Belgium Full of Moving Battleﬁ Eld Understand Sites from All Eras

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

B e l g i u m

Why Go? Brussels ...... 115 Stereotypes of comic books, remarkable beers and sublime Waterloo ...... 130 chocolates are just the start in this eccentric little country, whose self-deprecating people have quietly spent centuries Flanders ...... 130 producing some of Europe’s fi nest art and architecture. Bi- Antwerp ...... 130 lingual Brussels is the dynamic yet personable EU capital, Ghent ...... 137 but also sports what’s arguably the world’s most beautiful Bruges ...... 143 city square. Flat, Dutch-speaking Flanders has many other alluring medieval city cores, all easily linked by regular train Ypres ...... 148 hops. In hilly, French-speaking Wallonia, the attractions are Wallonia ...... 150 contrastingly rural – castle villages, outdoor activities and Liège ...... 150 extensive cave systems that prove a major draw for Dutch caravanners but are hard to fully appreciate by public trans- Bastogne ...... 151 port. War buff s will fi nd Belgium full of moving battlefi eld Understand sites from all eras. And anyone with a love of the good life Belgium ...... 152 will quickly come to appreciate a country where cafe-culture Survival Guide ...... 156 is king and fi ne food is almost a birthright.

Best Places to Eat W h e n t o G o » Den Gouden Harynck Brussels (p146 ) °C/°F Te m p Rainfall inches/mm » House of Eliott (p141 ) 40/104 6/150 » L’Ogenblik (p 126 ) 30/86 4/100 20/68

Best Places to 10/50 2/50 Stay 0/32

» Guesthouse Nuit Blanche -10/14 0 (p 145 ) J FDNOSAJJMAM » Chambres d’Hôtes Ver- Pre-Easter week- Mid-June Scenes Mid-Aug, even haegen (p 140 ) ends Belgium from the battle years Brussels’ » Relais Bourgondisch hosts many of are recreated. Grand Place hosts Cruyce (p 146 ) Europe’s weirdest at Waterloo by an ornate, multi- » Hotel Julien (p 134 ) carnivals, not just uniformed armies coloured ‘carpet’ at Mardi Gras. of volunteers. of flower petals. 114 AT A GLANCE Connections » Currency euro (€) Amsterdam, Paris, Cologne and London are all under 2½ » Languages Dutch, hours from Brussels by high-speed train. Liège and An- French, German twerp are also on high-speed international routes. Go via Tournai or Ghent to reach France by train if you want to » Money ATMs com- avoid such lines and their compulsory reservations (or if you mon; credit cards have a railcard that requires it). Budget airlines oﬀ er cheap widely accepted deals to numerous European destinations particularly from » Visas Schengen Charleroi. rules apply

ITINERARIES Fast Facts Four Days » Area 30,278 sq km Just long enough to get a fi rst taste of Belgium’s four » Population 10 .4 million fi nest ‘art cities’: Bruges, Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp, » Capital Brussels all easy jump-off s or short excursions while you’re train- hopping between Paris and Amsterdam. Bruges is the » Telephone country code fairy-tale ‘Venice of the north’, Ghent has similar canal- %32; international access side charms without the tourist hordes, and Brussels’ code %00 incomparable Grand Place is worth jumping off any train % » Emergency 112 for, even if you have only a few hours to spare. Cosmo- politan Antwerp goes one further, adding in fashion and Exchange Rates diamonds. If you’re overnighting make sure to hit Brus- sels on a weekend and Bruges on a weekday to get the Australia A$1 €0.74 best deals on accommodation. Canada C$1 €0.74 Ten Days Japan ¥100 €0.87 Add an extra night in each of the above and consider New NZ$1 €0.56 stops in the moving WWI sites of historic Ypres, hopping Zealand to Antwerp via Leuven, Mechelen and Lier, and possibly UK UK 1€1.16 driving around rural Wallonia to visit a selection of fascinating caves and castles. USA US$1 €0.67

Set Your Budget Essential Food & Drink

» Budget hotel double Classic, home-style Belgian dishes include the following: under €60 » Ballekes/bouletten Meatballs. » Two-course dinner from » Chicons au gratin Endive rolled in ham and cooked in €25 cheese/béchamel sauce. » Museum entrance » Croquettes de crevettes grises Like fish cakes, but €2–8.50 containing tiny, highly flavoured North Sea shrimps. » Beer (in a bar) €1.90 » Filet Américain A blob of raw minced beef, typically » City transport ticket topped with equally raw egg yolk. €1.70 » Mosselen/moules Steaming cauldrons of in-the-shell mussels, typically cooked in white wine and served with a Resources mountain of frites (chips). » Paling in ’t groen Eel in a sorrel or spinach sauce. » Belgium (www.belgium theplaceto.be) » Stoemp Mashed veg-and-potato dish. » Brussels (www.visitbrus » Vlaamse stoverij/carbonade flamande Semi-sweet sels.be) beer-based beef casserole. » Waterzooi A cream-based chicken or fish stew. BRUSSELS (Map p122 ; www.jeannekepisoffi cial.be; Impasse de la Fidélité). 115 POP 1.03 MILLION Like the country it represents, Brussels Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts ART MUSEUM (Bruxelles, Brussel) is a surreal, multilayered (Map p122 ; www.fi ne-arts-museum.be; Rue de la place pulling several disparate identities Régence 3; adult/student/BrusselsCard €8/2/ into one enigmatic core. It subtly seduces free; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Belgium’s premier with great art, tempting chocolate shops collection of both ancient and modern art and classic cafes. Meanwhile a confusing is remarkably well endowed with works by architectural smorgasbord pits awesome Flemish Primitives, the Breugel (Breughel) art-nouveau and 17th-century masterpieces family and Rubens. However, many rooms against shabby suburbanism and the disap- are currently closed for long-term renova- pointingly soulless glass-faced anonymity of tion. Headphones (for English explanations) the EU area. Note that Brussels is offi cially cost an extra €2.50; special exhibitions also bilingual, so all names – from streets to cost extra. A €13 combination ticket includes train stations – have both Dutch and French the Magritte Museum next door. BELGIUM BELGIUM versions, but for simplicity we use only the Magritte Museum ART MUSEUM French versions in this chapter. (Map p122 ; www.musee-magritte-museum.be; Place Royale; adult/under 26yr/BrusselsCard €8/2/ 1 Sights free; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) This state-of-the-art CENTRAL BRUSSELS 2009 museum celebrates the life and work BRUSSELS Although Brussels is very spread out, most of Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte, key sights and numerous unmissable cafes taking visitors well beyond his stereotypi- are within leisurely walking distance of the cally witty canvases of pipes and bowler fabulous Grand Place. hats. Consider pre-purchasing tickets online Grand Place NEIGHBOURHOOD to save queuing. Brussels’ incomparable central square tops MIM MUSEUM any itinerary. Its splendidly spired Gothic (Map p122 ; Musical Instrument Museum; www.mim. was the only building to es- Hôtel de Ville be; Rue Montagne de la Cour 2; adult/BrusselsCard cape bombardment by the French in 1695, €5/free; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) MIM makes one quite ironic considering that it was their main target. Today the pedestrianised square’s splendour is due largely to its intact collection of guildhalls, rebuilt by merchant BRUSSELSCARD guilds after 1695 and fancifully adorned The BrusselsCard (www.bitc.be; with gilded statues. Several now host tempt- 24/48/72hr €24/34/40) allows free ing cafes, though similarly historic drinking visits to 32 Brussels-area museums spots are somewhat less expensive around (including those indicated in reviews) the nearby (Map p122 ). That’s Brus- Bourse and gives a few bar and restaurant sels’ 1873 stock exchange whose neoclassi- discounts, plus unlimited free use of cal stone facade features sculptures by the city public transport. Only seriously young Rodin. A block northeast of Grand hyperactive museum fans will save Place, the 1847 Galeries St-Hubert (Map much money, but if you do buy a Brus- was Eu- p122; www.galeries-saint-hubert.com) selsCard, the following (not reviewed) rope’s fi rst shopping arcade and remains are central and worth adding to your a must-visit. Enchantingly colourful lanes busy schedule: of close-packed fi sh restaurants lead south » Brewery Museum (Map p 122 ) On from here down the Rue des Bouchers, but beware that (with some exceptions) many the Grand Place; visit if only for the are notorious tourist traps (see p126 ). free beer. » Lace Museum (Map p 122 ) Manneken Pis MONUMENT Making a suitably surreal national sym- » Maison du Roi (Map p 122 ) In- cludes the Manneken Pis’ costumes. bol, the Manneken Pis (Map p122 ) is a diminutive fountain in the form of a little » Money Museum (Map p 122 ) boy cheerfully taking a leak into a fountain » Porte de Hal (Map p 118 ) Ancient pool. Sexual equality is ensured by his lesser- city gate-fort. known squatting sister, the Jeanneke Pis Belgium Oosterschelde 116 North Highlights Sea \# Domburg 1 Come on To D \# Goes weekdays off -season ove r ( Vlissingen to appreciate the UK) \#

picture-perfect canal W w Knokke- est ers scenes of medieval Heist chelde \# #ëHet Zwin

Bruges (p143 ), Zeebrugge #] w without the tourist \# Sluis To Ram Lissewege \# NETHERLANDS overload sgate (UK) Damme \# naal Ostend ld Ka 2 Be wooed by \# Leopo /·E34 ##]1 \# underappreciated Westhoek #V St-Niklaas Tillegem Bruges Eeklo \# Ghent (p 137 ), one of Nature #V \# /·A16 Loppem Reserve Lokeren Europe’s greatest all- #ë Nieuwpoort \# round discoveries #] /·E40 Ghent \# Torhout #] BELGIUM BELGIUM Diksmuide #2 3 Savour the Veurne \# r ie ‘world’s most e e jz L beautiful square’, I Aalst \# Roeselare \# then seek out the #\#5 Westvleteren Abdij#æ BRUSSELS Woesten remarkable cafes and St-Sixtus \# \# \# Ypres chocolate shops of #\# \# er Watou 7 Oudenaarde d Poperinge Kortrijk #] en the capital, Brussels D (p 115 ) /·A25 4 Follow fashion \#Mouscron /·E403 to hip yet historic F Antwerp (p130 ) L A N ]# \# 5 Drive Flanders’ D Ath E \# R Lille Tournai back lanes to St- S Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren (p 150 ) C ana to fi nd the holy grail l du Centre #] of beer lovers Lens Mons \# /·A23 6 Climb a lion to Valenciennes Borinage survey the classic #] lde battlefi eld at he Arras Sc Waterloo (p130 ) \# bre am 7 Ponder the S heartbreaking futility of WWI in Flanders’ fi elds around meticulously rebuilt Ypres (p148 ) 8 Explore the caves /·A26 and castles of rural FRANCE Wallonia around #\ Rochefort (p152) Peronne Oise

\# Vervins \# St-Quentin

e is O #\ Roye /·A26

\# Laon e030km # 020miles 117 #] Tilburg NETHERLANDS \# Roosendaal

]# Eindhoven /·A1 Venlo \# t e hou Schelde /·N1 tw rpen - Turn An s al #]Turnhout a /·A12 na a Ka M /·A21 Antwerp #\ Roermond ##^4 Neerpelt \# Antwerp Herentals #\ –# #\ Airport Alb ert Mol Kan #] Lier aa l e l a Fort van et a N E313 n Breendonk /· a V# National K Park Hoge a #] n GERMANY BELGIUM BRUSSELS Mechelen /·A2 Kempen a Diest i #\ #÷ l #\ u /·A2 #â Genk J Brussels Hasselt #] Bokrijk Airport /·E19 –# Openluchtmuseum #] Leuven ]# SIGHTS

Maastricht SIGHTS ##_3 Brussels

\# /·E313 /·A2 Aachen

/·E19 e

C Louvain- /·A3

a #\Waterloo #\ u

n la-Neuve e a Braine

#\ # M l 6 l'Alleud #\ C Ottignies Liège –# ]# Hautes h Waterloo Liège

a Airport e Verviers Fagnes-Eifel #÷ r Battlefield h ]# l t Nature Park e \# r r Nivelles V#Jehay o /·E411 u Ve Hautes i sdre O - Huy Fagnes #\ B \# r Remouchamps u Charleroi use #÷ s –# Me s Airport /·E42 V# el Namur #] Hautes Fagnes s Nature Reserve Modave A m Coo \# \# Stavelot \# #] Durbuy blè Charleroi #\ v e Binche #\ #\ Godinne Barvaux /·E25 Hotton N5 #\ O /· u #\ r /·E421 Dinant t r h u

#\ O Marloie #\ Houyet #\ Rochefort La Roche- #8#\ #\ Jemelle en-Ardenne Botte de V# #\ Hainaut Han-sur- #\ Champlon Lavaux- Lesse Clervaux e #\ Ste-Anne s s Chimay e \# #\ Couvin L /·E46 Bastogne ]# /·E411 Vianden #\ #\ Libramont S em ois /·E46 #\ Ettelbrück #\ ARDENNES Rochehaut G u t l a n #\ Bouillon d Charleville- \# LUXEMBOURG Mezières Findel #\ Arlon Airport –# #\ M Orval _# e u s Luxembourg e \# Virton #\ Rodange City Aisne

1 2 3 4

s e

118 l u Eg eux D

n i t r

è u o e

G i q

m r l i

o nBemmel é m a

ht l

c i e B c

h r Hae H

n è e S

de P

i RVa e

d R o R

é l s

R l

i r

uss R

ha e

G Porte de Louvain C

r v Madou Pl Madou w

M R a

t e r

S a

y T # ¡ o Quetelet

R m e

ei l R h Ste ca R u

# Ü choffs

Marie Église

dBiss D

e v

l èwBl

# ÿ

a d

y e or R

o l u N R d 7 i R s R l

RdesPalais è

a n 0400m 00.2miles i

G 8 # ÿ a

t e Cirque Royal v s x

i i

# n v ongr u

e n e r

o o n o o

A o t e

o i ti C r

a # ý

ç u i n

c F

Botanique L

s o C

p # æ s e

n s u

w # ¡ 'A e

n I e t

u a

r a e l

e d d e e

V e r R

D Le Botanique n

R d

c e

F R g

a d

R s - t e R

'A in otaniq R

I S n

g E e '

e a

R y

e Pl du Congrès

o e

t R

e R t Jardin Botanique

d nB d r n R

e i a

b a

BELGIUM BELGIUM R s w

a R i

r Pl Ste Gudule

t r

n B

e o

w P

d e t

s r e

R a Jard

d z c # .

66 o n

h i R a

r L u e

V g A ' t i d

R S

# .

d e L

w lv w v

B e

w w A d

# £ t

Blvd d R

BRUSSELS w w # ¤ Nord

# ý im

Gare du w

s a

w i

l s

è a r

g Magique

e Progrès

FNAC a

Montagne P

du Théâtre La B

R M

R # # .

e u

Pl du d Nord

R i

# þ d

66 66 v

m # ÿ l

a Well

D Sleep

# ¡ B é

h Centre

d c

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 e

n Rogier u i

c City 2 Shopping

J s

e e l

i in

m l

d v

l Ma Pl des B e r Martyrs d 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

R 5 e

0000 0000 0000 0000 rs u

f # 7 l

6 e c

Anve u

' # ÿ

d h É

e '

c I

sé i

ns us e

6 6 6 t-Ne M w e

n d

g n

r ILÔT Cha t De Brouckère

' I # . SACRÉ

S # . R e w

Porte Po d R

w R # ¡ d'Anvers

RSimo eken a

L 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000

s e rt Rd o r 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

e Pl de

v STE- I'Hélip

e n Brouckère

d Pl de la Bourse

A CATHERINE

k Ave '

ice 00 00 00 00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

o d # .

r res

b uFo

e es l

l d a

i ll

i ge W v

s Commerçants Hosp 6 6

Q e l

a # ¤

000 000 000 000 000 000

d - rcq n Ma

Q B Rdu

Bourse

ux Pier du nd

w Rde R 00 000 00 000 00 000 00 000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 Ste- Catherine

de Ta a

ra Bégui e

Q # ¡ d

Yser l # ¡

C 9

# ÿ

# ÿ uG e

mude d e

l l

i c e

10 R t ST- Be H

Barge Tours à

Q Dix

in GÉRY

# f x

Pl Ste-

Port Marché Square

'Ypres Catherine

Blvd d a

16 x e

Q u a

e du 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 0000 000000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

V 14 r

e Sainctelette

# ý

aux Poissons t

r Av

e L g

a a p e o

1 L

# û Pl

w 666 666 66 6 6 66 6 v d lvd h

ler ien # æ

aux

ar B

h C

Ch Porcs g s nt e

d t

a e

Sainctelette r

s Marché

en e d

anal a

i s

l n C i R s o

qu M s

e n

Intend c a t

r ' w a

p m

D R Grains R

rtois Lo s

sAt es e

d R e n e

Rdel RdeFlandre i

m R u

B o r

t e

S q

r r Marché aux n

i n G i u

n R r RduCou e A

R Pl du Nouveau er Comte de Flandre

Av y a

' 66 66

I m r Choeur

Cu é

t F

i ourt l

e é

# ¡

a o

du h R

d n s

t i

a t

Ribauc e

R H

a B

I e

d d d

# ¡ d

v R Flandre

A Porte de Q

B R I

old I rts

Ribaucourt e

a e

om Pl M

R R n

s i

nart Fi

r v Blvd

e e Communale i R Square

ASmets

Blvd Léop n 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 P RJ d

n n R o a 6 B G A e R e d sé us ha C 1 2 Brussels 3 4 # ¡ 6 6 6

W R w w 7 5 6 8 le

# £ ar 119

n h

o l

r c

A des

' e d

R d i 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 R 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 o 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 d o G r R a i Pl du l t uci l Brussels- r 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 la L G I a I e f -So Luxembourg e f Luxembourg s

h B a

de Frère- 6

Orban

Square ly Go

e A i

t R

ep s San

R u R n

d # þ n

aro a I '

I R

os e V

J R R

RC RduTrôn s n

c RCa

R r e

C Square

u -Vie d w w

de Meeus

R nt

e lin

ég ue b R g

n Pl de

# ¡

eDu e 00 00 00 00 00

lddu Blvd

s r

t Londres

r Lo w

A w Rd e

s v

e c R

a Cocq ed ve a

Arts-Loi A

66 6 66 6 W 66 6

Pl Fernand

n s

l S

o n

c w e i

u 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 D

Trône a

R B

R s d r

# ú F

le e

e l v

11 # ¡ a

w 12 u

v e

é l o x o

S I 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

s ' S

MATONGE

E d s # ú R R e u é a ss 000 000 000 000 h u Pl du

Trône a Parc de TOWN

C 2

UPPER h

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 Bruxelles

C BELGIUM BRUSSELS

w # æ e

000 000 000 000

ais g

l r

Square e

a 66 # ¡

# ¡ u du Bastion t

r # æ

a s d

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 a Parc t S

r R

e Audrey

u d ld R e v Hepburn's ldesP m n

P Parc de a e Bruxelles rloo

ROYAL y N e e Childhood Home e BRUSSELS QUARTER d K R R s E r SIGHTS

Gare Centrale venstei e

Ra n w pi

eWat de a l

R r e Pl Royale e D

# ¡ d

w c s p Porte de Namur v

w l e s

n w d e e

B R r

g R 666 666 66 666 66 Cap C é

Gare Centrale a

l 000 000 000 000 000

e Pl Stéphanie

d Petit w # £

Pl du

Sablon w R Pl de Jardin

00 00 00

s d'Egmont

I'Albertine

# . w n

i Pl 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

# .

w L

Louise

x w000 000 000 000 000 000

SABLON u r

Sablon a

000 000 000 000 000 000 000 R '

Justice Pl de la Pl du Grand s

e D

# ¡

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 m

6 6 6 66 i 6 66 6 66 d'Espagne

n rdan

e w

r M

e Louise

io d oison d

R d

RJou

v Palais de Justice Pl St- Jean l

aT la

Place B rloo

000 000 000 000 I Grand

# æ

ut # 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 00 00 00 00 00

a Pl J Jacobs

s H e

v de Ave s

v n w

Pl de la 00 00 00 00 00

eWate e

u e

Chapelle

t i

n d

x i É

' 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 I

le e

Elevator

a e La vd w

A l

d Pl Breugel B

000 000 000 000 000 000 x Pl Poelaert Bl

R s

R e u

d 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 a

o # æ

R ç

n i

o # ¡ 000 000 000 000 000

u ns # î

Midi i d

u Hôpital

C St Pierre

13 # ú e

Rd w apuc

C a w H

es Hotel des Monnaies d R MAROLLES

00000 00000 00000 w00000 00000 00000 00000 00000

R w 18 w e

r 15

# þ it de-Balle 000 000 000 000 000 000 l w Pl du Jeu- Anneessens r o

Pl Fontainas t i # ý

Pl Rouppe # ¡

# V

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 c00000 00000 00000 00000 o s

Porte

See Central Brussels Map (p122)

e de Hal

# ¤ v e

a 3

d H

a ' l

w L I ra

e B

u R

r d d e

i w R e w

n R 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 000 000 000 000 000

e c

r n

ri i

e o

w e u

d o

n w

n a i

r m u a è d

t w i

u M e a e M L

v eStaling de Ave u l

B s d a

V B h

d d 00 00 00 00 00 00

a c v

w l

l v w

g B

l te de H

e e d

e Por B

d l ulons a

r e

w l R R o

u w

sel e F Ave de l e

C # ¤

e 000 000 000 000 000 000

l 6 666

w i

amu n es

Héros Pl des

C d R

Rd'Artois

d m

A 000 000 000 000

R w

o R

E R r r

d' w

a é R

R re

a e TEC Bus W(for Waterloo)

c m

oin d

P a

vd R e

i Bl J w d # ›

id z Square

Lemonnier 000 000 000 000 000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 w y

M e e

i w

u d

d n u

n v

lvd de I'Aviation s

B g l S ir n

to o

r t o e

ba B laes F

I'A B d

e s

d e C e

R R é n

o w

s o

Square R Péqueur

# ¡

R Midi

M w oseph

u e

a Gare du

l e t c

a e RJ A

Pl A tl

Pl Bara

O Bruxelles- Midi

n e

d R

h 000 000 000 000 000

a d r

C # â

R Lemmens

e # £ 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000

e d R Musée RGheud Bus to Charleroi Airport Bruxellois de la Gueuze # › 7 5 6 8 120 Brussels æ Top Sights 9 Hôtel Noga...... C3 Musée Bruxellois de la 10 Maison Noble...... C3 Gueuze ...... A6 Palais de Justice ...... D7 ú Eating 11 Le Soleil d'Áfrique ...... F7 æ Sights 12 L'Ultime Atome ...... F7 1 Cubitus Mural ...... C3 13 Restobières...... C7 2 Galerie d'Ixelles...... F7 3 Porte de Hal ...... B8 û Drinking 4 Quick & Flupke Mural...... C7 14 Au Laboureur...... C3

