traveldk.com

Fascinating exhibition explains principles of science.

St Bavo, or Bavon, was a local 7th-century saint. The cathedral named after him dates back to the 10th century, but most of it is Gothic, built over three centuries after 1290. The dark Tournai stone creates a sombre interior, which is upstaged by the grandiose Baroque-Rococo pulpit of oak and marble (1741–5). The greatest treasure, however, is the multi-panelled, 15th-century altarpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck (see The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb).

St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, was patron saint of merchants, and this was the merchants’ church. Built in the 13th to 15th centuries, it is Belgium’s best example of the austere style called Scheldt Gothic.

The impressive town hall was the scene of some of the great landmarks in the city’s history. Inside is a series of council chambers, still in use today – some dating back to the 15th century, others refurbished during restoration after 1870.

Just south of the Burg is one of the prettiest stretches of canal, where calm waters reflect the medieval bridges and skyline. Here, the Steenhouwersdijk (stonemason’s embankment) becomes the Groenerei (green canal) and is flanked by a picturesque almshouse called De Pelikaan, dated 1714 and named after the symbol of Christian charity, the pelican.

This giant model of a metal molecule was built as Belgium’s exhibit at Brussels’ 1958 Universal Exposition.

Belgium’s biggest and best-known theme park – a good day out for the kids (see Walibi Belgium).

Belgium’s premier amusement park, with everything from scary roller coasters and vertical drops to soak-to-the-skin water rides, plus more gentle, traditional tracked car-rides and roundabouts for younger visitors. There is also a multi-pool swimming complex, called Aqualibi, with a host of shoots and tube-runs.

Among the fields and farmhouses near Waterloo, 15 km (9 miles) south of Brussels, Napoleon was finally defeated. The battlefield has been a tourist site virtually since the battle itself. The modern Visitor Centre, next to the Butte de Lion mound, is a useful place to start.