Day Trips from Brussels                                                            October 4, 2003

Brussels is a excellent starting point for exploring northwestern Europe.  Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Lille, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Koln and London are all non-stop train trips away.  There are also lots of towns and cities near Brussels to visit.

Between seeing Brussels and Paris, taking French lessons and playing golf, we only managed to take a dozen daytrips.  All the towns below are worth a visit, and I'm sure there are loads more that we'll have to explore next time.  Most European city-towns have preserved (or rebuilt) their "old town" -- winding narrow streets and interesting brick or wooden buildings.  Many also have a pedestrian-only shopping area, where it's fun to window shop.  In some towns, you can find a shop featuring hand-made "Belgian" lace.  This photo shows the dozens of bobbins of white thread and the numerous pins needed to make a collar of Belgian lace.  Definitely time-consuming work.

If you're got some time in Brussels, here's a quick overview of some nearby towns to visit: 

Namur, the Citadel -- This town with its ancient citadel is 75 minutes south of Brussels by car.  On Saturdays, there's a large market running along the downtown streets making for a colorful display.  We arrived on the weekend of the annual summer festival -- free music and entertainment at half a dozen venues, including opposite the cafe where we had  lunch.  Later we walked to the top of the Citadel, but there's a shuttle bus or parking at the top if you're pressed for time.  As you overlook old Namur from the Citadel's lofty perch, the many old buildings make it hard to believe that the town has changed hands continuously since before 1500.  Many battles ended at the Citadel, which was besieged 27 times, with never a victory for those holding this high ground!  A guided tour provides access to the fortified subterranean passages and a place to cool off on a hot day.  

Dinant -- Not far from Namur, lies the attractive river town of Dinant.  Adolf Sax, the inventor of the saxophone was born here, and the town celebrates all summer with jazz or Dixieland concerts almost every summer Sunday.  For a good view of the town, a tranquil riverboat trip is a definite recommendation.  We had our friends Bob and Jan C with us, helping us enjoy the town.  Like Namur, there's a citadel in Dinant.  This one has a cable car to take you to the top and, though we missed it, it's apparently worth a visit...  

Lille (France) -- My French instructor suggested a trip to Lille (photo at right).  He thinks it's a marvelous town, especially on a Saturday morning.  There's a non-stop train that takes about 45 minutes from Brussels, so off we went. Though we weren't sooo impressed, Lille's downtown area with its mix of old and new and its pedestrian-only streets allowed for some good wandering and of course some tasty French food for lunch.  There's an excellent art museum in Lille -- one of France's best outside of Paris -- which added interest to a mostly gray afternoon.  

Maastricht, Holland --  As we wanted to see a bit of Holland, we took the one hour ride east to the university town of Maastricht.  Although we didn't see anything commemorating the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which created the European Union, this is the place where the Treaty was signed.  Indeed, Maastricht  seemed to be just like many attractive small town in Europe -- a shop and restaurant-rich town center with pedestrians and bicyclists galore, but no cars allowed.  The huge St. Servaas Basilica is old and impressive.  Attached is an unusual  museum, full of church artifacts and saint's relics.  Interesting. 

By the way, a visit Maastricht is a delightful way to sample some marijuana.  There are a dozen "coffee shops" that sell hashish and marijuana in small quantities -- all on the up and up and legal in liberal Holland.  After visiting three such establishments, it appears that the smoking dens and sales areas are usually way in the back, often downstairs.  Here there were college kids lounging around, obviously relaxed and seemingly happy.  To try some 'weed", just pick up the tired, well worn menu and select among the varieties on offer.  Interestingly, the afternoon we were there, there didn't seem to be any stoned students wandering the streets.  

Knokke -- This is the most up-market of Belgium's North Sea resort towns.  Unfortunately there are apartment buildings, lined up one against another like soldiers, marring the coastline.  Though not as built up as Miami, you'll have to park your car and walk if you want a view of the Ocean.  Knokke has a nice (though crowded) boardwalk for walkers, bicyclists and motorized cars for kids, and a sandy beach filled with "for rent" cubicles designed for wind-protected sun-bathing.  There are plenty of shops, art galleries, and restaurants and one of the best golf courses in Belgian.  Knokke was nice enough for a day trip, but definitely not my idea of heaven.

Normandy, Bagnole de Lorne (France) -- This was an overnight trip -- it's an 8 hours drive from Brussels, unless you try the route via Paris' outer ring, which we did; in that case the trip takes 10 hours!  We visited Stuart and Margaret W at Andy and Alex B's recently purchased retreat in this exceedingly attractive Normandy town in .  With great bakeries, excellent inexpensive restaurants, and a variety of touristy events and shops, Bagnole de Lorne is an interesting place to get away from the city life.   The town has a well-known spa, parks a small lake, and there's even a golf course,  There are also castles and gardens to tour nearby, but you'll need to remember your French if you want to understand the tour guides.  Like Americans, the French live in a world of their own.

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