Activities, Courses & Tours ý Entertainment 5 ARAU ...... D3 15 Fuse...... C8 16 K-Nal ...... C1 BELGIUM BELGIUM ÿ Sleeping 6 2Go4 ...... D2 þ Shopping 7 Centre Vincent van 17 Beermania ...... G7 Gogh ...... F2 18 Flea Market...... C7

BRUSSELS 8 Hostel Jacques Brel ...... F3

of the world’s biggest collections of musical Sablon NEIGHBOURHOOD instruments much more accessible by pro- Dominated by the fl amboyantly Gothic viding a wordless audioguide that lets you church, Église Notre-Dame du Sablon hear how most of them sound. Nonetheless, (Map p122 ; Rue de la Régence; h9am-7pm), the the museum’s particular appeal comes from cobbled Grand Place du Sablon is lined its setting in a showpiece 1899 art-nouveau with upmarket cafes, restaurants and choco- building with unparalleled city views from latier boutiques. Nearby streets are dotted the top-fl oor cafe terrace. with fascinating antique shops, and the Place du Petit Sablon (Map p122 ) features Place Royale NEIGHBOURHOOD a garden of 48 bronze statuettes represent- Dominating this neoclassical square is a ing the medieval guilds. Southeast of here bold equestrian statue of Godefroid de looms the vast (Map (Map p122 ), the Belgian crusader Palais de Justice Bouillon p118 ; Law Court), which was Europe’s big- knight who very briefl y became the fi rst Eu- gest building when constructed in 1883. A ropean ‘king’ of Jerusalem in 1099. Around pavement outside off ers rooftop panora- the corner you’ll fi nd the 19th-century Pal- mas towards the distant Atomium (p 125) ais Royal (Map p122 ; www.monarchy.be/palace and Koekelberg Basilica. A glass eleva- -and-heritage/palace-brussels; Place des Palais; tor (h7.30am-11.45pm) leads down into the admission free; h10.30am-4pm Tue-Sun late Jul- quirky, downmarket (but slowly gentrifying) , which is Belgium’s slightly less- early Sep) Marolles quarter. inspired cousin to Buckingham Palace. It’s the Belgian king’s offi ce, but the royals no IXELLES longer live here. Southwest of the pentagonal Inner Ring If you’ve bought a BrusselsCard, peep highway, this sizeable inner suburb sports into Musée BELvue (Map p122 ; www.belvue. numerous elegant, century-old houses – but be; Place des Palais 7; adult/BrusselsCard €5/free; is also home to the multicultural, downmar- h10am-5pm), which introduces Belgian his- ket Matonge district as well as the snooty, tory through a fascinating, if potentially upmarket boutiques of Ave Louise. bewildering, overload of documents, images and videos. Then descend into the attached Musée Horta MUSEUM Coudenberg (Map p122 ; adult/under 26yr/ (www.hortamuseum.be; Rue Américaine 25; adult/ BrusselsCard €5/3/free, with Musée BELvue €8/4/ child €7/3; h2-5.30pm Tue-Sun; mHorta, j91 free), the subterranean archaeological site of or 92) Architect Victor Horta’s 1898 house- Charles Quint’s 16th-century palace com- museum makes a fi ne introduction to plex. You’ll emerge eventually near MIM. Brussels’ art-nouveau heritage. Decorated with numerous century-old ornaments, the building’s sinuous wrought iron and Arcade du Cinquantenaire MONUMENT shaped wood are augmented by a partially Designed to celebrate Belgium’s 50th anni- 121 stained-glass roof. The ticket stub includes versary, this arch’s construction went over- a small map, helping you to seek out other schedule…by 25 years! You can climb it from art-nouveau monuments scattered around stairs within the Military Museum (www. the surrounding area. For more, see www. klm-mra.be; Parc du Cinquantenaire 3; admission/ brusselsartnouveau.be or buy the €3 Brus- audioguide free/€3; h9am-11.45 & 1-4.30pm Tue- sels art-nouveau guide from tourist offi ces. Sun), which boasts a vast collection.

Matonge NEIGHBOURHOOD Musée du Cinquantenaire MUSEUM Nicknamed for a square in Kinshasa, Con- (www.kmkg-mrah.be; Parc du Cinquantenaire go, Matonge is home to Brussels’ African 10; adult/concession/BrusselsCard €5/4/free; community. The architecture includes its h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Belgium’s most underes- fair share of tired old 1960s concrete, but timated museum has an astonishingly rich, Chaussée de Wavre and the dreary Galerie global collection ranging from ancient Egyp- d’Ixelles (Map p118 ) come to life with Afri- tian sarcophagi to Meso-American masks, to can hairstylists, exotic groceries, outlets for icons to wooden bicycles. You’d need days BRUSSELS Congolese CDs and DVDs, and many inex- to appreciate it all. The English-language pensive places to sample African foods. audioguide (€3 extra) is worth considering.

Autoworld MUSEUM CINQUANTENAIRE (www.autoworld.be; adult/concession/Brussels- Hop o ﬀ metro line 1 or 5 at Mérode to see SIGHTS h Leopold II’s triumphal arch and associated Card €6/4.70/free; 10am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am- One of Europe’s biggest collec- grand museums. 5pm Oct-Mar) tions of vintage and 20th-century cars.

COMIC-STRIP CULTURE

In Belgium, comic strips (bande dessinée) are revered as the ‘ninth art’ and each September Brussels hosts a major Comic-Strip Festival (www.fetedelabd.be) at the splendid St-Gilles town hall. Internationally, the country’s best-known comic-book hero is quiﬀ -headed boy-detective Tintin, whose creator is celebrated at the superb Hergé Museum (www.museeherge.com; adult/concession €9.50/7; h10.30am-5.30pm Tue-Sun), an hour south of Brussels by train in the otherwise uninteresting student town of Louvain-la- Neuve. Changing trains at Ottignies can save time. Serious comic fans might also enjoy Brussels’ comprehensive Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Map p122 ; www.comicscenter.net; Rue des Sables 20; adult/concession/ BrusselsCard €7.50/6/free; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) in a distinctive Horta-designed art-nouveau building, though relatively little is in English. Comic Murals Over 40 comic-strip murals enliven Brussels buildings. Their locations are mapped on www.visitbrussels.be (look for the ‘Walks’ section) and on free brochures available from Brussels International tourist oﬃ ce. Our favourites include the following: » Cubitus (Map p118 ; Rue de Flandre) » Néron (Map p122 ; Place St-Géry) » Quick & Flupke (Map p118 ; Rue Haute) » Tibet & Duchâteau (Map p122 ; Rue du Bon Secours 9) Comic Shops » Brüsel (Map p122 ; www.brusel.com; Blvd Anspach 100; h10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, noon- 6.30pm Sun) » La Maison de la BD (Map p122 ; www.jije.org; Blvd de l’Impératrice 1; museum admission €2; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) » Multi-BD (Map p122 ; www.multibd.com; Blvd Anspach 122-124; h10.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-6.30pm Sun) » Nine City (www.ninecity.be, www.moof-museum.be) 1 2 3 4

122 uvain # ¡

de Lo Parc

Pl Loi

yale

o o

c R

n é

Pl Ste R h

c Gudule g

G P d

eL Rdela B

i n

66 66

e l

Co v m

u s

o # Ü b a e

i # â e s d

# â e S

l M 9

3 s R i

b u

o a d in

Cathédrale des e S B t R s

s n

u Gare Centrale e 0200m 00.1miles

e t Sts Michel & Gudule v

d n a o R

# ¡

F R

# R s R

s e m i

a r en

r m e

M u

u x

o r d

e L e R i

d e

d c

d r v R

l e Pl Ste l B i des Comédi Gudule BELGIUM BELGIUM M s r R l

e a

P i

r d

u è

x g r

a Bruxelles- Central

d t

o a

u P e

c e

R b

r r C e e

H t

t a u

r # £

e i a

p R m

n I

o I n

erg e d

d v l g

# ú B

B g w

41 nb a a

s t BRUSSELS

e n

39 o o Are w E

d # ü d' M

Pl des R R

67 a l n

Martyrs e s

w e

i # . e

p o

Ar t 36 d

d u # þ n u

R a R

o d f

i n

# ú e

L r I

00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 ' l

e l

l I

a e x d l

G s e b

u o r # Ü

p s d a

a o lerie s e s e

e n

é I s 73 i

# þ R e

n h l

é i 5 e

# æ

a de c d

R Ga nce a c

s M s i i a

e el

u Pl d 23 # ÿ 18 n elaRein R

26 i

s d

d # ÿ

s o s 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000

m Pr e r

o R

ri # ÿ # þ

es B e D

# ú i

F 34

s Gale # ú

d'Espagne s

Rde n 20 u e

e o # ý

65 d

6 de r

ve d

Princ # á e es R

ein r # ú R p # ú

R É

Neu e ILÔT 27 71 R ye i

Rd r é

SACRÉ

u s a h s

Harengs s le

elaR r c e

c 24

w # ú r e e a g # û D # þ

46 a a h

É d

' e G gor c

e 45 M

# ï

Rd I n m Hôtel Métropole

u A

h u

l o 25

# ú

66 ‚ l

o # þ r

# . e

e c d

s # .

t o r F

i # û

Pl de la d t

n C R

u # ÿ

# ÿ x # ÿ Monnaie e

l u w 37

R P e

F # ï a sti d # ú 66 17

R 21 # ¡ a Use-It 50 # þ 63

l é ch 8

# â s

e r a 2 Flanders De Brouckère

43 r

s # â d M

u e s # û

d b u

R r e

sAugu 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 ers

R e i e Pl de d p H

e # û x s e

u # æ s d Fri a e Brussels International 7 # þ 68

# û ett

r R a l Brouckère

y r r # â io

R r des u t R 42 e B 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 aV

# û # ï

ê B Hôtel de Ville

# ò r a

r u o de l

G a s R

# Ü g 55

b # æ

i e Église

m s

e R T R

'A l

u e I

St-Nicolas

e harl

40 Bu

q R c d

ê C

a R

Grand Place

R v p

E # û é C

' n

se o

I h

00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 r00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 00000000000 A

54 c

r e r d

v 1

d a l Rdela 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000

Bourse Pl de la # ú

B # û

R M

di Tête d'Or e s i # .

es # æ

r 31 u M

i u

o # û

a a

de la Bou s

Rdu

R Rdu

e iM

g e Hall des

r rre 56 R e nr

i 47 # û e

e i

V 52 # û a P

l x # ¤

Pl du u RH

e s

a 64 Samedi d

v e

e 53 R l D d # ü u 59 # þ

000 000000 000 000000 000 000000 000 000000 000 000000 000 000000 Pa 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000

t R

s R n

r e 72

e Bourse

# ý ee o i a

e r b

STE-CATHERINE n est

t a n o P t h l

i # þ a s

l C

r a

# Ü u

e v a

RMelsens a RP

o h é v

B t g uriers P r

J h

a o c

Catherine s

Église Ste- r

C 58

R a

- e B y

r 35 d e M

t ST-GÉRY é

G R

# û u

S ach

# ú S 16 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000

# æ

R es Teint s

R d

48 An

R d

I l e

# û v

Géry 44 e

Pl St-

d e

# û Bl a

r v

Pl Ste- a l

# û e t

Catherine r

# ú R # æ

s s

i 49 e

a n

r ir 12

Poissons G

30 a

0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000

x a

Marché aux V l u

a C

t R s

x n r h

c o

e s

r t

a a e e

M 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 x e h u e s i p e V u o

d t

R is Pl Fontainas n r hr J

t-C h

a t S

A R

ST-GÉRY

r 6

D x

i # þ a s

e ie k

R e n h i c d

75 o s t C n

i R

n e

A la Bra s t

d e # ú

29 e

R l d

de R

P R R

R 1 2 Central Brussels 3 4 66 66 7 5 6 8 w 123 13 # â s i a l Parc de 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 # ¡ Bruxelles a Namur

e Porte de P TOWN UPPER

d s G

e r

d e

l d 10

r Namur P é u r Porte de a # â t B m r a o R N H de n R o r

a 15 # ï BIP 60 B ROYAL Pl R # æ # ý QUARTER

Royale e in w ri e

t # â e MIM

l s F a n

G e # â

Magritte Museum

v 666 666 666 666 666 666 666

a w e

R c

# â n

osa g

erm R

aH l

ts ll e BRUSSELS r d

A s RVi R e d Jardin

ont d'Egmont # æ M 33 # þ 14 # ú Pl du 69 # Ü E 4 BRUSSELS Petit Sablon FietsPunt/ PointVelo # Pl de 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 # . I'Albertine SABLON Sablon

Pl du Grand 66 6 66 66 66 66 66 66

n u r

a e # þ

a e 70 o b

e e L R M # þ J

- n snoy Justice Pl de la t a 62 V

S 74 R

000000 l 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000

R a r # ý

eeu s

t u

i s t

p e at m W

k i re

RDuque R n

ô e i

e # ú

H M

e s

' D p

I b e

d nssen

e e R m

l a

d l 32 E

' o R I

R e d e

Jean RCH

Pl St- d

r d

ie v

al l R

c e

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 s t

E B e

I' u

e a

d H

Pl de la Vieille Halle aux Blés R R

a empl

i 22 T D

000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 e

d du # ÿ R R

Pl de

Dinant

r e 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 t

u u a

e H C n R

ne # û ig e

Chê 51 s Pl de la S Manneken Pis Chapelle

u n 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 000000000 00 00 00

d e e

w ie r s

R x t e

# á a t

e o l

É l

' y

I A la N R

de s o R R e c

d c

R 'A s x e

u d n

a i

e R l

in s

o e

000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 r

n n o

M ç

n n i

s o

t P

e s

u t

i MAROLLES d d e

d B

i e R

r ir ie R tt o

B ir in

s e a

di l

v i

l'Gou s e

d u w s

e uM i

r d

R h

a - d

uM du

g re R R C r

19 R t

o e t T

B on S

R w

s elm

# ÿ R

e H

n s # û a d V

ie 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 R R n w

57 ig

i S

n w

n e

o d

# ú Pl

ons R w

00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 eLem h

c Rouppe u ri

o A

a au r

i w

dM vd l RdesM B

Anneessens 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 0000000 edeStal

# ¤ Pl Anneessens Av 7 5 6 8 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 124 Central Brussels æ Top Sights 35 Mer du Nord...... B1 Grand Place...... C3 36 Mokafé ...... E3 Magritte Museum ...... F6 37 Pitta Street ...... D4 Manneken Pis...... C5 38 Ricotta & Parmesan...... D2 MIM...... F6 Scheltema...... (see 34) 39 Sea Grill...... E2 æ Sights Vincent...... (see 27) 1 Bourse ...... C3 2 Brewery Museum ...... D4 ûüDrinking 3 Centre Belge de la 40 À la Bécasse ...... C3 Bande Dessinée...... F1 41 À la Mort Subite...... E2 Coudenberg ...... (see 10) 42 Al'Imagede 4 Église Notre-Dame du Nostre-Dame...... C3 Sablon...... E7 43 Au Bon Vieux Temps...... D3 BELGIUM BELGIUM 5 Galeries St-Hubert ...... D3 44 Café des Halles...... B3 6 Jeanneke Pis ...... D2 45 Chaloupe d'Or ...... D4 7 Lace Museum ...... C4 46 Délirium Café...... D2 8 Maison du Roi ...... D3 47 Falstaff ...... C3 BRUSSELS 9 Money Museum...... F2 48 Floreo ...... B3 10 Musée BELvue ...... G6 49 Gecko ...... A3 11 Musées Royaux des 50 Goupil le Fol ...... D4 Beaux-Arts ...... F6 51 La Fleur en Papier Doré ...... C6 12 Néron Mural ...... A3 52 Le Belgica...... C4 13 Palais Royal...... G6 53 Le Cercle des 14 Place du Petit Sablon ...... E8 Voyageurs...... B4 15 Place Royale...... F6 54 Le Cirio...... C3 Statue of Godefroid de 55 Le Roy d'Espagne...... C3 Bouillon...... (see 15) 56 L'Homo Erectus...... C3 16 Tibet & Duchâteau 57 Moeder Lambic Mural...... B4 Fontainas ...... A5 58 Zebra...... B3 ÿ Sleeping 17 2Go4 Grand Place ý Entertainment Rooms ...... D3 59 AB...... B3 18 Chambres d'Hotes du 60 BoZar ...... F5 Vaudevillle ...... D3 Cinematek ...... (see 60) 19 Downtown-BXL...... B5 61 La Monnaie/De Munt...... D2 20 Hôtel Le Dixseptième...... D4 62 Le You ...... D5 21 Hotel Mozart ...... D4 22 JH Bruegel...... C6 þ Shopping 23 The Dominican...... D2 63 Beer Planet ...... D3 64 Brüsel...... B3 ú Eating 65 Corné Port Royal...... D4 24 A l'Ombra ...... D3 66 De Biertempel...... D3 25 Aux Armes de Bruxelles...... D3 67 Délices et Caprices ...... E3 26 Belga Queen Brussels...... D1 Galeries St-Hubert ...... (see 5) 27 Chez Léon ...... D3 68 Galler...... C3 28 Comme Chez Soi...... A6 69 La Maison de la BD...... E5 29 Den Teepot...... A3 70 Leonidas...... D7 30 Fin de Siècle...... A2 Leonidas...... (see 71) 31 Fritland ...... C3 71 Leonidas...... D3 32 Le Perroquet ...... D8 72 Multi-BD...... B3 33 L'Ecailler du Palais 73 Neuhaus...... E3 Royal...... E8 74 Pierre Marcolini ...... D7 34 L'Ogenblik ...... D3 75 Stijl...... A1 T E R V U R E N Africa Museum MUSEUM WANT MORE? 125 (www.africamuseum.be; Leuvensesteenweg 13; adult/concession/BrusselsCard €5/4/free, audio- Head to Lonely Planet (www.lonely guide €2; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) In a vast formal planet.com/belgium/brussels) for plan- park of lakes and manicured lawns, this ning advice, author recommendations, veritable palace of a building was purpose- traveller reviews and insider tips. built by King Léopold II to show oﬀ Europe’s most impressive array of African artefacts. Of course, much of the collection was plun- just glimpsing the Atomium distantly from dered from Léopold’s then-private ‘garden’ outside the vast Palais de Justice (p120 ) in (Congo) where his rule saw a staggering central Brussels. percentage of the Congolese population die. From Montgomery metro station, take tram T Tours 44 to its eastern terminus. On the last Saturday of most months, ARAU (Map p118 ; %02 219 33 45; www.arau.org; Blvd A N D E R L E C H T Adolphe Max 55) tours visit some of Brussels’ BRUSSELS Internationally best known for its football otherwise private art-nouveau showpieces. team (www.rsca.be, www.anderlecht-online.be; Van den Stock Stadium, Avenue Théo Verbeeck 2; 4 Sleeping mSt-Guidon), this sprawling western sub- Brussels’ countless business hotels drop pric- urb now has a grimy, run-down reputation. es dramatically at weekends, during the July TOURS However, back in 1521 it was still a country and August summer holidays and whenever village when the world-famous humanist the ‘Eurocrats’ are away. At such times, in- Erasmus came to ‘play at farming’. ternet deals can get you a top-end room for little more than a mediocre midrange op- Musée Bruxellois de la Gueuze BREWERY tion, and €69 walk-in deals become possible (Map p118 ; www.cantillon.be; Rue Gheude 56; ad- at several options around the southern en- mission €5; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat; trance of the Galeries St-Hubert. There are mBruxelles-Midi) In this fascinating working various cheap, basic choices around Brux- brewery, cobwebs and 19th-century equip- elles-Midi but, although slowly improving, ment contribute to a curious spontaneous that area can be somewhat intimidating. fermentation process that produces ultra- Around Rogier and Bruxelles-Nord, several tart lambic beers, a Brussels speciality. Two upper-range hotels lie uncomfortably close tasters are included in the price of a self- to a seedy red-light district. guided tour. From Bruxelles-Midi station Bed & Brussels (www.bnb-brussels.be) al- walk 800m north via Place Bara and Rue lows you to ﬁ lter 75 B&Bs by theme and Limnander. location.

HEYSEL Hôtel Le Dixseptième BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ A 15-minute metro ride to Brussels’ northern (Map p122 ; %02 502 57 44; www.ledixseptieme.be; edge brings you to an area of trade fairs, the Rue de la Madeleine 25; d weekday/weekend from national stadium and curious Mini Europe €200/100; a) This alluring boutique hotel (www.minieurope.com; adult/child €13.40/10, with occupies part of a 17th-century ambassa- Atomium €19.90/13.90; h10am-5pm Apr-Jun & dorial mansion. Its understated opulence Sep-Dec, 9.30am-8pm Jul-Aug), featuring walk- reigns in all but the very cheapest rooms. through recreations of the continent’s top tourist sights at 1:25 scale. Dominican BUSINESS HOTEL €€€ (Map p122 ; %02 203 08 08; www.thedominican.be; Atomium MONUMENT, MUSEUM Rue Léopold 9; r weekday/weekend from €180/115; (www.atomium.be; Sq de l’Atomium; adult/conces- aiW) The Dominican combines classic sion/BrusselsCard €11/8/9; h10am-7pm May-Sep, elegance with understated modern chic on 10am-6pm Oct-Apr; mHeyzel, j51) This Brus- the site of a former abbey. The location is sels icon is a space-age leftover from the brilliantly central, albeit on a side street fa- 1958 World Fair consisting of nine gigantic voured by beggars. gleaming balls impressively representing an iron crystal lattice enlarged 165 billion Downtown-BXL B&B €€ % times. However, the interior exhibitions are (Map p122; 0475 290721; www.downtown less compelling and you might be happy bxl.com, www.lacasabxl.com; Rue du Marché au Charbon 118-120; r €77-109; W) The excellent- areas and decent, gender-segregated dorms 126 value rooms here feature zebra-striped with showers (toilets shared). However, the cushions and Warhol/Marilyn prints in 10am to 2pm lockout is infuriating; read the ‘Downtown’, or Moroccan-Oriental–style de- regulations carefully and ask for a night key cor in the adjacent ‘Casa-BXL’. Gay-friendly. (deposit €20) if staying out beyond 1am.

