Page 148 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

146  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

Exploring Antwerp, Flemish Brabant
and Limburg

The main attractions of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant and Limburg lie in the
west of the region. Antwerp has a clutch of top-quality museums and
historic buildings, as well as a celebrated club scene. Leuven and Mechelen
are beautiful medieval towns, with outstanding architectural treasures.
There are castles at Beersel and Gaasbeek, gardens at Nationale Plantentuin
and a World War II concentration camp memorial at Breendonk. More to the
east, the beguiling little town of Diest is close to sites such as the Essen
pilgrimage shrine at Scherpenheuvel and the Abdij van Averbode. The Wustwezel
abbey of Tongerlo is famous for its copy of Leonardo’s Last Supper, Brecht Hoogstraten
while Hasselt is the place for those who wish to sample jenever gin. Kalmthout Rijkevorsel
Roman history is very much in the air in Tongeren. The highlight TURNHOUT Arendonk
of the region is Bokrijk’s open-air museum, a collection of Scheldt Brasschaat Malle
historic rustic buildings set out in a large park, bringing to Kempen Retie
life Flanders’s rural past. Schoten Lille Kasterlee Lommel
Deurne Hamont
Zandhoven Neerpelt
Sights at a Glance Bruges ANTWERPEN Mol
Hoboken ANTWERP Albert Kanaal Herentals Geel Balen Kinrooi
Villages, Towns and Cities Churches and Abbeys Berchem (ANVERS) Nijlen Meerhout Hechtel Peer Bree
1 Antwerp pp148–59 5 Abdij Tongerlo Ghent LIER
2 Sint-Amands 0 Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Scheldt Boom (LIERRE) ABDIJ TONGERLO Leopoldsburg MAASEIK
4 Turnhout Scherpenheuvel Bornem Duffel Heist Grote Nete Westerloo LIMBURG
Rupel
6 Lier q Abdij van Averbode Willebroek ABDIJ VAN Beringen Juliana
AVERBODE
SINT-
7 Mechelen y Sint-Servaasbasiliek AMANDS MECHELEN ONZE-LIEVE-VROUW Houthalen NATIONAAL PARK
HOGE KEMPEN
(MALINES)
8 Leuven pp164–5 Grimbergen MEMORIAL VAN SCHERPENHEUVEL Maasmechelen
9 Aarschot Lebbeke BREENDONK Dijle Demer DIEST Zonhoven
w Diest Museums Boortmeerbeek AARSCHOT BOKRIJK
e Zoutleeuw 3 Memorial Breendonk Merchtem SINT- Hageland Bekkevoort HASSELT OPENLUCHT- Zutendaal
MUSEUM
r Tienen d Bokrijk Openluchtmuseum Wolvertem SERVAASBASILIEK VLAAMS-BRABANT Albert K anaal Lanaken
u Halle p171 GRIMBERGEN Bilzen
NATIONALE
a St-Truiden Parks and Gardens PLANTENTUIN LEUVEN Nieuwerkerken
s Hasselt (LOUVAIN) ZOUTLEEUW LANDCOMMANDERIJ
f Maaseik t Nationale Plantentuin Pajottenland BRUSSELS (LEAU) ALDEN BIESEN
(BRUXELLES)
j Tongeren g Nationaal Park Hoge Dijle TIENEN Riemst
Kempen KASTEEL VAN Drogenbos Tervuren (TIRLEMONT) SINT-TRUIDEN
Castles Areas of Natural Beauty GAASBEEK Overijse (SAINT TROND) Heers TONGEREN
Landen
KASTEEL
i Kasteel van Beersel VAN BEERSEL FORÊT Haspengouw(Hesbaye) Oreye
o Kasteel van Gaasbeek p Forêt de Soignes HALLE (HAL) Huizinge DE SOIGNES Liège
h Landcommanderij Namur
Alden Biesen Liège

The stately 16th-century castle and grounds at Landcommanderij Alden Biesen
For hotels and restaurants see p268 and pp286–8

146-147_EW_Belgium.indd 146 18/10/16 3:01 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Explorer template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.4)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm