tourist office for flanders belgium

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VISITWallonia

Avenue Comte de Smet de Nayer 14, 5000 Namur

+ 32 81 84 41 00

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Tourist Office for Flanders - Brussels

Grasmarkt 61, 1000 Brussel

+32 2 504 03 00

[email protected]

www.visitflanders.com

Brussels Tourist Agency

Rue Royale 2-4, 1000 Bruxelles

+32 2 513 89 40

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visit.brussels

• 1 Provinces
• 3 Understand
• 4.1 By plane
• 4.2 By boat
• 4.4 By train
• 4.5 Other means
• 5.2 By public transport
• 5.3.1 The cycle node network
• 5.4 By foot
• 8.1 Music festivals
• 11 Stay safe

Flanders ( Dutch : Vlaanderen ) is the Dutch -speaking, northern part of Belgium wedged between the North Sea and the Netherlands in the north and Wallonia and France in the south. This region has an immense historical and cultural wealth made visible through its buildings, works of art and festivals.

Provinces [ edit ]

Cities [ edit ]

• 51.221111 4.399722 1 Antwerp ( Antwerpen ) — Flanders' biggest city, with a large cathedral, the second-largest port of Europe, and plenty to see and do.
• 51.208889 3.224167 2 Bruges ( Brugge ) — also known as the "Venice of the north", a very nice medieval town with lots of small canals
• 50.930481 5.338497 3 Hasselt — the capital city of Limburg , with a lot of greenery and shopping possibilities
• 50.8275 3.265833 4 Kortrijk — an old city with famous medieval towers (Broeltowers) and a big pedestrian shopping district

• 50.8775 4.704444 6 Leuven — an old town with a very old university and a beautiful town hall
• 51.028056 4.480278 7 Mechelen — small town with a famous cathedral
• 51.164444 4.139167 8 Sint-Niklaas — offering nice cycling opportunities and boasts Belgium's largest market square
• 50.850833 2.885 9 Ypres ( Ieper ) — made famous by its destruction during the First World War ; many memorials and museums

Understand [ edit ]

Nowadays, Flanders is one of the three federal regions of Belgium (the other two being Wallonia and Brussels ). This means that it has its own government, a parliament and separate laws. The capital, however, is Brussels , over which Flanders has only partial jurisdiction. But Flanders has travelled a long historic road before arriving at its present situation. Once being its own County of Flanders, the territory has been part of several larger countries or empires. Since Belgium's founding in 1830, tensions between the Flemish and French-speaking population have led to the federalisation of Belgium. There is an active independence movement in Flanders, but the struggle has largely been peaceful and is of no danger to any tourist.

The split between the regions is quite noticeable when travelling via public transport. The bus line operator in Flanders differs from the one in Brussels and Wallonia , resulting in different ticket types and different prices. The train network is a uniform network, however, but the announcements are adapted to the language of the region the train is driving in. Also when travelling by car, you'll see that the traffic signs are translated, so it's better to look up the name of your destination in Dutch and French before you leave.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ].

Flanders has several airports:

• Brussels Airport ( BRU  IATA ). Located in Zaventem , this is the main airport in Belgium and likely the most convenient point of entry.  
• Antwerp Airport ( ANR  IATA ). Located in the District of Deurne, a few kilometers from Antwerp it only has direct flights to London and Manchester catering for business customers.  
• Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport ( KJK  IATA ). Business airport in Wevelgem near Kortrijk .  
• Ostend - Bruges International Airport ( OST  IATA ). Located in Oostende , mostly served by charter and freight flights.  

By boat [ edit ]

There are several ports of entry at the coast and on the Schelde you can find several small ports too.

Calais and Dunkirk (France), a short drive from western Flanders, receive dozens of ferries a day from Dover in England. The overnight ferries from Hull to Zeebrugge were axed in 2021, though ferries still run from Hull to Rotterdam (Netherlands), which has good road and rail access to northern Flanders.

By car [ edit ]

The E19 goes through Flanders, also the E40 crosses the region.

By train [ edit ]

Big cities in neighbouring countries such as Paris , Amsterdam and London have connections to bigger cities in Flanders. From there you can change train and reach every city in Flanders.

Other means [ edit ]

By bicycle or on foot. As we are in the European Union there are no borders and you can travel freely. Several places have nature parks and allow you to walk in and out (often following old-smugglers routes).

Get around [ edit ]

All roads are free of charge in Flanders except that some tunnels, such as the Liefkenshoektunnel in Antwerp , have tolls.

The roads and signalisation are pretty good and almost completely lit during the night. However, since 2017 the default speed limit outside built-up areas is 70 km/h, not 90 km/h as in the rest of Belgium. This speed limit is seldom explicitly signposted.

Many foreigners find in-town traffic nervous due to the many twisty, small roads with very busy traffic. Older towns can appear to be a maze of one-way streets, where a single missed turn might takes you to the other side of the town. One-way streets also often change, causing navigation units and paper maps to be outdated very soon (even if you just installed new updates). Often it is better to park your car and continue on foot. Be sure to look out for bicycles when you're driving in a town; bikes might ride fast and appear from everywhere. Car drivers are also held completely responsible when they are involved in an accident with bikes or pedestrians. The maximum speed in towns is normally 50 km/h, and quite often reduced to 30 km/h. In general, the towns are not large, and most towns have a ring-road, allowing you to drive to the other side without driving through the town.

In-between smaller towns, the road-network consists mostly out of 2-lane roads, where the speed limit changes between 70 km/h (in the fields) and 50 km/h (when you cross a village). The roads are quite straight, the road surface is well-maintained, and the cyclists normally have separated lanes. So outside towns, driving cars is a better option.

The motorway network in Flanders is quite well developed, and connects all bigger cities, and gives good access to the neighbouring countries. But during rush hour (around 8:00 and 17:00), there are many traffic jams around Brussels and Antwerp. In the summer, there are also traffic jams on the E40, connecting the coast to the mainland. The maximum speed on motorways is 120 km/h.

By public transport [ edit ]

The national train company is called NMBS . Trains will get you to most cities.

In cities you will find buses, trams and metro from De Lijn [dead link] ( The Line ). The same ticket is valid for 90 minutes for one zone. You can buy multiple-ride tickets (Lijnkaart), this is cheaper than buying a ticket per ride. Depending on the number of trips you make in a day, buying a day pass might be cheaper than using multiple single tickets or tickets for multiple zones. Buying tickets from a machine or ticket office ( Lijnwinkel ) is cheaper than buying from the driver. De Lijn ticket offices might be closed in the off-hours. De Lijn tickets are valid in every Flemish city, but not in Brussels. Brussels has its own transport company called MIVB/STIB. However, De Lijn offers a few buses in Brussels and on these buses the regular De Lijn tickets are used.

Antwerp and Ghent have a tram network, and the coast also has a single tram-line, connecting all coastal towns. The tram networks are, just as the bus lines, operated by De Lijn and the same tickets are used as on the bus. There are no metro lines in Flemish cities.

By bike [ edit ]

Flanders has a vast network of special roads for bicycles . Get a map in a tourist office, because sometimes they can be hard to find.

Inside towns, when there is no separate lane designed for cyclists they ride between the cars due to the narrow streets, so be cautious. If however there is a bicycle lane, you are obliged to use it. If not, you can face a fine. Outside towns, most big roads have dedicated cycle lanes, though small roads (even when they have no dedicated cycle lane) are more relaxing to ride on.

At some train stations, there are bicycle rental opportunities.

The cycle node network [ edit ]

Flanders implemented a cycle node network. See the map . The network connects streets where cycling is relaxing. Every crossing between relaxing streets received a node number. When you create a route, you only need to write down the node numbers on a small piece of paper, and tape it to your bike. This way, there's no need to mess with big paper maps , or trying to attach a navigation device to your bike. However, you should always carry a map with you, in case you miss a sign. The cycle node network is ideal to create your own roundtrips in the countryside, or to bring you from one town to another.

