©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Belgium & Luxembourg Bruges & Antwerp & Western Flanders Eastern Flanders p83 p142 #_ Brussels p34 Western Wallonia p182 The Ardennes p203 Luxembourg p242 #_ THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Helena Smith, Andy Symington, Donna Wheeler PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to Belgium BRUSSELS . 34 Antwerp to Ghent . 164 & Luxembourg . 4 Around Brussels . 81 Westmalle . 164 Belgium South of Brussels . 81 Hoogstraten . 164 & Luxembourg Map . 6 Southwest of Brussels . 82 Turnhout . 164 Belgium North of Brussels . 82 Lier . 166 & Luxembourg’s Top 15 . 8 Mechelen . 168 Need to Know . 16 BRUGES & WESTERN Leuven . 173 First Time . 18 FLANDERS . 83 Leuven to Hasselt . 177 Hasselt & Around . 178 If You Like . 20 Bruges (Brugge) . 85 Tienen . 178 Damme . 105 Month by Month . 22 Hoegaarden . 179 The Coast . 106 Zoutleeuw . 179 Itineraries . 26 Knokke-Heist . 107 Sint-Truiden . 180 Travel with Children . 29 Het Zwin . 107 Tongeren . 180 Regions at a Glance . .. 31 De Haan . 107 Zeebrugge . 108 Lissewege . 108 WESTERN Ostend (Oostende) . 108 WALLONIA . 182 MATT MUNRO /LONELY PLANET © PLANET /LONELY MUNRO MATT Nieuwpoort . 114 Tournai . 183 Oostduinkerke . 114 Pipaix . 188 St-Idesbald . 115 Aubechies . 189 De Panne & Adinkerke . 115 Belœil . 189 Veurne . 115 Lessines . 190 Diksmuide . 117 Enghien . 190 Beer Country . 117 Mons . 190 Westvleteren . 117 Waterloo Battlefield . 194 Woesten . 117 Nivelles . 196 Watou . 117 Louvain-la-Neuve . 197 CHOCOLATE LINE, BRUGES P103 Poperinge . 118 Villers-la-Ville . 197 Ypres (Ieper) . 119 Charleroi . 198 Ypres Salient . 123 Thuin . 199 HELEN CATHCART /LONELY PLANET © PLANET /LONELY HELEN CATHCART Comines . 124 Aulne . 199 Kortrijk . 125 Ragnies . 199 Oudenaarde . 127 Botte du Hainaut . 200 Geraardsbergen . 128 Philippeville . 200 Ghent (Gent) . 129 L’Eau de Heure . 200 Mariembourg . 200 ANTWERP & EASTERN Nismes . 201 FLANDERS . 142 Couvin . 201 Chimay . 202 Antwerp (Antwerpen) . 144 ST-SALVATORSKATHEDRAAL, BRUGES P91 Antwerp Port . 163 Contents UNDERSTAND THE ARDENNES . 203 LUXEMBOURG . 242 Belgium & Luxembourg Namur . 205 Luxembourg City . 244 Today . 266 Crupet . 210 Moselle Valley . 255 History . 268 Dinant . 211 Schengen & Han-sur-Lesse . 212 Remerschen . 255 The Belgian People . 278 Rochefort . 212 Remich . 256 Creative Cuisine . 280 Wormeldange . 256 Lavaux-Sainte-Anne . 214 Belgian Beer . 283 Redu . 214 Grevenmacher . 256 Arts & Architecture . 286 St-Hubert . 214 Müllerthal . 256 Bouillon . 215 Bourglinster . 256 Bouillon to Vresse . 217 Larochette . 257 Orval . 218 Echternach . 257 La Roche-en-Ardenne . 218 Beaufort . .. 259 Hotton . 220 Northern Luxembourg . 260 Durbuy . 220 Ettelbrück . 260 SURVIVAL Petite Somme . 222 Château de GUIDE Huy . 222 Bourscheid . 260 Modave . 223 Diekirch . 260 Directory A-Z . 292 Jehay . 223 Vianden . 261 Liège (Luik) . 223 Esch-sur-Sûre . 263 Transport . 298 Spa . 231 Wiltz . 264 Language . 303 Verviers . 233 Clervaux . .. 264 Index . .. 315 The Eastern Cantons . 234 Stavelot . 237 Map Legend . .. 319 Coo . 238 Bastogne . 239 Arlon . 241 SPECIAL FEATURES Month by Month . 22 Creative Cuisine . 280 Belgian Beer . 283 Art & Architecture . 286 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 26 Itineraries N O R T H S E A We s t e e r s c h e l d NETHERLANDS Schelde •# •# Antwerp Bruges É É É •# É Lier •# Mechelen •# Ghent É É É •# #_ É Leuven É BELGIUM BRUSSELS É FRANCE •# Tournai •# 1 WEEK Historic Cities Four of northern Europe’s most memorable historic cities are so handily close together that an hour’s train ride is enough to get between any of them. So you could just about glimpse them all in a long weekend. However, even one week wouldn’t really do them full justice. Take as long as you can. To save on midrange accommodation costs, arrange your trip to sleep in Brussels at the weekend and Bruges midweek. EU capital, Brussels, has a Grand Place that’s one of the world’s most beautiful squares. Explore seductive chocolate shops, wonderful cafés, great galleries, fine muse- ums and art nouveau buildings. And don’t miss the unique 1958 Atomium. Medieval architecture and endless canalside charm make beautiful Bruges one of Europe’s most romantic getaways. Less tourist-oriented, grittier yet somehow more satis- fying, is magical Ghent, whose intimate medieval core is complemented by a lively stu- dent vibe and some wonderful museums. Larger Antwerp is an eclectic port city whose historical credentials are balanced by its vibrant nightlife, café culture and cutting-edge designer fashions. If time allows, there are numerous appealing add-on options: Leuven, Lier, Tournai, or Mechelen. 