Chambres d’Hôtes du Vaudeville B&B €€ Centre Vincent van Gogh HOSTEL € (Map p122 ; %0471 473837; www.chambresdhotes (Map p118 ; %02 217 01 58; www.chab.be; Rue Tra- duvaudeville.be; Galerie de la Reine 11; d from €115; versière 8; dm €18.50-21.50, s/d/q €33.50/53/86; W) This luxury B&B has arty decor and a i) The lobby bar and pool-table veranda thrilling location, but, in the bigger front here are unusually hip for a hostel, but the rooms, light sleepers might suff er from noise rooms are less glamorous, and from some that reverberates all night around the gor- reaching the toilets means crossing the gar- geous galeries. Get the keys from Theatre den courtyard. No membership needed, and du Vaudeville next door. Breakfast is deliv- no lockout. ered at 8am; make your own Nespresso. 2GO4 HOSTEL € BELGIUM BELGIUM Maison Noble B&B €€ ( %02 219 30 19; www.2GO4.be) Hostel (Map (Map p118 ; %02 219 23 39; www.maison-noble.eu; p118 ; Blvd Émile Jacqmain 99; dm €22-29, s/d/q Rue du Marcq 10; r €139-159; aiW) This splen- €55/69/116; hreception 7am-1pm & 4-11pm); didly refi ned four-room guest house, in a Grand Place Rooms (Map p122 ; Rue des Harengs 6; BRUSSELS quiet street near Place St-Catherine, features d €59-70) The well-equipped hostel, featuring a steam room and a piano lounge. zany ground-fl oor furnishings, is toward the slightly sleazier end of town. Check in here Hôtel Noga FAMILY HOTEL €€ even if you’re staying in the wonderfully cen- % (Map p118; 02 218 67 63; www.nogahotel.com; tral, if haphazardly decorated, ‘Grand Place Rue du Béguinage 38; r weekday/weekend from Rooms’. Rates include coff ee but not break- aiW Model yachts, sepia photos €95/70; ) fast or towels (€1). No lockout, no curfew. of Belgian royalty and assorted random kitsch lead up to rooms that are neat and clean without any particular luxuries. Prices 5 Eating CENTRAL BRUSSELS include breakfast and one hour’s wi-fi . Several interesting options are dotted along Hotel Mozart KITSCH HOTEL €€ Rue de Flandre, with reliable seafood res- (Map p122 ; %02 502 66 61; www.hotel-mozart. taurants around nearby Place Ste-Catherine be; Rue du Marché aux Fromages 23; s/d/q and Marché aux Poissons. Inexpensive, if €80/100/150; W) Mashing Turkish mosaic rarely authentic, Asian restaurants line Rue work, gilt rococo-styled chairs and endless J van Praet between the Bourse and Place imitation antiques into a kitschy sensory St-Géry. Restaurants reviewed here focus overload, this place is inexpensive, super- on value for money, but with formal attire, central and unforgettable, but expect spongy advance bookings and a plutonium credit mattresses, unsophisticated bathrooms and card, central gourmet options include Com- constant street noise if your room faces the me Chez Soi (Map p122 ; www.commechezsoi. ‘pitta strip’. Walk-in discounts of around be), Sea Grill (Map p122 ; www.seagrill.be) and 20% are possible. L’Ecailler du Palais Royal (www.lecaillerdup- alaisroyal.be). Hostel Jacques Brel HOSTEL € (Map p118 ; %02 218 01 87; www.laj.be; Rue de la L’Ogenblik SEAFOOD €€€ Sablonnière 30; HI members dm €16.40-20.50, s/d (Map p122 ; %02 511 61 51; www.ogenblik.be; Gal- €34/49.60; iW) This neat, presentable and erie des Princes 1; lunch €11, mains €23-28; hnoon- reasonably spacious hostel lies in a quiet, 2.30pm & 7pm-midnight) This archetypal his- pleasant area less than 15-minutes’ walk toric bistro-restaurant has sawdust fl oors, from Grand Place. The sociable bar has oc- close-packed tables and feels more conviv- casional live music and there’s a 2nd-fl oor ially casual than most upmarket Brussels terrace. No lockout. fi sh restaurants. Nonetheless the seafood quality challenges the best, while steaks and JH Bruegel HOSTEL € duck dishes are also available. Book ahead. % (Map p122; 02 511 04 36; www.jeugdherber Nearby, similarly priced recommendations gen.be; Rue du St-Esprit 2; HI members dm/s/d include Scheltema, Vincent, Chez Léon iW Brussels’ most cen- €21.30/35.50/51.40; ) and . However, tral hostel has a cellar bar, several sitting Aux Armes de Bruxelles beware of many other outwardly cheaper This timeless cafe in the awesome Galeries options that give a brilliant buzz to the Rue St-Hubert is ideal for coffee and cakes or 127 des Bouchers and Petite Rue des Bouchers – €2.60 Brussels waffles. several have been known to operate sneaky Fritland CHIPS € tourist-catching scams. (Map p122 ; Rue Henri Maus 49; h11am-1am Fin de Siècle BELGIAN €€ Sun-Thu, 10am-3am Fri & Sat) Sit-down or (Map p122 ; Rue des Chartreux 9; mains €11-19; takeaway frites (chips). hbar 4.30pm-1am, kitchen 6pm-12.30am) A low- lit cult place with rough tables, youthful MARROLES & SABLON cafe-ambience and great-value Belgian fa- The Sablon has many interesting, relatively vourites, along with meze and tandoori upmarket eateries. Dotted along Rue Haute chicken. There’s no sign and, with no reser- are several more idiosyncratic choices. vations accepted, you might need to queue. Restobières BELGIAN €€ (Map p118 ; %02 502 72 51; www.restobieres.eu; Belga Queen Brussels BELGIAN €€ Rue des Renards 32; mains €12-22, menus €18-38; (Map p122 ; %02 217 21 87; www.belgaqueen.be; Rue hnoon-3pm Tue-Sat, 6.30pm-11pm Thu-Sat, 4pm- BRUSSELS du Fossé aux Loups 32; mains €16-25, weekday lunch Beer-based Belgian meals served h Belgian 11pm Sun) €16; noon-2.30pm & 7pm-midnight) in a Marolles backstreet amid bottles, cuisine is given a chic, modern twist within grinders and countless antique souvenir a magnifi cent, if reverberant, 19th-century biscuit tins featuring Belgian royalty. bank building with classical stained-glass DRINKING ceilings. There’s a good wine and beer list. Le Perroquet CAFE € (Map p122 ; Rue Watteeu 31; light meals €6.50- A l’Ombra ITALIAN €€ 11; hnoon-1am) This glorious yet relaxed (Map p122 ; Rue des Harengs 2; pastas €8.50-13, art-nouveau cafe serves drinks, good-value mains €14-18; hnoon-3pm Mon-Fri & 6.30pm- salads and an imaginative range of stuffed 11.30pm Mon-Sat) Take a tiny, tile-walled 1920s pittas, some vegetarian. shop-house, keep the original decor, insert a narrow communal table and see if the cus- IXELLES tomers fi nally communicate over their deli- Many ever-buzzing options line Rue St- cious fresh pasta. Perhaps…at least with the Boniface while numerous inexpensive world farewell grappa. cuisines can be found in the neighbouring Ricotta & Parmesan ITALIAN € streets of Matonge. There are many fashion- (Map p122 ; www.ricottaparmesan.com; Rue de conscious restaurants further south around l’Écuyer 31; mains €9-15; hnoon-2.30pm & Flagey and Place du Châtelain. 6.30pm-11pm Mon-Sat) Reliable, sensibly priced Italian cuisine in a pair of antique Le Soleil d’Afrique AFRICAN € buildings decorated with olive-oil bottles (Map p118 ; Rue Longue-Vie 10; meals €5-8; hnoon- and old cooking implements, some fanci- midnight) Low, low prices for big, big portions fully framed. of various African favourites – moambe, yassa, mafé – best enjoyed on a summer Mer du Nord SEAFOOD € day at the street-side bench tables, which (Map p122 ; Rue Ste-Catherine 1; h8am-6pm are colourfully graffi tied with hippie colours Tue-Sun; mSte-Catherine) Stand and nibble and motifs. seafood snacks outside this popular fish- mongers if the numerous nearby fish L’Ultime Atome BELGIAN €€ % restaurants seem too pricey. (Map p118; 02 513 13 67; www.ultime-atome. com; Rue St-Boniface 14; mains €11-17; h8.30am- Den Teepot VEGAN € 1am Mon-Fri, 10am-1am Sat & Sun; mPorte de (Map p122 ; Rue des Chartreux 66; hnoon-2pm Namur) This cavernous brasserie attracts a Mon-Sat; v) Above an organic food grocery, youthful crowd and the non-stop kitchen this macrobiotic eatery serves a one-choice turns out great value meals, including vegetarian lunch of the day (€8.80). mussels, Moroccan tajines and cheesy Pitta Street KEBABS € endives. (Map p122 ; Rue du Marché aux Fromages; h11am- 3am) Snacks from €3 in a bustling pedes- 6 Drinking trian street just behind the Grand Place. Cafe culture is one of Brussels’ greatest attractions. On the Grand Place itself, Mokafé WAFFLES € 300-year-old gems, like (Map p122 ; Galerie du Roi; h7.30am-11.30pm) Le Roy d’Espagne (Map p122 ; Grand Place 1) and Chaloupe d’Or wall panels and an incredible 40 brews 128 (Map p122 ; Grand Place 24) are magnifi cent but on draft including Cantillon lambics and predictably pricey. Somewhat cheaper clas- gueuze. sics lie around the Bourse, several down À la Mort Subite CAFE easily missed, shoulder-wide alleys. Livelier (Map p122 ; Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères pubs are ranged around Place St-Géry. The 7; h11am-midnight; n) Unchanged since fashion-conscious head further south to 1928, with lined-up wooden tables, arched Flagey. mirror panels and entertainingly brusque Around the Bourse AREA service. Many of Brussels’s most iconic cafes are Le Cercle des Voyageurs BAR within stumbling distance of the Bourse. (Map p122 ; www.lecercledesvoyageurs.be; Rue des Don’t miss century-old masterpieces Fal- Grands Carmes 18; h8am-11pm Wed-Mon; n) staff (Map p122 ; Rue Henri Maus 17; h10am-1am; This high-ceilinged lounge-bar feels like n), with its festival of stained glass ceilings, a gentlemen’s club and has a library of and Le Cirio (Map p122 ; Rue de la Bourse 18; travel books for browsing.

BELGIUM BELGIUM h n , a sumptuous yet aﬀ ord- 10am-midnight; ) able 1866 marvel full of polished brasswork Goupil le Fol BAR h and serving great-value pub meals. Three (Map p122; Rue de la Violette 22; 9pm-5am) A sensory overload of rambling acid-trip more classics are hidden up shoulder-wide passageways, ragged old sofas and inex-

BRUSSELS alleys: the medieval yet unpretentious A plicable beverages mostly based on madly

l’Image de Nostre-Dame (Map p122; oﬀ Rue fruit-flavoured wines. Soft French chanson du Marché aux Herbes 5;hnoon-midnight Mon-Fri, music rules. 3pm-1am Sat, 4-10.30pm Sun); the 1695 Ru- benseque Au Bon Vieux Temps (Map p122 ; La Fleur en Papier Doré CAFE Impasse Saint Michel; h11am-midnight), which (Map p122 ; www.goudblommekeinpapier.be; Rue sometimes stocks ultra-rare Westvletteren des Alexiens 53; h11am-midnight Tue-Sat, 11am- beers (albeit charging €10!); and the 1877 7pm Sun) Once Magritte’s local cafe. lambic specialist À la Bécasse (Map p122 ; Rue de Tabora 11; h11am-midnight; n), with its 3 Entertainment vaguely Puritanical rows of wooden tables. AB LIVE MUSIC (Map p122 ; Ancienne Belgique; www.abconcerts. Délirium Café PUB be; Blvd Anspach 110) Great venue for inter- (Map p122; www.deliriumcafe.be; Impasse de la Fi- national and home-grown bands. délité 4A; h10am-4am Mon-Sat, 10am-2am Sun) The smoky main cellar pub has barrel tables, La Monnaie/De Munt OPERA beer-tray ceilings and over 2000 beers. Up- (Map p122 ; www.demunt.be; Place de la Monnaie) stairs, the smoke-free Tap House (www.de- Opera, theatre and dance. features copper stills, metal liriumtaphouse.be) BoZar LIVE MUSIC panelling and 25 beers on draft. Neighbour- (Map p122 ; www.bozar.be; Palais des Beaux-Arts, ing buildings house associated bars (from Rue Ravenstein 23) Music, dance, exhibitions, 8pm) serving hundreds of jenevers (Dutch- theatre and more. style gins), vodkas, rums and absinthes. No

wonder the little alley’s so vibrant. Live mu- Cinematek CINEMA

sic at 10.15pm. (Map p122; www.cinematek.be; Rue Baron Horta 9; admission €3; hfrom 5pm) Classic talkies, Place St-Géry AREA plus silent movies with live piano accom- Sip a quiet coﬀ ee by day or be buﬀ eted by paniment. music at night in youthful yet characterful bars – like Zebra (Map p122 ), Gecko (Map Nightclubs p122 ) and Floreo (Map p 122) – that ring Fuse CLUB Café des Halles (Map p122 ; www.cafedeshalles. (Map p118 ; www.fuse.be; Rue Blaes 208; admission be), an 1881 market hall that’s now part cafe, €5-12; h11pm-7am Fri & Sat; mPorte de Hal) The part exhibition hall and hosts a free week- Marolles club that ‘invented’ European end nightclub in its cellars. techno still crams in the punters. Half- Moeder Lambic Fontainas PUB price entry before midnight. h (Map p122; Place Fontainas 8; 10am-4am Mon- K-Nal CLUB Sat, 10am-2am Sun; n) A pub with designer (Map p118 ; www.libertinesupersport.be; Avenue du decor, dangling trumpet lamps, backlit Port 1; h11pm-6am Sat) On Saturday nights 68; h2-8pm Thu-Mon) Small, friendly and GAY & LESBIAN BRUSSELS personal. 129

Brussels’ compact, thriving Rainbow Beermania (Map p118; www.beermania.be; Quarter is clustered around Rue du Chaussée de Wavre 174; h11am-9pm Mon-Sat) Marché au Charbon, where you’ll ﬁ nd De Biertempel (Map p122 ; www.biertempel.be; two LGBT information centres. A dozen Rue du Marché aux Herbes 56b; h9.30am-7pm) gay-oriented bars here include L’Homo Beer Planet (Map p122 ; www.beerplanet.eu; Erectus (Map p122 ; www.lhomoerectus. Rue de la Fourche 45; h1-9pm Tue-Sun) com; Rue des Pierres 57; h4pm-dawn) and classic ‘brown cafe’ Le Belgica (Map p122 ; www.lebelgica.be; Rue du Marché 8 Information au Charbon 32; h10pm-3am Thu-Sun). Internet Access Belgian Gay & Lesbian Pride (www. Free at Use-It (see the boxed text, p 130 ) and up- blgp.be; h1st Sat in May) culminates stairs within Bibliothèque des Riches Claires h in this area with a vast-scale all-night (Rue des Riches Claires 24; 12.30pm-3.30pm

party. Sunday, it’s gay party night at Le Tue, 12.30-5.30pm Wed, 10am-3pm Thu, 10am- BRUSSELS 5pm Fri, 9.30-11.30am Sat). You (Map p122 ; www.leyougayteadance. com; entry €9, free before 10pm). Once a Money month, La Démence (www.lademence. ATMs are widespread. Exchange agency rates com) at Fuse (p128 ) is one of Europe’s are usually best around the Bourse. major raves for gay men. Try www.noc- SHOPPING tis.com/pages/events/gay.php for more Tourist Information information on events and venues. There are info counters at Brussels Airport and Bruxelles-Midi station. Brussels International (%02 513 89 40; www. from 11pm, K-Nal’s Libertine Supersport visitbrussels.be; Grand Place; h9am-6pm spins house, disco and lounge music Mon-Sat, plus Sun in summer) Cramped and and invites the biggest names in electro. often packed city info office within the town Expect queues. hall. % Flanders Info ( 02 504 03 90; www.visit Le You CLUB flanders.com; Rue du Marché aux Herbes 61;

(Map p122; www.leyou.be; Rue Duquesnoy 18; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun; W) admission €10; hfrom 11pm Thu-Sat, from 9pm Sun) A central labyrinth of dance floors and chill-out rooms, where Thursday is for 8 Getting There & Away under 25s and Sunday is gay night. AIR See p 157 . BUS Eurolines (%02 274 13 50; www.eurolines. be; Rue du Progrès 80; h5.45am-8.45pm; 7 Shopping jGare du Nord) International buses depart Tourist- oriented shops selling chocolate, from Bruxelles-Nord train station; see p 158 . beer, lace and Atomium baubles stretch be- TRAIN Eurostar, TGV and Thalys high-speed tween the Grand Place and Manneken Pis. trains stop only at Bruxelles-Midi (Brussel- For better chocolate shops (see the boxed Zuid). Jump on any local service for the text, p156 ) in calmer, grander settings, pe- four-minute hop to conveniently central ruse the resplendent Galeries St-Hubert or Bruxelles-Central. All domestic trains (p159 ), the upmarket Sablon area. In the Marolles, plus some Amsterdam services, stop there Rue Haute and Rue Blaes are full of quirky anyway. Consult www.b-rail.be for timetable interior design shops while Place du Jeu- information. de-Balle has a daily flea market (Map p118 ; h6am-2pm). Rue Antoine Dansaert has most 8 Getting Around of Brussels’ high-fashion boutiques, with To/From the Airport Stijl (Map p122 ; Rue Antoine Dansaert 74) hosting For Brussels-South Charleroi airport, see p 157 . many cutting-edge collections. TRAIN Four trains depart each hour from Supermarkets sell a range of Belgian 5.30am to 11.50pm. It costs €5.10 and takes beers relatively cheaply. For wider selections 16 minutes from Bruxelles-Central, 20 minutes and the relevant glasses, try the following: from Bruxelles-Midi. Délices et Caprices (Map p122 ; www.the- TAXI Fares cost around €35. Bad idea in rush belgian-beer-tasting-shop.be; Rue des Bouchers hour traffi c. AROUND BRUSSELS 130 USE-IT! Use-It (Map p122 ; www.use-it.be; Rue de la Fourche 50; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Leuven Mon-Sat) creates brilliant info maps, full POP 92,000 of irreverent, spot-on tips from locals. Home to Leff e and Stella Artois, Leuven They’re available as downloads or free (Louvain in French; www.leuven.be) is Flan- from hostels and tourist info places ders’ premier university town and is a lively, (ask!). Cities covered so far are Brus- self-confi dent ancient city. Although the sels, Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, town was heavily damaged in 20th-century Charleroi and Mechelen. wars, Leuven’s fl amboyant 15th-century Stadhuis (Grote Markt 9; admission €2) sur- vived. Covered in statuary, it’s one of Eu- Bicycle rope’s most architecturally ornate city halls. SHORT-TERM HIRE With Villo! (www.villo. Leuven adds only a minor detour to the

BELGIUM BELGIUM be; h24hrs), you can ride a bike from A to B, train ride between Brussels (€4.80, 30 min- drop it off , then take a new one for the next hop. utes, fi ve hourly) and Antwerp (€6.60, 45 min- The fi rst 30 minutes is free, but costs, charged utes, hourly). In between also consider stops automatically to your credit card, rise rapidly in historic Mechelen or very pretty Lier. if you keep it longer (one/two/three hours AROUND BRUSSELS €0.50/3.50/7.50). Keep the bike 24hr and you’ve automatically ‘bought’ it (€150). Some of the 180 automated rental pick-up/drop-off Waterloo stations are credit-card equipped for paying the POP 31,000 initial membership subscription (per day/week/ European history changed course in June year €1.50/7/30). High-toll helpline %078 05 11 1815 when Napoleon was defi nitively de- 10 works only during offi ce hours. feated at the Battle of Waterloo, 20km LONGER HIRE FietsPunt/PointVelo (www. south of Brussels. The battlefi eld, a vast recyclo.org; per 1/3 days €7.50/15; h7am-7pm patchwork of rolling fi elds, has a hamlet of Mon-Fri) is located outside Bruxelles-Central’s visitor attractions. Most striking is a grassy Madeleine exit. You’ll need ID, plus a credit card hill topped with a great bronze lion, which or a €150 cash deposit. you can climb (€6) to survey the scene. En- TOURS Brussels Bike Tours (www.brussels ter through the large visitor centre (www. biketours.com; tour incl bicycle rental adult/ waterloo1815.be; h10am-5pm); the ‘Lion Pass’ student €30/25; h10am & 3pm Apr-Sep, 11am (adult/concession €8.50/6.50) adds in a Oct), with a maximum group size of 12, start 20-minute fi lm. Guided truck tours to some from the Grand Place tourist offi ce and take outer battle sites cost €5.50 or combine all around 3½ hours, including stops for beer and the above for €12. Check out the hamlet’s frites. 19th-century cafes too. Public Transport Despite the name, the battlefi eld-hamlet INFORMATION Fare/route information at www. is some 5km south of Waterloo town (www. stib.be. waterloo-tourisme.be). Instead of arriving COSTS Tickets, once validated, can be used at Waterloo’s inconvenient train station, on any combination of the metro, trams and get within 800m of the battlefi eld by TEC city buses, with the exception of reaching the bus W from either Avenue Fonsny (outside airport. A one-hour ‘jump’ ticket costs €1.70/2 Bruxelles-Midi in Brussels) or from the when pre-purchased/bought aboard. Booklets much closer Braine l’Alleud train station on of fi ve/10 tickets cost €7.30/11.20. A one-/ the Brussels–Charleroi line. three-day unlimited pass costs €4.50/9.50. OPERATING HOURS From 6am to midnight daily. Limited ‘Noctis’ buses (€3) run from midnight to 3am Friday and Saturday. FLANDERS Taxi Taxis cost €2.40 fl ag fall plus €1.35 per kilome- Antwerp tre in Brussels, €2.70 per beyond city limits (eg POP 457,000 airport, Tervuren). Taxis ranks are located at Cosmopolitan, confi dent and full of con- Bruxelles-Midi and Madeleine, or pre-book on trasts, Antwerp (Antwerpen in Dutch, An- %02 268 00 00 or %02 349 49 49. vers in French) was one of northern Europe’s foremost cities in the 17th century when it Rubenshuis HISTORIC BUILDING also was home to Pieter Paul Rubens, dip- (www.museum.antwerpen.be; Wapper 9-11; adult/ 131 lomat, philosopher and northern Europe’s concession €6/4; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Rubens’ greatest baroque artist. Today it once again Antwerp home and studio has been meticu- revels in fame and fortune attracting art lov- lously restored and rebuilt along original ers and mode moguls, club queens and dia- lines and fi lled with 17th-century artworks, mond dealers. albeit relatively few by the master himself. The full 90-minute audioguide visit may 1 Sights prove overly detailed for many visitors. CITY CENTRE Scheldt Riverbank NEIGHBOURHOOD Grote Markt SQUARE The Scheldt River (Schelde in Dutch), Ant- Antwerp’s photogenic epicentre, this pedes- werp’s economic lifeline, off ers a riverside trianised square is graced by a Renaissance- stroll along , a raised prome- style and the baroque Zuiderterras Stadhuis Brabo nade that runs south from castle. , featuring a bronze hero throwing Het Steen Fountain At the tree-lined square , a lift the severed hand of a dastardly giant. This St-Jansvliet BELGIUM BELGIUM descends to the , allow- FLANDERS illustrates the legend that romantics still use St-Annatunnel (free) ing pedestrians and cyclists to cross 570m to explain Antwerp’s disputed etymology, beneath the river to the (Left ‘Hand Werpen’ (hand throwing) becoming Linkeroever Bank) for a city panorama. Antwerpen. ANTWERP NEIGHBOURHOOD

