My Visual Travel Experience: Belgium

My wife, two and a half year old son, and I spent a week in Belgium in the summer of 2017. We based ourselves out of an apartment in Antwerp, and I drove around the country in the car I had rented. Belgium is a small country, and no place is more than an hour or two away. The only problem we faced was that our son was not used to a car seat, which led to him getting restless during long drives!

Belgium has a population of around 11 million, and the country's area is just over 30,000 sq km. The per capita income of the country is almost USD 50,000 per annum. French and Flemish are the two official languages spoken in the country.

Brussels, the capital of Belgium and its largest city, has a population of  just over 1 million. Grand Place is the city's central square, and it has the 96 meter tall Hotel de Ville (the Town Hall), the Maison du Roi (that houses the Museum of the City of Brussels), and numerous pretty guild houses. The square is full of restaurants and cafes, and is extremely popular with locals and tourists.

Hotel de Ville, Grand Place, Brussels

Maison du Roi, Grand Place, Brussels

La Maison d'Espagne, Grand Place, Brussels

La Maison des Brasseurs, Grand Place, Brussels

We enjoyed having Belgian waffles sitting at the square. We also visited a Godiva store at the square, and enjoyed the sinfully delicious chocolates!

Belgian Waffles at Grand Place, Brussels

Godiva chocolates at Grand Place, Brussels

Godiva Chocolate Boxes at Grand Place, Brussels

Not far from Grand Place, there's the Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule, which dates back to the 16th century. It has twin 64 meter tall spires, and from outside, it reminded me of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral.

Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule, Brussels

Nave of Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule, Brussels

Organ of Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule, Brussels

Pulpit of Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule, Brussels

Entrance of Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule, Brussels

Manneken Pis is a tiny 61 cm tall bronze statue of a small boy relieving himself. The original, made in the 17th century, lies in the Maison du Roi, and the one on public display is a replica. There are various legends around the statue - the most popular one is that the boy was a wealthy merchant's son who got lost, and when he was eventually found, he was spotted happily relieving himself! It's amazing how this tiny statue has become one of the city's main symbols.

Manneken Pis, Brussels

Galeries St Hubert is a shopping arcade completed in 1847. The covered arcade has shops on multiple levels under an arched glass-panel roof with a cast iron framework.

Galeries St Hubert, Brussels

Basilique Nationale du Sacre Coeur is a large basilica from the 20th century, with a 89 meter tall dome. The basilica is the largest art deco building in the world. The exterior is very grand, but inside, the basilica is a little bare, though the huge size is certainly impressive. The cathedral has a popular restaurant too.

Basilique Nationale du Sacre Coeur, Brussels

High Altar of Basilique Nationale du Sacre Coeur,
Brussels

The Atomium was built for the 1958 World Fair. It has a height of 102 meters and consists of 9 stainless steel spheres that are connected and are in the shape of a unit cell of iron crystal magnified some 165 billion times. It now serves as an exhibition hall, and there are great views from the top. Right beside the Atomium lies Mini Europe, a theme park that has miniature replicas of many of Europe's best known landmarks, on a scale of 1:25. The landmarks include Paris' Eiffel Tower, London's Houses of Parliament, Brussels' Grand Place, Pisa's Leaning Tower, and Venice's St Mark's Cathedral, to name just a few.

Atomium, Brussels

Brussels' Grand Place at Mini Europe, Brussels

Pisa's Duomo at Mini Europe, Brussels

Aeroplanes at Mini Europe, Brussels

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts are a group of several museums that have paintings by Flemish masters including Rubens, Brueghel, Jordaens and Van Dyck. Close by, there's the Royal Palace, the official palace of the king and queen of Belgium.

Brueghel's Fall of Icarus at Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels

Brueghel's Fall of the Angel at
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels

Brueghel's Census at Bethlehem at
Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Brussels

Rembrandt's Pieta with St Francis, Royal Museum
of Fine Arts, Brussels

Near the Royal Palace, there's St Jacques sur Coudenburg, a neo classical church where Leopold I, the first king of Belgium, took his oath in 1831.

St Jacques sur Coudenburg, Brussles

Waterloo lies barely 15 km outside Brussels. That's where the grand battle took place in 1815 between the French Emperor Napoleon, and the alliance led by the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon's forces were defeated in that famous battle. There is a mound at the site, topped by a large bronze statue of a lion. One has to climb 226 steps to get to the summit, but the view makes it worth the climb. There's also the Panorama, a circular building that has an oil on canvas painting depicting the battle along its inner walls, covering the entire circumference of the building. The complex, called Butt de Lion, also has a museum dedicated to the battle.

