Antwerp
This delightfully indulgent 1611 mansion was built as a home and studio for celebrated painter Pieter Paul Rubens. It was rescued from ruins in 1937 and…
Northeast Belgium
Design and diamonds, Rubens and techno, art nouveau and high fashion: in all its thrilling contradictions, the dynamic port city of Antwerp dominates northeastern Belgium. But it is by no means the only historic townscape that demands attention here. Were there no Bruges, Belgium might be celebrating Lier as one of its loveliest towns. Or maybe Mechelen, with its fascinating Brabantine history, remarkable churches and glorious central square. Like Lier, Diest and shamefully underappreciated Turnhout have some of Belgium’s most romantically delightful begijnhoven. South of prosperous 'gin town' Hasselt lies lovable Tongeren, which claims to be Belgium’s oldest settlement. Between here and buzzing university city Leuven is a charming region of undulating orchard-covered hills. This area is further dotted with easily accessible historic gems: the fairy-tale towers of Sint-Truiden, the unique church at Zoutleeuw and Tienen's trio of Roman tumuli (grave mounds).
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Antwerp
Belgium’s finest Gothic cathedral was 169 years in the making (1352–1521). Wherever you wander in Antwerp, its gracious, 123m-high spire has a habit of…
Antwerp
The medieval building and 1622 courtyard garden alone would be worth a visit, but it's the world's oldest printing press, priceless manuscripts and…
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Leuven
Far and away Leuven’s most iconic sight, the incredible 15th-century stadhuis is a late-Gothic architectural wedding cake flamboyantly overloaded with…
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Northeast Belgium
This soaring, Gothic-vaulted cathedral features a 1723 monumental pulpit, a 1630 Van Dyck crucifixion scene in the south transept, and dozens more fine…
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Northeast Belgium
One of Europe’s largest open-air museums, Bokrijk Openluchtmuseum offers a nostalgic look at Flanders’ past, with over 100 old buildings originally…
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Leuven
This idyllic, village-like corner of Leuven would make an ideal film set for a medieval drama. The lantern-lit cobbled streets are lined with step-gabled…
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Northeast Belgium
Centred on a 14th-century church and sporting a few artists’ studio-galleries, this picturesque village-within-a-village is a five-street grid of lovely…
Articles
Latest stories from Northeast Belgium
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Sustainable Travel
Award-winning Belgian bike trail propels cyclists above an adventure forestNov 23, 2020 • 2 min read
- Wildlife & NatureCamp in these incredible suspended teardrop tents in Belgium
Jul 29, 2020 • 2 min read
