This new second edition of Bradt's award-winning Northern Belgium:
Flanders with Brussels, Bruges, Ghent & Antwerp remains the only
standalone guide to this enticing region, home to more Michelin-starred
restaurants per head than France and the largest number of comic-strip
cartoonists in the world. Bradt's Northern Belgium provides in-depth
coverage of Brussels, including the outer communes that are often
overlooked but are home to excellent off-the-beaten track eateries and
kooky museums. The guide covers the whole region, from the sandy stretch
of North Sea coast, through medieval cloth-spinning cities like Bruges
and Ghent, to quaint villages. Features include eyewitness accounts of
what it was like living under the control of the Germans during World
War II, a rare interview with one of the 29 Cistercian monks at
Sint-Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren who brew the revered Westvleteren
Trappist beer, and a guest contribution from Tim Webb, co-author of the
best-selling Good Beer Guide: Belgium, who has written the section on
the best local tipples and which brewery to visit to try them.Also
included is information on the new Brussels Airlines 'Hi Belgium Pass',
a nationwide Belgian rail and city pass, a focus on the best Christmas
markets of northern Belgium, and details of new WWI information offices
and artworks. Restaurant listings have been revised to keep pace with
Flanders' dynamic dining scene and there is a new feature on quirky
accommodation options and museums, including Brussels' Underpants Museum
GardeRobe MannekenPis, showcasing the coolest looks of Brussels's
beloved statue! Carefully designed walking tours of Brussels city centre
are featured, and the guide includes more maps of the area than any
other. With festivals forming a major part of Flemish social life, an
in-depth list of events is included, from the hip Pukkelpop Tomorrowland
festival to the best village fêtes. Flanders has one official national
park and several nature reserves, and this guide offers more coverage of
them than any other.Emma Thomson has lived in the country for nearly a
decade and her first edition of this guide won Best Guidebook at the
British Guild of Travel Writers Members' Awards.