Belgium’s oldest, it has large sections of the original second century walls, an insightful Gallo-Roman museum and huge antiques market hosted every Sunday where you can go searching for treasure.
My love affair with Belgium has been going on for two decades now and each exploration reveals some new quirk or charm, so set aside your assumptions and visit. I guarantee when you return from Belgium, you’ll report the three ‘Bs’ which describe it are in fact: blithe, bucolic and a dash of brio.
Getting there
Eurostar run nine direct trains from London to Brussels each day. When purchasing your ticket be sure to select the “Any Belgian Station” option, which grants a free single onward journey to any other Belgian city. A return ticket costs around £172 with savings to be made the further you book in advance.
Where to stay
Those on a budget get banging music-themed rooms for their buck at Rock Lobster City Lodge (doubles from €110) run by music journalist Bart Steenhaut in Antwerp. If you’re celebrating, splurge on the historic Pillows Grand Hotel Reylof (doubles from €156), an elegant Louis XV-style townhouse smack in the centre of Ghent, while further south, Martin’s Dream Hotel (doubles from €97) in Mons is set inside a 19th-century abbey and mixes stained-glass with modern flourishes.
When to go
Christmas markets strike up at the end of November – Liege is Belgium’s oldest, and the one on Brussels’ Marche aux Poissons is the biggest. Or dance away the new year blues when the bacchanal carnival season kicks off in Ronse (January 6–8) and Aalst (February 11–13).
Further information
Visit Flanders; Visit Wallonia; Northern Belgium: The Bradt Travel Guide (£15.99)
