Page 8 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

6  HOW T O USE THIS GUIDE

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This guide helps you get the most from your by Region is the main sightseeing section.
visit to Belgium and Luxembourg. It provides It covers all the important sights, with maps,
detailed practical information and expert photographs and illustrations. Information
recommendations. Introducing Belgium and on hotels, restaurants, shops, entertainment
Luxembourg maps the countries and their and sports is found in Travellers’ Needs. The
regions, sets them in historical and cultural Survival Guide has advice on everything from
context and describes events through the travel to medical services, telephones and
entire year. Belgium and Luxembourg Region post offices.

A locator map shows where you are
16  INTRODUCING BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG PUT TING BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG ON THE M AP  17
in relation to other European countries.
Rotterdam
Harwich
Putting Belgium and North Hoek van Rotterdam Western Europe NORWAY
Holland
Luxembourg on the Map Sea SWEDEN
Nor th
With an area of 30,530 sq km (11,788 sq miles) and a population Dordrecht Sea DENMARK
of about 11 million, Belgium is a small country, bordered by France, NETHERLANDS
UNITED
Germany, the Netherlands and the North Sea. Its biggest port, IRELAND REP. OF KINGDOM
Antwerp, lies on an estuary separated from the rest of the coast Brussels NETHERLANDS GERMANY
by a segment of the southern Netherlands. The Grand Duchy of Breda BELGIUM CZECH
Luxembourg is landlocked, bordered by Germany, France and REPUBLIC
Belgium. Less than one-tenth the size of Belgium, Luxembourg FRANCE AUSTRIA Belgium and Luxembourg
is one of the smallest independent nations in Europe. Bergen op Eindhoven Atlantic SWITZERLAND ITALY
Ocean
Both countries have a rich historical heritage and highly Vlissingen Zoom Eindhoven
developed economies. They are also among the Hull SPAIN
founding members of the European Union Knokke-Heist Turnhout on the Map
and home to many of its institutions. Krefeld
Zeebrugge
Weert
Antwerp
Oostende
0 kilometres 25 Bruges Zelzate St-Niklaas Antwerpen Herentals Mönchengladbach
0 miles 25 Maldegem The orientation map shows the
Lier GERMANY
Dover, Veurne IJzer Ghent FLANDERS Erkelenz
Ramsgate Dunkerque Dendermonde Mechelen
Diksmuide Scheldt Deije Demer Genk location of Belgium and Luxembourg
Roeselare Scheldt Aalst Brussels Hasselt Maastricht
IJzer Leie Leuven
Maastricht
Ieper Oudenaarde BRUSSELS St-Truiden Aachen in relation to their neighbouring
Menen Kortrijk Tongeren
FRANCE Roubaix Escaut Geraardsbergen Halle Wavre
Waterloo Liège Eupen countries. Belgium has been divided
Méhai Liège
Lille
Ath Vesdre Verviers
Lille Tournai
Key BELGIUM Huy into six main sightseeing areas, while
Motorway Béthune Brussels South Namur Meuse Spa
Major road Mons Charleroi Amblève Malmedy
Railway Lens Binche Charleroi Luxembourg has been covered as a
International border Douai W ALLONIA St-Vith
Regional border Arras Valenciennes
Dinant Ciney Ourthe Prüm whole. These seven sections are dealt
La Roche-en-
The Language Map of Belgium Philippeville Ardenne Sûre
Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch and
German. Dutch is spoken in Flanders, the north ern half of with in separate chapters in Belgium
the country. In the past, the people of Flanders were said Chimay Couvin Bastogne Clervaux Alzette Moselle
to speak Flemish, but this term is now used to refer to the Vianden
many dialects of Dutch used within Flanders. French is used Libramont- Wiltz
in Wallonia, the south ern half of the country, as well as in Lesse Chevigny and Luxembourg Region by Region.