By foot [ edit ]

Getting around by foot is by far the easiest inside towns. You don't need to take one-way streets into account, and most streets have raised sidewalks. Quite often, streets in the town centre are completely reserved for pedestrians. Many of the historical streets do have cobblestones as their primary pavement, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Most towns are also small enough to visit them purely on foot.

Talk [ edit ]

The official language of Flanders is the Flemish dialect of Dutch . Flemish Dutch has some vocabulary not used in the Netherlands and a distinct, soft accent but it is still standard Dutch. Nearly all Flemings, with the partial exception of seniors, are capable of speaking standard Dutch.

Most people know English at least moderately, and the younger generation (younger than 30) in particular can be expected to understand English properly. Not everyone can engage in a conversation with native English speakers due to lack of spoken English experience. Above 50, the chance of successfully communicating with someone in English decreases rapidly. Basic French is, just like English, taught in schools to everyone, but with the exception of areas in the proximity of the language border, French language skills are usually insufficient for an effective conversation. Flemings are extremely proud of their language, and in the Flemish region around Brussels for example, many locals might not appreciate you ask something in French. Either way, English is a better bet to ask something or start a conversation. A considerable number of people also understand German, but many have difficulties speaking it due to the different pronunciations and conjugations. If you speak German slowly, Flemings will likely understand what you're trying to say. Other languages are most likely unknown, with the exception of Arabic, Turkish and Berber in some Antwerp suburbs where immigrants accumulate.

Tourist brochures are often available three or four languages (German is sometimes excluded). Official information, such as public transport schedules and traffic signs, is very often only in Dutch. Francophone town names on traffic signs are also translated to Dutch (e.g Luik instead of " Liège ", Rijsel instead of " Lille ", etc.)

Viewing a movie in Flanders is also possible. Most films are shown in the original version (labelled OV at cinemas) with French and Dutch subtitles. Only children's movies are habitually dubbed ( NV ).

See [ edit ]

• Historical cities, like Antwerp , Bruges , Ghent , Leuven , Lier or Mechelen .

Do [ edit ]

Music festivals [ edit ].

There are many music festivals organised throughout the summer. The bigger ones happen in small villages, because there is lots of space and not many neighbours to complain about the noise.

Some of the famous ones are:

• Pukkelpop (near Hasselt ) is still an independent festival organised by youth movements. They figure big names but try to have alternative groups too.
• Rock Werchter (near Leuven ), owned by Clearchannel features all big commercial bands.
• Maanrock (in Mechelen ) is one of the larger free festivals. It's inside the city.
• Marktrock (in Leuven ) has many different stages with different kinds of music all over the city. Most music is popular music, though there are many small bands playing there. The main stage is the only stage not to be free. Every time you enter you pay a small fee ( 5 euro in 2003 ).
• Sfinks (near Antwerp ) is a world music festival. It has a really nice atmosphere. There is a lot of side animation, like a big market.
• Pole-Pole (in Ghent )
• Openluchttheater Rivierenhof (near Antwerp ) isn't really a festival, though it has big bands all through the summer. Usually they "pick up" artists that have a few days without a gig.
• Couleur Café (in Brussels )
• Werchter Classic (near Leuven ) mainly offers classic rock bands, but has been featuring artists that had their break-through only recently. It's mostly a re-use of the Rock Werchter facilities.
• Graspop (metal music), Rhythm 'n Blues , Dranouter (folk music), Cactus festival , Rock Ternat , Rock@Edegem ... (there are too many to sum up)

The festivals organised in towns are often free and very nice. They stay away from commercial music and have good bands playing combined with small local bands. Flanders has some nice music bands with some international fame (dEUS, Das Pop, Zita Swoon, Soulwax,...)

Eat [ edit ]

Drink [ edit ].

• Beer . Beer is taken seriously in Belgium. There are hundreds of brands to choose from.  
• Café . Every city or village has a café.  

Stay safe [ edit ]

Flanders is very safe. You will find that people are usually very helpful. In towns, you should of course beware of the usual petty crime (pickpockets in tourist places). Some suburbs around Antwerp have high concentrations of immigrants and should be avoided at night for safety, but tourists are usually unlikely to visit them because these areas typically offer little tourist value. The police force in Flanders is professional and the corruption levels are low in comparison to other government structures. When in trouble, do not hesitate to address police officers, who can be expected to engage in a conversation in English anywhere in Flanders. In tourist areas in particular, police officers will be able to fluently communicate in English.

The relatively flat topography of Flanders favors cycling, but unlike its northern neighbor , cycling infrastructure is poorly developed in many parts of Flanders. Cycling roads are absent outside the major cities, and where cycling roads are available, they are often in a state of disrepair. Wearing a fluorescent vest and safety helmet are not mandatory in Flanders, but of course highly recommendable.

With the exception of wild boars with young offspring, there is no dangerous wildlife in Flanders, and woods or forests are safe any time of the day. In the summer season however, ticks are known to reside in tall grass, and have a small chance of carrying Lyme disease. Check your legs when walking through tall grass or wear long trousers. If strongly discolored concentric circles show up on your skin, you might be bitten by a tick, and it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately.

Jaywalking is not a crime in Flanders, and vehicles will slow down or stop if you stand at the side of the road with the visible intention of crossing.

Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Flanders, so drink bottles can be refilled at any occasion. Surface water however (streams, rivers, wells) are usually heavily polluted as a result of Flanders' high population density, and unsuitable for consumption regardless of how clean they look.

Respect [ edit ]

• Flemings don't like to talk about their income or political preference. They do like to talk with you about beer and chocolate .
• Although the vast majority of Flemish people are indifferent to Flemish nationalism, the Flanders-Wallonia question can be a controversial topic, avoid asking strangers about their views on this. Once you get to know them better and you feel they are open for it, you can ask them about it.
• Although many Flemings speak French , avoid speaking that language, as it may be regarded by some as disrespectful. Explaining you're a tourist (and don't live there) will make people understand, though.
• Most people enjoy helping tourists, and a lot of people speak, apart from Dutch, also English, French and some German (especially the students). Don't hesitate to ask locals if you have a question.
• Throwing garbage or gum on the street is frowned upon – don't be surprised if someone talks to you if you do. You'll soon notice Leuven is a very clean city and locals respect this and try to keep it this way. Use the many bins.
• Giving tips shows that you were content with the service given, but you are certainly not obliged to do so. It is sometimes done in bars and restaurants. Depending on the total, a tip of €0.50 to €2.50 is considered generous.

Go next [ edit ]

• If you visit Flanders it would be very logical to also visit Wallonia . Though there is a different mentality, you will find that they are Belgians just like the Flemish (lots of beer and good food).
• There are also some towns just across the NL border which are very near and within easy day-trip distance from Flanders. They are very popular among Flemish people to visit (especially on Sundays, as all shops and supermarkets are open in the Netherlands). The most historically interesting and popular places are Hulst (near Antwerp and Sint-Niklaas ), Sluis (near Bruges and the Belgian coast at Knokke-Heist , and Baarle (a curious enclave inside NL territory, near Turnhout .
• Paris is pretty close, so are London , Cologne , Rotterdam and Amsterdam . These destinations can be reached by train easily.
• The West Frisian Islands in The Netherlands are also not too far.

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Flanders Travel Guide

Flanders, the northern region of Belgium, is a captivating destination that seamlessly blends history, art, gastronomy, and natural beauty. From its charming cities to its picturesque countryside, Flanders offers an unforgettable travel experience for every type of traveler. Whether you’re an art aficionado, a history buff, or a foodie seeking culinary delights, Flanders has something for everyone.

Table of Contents

Quick Answers

Where is Flanders located?

Geographically, Flanders shares its borders with the Netherlands to the north, France to the west, Wallonia (the French-speaking region of Belgium) to the south, and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region to the east. This strategic location makes it an ideal starting point for exploring the wonders of Belgium.

What language is spoken in Flanders?

The official language of Flanders is Dutch . Many people in Flanders also understand and speak English and French as their second and third language. Especially the younger generations and people in the bigger cities.

What’s the currency in Flanders?

Just like in the rest of Belgium, the official currency in Flanders is the Euro.

