Antwerp
 While its name may evoke heavy sighs from any would-be Pieter Paul Rubens
who ever picked up a paintbrush, the compact and richly historic city of
Antwerp is Belgium's most underrated tourist destination. It's bordered by
the Scheldt River and the 'Ring', a highway built on a 16th-century moat
which encircled the city in a vain attempt to keep the Spanish out.
As a world port, Antwerp's air is international and just a tad seedy,
while from behind the discreet facades of the Jewish quarter the world's
largest diamond industry thrives. Few places tangle the old and the
(relatively) new quite so enchantingly. Here eclectic Art Nouveau mansions
stare back at Neo-Renaissance villas, and medieval castles provide a magical
backdrop for the city's myriad bars and cafes.
Home to Belgium's largest Gothic church (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Katedraal),
and the birthplace of Rubens, Antwerp is a haven for art lovers,
architecture buffs and aimless wanderers. For a great collection of Flemish
Primitives, check out its Royal Museum of Fine Art. And for a great
collection of exotic beasties, the Antwerp Zoo is highly recommended.
About 40km due north of Brussels, Antwerp has an airport and there are
international trains and buses from Brussels and neighboring countries.
Bruges
 Europe's best-preserved medieval city and Belgium's most visited town,
this 13th-century 'living museum' was suspended in time five centuries ago
by the silting of its river. Blessed with two medieval cores, the Markt and
the Burg, the town also boasts some of the country's most compelling art
collections. The Groeninge Museum specialises in blood-and-guts Early
Primitives and the 14th-century Stadhuis features both fine paintings and
furniture. For a spectacular view of this ambler's delight, climb the 366
stairs of the central belfort.
You can catch a train to this north-eastern town from Antwerp or
Brussels. Buses pass through from Antwerp to London, via Calais in France.
Day trips are also popular from Bruges to the famous poppy-filled
battlefields of Flanders.
Ghent
 If it wasn't for Paris, Ghent would be medieval Europe's largest city.
Steeped in history both rebellious and industrious, it sits at the junction
of the Leie and Scheldt rivers and was once the site of armed battles by its
townsfolk, who raged against heavy taxes and restricted civil liberties.
Ghent is grey and somewhat begrimed - not picturesque like Bruges, but
ultimately more realistic. Like Bruges, the town has a belfort well worth
climbing and, at the Sint-Baafskathedral, a must-see masterpiece by Jan van
Eyck - Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
The Ardennes
 Home to deep river valleys and high forests, Belgium' s southeast corner
is often overlooked by travellers hopping between the old art towns and the
capital. But here you'll find tranquil villages nestled into the grooves of
the Meuse, Lesse and Ourthe valleys or sitting atop the verdant hills. It
was in this area that the Battle of the Bulge once raged. There are several
tours available which make the most of the ancient citadels of the region.
The town of Namur is the best base for exploration - well positioned on
the railway line to Luxembourg and with rail and bus connections to some of
the more inaccessible spots.
|
An unpretentious mix of grand edifices and modern skyscrapers, Brussels
is a modest, confident capital that many visitors find to be an acquired
taste. Since it doubles as the capital of the European Union, it's packed to
the rafters with bureaucrats and Eurocrats who have given the place an air
of bustling efficiency without exactly festooning it with fun. The city is
built along a pentagon of boulevards known as the Petit Ring. At its heart
is the Grand Place, arguably Europe's most beautiful central square. Within
a twenty-minute walk is much of the city's accommodation, most of it easily
accessible by tram, bus or metro. 
Brussels
City Tour