Meir SIGHTS Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal CATHEDRAL If walking from the main train station to

(www.dekathedraal.be; Handschoenmarkt; adult/ Groenplaats, revel in the grand, statue- h concession €5/3; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm draped architecture of pedestrianised Meir Belgium’s largest Gothic Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) and Leystraat. The gilt-overloaded cathedral, built between 1352 and 1521, still Stads- is one of the world’s dominates the city skyline thanks to a stee- feestzaal (Meir 76) most indulgently decorated shopping malls. ple that is arguably the most magnifi cent in Watch top-quality chocolates being made Europe. Priceless artworks inside include at two world-famous Rubens tableaux. Chocolate Line (www.thechocolateline.be; h10.30am-6.30pm) in the 1745 Paleis op de Museum Plantin-Moretus HISTORIC BUILDING Meir (www.paleisopdemeir.be; Meir 50). (www.museumplantinmoretus.be; Vrijdag Markt 22; adult/under 26yr €6/4; h10am-5pm Tue- STATION AREA Sun) Antwerp has saved numerous historic Antwerpen-Centraal train station is an homes as art-fi lled museums, but none can attraction in itself and the famous Antwerp compare with this enchanting medieval zoo is just outside. building that once housed the world’s fi rst industrial printing works, which published The Diamond Quarter NEIGHBOURHOOD (www.awdc.be) An astounding 80% of all the books including those by Rubens’ brother. world’s uncut diamonds are traded in Ant- Highlights include the formal courtyard werp’s architecturally miserable diamond dis- garden, 1640 library and historic print trict, immediately southwest of Antwerpen- shop. Centraal station. For the cost of a smile you can see gem polishers at work at Diamond- land (www.diamondland.be; Appelmansstraat 33a; ANTWERP admission free; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat), which is MONEYSAVERS essentially a zero-pressure lure to get visitors into a diamond salesroom. The well explained Sold at tourist offi ces, the two-day Diamond Museum (Koningin Astridplein 19-23; Museumkaart (€20) provides free city adult/concession €8/4; h10am-5.30pm Tue-Thu) transport and entrance to 15 museums has changing jewellery ‘treasure shows’ and and fi ve signifi cant churches, including similar live gem-polishing demonstrations. all sights reviewed below. Most city-run museums are free anyway if you’re ’ T Z U I D under 19 or over 65. Many, including Around 1km south of the fashion quarter, ’t Museum Plantin-Moretus and Rubens- Zuid is a conspicuously prosperous area dot- huis, are free for everyone on the last ted with century-old architecture, hip bars, Wednesday of each month. fi ne restaurants and interesting museums. Antwerp 132 A B C D #â Willemdok Bonapartedok

a a

1 l

d w euwenrui Car Tunnel e Oude Le

Brouwersvliet t

s GBeliards

e ipperskapelstr z Sch n ge a n H La #ý38 #ý41 r #æ V tr st er St- n ve a Red Light rsrui Paulusplaats M e District d K u rie onrui 2 O ke Falc K ns St-P ei tr rp str lapdo enskaai r K a t a s r d ul t e s

BELGIUM BELGIUM 'T SCHIPPERSKWARTIER d r s usstr k t ies i

Jor s o r u r

e N D H rt M o utsa d erterras Scheldt G St-Pauluskerk d Stadswaag #Ü Koepoortbrug Veemarkt er Minderbro tstr Noor Zwart FLANDERS zust ersstr Zakstr

3 Zirkst r L

e 66 a der

n Blin

g g d #V r sru en u e st b r 6 Paling K i #þ sstr o 42 Kuiper O e u p Steenplein Ambtmanstr de o Zilver 23#ú 34 B o Keiz

r 0000000000smid eu r #â erst s t r

t t #û r 31 #ý 0000000000r #ï s s s 0000000000 t #û Wo Rockoxhuis #ÿ i r l s 0000000000 str 39 a #æ 66aa 000000000011 Wijngaardbrug a 0000000000#á #æ Grote Markt 000 13 Sui K Hendrik k 0000000000 000#Ü Kipd r er 00000000003 18 37 Conscienceplein000 or rui r p rras e 0000000000 000 t 4 t #ÿ 0000000000#ü K 000 s ie 36 or St-Carolus- r 000000000017 00000 te P t Handschoen- N s 000000000000000 #ú #û#ý ie Borromeuskerk e t H #ÿ u orze derte #, t a 00000markt w o a st o rs O r B r P tr 00000

#Ü t r 00000u 26 40 #ÿ T Zui G d str r t s am #ÿ 00000e T e un 19 33 K Lange n 15 v N el Ernest Van Dijckk tr o Onze-Lieve- ieuwstr Vlas #û #ÿ s o e m r 0000

14 n d a Vrouwekathedraal r Hoogs im n j k 0000 i r m l

66n t g 0000 Handelsbeurs l Eier e a a 0000 t #, Re e Sudermans r #æ Z Groenplaats m P a

ynd k 0000 #û32 Bed a Kort

t r e 0000 K K #. Stoofs er kt larens tr 24 #ú sstr 0000 t tr

0000000#ú 0000 d 25 S 0000000 0000 enst #ú 0000000Museum Plantin 0000#. Groenplaats r #¤ Meirbrug 0000000#¤ t 0000

s 5 29 0000000 0000 r 0000000-Moretus n 0000 t #¤ 0000000 e 0000#ò Schoenmark aai St-Jansvliet #â G M 0000000 Vrijdag ier m #þ eir Ste 45 Meir

0000000en m ink h a ouw Markt tr H #æ nt er K 9 sve u a st r i e Drukk Lo iegs d Pl mba ard e v en W e ves v t K O 22 e o #â #ú t Muntstr e 44 28 rt t r #ú r e t i e j r s s 8 G #þ s Jodenstr s t

r r a s

e K st t

d r d a huisstr i mm Everdijstr Schuttershofstr ST-ANDRIES R 000 6 e St- e 000 g An 6 ns r dr 000 00 n t iesstr a t 000 00 s r n

r L Oudaa 000 00 e r sstr 20 L Orgelstr00

t t S niu t-Anto 00 #þ #ÿ a s ‚ n r 00#ÿ o 00 g o st 43 16 e l 00Ha enbergstr Pomps le p r K Vli Bogaarde- pa G A e 00 ertstr rst Vl a na plein Leo

r s

o emi t ti Scho nckveld hu

polds y i Na te str #û s

3066s t

Aa r lm t oe r zeniers 7 Preke tr rsstr str Rosier e d Mechelseplein

Bre 6 A B 66C D e 0400m # 00.2miles EGF H 133

erdstr 66 Van A Marnixstr

1 Italië Oranjestr Ankerrui

lei

i j

ss fse 0000000 g e e lst 0000000 np w 66660000000 n r 0000000 l 0000000 e 0000000 te ijfselrui 0000000 S St 0000000 e 0000000 d 0000000St- u 0000000Jansplein O 0000000 2 Paar 0000000 denma 0000000 rkt 0000000 r 0000000 t Gummarusst 0000000 S Diepestr g ndelstr r Vo 0000000 V BELGIUM BELGIUM FLANDERS e 66 a b

n H n e Vekestr M o

w l r R a l t u r o a t e s a tt n

s r s K e

l d l e u a r K d s n d n a t

t r o m e s g

V R s r t t SIGHTS ANTWERP e r r D

b L a SIGHTS a n n mstr m e r tr 3 g t b w e 66Goudbloe s r È u W ys n u a

i e g K n l k Os g e e a e t r l t s o s r t t Prinsstr r S r G iolierstr n #ú 27 V a Ossenmarkt V De Katt Coninckplein r e K t nstr o s r V s t r a e r e r t t n s 666W 6s tr s n i e S i a n k d c r Frans syst n l e kes h P ls n t O e Halsplein r o v

A be o 4 - e

r t t n n

r e h S

Franklin A St-J o aco v b n s e cobst mar Roosevelt-

#Ü kt a n

a Eurolines V s

plaats nWes t

a #› r St-J St-Jacobskerk Kipdorpburg Buses to V #› 6r 666 De Lijn Turnhout t #› s tr Astrid s rgstr &Herntals r ss #¤ e u #ò r str t C d z arnot s el e e nbe J str d o e n r r Koningin #â 4 b o rei

i Astridplein Mol b

l t B

nstr e 5 r

e C 00 Leysst Teniersplaats E k 00S i tatiest r n 00 r E #¤ a r 00 t V #æ s 12 666st Opera 66 s 66 De K u e #ë i y 10 ve se 1 r rle Diamant n i t rp #â e s #¤ s V ei n #£ t #› #ò pdo kl i j a Vesting O K ri Antwerpen- m

Bus 14 to l Kolveniersstr Hopland nk Antwerp e Centraal p st p #ï Fra Airport r A #æ #æ 35 #û 666 5 662 6 0000 Rijfstr 0000Graan- Mar r

M 0000 t 0000markt0000000 ia llinstr 0000000e There #ú 21 is

0000000 ierss Que 0000000tr sia 0000000 lei

ven 0000000 L o 0000000 a P H 0000000 n e g l 0000000Theaterplein krijkiei i k 0000000 n e a a 0000000 r He F a 6660000000666666 66n gstr e 0000000 re s Plo 0000000 t

r 0000000ats n 0000000 #¤Stadspark ta

lsestr 7 Lo Rubenslei To Etap

uiz akvest a-Mari Hotel (70m) Vaartpla ab Stadspark ‚ T ale

ude

O i 666EG6666 F H 134 Antwerp æ Top Sights ú Eating Grote Markt...... B4 21 Aahaar...... G6 Museum 22 Chocolatiers ...... C6 Plantin-Moretus...... B5 23 De 7 Schaken...... B4 Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal 24 De Groote Witte Arend ...... B5 ...... B4 25 De Kleine Zavel...... A5 26 Het Vermoeide Model...... C4 æ Sights 27 Kubus Permeke...... H3 1 Antwerp Zoo ...... H5 28 Lombardia ...... C6 2 Antwerpen Centraal 29 Zuiderterras...... A5 Train Station ...... H6 3 Brabo Fountain...... B4 ûüDrinking 4 Diamond Museum ...... H5 30 Bierhuis Kulminator...... C7 5 Diamondland...... G6 31 De Kat...... C4 BELGIUM BELGIUM 6 Het Steen ...... A3 32 De Vagant ...... B5 7 MAS ...... D1 33 De Ware Jacob ...... B4 8 MoMu...... B6 34 Den Engel...... B4 9 Paleis op de Meir ...... D5 35 Oud Arsenaal...... E6 FLANDERS 10 Rubenshuis ...... E5 36 Pelikaan...... C4 11 Stadhuis ...... B4 37 't Elfde Gebod ...... C4 12 Stadsfeestzaal...... E5 ý Entertainment ÿ Sleeping 38 Café d'Anvers ...... C2 13 Emperor's 48 ...... D4 39 Cartoons ...... B4 14 Den Heksenketel...... B4 40 De Muze ...... C4 15 Hotel Julien ...... C4 41 Red & Blue ...... C2 16 Hotel Les Nuits ...... D6 17 Matelote Hotel ...... B4 þ Shopping 18 Hotel Postiljon...... B4 42 Boekhandel 't Verschil Burie...... D3 19 Katshuis ...... A4 43 Fans...... C6 20 HI Hostel...... C6 44 Fish & Chips...... B6 45 Het Modepaleis ...... B5

KMSKA ART MUSEUM modernist style. Many of the characterful (www.kmska.be; Leopold De Waelplaats; g1 or rooms have exposed beams or old brick-tile 23) Opened in 1890, the palatial Koninklijk fl oors. Reception feels like a designer’s offi ce Museum voor Schone Kunsten is one of and there’s a library and indulgent dining northern Europe’s fi nest art galleries, but room with a faceted ceiling. wholesale renovations mean it will be largely closed until at least 2012. Highlights of ABhostel HOSTEL € % its exceptional collection (yes, plenty of Ru- ( 0473 570166; www.abhostel.com; Kattenberg bens) should be on show at the brand new 110; dm/d €21/50; hcheck-in noon-3pm & 6-8pm; W This adorable family-run hostel has lots city museum, ) MAS (www.mas.be; Hanzesteden- of little added extras to make it comfy. Its , once that opens in May 2011. plaats) inner-suburban setting is 20-minutes’ walk east of Antwerpen-Centraal station, past 4 Sleeping inexpensive shops, ethnic restaurants and Over 40 B&Bs can be sorted by price or map African wig shops. Across the street is the location on www.bedandbreakfast-antwerp. brilliantly unpretentious local pub com, but relatively few are central. Plaza Real (hfrom 8pm Wed-Sun), owned by a band Hotel Julien BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ member of dEUS. o( %03 229 06 00; www.hotel-julien.com; Hotel Les Nuits HOTEL €€€ Korte Nieuwstraat 24; r €170-290; aiW) This % very discreet boutique mansion-hotel exudes ( 03 225 02 04; www.hotellesnuits.be; Lange W Black- a tastefully understated elegance and subtle Gasthuisstraat; d/ste from €135/215; ) on-black corridors that are fashionable fan- his distinctive photographic art (www. tasies more than Halloween howlers lead bartmichielsen.net), you’ll love Bart Mich- 135 to 24 designer-modernist rooms, each with ielsen’s stylishly low-lit, gay-friendly B&B its own special touches, super-comfy bed in a well-located 1878 town house. and rainforest shower. Sauna and hamam (Turkish baths) are free. Breakfast (€12.50) 5 Eating is taken in the casually suave restaurant For cheap, central snacks, stroll Hoogstraat, where you check in; there’s no reception. near the cathedral. For cosy, pricier options look in parallel Pelgrimstraat (with it’s ‘se- Hotel Postiljon FAMILY HOTEL €€ cret’ medieval alley, Vlaaikeusgang) or the ( %03 231 75 75; www.hotelpostiljon.be; Blauw- picturesque lanes leading to Rubens’ won- moezelstraat 6; s/d €65/75, with shared toilet derful but fi re-damaged St-Carolus-Bor- from €45/60; W) You can’t be closer to the cathedral than this! The 21 older rooms are romeuskerk. For confectioners and choco- simple and staid, albeit with partly stained- latiers, try the lanes around Lombardia. In glass windows. However, the 10 ‘business ’t Zuid (off our map, to the south) you’ll fi nd

a great mix of options, both hip and historic, BELGIUM rooms’ at the back (from s/d €90/120) are FLANDERS new and contrastingly modernist. Free wi-ﬁ ; north and west of KMSKA. breakfast €10. De Groote Witte Arend BELGIAN €€ % Katshuis GUEST HOUSE € ( 03 233 50 33; www.degrootewittearend.be; ANTWERP % Braderijstraat 24; snacks €4-9, mains €12-20;

( 0476 206947; www.katshuis.be; Grote Pieter EATING h Well-cooked Belgian Potstraat 18 & 19; s/d/tr €35/50/80) Stairs are 10.30am-midnight) steep and rooms vary here. While none are classics, including stoemp, eel, shrimp cro- overly polished, some have a microwave, quettes and rabbit in Westmalle, are served chandeliers and wooden beams and all are around the open cloister of a partly 16th- remarkably good value. Phone ahead to ar- century former convent with its own pre- range a check-in time (after 4pm). Check- served chapel. The bar stocks more than 80 out is a luxuriously late 2pm. Coﬀ ee but not Belgian beers. breakfast is included.

HI Hostel HOSTEL € FASHION FRENZY (Jeugdherberg; %03 238 02 73; www.vjh.be/ antwerpen.htm) The old Op Sinjoorke hostel Now snapping at the heels of Milan and is tatty and very inconveniently located, but, New York, Antwerp has emerged as an from Easter 2011, a brand new custom-built avant-garde fashion capital thanks to hostel should (if not delayed again) replace talented alumni of the Flanders Fashion it on helpfully central Bogaardeplein. Most Institute, which now hosts a style mu- locals haven’t a clue where that is, so use our seum, MoMu (www.momu.be; National- map! estraat 28; adult/concession €7/5; h10am- 6pm Tue-Sun), featuring regularly chang- Den Heksenketel HOSTEL € ing exhibitions. This is the epicentre of (%0489 395780; www.denheksenketel.com; Antwerp’s ‘fashion district’. Designer Pelgrimstraat 22; dm €20; W) Rough-edged but super-central two-dorm backpacker boutiques huddle here, around the hostel above a decent bar on a buzzing, striking Toneelhuis theatre and line pedestrianised street that has an unbeat- Schuttershofstraat, Huidevettersstraat able cathedral view. Only two toilets. New and Nationalestraat, where Het Mode- management plans improvements in 2011. paleis (www.driesvannoten.be; National- estraat 16) is the elegant ﬂ at-iron shaped Matelote Hotel BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€ ﬂ agship outlet of Dries Van Noten. (%03 201 88 00; www.hotel-matelote.be; Haar- Kammenstraat focuses more on street straat 11; r €90-190; iW) Discreet new de- wear (Fans, Fish’n’Chips). There’s sign hotel on a pedestrianised backstreet also plenty of choice scattered around ’t in the heart of the city, with 10 contempo- Zuid, including Ann Demeulemeester rary rooms, tastefully arranged in a 16th- (www.anndemeulemeester.be; Verlatstraat century building. Breakfast costs €12. 38) and the cutting-edge multi-designer Emperor’s 48 B&B €€ outlet Hospital (www.hospital-antwerp. (%03 288 73 37; www.emperors48.com; Keizer- com; De Burburestraat 4a; h1-6.30pm straat 48; s/d €60/80, apt €150; i) If you like Tue-Sun). Het Vermoeide Model BELGIAN €€ families, but they’re available to all…And 136 ( %03 233 52 61; Lijnwaadmarkt 2; mains €16.50- far better than you might anticipate. 25, set menu €26; h4-10pm Tue-Sun) This atmospheric medieval house-restaurant is full of 6 Drinking exposed brickwork and chandeliers, with a To sound like a local, stride into a pub and creaky stairway leading up to a secret little ask for a bolleke. Don’t worry, that means roof terrace (advance bookings advised in a ‘little bowl’ (ie glass) of De Koninck, the summer). The menu includes steaks, ribs, city’s favourite ale. Cheap places to try it waterzooi (€17.50) and seasonal mussels in include classic, smoky ‘brown cafes’ Oud Calvados. Arsenaal (Pijpelincxstraat 4; h9am-7.30pm Fri- , , Lombardia ORGANIC, VEGAN €€ Wed) De Kat (Wolstraat 22) De Ware Jacob and the livelier (www.lombardia.be; Lombaardenvest 78; sandwich- (Vlasmarkt 19) Pelikaan (Melk- . es €7.20-12, vegan/non-veg lunch €13.50/15.50; markt 14) h7.45am-6pm Mon-Sat; v) Experience frothy Den Engel BAR Ginger Love (www.gingerlove.be; €4) at this (Grote Markt 5; h9am-2am) Historic watering

BELGIUM BELGIUM legendary health-food shop-cum-cafe, whose hole whose terrace provides perfect views owner has cooked for Sting and Moby. The across the main square. mostly vegie food is 100% organic and the De Vagant GIN CAFE colourful decor has a simple if whacky com- (www.devagant.be; Reyndersstraat 25; h11am-

FLANDERS ic-book feel. 2am) More than 200 types of jenever De Kleine Zavel MEDITERRANEAN €€€ (Dutch gin; €2.20 to €7.50) served in a (%03 231 96 91; www.kleinezavel.be; Stoofstraat bare-boards local cafe or sold by the bottle 2; mains €23-30; hnoon-2.30pm & 6-11pm Wed- from their bottle shop, which resembles Sun) The informal bistro-style decor belies an old-style pharmacy. this restaurant’s high gastronomic stand- ’t Elfde Gebod BAR ing for fusion cuisine with an accent on (www.kathedraalcafe.be; Torfbrug 10; hnoon-11pm fish and Mediterranean flavours. Mon-Sat, noon-10pm Sun; n) This ivy-clad me- Zuiderterras EUROPEAN €€ dieval masterpiece has an utterly astound- (%03 234 12 75; www.zuiderterras.be; Ernest ing interior decked with angels, saints, van Dijckkaai 37; mains €16-25; h9am-midnight) pulpits and several deliciously sacrilegious This bustling contemporary cafe-restau- visual jokes. rant is an Antwerp landmark, with sum- Bierhuis Kulminator BEER PUB mer terrace and year-round river views, (Vleminckveld 32; h8pm-midnight Mon, 11am- if somewhat patchy service. Reservations midnight Tue-Fri, 5pm-late Sat) Classic pub advised. boasting 700 mostly Belgian brews, includ- De 7 Schaken BISTRO €€ ing rare vintage bottles. (www.de7schaken.be; Braderijstraat 24; snacks Bar Tabac BAR h Entered €7-10, mains €12-22; 11am-11pm) (www.bartabac.be; Waalsekaai 43; h9pm-7am through a wood-panelled pub just off Wed-Sat) Unpretentious, low-lit one-room Grote Markt, this traditionally styled bar in ’t Zuid that tries hard not to try bistro serves sensibly priced Belgian clas- hard. If you prefer smoother lounge-style sics and stays open all day. Multilingual bars, there’s half a dozen close by. West- menus. malle on tap goes for just €2.40. Aahaar INDIAN, VEGAN € (www.aahaar.com; Lange Herentalsestraat 23; mains/buffet €6.80/9; hnoon-3pm & 6-9.30pm; GAY ANTWERP v) You don’t need to be one of the neighbourhood’s diamond dealers to afford Antwerp’s vibrant LGBT scene is widely Aahaar’s highly recommended five-dish diff used around town, with relevant buffets that are 100% vegetarian. places usually fl ying rainbow fl ags. Tourism Antwerp produces a useful

Kubus Permeke BUDGET € multilingual map-guide Gay Antwer- (www.casvzw.eu; De Coninckplein 25; sandwiches/ pen, with more information available mains/set menu from €2.40/8.70/10.50; h10am- from gay-and-lesbian bookshop-cafe This ar- 8.30pm Mon-Thu, 10am-2.30pm Fri-Sun) Boekhandel ’t Verschil (www.verschil. chitecturally interesting glass cube serves be; Minderbroedersrui 33; h11am-6pm). bargain meals, primarily to low income TRAINS FROM ANTWERPEN-CENTRAAL 137

