Vantage World Travel

Belgium Gothic Cathedrals & Battlefields - 9D/8N

From the cafes of the Grand Place in Brussels to the deep forests of the Ardennes region, this drive takes you through the varied landscapes and cultures of Belgium. You’ll visit the miraculously preserved medieval town of Bruges. Get a bracing dose of North Sea air at Ostend. And visit one of the most stunning citadels in all of Europe in Namur. A trip through Belgium is about seeing cutting-edge fashion in Antwerp, reflecting on the battles in Flanders Fields and learning about a country that has two distinct languages and cultures, French and Flemish. It’s a journey trip for those who love mussels and craft-brewed Trappist beer and for devotees of artists such as Rubens, Magritte and Ensor. Belgium may be small but it offers something to engage most every visitor.

Brussels is home to legions of diplomats, lobbyists and politicians associated with the European Union and NATO. But that seems beside the point when you’re in Grand Place in the heart of the city, eating mussels and frîtes and enjoying a Duvel or another of the dozens of craft-brewed Belgian beers. Do visit the Musée Horta, the home of architect Victor Horta, and The Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, another Horta building. This one is dedicated to Belgian comics, most famously those of Hergé, who created Tintin. Don’t overlook some of the best chocolate shops in the world and do visit the arcaded shopping galleries. Make the obligatory stop at the Mannekin Pis, the statue of the little boy who, according to legend, saved Brussels by urinating to extinguish a fire. The Musée d’Art Moderne is worth exploring, as is the Musée Magritte, dedicated to surrealist Belgian artist René Magritte. Then return to a Grand Place café for a nightcap.

Antwerp, the Rubens’ city par excellence, the world diamond centre, a city of fashion designers and fashion trendsetters, a world port and a real shoppers’ paradise, a gallery of protected monuments and cityscapes, a welcoming and multicultural metropolis with a convivial and chockfull of atmosphere. Antwerp is a refreshingly down-to-earth yet vivacious cosmopolitan habitat blessed with magnificent architecture, fashionable shop fronts, beer-washed pubs, dazzling monuments, jazzed-up clubs, inspired artworks and restaurant tables piled with plates of superb Belgian and multicultural food.

Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It was a justified motive that prompted UNESCO in 2000 to include the entire historical city centre on the World Heritage list. Walking along the maze of winding cobbled alleys and romantic canals, you imagine yourself to be in medieval times. The wealth of museums is a striking image of this city’s stirring history. Bruges is also home to contemporary culture, such as the new Concert Hall, which is one of the most prominent music complexes in Flanders. The restaurants in Bruges which offer gastronomic cuisine and the exclusive hotels are a true feast for those who enjoy the good things in life.

Tournai lies on both banks of the Scheldt (French Escaut) near the Belgian/French border. As the administrative capital of an arrondissement, a seat of a bishop and of a Chamber of Industry and Trade and of a law court, Tournai is of more than administrative and cultural importance and possesses major industries. Several attractive but mostly reconstructed buildings testify to the prosperity of the old princely residence and episcopal town. Most of the works of the celebrated medieval school of painting were however destroyed by the iconoclasts in 1566. Tournai has always been the most important market for the surrounding agricultural area. Some of the notable attractions in Tournai include the Romanesque and Gothic-style cathedral of Notre Dame de Tournai and its belfry, which have been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Other places of interest are the 13th-century Scheldt bridge and the main square (Grand’Place), as well as a variety of museums.

Namur has taken on a new role as the capital of the federal region of Wallonia. Its location at the head of the Ardennes has also made it a popular tourist centre, with a casino located in its southern district on the left bank of the Meuse. The town’s most prominent sight is the citadel, now demilitarised and open to the public. It plays host to a beer festival at Easter. Namur also has a distinctive 18th century cathedral dedicated to Saint Aubain and a belfry classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Namur possesses a distinguished university, the Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, also referred to as University of Namur, founded in 1831.

The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and old mountains, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France. The highly strategic position of the Ardennes has made it a battleground for European powers for centuries. In the 20th century, the Ardennes was widely thought unsuitable for large-scale military operations due to its difficult terrain and narrow lines of communications. However, in both World War I and World War II, Germany successfully gambled on making a rapid passage through the Ardennes to attack a relatively lightly defended part of France. The Ardennes saw three major battles during the world wars – the Battle of the Ardennes in World War I, and the Battle of France and Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Many of the towns of the region were badly damaged during the two world wars.

