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Brussels
Brussels (Bruxelles), the capital of Belgium, is famous
for its Grand Place, a magnificent square surrounded by
ornate baroque guild houses. The city is equally proud
of its curious 17th-century Manneken-Pis: a statue of
a naked boy urinating in the street. The outstanding Museum
of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art are filled
with great paintings by former city residents such as
Rogier van der Weyden, Bruegel, and Magritte, and Brussels'
opera house is one of the finest in Europe. Other key
sights are the Atomium, a steel structure modelled on
the atomic structure of iron, and the Galeries Royales
St Hubert, one of the first shopping arcades in Europe.
Brussels is a major international city, where both NATO
and the European Union are based. Brussels also offers
a huge variety of parks, from the formal Brussels Park,
next to the royal palace, to the romantic Bois de la Cambre
where rowing boats can be rented.
Antwerp
Antwerp (Antwerpen), a busy Flemish port on the River
Scheldt, is one of the most fascinating maritime cities
in Europe, with a wealth of superb architecture and art.
The most important sights are the Rubenshuis (the former
home of the 17th-century Flemish painter Pieter Paul Rubens),
the Museum Plantin-Moretus (a beautifully preserved 17th-century
printing works), and the Gothic cathedral. The Royal Museum
of Fine Art houses a magnificent collection of paintings
by Rubens, Van Dyck, and other Flemish Masters, and the
National Maritime Museum, located in a waterfront castle,
has splendid model ships and antique maps. In recent years,
Antwerp has become known internationally for its fashion
through the work of the Antwerp Six, a group of innovative
fashion designers. The city is also famous for its vibrant
nightlife and boasts more than 2,000 drinking establishments
ranging from antiquated Flemish taverns to chic modern
bars.
Ostend
Ostend (Oostende) has been an important port since the
Middle Ages and is now used mainly by Channel ferries
sailing across the English Channel. It became a favourite
resort of Belgian royalty in the 19th century and developed
into a fashionable town with a casino and other elegant
buildings. Though no longer visited by royalty, Ostend
is still a bustling beach town with excellent fish restaurants
and comfortable cafés offering shelter from the
wind. The main attraction is the Museum voor Schone Kunsten,
with an excellent collection of modern art. The Belgian
Expressionist James Ensor lived in Ostend: his former
home, which is crammed with curious hats and seashells,
is now a museum. The casino is famous for its opera and
concerts, and the Hippodroom Wellington is regularly used
for horse racing.
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| Camping
de Durnal
The camping is open ALL YEAR LONG. Enjoy
our special pricing in low seaon to have walks in our magnificient
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sanitary installations are heated.
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Enjoy our all mod-cons residential caravans (small kitchen
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to stay for you business trips ! High speed WiFi Internet
Visit
the website
For centuries Belgium has been influenced by its larger neighbours.
This region has been fought over in countless wars and occupied
by many different foreign powers, including the dukes of Burgundy,
the Spanish Habsburgs, and the French. Some of the fiercest
battles in European history have been fought on Belgian soil:
Waterloo in 1815, the Ypres Salient between 1914 and 1918,
and the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. After centuries of foreign
domination, Belgium finally gained independence in 1830. This
small kingdom grew into one of the most prosperous countries
in Europe, particularly under King Léopold II, who
used wealth from the Congo to embellish Brussels, Antwerp,
and Ostend. Devastated by two world wars, Belgium was a founding
member of the European Economic Community and NATO; most of
the institutions of the modern European Union are located
in Brussels.
The country is divided by a language line that runs from
east to west just south of Brussels. To the north lies the
prosperous Flemish-speaking region of Flanders, while to
the south is the French-speaking region of Wallonia. The
capital, Brussels, is mainly French-speaking, although officially
is bilingual.
Its tumultuous history has given modern Belgium a fascinating
diversity of architecture, art, and cuisine, exemplified
in the four great historic cities: Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges,
and Ghent. These bustling centres boast a rich heritage
of paintings—from the works of the van Eycks, Rubens,
and Rembrandt to those of the Surrealist painter Réné
Magritte—and a wealth of magnificent buildings, from
the dazzling baroque of Grand Place in Brussels to the swirling
art nouveau excesses of Victor Horta. They also offer some
of the best restaurants and cafés in Europe. Rural
Belgium also contains the vast forests of the Ardennes,
and along the Flemish coast there are a string of traditional
beach resorts. Each region in Belgium has its own special
cuisine, while almost every town has a local beer worth
sampling. The country is also famed for its lace-making
and its luxurious chocolates, sold in the specialist shops
found everywhere in the larger cities.