DESTINATION FARE (€)DURATION (MIN)FREQUENCY (PER HR) Amsterdam 26.90 190 1 Bruges 14.20 70 1 Brussels 6.30 35-50 5 Ghent 9.90 50 2 Leuven 6.60 45 2 Liège 14.80 125 1 Lier 2.50 15 2 Mechelen 2.90 15 2 BELGIUM BELGIUM FLANDERS 3 Entertainment 4.45pm Sun) is a central tourist office with a For listings consult www.weekup.be/ant branch on level zero of Antwerpen-Centraal werpen/week; www.zva.be in summer; and train station. www.gratisinantwerpen.be for free events. ENTERTAINMENTGHENT 8 Getting There & Away ENTERTAINMENT Café Local CLUB BUS Regional De Lijn (www.delijn.be) and (www.cafelocal.be; Waalsekaai 25; members/ international Eurolines (%03 233 86 62; www. h j non-members €9/10; 10pm-late Thu-Sat; 8) eurolines.com; Van Stralenstraat 8; h9am- This large, unintimidating nightclub in ’t 5.45pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3.15pm Sat) buses both Zuid takes a salsa-merengue turn on the depart from points near Franklin Rooseveltp- ﬁ rst Sunday of each month. Several nearby laats. Ecolines (www.ecolines.net) buses for lounges and music-bars on Waalsekaai and Eastern Europe depart from near Antwerpen- Luikstraat also crank up the music till the Berchem train station, 2km southeast of wee hours. Antwerpen-Centraal. De Muze LIVE MUSIC TRAIN Antwerpen-Centraal Station (jDia- (%03 226 01 26; Melkmarkt 15; hnoon-4am) mant), 1.5km east of the historic centre, is a This two-level cafe is a bastion of live jazz veritable cathedral of a building, considered by Monday to Saturday from 10pm. There’s many to be among the world’s most handsome also a heavy-rock joint across the street stations. Seven daily high-speed trains run to and various live-music alternatives a block Paris (from €48, 125 minutes). north. 8 Getting Around Cartoons CINEMA Franklin Rooseveltplaats and Koningin Astrid- (www.cartoons-cinema.be; Kaasstraat 4-6) Art- house and quality foreign movies. plein are hubs for the integrated network of De Lijn (www.delijn.be) buses and trams. Café d’Anvers CLUB (www.cafe-d-anvers.com; Verversrui 15; h11pm- 7.30am Fri & Sat; j7) A club not a cafe, this Ghent legendary place pumps out funk, house, POP 235,000 disco and soul in the city’s red-light district. Known as Gent in Dutch and Gand in Many of Belgium’s top DJs started here. French, Ghent is Flanders’ unsung historic Red & Blue CLUB city. Like a grittier Bruges without the crush (www.redandblue.be; Lange Schipperskapelstraat of tourists, it sports photogenic canals, 11; h11pm-7am Fri & Sat; j7) On Saturday medieval towers, great cafes and some of nights it’s one of Europe’s best-loved gay Belgium’s most inspired museums. Always discos for men. It goes mixed on Fridays. a lively student city, things go crazy in mid- July during the 10-day Gentse Feesten , a citywide party of 8 Information (www.gentsefeesten.be) music and theatre incorporating 10 Days TOURIST INFORMATION Tourism Antwerp , one of Europe’s big- % Off (www.10daysoﬀ .be) ( 03 232 01 03; www.visitantwerpen.be; gest techno parties. Grote Markt 13; h9am-5.45pm Mon-Sat, 9am- e 0200m Ghent # 00.1miles 138 A B C D S tr #ÿ 7 t s -M n f e Bleke o rijstr argriet el h #â emp K dstr Ou T Lange Ste rom de g 3 #¤ e Gou vest Le 1 Langesteenstraat r wa 1 str l ie bu 66 d Baude Vrouw broe K 23 Ou Gel R alverste Gelukvest e o #û rs - l d lostr o Lievestr str e dm s k e de k

t o g Anseele- u a r r

n Ba ai t in O

u r s g plein t 6 #û 22‚ ttogra nt #ú - s

o k #ú Plotersgracht e

#ÿ d i 13 10Patershol Corduwaniersstr te To i 0000000 io -W teegHe 2 #â e l

t l 0000000 cht Gent-Dampoort S arings n ib

6H rto 9 a 0000000666 B ra 0000000 Stations (400m) #ÿ ‚ #V gs K 0000000 tr 0000000 2 0000 0000000 Steendam 2 Gravensteen0000 t 0000000Vrijdagmarkt 0000 n 0000000 Burgstr 0000St-Veerle- u 0000000 J Vleeshuis- Oude0000plein M 180000000#û B #ú 0000 brug e 0000000 r Vismarkt g

BELGIUM BELGIUM r e 0000 #û19 n 0000000 000000 y #ï 5 000 a st 000000 14 L K d 0000#7000 On ent am 00000017 e 0000000 d rp mer 000000#û Ni l #â s Canal 0000000 ers Se 000000 euwp t Groenten-0000000 s 000000 6r tr 6 oo tr Vlasmarkt 1 Views 0000markt000t 000000 rt 000 #ü0000 H #û 000000 000r #ö 000016 oo 4 #æ 21 000000r 000Gr gp tstr 000000st Drabst000asbrug 00000eMun 000000in S

FLANDERS o #ÿ o t- 000 00000 rt ng J 000 00000 sstr a Kort i Belfor c Ghent000 00000 oni teegRidder o 000 00000 hu is b 3 Marriott Schepen- K a s 3 000 00000D n 000 00000on Ba i i ke s e 000 raslei 00000 rst tr e e 11 u G 00000 e w

nl g 00000 #ú J s 00000 a tr 66Klein Turki 6 Erpelsteeg n Oude 00000 rmarkt je e #ÿ P Leie 00000 Beesten- Kore a tt tr 8 l 00000Korenmarkt #Ü St- o ls fi 00000 B KwaadhamBa jn markt 00000 00000000 s Niklaaskerk #ï ape rr t 00000St-Michielshelling00000 00000000 k r 00000 P 00000 00000000#æ es red t 00000St-Michiels- Heili 00000000 eze r 00000 12 00000000Bi i #¤ Belfort H kh St- 00000plein #¤#ú #û 00000Kapitt oo #ú g 00000 M 00000 elst d eren r k 00000 e 00000Baafsplein er agel

r ks 15 Ge Nodenay- 20 00000 #Ü tr

4 lei steeg e e 4 s i B n 66tstr 6St-Baafskathedraal en nes eeg str t Kruisst Ok L kernoot im

Zwartezustersstr nge bu Voldersstr a r L g Swing s str H tr #V Bridge r ene Duivelsteen e #ò go e u Veld w ei e l n M str e t derbergenstr r V Ajuin o 666la #¤ On K an G d ebr e 5 Van r Boomgaardstr 5 devel #¤ e de- Brabantd n str Zonnestr am s

K t tr

o r s r w o t d Kouter e D rgstr a Belgra Schouwbu g s #ý 25 t Ketelvaart e 6#ý66 e L g ind 24 Ketelvest i ele W a a a k Gent- i l s N p r Zuid Bus e o e

d o p 6 vaanstr i Station 6 Sa r e t u r s #› k K s o t u #¤ r t 6e To Gent-St-Pieters To Vooruit Lammerstr 66

r (45m) ‚ Stations (1.7km) ‚ A B C D

1 Sights Graslei & Patershol NEIGHBOURHOOD CITY CENTRE o For one of Belgium’s most picturesque views, cross 66 bridge and The main sights are strolling distance from Grasbrug Korenmarkt, the westernmost of three in- look towards Graslei, the city’s favoured wa- terlinked squares that form the heart of Gh- terfront promenade, lined with archetypal ent’s historic core. step-gabled warehouses and town houses. Ghent 139 æ Top Sights 11 Amadeus...... B3 Belfort...... B4 12 Brasserie Pakhuis ...... A4 Canal Views...... A3 13 Eethuis Avalon...... A2 Gravensteen...... A2 14 House of Eliott...... A2 St-Baafskathedraal ...... C4 15 Soup'r...... B4

æ Sights û ü Drinking 1 Design Museum...... A3 16 Callisto Tearoom...... A3 2 Huis van Alijn...... B2 17 Charlatan ...... C2 3 MIAT ...... D1 18 Herberg de Dulle Griet...... B2 4 Werregarensteeg...... B3 19 Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant...... B2 Activities, Courses & Tours Hot Club de Gand...... (see 19) 5 Canal Tours...... A2 20 Limonada...... B4 21 Pink Flamingo’s ...... C3 BELGIUM FLANDERS ÿ Sleeping 22 Rococo ...... B2 6 De Draecke...... A2 't Caffetse...... (see 2) 7 Hostel 47 ...... D1 't Dreupelkot...... (see 19)

8 Hotel Flandria...... D3 23 't Velootje...... B1 SIGHTS GHENT SIGHTS 9 Hotel Harmony ...... B2 ý Entertainment ú Eating 24 De Vlaamse Opera ...... A6 10 Amadeus ...... B2 25 Handelsbeurs ...... B5

Touristy canal tours (adult/child €6/3.50; most of the way up, but there are still some h10am-6pm Mar–mid-Oct, weekends only mid- narrow stairs to negotiate. Oct–Feb) depart regularly from near here or you can stroll aimlessly around the pictur- Gravensteen CASTLE h esque alleys of the medieval (St-Veerleplein; adult/concession €8/6; 9am- Patershol dis- Lovingly restored, the Gravensteen . If you have a Museumpass, don’t miss 5pm) trict once more looks like a quintessential 12th- the delightful Huis van Alijn (www.huisvana- century castle, even though it spent the 19th lijn.be; Kraanlei 65; adult/under 26yr €5/1; h11am- century recycled as a factory. An imaginative in a restored 1363 5pm Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun) video story-tour compensates for a relative children’s hospice. The museum’s theme is lack of period furnishings. life in the 20th century and, although little is in English, the engrossing exhibits are self MIAT MUSEUM explanatory and family home videos prove (www.miat.gent.be; Minnemeers 9; adult/under unexpectedly moving. 26yr €5/1; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) In a fi ve-fl oor 19th-century mill-factory building, this in- St-Baafskathedraal CHURCH novative museum celebrates Ghent’s history h Massive without (St-Baafsplein; 8.30am-6pm) of textile production with thought-provok- magnifi cence, this vast cathedral is an essen- ing exhibits about industrialisation’s eff ects tial stop for fans of Flemish Primitive art who on society (mostly in Dutch). Prepare for fl ock in to see Jan van Eyck’s world-famous sensory overload on Tuesday or Thursday 1432 masterpiece the Adoration of the Mys- mornings when the working machinery is h tic Lamb (adult/child €3/1.50; 9.30am-4.30pm unleashed. Mon-Sat, 1-4.30pm Sun). To see what the fuss is about without queuing or paying, see the Design Museum MUSEUM photo replica in side-chapel 30. (www.designmuseumgent.be; J Breydelstraat 5; adult/child €5/free; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) One Belfort HISTORIC BUILDING of Ghent’s lesser-known gems, the Design (Botermarkt; adult/concession €3/2.50; h10am- Museum displays furnishings from the Re- 5.30pm mid-Mar–mid-Nov) Ghent’s 14th- naissance through to contemporary styles. century belfry aff ords spectacular views of the city, while an audioguide provides Werregarensteeg OFFBEAT SIGHTS Graffiti-filled alley. historical commentary. A lift takes you Hotel Harmony BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ 140 ( %09 324 26 80; www.hotel-harmony.be; Kraanlei GHENT 37; s/d/ste from €135/150/225; is) This old- MONEYSAVERS meets-new boutique hotel off ers luxuriously heaped pillows, fi ne white linens, Miró- The good value Museumpass (www. inspired art and chocolate-and-raspberry visitgent.be; €20) provides three days’ colour schemes beneath antique beams. free entrance to all the sights reviewed River views from ‘exceptional’ rooms (s/d below (except for boat tours), six more €160/185) are possibly the best in Ghent. attractions and all city transport. It’s The rear deck has an 8m-by-4m outdoor sold at museums, De Lijn booths and pool. Breakfast is included; wi-fi costs €2/10 the tourist offi ce. per hour/day.

Atlas B&B B&B €€ OUT OF THE CENTRE ( %09 233 49 91; www.atlasbenb.be; Rabotstraat 40; Museum Dr Guislain MUSEUM s/d from €57/73; piW) This ﬁ ne 1865 town

BELGIUM BELGIUM (www.museumdrguislain.be; Jozef Guislainstraat 43; house has some gorgeous belle-époque, art- adult/under 26yr €5/1; h9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 1-5pm deco and art-nouveau touches and features Sat & Sun; j1) Hidden away in a spooky 1857 plentiful maps and globes. Smaller rooms – neo-Gothic lunatic asylum, this enthralling ‘Africa’ and retro-colourful ‘America’ – have museum takes visitors on a trilingual, multi-

FLANDERS mini shower booths. Stylishly exotic ‘Asia’ cultural journey through the history of psy- is much bigger, while Tuscan ‘Europe’ (s/d chiatry from gruesome neolithic trepanning €72/93) comes with four-poster bed and a to contemporary brain scans via cage beds new jacuzzi bathroom on an intermediate and phrenology. Tram 1 stops outside. stairway. Free covered parking. STAM MUSEUM Hostel 47 HOSTEL € (www.stamgent.be; Bijloke Complex; adult/ % h j ( 0478 712827; www.hostel47.com; Blekerijstraat concession €6/4.50; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun; 4) With Brand-new interactive museum explaining 47-51; dm €26.50-29.50, d/tr €71/97.50) white-on-white fashion decor in a reﬁ tted, the city’s evolution through history. high-ceilinged classical house, this is one SMAK ART MUSEUM of Europe’s calmest and most stylish hos- (www.smak.be; Citadelpark; adult/under 26yr tels. Phone ahead as reception is often not €6/1, 10am-1pm Sun free; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; staﬀ ed. g5) Regularly changing exhibitions of cutting-edge installation art. Limited.Co GUEST HOUSE €€ ( %09 225 14 95; www.limited-co.be; Hoogstraat 58;

Museum voor Schone Kunsten ART MUSEUM s/d/q €55/80/125; W) Above a cafe-restaurant (www.mskgent.be; Citadelpark; adult/under 26yr of modern pared-back simplicity are ﬁ ve €5/1; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; g5) This stately great-value, gently fashionable rooms with maze of light, airy rooms houses a good lime-green walls, black ﬂ oors and smart selection of Belgian art from the 14th to white bathrooms. Call to make arrange- 20th centuries. ments if arriving outside restaurant hours.

4 Sleeping Hotel Flandria BUDGET HOTEL €€ Complete B&B listings and a booking ser- ( %09 223 06 26; www.hotelfl andria-gent.be; iW vice are organised by Bed & Breakfast Gh- Barrestraat 3; s/d/tr/q €58/68/100/125; ) Friendly owners are gradually ironing out ent (www.bedandbreakfast-gent.be). the dowdier features of this basic but trav- oChambres d’Hôtes Verhaegen eller-friendly hotel with comfy beds and B&B €€€ a central location on a dark, narrow lane. ( %09 265 07 60; www.hotelverhaegen.be; Oude The six cheapest rooms (s/d €43/53) share Houtlei 110; d €195-265; hreception 2-6pm) This two bathrooms. Reception usually closes at 1770s rococo mansion is a sumptuous blend 10pm, although sometimes earlier. of historical restoration and certain well- placed modernist and retro touches. There’s Accipio B&B % a dazzling salon, 18th-century dining room ( 0486 559498; www.accipio.be; St-Elisabeth- plein 26; s/d/q €80/95/160; i) Two super- and neatly manicured parterre garden. Su- stylish family-sized suites in an historic perb ‘Paola’s Room’ has hosted Belgian roy- house with 19th-century beams and lots alty. Breakfast costs €15 extra. of personality. Each includes a kitchenette Soup’r SOUP € with Senseo coffee-maker. 141 (St-Niklaasstraat 9; small/large soup €3/4.50, De Draecke HOSTEL € sandwiches €2.70-4; h11.30am-5pm Mon-Sat) (%09 233 70 50; www.vjh.be; St-Widostraat Attractive modern soup kitchen. 11; HI members dm/tw €21.80/52) Behind a traditional pseudo-medieval facade, this 6 Drinking modern, HI-affiliated hostel is slightly For character, variety and eccentricity, Gh- institutional but ideally central and faces ent’s cafes are world-beaters. a peaceful willow-lined canal. Breakfast is included; towels, lockers and internet cost ’t Velootje BAR h extra. No lockout. (Kalversteeg 2; beer €4; usually from 9pm) Crammed from fl oor to ceiling with all manner of junk and riches, from antique bicycles 5 Eating to dusty virgins, this bewildering cafe has As well as our recommendations, there’s an dodgy toilets, a temperamental owner and endlessly tempting selection of eateries in only two types of unreliably chilled beer. But the alleys of Patershol, along Graslei’s pho- you won’t forget it. BELGIUM FLANDERS togenic canal and up Oudburg, where prices fall the further north you walk. Ghent is Hotsy Totsy CAFE vegetarian-friendly, encouraging the popu- (www.hotsytotsy.be; Hoogstraat 1; h6pm-1am j This ‘artists lation to eat meat-free on Thursdays and Mon-Fri, 8pm-2am Sat & Sun; 1) EATINGGHENT producing a useful free map, downloadable cafe’ sports a classic zinc bar, silver-fl oral EATING at www.visitgent.be/documenten/visit_gent/ wallpaper and black-and-white fi lm photos. veggie/veggieplan_en.pdf. There are chess sets, poetry nights and free live jazz most Thursday evenings, October House of Eliott LOBSTER €€ to April. ( %09 225 21 28; www.thehouseofeliott.be; J Brey- delstraat 36; mains €15-24; hnoon-2pm & 6-11pm Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant BEER PUB Thu-Mon, closed Sep) Flapper mannequins and (www.waterhuisaandebierkant.be; Groentenmarkt sepia photos exude pseudo-1920s charm in 12; h11am-1am) Draped in dried hop fronds this canal-side gem with an exceptional wa- and serving exclusive house beers, the build- terside terrace. The speciality is lobster in ing is a photogenic sight in its own right. It multifarious preparations. shares an enticing waterfront terrace with ’t Dreupelkot (h4pm-late) a jenever (Dutch Brasserie Pakhuis EUROPEAN, OYSTERS gin) specialist. ( %09 223 55 55; www.pakhuis.be; Schuurkenstraat Rococo CAFE 4; mains €13.50-29, set lunch €12.90, set dinners h Brilliantly h (Corduwaniersstraat 5; from 10pm) €25-42; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat, bar from lunch lavish late-night cafe-bar with carved to 1am) This hip (if mildly ostentatious) brasserie and bar is set in an elegantly restored wooden ceilings and lighting provided former textile warehouse, whose century-old entirely by candles. wrought ironwork is well worth admiring, Pink Flamingo’s PUB, CAFE even if you only stop for a drink. (www.pinkflamingos.be; Onderstraat 55; hnoon- midnight Sun-Thu, 2pm-3am Fri & Sat) Kitsch- Amadeus RIBS €€ overloaded cafe with Barbie-lamps, 1970s (www.amadeusspareribrestaurant.be; mains €12.50- wallpaper and oodles of plastic fruit. 17; h6.30pm-11pm) Patershol (%09 225 13 85;

Plotersgracht 8/10); Botermarkt (%09 223 37 75; Hot Club de Gand LIVE MUSIC Goudenleeuwplein 7) Great value all-you-can-eat (www.hotclubdegand.be; Schuddevisstraatje; spare ribs (€13.95) served at two equally en- h3pm-late) Around 9pm most nights while ticing addresses, both dressed up like Paris- uni’s in session, you’ll hear live acoustic ian brasseries, full of mirrors, stained glass, music (jazz, gypsy, blues, flamenco…) at and the bustle of cheerful conversation. this hidden cafe down a tiny alley behind ’t Dreupelkot. Eethuis Avalon VEGETARIAN € Herberg de Dulle Griet BEER PUB ( %09 224 37 24; www.restaurantavalon.be; (Vrijdagmarkt 50; h4.30pm-1am Tue-Sat, noon- Geldmunt 32; meals €9-13; hlunch Mon-Sat; 7.30pm Mon) Heavy beams, heraldic ceilings, v) Reliably delicious, organic vegetarian food served in a warren of little rooms or barrel tables, lacy lampshades and the odd outside on a small, tree-shaded terrace. boar’s head all add character to one of Ghent’s best-known beer pubs. ’t Caffetse CAFE 8 Information 142 h This re- (Kraanlei 65; 11am-5pm Tue-Sat) TOURIST INFORMATION The tourist office markably inexpensive cafe is set within (%09 266 52 32; www.visitgent.be; Botermarkt the cloister of the 14th-century Huis 17; h9.30am-6.30pm) should move to the old van Alijn (p139 ). There’s lawn seating in fish-market building on St-Veerleplein during summer. late 2011.

Limonada LOUNGE (www.limonada.be; Heilige Geeststraat 7; h10pm- 8 Getting There & Away 3am Mon-Sat) Unthreatening yet hip 70s- Bus retro chill-out lounge with beanbag seats INTERNATIONAL There’s a Eurolines Oﬃ ce around low luminous tables. (%09 220 90 24; www.eurolines.be; Koningin h Elisabethlaan 73; 8.30am-noon & 1.30- Callisto Tearoom CAFE 5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-noon Sat) near Gent- h Tourist-oriented (Hooiaard; varies seasonally) St-Pieters, but their international buses (eg to perch, with unbeatable waterway views, London at 11.35pm) currently depart from Gent- balloon lanterns, funky colours and tradi- Dampoort, bus-platform 15.

