 A. Grote Markt - Brussels B. Flemish beguinages C. Belfries of Belgium D. Historic centre of Bruges E. Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai |
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| Grote Markt -
Brussels Added to the list in 1998 - visited by Maarten, Annick & Túrin (various dates) This beautiful open square has outstanding architectural value, with buildings dating mostly from the 17the century. The earliest mention of activity on this place, is 1174. It was then called Nedermarckt (Lower Market). The present name came into use in the late 18th century. At the Grote Markt both public & private buildings surround the square. Own impression Annick: I'm not a very big fan of Brussels, apart from its musea, but I really like this square. The architecture of the buildings is over the top, but really stunning to look at. During the day, the area is always very crowded with tourists (especially in the narrow streets surrounding the square). I've been to Brussels' Ancienne Belgique for a good concert. We usually park in the area of the Grote Markt then, or pass it when we come from the train station, and on those occassions it is heaven: in the dark the square is well lit, and most importantly, nearly empty. Because we usually go to Brussels to visit a museum, or go to a concert, we haven't actually taken any pictures yet. Plan on doing so, the next time we are there! Maarten: What can I say? The Grote Markt (or Grand Place in French - both Dutch and French are spoken in Brussels) was one of the obligatory stops when visiting Brussels with my parents each year in my teenage years. Each year we had the same schedule: before noon we visited the city and its musea, in the afternoon we ran the 20km run of Brussels. It never astonished me. It's a beautiful square with a nice city hall and surrounded by beautiful old houses, but nothing that you cannot see in other Belgian cities such as Gent and Bruges... (top) |
| Flemish beguinages Added to the list in 1998 - visited by Maarten, Annick, Febe & Túrin (various dates) In the 13th century the béguines (women who lived a religious life, but without any formal vows) founded the béguinages as closed communities where they could live and worship in a quiet environment. They are architecturally distinct unities within cities, composed of small houses, a church and a (mostly central) green space. Own impression Annick: I used to work in the small béguinage of Gent. Nowadays, the houses are restored and used as private houses or places for social organisations. I know this place very well, and I always loved riding my bike into it, or walking around. Near one of the busiest spots of Gent (de Zuid), this is still a place of peace and quiet. I recommend visiting it and using the open green area as a picnic place in summertime ;-) Maarten: although I was already acquainted with the small béguinage of Gent (my wife used to work there and I went to church there once), it was interesting to visit other béguinages as well. They are places of silence and visiting them is like stepping back in time and reliving local history in a certain way... What always strikes me is the way in which they are so similar to each other, although always different as well. Their identity lies in small details... Personal favourite: the one in Dendermonde. (top) |
 A single house of the great béguinage in Gent. |
 Welcome to the small béguinage of Gent!  Beautiful red houses of the small béguinage in Gent. |
 Houses and doors... (small béguinage, Gent)  The béguinage of Bruges. |
 A place of peace and quiet... (Bruges)  Flowers at the béguinage of Dendermonde. |
 The central church of the béguinage in Dendermonde.  Old pump, which provided the béguines with water (Dendermonde). |
 The béguinage of Kortrijk.  View on the church of Our Lady from the béguinage of Kortrijk. |
 The 13th century béguinage of Tongeren is a village within a city: it is no longer surrounded by an enclosure wall. |
 Back of the béguinage and part of the medieval city wall of Tongeren, along the river Jeker. |
