Hidden Belgium

Hidden Belgium: Jackie

The interior is quite small. It quickly fills up. A lot of laptop nomads working on screens. But Jackie tries to persuade its customers to pick up a magazine from the racks on the wall.

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: The Diver

This stunning sculpture next to the yacht harbour shows a muscular diver balanced on his hands on top of a giant steel arc. And it has a remarkable history.

Tuesday, 29 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: A Belgian utopia

Belgium’s first new town in centuries would ban cars from the streets and create a city where everything was within walking distance.

Monday, 28 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Bellerose

The modest brand is as Belgian as you get. Its loyalty to the homeland proved by a new campaign in which it teams up with the local Brussels team Union Saint-Gilloise.

Sunday, 27 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: The Staircase to Nowhere

A strange unsupported iron staircase was built by the sculptor Yves Willems in 2013. Known as the Vlooybergtoren, it stands on a hill in a remote area of Flemish Brabant.

Saturday, 26 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Ghent's coolest bar

It’s a half-hidden bar that is stamkroeg to a mix of artists, campaigners, digital nomads and journalists.

Friday, 25 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: The Highest Spot in Belgium

An inexplicable stone staircase leading nowhere stands behind the car park at the Signal de Botrange.

Thursday, 24 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Antwerp’s old harbour cranes

The oldest is a wooden crane from 1907. The more modern electric crane with the number 400 KA was built in 1950, while 410 KD dates from 1961.

Wednesday, 23 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Ghent’s old harbour quarter

The street names recall a time when ships sailed from here to London, Liverpool and even New York.

Tuesday, 22 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Kijkhut De Zeehond

You might even spot a few seals lazing on the banks in the winter.

Monday, 21 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Fong Mei

You are handed a menu with a long list of specialities, including 34 dim sum dishes made by a dedicated dim sum chef who learned his craft in Hong Kong.

Sunday, 20 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Hasselt’s happiest spots

It is such a charming spot that locals chose it as one of the city’s 25 geluksplekken – happiness spots.

Saturday, 19 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Cremerie François

The owners make their own creamy ice cream following a secret recipe from 1928.

Friday, 18 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Parcum

It took ten years to restore the ancient abbey outside Leuven. But the result is simply stunning.

Thursday, 17 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Het Smaaksalon

The building, known as Huis de Corswarem, was built at the end of the 19th century by a wealthy Hasselt family. It is a spectacular Neoclassical mansion decorated with pillars, chandeliers and oil portraits.

Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Brocante de Saint-Pholien

Held along the tree-lined Boulevard de la Constitution, this is the perfect place to hunt for old Ella Fitzgerald records, ceramic ornaments and used Belgian army boots.

Tuesday, 15 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Ruys jewellery shop

The family has run the business for five generations, creating beautiful Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewellery for the city’s elite.

Monday, 14 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: A view from the bridge

Most people know the view of Brussels from Place Poelaert, but there is another view that almost no one notices.

Sunday, 13 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Books and Brunch

The gentle indie rock playing in the background makes this the perfect spot for a romantic date.

Saturday, 12 November 2022

Hidden Belgium: Walking the War Trails

The three walking trails (each beginning at a separate entry point) represent a new way of understanding the war by heading out into the landscape where it all happened.

Friday, 11 November 2022