Mapwork by @Slalice_Draws
This week our virtual travels bring us to one of my favorite destinations so far: #Belgium! Belgium is so centrally located in Europe, and plays such an important role in world and regional affairs that we are sure to find something for everyone along our travels. Let's go!
Travel and Fun Attractions
Getting to Belgium will be very easy from Berlin. Regular non-stop flights last 1 hour and 30 minutes and currently start at only 119 Euros. Alternatively, we can take a relaxing train ride that will last a little less than 7 hours each way.
Our home base while we are in the country will be the capital city of Brussels, as most of the attractions we want to visit are less than an hour train ride away. A few attractions are a bit further away, and will require more of a planned day trip to visit.
In Brussels, we will stay at Hotel Amigo, which is a 5-star, luxury hotel. Check it out here:
We will begin our virtual tour of this amazing country at the Atomium, one of the most iconic attractions in Brussels. We can take an elevator to the top to get a picturesque view of the entire city, and learn a bit of recent history along the way.
No longer used as a residence for the royal family, this ornate and impressive estate in downtown Brussels is today used as more of a workplace to host dinners and meetings for them. It is considered one of Europe's finest palaces. Occasionally, it is open to the public for tours.
Speaking of royalty, we will then head across town to the magical wonderlands that are the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken which we will be able to tour if we are lucky enough to be there during a rare week when they are open to the public.
Brussels is not just the home of royal leaders, but an international leader on the world stage, as well. We will visit the NATO headquarters in their new, iconic building, as well as the headquarters of the European Parliament. Check out both virtual tours, below:
While we are thinking about politics and governing (and no doubt working up an appetite!) we will head over to La Maison du Cygne, the restaurant where Karl Marx famously hung out as a political refuge in Brussels, and wrote much of his work.
Next, we will visit the law courts in Brussels, which were built as an architectural marvel, being the largest building in the world at the time they were built and still stands as an impressive structure today.
Next, while we are still thinking about history, we will head over for a tour of Victor Horta's four major townhouses. Victor Horta is considered the father of the Art Nouveau movement in 19th century architecture.
8. Waterloo
Of course, a visit to Belgium is not complete without a visit to the area of Waterloo (just a short way down the road from Brussels) - the site of Napoleon's last battle. Here's a video highlighting the attractions that welcome visitors today to share the history with us.
In a less touristy part of the city, we can walk by the birthplace of famous actress and humanitarian, Audrey Hepburn (marked by a plaque on the outside of the house) and grab a bite to eat at L'Epicerie, right down the street, which is a very old grocery store-turned restaurant that maintains its European village charm.
Now that we've been on a lot of tours throughout Brussels, it is time for some fun! We will head over to the Galeries St. Hubert, Europe's oldest (and strikingly beautiful!) shopping arcade to pick up some fun souvenirs to bring home.
11. Flower Carpet
If we are fortunate enough to be in Brussels during the time of year when a elaborate flower carpet is displayed on Grand Place, we will head over to check that out. It will be fun to see it in person, and I bet it smells great!
Speaking of flowers that appear annually, the Hallerbos Forest, just outside of Belgium is where we will head next. Each spring, this forest becomes magically covered in bluebell hyacinth, and looks like it must feel like walking through a dream!
Next up, we will dig into our sense of adventure and head to Nemo 33, which is the world's deepest swimming pool, complete with caves. We can scuba dive and explore the caves, which include peeking into a restaurant full of diners! Once we have worked up an appetite, we will have a truly unique experience as we make our way into "The Pearl" - a tiny restaurant only accessible by scuba diners and scuba servers!
14. Herge Museum
Next we will visit a museum honoring Herge, a famous comic author of such famous comics as TinTin. We can take a virtual tour here in the meanwhile.
Next, we will head just a bit northwest of Brussels to Ghent, a short train ride away, and a city full of life and excitement! First up is the annual Gentse Feesten, the largest cultural festival in Europe.
While in Ghent, we will be sure to visit Gravensteen Castle, which is one of the largest moated castles in Europe.
We will not want to miss a visit to Saint Bavo's Cathedral, which is the current home of the artwork, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. This is the most stolen piece of artwork of all time, throughout the world.
While in Ghent, we will want to immerse ourselves in the Comic Art Museum, celebrating the beloved Belgian comic strip art form.
As we continue to make our way to the northwest in the country, and arrive in Brugge, which is a beautiful coastal community, we will start by traveling on the Kusttram, the world's longest continuous tram line at 68 kilometers, where we can enjoy some views of the water and become more familiar with the general area.
20. Beaufort Project
Along the coastal area, we will be sure to keep an eye out for large, outdoor art pieces which have been installed as a part of the "Beaufort Project." This one in the photo is called, "Rock Strangers."
Disney Sand Magic runs the world's largest sand sculpture festival on the beaches of Ostend, near Brugge. We will have fun checking that out!
22. Brugge's Belfry (366 Steps Up!)
Back in the center of Brugge, we want to dig deep to climb our way to the top of the Belfry tower (366 steps up!).
Each day, the Basilica of the Holy Blood brings out a vial of what they claim is blood that has been preserved from the actual body of Jesus Christ. Who knows the truth after all of this time, but this will be a fascinating worship service to participate in, and certainly a very unique experience.
24. Historium Brugge
A few years ago, we had the opportunity to visit Brugge for one day (I'll be sharing more about our visit later this week). We stumbled upon this museum, and I was so shocked by what an outstanding museum it is. We still talk about it to this day. We will definitely visit this museum on our virtual trip!
We will make our way back to our home base in Brussels, and then from there, head to Antwerp! Antwerp is the Diamond trade center of the world, but there is so much more there to see and do. On the way from Brussels to Antwerp, we will have the opportunity to stop at the Tomorrowland Electronic Dance Music festival if we are in Belgium at the right time of year.
26. Ghost Town Doel
Not too far from Antwerp, there stands a largely abandoned town that is scheduled to be completely leveled at some point in the future to make way for an expanded port of Antwerp. After the residents left, and all the buildings stood abandoned, artists moved in to create beautiful murals along the streets. Approximately 25 of the once 1,000+ residents have refused to leave their homes in spite of orders from the government. While we will have trouble getting into Doel in person (only residents are technically allowed in), we can absolutely visit through the video above on our virtual visit.
In Antwerp, we will visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum, which has a deep and wide collection of all sorts of interesting pieces of history, including an ancient printing museum that printed the first atlas as well as the first King's Bible. We can take a virtual tour of the online exhibits here.
28. MAS Museum
The really architecturally interesting MAS Museum has served as an anchor for the vitalization of downtown Antwerp since it opened. We can take a virtual tour here.
We will have plenty to do with this incredible and fun list! However, if we happen to have a free day and a desire to go a bit off the beaten path - outside of Brussels; Ghent; Brugge; or Antwerp, here's a short list of interesting things to explore on day trips in other areas of Belgium:
Phew! I think we will need to stay for at least a couple of weeks to see all of that. Lots to see and do in Belgium during our virtual visit. What are you most excited about?
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