered galleries (1846), are also well worth a visit. Tearooms, brasseries, bookshops and chic boutiques occupy the first floor, while upstairs you'll find private apartments. In the evening, opt for a show at one of the city's many theaters.
Places of interest : MAISON DU ROI GRAND-PLACE HÔTEL DE VILLE MANNEKEN PIS GALERIES ROYALES
Popular districts of Brussels
Steps: Bruxelles - Brussel
Stroll around the Place du Sablon, framed by mansions and theNotre-Dame du Sablon church, a surprising Gothic building with magnificent stained-glass windows. The square is home to a famous antiques market on Saturday and Sunday mornings. But the district's art and antique galleries alone make up a chic permanent museum. Not far from here is another district well worth a visit: Les Marolles. Radically different, this constantly bustling working-class district is teeming with small shops, flea markets and typical, friendly cafés and restaurants. Every morning, a flea market is held in the Place du Jeu de Balle, a colorful bric-à-brac extravaganza!
Places of interest : ÉGLISE NOTRE-DAME DES VICTOIRES PLACE DU GRAND SABLON
Brussels museum marathon
Steps: Bruxelles - Brussel
On your last day in Brussels, make the most of the museums. It's hard to choose, given the sheer number of them, but they include the Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art, the Royal Museums of Art and History, the Museum of Natural Sciences (with Europe's largest exhibition of dinosaur skeletons), the Belgian Comic Strip Center, the Belvue Museum, which tells the story of Belgium, the Musical Instruments Museum with its 7,000 exhibits, and the brand-new Magritte Museum! A good week's visit would be necessary to get a satisfactory overview of the wealth of collections presented in Brussels' museums.
Places of interest : MUSÉE BELVUE MIM CENTRE BELGE DE LA BANDE DESSINÉE MUSÉE DE LA BD MUSÉE D'ART MODERNE MUSÉE OLDMASTERS MUSÉE MAGRITTE MUSÉUM DES SCIENCES NATURELLES MUSÉES ROYAUX DES BEAUX-ARTS DE BELGIQUE
Waterloo
Steps: Waterloo
This tragic site is still remembered in France for its bitter defeat. On site, you can visit the battlefield: Napoleon's last headquarters, the Wellington Museum (Napoleon's victorious adversary), the panorama of the Battle of Waterloo and the Butte du Lion, a memorial to the Prince of Orange.
Places of interest : DERNIER QG DE NAPOLÉON MUSÉE WELLINGTON PANORAMA DE LA BATAILLE
Rendezvous in Antwerp
Steps: Anvers
A major port, a vast old town rich in historic monuments, and a lively city both day and night, Antwerp has something for everyone. Stroll through the narrow streets of the old town, lined with countless architectural treasures. Admire theimmense Gothiccathedral with its spire (123 m, the highest in Belgium) and the Grand-Place, surrounded by majestic guild houses with their stepped facades and gilded statues. In the afternoon, shop in Antwerp's trendy designer boutiques and stroll along the banks of the Scheldt, a melancholy 19th-century former center of port activity, lined with facades of contemporary architecture.
Places of interest : GRAND-PLACE CATHÉDRALE D'ANVERS (ONZE LIEVE VROUWEKATHEDRAAL)
Dive into Flemish art
Steps: Anvers
On our second day in Antwerp, we head for the "South"(Het Zuid), Antwerp's new cultural heart. Here you'll find the Museum of Fine Arts, with its superb collection of Flemish primitives, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. When night falls, the city is bustling with activity. It's time to grab a bite to eat in one of Antwerp's many cafés or restaurants, and for night owls, to extend the evening in one of the discotheques featuring international DJs.
Places of interest : MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS MUSÉE D'ART CONTEMPORAIN - M HKA
Heading for Ghent
Steps: Bruges - Brugge
If Bruges is said to be Belgium's most beautiful city, it has a real rival here. The city center boasts an astonishing architectural heritage and a wealth of old monuments, including St. Bavo's Cathedral , home to the 15th-century Altarpiece of theMystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers, the Cloth Hall and Belfry, the Town Hall, the Quai aux Herbes and the Castle of the Counts.
Places of interest : CATHÉDRALE SAINT-BAVON ET L'AGNEAU MYSTIQUE CENTRE-VILLE BEFFROI DE MONS
Festive evening in Ghent
Steps: Gand
The city is also home to some excellent museums: the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Design... And unlike the quiet nights in Bruges, Ghent 's are bustling with students, and you'll find plenty of bars where you can meet a few revelers.
Places of interest : MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS MUSÉE D'ART CONTEMPORAIN - M HKA DESIGN MUSEUM GENT
Bruges by bike
Rent a bike, whether you've come by bus, train or car: Bruges' gentle way of life will take on its full meaning. A first tour of the city will allow you to discover the famous canals and stroll among the lovers who have come to exchange kisses in this romantic environment. In the evening, Bruges looks more like a peaceful little village than a bustling nightlife.