Brussels, which lies wholly within Flanders and is officially Ettelbrück
bilingual. German speakers form a small community in the Hirson
Key east, in the Province of Liège. From an administrative point Bouillon Semois LUXEMBOURG
of view, the linguistic borders are precisely drawn, but in
Bilingual (French and Dutch) reality they are more fluid, creating considerable antagonism Charleville- Grevenmacher
Méziéres
Dutch where communities using one language are governed by Sedan Arlon
become more deeply entrenched over recent decades and
French authorities operating in another. This language divide has Luxembourg Luxembourg
German is a thorny political issue. BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION  83
FRANCE Virton Esch-sur-
For keys to symbols see back flap Alzette
GREATER BRUSSELS
Central Brussels is bound by a heart-shaped house where the Renaissance humanist
ring-road called the Petite Ceinture (Small Erasmus lived. In Koekelberg is the huge
Belt), which follows the path of the old dome of the Basilique Nationale du
Belgium and Brussels suburbs which form the Bruxelles-Capitale attractions such as the Atomium, originally
medieval city walls. Beyond this lie 19
Sacré-Coeur. To the north, Heysel offers
built in 1958, whose modernity contrasts
region. Many of these are residential, but
history. For fans of early 20th-century
the Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale
Luxembourg Region 1Belgium’s capital, dealt with in a a handful contain treasures of Brussels’s with the historical city centre. To the east,
reflects Belgium’s colonial past in the
architecture, the suburbs of St-Gilles and
Ixelles offer striking Art Nouveau buildings,
Congo, while Musée du Transport Urbain
by Region separate section, is divided into such as the Musée Horta. To the west lies takes visitors on a journey through
Brussels’s past.
the suburb of Anderlecht and the charming
Sights at a Glance
Each of the seven regions two sightseeing areas, each Buildings and Monuments r Musée du Transport Key Brussels city centre
Urbain Bruxellois
7 Erasmus House
t Musée Royal de l’Afrique
8 Begijnhof van Anderlecht
Centrale
Motorway
9 Basilique Nationale du
in this book starts with an with its own chapter. The city w The Atomium Tours 5 Art Nouveau Tour Main road
Sacré-Coeur
Minor road
Railway
centre is shown in detail on the
Museums
Parks and Gardens
1 Musée Horta
introduction and a map. The Brussels Street Finder maps on 2 Musée d’Ixelles q Bruparck
e Domaine de Laeken
3 Musée Constantin
Meunier
4 Musée David et Alice
best places to visit have been pages 96–101. 6 Musée Bruxellois de
van Buuren
la Gueuze
0 Rene Magritte
numbered on a Regional Map Museum
Wemmel N12 Antwerp Brussels
Airport
at the beginning of each Ghent Zellik R21 Diegen Zaventem
A201
chapter. The key to the map All sights are numbered on a map. A10 Ste-Agatha- Ganshoren Jette Gare du Nord Schaerbeek Evere N2 Leuven
Berchem
symbols is on the back flap. Detailed information on each sight follows Dilbeek R0 N8 Molenbeek Koekelberg Noordstation R20 St-Josse Woluwe-Saint- 2 Kraainem R0
the map’s numerical order. Ninove Anderlecht BRUSSELS Lambert
Gare du Midi
Zuidstation Etterbeek Woluwe-
Saint-Pierre
St-Gilles
N6 Ixelles N3 Tervuren
Forest Auderghem
Watermael-
Uccle N5 Boitsfort N4
80  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION A7 BRUSSELS  81
0 km 2
Drogenbos
Ruisbroek Mons 0 miles 2
x Parc du Cinquantenaire View of Mini-Europe, a theme park located in Bruparck, Greater Brussels Cinquantenaire Museum
Belgium and Luxembourg’s The finest of King Leopold II’s grand projects, the Parc and Practical Information Parc du Cinquantenaire 10.
For keys to symbols see back flap
VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Tel (02) 741 7211. Open 9:30am–5pm
Tue–Fri, 10am– 5pm Sat, Sun & public
Palais du Cinquantenaire were built for the Golden Jubilee
Ave de Tervuren, 1040 BRU.
2Top Sights celebrations of Belgian independence in 1880. The park was Central Archway City Map 3 C3. 7 = holidays. Closed 1 May, 1 and 11 Nov.