Travellers With Disabilities
There is not a great deal of accessibility to public buildings
or public transport in Belgium. However, Croix Rouge de
Belgique can coordinate loans of specially adapted equipment
to travellers with disabilities, as well as give advice.
They can be contacted at Service Handynet pour Handicapés,
rue Joseph Stallaert 1, 1060 Brussels, tel: +32 2 344 25
34. Vlaamse Federatie van Gehandicapten (VFG) offers information
on special holidays for travellers with disabilities and
can be contacted at 32 rue St Jean, 1000 Brussels, tel:
+32 2 511 50 76. The Belgian Tourist Office publishes a
pamphlet of camping and caravanning sites, indicating those
which provide facilities for travellers with disabilities.
Transport
Metro, buses and trams
Buses are the cheapest method of public transport in Belgium.
Further information and bus schedules can be obtained from
local tourist offices. Trams are the most interesting but
also the slowest method of getting around Brussels, Antwerp,
and Ghent.
The metro is usually the fastest way to get around Brussels.
The system, operated by STIB, is clean, modern, and stylish,
and runs from 06.00 to 24.00. Tickets can be bought singly
or in five- and ten-journey magnetic cards from tourist
offices, metro kiosks, certain newsagents, or STIB information
offices in the Porte de Namur, Midi, and Rogier stations.
They can also be used on buses, and trams in Brussels. Special
day passes are available, which include unlimited travel
on the metro, buses, and trams until midnight of the day
you purchase them. For further information on the metro,
trams, and buses in Brussels, tel: +32 2 515 20 00.
Ferries
Cross-Channel services operate from Ostend or Zeebrugge.
Boat trips can be made along the canals in Bruges and Ghent.
Public Holidays
1 January: New Year's Day
Easter Monday
1 May: Labour Day
Ascension Day
Whit Monday
21 July: Independence Day
15 August: Assumption Day
1 November: All Saints' Day
11 November: Armistice Day
25 December: Christmas
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Entry Requirements
Citizens of the European Union (EU), as well as citizens of
Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Switzerland,
can enter Belgium with a valid passport or official identity
card. Other nationals should consult the Belgian embassy or
consulate in their country of residence before departure, for
any visa requirements.
Emergency Phone Numbers
Ambulance/fire:100
Police: 101
Alternative pan-European emergency number for all services:
112
Time zones
Central European Time (GMT plus one hour). Clocks are put forward
one hour from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before
the end of October.
Driving
Vehicle documents
Check with your motor vehicle insurance company regarding any
insurance documents you will need and whether additional motor
insurance is required. Make sure you have a red warning triangle
in the car in case of an accident or breakdown. The international
registration letters of your country of residence must be displayed
at the rear of the car.
Rules Of The Road
Carry your full valid driving licence or International Driving
Permit, vehicle registration documents, and insurance documents
with you in the car at all times. Although a Green Card is not
mandatory, it is still advisable. Traffic drives on the right.
Cars entering a road from the right have priority, unless indicated
otherwise. Seat belts must be worn by both front- and back-seat
passengers. Children under 12 years of age are not allowed to
travel in the front seat if there is room in the back seat.
Headlights must be dipped in towns and on open roads at night.
Cars from the United Kingdom must fit headlights with an anti-dazzle
strip. The limit of alcohol in the blood while driving is 50
mg per 100 ml (5g/l). Fines for traffic infringements may be
delivered on the spot.
Roads, Tolls And Speed Limits
Motorways are toll-free in Belgium. In more rural areas, roads
are less well-maintained which makes for slower journeys. Speed
limits are 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour on motorways and
all two- and three-lane carriageways, 90 kilometres (56 miles)
per hour on other roads outside built-up areas, and 50 kilometres
(31 miles) per hour in built-up areas.
Driving Tips
Watch out for trams while driving in Brussels, Antwerp, and
Ghent, as they tend to appear suddenly and must always be given
the right of way. For reports on weather and road conditions,
telephone 0900 27 003.
Assistance
Use the orange-coloured emergency telephones located on motorways
and trunk roads to report accidents or breakdowns. There are
three motoring organisations that can provide assistance in
the event of a breakdown: Touring Club de Belgique (TCB), rue
de la Loi 44, Brussels, tel: (02) 233 22 11; Royal Automobile
Club de Belgique (RACB), rue d'Arlon 53, Brussels, tel: (02)
287 09 00; and Vlaamse Automobilistenbond, Sint-Jacobmarkt 45,
Antwerp, tel: (02) 253 63 63.
Electrical Devices
The electrical current in Belgium is 220 volts AC. Round, two-pin
plugs are used. An adapter is essential for UK and Irish appliances.
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