Provinces in Flanders

Flanders (Vlaanderen in Dutch) is divided up into 5 provinces: Antwerp , East-Flanders , West-Flanders , Flemish Brabant and Limburg

Flanders Travel Destinations

The charm of Flanders lies in its vibrant cities, each offering a unique blend of history, art, and gastronomy. Embark on an enriching city trip to discover the cultural treasures of Belgium.

Flanders City Breaks

Flanders is home to several captivating cities, each offering a unique blend of history, art, and gastronomy. These cities are perfect destinations for an enriching city trip in Belgium.

Visit The Belgian Coast

On the shores of the North Sea, the Belgian Coast beckons you to embrace the sun’s warmth and let the cares of the world melt away. Explore seaside havens like Blankenberge and Knokke-Heist, where tranquility harmonizes with the thrill of water sports. Savor the flavors of freshly caught seafood and indulge in leisurely strolls along the captivating promenade.

Visit the province of Limburg

Belgian Limburg is a haven for nature lovers, with its expansive heathlands, dense forests, and charming villages. Explore the Hoge Kempen National Park, pedal through picturesque landscapes on bike trails, and experience the tranquility that defines this region.

Visit “In Flanders Fields”

The area around Ypress and Diksmuide is known as Flanders Fields. A region where the first world war will never be forgotten.

Tip for visitors from the UK : Flanders Fields and the Belgian Coast are located close to each-other. With Bruges also nearby, these area’s are a perfect holiday destination for car travels from the UK.

Hidden Gems – Exploring Smaller Yet Remarkable Destinations

Beyond the prominent cities, Flanders is dotted with smaller towns that exude charm and history.

Situated between Brussels and Antwerp, Mechelen is an “Art City” boasting impressive architecture and cultural heritage.

Ypres , located in the Flanders Fields Area, offers a profound glimpse into the region’s World War I history through poignant museums and memorials.

Belgium’s largest coastal town, Ostend , offers a delightful blend of sandy beaches, lively promenades, and cultural events.

Discover the capital of Limburg, Hasselt , known for its traditional Jenever (gin) and vibrant city center.

Where to stay in Flanders

Flanders has many excellent accommodations to offer. Hotels can be found in nearly every city. The big cities and typical tourist destinations also have cheaper hostels available. A popular alternative for romantic citytrips and getaways are smaller Bed and Breakfast’s. They can be found both in large cities as on the countryside. At the Belgian coast side you can also rent apartments and holiday houses.

Public Transport in Flanders

Flanders has a dense public transport network, making it easy for you to travel around without a car. The best and easiest way to travel in between larger cities is by train. Train lines are operated by the national railway company: NMBS/SNCB. All local busses and tram lines in Flanders are operated by De Lijn.

Local specialties

Foodies will absolutely love the cullunary options in Flanders. Aside from the obvious typical Belgian specialties like Fries, Chocolate and Beer, here are some more traditional flemish dishes.

Carbonnade Flammande (Stoofvlees op Vlaamse wijze)

This rich and hearty stew is a staple of Flemish cuisine, made with beef, onions, beer, and spices. It’s traditionally served with fries.

Personally this is a dish I eat nearly every week. Whilst preparing it, I prefer using a dark beer like Leffe, since the sweetness adds to the flavour of the meat and fries.

Asperges à la Flamande (Asperges op Vlaamse wijze)

Asparagus is a popular springtime vegetable in Flanders, and it’s often served with a creamy white sauce and ham.

Eel in the green (Paling in’t groen)

Eel in the green” refers to a traditional Belgian dish called “Paling in ‘t groen” in Dutch or “Anguilles au vert” in French. It consists of freshwater eel cooked in a green herb sauce. The dish is mainly from the Flemish Region along the river Scheldt, between Dendermonde and Antwerp. The eel is simmered with a mix of finely chopped fresh herbs, such as sage, ginger mint, oregano, sorrel, and others, to create a green sauce. The dish is traditionally served hot with chips or bread, and consumers may squeeze some lemon over the pieces of eel.

However this Flemish classic dish is not an eco-friendly choice. Eel is a critically endagered species and the eel-population has declined by more than 90% since the 1960s. Due to the rarity of local river eel, wild eel is usually imported , making it a expensive and unsustainable dish.

“Broodje gezond”

This open-faced sandwich is a popular lunch option in Flanders. Picture a french baguette, but smaller, cut in half and topped with a variety of ingredients, such as ham, cheese, vegetables, and mayonnaise. You might recognize this concept from “subway sandwiches”, however they come nowhere close as our original “broodje gezond” and large varieties on them.

Flanders, with its captivating cities, diverse holiday destinations, charming accommodations, and efficient public transport, offers an unforgettable travel experience. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a culture lover, or a foodie seeking culinary delights, Flanders promises to exceed your expectations. Embrace the vibrant spirit of this enchanting region and embark on a journey that will leave you with cherished memories for years to come.

Last Updated on 23 March 2024 by BertBeckers

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Of all the cities in Belgium, it’s hard to trump GHENT , a vital, vibrant metropolis whose booming restaurant and bar scene wends its way across a charming cityscape, a network of narrow canals overseen by dozens of antique brick houses. If Bruges is a tourist industry with a town attached, Ghent is the reverse – a proudly Flemish city which, with a population of 240,000, is now Belgium’s third largest conurbation. Evidence of Ghent’s medieval pomp is to be found in a string of superb Gothic buildings including St-Baafskathedraal , whose principal treasure is Jan van Eyck’s remarkable Adoration of the Mystic Lamb , one of the world’s most important paintings. Supporting the cathedral are the likes of St-Niklaaskerk , with its soaring arches and pencil-thin turrets; the forbidding castle of the counts of Flanders, Het Gravensteen ; and the delightful medieval guildhouses of the Graslei. These central attractions are supplemented by a trio of outlying museums: S.M.A.K , a Museum of Contemporary Art; STAM , which explores the city’s history; and the fine art of the Museum voor Schone Kunsten .

Brief history

The principal seat of the counts of Flanders and one of the largest towns in western Europe during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Ghent was once at the heart of the Flemish cloth trade . By 1350, the city boasted a population of fifty thousand, of whom no fewer than five thousand were directly involved in the industry, a prodigious concentration of labour in a predominantly rural Europe. Like Bruges, Ghent prospered throughout the Middle Ages, but it also suffered from endemic disputes between the count and his nobles (who supported France) and the cloth-reliant citizens (to whom friendship with England was vital).

The relative decline of the cloth trade in the early sixteenth century did little to ease the underlying tension, as the people of Ghent were still resentful of their ruling class, from whom they were now separated by language – French against Flemish – and religion – Catholic against Protestant. Adapting to the new economic situation, the town’s merchants switched from industry to trade, exporting surplus grain from France, only to find their efforts frustrated by an interminable series of wars in which their rulers were involved. The catalyst for conflict was usually taxation: long before the Revolt of the Netherlands, Ghent’s merchants and artisans found it hard to stomach the financial dictates of their rulers – the Habsburgs after 1482 – and time and again they rose in revolt only to be crushed and punished. In 1540, for example, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V lost patience and stormed the town, abolishing its privileges, filling in the moat and building a new castle at the city’s expense. Later, in 1584, with the Netherlands well on the way to independence from Habsburg Spain, Philip II’s armies captured Ghent. It was a crucial engagement: thereafter Ghent proved to be too far south to be included in the United Provinces and was reluctantly pressed into the Spanish Netherlands . Many of its citizens fled north, and those who didn’t may well have regretted their decision when the Inquisition arrived and the Dutch forced the Habsburgs to close the River Scheldt, Ghent’s economic lifeline, as the price of peace in 1648.

In the centuries that followed, Ghent slipped into a slow decline from which it only emerged during the industrial boom of the nineteenth century. In optimistic mood, the medieval merchants had built the city’s walls a fair distance from the town centre to allow Ghent to expand, but the expected growth had never taken place until now. Within the space of twenty years, these empty districts filled up with factories, whose belching chimneys encrusted the old city with soot and grime, a disagreeable measure of the city’s economic revival. Indeed, its entrepreneurial mayor, Emille Braun, even managed to get the Great Exhibition , showing the best in contemporary design and goods, staged here in 1913.

