Everyone should learn the 11th Commandment (translated from Flemish), which clearly involves sampling a variety of Trappist beers while crowds of saints and angels peer down at you. It could be the easiest one!
Tag Archives | Belgium
Ubiquitous Virgin Mary, Antwerp
Don’t forget to look up in Antwerp! You don’t want to miss the colorful 18th and 19th century Marian statues built into building corners. The Virgin Mary is Antwerp’s patron saint.
Belgian Waffles
It’s impossible to walk very far in the city center without encountering a waffle stand. The enticingly sweet scent hangs in the air at almost every turn. I always try to withstand the siren call of the first one or two, but eventually I cave. I am a weak, weak person. Belgian waffles are served […]
Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp
This is the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries. If you’re not impressed by this superlative, just know there are a lot of churches in the region. The 123-meter spire dominates Antwerp’s skyline. It feels roomy inside, too, as the wide central nave is flanked by three aisles on each side. Antwerp’s centerpiece originated […]
G. Bastin Chocolatier, Antwerp
There’s a lot of family history behind chocolatier G. Bastin’s delicious pralines, which makes them even more special. The story: In 1908, Theofiel Adriaenssens opens the shop. He tires of it by 1918 and passes it to his sister, Leonie. Leonie marries Raymond Bastin, they have a son, Gilbert. Raymond dies when Gilbert is 18 […]
Museum Rockoxhuis, Antwerp
I have a love-hate relationship with museum-houses. On the positive side, they are stunningly elaborate, masterpiece-filled, lovingly preserved time machines that evoke the days of yore. On the negative side, their grandeur, opulence and contained artwork provoke a crippling case of real estate envy. Luckily/unluckily for me, Antwerp is chock-full of museum-houses. Museum Rockoxhuis is […]
Belga Queen Brussels
This is one of those places that tries to be fashionable and forgets to make memorable food. The setting is a 19th century bank building with stained glass ceilings and marble columns. There’s an inviting oyster bar and expensive beer and cocktail bar. The former bank vaults in the cellar houses a cigar lounge and […]
Musée Magritte
Since Magritte is one of Belgium’s most beloved artists, it is only fitting that an entire wing of the Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts should be dedicated to his work. Since it opened in 2009, the Musée Magritte houses the largest collection of the surrealist’s paintings and drawings. It’s fascinating to walk through Magritte’s career and […]
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
This mid-sized gallery offers a great overview of regional art. The collection spans from the 15th to the 20th centuries and focuses on local superstars such as Bruegel, van der Weyden, Jordaens, Rubens. The modern collection is impressive, with 19th and 20th century work by Belgian artists mixed in with pieces by Seurat, Dali and […]
Cathédrale des Sts-Michel & Gudule
When we saw this Roman Catholic church, I had to look twice to make sure we weren’t in Paris, for Cathédrale des Sts-Michel & Gudule is a smaller, slightly modified version of Notre Dame de Paris. When this grand church was founded in 1047, the relics of martyr Saint Gudula (previously housed in a different, […]
