Phots from Bastogne

 

                                                        Foxhole in the Bois Jaques near Foy

                                                    Mardasson Memorial to the American Troops

                                                    101st Airborne Easy Company Memorial 

             Tank in the Bastogne War Museum - I don't think anyone inside survived that mortar shell

Bastogne WWII sites

Bastogne was our last stop in Belgium before returning to The Netherlands for the final days of our trip.

Mike has an interest in World War II history and is also a fan of the Band of Brothers miniseries which follows the members of Easy Company as they make their way through Europe during the war.  We have toured the beaches and bunkers in Normandy, and Mike wanted to see the WWII museum in Bastogne and the foxholes dug by Easy Company during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45. Easy Company was engaged against German troops in the nearby village of Foy. The Americans survived freezing temperatures in foxholes dug in the icy ground, eventually storming the village by crossing open fields under fire to expel the German troops from the town and pushing them even further out of the area. 

The Bastogne War Museum was interesting and there were many exhibits to see. The exhibit includes an interactive visit with 4 different characters and they talk about their life during the war as you move through the exhibits. 

Nearby is the Mardasson Memorial which is a large monument that honors the almost 77,000 American troops that were killed, wounded or went missing in action during the Battle of the Bulge. Unfortunately the interior and stairs were closed off when we visited so we were unable to see the complete monument or the view from the top of the structure. 

We then drove to Bois Jacques to see the foxholes. There is an app that uses geolocation to show you a 3D video overlay of the battle on your phone so you can see the battlefield as it was then and how it looks now, all at the same time. It was well done and definitely helps you enjoy the experience more fully. 

Our last stop was the 101st Airborne Museum directly in the city of Bastogne. It's housed in a 3 story old house and features a lot of dioramas and posed vignettes of the paratroopers. Something that was very cool was the bomb shelter experience located in the basement. You're made to feel as though you are taking refuge from a bomb attack and the seats rumble and vibrate with the shelling. It was actually quite a good immersive experience and I'll admit the first explosion made me jump! First there was the distinctive whistling noise as the shell descended on us, then heavy silence, then BOOM! I can't imagine what it must have been like to endure days of shelling like that. (We have previously visited Verdun, France and the WWI battlefield and monuments there. If you want to learn about the phrase "shell shock", you should go there. Read a book about it or watch the documentary you can find on YouTube, it's unbelievable.)

So that's it for our last day in Belgium. We enjoyed everything that we saw and did in Belgium. But there are still many other places to explore. Perhaps a trip to the south of France next?

Photos from Villers Abbey

 

Photos from Les Jardins d'Annevoie and Dinant

 

                                                                            Dinant

                                                              Les Jardins d'Annevoie

Belgium April 2026 - Villers Abbey, Les Jardins d'Annivoie, and Dinant

We left Brussels and drove into the countryside stopping first at the abbey ruins at Villers-la-Ville.  It was a little confusing trying to find the entrance but we finally realized we had stopped on the back side of the complex instead of the front. Once we found the ticket office, we walked up a path that took us to a bridge over the road and into the ruins. On the path leading to the bridge there are signs that tell you what was happening at different points in history, both at the abbey and in the rest of world. The abbey was founded in 1146 and abandoned in 1796 so the historic timeline was pretty extensive. 

Once at the ruins we took the elevator down to the ground floor to begin exploring. It seems that quite a few of the exterior walls remain, though in various stages of ruin. Some of the building interior walls are mostly intact, and also some of the vaulted ceilings remain along with arches and rose windows. There is a separate building that became the medieval brewery and also a dormitory for the monks. I love looking at the stonework of the vaulted ceilings because I just can't understand how they actually stay in place at an angle like that.  It was a nice, sunny morning and very peaceful there without many other people. We explored for an hour or more before moving on. 

Our next stop was Les Jardins d'Annivoie. There is a private chateau which you can't enter but the attraction here is the gardens. We walked along paths near fountains, ponds, and streams.There were not as many flowers here as the gardens we had already seen, but there were lots of shrubs and statues. One note of disappointment is that nearly all of the statues are just one-sided plaster or plastic molds, there is nothing on the back of the statue but a post to keep it upright. I realize marble statues are expensive, but I think I would rather have the real thing or none at all. It was a pleasant stop but honestly not one I would repeat or bring friends to see. 

Dinant was our next destination. It's a town built on two sides of the Meuse River and I had seen photos of the imposing rock cliff that stands over the town and wanted to explore the town a bit. We had decided to have a bit of lunch when we arrived and as we were walking along the river promenade, we heard a huge boom! It actually sounded a lot like an explosion. There is an old citadel on the hill so we thought perhaps they fire off a canon sometimes? It was rather disconcerting!  We shared a pizza for lunch and then walked along the river on both sides admiring the views and watching the boats on the river. 