27 Brussels Airport •# •# Zoutleeuw St-Truiden NETHERLANDS É #_ •# •# É Leuven •# BRUSSELS •# Blegny GERMANY Tienen Tongeren •# Limbourg É É Eupen •# •# Liège PLAN YOUR TRIP •# É É •# É Charleroi Haute Fagnes •# BELGIUM Airport É Mons •# É Coo •# •# •# •# Aulne Stavelot Thuin É Freÿr FRANCE •# ÉÉ É •# É Rochefort •# La-Roche-en-Ardenne IT •# É Mariembourg I •# NERAR •# Han-sur- É St-Hubert •# Lesse •# É Nismes •# Bastogne Chimay É I Vresse-sur-Semois•# ES •#Rochehaut •# LUXEMBOURG •#Bouillon É É Tombeau du Géant •# Orval 2 WEEKS Dawdling the Back Roads If you want to drive around some of Belgium’s more off-beat and rural corners, try this trip. It starts and ends in Brussels or Charleroi Airport, where you can pick up a rental car. It takes in some of the most charming countryside of the Ardennes and eastern Flanders. Head first to Mons, which now has a serious portfolio of excellent museums thanks to its year as Capital of Culture. Then drive down to beer-famed Chimay for two nights, taking in Aulne abbey ruins and Thuin on the way. Tootle along the pretty lanes to Mariembourg and Nismes, possibly taking the steam train. Visit the splendid gardens of Freÿr and the fabulous caves at Han-sur-Lesse or less commercial Rochefort, which has some fine local accommodation. From there drive down to Bouillon with its Crusader castle, and kayak along some of Belgium’s prettiest stretches of wooded valley around Vresse-sur-Semois. Follow the lovely Semois Valley in both directions enjoying the panoramas at Rochehaut and Tombeau du Géant. Visit the golden stone ruins of Orval’s monastery and its modern brewery café to taste the monks’ legendary beer. Head northeast to visit the excellent war museum at Bastogne, then cut across through thick forests via St-Hubert to La Roche-en-Ardenne. Famed for its carnival, attractive Stavelot makes a good base for a few nights and a range of outdoor activities (organised at nearby Coo), and a day hike on the Haute Fagnes. Stop for coffee and pas- tries in Eupen, Belgium’s only really Germanic city, and explore the attractive country lanes, not missing delightful little Limbourg. Nip up the motorway to visit Blegny, de- scending into Belgium’s last accessible coal mine, then, for a dose of big-city action, drop by Liège with its lively riverside vibe, top eating scene and boisterous nightlife. Next, it’s a quieter visit to appealing Tongeren, Belgium’s ‘oldest’ town, then drive the Roman road to underrated St-Truiden with random wanders off into the pretty Haspengouw area. Don’t miss the remarkable church in Zoutleeuw and drop into Tienen to see the sugar museum. Spend your last night in lively student city Leuven. 28 To Belgium Clervaux•# D N O R T H É S E A É NETHERLANDS •#Vianden É PLAN YOUR TRIP •# É Diekirch Bourscheid •# Y É É Echternach Diksmuide Mechelen N LUXEMBOURG •# •# •# A É M •# Westvleteren R Hoegaarden E £# Larochette •# #_ G •# É É •# Watou BRUSSELS •# Pipaix É BELGIUM IT É É I É É NERAR Mariembourg •# •# É Moselle Chimay •#Achouffe wine country I #_ •# ES LUXEMBOURG É •# LUXEMBOURG CITY É GERMANY FRANCE Orval FRANCE Loveable 5-7 5-7 Belgian Beer Tour DAYS Luxembourg DAYS Little Luxembourg makes an unexpectedly In Belgium you can be a complete booze- complete destination. Accommodation hound but look very cultured as you tour prices in Luxembourg City fall dramati- medieval monasteries and historic towns, cally at weekends. Midweek is better for trying a drop of the local brew out of po- the rural castle villages with fewer Dutch liteness along the way. bikers on the country lanes. Start your pilgrimage in Brussels, Arrive in Luxembourg City on Friday where you can pay your respects at L’Arbre afternoon, making the most of the city’s d’Or, the venerable brewers’ guild on the decent range of nightlife options and free Grand Place, before learning about lambics weekend on-street parking. On Saturday at Cantillon Brewery. Next head north to buy a two-day Luxembourg Card if you’re Mechelen’s legendary Het Anker. planning to see all of the main museums, Then head to western Flanders, Belgium’s or just stroll the remarkable city ramparts hop-growing country, stopping at Diksmui- and gorges. On Monday head for Echter- de to sip an Oerbier, then tasting the fabled nach, perhaps going via Larochette or Westvleteren 12 Trappist at Abdij Sint- through Moselle wine country. Hike in Sixtus and a St-Bernardus Tripel in Watou. the attractive Müllerthal micro-canyons Head southeast to Dubuisson at then head to Diekirch for the best Ar- Pipaix dennes battle museum around. By bus and visit the charming nearby steam brew- it’s a bit of a fiddle, but consider visiting ery. The enticingly rural Botte du Hainaut is home to the legendary Trappist Bourscheid to admire the Grand Duchy’s Chimay impressive castle ruin. Head to charming beer, and the Fagnes brewery at Mariem- bourg is a good lunch stop. Vianden, the most convenient rural geta- way, whose restored fortress looms above Belgium’s deep southeast holds lovely the charming little town. Take the bus to Orval’s brewery-monastery. On your way pretty Clervaux and continue by train to back north, drop by the rural hamlet of Coo or Liege in Belgium or return to Lux- Achouffe for La Chouffe’s magnificent of- embourg City.