BELGIUM BELGIUM tional glass chandeliers. REGIONAL Many De Lijn (www.delijn.be) servic- Charlatan PUB es currently depart from Gent-Zuid bus station (www.charlatan.be; Vlasmarkt 9; h7pm-late Tue- (Woodrow Wilsonplein), but a new bus station is Sun) Lively, late-night music bar with live under construction beside Gent-St-Pieters. FLANDERS gigs in virtually any genre starting around Train 10pm. Several similarly raucous alternatives lie nearby. Gent-Dampoort, 1km west of the old city, is the handiest station, with useful trains to Antwerp (€8.60, fast/slow 42/64 minutes, three per hour), 3 Entertainment Bruges (€5.90, 35 minutes, hourly) and Lille, For listings of what’s on, see Week-Up (www. France (€15.20, 68 minutes, hourly), via Kortrijk. weekup.be/gent/week); Zone 09 magazine Ghent’s main station, Gent-St-Pieters (2.5km (free), which can be found in distribution south of centre) has more choice of destina- boxes around town; or www.democrazy.be. tions, including Brussels (€8.10, 36 minutes, twice hourly) and Bruges (fast/slow 24/42 min- All are in Dutch. utes, ﬁ ve per hour). Vooruit THEATRE (www.vooruit.be; St-Pietersnieuwstraat 23; g5) 8 Getting Around This prominent venue for dance, rock concerts, film and visiting theatre companies Driving a car in Ghent is purgatory. Park it and walk or ride. occupies a striking 1912 building, whose architecture was a visionary premonition Bicycle of art deco. HIRE Hire bicycles from Gent-St-Pieters station luggage room (bagagekantoor; per day Culture Club CLUB €9.50, deposit €12.50) or Biker (Steendam 16; h (www.cultureclub.be; Afrikalaan 174; Thu-Sat per half/full day €6.50/9; h9am-12.30pm & Once rated the ‘world’s hippest Oct-May) 1.30-6pm Tue-Sat). ID required. club’, themes and cover charges vary (check the website). It’s roughly 1.5km WARNING Police confiscate illegally parked bikes (look for the bicycle parking areas to be north of Gent-Dampoort station via safe). Koopvaardijlaan. Bus & Tram De Bijloke LIVE MUSIC (www.debijloke.be; Jozef Kluyskensstraat 2) TICKETS One-hour/all-day tickets cost Medieval abbey-hospital recycled into a €1.20/5 if purchased ahead of time from ticket classical music venue. machines or De Lijn offices Gent-St-Pieters Kiosk (h7am-7pm Mon-Fri); Botermarkt (h7am- De Vlaamse Opera OPERA 7pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-5.30pm Sat). An (www.vlaamseopera.be; Schouwburgstraat 3) TRAM 1 Picks up within the tunnel to the left 1840 beauty with horseshoe-shaped tiered as you exit Gent-St-Pieters station then runs to balconies and elegant salons. Korenmarkt, Gravensteen and beyond. Handelsbeurs LIVE MUSIC BUS 5 From Vlasmarkt passing Vooruit, the uni- (www.handelsbeurs.be; Kouter 29) Anything versity quarter and Heuvelpoort (a handy bus from classics to Latin to blues. stop for accessing the Citadelpark galleries). Bruges 143 POP 117,000 BRUGES Cobblestone lanes, dreamy canals, soaring MONEYSAVERS spires and whitewashed old almshouses A three-day Musea Brugge Pass combine to make central Bruges (Brugge in (adult/child €15/5) allows free entry to Dutch) one of Europe’s most picture-perfect 16 city-owned attractions. Even if you historic cities. The only problem is that ev- only visit the Belfort and Groeningemu- eryone knows. seum, you’ll already save money. Private attractions like Choco- 1 Sights Story and De Halve Maan (plus an Beyond the sights listed, the real joy of Bru- interesting diamond museum and a ges is simply wandering alongside the ca- less-successful chip museum) aren’t nals, soaking up the atmosphere. To avoid included, but you can save a little on the worst crowds, explore east of pretty Jan each of those using a Bruges Card van Eyckplein. Or maybe seek out the wind- (www.brugescard.be) or Welkom@ BELGIUM FLANDERS mills beside the city’s eastern ‘moat’, heading Brugge Card (www.welkom-brugge.be), north of the fortiﬁ ed Kruispoort gate-tower given free to guests by most hostels at Langestraat’s eastern end. and hotels.

Groeningemuseum ART MUSEUM SIGHTS BRUGES o(Dijver 12; adult/concession €8/6; SIGHTS breathtaking h9.30am-5pm Tue-Sun) This small but extraor- Gotishe Zaal (Gothic Hall; adult/ dinarily valuable collection covers Flemish concession €2/1; h9.30am-4.30pm), featur- art from the 14th to 20th centuries, including dazzling polychromatic ceilings, hang- ing some priceless Renaissance and Flemish ing vaults and historicist murals. Tickets Primitive works. Some gruesome scenes in- include entry to part of the early baroque clude a fl aying in Gerard David’s Judgement Brugse Vrije (Burg 11a; h9.30am-noon & 1.30- of Cambyses (1498, room 1) and the multiple 4.30) next door. With its gilt highlights and tortures of St George (room 3) – the saint golden statuettes, this palace was once the manages to keep his bright white underpants administrative centre for a large autono- remarkably unsoiled nonetheless. In room 2 mous territory ruled from Bruges between are much more meditative works, including 1121 and 1794. Jan Van Eyck’s radiant (if rather odd) mas- The easily missed Basilica of the Holy terpiece Madonna with Canon George Van Blood (Burg 5; h9.30-11.50am & 2-5.50pm) is der Paele (1436) and Hans Memling’s Mo- named for its highly revered relic, a few co- reel Triptych. Later artistic genres include agulated drops of Christ’s blood, venerated a typically androgynous fi gure by superstar daily (usually 2pm). Pay €1.50 to see the one- symbolist Fernand Khnopff , plus a surrealist room treasury housing a reliquary used to canvas each from Magritte and Delvaux. display the phial of blood during the elaborate Heilig-Bloedprocessie (Holy Blood Pro- Markt SQUARE cession) every Ascension Day (17 May 2012, The heart of ancient Bruges, the old market 9 May 2013). square is lined with pavement cafes beneath step-gabled facades. The buildings aren’t Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk CHURCH always quite as medieval as they look, but (Mariastraat; h9.30am-4.50pm Mon-Sat, 1.30- together they create a fabulous scene and 4.50pm Sun) This large, sober 13th-century church is best known for Michelangelo’s even the neo-Gothic post office is architecturally magnifi cent. The scene is dominated serenely contemplative 1504 Madonna and Child statue. The church’s by the Belfort, Belgium’s most famous bel- treasury section fry whose iconic octagonal tower is argu- (adult/concession €2/1) houses royal graves ably better appreciated from afar than by plus 15th- and 16th-century artworks climbing 366 claustrophobic steps to the St-Janshospitaal MUSEUM top (adult/concession €8/6; h9.30am-5pm, last (Mariastraat 38; adult/concession €8/6; h9.30am- tickets 4.15pm). 5pm Tue-Sun) The chapel of a 12th-century hospital displays historical medical imple- Burg SQUARE ments, medically themed paintings and six Bruges’ 1420 Stadhuis (City Hall; Burg 12) is smothered in statuettes and contains a masterpieces by 15th-century artist Hans Bruges e# 0200m 144 00.1miles A B 00C D el 00 f

k r 00 o i tr n t th e s #û i r r s Woensdag- n Sledestr t w e a Stro ns te d G l i r r markt o Ra v st r i n 29 s V o a i E te er tr e St-A i k la K s a lr p a z a j e S o m mi 31 ip g

mstr e n n e

P e i K r a p 1 ls t n #û K st V nn 1

t S E o t p r o g rn e a s ngel n r

P S o v rei ke t i Gra r Jan van n o e uw r w stWr g H s Zaks e ie Eyckplein sestr s r m i d R k e j tr ad n ij oz er c k 19#ú ss A z

e S r tr 3 a 4 ndal t ks t sK - #â #â B de Zak t J n r u A r t-Jansst o a e 000 S o Ou ip str k d 000ert m l e illa o W 000 St- R g a r Kraan- 15 b s 000 i a a d s n a L st 000Va plein Janplein d #ÿ r

s #û N J r r e d To Bauhaus 66e t r tst t r

e r Oos s s s u ga s t (515m) r ‚ w 27 #ý lbu r t r str Biekorf 18 St-Wa st r G Biekorf ijn 25 Hoogstr 2 e #› Theaterzaal #ú Tw Kel 2 e Bus Stop r M #û r kst k w Palmstr 14 stoc al #ú s e- ij ilip p le tr rg n Eiermarkt h l b be tr st #ÿ P tr a e 24 ts s rei r Burgs at rg er #ÿ e BELGIUM BELGIUM r s - H en st 11 o Moerstr Muntplein t 00000 r 00000 G str mun Markt #æ 00000 jk en 666On d 66˜# #ò 00000Burg di rs her tvange Gel sstr l00000str #æ k t-Amand Breide00000#æ edi S 00000 2 Pr 10 #æ W #û0000026 rs Belfort enhouwe #ÿ H s St H o 00000#æ e r e tr l 00000#Ü 8 St st FLANDERS lms -N all le 00000 Fish lse W K s #f 23 #æ a tr o ik estr tr 1 Market a u p laass 00#ú W lf s r 00 3 h t t #ÿ #f 3 a an r s 16 00 aai J a s n S g H t tr u e r e oedk't v s Gists K te h P é t e #f an e r m S st Park 66t 6r e em d 6r 000 r t p r s ls Lop s e Koningin 000 r #û t t Rozen i 000r 000 e r r tje Astridpark 000t 000 lv #. s i 30 r E d000D 000 Z g e an ur ve k 000w 000 j dz #þ B N i h r 000 e D o e d i o o 000 u e u S 0000N e 000 33 O u - #ú t r ws ut s ta 0000 s 000St-Salvators- o t l M h r ij s k t z

0000 f t #f e r 21

#ût r E o e 0000 28 kathedraal o a o r r p r

0000 h ia tr s #Ü H s G 0000 S k 0000 e t e s s r G ili r 0000 r t e g 0000t u Groeninge- a t e h Hof 00004 ds S e e0000r t r 4 666s 6666e 6 n u 0000 za a k ts 0000u Arents uid s tr # r museum n 0000Z lv r 0000G 't at o m 0000 str Fietsen0000#Ü #æ #ÿ #ú #â Godshuis 0000Zand Kor lders 00007 a 0000 te Vu Popelier rk St-Trudo 0000 #ÿ M St- 22 #. 12 t 0000 tr a 0000 uts r Bonifacius- 13 oezep i eg 0000 G a G tw s brug en 0000 r G #ï #â t we St-Jan in r je- o Nieu stan en #ý32 de Meers 9 Ka str in #› #f om g bo e 66666Bakkersstr 666 6

't Zand w str K Bus Station f a Stoo t e 5 li 5 Obrechtsstr r jn e

W W s Walst t est r #â Oude Gentweg eers a 6 kem l Zonne p r m t K l ds eers e r o in a n a 5 #æ g 666n 6666ijn 6666 Noords i s g r W 20 #ú

e A e #æ l n K i b m t at

t e r e l s Begijnhof el r p o ijne t d S t l r O a u a l s a f 6 a t 6 e r n g r Wijn b oortves e p r t g s 666666Minne-6666t 6Gen 17 #ÿ water r A B C D

Memling. Tickets allows visits to a restored The walled begijnhof (a courtyard sur- 66617th-century66 pharmacy, poorly signposted66 rounded by 66historic dwellings6 that was orig- oﬀ a small courtyard beside. inally built to house lay sisters) is an area of hushed calm found just 10 minutes’ walk Begijnhof GARDEN south of the Markt, and close to the roman- h This is un- (admission free; 6.30am-6.30pm) tic (Lake of Love). doubtedly one of Bruges’ quaintest spots. Minnewater Bruges 145 æ Top Sights 16 Relais Bourgondisch Begijnhof ...... B6 Cruyce...... C3 Belfort...... C3 17 't Keizershof...... A6 Burg ...... C3 Groeningemuseum...... C4 ú Eating Markt ...... B2 18 Cambrinus ...... C2 19 De Bottelier...... A1 æ Sights 20 De Bron ...... C6 1 Basilica of the Holy 21 De Twijfelaar...... C4 Blood...... C3 22 Den Gouden Harynck...... C4 2 Brugse Vrije...... C3 23 Est Wijnbar...... C3 3 Chip Museum...... B1 24 't Gulden Vlies...... C2 4 Choco-Story...... C1 5 De Halve Maan...... B5 û Drinking BELGIUM BELGIUM FLANDERS 6 Diamond Museum ...... C5 25 Charlie Rockets ...... D2 7 Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk ...... B4 26 De Garre...... C3 8 Stadhuis ...... C3 27 De Republiek...... B2 9 St-Janshospitaal...... B5 28 Passage...... A4 SLEEPING BRUGES

29 Snuffel Hostel...... A1 SLEEPING ÿ Sleeping 30 't Brugs Beertje ...... B3 10 B&B Dieltiens...... D3 31 't Poatersgat ...... B1 11 B&B Huyze Hertsberge...... D2 12 Guesthouse Nuit ý Entertainment Blanche...... C4 32 Concertgebouw...... A5 13 Hostel Lybeer...... A4 14 Hotel Central...... B2 þ Shopping 15 Hotel Patritius...... D2 33 Chocolate Line...... B4

Choco-Story MUSEUM 4 Sleeping (www.choco-story.be; Wijnzakstraat 2; adult/child Brilliantly comprehensive, Hotel Bruges €6/4; h10am-5pm) Trace the cocoa bean’s (http://hotels.brugge.be/en) helps you fi lter crooked path from Aztec currency to a di- around 250 hotels and B&Bs. Nonetheless, eter’s dilemma in this absorbing museum all accommodation can prove oppressively that culminates in tasting a praline that’s overbooked from Easter to September, over made as you watch. The last demonstration Christmas and, especially, at weekends, when is at 4.45pm. two-night minimum stays are commonly required. Cheaper B&Bs often off er discounts De Halve Maan BREWERY of around €10 per room per night for stays (www.halvemaan.be; Walplein 26) Find where the ‘Bruges Fool’ (Brugse Zot) originated on longer than one night. In the lowest seasons (early November, late January), midrange crowded 45-minute guided tours (tour incl options sometimes give big last-minute dis- 1 drink €5.50; hhourly 11am-4pm) of this 1856 brewery. Or just sip a ‘Strong Henry’ (Straffe counts. An all-night touch-screen computer Hendrik; 9%) in the appealing cafe. outside the main tourist offi ce displays hotel availability and contact information. Museum voor Volkskunde MUSEUM (Balstraat 43; adult/concession €2/1; h9.30am- Guesthouse Nuit Blanche B&B €€€ o % 5pm Tue-Sun) In an attractive former alms- ( 0494 400447; www.bruges-bb.com; house, 18 themed tableaux illustrate Flemish Groeninge 2; d €175-195) Step into a Van Eyck life in times past. Although less engrossing painting where original gothic fi replaces than the Ghent equivalent, the surroundings and period furniture cunningly hide many of are relatively free of tourists and the entry the modern fi ttings. The historic house once fee is quickly off set if you drink enough beer hosted Churchill, as well as Belgian royalty, and room rates cover the bottle of bubbly in at the museum’s time-warp cafe, De Zwarte your minibar. Drink it in the picture-postcard Kat (hclosed 11.45am-2pm): only €1.25 a pop. canal-side garden or on ‘lovers bridge’, to remains an appealingly real home run 146 which Guesthouse Nuit Blanche has a much- by charming musician hosts. Central yet prized private entrance. quiet.

Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce ’t Keizershof FAMILY HOTEL € BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ (%050 33 87 28; www.hotelkeizershof.be; Oos- ( %050 33 79 26; www.relaisbourgondischcruyce. termeers 126; s €25-44, d/tr/q €44/66/80; p) be; Wollestraat 41-47; d €185-375; hMar-Dec) Seven simple rooms with shared bath- Luxury and history intertwine in this part- rooms are remarkably tasteful and well timbered medieval house full of designer fi t- kept for this price. Downstairs, a typical tings, genuine antiques, trunks, Persian rugs former brasserie-cafe is now used as the and even an original Matisse. Watch the breakfast room. Free parking. tourists drool enviously as they pass in their Etap Hotel CHAIN HOTEL € cruise barges. Room sizes vary signifi cantly. (%050 40 51 20; www.etaphotel.com; Bruges This brand-new, 184-room Hostel Lybeer HOSTEL € Station; tr €49-59) hotel has retro fittings that are unexpect- ( %050 33 43 55; www.hostellybeer.com; Korte Vul- BELGIUM BELGIUM edly hip for a budget chain. Reception is dersstraat 31; dm from €15, s/d without bathroom manned 24 hours. Parking costs €2.50; €27.50/55; iW) ‘Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy’, Lybeer has plenty wi-fi €4.50/9.90 per hour/day. of tatty edges, but few hostels have such a Hotel Central HOTEL €€ FLANDERS homely feeling or such congenially good- (%050 33 18 05; www.hotelcentral.be; Markt 30; humoured staff . There’s a large common d €80-100, without bathroom €60-80) Walls are room, small kitchen, free internet and laun- thin, there’s no lift and ‘reception’ means dry available (€3.50). finding a waiter at the typical tourist restaurant downstairs. But, hey, you’re right Bauhaus HOSTEL € on Markt (though only room 9 has a view % ( 050 34 10 93; www.bauhaus.be; Langestraat 135; towards the belfry). dm €15-22, s €30-34, tw €38-50; iW) This well- run backpacker ‘village’ incorporates a bustling hostel, apartments, a night club, bike 5 Eating hire, internet cafe and a little chill-out room Touristy terraces crowd the Markt and line and garden, well hidden behind the recep- pedestrianised St-Amandsstraat where tion and laundrette (at Langestraat 145). The there are many cheaper eateries. Along atmospheric bar-restaurant is excellent… eclectic Langestraat (the eastward extension except when you’re trying to sleep above it. of Hoogstraat), you’ll fi nd everything from Take bus 6 or 16 from the train station. kebabs to Michelin stars. About town, numerous taverns and bakeries serve snacks Hotel Patritius FAMILY HOTEL €€ and several hostels off er great meal deals. ( %050 33 84 54; www.hotelpatritius.be; Ridders- straat 11; d €80-122, tr €129-147; paW) This oDen Gouden Harynck FINE DINING €€€ proud 1830s town house has high ceilings, ( %050 33 76 37; www.dengoudenharynck. a snug bar-lounge, a historic spiral staircase be; Groeninge 25; mains €38-45, set lunch menu and a pleasant garden. The 16 guest rooms €35, 3-/4-course menus €74/89; hlunch & dinner vary radically in size and style: some new, Tue-Sat) Jackets or pearls are appropriate some with exposed beams, some mildly garb in this uncluttered Michelin-starred chintzy. A decent breakfast is included. restaurant, where even the set lunch is a faultless exercise in artistic nouveau cuisine. B&B Huyze Hertsberge B&B €€ (%050 33 35 42; www.huyzehertsberge.be; Herts- De Bottelier MEDITERRANEAN €€ bergestraat 8; r €125-165) Oozing with good ( %050 33 18 60; www.debottelier.com; St-Jako- taste, this late-17th-century house has a bsstraat 63; pasta/veg dishes from €8.80/13.50, oth- tranquil little canal-side garden and gor- er mains from €16; hlunch & dinner Tue-Fri, dinner geous period salon decked with antiques Sat) Decorated with hats and old clocks, this and sepia photos. Rooms are comfortably adorable little restaurant overlooks a hand- grand. kerchief of canal-side garden. It’s consistently popular with local diners, so book ahead. B&B Dieltiens B&B €€ (%050 33 42 94; www.bedandbreakfastbruges. Est Wijnbar TAPAS € be; Waalsestraat 40; s/d/tr €70/80/100) Art old ( %050 33 38 39; www.wijnbarest.be; Braamberg- and new fills this classical house, which straat 7; mains €9.50-12.50, tapas €3.50-9.50; h4pm-midnight Wed-Sun; v) Partly stripped dlelit tables, backlit bottles and a youthful paintwork on heavy 17th-century beams cre- buzz, it has a garden terrace and cheap 147 ates an ancient-yet-modern feel in this tiny food till late. two-tiered wine bar, whose tempting light ’t Brugs Beertje PUB meals include seven vegetarian options. Live (Kemelstraat 5; h4pm-1am Thu-Tue) Classic music Sundays. brew pub decorated with time-yellowed Cambrinus BRASSERIE €€ beer mats and enamel brewery signs.

(www.cambrinus.eu; Philipstockstraat 19; snacks €7, ’t Poatersgat PUB mains €17-23; hnoon-11pm) Cambrinus keeps (Vlaamingstraat 82; h5pm-late) With mood-lit its kitchen open all day for mussels and oth- vaulted cellars decorated with old pianos er Belgian favourites, including many beer- and hop fronds, it’s popular with 20-some- based meals, and oﬀ ers hundreds of brews thing locals. Beers cost from €2. to wash it all down with. It’s family friendly, but the decor and service are in stereotypical Concertgebouw CONCERT HALL British pub style. (%050 47 69 99; www.concertgebouw.be; ’t Zand 34) The 21st-century architecture is dis- De Bron VEGETARIAN € cordantly brash and contemporary, but BELGIUM FLANDERS (%050 33 45 26; Katelijnestraat 82; hlunch Mon- the acoustics and top-floor views are hard Fri; v) This bright, functional vegetarian to beat. restaurant essentially serves just soup (€2)

or their daily changing lunch-of-the-day DRINKINGBRUGES & ENTERTAINMENT (small/medium/large €8.50/9/10.50). Add 8 Information DRINKING & ENTERTAINMENT soy sauce and sesame seeds to taste. TOURIST INFORMATION The Tourist Offi ce % ( 050 44 46 46; www.brugge.be) Concertge- ’t Gulden Vlies BELGIAN €€ bouw (’t Zand 34; h10am-6pm); Train Station (%050 33 47 09; www.tguldenvlies.be; Mal- (h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun) lebergplaats 17; mains €14-22, 2-/3-course menu has standard city maps for €0.50, but the argu- €16/27; h7pm-3am Wed-Sun) Intimate late- ably better Use-It maps (www.use-it.be) are free night restaurant with old-fashioned decor if you ask for one. and good-value Belgian cuisine. WEBSITES Bruggecentraal (www.bruggecentr De Twijfelaar BISTRO €€ aal.be) has events listings. (Eekhoutstraat 24; lunch €10, dinner mains €16- 23; hnoon-2.30pm & 6-11pm Tue-Sat) Combin- 8 Getting There & Away ing a 1717 town house and an art-nouveau Bruges’ train station is about 1.5km south of shop-building this ‘art bistro’ serves fair- the Markt, a lovely walk via the Begijnhof. Every value meals, including simple, inexpensive hour, trains run twice to Brussels (€12.90, one lunches. hour), fi ve times to Ghent (€5.60, fast/slow 23/39 minutes), and once to Antwerp (€12.90, 6 Drinking & Entertainment 70 minutes). For Ypres (Ieper in Dutch), take a train to Roeselare (€4.50, fast/slow 22/33 Hostels Bauhaus (p 146), Passage (www. minutes), then bus 94 or 95: both buses pass passagebruges.com), Charlie Rockets (www. key WWI sites en route. charlierockets.com) and Snuffel Hostel (www. all have congenial backpacker- snuff el.be) oriented pubs, most serving decent yet inex- 8 Getting Around pensive food. Bauhaus also has Bruges’ one BUS To get from the train station to Markt, nightclub. Eiermarkt, just north of Markt, take any bus marked ‘Centrum’. For the way has many plain but lively bars, with DJs and back, buses stop at Biekorf, just northwest of Markt on Kuiperstraat. seemingly endless happy hours. BICYCLE Bauhaus hostel (per half/full day De Garre PUB €6/9), Fietsen Popelier (Mariastraat 26; per h Hidden down a (Garre 1; noon-midnight) hr/half-day/full-day €3.50/7/10; h10am-7pm), minuscule alley between candy shops, this and Rent-a-Bike (Bruges Station; per day/week antique pub serves dozens of Belgian ales. €12/72; h7.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm Sat & Served nowhere else, Garre Tripel (€3) is a Sun) all off er bicycle hire. magnificent 11% mind-blower. Quasimundo (%050 33 07 75; www.qua- h De Republiek PUB simundo.eu; adult/student €24/22; mid- (www.derepubliek.be; St-Jakobsstraat 36; hfrom Mar–mid-Oct) off ers half-day bicycle tours around Bruges and its surroundings, with rental 11am) Spacious local favourite with can- included. Book ahead. BOAT Canal Tours (adult/child €6.90/3.20; 1 Sights 148 h10am-6pm Easter-early Nov) depart every 20 CENTRAL YPRES minutes from several jetties, notably on Dijver. Grote Markt SQUARE Tours last 30 minutes. The brilliantly rebuilt Lakenhallen, a vast HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE Up to five people Gothic edifi ce originally serving as the 13th- per carriage (€36) on a well-trodden, 35-min- century cloth market, dominates this very ute route from the Markt. Includes a five-min- photogenic central square. It sports a 70m- ute nosebag stop near the Begijnhof. high belfry, reminiscent of London’s Big Ben, and hosts the gripping museum In Flanders Fields (www.infl andersfi elds.be; Grote Markt 34; Around Bruges adult/child €8/4; h10am-6pm), a multime- Historic, quaint but often tourist-jammed, dia WWI experience honouring ordinary the inland port-village of Damme (www.toer- people’s experiences of wartime horrors. It’s ismedamme.be) makes a popular summer ex- very highly recommended, but will be closed cursion by canal paddle steamer (h10am- from mid-September 2011 till April 2012 for 5pm Easter–mid-Oct; one-way/return €6/7.50), refi tting. The ticket allows free entry to BELGIUM BELGIUM departing every two hours from Bruges’ three other minor city museums. Noorweegse Kaai (bus 4 from Markt). Con- sider cycling instead: it’s only 5km and, by Menin Gate & City Ramparts continuing 2km further along the idyllic NEIGHBOURHOOD