Soon it was time to move on to our destination for the night, Marche en Famenne. Our navigation took us to an entrance to the hotel that was barely wide enough for our rental car. It was a tight fit but not as tight as some we have negotiated. Once inside the parking lot, we saw there was another much larger entrance of course. The important thing is we didn't lose any side mirrors or scratch the tire rims. We had a nice dinner at the hotel, walked through town, and saw a community 5k race.  Tomorrow's destination is Bastogne. 

More Photos from Castle Groot Bijgarden

 

Belgium April 2026 Castle Groot-Bijgarden - a day trip from Brussels

I had planned a day trip to this castle in advance of the trip because it has a special garden event in April. It was a very welcome break from busy Brussels and there were 14 hectares of lovely gardens to wander through. It was not crowded at all and I could feel myself relaxing more and more as we went along. My soul really does belong in the countryside.

The castle itself dates from the 12th century and the current castle is 17th century Flemish-Renaissance style.  It is usually only open for events so we managed our timing well. It has quite an interesting history which includes sieges, seizures, political intrigue, and even loss of life for religious reasons. 

We entered the grounds crossing over the moat on a five-arched stone bridge that leads to the drawbridge. Once inside we wandered through many separate gardens and there were so many beautiful flowers! We saw bridges crossing the stream that feeds the moat and garden sculptures too. 

The garden event is called Floralia and there are bee sculptures hiding within the gardens for children to discover. We saw a type of goose we had never seen before and Google identified it as an Egyptian Goose. There was a whole little family of them with about 6 goslings. They were so cute! 

It was a really enjoyable day and we spent more than half a day here. On the way back to Brussels we stopped at Beersel castle on a whim, then headed back to Brussels for our last night there. 

Photos from Brussels - 2

 

                                                                   Square du Petit Sablon

                    Fountain and reflecting pool at the location of the original medieval port of Brussels 

Photos from Brussels - 1

                                         Tomb at Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon

                                                            Buildings in the Grand Place
 

                                                Grand Place - Maison des Ducs de Brabant 

Belgium April 2026 Brussels

Brussels is a large, busy city. It's the headquarters of NATO and the European Union so there were lots of businesspeople there as well as many people shopping at the high-end stores near our hotel.  We had a panorama room at the hotel so we had a nice180 degree view of the city.

On our first morning we had a walking tour of the city through WithLocals and our guide Eric was great - funny and energetic with knowledge of little corners of the city we would never have found on our own.   

Eric took us to a historic lane where one of the home's lintel stone was inscribed with the date 1596! The lane was a tiny, cute little place with wisteria vines growing from one building across to another. We were also able to visit a private courtyard where you could still see one of the canals that was used to deliver goods to the city. Most of the buildings there are now student housing.  We also saw a fountain and reflecting pool that are now all that remains of the original port of Brussels and we also saw one of the original watch towers from the city's medieval walls. 

The Grand Place was impressive and there were so many different facades of the buildings around the square! There is a 15th century Gothic Town Hall, a building that housed some of the worker's guilds, and the King's House which houses a museum. Most of the buildings have gold details on their facades which shine nicely in the evening when the square is illuminated. It was all very, well...grand! Eric did remind us to mind our belongings here as there can be pickpockets and it's a very busy place with lots of people around. Mike and I had a really good dinner at a restaurant underneath one of the buildings, the restaurant Le Cave du Roy. It's next to the historic guild hall Maison des Ducs de Brabant. We aren't gastronomes or foodies, but we do like a good meal with good service and this place delivered on both counts. 

Les Galeries Royale Saint-Hubert is one of Europe's first covered shopping malls. Opened in 1847 it was a beautiful combination of different types of marble and contained higher-end shops along with some touristy type of shops. Lots of chocolate shops too, they're very proud of the Belgian chocolate. We had a fantastic dinner here at Taverne du Passage. Superb food and good, although somewhat slow, service as they were quite busy. Both of the restaurant recommendations came from Eric so he was helpful in that regard also. 

Another tip from Eric was to visit the Église Notre-Dame des Victories au Sablon which was near our hotel. It was originally founded and built by the Crossbowmen's Guild in the 13th century and is free to enter. The church itself was light and airy but the main reason Eric suggested we go there was to see a family tomb inside that is made of the blackest marble I have ever seen. Normally black marble has quite a few streaks of white in it but this was almost completely black. It was even more striking because the sculptures on the tomb were all done in white marble. Nearby is the Square du Petit Sablon, a small park with a statuary fountain that was a nice place to stop if you wanted to sit for bit. 

One thing about Brussels: If you are driving to the city there are many tunnels you drive though that go under the streets and your car's navigation doesn't always seem to understand that you're in a tunnel so you can't possibly "exit now" as there is an actual tunnel wall in that spot! We took a day trip out of the  city one day and played a game of "where do we get off this never-ending loop of tunnels?" when we came back.  Finally I said to Mike just exit and we'll figure it out ourselves and we did! It also helped that our hotel was one of the tallest in the area so it was fairly easy to spot it. 

Overall we felt we could have done Brussels as a day trip. We aren't shoppers and the city was just too busy and crowded for our tastes. In hindsight, we would rather have visited Brussels as a day trip instead of staying in the city.

