Page 106 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

104  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

Flanders at a Glance

Northern Belgium forms the Dutch-speaking region known as
Flanders. The language here is spoken in Flemish dialects that vary
hugely across the land. The western half of Flanders consists of two
FLANDERS
provinces – West Vlaanderen, which has a coast on the North Sea, BELGIUM
and Oost Vlaanderen. The beautiful cities of Bruges and Ghent are the
respective capitals. To the east lie three more provinces: Antwerpen,
with its capital in the city of Antwerp; Limburg and Vlaams Brabant. LUX.
Much of the north is flat, but towards the southern border with
Wallonia, the land begins to rise into softly undulating hills. Locator Map

Ghent (see pp134–9), the capital of
Oost Vlaanderen, is most notable for
the glorious Gothic architecture that
lines the city’s picturesque canals and
medieval streets.

Zeebrugge Turnhout

Oostende
Maldegem Antwerp
Bruges
Geel
The Belgian Coast (see pp122–3) is a Koksijde St-Niklaas Lier
popular destination for family holidays, Maaseik
but sun-lovers may need shelter from the Diksmuide Ghent ANTWERP, FLEMISH BRABANT
bracing sea breezes. A striking feature here Mechelen AND LIMBURG
is the investment in contemporary public WEST AND EAST FLANDERS Aarschot (See pp144–73)
sculpture, such as the seated figures outside Roeselare (See pp108–43) Aalst
Oostende’s railway station. Grimbergen Hasselt
Ypres Leuven
Kortrijk Oudenaarde BRUSSELS
(See pp56–101) Tienen St-Truiden
Gaasbeek
0 kilometres 25 Mesen Tongeren
0 miles 25

Bruges (see pp112–121) casts a
romantic spell with its step-gabled
façades and a skyline pricked by
medieval towers. The canals that
thread through this miniature city
were used in the Middle Ages by
barges laden with trade goods. The
wealth and luxury this trade
brought to Bruges is still very
evident in the city’s monuments
and museums.
Red poppies, a symbol of the war dead, carpeting the battlefields of Flanders

104-105_EW_Belgium.indd 104 18/10/16 3:01 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Flashmap template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm