When in Flanders
Abbe Bates explores the Dutch speaking region of Flanders in Belgium, and discovers an experience that ranges from chocolate and beer tasting to moving reminders of the battles fought during the First World War.
The northern Dutch-speaking region of Belgium is known as Flanders and is divided into five provinces. The area has six main cultural cities: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Mechelen and Leuven, but also boasts the popular coastal town of Ostend and many poignant battlefield sites that played an important role in the First World War. Coach parking facilities and drop off and pick up points are available in all these areas as well as the opportunity to enjoy guided city or town walks and most attractions offer benefits for groups such as discounted rates (usually for 15 or more people) and guided tours.
Brussels – capital of Europe
The capital of Belgium, Brussels, is often also described as the capital of Europe, with institutions such as the European Parliament based in the city.
A good place to start a visit is the world famous Grand Place, where the baroque facades of the city’s 17th century guildhalls can still be seen.
To the south of here, the Court of Justice is one of the city’s most impressive buildings, built in the 19th century and is said to have provided inspiration for the Belgian architect Victor Horta, considered by many as the father of the Art Nouveau movement.
For further insight into the artistic side of the city, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium consist of the Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art and together these present a collection of Belgian and foreign work dating back to the 15th century.
Art of a different kind is on display at the Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art, which is housed in a former warehouse designed by Victor Horta and explores the development of the comic strip.
Another Art Nouveau setting is the home of the Musical Instruments Museum, which takes you through around 1,500 instruments.
Brussels reputation as the capital of Europe is highlighted in a different way at Mini-Europe. Here, over 300 miniature versions of famous European monuments such as Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower are recreated.
Mini-Europe sits at the foot of perhaps one of Brussels most iconic landmarks, the Atomium. It symbolises a crystallised molecule of iron by the scale of its atoms, magnified over 150 thousand million times and re-opened in 2006 after a two-year refurbishment project. The spheres are accessed by escalators running through the connecting tubes and host a variety of changing exhibitions The top sphere acts as a viewing platform for a panoramic look over the city and as a restaurant.
Bruges – the Venice of the North
In the province of West Flanders, Bruges is a popular destination with groups. The city centre was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and Bruges enjoyed European Capital of Culture status in 2002. As well as on foot, the city is also easily explored on a boat trip along its canal and waterway network; it’s not called the ‘Venice of the North’ for nothing!
On firm ground, the Bruggemuseum is the name given to six historical sites in the city, which include the City Hall, dating from 1376, and the Welcome Church of Our Lady, where you will find important works of art.
There are also several private museums in the city including the Choco Story, which delves into the history of cocoa and chocolate and features demonstrations and the tasting of Belgian chocolates.
Belgium also has a history of diamond production and the Diamond Museum Bruges allows groups to explore this development and witness diamond polishing demonstrations.
Another industry is explored at the Lace Centre. Its museum is set in former lacemakers houses and open lace workshops are regularly held. The Centre also gives access to the nearby 15th century Jerusalem Church, the family chapel of the Genoese merchants, the Adornes.
The oldest parish church in Bruges is St Saviour’s Cathedral, dating back to the 12th century. Entrance is free but there is a small charge – discounted for groups – to enter the Cathedral’s treasury.
In contrast, not far from here is one of the newest buildings in the city, the Concert Hall, built for the city’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2002. It can house almost 1,300 people in its main Concert Auditorium and 300 in the Chamber Music Hall.
Ghent – a city of historic buildings
In the province of East Flanders is the city of Ghent. Perched at the confluence of the Rivers Lys and Scheldt, like Bruges, one of the best ways to explore the city is by boat although the historic city centre is easily accessible on foot as it is traffic free. You can even book a walking tour with the Ghent town crier, taking in five typical Sunday markets in the city.
Ghent boasts over 400 historical buildings and one of the most interesting must be St Bavo’s Cathedral. A place of worship for over 1,000 years, it is home to The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a masterpiece by Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck, which has had a turbulent history. Since it was first painted in 1432, parts have been taken by the French under Napoleon and seized by the Nazis before being finally returned to the city in 1946. However, the panel called ‘The Just Judges’, stolen in 1934, is still missing. Admission to the Cathedral is free but there is an entrance fee (discounted for groups) to view the area where The Adoration of the Lamb is on display.