Ghent remains an industrial city, but in the last twenty years it has benefited from an extraordinarily ambitious programme of restoration and refurbishment , thanks to which the string of fine Gothic buildings that dot the ancient centre have been returned to their original glory.

Citadelpark and S.M.A.K.

From STAM, it’s a brief stroll southeast to Citadelpark , a large chunk of greenery which takes its name from the fortress that stood here until the 1870s, when the land was cleared and prettified with the addition of grottoes and ponds, statues and fountains, a waterfall and a bandstand. These nineteenth-century niceties survive today and, as an added bonus, the park seems refreshingly hilly after the flatness of the rest of Ghent. In the 1940s, a large brick complex was built on the east side of the park and, after many incarnations, much of this now houses S.M.A.K , the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art; www.smak.be ), one of Belgium’s most adventurous contemporary art galleries. It’s largely devoted to temporary displays of international standing, and recent exhibitions have featured the work of Simon Gush, Paul Thek and Paolo Chiasera. These exhibitions are supplemented by a regularly rotated selection of sculptures, paintings and installations taken from the museum’s top-ranking permanent collection . S.M.A.K possesses examples of all the major artistic movements since World War II – everything from Surrealism, the CoBrA group and Pop Art through to Minimalism and conceptual art – as well as their forerunners. Perennial favourites include the installations of the influential German Joseph Beuys (1921–1986), who played a leading role in the European avant-garde art movement of the 1970s, a characteristically unnerving painting by Francis Bacon (1909–1992) entitled Figure Seated , and Panamarenko’s eccentric polyester zeppelin entitled Aeromodeller .

Het Gravensteen

From the Design Museum, it’s a short hop to Het Gravensteen , the castle of the counts of Flanders, which looks sinister enough to have been lifted from a Bosch painting. Its cold, dark walls and unyielding turrets were first raised in 1180 as much to intimidate the town’s unruly citizens as to protect them and, considering the castle has been used for all sorts of purposes since then (even a cotton mill), it has survived in remarkably good nick. The imposing gateway comprises a deep-arched, heavily fortified tunnel leading to a large courtyard , which is framed by protective battlements complete with wooden flaps, ancient arrow slits and apertures for boiling oil and water.

Overlooking the courtyard are the castle’s two main buildings: the count’s residence on the left and the keep on the right, the latter riddled with narrow, interconnected staircases set within the thickness of the walls. A self-guided tour takes you through this labyrinth, the first highlight being a room full of medieval military hardware, from suits of armour, pikes, swords, daggers and early pistols through to a pair of exquisitely crafted sixteenth-century crossbows. Beyond, and also of interest, is a gruesome collection of instruments of torture; a particularly dank, underground dungeon (or oubliette ); and the counts’ vaulted council chamber. It’s also possible to walk along most of the castle’s encircling wall, from where there are pleasing views over the city centre.

St-Baafskathedraal

The best place to start an exploration of the city is the mainly Gothic St-Baafskathedraal (St Bavo’s Cathedral), squeezed into the eastern corner of St-Baafsplein. The third church on this site, and 250 years in the making, the cathedral is a tad lop-sided, but there’s no gainsaying the imposing beauty of the west tower , with its long, elegant windows and perky corner turrets. Some 82m high, the tower was the last major part of the church to be completed, topped off in 1554 – just before the outbreak of the religious wars that were to wrack the country for the next one hundred years.

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

Inside the cathedral, in a small chapel to the left of the entrance is Ghent’s greatest treasure, a winged altarpiece known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb ( De Aanbidding van het Lam Gods ), a seminal work of the early 1430s, though of dubious provenance. Since the discovery of a Latin verse on its frame in the nineteenth century, academics have been arguing about who actually painted it. The inscription reads that Hubert van Eyck “than whom none was greater” began, and Jan van Eyck , “second in art”, completed the work, but as nothing else is known of Hubert, some art historians doubt his existence. They argue that Jan, who lived and worked in several cities (including Ghent) was entirely responsible for the painting and that only later, after Jan had firmly rooted himself in the rival city of Bruges, did the citizens of Ghent invent “Hubert” to counter his fame. No one knows the altarpiece’s authorship for sure, but what is certain is that in his manipulation of the technique of oil painting the artist – or artists – was able to capture a needle-sharp, luminous realism that must have stunned his contemporaries.

The altarpiece is now displayed with its panels open, though originally these were kept closed and the painting only revealed on high days and holidays. Consequently, it’s actually best to begin round the back with the cover screens , which hold a beautiful Annunciation scene with the Archangel Gabriel’s wings reaching up to the timbered ceiling of a Flemish house, the streets of a town visible through the windows. In a brilliant coup of lighting, the shadows of the angel dapple the room, emphasizing the reality of the apparition – a technique repeated on the opposite cover panel around the figure of Mary. Below, the donor and his wife, a certain Joos Vydt and Isabella Borluut, kneel piously alongside statues of the saints.

By design, the restrained exterior was but a foretaste of what lies within – a striking, visionary work of art whose brilliant colours and precise draughtsmanship still take the breath away. On the upper level sit God the Father (some say Christ Triumphant), the Virgin and John the Baptist in gleaming clarity; to the right are musician-angels and a nude, pregnant Eve; and on the left is Adam plus a group of singing angels, who strain to read their music. The celebrated sixteenth-century Flemish art critic Karel van Mander argued that the singers were so artfully painted that he could discern the different pitches of their voices – and true or not, it is the detail that impresses, especially the richly embroidered trimmings on the cloaks. In the lower central panel the Lamb, the symbol of Christ’s sacrifice, is depicted in a heavenly paradise – “the first evolved landscape in European painting”, suggested Kenneth Clark – seen as a sort of idealized Low Countries. The Lamb stands on an altar whose rim is minutely inscribed with a quotation from the Gospel of St John, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world”. Four groups converge on the Lamb from the corners of the central panel. In the bottom right are a group of male saints and up above them are their female equivalents; the bottom left shows the patriarchs of the Old Testament and above them are an assortment of bishops, dressed in blue vestments and carrying palm branches.

On the side panels , approaching the Lamb across symbolically rough and stony ground, are more saintly figures. On the right-hand side are two groups, the first being St Anthony and his hermits, the second St Christopher, shown here as a giant with a band of pilgrims. On the left side panel come the horsemen, the inner group symbolizing the Warriors of Christ – including St George bearing a shield with a red cross – and the outer group showing the Just Judges, each of whom is dressed in fancy Flemish attire. The Just Judges panel is not, however, authentic. It was added during the 1950s to replace the original, which was stolen in 1934 and never recovered. The lost panel features in Albert Camus ’s novel The Fall , whose protagonist keeps it in a cupboard, declining to return it for a complex of reasons, one of which is “because those judges are on their way to meet the Lamb …[but]…there is no lamb or innocence any longer”. Naturally enough, there has been endless speculation as to who stole the panel and why with suspicion ultimately resting on a certain Arsène Goedertier, a stockbroker and conservative politician from just outside of Ghent, who made a deathbed confession in 1934. Whether he was acting alone or as an agent for others is still hotly contested – some argue that the Knights Templar orchestrated the theft, others accuse the Nazis, but no one really knows.

The theft was just one of many dramatic events to befall the painting – indeed it’s remarkable that the altarpiece has survived at all. The Calvinists wanted to destroy it; Philip II of Spain tried to acquire it; the Emperor Joseph II disapproved of the painting so violently that he replaced the nude Adam and Eve with a clothed version of 1784 (exhibited today on a column at the start of the nave just inside the church entrance); and near the end of World War II the Germans hid it in an Austrian salt mine, where it remained until American soldiers rescued it in 1945.