FLANDERS A block east of Grote Markt, the famous canal, you’ll escape from the worst of the is a large stone gateway strad- visitor overload. If you’re fi t, consider then Menin Gate dling the main road at the city moat. It’s in- heading 10km northwest via Dudzele and scribed with the names of 54,896 ‘lost’ Brit- to sweet Hof Ter Doest (www.terdoest.be) ish and other Commonwealth WWI troops little , an artists Lissewege (www.lissewege.be) whose bodies were never found. Every eve- village, which runs hourly trains to Bruges. ning at 8pm, traffi c is halted while buglers % Quasimodo ( 050 37 04 70, 0800 97525; sound the in visits most of these on Last Post (www.lastpost.be) www.quasimodo.be) moving remembrance. Triple Treat tours (under/over 26yr €45/55; A pleasant 20-minute parkland stroll h , adding cas- 9am Mon, Wed & Fri Feb–mid-Dec) takes you south atop the hefty city rampart tles at and and fascinat- Loppem Tillegem remnants, emerging at where ing WWII coastal defences near Ostend. Rijselpoort there’s a pretty moat-side war cemetery. The same company’s Flanders Fields tours Beneath is the intriguing little h Ramparts (under/over 26yr €45/55; 9am Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) visit Ypres Salient. War Museum (Rijselsestraat 208; admission €3; h11am-8pm), which displays WWI me- mentos through a series of subterranean Ypres mannequin scenes. Enter through the inexpensive ’t Klein Rijsel pub, which serves POP 35,500 its own caramel-rich beer (€2) in specially Especially when viewed from the south- made tankards. east, Ypres’ Grote Markt is one of the most breathtaking market squares in Flanders. YPRES SALIENT It’s all the more astonishing once you dis- Many Salient sites are awkward to reach cover that virtually all of its convincingly without a car or tour bus. However, the fol- ‘medieval’ buildings are in fact 20th-century lowing are accessible by the Ypres–Roeselare copies. The originals had been brutally bom- bus routes 94 and 95, so could be visited en barded into oblivion between 1914 and 1918 route to or from Bruges. when the historic city failed to capitulate to German WWI advances. WWI battles in Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 the surrounding poppy fi elds, known as the MUSEUM Ypres Salient, killed hundreds of thousands (www.passchendaele.be; Ieperstraat 5, Zonnebeke; of soldiers. A century later, countless lov- admission €5; h10am-6pm Feb-Nov) The high- ingly tended cemeteries remain, along with light of this slick, very informative WWI numerous widely spread WWI-based mus- museum is walking through recreated dug- eums and trench remnants. Together they outs and trench emplacements in the base- present a thoroughly moving introduction ment. It’s in the 1922 ‘castle’ of Zonnebeke to the horrors and futility of war. village, 6km east of Ypres. Bus 94 stops 200m away. Tyne Cot CEMETERY (admission free; h24hrs) The world’s largest WWI GRAVESITE 149 Commonwealth war cemetery, 11,956 sol- SEARCHES diers are buried here in maudlin straight rows. A further 35,000 names of the miss- If your relative died in the region’s WWI ing are engraved on the rear wall. The name battles, fi nd out which cemetery or Tyne Cot was coined by Northumberland memorial they’re commemorated at Fusiliers who fancied that German bunkers using www.cwgc.org (for UK and other on the hillside here looked like Tyneside cot- Commonwealth soldiers), www.ambc. tages (two remain sitting amid the graves). gov (for Americans) or www.volksbund. Enter via a sparse but well designed visitor de (for Germans). centre (h9am-6pm Feb-Nov). It’s 3km beyond Zonnebeke, 500m from the nearest 94 bus contemporary designer rooms, wartime stop. memorabilia in common rooms and a Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof CEMETERY swish restaurant that’s a popular Ypres

The Salient’s small, intensely moving Ger- institution. BELGIUM FLANDERS man cemetery has up to 10 bodies per grave B&B Ter Thuyne B&B €€ and is eerily watched over by the silhouettes (%057 36 00 42; www.terthuyne.be; Gustave of four shadowy statues. Enter through a de Stuersstraat 19; s/d €60/75; i) The three black concrete ‘tunnel’ that clanks and hiss- comfortable rooms are luminously bright, TOURS YPRES es spookily with distant war sounds while scrupulously clean and modern without TOURS four short video montages commemorate fashion consciousness. the tragedy of war. Bus 95 stops outside at ‘Duits Kerkhof’. That’s 1km north of Lange- Hotel Regina HOTEL €€ mark, 17 minutes from Ypres. (%057 21 88 88; www.hotelregina.be; Grote Markt 45; s/d from €70/85) Right on the Markt, the location is ideal. Attempts at ‘artistic’ T Tours There are dozens more WWI sites to seek decor generally backfire, but the Ensor out. If you have wheels, the tourist offi ce room is a worthy exception, with an has useful pamphlets. The following two old-world timber interior and unbeatable bookshops between Grote Markt and Me- views. nin Gate sell a range of specialist books and B&B Zonneweelde B&B € off er twice-daily, half-day guided mini-bus (%057 20 27 23; Adjudant Masscheleinlaan tours of selected war sites. Advance booking 18; s/d €28/50) Cheap, basic rooms with is wise. a hotchpotch of furniture and scrappy Over the Top (%057 42 43 20; www.overthe shared bathroom facilities in an old-fash- toptours.be; Meensestraat 41; h9am-12.30pm, ioned suburban home. It faces the canal, 1.30-5.30pm & 7.30-8.30pm) three blocks north of Grote Markt. British Grenadier (%057 21 46 57; www. In ’t Klein Stadhuis CAFE, RESTAURANT €€ salienttours.com; Meensestraat 5; h9.30am-1pm, (www.kleinstadhuis.be; Grote Markt 32; mains 2-6pm & 7.30-8.30pm) €12-21; hclosed Sun Oct-May) Tucked away in an eccentrically decorated historic guild- 4 Sleeping & Eating hall beside the Stadhuis, this split-level The nearest youth hostel is located in cafe serves gigantic, good-value meals and Kortrijk. offers limited options even when the main kitchen is closed. Yoaké B&B B&B €€ (%057 20 35 14; www.yoake-ieper.be/bedhome. htm; Tempelstraat 35; d €85; aW) Two smart 8 Information rooms, one almost an apartment, are at- INTERNET ACCESS Temple.com (Tempel- tached to a hip wellness centre. At week- straat 18; per hr €2; h11am-7pm Fri-Wed) has ends it’s only for guests taking the full computers with internet in a grocery shop run by €147 wellness package. a Cameroonian princess. TOURIST INFORMATION The well-equipped Ariane Hotel HOTEL €€ tourist offi ce Toerisme Ieper (%057 23 92 20; (%057 21 82 18; www.ariane.be; Slachthuis- www.ieper.be; Grote Markt 34; h9am-6pm) is straat 58; s/d from €94/120; pW) Peaceful, professionally managed larger hotel with located inside the Lakenhallen. 150 BEER COUNTRY

Dotted with windmills, the almost pan-fl at hop fi elds north and west of Ypres produce many of Belgium’s most sought-after beers. De Dolle (www.dedollebrouwers.be; hbrew- ery visits 2pm Sun) creates Oerbier at Esen near attractive Diksmuide which, like Ypres, had its historic core totally rebuilt after WWI. Watou is known for the full-fl avoured St- Bernardus (www.sintbernardus.be). Like liquid alcoholic chocolate, extraordinary Pan- nepot (www.struise.noordhoek.com/eng) is brewed at the dreary-looking Deca Brewery in Woesten on the windmill-dotted road between Ypres and the gorgeous medieval town of Veurne. But the ‘holy grail’ of pubs is In de Vrede (www.indevrede.be; Donkerstraat 13, Westvleteren; h10am-8pm Sat-Wed), opposite Abdij St-Sixtus (St Sixtus Abbey; www.sin- tsixtus.be; hclosed to visitors). While the pub’s decor is far from memorable, it’s the only place anywhere on earth where there’s a reasonably assured chance of drinking (not taking away) the rarest of Trappist beers, Westvleteren 12° (€4.50). It’s often cited as

BELGIUM BELGIUM the world’s best brew. Once you’ve tasted its fruity complexity, you might well agree.

8 Getting There & Around seums, all free on the fi rst Sunday of each month. WALLONIA BUS Services pick up passengers in Grote The % Markt’s northeast corner (check the direction Auberge de Jeunesse ( 069 21 of the bus carefully!) including Roeselare-bound 61 36; www.laj.be; Rue St-Martin 64; dm/s/d routes 94 (roughly twice hourly on weekdays, €17.50/31/44) is one of Belgium’s friendliest fi ve daily on weekends) and 95 (hourly on week- hostels (take bus 7 or 88). Central though days, fi ve daily on weekends). hidden, the likeable Hôtel d’Alcantara TRAIN Services run hourly to Ghent (€9.90, (%069 21 26 48; www.hotelalcantara.be; Rue des one hour) and Brussels (€15.20, 1½ hours) via Bouchers St-Jacques 2; s/d from €84/94; piW) Kortrijk (€4.50, 30 minutes), where you could experiments semi-successfully with ’70s- change for Bruges or Antwerp. retro design within a regal old town house. BICYCLE Hire bicycles from Hotel Ambrosia The train station, 1km northeast of the (%057 36 63 66; www.ambrosiahotel.be; centre, has connections twice hourly to Brus- D’Hondtstraat 54; per day €10; h9am-7pm); a sels (€11.70, fast/slow 61/73 minutes) and credit card is required as a guarantee. hourly to Lille-Flandres (€6, 25 minutes).

WALLONIA Liège POP 189,000 Beneath its brutally disfi gured, post-industri- Tournai al surface, sprawling Liège (Luik in Dutch) is POP 68,000 a living architectural onion concealing layer Pleasant Tournai (Doornik in Dutch) is Wal- upon layer of history. Fine churches abound, lonia’s oldest city. It was battered by WWII as befi ts a city that spent 800 years as the bombs, but the photogenic Grand Place capital of an independent principality run by has since been convincingly rebuilt. The city bishops. Proudly free-spirited citizens are dis- might not merit a long detour, but if you armingly friendly and no Belgian city bubbles want to reach Lille (France) from Brussels with more joie de vivre. Love it or loathe it, by train without paying high-speed supple- Liège is quirky and oddly compulsive. ments, coming this way can save you money. Sights include the fi ve iconic towers of the striking, if sober and scaff olding-fi lled, 1 Sights The historic zone and main museums (free Cathédrale Notre Dame (admission free; the fi rst Sunday of each month) are a short h9.15am-noon & 2-6pm) and the 72m-high walk west of Liège-Palais train station: walk belfry, which is Belgium’s oldest. Both are east past the vast, dour former Bishops’ Pal- Unesco World Heritage Sites. Facing the ace (Place St-Lambert) through attractive belfry, the % Tourist Office ( 069 22 20 45; Place du Marché. For a panoramic view of www.tournai.be; Vieux Marché aux Poteries 14) can the city, climb to the top of the point you towards a cache of enjoyable mu- Montagne de Bueren stairway. Musée de la Vie Wallonne MUSEUM this rambling antique house with bare brick (www.viewallonne.be; Cour des Mineurs; adult/child walls and heavy beams combines a lively bar 151 €5/3; h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) In specialising in Walloon genièvre (jenever; an adapted convent-cloister building, this Dutch gin) with a restaurant serving satis- quirkily imaginative multimedia experi- fying pub meals, including boulets à la liè- ence examines Wallonia’s economic rise and geoise (meatballs in raisin-sweetened gravy). fall, from 12th-century Mosan metalwork to Le Pot au Lait PUB 1960s room decor to the late-20th-century (www.potaulait.be; Rue Sœurs de Hasque; post-industrial demise. h10am-2am Mon-Sat, 2pm-2am Sun; W) Watch Grand Curtius MUSEUM aliens landing in Liège’s wackiest pub-cafe, (www.grandcurtiusliege.be; Féronstrée 136; adult/ hidden in an alley 100m east of the cathe- concession €5/3; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon) This dral. La Chouffe draft costs only €2.30. engrossing, ambitious museum has inter- No food. woven tales of Liège artists and industries with a wide-ranging history of the visual 8 Information arts. Allow several hours to do it justice. TOURIST INFORMATION The Maison de BELGIUM WALLONIA Musée de l’Art Wallon ART MUSEUM Tourisme (%04 237 92 92; www.liege.be, www. (Féronstrée 86; adult/child €5/3; h1-6pm ftpl.be; Place St-Lambert 32; h9am-5.30pm) Tue-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun) Behind a brutally and Offi ce du Tourisme (%04 221 92 21; Féron- h ugly exterior, discover this truly excellent strée 92; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4.30pm SLEEPING BASTOGNE collection of art by Francophone Belgian Sat, 10am-2.30pm Sun) can suggest dozens of SLEEPING artists. additional city attractions.

4 Sleeping 8 Getting There & Away Trains from Liège-Palais Hôtel Hors Château GUEST HOUSE €€ Brussels (€13.60, 125 minutes, hourly) via Huy (%04 250 60 68; www.hors-chateau.be; Rue Hors (€4.40, 29 minutes) Château 62; s/d/ste €78/95/125, breakfast €12; W) Nine stylish new rooms tucked into an Coo (€7.70, one hour) old half-timbered building ideally situated Luxembourg City (€38.20, 2½ hours, 18 daily) in the historic quarter. Call ahead to ar- via Clervaux (€20.60, 1½ hours, every two range arrival times. hours)

Auberge de Jeunesse HOSTEL € Trains from Liège-Guillemins (%04 344 56 89; www.laj.be; Rue Georges Aachen (€11.70, 54 minutes, every two hours) Simenon 2; HI members dm/s/d €18.80/33/46; Brussels (€13.60, one hour, hourly) via Leuven i) Great hostel across the river in the (€9.90, 35 minutes) Outremeuse ‘republic’. Maastricht (€4.30, 30 minutes, hourly) Hôtel Les Acteurs FAMILY HOTEL €€ High-speed Services (%04 223 00 80; www.lesacteurs.be; Rue des Reservations are compulsory for the following: Simple but Urbanistes 10; s/d/tr €46/66/83) Cologne (standard/pre-booked €33/19, one cheap, well-maintained old rooms above a hour, six daily) via Aachen (€23/14, 23 minutes) very inexpensive cafe. Frankfurt (€94.60/39, 2½ hours, three daily) Paris (€89/45, 2¼ hours, seven daily) 5 Eating & Drinking There are terrace restaurants on Place du Marché, many good-value sandwich shops along Rue Hors Château and an interesting Bastogne range of little eateries on Rue Roture, hid- POP 14,200 In late 1944 allied forces were sweeping den away near the hostel in Outremeuse. east across Europe. But WWII wasn’t yet Tread carefully on Rue du Pot d’Or, which over. Hitler’s last gasp was a midwinter has dozens of (overly) lively late-night bars. counter-attack that devastated the Ardennes La Maison du Peket/Amon Nanesse and nearby Luxembourg, creating a ‘bulge’ PUB, RESTAURANT €€ in the allied frontline. During this pivotal (www.maisondupeket.be; Rue de l’Epée 4; meals ‘Battle of the Bulge’, plucky Bastogne was €10.50-18.50; h10am-2am, kitchen noon-2.30pm surrounded but refused to capitulate. Today & 6-10.30pm) Just behind Place du Marché, the town isn’t lovely, but it’s a must-see for 152 ON THE ROAD IN WALLONIA

Without a car you’ll spend longer reaching most of the Wallonia’s rural sites than actually enjoying them. But by car, combining a handful of destinations can make for a very enjoyable day out. There’s a very wide choice of accommodation, but much is packed full in summer and closed in winter. For in-depth coverage, see Lonely Planet’s Belgium & Luxembourg. Kayaking & Outdoor Activities Durbuy (www.durbuyinfo.be, www.durbuyadventure.be) The ‘world’s smallest town’ is quaint if touristy and is well set up for all manner of sporting fun. Plenty of hotels. La Roche-en-Ardenne (www.ardenne-aventures.be, www.brandsport.be, www.la-roche- tourisme.com) Water sports and mountain biking from a charmingly compact town nestled around a medieval castle ruin.

BELGIUM BELGIUM Coo (www.coo-adventure.com) The hamlet’s famous 15m ‘waterfall’ is underwhelming but outdoor options are numerous and there’s a family amusement park (see www.plopsa.be). Accommodation is limited in Coo but is more plentiful in nearby Stavelot. Caves UNDERSTAND BELGIUM Belgium’s publicly accessible cave systems each have their own character. Visits take over an hour with set departure times that vary seasonally (check websites). There’s no ‘escape’ once you’ve started so don’t forget appropriate footwear, warm clothes and a pre-emptive bathroom stop. Han-sur-Lesse (www.grotte-de-han.be) Belgium’s foremost stalactite-rich caves are ac- cessed by a little train ride, but it’s often over-stuﬀ ed with tourists. Nearby hotels are lack- lustre; a hostel is available (see www.gitesdetape.be). Rochefort (www.valdelesse.be) This attractive town is famous for its Trappist beers. Walk- ing distance from the town centre, the Grotte de Lorette is remarkable for its depth, not its stalagmites. Good choice of accommodation.

WWII buff s. The main square – a car park a big star-shaped American War Memorial, adorned with a tank – has been renamed beneath which is a chapel-cave with mosaics Place McAuliff e after the American general by Fernand Léger. whose famous reply to the German call to Right on Bastogne’s main square, the surrender was one word, ‘Nuts!’ Here you’ll warm and friendly Hôtel Collin (%061 21 48 fi nd the Maison du Tourisme (%061 21 27 88; www.hotel-collin.com; Place McAuliff e 8; s/d/tr 11; www.paysdebastogne.be; Place McAuliff e 60; €67/85/105) is a pleasant family hotel with h9am-6pm). a pseudo-art-nouveau cafe and a Mediter- Of numerous WWII museums, Bastogne’s ranean-styled restaurant. best is 800m northeast of here: J’avais 20 Bus 163b (€3.80, 45 minutes) runs every ans en ’45 (%061 50 20 02; www.bastogne. two hours to Libramont on the Brussels– be/20ansen45; adult/child €6.50/5; h10am-6pm, Luxembourg train line. Buses also run hour- closed Fri Oct-Apr, last entry 5pm) is an imagin- ly (except Sundays) to Ettelbrück (one hour) ative exhibition giving movingly balanced in Luxembourg. insights into the confl ict through dozens of eyewitness video accounts. Keep the entry ticket to get a €1 discount at Bastogne UNDERSTAND BELGIUM Historical Centre (www.bastognehistorical center.be; Colline du Mardasson; entry incl audioguide adult/child €8.50/6; h9.30am-5.30pm Mar- History Dec), a much more standard war museum full of uniforms, weapons, a couple of di- Bruges, Ghent and Ypres boomed in the oramas and a movie. It’s located on a gentle 13th and 14th centuries as northern Eu- hilltop 1.5km further northeast and is beside rope’s foremost cloth-trading cities. Crafts- 153

Hotton (www.grottesdehotton.com, www.si-hotton.be) Great grottoes and a jaw-dropping vertical subterranean chasm, yet relatively uncommercial. Remouchamps (www.grottes.be; www.ourthe-ambleve.be) Lacks the drama of the three ‘greats’ above, but you get to ride down an underground river in a boat. Castles Wallonia’s capital Namur (www.namurtourisme.be, www.mtpn.be) is dominated by a massive, sober fortiﬁ ed citadel (www.citadelle.namur.be; admission free), but the region has many more romantic castles including the following: Château de Jehay (www.chateaujehay.be; adult/student €5/2.50, audioguide €1; h2-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep) A 1550 gingerbread fantasy of alternating brick and stone layers rising from a tree-ringed moat between Liège and patchily historic Huy (bus 85). BELGIUM BELGIUM UNDERSTAND BELGIUM Château de Modave (www.modave-castle.be; adult/student €7.50/4; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr–mid-Nov) Palatial chateau with 20 majestically furnished rooms and 17th-century stucco ceilings.

