The Atomium in Brussels, Belgium
Belgium is often considered a small country, and it is in terms of land area. But what Belgium lacks in size, it more than makes up for in culture. From its charming medieval towns to its world-famous chocolates and beer, there is much to explore in Belgium. And language lovers will find plenty to enjoy, as Belgium is officially bilingual, with French and Dutch being widely spoken. In the capital city of Brussels, visitors can see iconic landmarks like the Atomium and the Grand Place or enjoy some of the city’s many excellent museums. The historic city of Bruges is a must-see, with its canals and cobbled streets straight out of a fairytale. And in Antwerp, shoppers will find plenty to keep them busy, as the city is home to one of Europe’s largest fashion districts. Belgium has something to offer everyone if you’re interested in history, food, or fashion.
There’s something undeniably magical about arriving in a city by night train. One moment, you’re tucking yourself in somewhere in Belgium, the rhythmic clatter of the rails lulling you to sleep, and the next—Prague. A city of spires, snow, and stories, waking up to its winter embrace felt like stepping into a perfectly chilled fairytale.
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Standing in the serene gardens of Villa Astrida, overlooking the gentle waves of the Mediterranean, I am transported back to a particular moment in Belgian history—a quiet summer morning etched deeply into collective memory.
Read moreThe open sewers that crossed the major axes of Antwerp in the middle ages have been covered by Napoleon. The city of Antwerp now makes it possible to visit these underground sewers and see the city from a different angle.
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The Jam Hotel opened this summer in Brussels. When I needed a central, comfortable and affordable location, I gave it a try.
On my way to Beijing and Hanoi, the next stop was Belgium: Brussels, Antwerp and some Roeselare and Bruges.
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Koen’s new journey is about to start. This time it’s all about exploring Europe and Asia. Wherever possible, I’ll be trying to travel by train or ferry. A slower way of traveling should bring a nice pace to collect some impressions and meet some people.
Read moreI came back from Antarctica with the oddest souvenir: a question that would not let go.
On deck, the polar air had the clean taste of absence. The horizon was a thin, hard line where sea became sky, and time felt less like a sequence than a weather system. I found myself thinking about another voyage into the same latitudes, the Belgian Antarctic expedition aboard the Belgica, and about the man who commanded it, Adrien de Gerlache. I wondered, as Belgians sometimes do when our country appears at the edge of world history, whether he had known all along that he would force his ship to become trapped in the ice, or whether the winter was, in fact, an accident.
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Being a Belgian on the Antarctic waters can not go without thinking about Adrien De Gerlache at certain moments. I choose to take his book “15 months on Antarctica” with me on this trip. Refreshing my French and at the same time reading about one of the first people who came where we are now, is not a bad combination:
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Koen Blanquart
2016 - Koen Blanquart