St-Niklaaskerk

The cobbled square to the west of the Belfort is Emile Braunplein , named after the reforming burgomaster who cleared many of the city’s slums at the beginning of the twentieth century. The west edge of the square abuts St-Niklaaskerk , an architectural hybrid dating from the thirteenth century that was once the favourite church of the city’s principal merchants. It’s the shape and structure that pleases most, especially the arching buttresses and pencil-thin turrets which, in a classic example of the early Scheldt Gothic style, elegantly attenuate the lines of the nave. Inside, many of the original Baroque furnishings and fittings have been removed and the windows un-bricked, thus returning the church to its early appearance. One feature you can’t miss is the giant-sized Baroque high altar with its mammoth representation of God the Father glowering down its back, blowing the hot wind of the Last Judgement from his mouth and surrounded by a flock of cherubic angels. The church is sometimes used for temporary art exhibitions, which can attract an admission fee.

At heart, IEPER , about 30km southeast of Veurne, is a pleasant, middling sort of place, a typical Flemish small town with a bright and breezy main square overlooked by the haughty reminders of its medieval heyday as a centre of the cloth trade. Initial appearances are, however, deceptive, for all the old buildings of the town centre were built from scratch after World War I, when Ieper – or Ypres as it was then known – was shelled to smithereens, the reconstruction a tribute to the remarkable determination of the town’s citizens. Today, with its clutch of good-quality restaurants and hotels, Ieper is an enjoyable place to spend a couple of nights, especially if you’re after exploring the assorted World War I cemeteries, monuments and memorials that speckle both the town and its environs, the most famous of which are the Menin Gate and Tyne Cot .

Ieper’s long and troubled history dates back to the tenth century, when it was founded at the point where the Bruges–Paris trade route crossed the River Ieperlee. Success came quickly and the town became a major player in the cloth trade , its thirteenth-century population of two hundred thousand sharing economic control of the region with rivals Ghent and Bruges. The most precariously sited of the great Flemish cities, Ypres was too near the French frontier for comfort, and too strategically important to be ignored by any of the armies whose campaigns crisscrossed the town’s surroundings with depressing frequency. The city governors kept disaster at bay by reinforcing their defences and switching alliances whenever necessary, fighting against the French at the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, and with them forty years later at Roosebeke. The first major misjudgement came in 1383 after Henry Spencer, bishop of Norwich, landed at Calais under the pretext of supporting the armies of Pope Urban VI, who occupied the Vatican, against his rival Clement VII, who was installed in Avignon. The burghers of Ghent and Bruges flocked to Spencer’s standard, and the allies had little difficulty in agreeing on an attack against Ypres, which had decided to champion Clement and trust the French for support. The ensuing siege lasted two months before a French army appeared to save the day, and all of Ypres celebrated the victory. In fact, the town was ruined, its trade never recovered and, unable to challenge its two main competitors again, many of the weavers upped sticks and migrated. The process of depopulation proved irreversible, and by the sixteenth century the town had shrunk to a mere five thousand inhabitants.

In World War I , the first German thrust of 1914 left a bulge in the Allied line to the immediate east of Ypres. This Salient preoccupied the generals of both sides and during the next four years a series of bloody and particularly futile offensives attempted to break the stalemate – with disastrous consequences for Ypres, which served as the Allied communications centre. Comfortably within range of the German artillery, Ypres was rapidly reduced to rubble and its inhabitants had to be evacuated in 1915. After the war, the returning population decided to rebuild their town, a remarkable twenty-year project in which the most prominent medieval buildings – the old cloth hall, the Lakenhalle , and the cathedral – were meticulously reconstructed. The end result must once have seemed strangely antiseptic – old-style edifices with no signs of decay or erosion – but now, after eighty-odd years, the brickwork has mellowed and the centre looks authentically antique and rather handsome.

KORTRIJK (Courtrai in French), just 8km from the French border, is the largest town in this part of West Flanders, a lively, busy sort of place with a couple of excellent hotels, several good places to eat and a smattering of distinguished medieval buildings. The town traces its origins back to a Roman settlement called Cortoriacum, but its salad days were in the Middle Ages when its burghers made a fortune producing linen and flax. The problem was its location: Kortrijk was just too close to France for comfort and time and again the town was embroiled in the wars that swept across Flanders, right up to the two German occupations of the last century.

Heavily bombed during World War II, Kortrijk’s Grote Markt is a comely but architecturally incoherent mixture of bits of the old and a lot of the new, surrounding the forlorn, turreted Belfort – all that remains of what was once a splendid medieval cloth hall. At the northwest corner of the Grote Markt stands the Stadhuis , a sedate edifice with modern statues of the counts of Flanders on the facade, above and beside two lines of ugly windows. Inside, through the side entrance on the left, things improve with two fine sixteenth-century chimney pieces . The first is in the old Schepenzaal (Aldermen’s Room) on the ground floor, a proud, intricate work decorated with municipal coats of arms and carvings of bishops, saints and the Archdukes Albert and Isabella of Spain; the other, upstairs in the Raadzaal (Council Chamber), is a more didactic affair, ornamented by three rows of precise statuettes representing, from top to bottom, the virtues, the vices (to either side of the Emperor Charles V), and the torments of hell.

On the other side of the Grote Markt rises the heavyweight tower of St-Maartenskerk , whose gleaming white-stone exterior, dating from the fifteenth century, has recently been cleaned of decades of grime. The outside of the church may be handsome, but the cavernous interior is a yawn and it won’t be long before you’re moving onto the neighbouring Begijnhof , founded in 1238 by a certain Joanna of Constantinople and preserving the cosy informality of its seventeenth-century houses.

The Baedeker of 1900 distinguished OSTEND as “one of the most fashionable and cosmopolitan watering places in Europe”. The gloss may be gone today, and the aristocratic visitors have certainly moved on to more exotic climes, but Ostend remains a likeable, liveable seaport with a clutch of first-rate seafood restaurants, a string of earthy bars, an enjoyable art museum and – easily the most popular of the lot – a long slice of sandy beach .

Ostend also marks the midway point of the Belgian coast , which stretches for some 70km from Knokke-Heist in the east to De Panne in the west. A superb sandy beach extends along almost all of the coast, but the dunes that once backed onto it have largely disappeared beneath an ugly covering of apartment blocks and bungalow settlements, a veritable carpet of concrete that obscures the landscape and depresses the soul. There are, however, one or two breaks in the aesthetic gloom, principally De Haan , a charming little seaside resort with easy access to a slender slice of pristine coastline; the substantial remains of Atlantikwall built by the Germans to repel the Allies in World War II; and the outstanding Paul Delvaux Museum in St-Idesbald .

There’s precious little left of medieval Ostend, and today’s town centre , which fans out from beside the train station, is a largely modern affair, whose narrow, straight streets are lined by clunky postwar apartment blocks and a scattering of older – and much more appealing – stone mansions. In front of the train station, the first specific sight is the Amandine , a local deep-sea fishing boat of unremarkable modern design that was decommissioned in 1995 – and then parked here, its interior turned into a museum with displays on fishing, nautical dioramas and so forth. Straight ahead from the boat rises the whopping St-Petrus en Pauluskerk , a church that looks old but in fact dates from the early twentieth century. Behind it, the last remnant of its predecessor is a massive sixteenth-century brick tower with a canopied, distinctly morbid shrine of the Crucifixion at its base. Nearby, pedestrianized Kapellestraat , the principal shopping street, leads north into the main square, Wapenplein , a pleasant open space that zeroes in on an old-fashioned bandstand. The south side of the square is dominated by the former Feest-en Kultuurpaleis (Festival and Culture Hall), an imposing 1950s building that has recently been turned into a shopping centre.

Exploring the seashore by public transport could not be easier: a fast, frequent and efficient tram service – the Kusttram – runs from one end of the coast to the other. If you’re UK-bound, note that Transeuropa operates ferries from Ostend to Ramsgate, while Zeebrugge is linked to Hull by P&O Ferries and with Rosyth by Norfolkline ferries.

