Belgium may be a tiny country, but its little towns and villages pack a wide range of delights to explore and assimilate. International students in Leuven often end up visiting the larger, well known cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, Brugge, Ghent and Oostende. But, it can also be fun to take the time out to visit less known and smaller places which have many hidden surprises, while giving one the opportunity to actually explore the beautiful countrysides of Belgium.

Fantastic medieval architecture in quaint towns lined with Gothic cathedrals, castles, great beer, diamonds, fries and endive coupled with an efficient public transportation system that takes you to every nook and cranny of the country make every weekend a new getaway possibility.

Not very far from Leuven, in the province of Limburg is the Kastelenroute, which is a bicycle tour of country houses in Heusden, Zolder and Lummen. This trip takes us past the castles in the region into the beautiful Kempen forests. Another nearby getaway is Vossem which is a village in the municipality of Tervuren. It is located in the valley of the Voer creek and is house to a small nature reserve called the Twaalf-Apostelenbos ("Forest of the twelve apostles"). Travelling in the direction of Antwerp by train, one can stop by in Heist-op-den-Berg ("op-den-berg" refers to "on the hill" on which Heist is built) which is well known for its Sunday morning flea market and Dancing Fabiola, which is a special dance club open only on Fridays and weekends. Friday nights are special singles only nights where one can participate in classical Flemish dancing.

As one moves deeper into the Flemish countryside, one can find exquisite samples of the famous Belgian lace work. Binche lace or "fairy lace" is one such Flemish bobbin lace that originated in Binche. Its speciality is that it is continuous and made in one piece with detailed patterns of animal scenes and figures. Binche is also famous for its carnival which is recognized as one of the masterpieces of heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The carnival takes place each year during the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. The main attractions are clown-like performers known as Gilles who are characterized by their vibrant dress, wax masks and wooden footwear.

Yet another attraction is the Canal du Centre which links the waterways of the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. The canal originates in the west at Mons, and passes through the towns of Nimy, Obour, Ville-sur-Haine, and Thieu. The section of the original canal route between Thieu and Houdeng-Goegnies climbs 66m over a distance of 6790m and hence, has four hydraulic boat lifts, dating from 1888 to 1917, which are now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. One other must see town is Dinant which is situated along the Meuse river and has a show cave with waterfalls and stalactites and an old Gothic type citadel in the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame. The Rocher Bayard in Dinant is said to have been split by giant hoof of Bayard, the giant horse carrying the four sons of Aymon on a legendary flight from Charlemagne through the Ardennes. The couque from Dinant is Europe's hardest biscuit with a honey-sweetened flavour. Moving to the Belgian coast, the Abdijmuseum in Koksijde is an instance of excellent architectural restoration of the ruins of the Cistercian Monks of Middle Ages and gives one insights on the lifestyle of the monks and life in Middle Ages.

The Vallées des Eaux Vives is home to some of Wallonia's prettiest hamlets. Fagnolles is one such village where the houses are made of limestone and slate. Beautiful castle ruins and the Church of St. Martin make excellent visits. Lastly, as one moves across the length and breadth of Belgium, the "eating and drinking" culture in the numerous 'frituurs' and pubs is not one to be missed. |