10 Nights in Belgium

关于目的地: 从其令人叹为观止的中世纪中心到其21世纪的寺庙到超现实主义，新的马格利特博物馆，布鲁塞尔为游客提供的不仅仅是啤酒和巧克力，而且与其作为欧盟官僚主场的不幸的沉稳形象不同。事实上，布鲁塞尔是一个充满活力的创意城市其紧凑的市中心遍布着鹅卵石街道上的酒吧，餐馆和博物馆。不可避免地，大多数游客前往大广场。凭借其华丽的佛兰芒公会房屋，令人印象深刻的市政厅和嗡嗡的气氛，在整个欧洲很难找到一个更美丽的广场。它当之无愧地是联合国教科文组织世界遗产，也是这座城市的最高宝石。您可以在附近的皇家和萨布隆区（Savlon）旁边漫步，那里拥有艺术画廊和古董店。扔掉你的地图，蜿蜒在无数的小街上，探索跳蚤市场，艺术装饰房屋和精品店。 Bruxellois以他们自我谦卑，智慧的幽默感为荣，并以对这种离奇的强烈欣赏为基础。这座城市与RenéMagritte开创的超现实主义艺术运动以及由Hergé的男孩英雄丁丁（Tintin）所代表的经典连环漫画长期保持着密切的关系。这个城市最着名的地标是撒尿小童（Manneken-Pis），这是一个小小男孩的小雕像，这是一个具有说服力的讽刺。与此同时，所有这些都与世界一流的艺术品，精美的烹饪，包括贻贝，薯条，华夫饼和豆类，欧洲一些最好的和独特的啤酒（字面意思，有数千种）和巧克力大师一起。这个城市的文化日历充满了各种各样的活动，每年七月都会举办大型喧闹的Foire du Midi街头集市，那里有摊位和露天市场景点，还有传奇的圣诞市场，位于Place Sainte Catherine的中心舞台，有240个摊位，一个溜冰场，一个大轮子和众多的游乐设施。其中一个最大的活动是布鲁塞尔艺术博览会，展示了这个城市的前卫，创意方面以及来自世界各地的艺术鉴赏家的中心。如果您是爱好欧洲的国民，请查看以舒曼和Berlaymont为中心的欧洲区。其最活跃的部分是卢森堡广场：所有酒吧都在工作日下午6点左右填满，在布鲁塞尔成为二战后国际政治中心后，居住在该市的20,000名外交官，政治家和公务员中的一些人。睁开眼睛，布鲁塞尔所提供的一切让您惊喜不已。

关于目的地: 布鲁日是欧洲的睡美人。它是欧洲北部文艺复兴时期建筑中保存最完好的典范，其浪漫的运河之美和非凡的立面仅与其艺术相匹配。布鲁日是一个博物馆内部展出，展示了大多数策展人梦寐以求的爱心和微妙。在黑暗的建筑物和运河被精美照亮后，景色令人叹为观止。市中心是Markt，一个华丽的广场，由着名的Beffroi，一座中世纪的钟楼和城市最着名的标志之一主持。如果想要欣赏城市圆形周边的美丽全景，可以登上Beffroi的台阶。 14世纪的Stadhuis市政厅是华丽的哥特式建筑的典范。许多弗拉芒大师在布鲁日工作，他们的一些杰作被安置在优秀的Groeninge博物馆。保存完好的中世纪塔楼是圣母教堂，是布鲁日最高的塔楼。圣母教堂包含米开朗基罗柔软而动人的麦当娜和儿童，还有一个非常华丽的木制讲坛。 Basilica of the Holy Blood酒店位于伯格广场（Burg Square）的右侧，其历史可追溯至1150年，由罗马式下教堂和哥特式上部小教堂组成。两个层次截然不同：罗马式下层是严峻的，几乎没有装饰，而哥特式上层则是色彩鲜艳的脉冲。两个小教堂通过一个巨大的砖楼梯连接起来，爬上面向广场的宏伟外观。今天的楼梯和立面是1533年文艺复兴版本的19世纪重建，在法国大革命后的法国占领期间被拆除。 Minnewater被称为Lake of Love，它的美丽公园是您在布鲁日市乘坐火车或长途汽车抵达时的首批景点之一。湖泊和周围的公园是远离城市景点和街道的喧嚣的绝佳休憩场所。许多常驻的天鹅夫妇都是其浪漫主义风格的点睛之笔。在布鲁日的爱情湖似乎比平常更美丽。迷人的中世纪，布鲁日是一个独特的地方。漫步在它的小巷，风景如画的运河和青翠的城墙上，你不得不无可救药地爱上她优雅的神秘感。