The old fishing village of Ostend was given a town charter in the thirteenth century, in recognition of its growing importance as a port for trade across the Channel. Flanked by an empty expanse of sand dune, it remained the only important coastal settlement hereabouts until the construction of Zeebrugge six centuries later – the dunes were always an inadequate protection against the sea and precious few people chose to live along the coast until a chain of massive sea walls was completed in the nineteenth century. Like so many other towns in the Spanish Netherlands, Ostend was attacked and besieged time and again, winning the admiration of Protestant Europe in resisting the Spaniards during a desperate siege that lasted from 1601 to 1604. Later, convinced of the wholesome qualities of sea air and determined to impress other European rulers with their sophistication, Belgium’s first kings, Léopold I and II, turned Ostend into a chichi resort , demolishing the town walls and dotting the outskirts with prestigious buildings and parks. Several of these have survived, but others were destroyed during World War II, when the town’s docks made it a prime bombing target. Subsequently, Ostend resumed its role as a major cross-channel port until the completion of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 undermined its position. Since then, Ostend has had to reinvent itself, emphasizing its charms as a seaside resort and centre of culture. There’s a long way to go, perhaps – and parts of the centre remain resolutely miserable – but there’s no denying that Ostend is on the up.

It is perhaps hard to imagine today, but for generations of Brits Ostend had a particular resonance as their first continental port of call. It also played a key role in World War II when, with the German armies closing in, thousands made a desperate dash to catch a boat to the UK; one of the escapees was the young Ralph Miliband , the father of the Labour politicians Ed and David. Another temporary resident was Marvin Gaye , who hunkered down here in 1981 until family and musical ties pulled him back to the US the year after – and just two years before he was killed by his father in bizarre circumstances in Los Angeles.

The coast east of Ostend

Heading east along the coast from Ostend, the undoubted highlight is De Haan , the prettiest and the most appealing seaside resort of them all. Beyond lie kiss-me-quick Blankenberge and the heavily industrialized port of Zeebrugge , both of which are best avoided – as is sprawling Knokke-Heist , though you might be drawn here by one of its many festivals , most notably the Internationaal Cartoonfestival ( w www.cartoonfestival.be ), which runs from the end of June to the middle of September.

Established at the end of the nineteenth century, DE HAAN was conceived as an exclusive seaside village in a rustic Gothic Revival style known as Style Normand . The building plots were irregularly dispersed between the tram station and the sea, with the whole caboodle set around a pattern of winding streets reminiscent of – and influenced by – contemporaneous English suburbs such as Liverpool’s Sefton Park. The only formality was provided by a central circus with a casino plonked in the middle, though this was demolished in 1929. Casino apart, De Haan has survived pretty much intact, a welcome relief from the surrounding high-rise development. Flanked by empty sand dunes, it’s become a popular family resort, with an excellent beach and pleasant seafront promenade.

The Kusttram – the coastal tram

Fast and efficient, the Kusttram (coastal tram; www.delijn.be/dekusttram ) travels the length of the Belgian coast from Knokke-Heist in the east to De Panne in the west, putting all the Belgian resorts within easy striking distance of each other. There are numerous stops and one tram station, in Ostend beside the train station. Services in both directions depart every ten or fifteen minutes in summer, every half-hour in winter. There are multilingual ticket machines at most tram stops and there’s a De Lijn ticket office at Ostend tram station. Tickets can also be bought from the driver, but in this case you pay a premium of around twenty percent. Fares are relatively inexpensive, and you can also buy multiple journey tickets (Lijnkaart) at a discount on the regular price, and tickets for unlimited tram travel.

Ostend beach

To the west of the casino lies Ostend’s main attraction, its sandy beach , which extends as far as the eye can see. On summer days, thousands drive into town to soak up the sun, swim and amble along the seafront promenade , which runs along the top of the sea wall. Part sea defence and part royal ostentation, the promenade was built to link the town centre with the Wellington racecourse, 2km to the west. It was – and remains – an intentionally grand walkway that pandered to the grandiose tastes of King Léopold II. To hammer home the royal point, the king’s statue , with fawning Belgians and Congolese at its base, still stands in the middle of a long line of columns towards the promenade’s west end. These columns now abut the Thermae Palace Hotel , which was the epitome of luxury when it was added in the 1930s.

Situated some 25km east of Kortrijk, the attractive and gently old-fashioned town of OUDENAARDE , literally “old landing place”, hugs the banks of the River Scheldt as it twists its way north towards Ghent. The town has a long and chequered history. Granted a charter in 1193, it concentrated on cloth manufacture until the early fifteenth century, when its weavers cleverly switched to tapestry making , an industry that made its burghers rich and the town famous, with the best tapestries becoming the prized possessions of the kings of France and Spain. So far so good, but Oudenaarde became a key military objective during the religious and dynastic wars of the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, perhaps most famously in July 1708, when the Duke of Marlborough came to its rescue and won a spectacular victory here against the French in the War of the Spanish Succession. Attacked and besieged time and again, Oudenaarde found it impossible to sustain any growth, and the demise of the tapestry industry pauperized the town, rendering it an insignificant backwater in one of the poorest parts of Flanders. In the last few years, however, things have improved considerably due to its canny use of regional development funds, and today’s town – with its fascinating old buildings – makes an enjoyable and pleasant day out.

Oudenaarde tapestries

Tapestry manufacture in Oudenaarde began in the middle of the fifteenth century, an embryonic industry that soon came to be based on a dual system of workshop and outworker , the one with paid employees, the other with workers paid on a piecework basis. From the beginning, the town authorities took a keen interest in the business, ensuring its success by a rigorous system of quality control, which soon gave Oudenaarde an international reputation for consistently well-made tapestries. The other side of this interventionist policy was less palatable: wages were kept down and the Guild of the Masters cunningly took over the running of the Guild of Weavers in 1501. To make matters worse, tapestries were by definition a luxury item, and workers were hardly ever able to accumulate enough capital to buy either their own looms or even raw materials.

The first great period of Oudenaarde tapestry making lasted until the middle of the sixteenth century, when religious conflict overwhelmed the town and many of its Protestant-inclined weavers, who had come into direct conflict with their Catholic masters, migrated north to the rival workshops of Antwerp and Ghent. In 1582 Oudenaarde was finally incorporated into the Spanish Netherlands, precipitating a revival of tapestry production fostered by the king and queen of Spain, who were keen to support the industry and passed draconian laws banning the movement of weavers. Later, however, French occupation and the shrinking of the Spanish market led to diminishing production, the industry finally fizzling out in the late eighteenth century.

There were only two significant types of tapestry: decorative , principally verdures , showing scenes of foliage in an almost abstract way (the Oudenaarde speciality), and pictorial – usually variations on the same basic themes, particularly rural life, knights, hunting parties and religious scenes. Over the centuries, changes in style were strictly limited, though the early part of the seventeenth century saw an increased use of elaborate woven borders, an appreciation of perspective and the use of a far brighter, more varied range of colours.

The technique of producing tapestries was a cross between embroidery and ordinary weaving. It consisted of interlacing a wool weft above and below the strings of a vertical linen “chain”, a process similar to weaving; the appearance of a tapestry was entirely determined by the weft, the design being taken from a painting to which the weaver made constant reference. However, the weaver had to stop to change colour, requiring as many shuttles for the weft as he had colours, as in embroidery.

Standard-size Oudenaarde tapestries took six months to make and were produced exclusively for the very wealthy. The tapestries were normally in yellow, brown, pale blue and shades of green, with an occasional splash of red, though the most important clients would, on occasion, insist on the use of gold and silver thread. Some also insisted on the employment of the most famous artists of the day for the preparatory painting – Pieter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens and David Teniers all completed tapestry commissions.

Rural Flanders at its prettiest, VEURNE is a charming market town just 7km inland by road and rail from De Panne. Founded in the ninth century, Veurne was originally one of a chain of fortresses built to defend the region from the raids of the Vikings, but without much success. The town failed to flourish and two centuries later it was small, poor and insignificant. All that changed when Robert II of Flanders returned from the Crusades in 1099 with a piece of the True Cross . His ship was caught in a gale, and in desperation he vowed to offer the relic to the first church he saw if he survived. He did, and the lucky church was Veurne’s St-Walburgakerk, which became an important centre of medieval pilgrimage for some two hundred years, a real fillip to the local economy. These days Veurne is one of the more popular day-trip destinations in West Flanders, a neat and very amenable backwater whose one real attraction is its Grote Markt , one of the best-preserved town squares in Belgium.

