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.
Tag: Brussels
Paris Nightjet axed: France’s withdrawal threatens Europe’s night train revival
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have confirmed that the Nightjet services from Vienna in Austria and Berlin in Germany to Paris in France will be discontinued from 14 December 2025. The decision follows the announcement by the French Ministry of Transport that it will no longer provide state funding for the operation of international night…
BELGIUM | Meise Botanic Garden
During the Ascension weekend in May 2025, Jeroen and I visited the Meise Botanic Garden. World famous in Belgium, but I had never been.
2026 | Deutsche Bahn plans 4 ICE’s per day between Cologne and Antwerp and 16 per day between Frankfurt and Brussels
Deutsche Bahn has confirmed in a press release the new Cologne in Germany to Antwerp in Belgium connection. The German train operator presented its plans for 2026.
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…
ANTWERP SUMMER 2025 | 2.9 million day-trippers and 552,161 overnight stays
The City of Antwerp reported on 2 September a successful 2025 summer season, with events such as Bollekesfeest, Antwerp Pride and concerts by international artists including Ed Sheeran drawing significantly more international visitors to the city.
TRAIN WORLD | ‘Belgian Railways Under Occupation: Between Collaboration and Resistance’, 26 September 2025 to 28 June 2026
From Saturday 26 September 2025 to Sunday 28 June 2026, NMBS / SNCB‘s railway museum in Schaerbeek / Schaarbeek in the Brussels-Capital Region, Train World, will host the exhibition ‘Belgian Railways Under Occupation: Between Collaboration and Resistance‘. How did the Belgian Railways act during World War II?
ITALY | Trains in Sicily
March 2025. We’re embarking on a train trip to Sicily. We fly from Brussels Airport to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport with ITA Airways. Then we take an Intercity Notte sleeper train by Trenitalia from Roma Termini Railway Station across Italy to Syracuse. Yes, the train is loaded on a ferry to cross the…
BELGIUM | More than 9.5 million travellers took the train this summer
In Belgium in July and August 2025, more than 9.5 million passengers travelled by train, almost 3% more than last year, the NMBS / SNCB reports in a press release.
BELGIUM | Flight shame? Airports break records during 2025 summer season
On Monday 28 July 2025 , Brussels Airport recorded its highest number of passengers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Around 48,000 people boarded a flight, while 44,000 arrived, De Morgen reported. The surge in travellers was attributed to the end of Tomorrowland, the traditional changeover weekend, and the final days of…
Trip By Trip 