Nearby is the Belfry, whose construction began in 1313. The huge Klokke Roeland bell used to warn inhabitants of an enemy invasion or announce executions and the building is now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Within walking distance is the Castle of the Counts, built by the Count of Flanders, Philip of Alsace, in 1180.
To the west of the Castle of the Counts, you will find the market place, home to the Groot Vleeshuis, formerly the old meat market building, which is now a delicatessen and cafe, selling all sorts of regional specialities including meats, pralines and beer. Also at the market place is Tierenteyn, where you can buy local mustard, made here since 1790.
Ghent is not short of museums either. These include the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (S.M.A.K) with a permanent collection of Belgian and international masterpieces, the Museum of Fine Arts (M.S.K), which re-opened in May after renovation work, and the Dr. Guislain Museum, set in what is described as the oldest psychiatric hospital in Belgium, which looks at the history of this science.
Antwerp – the diamond capital
Half the world’s polished diamonds pass through the city of Antwerp, so it is easy to see why it is known as the Diamond Capital of the World. At the Diamond Museum, you can learn about the process of diamond production, from the origins of the rough jewel to the finished cut diamonds that end up in countless pieces of jewellery. Groups can arrange a guided visit including a trip to the diamond factory Krochmal & Lieber.
Since the 1980s, Antwerp has also been seen as a city at the cutting edge of fashion, due in no small part to a movement called the ‘Antwerp Six’, made up of six home-grown designers who made their mark on London and Paris during this period. As well as the many high end fashion shops that can be found around Nationalestraat, you can also visit the Fashion Museum (MoMu).
For art of a different nature, close to the banks of the River Schelde, is the Museum of Photography whilst moving east, Rubens’ House is the former home and studio of the artist Peter Paul Rubens. The venue now acts as a museum.
Next to the Central Station, meanwhile, is Antwerp Zoo, one of the oldest in the world and home to over 5,000 animals.
To the south of the city centre, the Middelheim Open-Air Sculpture Museum, meanwhile, features the work of masters such as Auguste Rodin.
Mechelen – city of bell ringing
Also in the province of Antwerp, the city of Mechelen prospered in the 16th century as the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands. Margaret of Austria ruled during this period and her gothic Palace still remains today.
Another of the city’s many historic gothic buildings is St Rumbold’s Cathedral, whose tower is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It took 300 years to build the Cathedral between the 13th and 16th centuries and the tower was never finished; it stands nearly 100 metres tall but was originally planned to reach 168 metres high and is home to one of Mechelen’s many carillons (a series of bells). In fact, the city is known as having the best school in Europe for carillon players.
Nearby, the Royal Manufacturers De Wit is worth a stop. Founded in 1889, the company still produces original Flemish tapestry in wool and silk and is the only workshop in Flanders to do so. It also restores valuable tapestries from around the world. Group guided visits are available by appointment including a weaving demonstration.
To the west of here, The Anchor Brewery has a reputation for brewing good local beers such as Gouden Carolus. Groups are welcomed by appointment, with a minimum group size of 12 people and a guided visit includes samples.
For something completely different, the Toy Museum, on the outskirts of the city, houses a collection of toys from around the world including a doll collection that ranges from French china dolls to Barbies, allowing visitors of all ages to identify with the exhibits.
Also on the outskirts of the city is the Planckendael Wild Animal Park, home to a range of exotic birds and animals, and the Vrijbroek Park, featuring what is said to be one of Europe’s most famous rose gardens.
Leuven – a place of learning
The city of Leuven can be found in the province of Flemish Brabant. It is perhaps best known for its university, founded in 1425.
The Great Market Square is home to two architecturally important buildings. The Town Hall, started in 1439, was refurbished in the 19th century and features 236 statuettes of important figures from the city’s history, which date from this period. Visits are by guided tour only and these can be combined to encompass the second important building in the Square, St Peter’s Church & Treasury, founded in 986.
In the south of the city, the Great Beguinage was founded about 700 years ago and is now a university residential quarter and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beguinages (sites of female religious communities) grew up in the 13th century across Western Europe.
Not far away is the Botanical Garden, dating from 1738 and the oldest in Belgium and Leuven is also home to the Stella Artois Brewery, a household lager in the UK, and this can be toured by your group and features tastings!