All of Veurne’s leading sights are on or around the Grote Markt, beginning in the northwest corner with the Stadhuis , an engaging mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles built between 1596 and 1612 and equipped with a fine blue-and-gold decorated stone loggia projecting from the original brick facade. The interior displays items of unexceptional interest, the best of which is a set of leather wall coverings made in Córdoba. The Stadhuis connects with the more austere classicism of the Gerechtshof (Law Courts), whose symmetrical pillars and long, rectangular windows now hold the tourist office, but once sheltered the Inquisition as it set about the Flemish peasantry with gusto. The attached tiered and balconied Belfort (belfry; no public access) was completed in 1628, its Gothic lines culminating in a dainty Baroque tower, from where carillon concerts ring out over the town throughout the summer.

Behind the Belfort is St-Walburgakerk , a replacement for the original church that Robert II of Flanders caught sight of, but which was burnt to a cinder in 1353. The new church was begun in style with a mighty, heavily buttressed choir, but the money ran out when the builders reached the transepts and the nave – a truncated affair if ever there was one – was only finished off in 1904. The interior has three virtues: the ornately carved Flemish Renaissance choir stalls; a handsome set of stained-glass windows, some Gothic, some neo-Gothic; and the superb stonework of the tubular, composite columns at the central crossing.

Boeteprocessie (Penitents’ Procession)

In 1650 a young soldier by the name of Mannaert was on garrison duty in Veurne when he was persuaded by his best friend to commit a mortal sin . After receiving the consecrated wafer during Communion, he took it out of his mouth, wrapped it in a cloth, and returned to his lodgings where he charred it over a fire, under the delusion that by reducing it to powder he would make himself invulnerable to injury. The news got out, and he was later arrested, tried and executed, his friend suffering the same fate a few weeks later. Fearful of the consequences of this sacrilege in their town, the people of Veurne resolved that something must be done, deciding on a procession to commemorate the Passion of Christ. This survives as the Boeteprocessie (Penitents’ Procession; w www.boeteprocessie.be ), held on the last Sunday in July, whose leading figures dress up in the brown cowls of the Capuchins to carry wooden crosses that weigh anything up to 50kg through the streets. Until very recently, the procession was a serious-minded, macabre affair, but nowadays lots of locals clamber into all manner of vaguely “biblical” gear to join in, which makes it all rather odd.

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Visitor Centre for Ieper - Ypres and the Westhoek (Tourist Office)

The Visitor Centre for Ieper - Ypres and the Westhoek is located on the ground floor of the Cloth Hall (Lakenhallen) on the market square (Grote Markt) in the centre of Ypres (Ieper). The entrance is to be found on the southern façade of the Cloth Hall.

The Visitor Centre offers advice and information on where to eat, where to stay, and what a visitor can do and see at all times of the year in this famous city and surrounding region.

There is a wide range of leaflets available with maps and suggested routes for walking, cycling and driving around the town and the Westhoek area.

A free interactive exhibition about Ypres and the wider region can be viewed with a special interactive touch-table which features First World War topics of interest.

Visitor Centre Shop

Visitor centre opening hours, car parking, coach drop off/parking in ypres.

• Events and Information on Ieper/Ypres
• Contact Details for Ieper/Ypres Visitor Centre (Tourist Office)
• Location of Ieper/Ypres Visitor Centre (Tourist Office)

The shop is large and very well stocked, offering a wide variety of books, maps, postcards, CDs and other souvenirs of a visit to Ieper.

Many of the items in the shop are related to the period of the First World War.

The shop is also accessed at the end of a tour of the award-winning In Flanders Fields Museum. For information about this museum housed in the Cloth Hall go to our page at:

Summer: 1 April - 15 November

• Monday - Friday 09.00-18.00 hours
• Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays: 10.00-18.00 hours

Winter: 16 November - 31 March

• Monday - Saturday 09.00-17.00 hours
• Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays: 10.00-17.00 hours

A map of parking zones in Ypres is provided by the Tourist Office of Ieper/Ypres. You can download the Tourist Office parking map as a pdf document (Flemish and English).

Website: www.toerismeieper.be Parking map

During special events access by car to the centre of Ieper/Ypres and parking on the Grote Markt is restricted. Visitors are advised to park in the streets in the outskirts of the town and walk into the centre.

Coaches will be required to follow arrangements for dropping off, parking and coach routes and these are outlined in a brochure. You can download the Tourist Office brochure here as a pdf document.

Website: www.toerismeieper.be Coaches

If you have any further questions you are advised to contact the Visitor Centre (see contact details below).

Events and Information on Ieper - Ypres

The website for Ypres and the Westhoek can provide lots of information about visiting Ieper. The website is in Dutch, French, English and German and it offers information for everything you might need to know about the city, its facilities and what it has to offer in the way of cultural events and entertainment.

Special Events in Ieper (Ypres)

• Kattenstoet/Cats Parade: Sunday 12 May 2024. Held every three years. Free to watch along the route of the parade. For tickets to the stands you can visit the website: www.kattenstoet.be
• Ardeca Ypres Rally: June. Held annually, usually on the last weekend of June. You can visit the website for information: www.ypresrally.com
• Armistice Day Parade & Special Last Post Ceremony: 11 November.

Armistice Day Events in Ieper

• Christmas Market: Held annually in December.

Brochure for 2023

You can download a colour brochure (pdf) from the tourist office website. It is full of information of things to do and where to stay in Ieper-Ypres:

Website: www.toerismeieper.be Brochure

Ieper Visitor Centre (Tourist Office) Contact Details

Address: Visitors' Centre of Ypres (Ieper) and the Westhoek Lakenhallen (Cloth Hall), Grote Markt 34, 8900 Ieper

Telephone +32 (0)57 239 220

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.toerismeieper.be

Location of Visitor Centre for Ypres (Tourist Office)

Visitor centre for ypres and the westhoek (tourist office), cloth hall (lakenhallen), 34 grote markt, the cloth hall - lakenhallen.

50.851134152732065

2.8855419158935547

In Flanders Fields Museum

Public toilets, cloth hall (lakenhalle), north side.

50.85136580638137

2.8854694962501526

The Visitor Centre for Ypres and the Westhoek is located on the south side of the Cloth Hall.

Related Topics

About ieper - ypres.

See our pages about Ypres, an overview of its history and the sites of interest to see:

Ieper -Ypres, Belgium

The Cloth Hall (Lakenhallen)

The Visitor Centre (Tourist Office) is located inside the famous Cloth Hall of Ypres. The Cloth Hall was damaged by German artillery shelling from November 1914. By the end of the war exactly four years later is was almost completely demolished, with only the stump of the belfry tower footings remaining. For more information about this famous building:

Acknowledgements

Photograph of visitors in the Visitor Centre courtesy of the Visitor Centre for Ypres and the Westhoek.

(1) Photograph with grateful thanks to the Great War Primary Document Archive: Photos of the Great War.

