Beers in Belgium

In terms of diversity, quality and tradition, Belgium is the #1 beer country in the world. For its population of a mere 10 million, there are almost a thousand different types of beer. Most of these are available for sale in the beer temple, just off Grand Place which offers a selection of 600 beers, many with their matching glass.

As a souvenir or gift idea, many beer sets are available. For example a box with the 6 Belgian trappist beers, which includes the elusive Trappist of West-Vleeteren (rated 'best beer in the world' by Ratebeer.com in 2005).

Related articles by Zemanta

• Koningshoeven Dubbel is one of seven Trappist ales in the world (cleveland.com)
• Day 203 Drink: Orval Trappist Ale (lyke2drink.blogspot.com)

It's beer weekend in Brussels!

Image via Wikipedia

Belgium is known for the country with the most beers in the world - 750 in total, or one type of beer per 13,000 inhabitants. This weekend, you can come and taste the beers from over 50 breweries in the Beer Weekend on the Grand Place in Brussels.

The Castle of Lavaux-Ste-Anne

When approaching the castle from the east, it looks like a fortified farm. From the west, it's a medieval castle. Inside, it's partially a palace, giving a vivid impression of seigneurial life in the 17th and 18th centuries. And it hosts museums of nature and rural life in the Famenne.

In the writing room, homeschooling, a microtrend nowadays, was the usual education path for the young, though limited to the happy few. In those days where few people received formal education, finding an adequate teacher must have been a challenge.

The music room gives an impression how to spend an evening without internet or television. The rise of chamber music in the second half of the 18th century must have been a big improvement.

The castle visits offers three 3 routes:

1. Life in the castle
2. Nature Museum
3. Rural life in the Famenne

The first and last routes blend very well with the castle. But the hosting of a nature museum in the castle is unfortunate (unless you're into taxidermy or the culture of hunting). Moreover, the nature museum consumes a lot of space, and it's placed in the middle of the castle visit.

The castle hosts a museum shop allowing you to buy regional products, books, cards, souvenirs, ...

A few testimonials (from the visitor book and our party)

• A splendid monument, very well maintained
• A fascinating visit, much enjoyed by our grand-children
• Good idea to have a shop inside the museum
• Sometimes, access is a bit difficult (slippery stairs, low ceilings)
• A bit cold in winter
• Wonderful collections
• Unforgettable, educational, vivid impression of renaissance and local life
• The tour is a bit chaotic - better signposts would help

Practical
The castle is about 100 km South-East from Brussels, reachable through a one-hour drive. For address and visiting hours: www.chateau-lavaux.com. A visit to the castle, shop and surroundings takes about 1.5 hours.

The nearby Castle of Celles-Vêves is another of Namur's great castles and definitely worth a visit. Also, there is the town of Rochefort where you can visit the archeopark or the caves.

In summary

The castle receives its fair amount of visitors and they are very welcome. The visit has great educational value. There is plenty of documentation which is available in 4 languages. Though the castle is only a km from the highway, there is nice scenery to be enjoyed. There is also a shop with a good offer of regional products as well as books and souvenirs.

Scheldt Plain Nature Park House

You do not need to be a lover of nature to visit the Nature Park House in Bon-Secours (Péruwelz). It's a great place to revive your naturalist intelligence and brush up your knowledge on the forest in a quiet atmosphere. At first glance, the House looks like a school project gone out of control but a closer look reveals a bit more. 

Here's some of the activities you could consider for a start:

• Benches and tables to start your visit with a pick-nick
• Four forest walks of varying length (free)
• The Forest Halt, a didactic exhibition on trees, animals, insects, mushrooms, plants and fruits that can be found in the forest (entrance fee)
• A 16-meter high Tree-Top Walk giving an unusual view of the forest (entrance fee)

A few comments from the other members in our group on the visit:

• I enjoyed the pick-nick in the forest setting.
• Good didactic displays in 3 languages. Sometimes a bit too much information, and at times hard to read in a dark lighting condition.
• I liked the display on birds, showing a video on 8 forest birds at the click of a button.
• I enjoyed the 'tree horoscope' (a display at the entrance of the Forest Halt showing which tree corresponds to my birthday).
• The tree-top walk is a bit short.

The Nature Park House has a broader mission to bring people closer to nature and its team also promotes sustainable development. The site is definitely off the beaten track - it may receive a few dozen visitors on a good day but deserves more.

Practical

The Nature Park House is about 100 km South-West from Brussels, reachable through a 1 hour drive. The visit to the House and the tree-top walkaway takes around 1.5 hours. Check the website for opening times and address.

The site is not far from Bernissart where the famous Iguanodon's have been discovered. If you like dinosaurs, you can visit the Museum of the Iguanodon. Also the Archeosite of Aubechies is just a stone's throw away.

In summary

We enjoyed a quiet, welcoming atmosphere. The visit is of great educational value for children and adults alike. Documentation is well prepared and offered in 3 languages. There is a small shop with regional products.

Strawberry Museum (Musée de la Fraise)

In Belgium, there is even politics in strawberries. If you're living in the Flanders area, chances are high that strawberries come from Melsele. For the regions of Wallonia and Brussels, strawberries come from  Wépion, a small town near Namur.

Wépion is the strawberry capital of the Walloon Region. On the banks of the Meuse river, inside a Mosan mansion, you will find the strawberry museum, with its 5-room exhibition on the history and culture of strawberries in the region.

Our visit of the 5 rooms would be over very quickly, were it not that the museum staff has lots of stories to share on strawberries. We were also fortunate that another group was visiting the museum while we arrived, and we could join a walking tour of Wépion, animated by a museum guide.

The tour came as a nice surprise, full of little factoids on Wépion. The town was a 19th century retreat for industrialists who built mansions along the Meuse bank as holiday residences. These mansions are largely preserved, though Wépion also has its struggles with project developers.

The walking tour does not come standard with the visit, but the museum animator has such passion for the museum and his town that he probably does not need much convincing if your group is large enough. Otherwise, nothing prohibits you to take a walk on your own - you'll miss the stories, but the scenery alone suffices (some guidebooks with various walks are available from the museum shop).

After the museum visit, a tasting of local products is offered (included in the entrance fee). You have the choice between juice (mixed apple/strawberry) and alcohol. Personally, I find strawberries one of the few fruits not suitable for alcohol, but the juice is nice and seems to be appreciated by most.

In conclusion, this museum in combination with a visit to the town is a nice conclusion of your day in the Province of Namur. The strawberry season is long in Wépion. You can expect to buy them along the road until September.

Practical
Count around 30-45 minutes for the museum, and another 30-45 minutes for the walk. Opening times and address can be found at www.museedelafraise.be. The location of Wépion is near Namur, 60 km South-East of Brussels (a 50 minute drive)

In summary

We much appreciated the welcoming atmosphere and friendliness of the museum team. The setting along Meuse is very attractive, with opportunities for a walk. It was a very nice surprise to be taken on a guided walk and learn about Wépion. There are not too many facilities at the museum, but you can try and buy some local products.

Welcome to this blog

This blog targets residents living in or near Belgium. It introduces sites in Belgium and surroundings that can be visited in a day.

For each site described, you can expect a short introduction with a description of the site, a testimonial from a few visitors, a recommendation to be used entirely at your discretion, some practical information and a star rating.

The star rating is based on any of the following criteria present, with a maximum of 5 stars:

• welcoming atmosphere
• scenery ("photo opportunities")
• value for money
• educational value
• site of historic interest
• great objects of art
  
• documentation available at the site (preferrably in multiple languages)
• surprises on-site
• availability of facilities (parking, restaurant, shop, regional products)