Belgium Guide
Flanders
With the exception of the range of low hills around Oudenaarde and the sea dunes along the coast, Flanders is unrelentingly flat, a somewhat dreary landscape at its best in its quieter recesses, where poplar trees and whitewashed farmhouses still decorate sluggish canals. More remarkably, there are many reminders of Flanders' medieval greatness, beginning with the ancient and fascinating cloth cities of Bruges and Ghent, both of which hold marvellous collections of early Flemish art. Less familiar are some intriguing smaller towns, most memorably Oudenaarde, which has a delightful town hall and is famed for its tapestries and Veurne, whose main square is framed by a beguiling medley of fine old buildings.
There is also, of course, the legacy of World War I. By 1915, the trenches extended from the North Sea coast, as far as Switzerland, cutting across West Flanders, and many of the key engagements of the war were fought here. Every year hundreds of visitors head for Ieper (formerly Ypres) to see the numerous cemeteries and monuments around the town.
Not far from the battlefields, the Belgian coast is beach territory, an almost continuous stretch of golden sand that is filled by thousands of tourists every summer. Although a lot of the development has been crass, cosy De Haan has kept much of its late nineteenth-century charm, and Knokke has all the pretensions of a sophisticated resort. The largest town on the coast is Ostend, a lively, working seaport and resort crammed with popular bars and restaurants.
Highlights
1 Ostend beach The Belgian coast boasts a first-rate sandy beach for almost its entire length and Ostend has a fair slice of it.
2 Het Zwin The polders and dykes of this nature reserve in Knokke-Heist make for perfect coastal cycling.
3 Veurne A pretty little town with one of Belgium's most appealing main squares.
4 Ieper Flanders witnessed some of the worst of the slaughter of World War I and Ieper was at the heart of it.
5 Oudenaarde tapestries Some of the most richly decorated Flemish examples can be seen in pleasantly old-fashioned town.
6 Bruges Its antique centre, latticed with canals, is one of the prettiest in Europe.
7 Ghent's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb This wonderful van Eyck painting is simply unmissable.
8 The Patershol district, Ghent Jam-packed with atmospheric bars and classy restaurants; try at least one traditional Flemish dish here (waterzooi is a fine way to start).