Photos from Bruges

Photos from Ghent

 

Belgium April 2026 Bruges

On our first morning in Bruges we were up early for breakfast and then out the door to meet our tour guide for a two hour guided tour of the city. I booked this tour through WithLocals again and our tour guide Igor was very interesting. He is a historian and had just come home from an archaeology dig. 

We saw many lovely canals and crossed over the oldest market bridge in the city. We visited the Beguinage which was a community where single laywomen (not nuns) stayed, saw more guild halls and many, many chocolate shops as well. We learned the history associated with the swans of Bruges and why they are legally protected, it involves the execution of a good friend of the Emporer Maximilian I of Austria and his decree in the 15th century that the swans would be cared for by the Belgians until the end of time. 

We had heard of the Madonna of Bruges because of its mention in the movie Monuments Men about the US Army group that was assigned with finding, recovering and returning priceless works of art stolen by the German Army during World War II.  It was returned to Bruges where you can see it today in the Church of Our Lady. It was sculpted by Michelangelo in the very early 1500's and I believe was his only sculpture to leave Italy in his lifetime. (Incidentally the Ghent altarpiece was found hidden in the same salt mine as the Madonna.) We were able to see the sculpture and some other interesting exhibits in that church. 

We also visited the Church of the Holy Blood where you can actually see two churches. One is the subterranean Romanesque church and the other is a small Gothic church with a possibly very important relic. We are not Catholic and we view religious relics with a skeptical eye because you never really know if they are truly what they are supposed to be. This church has a piece of cloth that is said to be soaked with the blood of Jesus. We went inside and the small chapel with the display altar was pretty full so we took a seat in the adjoining room which faced left from the first room. We decided to wait because someone said they would bring the relic out shortly. As we waited, a bell rang and a door opened in a chapel that we were facing and two priests (I don't know if the Catholic Church has female priests but one of them was a female. I don't know what she would be called if she's not a priest, sorry.) came out and one of them was holding a glass container with a stained cloth in it. Our seats were right on the aisle so the container passed within 12 inches of us as they proceeded to the display case. If it truly was the blood of Jesus then that was a remarkable moment. 

We had to do some laundry while we were in Bruges and Mike had a fun time watching a giant crane truck trying to back out of a work site onto the tiny street. I think the driver made something like twenty  attempts due to the tiny street behind it and the edges of the buildings across the street and impatient drivers. The truck driver finally managed  though without any damage to the truck or the buildings. Bravo! Everyone watching gave him round of applause.  

Bruges was really a lovely city and we wish we had spent another day here. Our hotel (Hotel Heritage) was lovely with a really comfy bed and hot eggs cooked to order for breakfast. There was also a coffee shop across the street and many restaurants on the Grand Place and surrounding streets. 

Belgium April 2026 Ghent

After leaving Kinderdjik in the Netherlands, we drove to Ghent where we would spend the night before moving on to Bruges. It was a little disconcerting when we arrived because the power was out at our hotel and the parking garage was pitch black so it was hard to see exactly where the hotel entrance was located. Everyone was walking around the garage using their phones as flashlights. We found the elevator and the lights came on just as we were trying to figure out where the stairs were located. I happily pushed the elevator button and stepped in, but Mike was a little more reluctant since the power had only just come on and the thought of getting stuck on the elevator if the power went out again was making him pretty apprehensive. I convinced him to get in and we indeed made it up to the lobby level without any issues. 

We had arranged for a city tour with a guide from WithLocals and were very pleased with our guide Benedikt. He was entertaining, knowledgeable, and friendly and just nice to spend time with. We saw historic sites, learned local legends, tried some Belgian chocolate, and learned about the different guild houses along the river bank. He took us into St. Bavo's cathedral and explained the various panels of the famous altarpiece, "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb". The price of the admission to see the altarpiece was not included in our tour so we viewed that after Ben said goodbye. 

Unfortunately Mike was bitten by a dog as we crossed the plaza on our way to the church. He didn't even look at the dog, I don't know why it bit him. A smaller dog companion barked at us and I guess the larger dog just reacted to that. I also have no idea why the little dog barked. The dog's owner was very apologetic and stayed around while Ben found a place for Mike to go and have a better look to be sure he wasn't actually bleeding. Luckily he had thick cotton pants on and the dog's tooth scraped his skin rather than penetrating it.  I was sitting outside with Ben and wondering if our travel insurance would cover rabies vaccine but thankfully we didn't have to find out. Ben was quite upset by the incident too. 

Once we left the cathedral we decided to have lunch and found a riverside table outside of a Marriott hotel on Korenlei. I had a delicious bowl of tomato soup and we also some good chicken strips. We spent a leisurely lunch watching the boats go by and people-watching. After lunch we got the car and headed to Bruges for our next stop. We really liked Ghent and wished we had spent another day there. It's a university town so it had an energetic, fun vibe that I liked. 

Photos from Kinderdjik

                                                 Inside the living room of a windmill