| Belfries of Belgium Added to the list in 1999 - visited by Maarten, Annick, Febe & Túrin (various dates) The 56th Belfries of Belgium and the North of France are belltowers of medieval origin (all built between the 11th and the 17th century), representing the transition from feudalism towards mercantile urban society. In this sence, they are strong symbols of the rise of civil liberties in the Middle Ages. Most of them are attached to the town hall or church. Own impression Annick: the beautiful belfry of Gent, with the golden dragon on top, is the one I know best: I pass it daily on my way to work. The dragon watches over our city, at least in my belief ;-) During the middle ages the belfry of Gent had guards on it's balcony, spotting the city for threaths (military, but mostly fire). I'm eager to see more of the belfries. We plan to take a look at all of them and update this page regularly! Maarten: We have only visited a few of the belfries in Belgium until now. Every day, I pass by the belfry of Gent two times by bike (to work and back) and although I could easily take it for granted, I usually look up at the dragon and realise how beautiful the tower actually is. It is still my personal favourite as a belfry. If you visit Gent, you should really take the tour through the belfry, both for the historical information, a close encounter with one of the older dragons and the superb view from the top. (top) |
 The magnificent belfry of Gent behind the cloth hall.  An older version of the dragon which is on top of the belfry of Gent. |
 The guards of the belfry in Gent, now turned into stone. |
 View from the top of the Belfry in Gent: the St. Nicholaschurch, and just to the right of it, the tower of the old postal building. |
 The Mammelokker: entrance to the city jail in the 18th century and part of the world heritage of the belfry of Ghent.  The belfry of Dendermonde shows that a belfry is not always an isolated tower. |
 The little belfry of Tournai, on a sunny winter's day. |
 The belfry of Bruges, quite famous since the movie 'In Bruges' ;-) |
 The belfry of Namur. |
 The belfry of Kortrijk. |
 The belfry of Tongeren behind the statue of Ambiorix, leader of the Eburones tribe (1st century BC). |
| Historic centre of
Bruges Added to the list in 2000 - visited by Maarten, Annick, Febe & Túrin (various dates) Bruges has been a very influential city in medieval times with regards to both commerce and culture. Both its spacial and structural organisation was conserved throughout the years and the city's groundplan documents the different phases of its development. In the late 19th century, a renovation of the facades gave the city a neo-gothic look. Own impression Annick: Bruges is a nice city to walk in, but mostly overcrowded with hords of tourists- which makes it less relaxed. A boat trip on the water is recommended to see the city from a different perspective, and I would certainly advise you to make a stop in the béguinage as well (it's spot in the city centre). Bruges also has some nice restaurants, to enjoy a good meal :-) Maarten: Bruges immerges you in a medieval atmosphere. This means both impressive architecture (e.g. the belfry) and cosy, narrow streets to wander in. Next to this, it offers you numerous musea with first class examples of Flemish Primtives' art. There is no traffic in the city centre, which makes a stroll around very relaxing. Watch out for horses and carriages though! (top) |
 Waterside with the church of the béguinage in the back. |
 A boatride on the canals is a great way to visit Bruges. |
 Stunning old medieval buildings. |
 A view on the belfry. |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai Added to the list in 2000 - visited by Maarten, Annick & Febe in 2013 This cathedral was built in the early 12th century, when gothic architecture was still in its infancy. Remarkably, the nave of the cathedral was built in Romanesque style, the choir is purely gothic and the transept with five impressive bell towers is built in a transitional style. The cathedral is located in the old centre of Tournai, a city with a history that dates back to Roman times. Own impression Annick: I liked the look and feel of this building on the outside a lot. The five towers are impressive and unseen (for me anyway). They are currently restoring the inside of the cathedral, making it hard to judge that part. I did love the rose window from the inside. Tournai itself has a nice, relaxed feel to it. The countryside around it makes for an excellent short stay to go walking. Maarten: As the weather forecast predicted clouds and rain, we were actually planning to visit a museum in Gent. When we got into our car, we discovered the sun was out. So we drove off to Tournai. Our stay was short, but I really liked the impressive belfry and the cathedral with its five towers. Each side of the cathedral offers something different. The inside was slightly disappointing though, due to a very thorough restoration going on. Note the nice rose window! (top) |
 The five towers look over the city of Tournai.  Approaching the great building. |
 The entrance of the cathedral.  Febe & mum posing. |
 A look on two of the five towers.  The beautiful rose glass window seen from the inside. |
 Almost all five towers in one spot. |
 The entrance portal. |
 The only part inside not being renovated anymore. |