Château de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne (www.chateau-lavaux.com; adult/child €6.50/4; h9am- 8 HISTORY 5.30pm) Partly furnished 1450 moated fortress visible west of the E411 motorway as you pass junction 22a just 10km from Han-sur-Lesse. Semois Valley Eccentric loops of river valley fl anked by vividly green waterside meadow extend either side of Bouillon , whose looming central castle ruin once belonged to the crusader con- queror of Jerusalem. The Ardennes’ fi nest panoramic viewpoints overlook the Semois at 8 Rochehaut and at harder-to-reach Tombeau du Géant. A relatively short drive southeast is Orval, with its highly photogenic, part-ruined abbey, which is most famous for its Trappist beer. A unique if understrength variant of the beer is available at the monastery pub, Auberge de l’Ange Gardien (h11am-8pm). people established powerful guilds that built estant Holland and fi nally formed their own elaborate guildhouses around fi ne market kingdom. squares, typically adorned with a belfry as a From the late 19th century, Belgium symbol of civic pride. rapidly grew wealthy, both through indus- When Protestantism swept across Europe trialisation and through King Léopold II’s in the 16th century, the Low Countries (pres- disgraceful profi ting from the Congo, which ent-day Belgium, the Netherlands and Lux- was brutal even by the colonial standards of embourg) embraced it, much to the chagrin that era. of their ruler, the fanatically Catholic Philip When WWI kicked off in 1914 Belgium II of Spain. The result, from 1568, was a war was offi cially neutral, but the Germans in- that lasted 80 years and in the end roughly vaded anyway. Western Flanders became a laid the region’s present-day borders. Hol- blood-soaked killing fi eld and whole towns, land and its allied provinces victoriously including historic Ypres, were bombarded expelled the Spaniards, while Belgium and into the mud. Incredibly Ypres’ ancient Luxembourg stayed under their strict Catho- heart has since been meticulously rebuilt lic rule. and tours of the Ypres Salient off er poignant For the next 200 years Belgium remained WWI reminders. a battlefi eld for successive foreign powers. During WWII, the country was taken over After the Spaniards came the Austrians, within three weeks of a surprise German at- and, in turn, the French. After Napoleon was tack in May 1940 and, even after an initial trounced in 1815 at Waterloo near Brussels, 1944 liberation, suff ered a second devasta- the Dutch took over for 15 years until, in tion during Hitler’s last-gasp counter-attack 1830, the Catholic Belgians split from prot- in the Ardennes. A Belgian government in exile was formed in London, but King Léopold III remained in Nazi-occupied language communities have long been at 154 Belgium. Questions over this perceived col- loggerheads. But they share a low-key form laboration led to his abdication in 1950 in fa- of tolerant Roman Catholicism. Religious- vour of his son, King Baudouin. Baudouin’s based traditions remain strong but, to a popular reign ended with his abrupt death great extent, being Catholic is more a badge in 1993. Childless, Baudouin was succeeded of social status than a spiritual dogma. Many by his brother, the present King Albert II. Belgian cities have large immigrant commu- Despite the wars, for much of the 20th nities, notably from Italy and France, but century Wallonia’s mining, glassware, steel more conspicuously from Morocco, Turkey and other heavy industries made it the and the former Belgian colony of Congo. powerhouse of one of Europe’s strongest Belgium’s small Jewish community is most economies. However, since the 1970s, the visible in Antwerp’s diamond district. old economic balance has reversed with a serious post-industrial decline aff ecting much of Wallonia, while formerly agricul- Arts tural Flanders has boomed with new higher-

BELGIUM BELGIUM tech industries. A parallel series of political Literature One of Belgium’s foremost novelists was changes have increasingly emphasised the Hugo Claus, whose masterpiece, The Sorrow north–south linguistic divide. With ever of Belgium, weaves a beautifully nuanced less communication between the regions,

UNDERSTAND BELGIUM examination of Nazi collaboration during forming a national consensus has proved WWII. Georges Simenon, the ‘shagaholic’ ever more diffi cult in recent years. In 2007 creator of Inspector Maigret, was born in the country was without a government for Liège. nearly a year. And the 2010 federal elections saw months more deadlock. The immediate sticking point has been the arcane case of Music & Dance Belgium owes its independence to an 1830 BHV, an anomalous boundary question af- revolution that started with an opera at La fecting a voting district in Flemish Brabant. Monnaie/De Munt, still Brussels’ foremost But, at a more fundamental level, Flemish classical venue. Jazz owes much to Belgium’s politicians want greater autonomy for their Adolphe Sax who invented the saxophone. wealthy region, while French speakers fear Brussels’ three-day that further separation of powers will re- Jazz Marathon (www. h remains duce subsidies to the struggling south. Poli- brusselsjazzmarathon.be; late May) one of the capital’s most joyous events. ticians’ increasing inability to compromise In the 1950s Flemish-born chanson star threatens to break the nation irrevocably in Jacques Brel took the French-speaking two. However, the risk of Flanders rapidly world by storm and remains widely revered. declaring unilateral independence is prob- Among more contemporary names, keep an ably overstated since nobody quite knows ear out for Puggy, Arid, Ghinzu and dEUS what would then become of Brussels. And (alternative rock), Soulwax/2manyDJs (elec- it would all be very expensive. For many tro/mash-up), Axelle Red (pop-chanson) and citizens the issues are seen as mere political Hooverphonic (trip hop). point scoring and, as a result, public confi - Foremost in Belgian dance are the dence in politics in general has sunk to an Royal and dynamic all-time low. Flanders Ballet (www.kbvv.be) contemporary groups Rosas (www.rosas.be) and Danses/Plan K (www.charleroi-danses.be). People Architecture Belgium’s population is split north–south Dozens of Belgium’s earliest buildings fea- by language. In Flanders (Vlaanderen) the ture on Unesco’s World Heritage list, includ- language is the Flemish dialect of Dutch. ing many a great belfry (belfort, beff roi) and South of the divide in Wallonia (La Wallo- begijnhof (courtyard surrounded by historic nie), people speak French with some Belgian dwellings built to house lay sisters). Belgium peculiarities, though a tiny enclave of the was at the forefront of sinuously beautiful eastern Ardennes is German speaking. Brus- art nouveau, the design wave that swept sels is offi cially bilingual, though in day-to- across Europe at the end of the 19th century. day reality spoken French (and English) pre- Although later 20th-century neglect put dominates there. Politically, the two main much of this heritage under the demolition ball, there are still some fi ne examples in the doldrums, while the nation’s hopes of Brussels (Musée Horta, MIM) and Antwerp co-hosting the 2018 soccer World Cup came 155 (’t Zuid and Zurenborg areas). to nothing. Apart from the mind-boggling 1958 Atomium, later 20th-century architecture proved far less inspired. Brussels’ glass- Food & Drink tower EU quarter tragically wasted a great Dining is a treat in Belgium, where meals are opportunity for city re-invention, but the often described as being French in quality, last decade has seen a few contemporary German in quantity. Though Belgian home- masterpieces, such as Santiago Calatrava’s cooking is making a resurgence (see p114 Guillemins train station in Liège. for typical local dishes), many upper-range restaurants still prefer French-infl uenced Visual Arts cuisine. Here starters regularly include pâ- In the late Middle Ages, sophisticated artists tés, garlic snails and possibly scallops. Main known quite misleadingly as the Flemish courses typically off er relatively unfussy Primitives were at the forefront of a seculari-

fresh-fi sh dishes (monkfi sh, sole or perhaps BELGIUM UNDERSTAND BELGIUM sation of painting. Key players included Jan cod) and quality meats. Steaks are generally van Eyck and Hans Memling, whose works served bloodier than English-speaking visi- are prominent in Belgian art galleries. Brus- tors anticipate: à point translates in phrase sels’ Breugel (Breughel) family created some books as ‘medium’ but tends to approach VISUALSPORT ARTS of the 16th century’s most memorable art, what many Anglophones consider as rare. from peasant scenes to terrifying Bosch-like ‘Blue’ steaks have barely bounced off the allegories of hell and damnation. However, grill. Locals show no qualms at tucking into styles changed radically with the 17th-centu- frog’s legs, veal, rabbit, foie gras, tripe or ry Counter-Reformation. To remind upstart horse meat (paardenfilet/steack de cheval). citizens of the Catholic God’s mystical pow- Although restaurants can be pricey, you er, baroque altarpieces and giant paintings can save money by taking a weekday lunch- VISUAL ARTS burst forth with chubby cherubs and angelic time dagschotel/plat du jour (dish of the awe. That era’s foremost artist was Antwerp- day) or dagmenu/menu du jour (multi- based Pieter Paul Rubens, whose works are course meal of the day). Or by eating in ca- still an essential feature of numerous Ant- fes or Asian places (where rice is generally werp museums and churches. included in menu prices). A belegd broodje/ In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Bel- sandwich garni (half a baguette with fi lling) gian art greats included sculptor and social makes a great, inexpensive quick lunch. realist painter Constantin Meunier, expres- Belgian cafes always serve alcohol, as well sionist pioneer James Ensor, fauvist Rik as coff ee, and are convivial places to sample Wouters and multitalented Jean Brussel- the nation’s amazing range of beers. Bel- mans. Symbolist Fernand Khnopff produced gium’s famous lagers (eg Stella Artois) and beguiling work echoing the contemporary white beers (Hoegaarden) are now global pre-Raphaelites and giving a foretaste of brands. But what has connoisseurs really surrealism, whose foremost Belgian star was drooling are the robust, rich ‘abbey’ beers René Magritte, now celebrated in an excel- (which were originally brewed in monaster- lent new Brussels museum. ies), and the ‘Trappist beers’ (that still are). Amongst Belgium’s best-known contem- Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalle and Orval are porary artists are Panamarenko, Luc Tuy- the best known, but, for beer maniacs, the mans and Jan Fabre, notable for covering a one that really counts is Westvleteren 12° (see ceiling in Brussels’ Palais Royal with 1.4 mil- p150 ), which, like Chimay Blue and Rochefort lion iridescent beetle wing cases. 8, should ideally be aged a year or two. A Bel- gian beer oddity is spontaneously fermented lambic, a startlingly acidic brew made more Sport palatable by aging then blending into gueuze In an unexpected double comeback, Bel- or macerating with cherries to produce kriek. gium’s ‘retired’ tennis greats, Justine Henin Although tap water is always drinkable, and Kim Clijsters, have returned to the in restaurants it’s never served. Buy the bot- global top twenty, closely followed by up- tled stuff – or beer, which is often cheaper. and-coming star Yanina Wickmayer. How- Note that smoking is banned in restau- ever, Belgium’s beloved sport, cycling, is in rants and in cafes that serve meals. 156 BUYING BELGIAN CHOCOLATES Mouth- watering Belgian chocolate is some of the world’s best as it always uses 100% pure cocoa butter and involves lengthy ‘conching’ (stirring) to create a silky smooth tex- ture. Within any specialist chocolatier shop, archetypal pralines (fi lled, bite-size chocolates) cost the same whether you select piece-by-piece or take a pre-mixed ballotin selection pack. However, prices vary radically between brands. So which to pick? Leonidas (Map p122 ; www.leonidas.com; per kg €20.20) Ubiquitous. Although maligned by Belgian choco snobs, its price-quality ratio is hard to beat. Corné Port Royal (Map p122 ; www.corneportroyal.be; per kg €40) Great manons (short- shelf-life pralines filled with flavoured crème-fraiche). Galler (Map p122 ; www.galler.com; per kg €48) Innovative Kaori chocolate sticks that you dip in provided flavour pots. Chocolate Line (Map p144 ; www.thechocolateline.be; per kg €50) Dominique Persoone’s

BELGIUM BELGIUM wild experiments have included using chilli, oregano and wasabi: the chocolate shooters were originally created for the Rolling Stones. Antwerp and Bruges only. Neuhaus (Map p122 ; www.neuhaus.be; per kg €52) Established in 1857 in Brussels’ gorgeous Galerie de la Reine, Neuhaus created Belgium’s original pralines. SURVIVAL GUIDE Pierre Marcolini (off Map p122 ; www.marcolini.be; per kg €70) Chic chocolatier famed for using exclusive chocolate beans, experimental flavours (eg tea) and fashion- conscious black-box packaging.

PRICE RANGES SURVIVAL GUIDE Our sleeping reviews refer to double rooms with a private bathroom, except in hostels Directory A–Z or where otherwise speciﬁ ed. The rates quoted are for high season, which is May Accommodation to September in Bruges, Ypres and the Ar- In hotel rooms under €60 for a double ex- dennes, and September to June in business pect shared bathroom facilities. Midrange cities. hotels (under €150) can be fairly functional, but many top-end establishments in Brus- €€€ more than €150 sels cut prices radically at weekends and in €€ €60 to €150

summer. € less than €60 Rooms rented in local homes (gastenkam- ers/chambres d’hôtes) can be cheap and Activities cheerful (from €35/45 per single/double), In Flanders (www.fi etsroute.org), bicycles but many B&Bs off er standards equivalent are a popular means of everyday travel and to a boutique hotel (up to €160 double). many roads have dedicated cycle lanes. In Holiday houses (gîtes) are easily rented Wallonia (www.ravel.wallonie.be), the hilly in Wallonia, but minimum stays apply and terrain favours mountain bikes (VTT/vélo there’s a hefty ‘cleaning fee’ on top of quoted tout-terrain in French). Brussels off ers a rates; see Belsud (www.belsud.be). forward-thinking bike-rental scheme, but Dorm beds in hostels cost from €15 to its drivers are notorious for disregarding 29. Hostels (jeugdherbergen in Dutch, au- bicycles – beware! berges de jeunesse in French) affi liated with Canoeing and kayaking are best in the Hostelling International (HI; www.jeugdher- Ardennes, but don’t expect rapids of any bergen.be, www.laj.be) charge €3 extra for non- magnitude. members, and around €2 less for under-26- Local tourist offi ces have copious infor- year-olds (prices include sheets and a basic mation about footpaths and sell regional breakfast). Always read the conditions. hiking maps. Hilly Wallonia is more inspir- Camping opportunities are plentiful, ing than fl at Flanders. especially in the Ardennes. For extensive Many museums in Flanders off er €1 tick- listings see www.campingbelgique.be (Wal- ets for ‘youths’ under 26 years. lonia) and www.camping.be (Flanders). Business Hours Opening hours given in the text are for high ENTERTAINMENT 157 season. Many tourism-based businesses re- RESOURCES duce their hours off season. Nightlife listings www.theclubbing. Banks 9am-3.30pm Mon-Fri com, www.noctis.com Brasseries 11am-1am Cinema listings www.cinenews.be Clubs 11pm-6am Fri-Sun Concerts & tickets www.fnacagen Pubs & cafes till 1am or later da.be Restaurants 11.30am-2.30pm & 6.30- 10.30pm Public holidays are as follows: Shops 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, limited open- New Year’s Day 1 January ing Sun; some close for lunch Easter Monday March/April Supermarkets 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, some open Sundays Labour Day 1 May SURVIVAL GUIDE SURVIVAL GUIDE Ascension Day Fortieth day after Easter Embassies Whit Monday Seventh Monday after All are in Brussels. Easter Australia (%02 286 05 00; www.eu.mission. Flemish Community Festival 11 July gov.au; Rue Guimard 6/8) (Flanders only) Canada (%02 741 06 11; www.ambassade- National Day 21 July BUSINESS HOURS canada.be; Ave de Tervuren 2) Assumption 15 August BUSINESS HOURS % Japan ( 02 513 23 40; www.be.emb-japan.go.jp; Francophone Community Festival 27 Sq de Meeûs 5–6) September (Wallonia only) % New Zealand ( 02 512 10 40; www.nzem- All Saints’ Day 1 November bassy.com; Ave des Nerviens 9–31) Armistice Day 11 November UK (%02 287 62 11; www.ukinbelgium.fco.gov.uk; Ave Auderghem 10) German-Speaking Community Festival 15 November (eastern cantons only) US (%02 811 40 00; http://belgium.usembassy. gov; Blvd du Régent 27) Christmas Day 25 December

Food Telephone Price ranges for average main courses are as Dial full numbers: there’s no optional area follows: code.

€€€ more than €25 International operator %1324

€€ €14 to €25 Directory assistance %1405; costs a hefty €3 € less than €14 Reverse-charge %1224 Money Toll-free %0800 Banks usually oﬀ er better exchange rates High toll %0900, %070 than exchange bureaux (wisselkantoren in Dutch, bureaux de change in French), though sometimes only for their banking clients. Visas Schengen visa rules apply. See p 1217 for ATMs are widespread, but often hidden more information. Embassies are listed at within bank buildings. www.diplomatie.belgium.be/en. Tipping is not expected in restaurants (service and VAT is always included).

Public Holidays Getting There & Away School holidays are July and August; one Air week in November; two weeks at Christmas; Antwerp airport (ANR; www.antwerpairport.be) one week around Carnival; two weeks at is tiny with just a few ﬂ ights to the UK on Easter; one week in May. CityJet (www.cityjet.com). 158 EUROLINES SERVICES

STANDARD PRICE SUPER-PROMO LINE (€) PRICE (€) DURATION (HR) FREQUENCY Brussels–Amsterdam 17 10 3¾-4½ 8 daily Brussels–Frankfurt 44 38 6 1 or 2 daily Brussels–London 41 22 6-8½ 5 daily Bruges–London 41 22 4¼ 2 weekly, daily in summer Brussels–Paris 29 9 4 12 daily

Brussels airport (BRU; www.brusselsairport. Eurolines (%02 274 13 50; www.eurolines. BELGIUM BELGIUM be) is Belgium’s main long-haul gateway. Do- be htelephone booking line 9am-7.30pm Mon- mestic airline Brussels Airlines (www.brus- Fri, 9am-5pm Sat) is part of the Europe-wide selsairlines.com) ﬂ ies from here to numerous network. Pre-bookings are compulsory but, European and African destinations. Brussels although nine Belgian cities are served,

SURVIVAL GUIDE is also a European hub for Chinese airline only Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège Hainan Airlines (www.global.hnair.com), Gulf- have ticket offi ces. Special tickets adding a based Etihad (www.etihadairways.com), and connecting bus to major cities in England/ Indian airline Jet Airways (www.jetairways. Scotland (from €15/22 total) are available com), with useful connections to North through ticket offi ces but not available on- America and throughout Asia. line. See the boxed text for some examples of Budget airlines Ryanair (www.ryanair. standard/‘super-promo’ (off peak, advance com), JetAirFly (www.jetairfl y.com) and Wiz- purchase) fares. zAir (www.wizzair.com) use the misleadingly named Brussels-South Charleroi Airport CAR & MOTORCYCLE (CRL; www.charleroi-airport.com), which is actu- Border crossings are not usually con- ally 55km south of Brussels, 6km north of trolled. Petrol is cheaper in Luxembourg, the ragged, post-industrial city of Charleroi. so fi ll up there if passing by. Car-share L’Elan (www.voyages-lelan.be) runs direct EuroStop (www.taxistop.be; €3 per 100km) buses to/from a stop near Bruxelles-Midi matches paying hitchhikers with drivers for station roughly every half hour (single/re- long-distance international rides. A driving turn €13/22, one hour); the last northbound licence from your home country will usual- services departs at 11.30pm, the fi rst south- ly suffi ce for foreign drivers. As in France, bound at 4.30am. Alternatively buses (www. there is priorité à droite (give way to the infotec.be; €2.70, 18 minutes) run to Charleroi- right); see the boxed text, p468 . Sud train station twice hourly on weekdays, hourly at weekends. A combined bus-and- TRAIN rail ticket purchased before leaving the For comprehensive timetables and interna- airport is never more than €11 to anywhere tional bookings, see www.b-rail.be. in Belgium. If planning to sleep at the air- High-speed Trains port, bring a good mat and something warm International high-speed trains have com- or use one of eight mostly generic hotels pulsory pre-booking requirements and around 2km away, such as the bare-bones charge radically diff erent prices according Formule 1. to availability, so advance booking can save Liège airport (LGG; www.liegeairport.com) a packet. Operating companies: has mostly charter fl ights Thalys (www.thalys.com) Paris–Brussels–An- twerp–Rotterdam–Schipol–Amsterdam Land runs eight times daily; the Brussels– BUS Amsterdam section takes 113 minutes. % and Ecolines ( 02 279 20 57; www.ecolines.net) Brussels–Paris takes 80 minutes with Eurobus (%02 527 50 12; www.eurobus.pl) operate from Brussels and Antwerp to various summer-only connections to Avignon and destinations in Eastern Europe. Marseille (5¾ hours). Brussels–Liège– Aachen–Cologne (108 minutes) runs four Bikes on the train cost €5 one-way (or times daily. €8 all day) on top of the rail fare. A few busy 159 city-centre train stations don’t allow bicycle Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) Brussels–Lille– London St Pancras (two hours) runs up to transportation. nine times daily. Bike hire is available from private op- erators and many major train stations from ICE (www.db.de) Brussels–Liège–Aachen–Co- around €6.50/9.50 per half/full day. A de- logne–Frankfurt (3¼ hours) runs six times posit and/or ID is usually required. daily via Frankfurt airport (three hours). TGV (www.sncf.com) Has numerous Bel- Bus & Tram gium–France routes, including Brussels– Regional buses are well coordinated with CDG airport (100 minutes, seven daily), Belgium’s rail network, but in rural regions but no service to central Paris. you can still fi nd that relatively short dis- tances can involve long waits. In Brussels FYRA (www.fyra.com) The Brussels–Amster- dam high-speed service (1¾ hours) is due and Antwerp, trams that run underground are marked ‘premetro’. Bus companies:

to start in 2013. SURVIVAL GUIDE SURVIVAL GUIDE De Lijn (www.delijn.be, in Dutch) In Flanders. Other International Trains In Brussels. NMBS/SNCB trains have ﬁ xed fares, accept STIB (www.stib.be) rail passes without a surcharge and don’t TEC (www.infotec.be) In Wallonia. require advanced booking. Useful international connections include Brussels–Luxem- Car & Motorcycle bourg (€34.60, 3¼ hours) every two hours; Motorways are toll free. Speed limits SEA and Brussels–Antwerp–Amsterdam (€37.80, are 50km/h in most towns (30km/h near SEA three hours), currently hourly at least until schools), 70km/h to 90km/h on inter-town FYRA services start. There’s no NMBS/SNCB roads, and 120km/h on motorways. The Brussels–Paris train but NMBS/SNCB trains maximum legal blood alcohol limit is run regularly to Lille from Tournai (€6, 30 0.05%. Car hire is available at airports and minutes), Ypres (via Kortrijk) and Antwerp major train stations, but is usually cheaper (via Ghent). from city centre oﬃ ces.

Sea Taxi Most UK-bound motorists drive a couple of Taxis must usually be pre-booked but there hours west to Dunkirk (Dunkerque) or Cal- are ranks near main stations. Tips and taxes ais in France. However there are two direct are always included in metered fares. options from Belgium: Zeebrugge–Hull P&O (www.poferries.com) Train runs the 14-hour overnight service, which NMBS/SNCB (Belgian Railways; %02 528 28 costs from €159 one-way. Pedestrians can 28; www.b-rail.be) trains are completely non- reach Zeebrugge port on a bus leaving smoking. Special fare categories: Bruges train station at 7.30pm (€3.50). Children After 9am, kids under 12 travel for free if accompanied by an adult. Ostend–Ramsgate TransEuropa Ferries (www.transeuropaferries.com) runs this service Seniors People over 65 pay only €5 for a (€55-62 one-way, four hours, four daily). return 2nd-class trip anywhere in Belgium No pedestrians carried. (some exclusions apply). B-Excursions Good-value one-day excur- sion fares including return rail ticket plus Getting Around selected entry fees. Bicycle Go Pass/Rail Pass Ten one-way 2nd-class Cycling is a great way to get around in ﬂ at trips to anywhere in Belgium (except fron- Flanders, less so in chaotic Brussels or un- tier points) cost €46/74 for people under/ dulating Wallonia. The Belgian countryside over 26 years. is riddled with cycling routes (see www. Weekend Return Tickets Valid from veloroutes.be) and most tourist oﬃ ces sell 7pm Friday to Sunday night, for just 20% helpful regional cycling maps. more than a single. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’