Autoworld: (02) 7364165. Open
& 7 ∑ kmkg-mrah.be/
laid out on land used for military training. The palace, at its
cinquantenarie-museum
Apr–Sep: 10am–6pm Sat & Sun;
Oct–Mar: 10am–5pm Tue–Fri. &
Part of the Musées Royaux d’Art
entrance, was to comprise a triumphal arch and two large
7 - Grand Mosque: (02) 735
These are given two full pages. exhibition areas, but by the time of the 1880 Art and Industry . Musée Royal de l’Armée et The arch is crowned by the 2173. Open 9am–4pm Mon–Thu. et d’Histoire, the Cinquantenaire
sculp ture of Brabant Raising
Museum has occupied its
Expo, only the two side exhibition areas had been completed.
the National Flag, while riding
Transport
present site since the early
Funds were eventually found and work continued for 50 years.
a quadriga.
1900s and is one of the biggest
@ 12, 21, 22, 27, 36, 60, 61, 79, 80.
Before being converted into museums, the large halls on either
Historic buildings are dissected to side of the archway held trade fairs, the last of which was in d’Histoire Militaire v 81, 83. q Schuman, Mérode. museums in Belgium. The
historic building was erected by
The museum exhibits cover
1935. The halls have also been used for horse races and to house
Belgium’s military history with
former Belgian King Léopold II.
over 200 years of militaria,
homing pigeons. During World War II, the grounds of the park
A wealth of artifacts, from
reveal their interiors. were used to grow vegetables to feed the people of Brussels. including historic aircraft. prehistoric times through
antiquity and European applied
arts, to a vast collection of non­
European art, are on display.
The four main collections of
the museum are: Antiquity,
including Egyptian sarcophogi
and Greek vases; National
the Merovingian period 751 AD;
Autoworld Archaeology from prehistory to
Set in the south wing
The Visitors’ Checklist provides of the palace, Autoworld European Decorative Arts from
Romanesque art of the Middle
has one of the best
Ages to 20th­century Art Deco;
collections of
all the practical information Centrepiece Giant Arch the world. There are and Non­European Civilizations,
automobiles in
which includes sections on
Originally conceived as a gateway into the city of Brussels,
the triumphal arch was completed only in 1905.
Byzantium, China and the Indian
some 300 cars,
needed to plan your visit. KEY 1886 motor, a 1924 sub continent, South­East Asia,
including an
Oceania and the Islamic world
as well as the pre­Columbian
Model­T Ford
and American
1 Pavillon Horta limousine of the 1950s. civilizations of the Americas.
There are decorative arts from
2 The Grand Mosque was built as all ages, with silverware, glass­
ware, porcelain and a fine
the Egypt pavilion for the Expo in
1880. It became a mosque in 1978. collection of tapestries. Religious
3 Underpass sculptures and stained glass are
the style of church cloisters. The
4 The park is popular with displayed around a courtyard in
Brussels’s eurocrats and families at use of iron and glass was inspired
lunch times and weekends.
by London’s Crystal Palace.
Musée Royal de l’Armée
et d’Histoire Militaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire 3.
Stars indicate the sights that Tel (02) 7377833. Open 9am–5pm
Tue–Sun. Closed 1 May, 1 Nov, 25 &
26 Dec. & 7 ∑ klm-mra.be/D7t
aviation, the dis plays cover the
no visitor should miss. Together with the section on
Belgian army and its history
including weapons, uniforms,
0 metres 100 from the late 1700s onwards,
0 yards 100 decorations and paintings.
There is a section covering
the 1830 struggle for inde­
. Cinquantenaire Museum
Tree-lined Avenue Belgian architect Bordiau’s plans for these two exhibition pendence (see pp48–9). Two
Many of the plantations of elms halls, later permanent showcases, were partly modelled other sections showcase the
and plane trees that make up the on London’s Victorian museums. The use of iron and glass history of the World Wars and
forested walks date from 1880. in their construction was inspired by the Crystal Palace. the Resistance (see pp50–51).
For hotels and restaurants see p266 and pp280–83
006-007_EW_Belgium.indd 6 18/10/16 2:56 pm