SELF DRIVE PROGRAMS - Probably, the best way to independently travel in Europe is by self-drive car as it allows you to be mobile at all times, to stop whenever you want, to visit to your heart’s content! A limitless number of itineraries are possible, as you can combine any of the different regions and cities to create “your own” program. All our self drive example itineraries will be customized with your choice of car and with accommodation at selected hotels, villas, boutique properties, manor houses or castles as per your preference. Take them as they are, lengthen, shorten, combine them as you desires or just use them for ideas in creating “your itinerary” to discover Europe “as you want”! If you like the tour and decide to further customize it, just let us know of your needs and desires, we will prepare the exact itinerary you are looking for.

Sketch Itinerary

• Day 1 Brussels to Antwerp - Today’s drive takes you north to Mechelen, the heart of Catholic Belgium. Keep your ears peeled for bell ringers, as Mechelen has Belgium’s most famous school of campanology (bell ringing). Then continue to Antwerp. Overnight.
• Day 2 Antwerp - With its cobblestone streets, lively Grote Markt overlooked by the Renaissance-style Stadhuis or town hall, and its artsy demeanor, Antwerp may well be Belgium’s best kept secret. It harbors great cafes and innovative design shops. Names of local fashion designers such as Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester are heard as often as the city’s most famous son, Pieter Paul Rubens. By all means visit the Rubenshuis, the former home and studio of the painter. And stop at the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, which has masterpieces by Van Eyck, Rubens and Ensor. Antwerp is Europe’s second-largest port, its seafaring history explained at the Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum. Antwerp is also Europe’s diamond center and you can see some pricey carats at Diamondland.
• Day 3 Antwer to Bruges - Leave Antwerp to Ghent. Outside of Paris, Ghent was medieval Europe’s largest city. It still has plenty of charm plus an infusion of lively university students. St Baafskathedraal is where you’ll find Ghent’s most famous sight, the “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by Jan Van Eyck. Painted in 1432 as an altarpiece, it’s an allegory of Christ’s death and one of the earliest oil paintings extant. Check out Gravensteen, a 12th-century castle, and sightsee on a canal cruise. Continue to Bruges. Overnight.
• Day 4 Bruges - One of Europe’s bestpreserved medieval cities, Bruges is laced with canals. In Markt square, you’ll find the Belfort, a 13th-century belfry that is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. At the Burg square, you’ll discover the most famous site in Bruges, the Heilig-Bloedbasiliek or the Basilica of the Holy Blood. The name derives from a vessel containing what is said to be Christ’s blood, brought to Bruges after the Crusades in the 12th century. Pause to look at the Stadhuis in the Burg, which may well be Belgium’s most architecturally pleasing town hall. Save time for a visit to the masterworks of the Groeningemuseum and the lacework in the Arentshuis. Be sure and explore the Begijnhof, a cluster of small houses where the begijnen lived, an order of unmarried and widowed Catholic women in the 12th century. And reserve time to simply wander through Bruges’ impossibly picturesque streets. Overnight
• Day 5 Bruges to Tournai - Drive to the seaside town of Ostende. Home to the artist James Ensor, Ostend was a seaside playground for European royalty in the mid 19th century. But the royals departed, and after years of a lackluster existence Ostend has more recently spruced itself up. Walk along the beach, visit Ensorhuis, where the painter once lived, and then enjoy Ostend’s seafood restaurants, bars, cafes and casino. Visit anmd continue your drive through the infamous fields of World War I, via Ypres to Tournai. Overnight.
• Day 6 Tournay - Tournai is considered to be one of the most important cultural sites in Belgium. The mixed Romanesque and Gothic style cathedral of Notre Dame de Tournai and the belfry, the oldest in Belgium, have been jointly designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Inside the cathedral, the Châsse de Notre-Dame flamande, a beautifully ornate 12th-century reliquary, gives witness to Tournai’s wealth in the Middle Ages. Other places of interest are the 13th-century Scheldt bridge (Pont-des-Trous) and the main square (Grand’Place), as well as several old city gates, historic warehouses, and a variety of museums. As is the case with many cities in Belgium there are a number of beautiful and friendly cafés and pubs in the Grand’Place. Overnight.
• Day 7 Tournai to Namur - Drive along Wallonies, the French speaking part of Belgium via Dinant. The onion-domed Église Notre Dame and the citadel are worth visiting. But Dinant may be best known as the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the man who invented the saxophone. Take a boat cruise on the Meuse River or go kayaking on the Lesse River with a local outfitter. Continue to Namur the gateway to the Ardennes. Overnight.
• Day 8 Namur - A full day to visit the Ardennes area and the famous town of Bastogne. In this town close to the Luxembourg border, thousands of soldiers died during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945, when the Germans made an ill-fated push through Allied lines. The town is filled with stark reminders, including a starshaped American Memorial.Overnight.
• Day 9 Namur - Your tour terminates today. Travel back to Brussels airport or city, possibly via Leuven to visit. Your car can be returned either the airport of the city.

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