Grand Place (Brussels)

The Grand Place in Brussels is the city’s central square, known for its ornate guildhalls, the Town Hall, and the King's House (Maison du Roi). It hosts events such as the Flower Carpet and the Christmas Market. The square has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

ID #1 on the Belgian Tourist Map, it is probably the most reviewed Belgian tourist site on Google Maps (150k+ reviews, average rating 4.7 as of December 2024). It confidently features as one of the top sites in Belgium because of its grandeur and surroundings.

The site is amply described elsewhere, e.g. on the official website of the city of Brussels - https://www.brussels.be/grand-place-brussels. 

The name Grand Place is popular in Belgium. Together with "Grote Markt" in Flemish, it applies to dozens of towns. Among these, the "Grote Markt" in Sint-Niklaas, with its three hectares (7 acres),  has the largest surface area. 

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Eben-Emael, the Titanic of Fortresses

Fort Eben-Emael was constructed between '32 and '35 as a defense against German aggression. It was one of the most modern fortresses of its time, but unfortunately designed too much with a WWI mindset. It was stronger than anything constructed by the French in the Maginot line or anything by the Germans in the West Wall.

Deemed impregnable by both the Germans and the Allies, it was incapacited within half an hour following a bold attack on May 10, 1940 by a German elite force using glider planes. Thirty hours later, Eben-Emael surrendered.

The current fortress is exploited by volunteers, some ex-military, that spend every effort to keep the fortress alive. Guides lead you through the 5 km of tunnels during a tour of 2-3 hours (depending on how much questions you ask, or how many stories they tell).

This visit is an absolute must, but carefully check the limited opening times to avoid disappointment.

ID 427 on the Belgian tourist map. In the vicinity is the Eben-Ezer tower. a curiosity well worth visiting.

Antwerp's city museum (MAS)

Antwerp is a world port and a great medieval city that hosted two world exhibitions in the 19th century. When it opened its new city museum in 2011, expectations were high. But considering Antwerp's rich historical and maritime heritage, the 'Museum aan de Stroom (MAS)' could have been a little more.

Still, the MAS merits a visit for the architecture of its building and surroundings and for its panorama. From the collection, the visible storage showing a sample of the museum's 180,000 objects is an interesting idea.

The building, the boulevard, the panorama and visible storage are freely accessible. Up to you whether you want to see the permanent collection.

ID #401 on the Belgian Tourist Map. 

Discovery of dinosaurs

A few weeks ago, we went to the Museum of the Iguanodons in Bernissart. There were not a lot of people in the musuem so we could go around quietly . We were welcomed with ample explanations at the reception. There is a translation text for the panels available in different languages.

The museum is very well organised. It covers mainly the Iguanodons and their discovery in the area. There are many other fossil remains from prehistoric times to admire. In particular, a small collection of petrified trees caught our attention. In summer, you can visit the place nearby where the Iguanodons were found in the 19th century.

A visit takes about an hour. In the main hall you see an authentic skeleton of an iguanodon, explanations on the prehistory, a dinosaur egg, etc. There are 3 additional rooms. Near the entrance there is a small shop.

In Bernissart, coal is mined since 1849. In April 1878, the Iguanodons were found at a depth of 320-350 m. There were 31 complete skeletons as well as 3,000 fossil remains of fish, crocodiles, turtles, ferns and fragments of insects. The remains were particularly well preserved during 130 million years in the clay soil, sealing the skeletons from air and water and protecting them from decay. It took three years to dig up all these fossil remains.

A few facts about dinosaurs

• Iguanodons weighed approximately 5 tons.
• The name dinosaur was only formulated in 1841 by Richard Owen.
• Paleontologists estimate that there were 2,000-3,000 species of dinosaurs, of which currently only 600 are known.
• Dinosaurs were big but not very smart - they had relatively small brains.
• Though there are more than 80 theories about the disappearance of the dinosaurs, still ignore the real reason.
• Mantell, an English scholar found a few teeth from iguanodons and compared them with those of an iguana, hence the name'' iguanodon'' or “tooth of an iguana”. Although scientists subsequently discovered that this interpretation was incorrect, they nevertheless decided to retain the name.

The discovery in Bernissart was particularly important because the 31 whole skeletons of the same species were found for the first time. Before that, scientists had to speculate about dinosaurs on the basis of loose bones and skulls. After Bernissart, they could form a clearer picture of how dinosaurs looked like.