About the destination: Spiritual bulwark of Flanders, second Belgian port and major industrial centre, Ghent is also a university city that has a feeling of vitality. Built at the confluence of the Leie and the Scheldt, the city is crisscrossed by numerous canals and waterways. Hometown of Charles V, Ghent is full of history and monuments, and old neighbourhoods and docks are full of poetry. The lighting makes a simple evening stroll into something extraordinary. Gravensteen, meaning castle of the counts in Flemish, is an impressive sight. Built in 1180 by Philippe d’Alsace, count of Flanders, Gravensteen Castle is a worthwhile visit for anyone who enjoys history. Featuring walls that measure two meters thick, Gravensteen includes a torture museum, showcasing various torture methods that were once used at the castle. The Gravensteen Castle is located on the eastern bank of the river Leie, right in the heat of Gent's historic city centre. The impressive gothic cathedral is one of the landmarks of the city. Saint Bavo’s Cathedral is a beautiful structure with so many things to see inside that you should think of it as a visit to a museum. The tower rising up in front is impressive, one of the three tower that dominates the city centre, the others belong to Belfort and St. Nickolas church. The cathedral houses the famous altarpiece painting, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. The Belfry Tower, Belford, was erected in 1380 as a symbol of the self-governed and independent city of Gent. It was later also used as a treasury and watch tower. The Belfry is one of the three towers, which dominate the skyline of the historic city centre. The Brabant Gothic style tower is 91 metres tall and can be climbed for panoramic views. The third tower that dominate the skyline belongs to St. Nicholas' Church. The church was constructed in the 13th century and is the best example of Scheldt Gothic in Belgium. One of the oldest churches of the city it stands right in the heart of Ghent. Beautifully classical, Ghent is a compact, authentic city where the past and present co-exist in perfect balance.

About the destination: Antwerp is located on the eastern bank of the river Scheldt, which is linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde estuary. The city has one of the largest seaports in Europe. Antwerp has long been an important city in the Low Countries, both economically and culturally. Antwerp’s appeal derives from its unique mix of styles and peoples. First there’s the no-nonsense part of town around Centraal Statio; the shipping, diamond, and garment industries are headquartered here. Then there’s the art and culture that wealth has bought throughout the centuries. Flemish Old Masters, particularly native son Rubens, are well-represented here. Finally, there is the immense port with its own smoky trees. There is more to see and do in Antwerp than in any other Belgian city. Start with a walk through the oude stad, old town, beginning at Grote Markt, where the Stadhuis, town hall, stands as a magnificent example of Renaissance architecture. The nearby Cathedral of Our Lady has a spectacular Gothic tower. Its interior is richly decorated with stained glass and it houses some of Rubens' most famous paintings. Close by there is the Steen, a beautiful story-book fortress which dates from the 12th century. The Plantin Moretus Museum is a delightful must. Plantin turned printing into an art during the 16th century, and most of his tools and presses are here on display. The picturesque courtyard and Rubens paintings also make the visit worthwhile. Save time to visit Rubenshuis, one of the best museums of its kind in the world. Rubens lived and worked for nearly 30 years in this sumptuous house. His garret is exquisitely furnished and richly stocked with art treasures. Few tourists get to Cogels-Osylei, an avenue with an uninterrupted procession of art nouveau mansions, each one seeming to outdo the one before it in architectural fantasy. Antwerp is a very cultural and vivid city. Discover for yourself this effervescent trading, artistic and cultural centre with its typical atmosphere of a port for the ships of the world: cosmopolitan, slightly exotic and at the same time so hospitable.

About the destination: Liège is Wallonia's largest city and the third largest municipality in Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp. The city lies on the confluence of the Meuse and the Ourthe Rivers. Great river port and economic and commercial metropolis close to Germany, Liège is the seat of economic institutions in Wallonia. Its glorious past has left a rich heritage in churches and museums. Liège is also a university town with a very lively atmosphere. Place Saint-Lambert is the heart of Liège. Nowadays it is a wide open space in modern design. Surrounding the square is the shopping mall Galeries Saint Lambert, the palace of the Prince Bishops of Liege and the Place du Marche, where stands the town hall and the Perron, a column symbolising the municipal liberties. The Place Saint Lambert is the central hub of Liège. It is an extremely busy place that is crowded with people. The Saint Paul Cathedral is the main cathedral of Liege. It was built in the 10th century but underwent many restorations since then. In front of the church is the square called Place de la Cathédrale which is beautifully decorated with flowers. The square boasts several restaurants and is a perfect place to sit down and have a meal or enjoy a cup of coffee. Liège has a number of very interesting museums such as The Arms Museum, where you can find a lot about the history of arms making, The Curtius Museum, with decorative arts, seals, coins and medals, and The Museum of Wallon Art, where you can see the collection of paintings and artefacts. Liège has innumerable riches in store waiting to be discovered. Quirky and lively it has a large number of restaurants and bars to entertain locals and tourists alike. Its vigorous cultural and artistic life and a considerable architectural heritage make Liège an essential part of any trip to Belgium.