Butt de Lion, Waterloo

Close-up of Lion at Butt de Lion, Waterloo

Panorama at Butt de Lion, Waterloo

Battle-field Painting at the Panorama, Butt de Lion, Waterloo

Portrait of Napoleon, Museum, Waterloo

Map of France under Napoleon, Museum, Waterloo

Chateau de la Hulpe is another pretty place barely 15 km from Brussels. The pretty castle dates back to the middle of the 19th century and is in the middle of expansive lawns. My wife was keen on going to a pretty, quiet place, as we had been visiting town after town, and this was a welcome relief. The lawns are open to the public, and the castle can be rented for marriages and large parties.

Chateau de la Hulpe

Lawns, Chateau de la Hulpe

Path to the Castle, Chateau de la Hulpe

Horses, Chateau de la Hulpe

Antwerp has a population of 450,000 and is the country's second largest town. Its main site is the Cathedral of Our Lady, with its soaring 123 meter tall tower. The cathedral boasts of several paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, including The Assumption of the Virgin at the high altar. The cathedral dates back to the 16th century.

Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Doorway, Cathedral of Our Lady

High Altar of Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Dome interior of Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Organ, Cathedral of Our Lady

Nearby, there's the Grote Markt, the main square, which has the Stadhuis (the Town Hall) and the well known Brabo Fountain.

Grote Markt, Antwerp

Stadhuis, Antwerp

Rubenshuis is the house where the Flemish master lived and painted a lot of his masterpieces. The palatial house has dozens of works by Rubens, and by his contemporary artists.

Garden at Rubenshuis, Antwerp

Rubens' The Annunciation, Rubenshuis, Antwerp

Rubens' Self Portrait, Rubenshuis, Antwerp

Another place where paintings by Rubens can be seen is a pretty church called the St Paul's Church.

Sint Pauluskerk, Antwerp

High Altar of Sint Pauluskerk, Antwerp

Sint Pauluskerk, Antwerp

A visit to Antwerp isn't complete without seeing the Centraal Station, which is reputed to be one of the world's prettiest railway stations, and has a grand imposing dome.

Centraal Station, Antwerp

Interior, Centraal Station, Antwerp

Bruges is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful towns, and it is not hard to see why. The town has a population of about 115,000. Church of Our Lady is a must on every visitor's list. The church has the famous marble statue of the Madonna and Child made by Michelangelo. It was his only statue to have left Italy during his lifetime.

Church of Our Lady, Bruges

Michelangelo's Virgin and Child Chapel,
Church of Our Lady, Bruges

High Altar, Church of Our Lady, Bruges

Organ, Church of Our Lady, Bruges

The Markt lies in the heart of the old town, and is full of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. It is the starting point of horse carriage rides that go around the old town. This was one experience that our son really loved!

Markt, Bruges

Markt, Bruges

Horse Carriage, Markt

Tapestry Work at a shop, Markt

The square is dominated by the 83 meter tall Belfry, which has great views from the top. The Stadhuis (the Town Hall), with its wooden Gothic Hall, lies close by and is worth a visit.

The Belfort, Bruges

Stadhuis, Bruges

Interior, Stadhuis

Bruges has a series of canals, and a canal ride is strongly recommended. On one of the town's many bridges, there's a famous statue of St John of Nepomuk. Bruges has several museums worth visiting. One that I enjoyed is the Hans Memling Museum, opposite Church of Our Lady. The museum is housed in the old St John's Hospital, and has several paintings by the 15th century artist, including his famous Virgin and Child triptych.

St Nepomuk Statue, Bruges

Virgin and Child Triptych, Hans Memling Museum, Bruges

Pieta, Hans Memling Museum, Bruges

Crucifixion, Hans Memling Museum, Bruges

Ghent has a population of about 230,000. It is another pretty town, and is famous for its pretty medieval spires that dominate the town's skyline. The Graslei is my favourite area in Ghent. It is a quay along the river Leie. Both sides of the river are lined with pretty guild halls and the quays are full of restaurants and cafes. A great place for a boat ride! Close by, there's Gravensteen, an 11th century castle that now houses a museum of torture instruments.

Graslei with Het Gravensteen, Ghent

Graslei with the Grainery and Korenmarkt, Ghent

Het Gravensteen

St Baafskathedraal, with its 89 meter tall spire, is a major site, which contains Van Eyck's masterpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Opposite the cathedral lies the Belfry, with its 91 meter tall tower.

St Baafskathedraal, Ghent

High Altar of St Baafskathedraal, Ghent

Bible at St Baafskathedraal, Ghent

Father Damian Statue at
St Baafskathedraal, Ghent

Belfry, Ghent

Another one of Ghent's landmarks is the 13th century St Nicholas Church.

St Nicholas Church, Ghent

High Altar, St Nicholas Church, Ghent

All in all, it was a great visit. Looking back, I feel we should have given Belgium at least 10 days, because it wasn't easy packing in so much into a week, that too with a small baby! It did get too hectic for the family. But I strongly recommend Belgium to visitors who enjoy history, art, good food or scenic beauty!