Ostend and Ypres
As well as Flanders’ six main cities, the coastal town of Ostend has become a popular group stopover in recent years.
On the coast in Ostend is the Raversijde Domain, consisting of three attractions. The Prince Karel Memorial aims to remember the Belgian prince, regent between 1944 and 1950, and the buildings he once lived in now act as a museum. The Atlantic Wall Open-Air Museum, meanwhile, includes a series of German wartime bunkers and trenches connected by tunnels. The Archeological Site of Walraversijde concentrates on an earlier period, featuring reconstructed medieval fishermen’s houses.
Further into the town centre, is the Casino Kursaal, which offers several packages for groups and is the largest casino in the country.
A new shopping centre also opened this year on the market place in Ostend, connecting the streets of Kapellestraat and Wapenplein.
West of Ostend is the area known as de Westhoek, including the city of Ypres and the surrounding Salient, which has become synonymous with the battles fought during the First World War. Ypres itself suffered heavy bombardment during the Great War but has now been restored to its former glory. Despite this, it still retains sombre reminders of the war, helping visitors to appreciate past sacrifices; almost half a million soldiers were killed in and around Ypres.
One attraction that deals with this subject is the moving In Flanders Fields Museum, set in the former 14th century Cloth Hall in the city. Its permanent exhibition helps explain the events of the First World War.
On the outskirts of the city centre is the Menin Gate, a British war monument displaying the names of 54, 896 soldiers from the British Empire missing in action from 1914 until 1917. Every evening since 1928, at 8pm, the ‘Last Post’ has been sounded to commemorate this. An extended ceremony can be arranged for your group and a special area can be reserved.
There are also around 75 Commonwealth war cemeteries in the Ypres area. The largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world, with nearly 12,000 graves, Tyne Cot, can be found just outside the village of Passendale, also known as Passchendaele, to the north east of Ypres. On the far wall of the cemetery, the list of names displayed on the Menin Gate is continued, nearly a further 35, 000 soldiers fell after 15th August 1917. In July, a new visitor centre was officially opened here.
Events throughout Flanders
Flanders also has several large events that take place regularly throughout its provinces. Probably the most well known of these is the Brussels Flower Carpet, a biennial event that will take place again in August 2008, when the Grand Place is covered with 700,000 begonias. In the same month next year, Bruges will host its triennial Canal Festival, staged along the city’s canals and in the Burg square. In Ostend, a Dinner With Art promotion will run from March 2008 for a year, where various restaurants offer packages that give the opportunity to enjoy a meal and take a plate specially painted by an artist home afterwards, whilst in Antwerp, the second annual Taste Festival will take place in August 2008, featuring a selection of regional food produce. Mechelen’s main annual event is the Hanswijk Procession, which parades through the city in May, depicting biblical stories whilst Leuven in Scenes takes place during the same month and is a biennial international open-air theatre event. The Ghent Festivities take place annually in July, with theatre and music events around the city, whilst a Floralies Procession will also take place in Ghent on 21st September 2008, featuring 20 floats and celebrating 200 years of The Floralies of Ghent, a five-yearly flower show, due to take place again in April 2010. The main event for 2008 in the Ypres region is the new Man-Culture-War: Multicultural Aspects of the First World War exhibition, which will run between May and September 2008 at the In Flanders Fields Museum and focus on the different cultures involved in the conflict.These are a mixture of free and charged events, with some offering group rates if there is a fee.
How to get there
The Flanders region of Belgium is easily accessible. By air, several operators fly direct from London and regional UK airports. These include Brussels Airlines, VLM Airlines and British Midland, Eastern Airlines and Ryanair.
By train, Eurostar operates daily services from Waterloo to Brussels Midi; from November these will be leaving from the new St Pancras International station, taking 1 hour and 51 minutes. It is also possible to travel with Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais and continue by road to Belgium.
A number of ferry operators also travel to Belgium; Superfast Ferries operates weekly overnight crossings between Rosyth and Zeebrugge and P&O Ferries offer overnight mini-cruises from Hull to Zeebrugge.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Tourism Flanders-Brussels
Flanders House
1a Cavendish Square
London
W1G 0LD
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7307 7733
Fax: +44 (0)20 7307 7731
Email: trade@visitflanders.co.uk
Web: www.visitflanders.co.uk