Practical information
You find the museum about a good hour's drive from Brussels, in the Ruelle des Médecins 13, 7320 Bernissart. The museum is open throughout the year. Besides school groups, the museum welcomes about fifteen visitors per day. Bernissart is 15 km from Valenciennes, and is not far from Mons and Tournai. On the way back, you can visit Grand Hornu or Le Pass.

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ID #316 on the Belgian Tourist Map

Brussels Museum for Mill and Food

Evere is a village in Brabant with a history dating back at least to the 12th century. Until the 20th century, however, it remained an agricultural village in the vicinity of Brussels, by which it was eventually absorbed.

The mill dates back to 1841, and hosted various industrial activities until it became the “Brussels Museum for Mill and Food” in 2008.

Apart from a small permanent exhibition on milling techniques, the museum hosts each year a temporary exhibition on a food-related theme. Currently, this theme is ‘Sweet Candy’ and it covers the history, folklore, industry and health effects of candy.

This is a visit for all ages. Displays are in Flemish or French.

Museum of Belgian Endive (Chicory)

Chicory has a long medicinal tradition - it was used by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans alike. Rembert Dodoens, the great Renaissance botanist lists chicory as a cure for 27 different ailments. The plant exists in 2 main varieties, Cichorium endivia and Cichorium intybus.

The latter variety produces leaves similar to the dandelion. The practice of covering its leaves with earth to bleach them became popular in the 18th century. Following this practice, Belgian endive was accidentally discovered. Around the middle of the century, it was observed that white crops grew on the chicory roots if they remained buried in the ground. This finding occurred in several places almost simultaneously, for example by Frans Breziers, Chief of the Botanical Garden of Brussels.

Anyway, while Frans Breziers may have received more credit than his more obscure co-inventors, Belgian endives are indisputably Belgian (unlike French fries, which may well be of Spanish origin).

The first crops were produced in 1846. In 1873, 500 kg of Belgian endives found their way to the Parisian markets and 10,000 kg in 1913. Other export markets developed, such as the USA and more recently, Japan. Belgian production of endives peaked in the 70s with 125,000 tons, but in the meantime, France has taken over as the world’s largest producer of this delicacy.

The image of Belgian endives as a delicacy stands in sharp contrast with the other use of chicory, i.e. the grinding of its roots to produce a surrogate for coffee. Belgian endives (called ‘witloof’ in Flanders) can be used for a variety of dishes, such as salads, soups, tarts, cakes, and gratins.

The Museum of Belgian Endive (Witloofmuseum) introduces the old techniques for growing the crop, the hard labour in the winter months, the folklore around its cultivation, the process from seed to crop, and much more. Audio guides are available in English, French and Flemish. In the small museum shop, a cooking book is offered dedicated to recipes using Belgian endives.

Near the museum is a restaurant with a menu dominated by endives. If you want to spend even more time, tours are offered, combining the museum with a visit to the horticultural auction and to nearby endive farms, with a pause in one of the nearby restaurants.

Rupelmonde - harvesting the power of the tides since the middle ages

If you are new to Belgium, chances are that you haven’t heard yet of Rupelmonde, a small village in the eastern part of Flanders. At the crossing of the rivers Rupel and Scheldt, Rupelmonde was the location of a large moated castle in the 12th century. It served the Count of Flanders in his defense against Holland and Brabant. When Philip the Bold unified Flanders and Brabant in 1389 under the Burgundian Netherlands, the castle lost its military function and was converted into a prison.

It served as such until 1657, after which it was abandoned and quickly decayed. Nobody cared much for it, probably because of the atrocities committed in it during almost 3 centuries. By the 19th century, little remained. In 1817, Baron de Felz had the site cleared and constructed a tower to be used as a hunting pavillon. This tower currently hosts a small museum on Renaissance scientists, with special focus on Mercator, who was born in Rupelmonde 500 years ago.

All that remains of Mercator in the village is a statue and a commemorative plaque at his place of birth. To learn about the great cartographer, it’s probably better to visit the Mercator Museum in nearby Sint-Niklaas.

What is worth the detour when in the neighbourhood, is a 16th century water mill, running on the tides of the river Scheldt. Already in the middle ages, a mill operated on this site. The building dates from 1517. The current, 6-meter wheel was installed in 1924 and is the largest indoor water wheel in Europe. The 8-ton construction can provide 17.5 kW of power.

The mill is unique in Europe and fully operational. Grain is milled about 10 times per month during the tourist season (see calendar).