Is Deutsche Bahn planning a direct ICE high-speed train link from Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia to Ostend in West Flanders? VagonWeb, the leading website from Czechia that collects train compositions throughout Europe, thinks so.
Tag: Bruges
NMBS / SNCB to order 180 CAF Civity trains, including battery-powered sets
The Board of Directors of the National Railway Company of Belgium, the NMBS / SNCB, is set to award the contract for the new MR30 / AM30 trains to manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) from the Basque Country in Spain, Thibault Lapers‘ mobilithib blog has learned from a source.
BELGIUM | Brussels 3rd in ‘The Best Places to Go in 2026’
List season is upon us and Condé Nast Traveler announced at the start of November 2025 its picks for the best places to travel in 2026. Brussels in Belgium has secured a prominent third place.
BELGIUM | Naming towns and cities: municipalities with Dutch, French, English and other translations
15 November is Dynasty Day or King’s Day in Belgium. 15 November being the name day of Leopold, the name of three of the seven Kings of the Belgians. To mark this occasion, and inspired by a Belga News Agency post, let’s take a look at names of villages, towns, municipalities and cities in the…
Flanders continues post-pandemic tourism revival with the help of its beers
Belgium may be small in size, but it is unquestionably big in beers. With more than 3,000 unique brews, the country’s reputation as a world leader in beer culture is secure, and Flanders is increasingly turning that heritage into a tourism driver.
Leuven and East Brabant named European Capital of Culture 2030
Leuven (Louvain) and the East Brabant reference region have been named European Capital of Culture 2030 by the European jury. The announcement was made at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels, where Leuven’s bid, presented under the banner LOV2030 – Leuven & Beyond, triumphed over its Belgian rivals Namur (Namen) in Wallonia and Sint-Jans-Molenbeek…
BELGIUM | Council of State backs NMBS / SNCB’s choice of Spanish CAF for multi-billion train order
The Council of State has dismissed an appeal by Siemens and rejected a request from NGOs, clearing the way for Belgian state railway NMBS / SNCB to move forward with its plans to order hundreds of new trainsets from Spanish manufacturer CAF. A ruling on a parallel case brought by French rival Alstom is still…
BELGIUM | NMBS / SNCB confirms CAF as preferred bidder for AM30
On 23 July 2025, Belgium‘s state-owned railway company NMBS / SNCB has reaffirmed Spanish train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) as the “preferred bidder” for its major train order, despite ongoing criticism from trade unions and politicians over the impact on local employment.
Tourism Flanders to tackle illegal Airbnb accommodations amidst housing shortage reality
Holiday accommodations will soon need to submit a conformity certificate from their local council before they can be recognized by Tourism Flanders (Toerisme Vlaanderen). The Flemish Government is strengthening its oversight in a bid to reduce the number of illegal short-term rentals, which includes a growing number of Airbnb accomodations, the world’s favourite tourism villain…
Bruges Pride Parade 2025 on Saturday 14 June
Bruges in West Flanders is having a pride, Bruges Pride. Apparently it’s the second edition. This event is organised by Bruges Pride Parade, Vrijplaats Brugge, BruLes, BruGay and the students of Queeropeans at the College of Europe (Collège d’Europe).
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