Website: www.gwpda.org Photos

• Western Front Battlefields
• Battlefield Visits
• Memorials & Monuments
• Museums & Archive Collections
• Tracing Family History
• Researching Military History
• Education Resources
• Experience of the Great War
• Remembrance
• Organizations
• The Poppy Umbrella
• Ypres Salient 1914
• Study: Second Battle of Ypres 1915
• Ypres Salient 1916
• Ypres Salient 1917
• Ypres Salient 1918
• Bayernwald German Trenches
• Essex Farm Dressing Station
• Sanctuary Wood Trenches
• Spanbroekmolen Mine Crater
• Tyne Cot Bunkers
• Yorkshire Trench
• Zandvoorde Command Post
• Early History
• Inauguration
• Last Post Ceremony
• Cloth Hall Replica Peace Memorial
• Francis Ledwidge Memorial
• Guynemer Memorial
• Hill 62 Canadian Memorial
• Indian Forces Memorial
• Island of Ireland Peace Park
• Menin Gate Replica Peace Memorial
• Munster War Memorial
• New Zealand (Buttes New British Cemetery) Memorial
• New Zealand (Messines Ridge) Memorial
• New Zealand (Tyne Cot) Memorial
• Passchendaele Canadian Memorial
• Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing
• St Georges Memorial Church
• St Julien Canadian Memorial Vancouver Corner
• Tank Memorial Ypres Salient
• Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing
• Ypres War Victims Monument
• Bedford House Cemetery
• Berks Cemetery Extension
• Buttes New British Cemetery
• Essex Farm Cemetery
• Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks)
• Langemark German Cemetery
• Le Mont-Kemmel French Military Cemetery
• Lijssenthoek Cemetery
• Ramparts Cemetery
• St-Charles-de-Potyze French Cemetery
• Tyne Cot Cemetery
• Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
• In Flanders Fields, Ieper
• Hooge Crater Museum
• Lijssenthoek Visitor Centre
• Memorial Museum Passchendaele
• Sanctuary Wood (Hill 62) Museum
• The Story of Talbot House
• Tyne Cot Visitor Centre
• Daily Last Post Ceremony
• 11 November Armistice Ceremonies
• B&B/Self-catering
• Cafés & Restaurants
• Visitor Centre for Ypres
• Souvenirs, Books & Gifts
• Fortified City
• Ypres 1914-1918
• 1919 Reconstruction
• Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle)
• Market Square (Grote Markt)
• Lille Gate (Rijselpoort)
• CWGC Office
• Sights to See
• Talbot House (Toc H)

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Whether you’re looking for a weekend break or a longer trip, Belgium has a lot to offer to tourists.

If you enjoy walking, sports and the outdoors, the Ardennes , which are the green heart of Belgium, are your place to go. If you prefer the beach or enjoy cycling, you will not be able to resist the call of our seaside !

Our prestigious art cities are magnificent, even if you are not a fan of history, architecture or culture.

Belgians love gastronomy . They love good food and will invite you to taste their special beers and cheeses and obviously also their chocolate, bonbons, endives, beef stew, speculaas and the like. And the fries are simply legendary.

But above all, Belgium is a place of fun: it has a very vibrant cultural scene (exhibits, concerts, festivals, theatre, dance, etc.) and its night live is one big celebration.

Adressen en websites

• Visit.brussels Website: https://visit.brussels
• Visit Flanders Website: http://www.visitflanders.com
• Wallonia Tourism Website: http://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/

VISITFLANDERS - the official tourist office for Flanders and Brussels

VISITFLANDERS is the tourist office promoting and marketing the northern region of Belgium, including the cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven, Mechelen and the capital Brussels. Product themes which highlight the DNA of Flanders and its USP’s focus on Art, Culture & Heritage, Nature, Cycling, Gastronomy, and the WW1 battlefields of Ypres & Flanders Fields.

Cycle along one of the themed iconic cycling routes. Walk along the Flemish coastline, through Flanders Fields or in one of its numerous nature reserves. Quench your thirst with a glass of Belgian Beer. Brace yourself to take in the beauty of the Ghent Altarpiece and admire the work of the Flemish Masters and the artists who came after them. Sample dishes created by our expert and innovative chefs, who magically transform local ingredients and seasonal products into culinary masterpieces. 

Discover Flanders

Whether you are a recreational or professional cyclist, Flanders is the perfect location to get out on a bike. There are routes which involve rolling landscapes, cities and picturesque surroundings or take on the famous cobbles and bergs. For example, there is a route which follows the famous Flandrien Challenge. There is something for everyone when it comes to cycling in Flanders.

Image credit: © Too Soon Too late

Belgian Beer & Gastronomy

Good food and quality beer are the lifeblood of Flanders. By utilising a variety of local products, food lovers can taste flavours and dishes that they won’t find anywhere else. 

The history of Begian beer culture dates back centuries and has always been a crucial part of its history. This is why it was added to UNESCOs list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

When you think of Flemish food, it’s fries and chocolate that often spring to mind. But there are many other local, seasonal delicacies to try from beef stew to waffles and so much more. 

Art & Heritage

Flanders is home to the Flemish Masters such as Rubens, Ensor and van Eyck whose influence is still felt today in the art world. There are also a variety of cathedrals, churches, beguinages, artistic masterpieces and historic city centres which showcase the rich cultural heritage of the area. 

The history of Flanders is also present in Flanders Fields which serves as a lasting reminder of the impact of the First World War and bears the universal message of peace.

Destination videos

A Paradise for Foodies – Mechelen

Vibes of a Metropolis – Leuven

An Ancient City Centre – Bruges

Discover a Creative City – Antwerp

Admire Art & Design – Ghent

In Ypres Sector – A Poem by Carola Oman – Landscapes. Feel Flanders Fields.

Flanders by Bike – the Art Cities Route

Destination galleries.

• Beer & Gastronomy
• Flanders Fields

Destination contact details

VISITFLANDERS, Flanders House, 1A Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0LD, United Kingdom

[email protected]

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brussels .info

Belgium tourism offices.

Here are a few offices.

Austria Tourism Flanders-Brussels Tourismuswerbung Flandern-Brüssel Mariahilferstr. 121b/VI. 1060 Vienna Website: http://www.flandern.co.at

Canada Office du Promotion du Tourisme Wallonie-Bruxelles 43 Rue de Buade Quebec, PQ G1R 4A2 Website: http://www.belgique-tourisme.qc.ca

Czech Republic Tourism Flanders-Brussels Flanderska turisticka informacni kancelar Tabprotsla 23 Hotel Olanska 13087 Prague 3 Website: http://www.flandry.cz

Denmark Belgian Tourist Office Flanders-Brussels Vester Farimagsgade 1/III Copenhagen V Website: http://www.belgien.dk (Danish) Website: http://www.belgien.nu (Swedish)

Office Belge du Tourisme Wallonie-Bruxelles 21, Boulevard des Capucines Paris Website: http://www.belgique-tourisme.net

Tourisme Flandre & Brussels 21 Boulevard des Capucines Paris Website: http://www.tourismebelgique.com

Belgian Tourist Board Ardennes + Brussels Belgisches Verkehrsamt Wallonien & Brüssel Caecilienstr. 46 Cologne Website: http://www.belgien-tourismus.de Website: http://www.ardennen-bruessel.de

Tourism Flanders-Brussels Caecilienstr. 46 Cologne Website: http://www.flandern.com Website: http://www.flandern.de

Italy Ufficio Belga per il Turismo Piazza Velasca 5, 5th Floor Milano Website: http://www.belgio.it Website: http://www.belgio-turismo.net

Japan Belgian Tourist Board 607 Shuwa Kioicho, TBR Building 5-7 Kojimachi Chiyoda-ku Tokyo Website: http://www.belgium-travel.jp

Netherlands

Belgisch Verkeersbureau Wallonia & Brussels Postbus 2324 Haarlem Internet: http://www.belgie-toerisme.net

Toerisme Vlaanderen & Brussel Koninginnegracht 86 Den Haag Internet: http://www.toerisme-vlaanderen.nl

Poland Belgian Tourist Board, Brussels/Wallonia Urzad Bromocji Turystyki Walonia-Bruksela Ul. Ks. I. Skorupki 5, VI°Pietro Warsaw Internet: http://www.belgium-tourism.net

Belgian Tourist Office, Brussels/Wallonia Officina de Promocion del Turismo Valonia-Bruselas 110 Calle Pau Claris Planta Primera, Puerta 1 Barcelona Website: http://www.belgica-turismo.be Website: http://www.belgica-turismo.net

Turismo de Bélgica Flandes y Bruselas World Trade Center Moll de Barcelona s/n Edificio Este, Planta 6 Barcelona

United Kingdom

Belgian Tourist Board, Brussels & Ardennes (Wallonia) 217 Marsh Wall London Website: http://www.belgiumtheplaceto.be Website: http://www.belgium-tourism.net

Tourism Flanders Flanders House 1a Cavendish Square London Website: http://www.visitflanders.co.uk

United States of America Belgian Tourist Office 220 East 42nd Street, Room 3402 New York Internet: http://www.visitbelgium.com