EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
belgium and luxembourg
EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
belgium and luxembourg main contributor: antony mason
CONTENTS HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE 6 MANAGING EDITOR Aruna Ghose SENIOR EDITORIAL MANAGER Savitha Kumar SENIOR DESIGN MANAGER Priyanka Thakur PROJECT EDITOR Sandhya Iyer PROJECT DESIGNER Stuti Tiwari Bhatia EDITOR Shalini Krishan DESIGNER Namrata Adhwaryu SENIOR CARTOGRAPHIC MANAGER Uma Bhattacharya CARTOGRAPHER Jasneet Arora DTP DESIGNER Azeem Siddique SENIOR PICTURE RESEARCH COORDINATOR Taiyaba Khatoon PICTURE RESEARCHER Shweta Andrews MAIN CONTRIBUTOR Antony Mason PHOTOGRAPHERS Lynne McPeake, Paul Tait ILLUSTRATORS
Surat Kumar, Arun Pottirayil, T. Gautam Trivedi Reproduced in Singapore by Colourscan Printed and bound in Malaysia by Vivar Printing Sdn Bhd First American Edition, 2009 11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Published in the United States by DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Street, New York 10014 Reprinted with revisions 2011 Copyright © 2009, 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. WITHOUT LIMITING THE RIGHTS UNDER COPYRIGHT RESERVED ABOVE, NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, STORED IN OR INTRODUCED INTO A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR TRANSMITTED, IN ANY FORM, OR BY ANY MEANS (ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE), WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF BOTH THE COPYRIGHT OWNER AND THE ABOVE PUBLISHER OF THIS BOOK.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A CATALOG RECORD FOR THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
ISSN 1542-1554 ISBN 978-0-7566-7014-6 FLOORS ARE REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH BELGIAN USAGE; IE THE FIRST FLOOR IS AT GROUND LEVEL.
Front cover main image: Group of people at a sidewalk café, Grote Market, Veurne, Flanders, Belgium
Carvings on cathedral door depicting the Last Judgement, Antwerp
INTRODUCING BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG DISCOVERING BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG 10 PUTTING BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG ON THE MAP 12 A PORTRAIT OF BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG 14 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG THROUGH THE YEAR 32
The information in this DK Eyewitness Travel Guide is checked regularly.
Every effort has been made to ensure that this book is as up-to-date as possible at the time of going to press. Some details, however, such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices, gallery hanging arrangements and travel information are liable to change. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book, nor for any material on third party websites, and cannot guarantee that any website address in this book will be a suitable source of travel information. We value the views and suggestions of our readers very highly. Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL, Great Britain, or email:
[email protected]. The Grand Place, centre of Brussels’s Lower Town, at night
Vibrant, colourful costumes at the Pageant of the Golden Tree, Bruges
Vineyards stretching across the wine making commune of Remich, along the banks of River Moselle, Luxembourg
THE HISTORY OF BELGIUM 36
CENTRAL WALLONIA 192
BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION
EASTERN WALLONIA 212
SURVIVAL GUIDE
GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG
PRACTICAL INFORMATION 320
234
TRAVEL INFORMATION 330
BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG AT A GLANCE 50
BRUSSELS 52
TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS
SPORTING AND ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS 312
WHERE TO STAY 256 WHERE TO EAT 276 SHOPPING IN BELGIUM 302 ENTERTAINMENT IN BELGIUM 306
Bronze statue of Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy, Brussels
SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT IN LUXEMBOURG 310
Rich Belgian chocolates
GENERAL INDEX 336 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 346 PHRASE BOOK 348
FLANDERS 98 WESTERN FLANDERS 104 CENTRAL AND EASTERN FLANDERS 140
WALLONIA 170 WESTERN WALLONIA 176
Rubenshuis, Antwerp
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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
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his guide helps you get the most from your visit to Belgium and Luxembourg. It provides detailed practical information and expert recommendations. Introducing Belgium and Luxembourg maps the countries and their regions, sets them in historical and cultural context and describes events through the entire year. Belgium and
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