Bruges on the canals
Steps: Mons
Start the day by climbing the 366 steps of the belfry to the5th floor, where you'll be treated to a superb view, not to mention the treasury and other remains of the tower, accessible from all floors. In the afternoon, take a mini-cruise on the canals to admire the bridges and the many houses bathed in water. In the evening, enjoy moules-frites in a typical restaurant: sometimes, good old clichés have a way of working!
Places of interest : BEFFROI DE MONS
Arrival on the Belgian coast
Steps: Ostende
Spend a day on the Belgian coast. As well as boasting a magnificent beach (9 km of sand!) and a lovely promenade, Ostend is a true seaside town, with a lively center and a number of sights, including the excellent Museum of Modern Art, the Atlantikwall and the home and studio of painter James Ensor.
Places of interest : MAISON JAMES ENSOR MUSÉE D'ART MODERNE
Ypres, memory of the Great War
Steps: Ypres
This martyred city, razed to the ground during the First World War, has been painstakingly rebuilt. Pass through the Grand-Place, admire St. Martin's Cathedral, then visit the In Flanders Fields museum, where you can relive the events of the 1914-1918 war. You can then visit one of the typical estaminets in the area.
Places of interest : GRAND-PLACE CATHÉDRALE SAINT-MARTIN YPER MUSEUM
Discover Tournai
Steps: Tournai
A city with a rich historical past, Tournai has preserved many civil, military and religious testimonies of its prestigious past, even if wars have not spared it. The city is well worth a day's visit: the cathedral is one of the most beautiful in Belgium, the belfry is listed, and there are several interesting museums and good restaurants. A stroll along the Grand-Place or the quays of the Scheldt will convince you.
Places of interest : GRAND-PLACE BEFFROI DE MONS
Cultural Mons
Steps: Mont-Sur-Marchienne
A pleasant stopover, this pretty Walloon town boasts an elegant Grand-Place, pretty cobbled streets and a listed baroque-style belfry. If you're in the area on the Sunday after Pentecost, don't miss the traditional Ducasse festival, better known as "Doudou". En route to Namur, you can also stop off in Charleroi, to discover Wallonia's largest metropolis. And the superb Photography Museum in Mont-sur-Marchienne (one of the largest in Europe) is well worth a visit.
Places of interest : GRAND-PLACE BEFFROI DE MONS MUSÉE DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE - FOMU
A stroll through Namur
Steps: Namur
A peaceful Mosan town, Namur has a certain charm all of its own. Start with a visit to the citadel, an 18th-century fortified complex offering magnificent views over the city and the Meuse valley. Don't miss Saint-Aubain cathedral,Saint-Loup church and the Félicien Rops museum.
Places of interest : MUSÉE FÉLICIEN ROPS CITADELLE DE NAMUR CATHÉDRALE SAINT-AUBAIN ÉGLISE SAINT-LOUP
Picturesque village of Dinant
Steps: Dinant
Nestled between the river and the rocks, this small Walloon town has a very picturesque appearance, and it's easy to see why tourists flock here. You can visit the collegiate church and citadel, or take a cruise on the Meuse. For the more sporty, take a kayak trip down the Lesse.
Places of interest : COLLÉGIALE NOTRE-DAME DE DINANT CITADELLE DE DINANT LESSE KAYAKS
Festive Liège
Steps: Liège
Visit Wallonia's most festive city, the region's cultural capital. A former steel-making center, Liège still retains some vestiges of its past. As an episcopal principality: the Place du Marché , surrounded by 17th- and 18th-century buildings, theTown Hall, theChurch of Saint-Jacques, the Collegiate Church of Saint-Barthélemy with its 12th-century baptismal font... It is also home to a number of interesting museums, including the Curtius Museum, the Museum of Walloon Life, the Museum of Religious Art and Mosan Art and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Finally, at weekends, it would be unforgivable not to stay for at least one evening to enjoy the nightlife.
Places of interest : MUSÉE DE LA VIE WALLONNE MUSÉE D'ART MODERNE HÔTEL DE VILLE PLACE DU MARCHÉ MUSÉE D'ART CONTEMPORAIN - M HKA LE GRAND CURTIUS ÉGLISE SAINT-JACQUES COLLÉGIALE SAINT-BARTHÉLÉMY
Back to the past in Tongeren
Steps: Tongres
Visit Tongeren, Belgium's oldest city. Don't miss the remains of the Roman walls, the Gallo-Roman Museum and the Basilica of Our Lady (one of the finest Gothic monuments in the country).
Places of interest : O-L-VROUWEBASILIEK - BASILIQUE NOTRE-DAME MUSÉE GALLO-ROMAIN
A breath of fresh air in the Ardennes
Steps: Durbuy
Spend a day or two in the Ardennes, and discover the trails and villages of this hilly, wooded region. Visit Bastogne, the town that symbolized the Battle of the Bulge, stroll through the streets of Bouillon, mountain bike around the village ofHouffalize, kayak or hike in Durbuy... And why not end your stay in the spa town of Spa, for a relaxing break if you decide to enjoy the festive side of Belgium!
