I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
Tag: Burgundy
VILNIUS | Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and Gediminas’ Tower
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
#CROSSCHANNELRAIL | Expanding UK-Europe train links most realistically leading to Switzerland
A new independent analysis has laid out the most comprehensive roadmap yet for expanding direct high-speed rail services between London in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The #CrossChannelRail Final Report, published on 17 November 2025, is the result of an unusually detailed investigation that included visits to sixty-three stations across the continent, technical assessments…
Introducing the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
We haven’t travelled to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg since 2018 and 2019, but in January 2025 we returned to get a taste of the Alstom Coradia Stream HC which the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) runs under the name Série 2400. The Coradia Stream HC was a candidate to become NMBS…
BRUSSELS | KBR Museum reopens on 23 May 2025
The Royal Library of Belgium‘s KBR Museum, the place where the manuscript collection of the Dukes of Burgundy shines, will reopen its doors on 23 May 2025. Thanks to a unique musical experience, visitors can now enjoy the magical polyphony from the 15th and 16th centuries in the museum.
Mechelen highlights its Burgundian heritage with new visitor programme
Visit Mechelen, the tourism office of Mechelen (Malines, Mechlin) launched a programme putting the spotlight on the city’s Burgundian history. With a listening walk, visitors can experience the atmosphere of the 14th and 15th centuries as they walk through the Flemish city. On top of the St Rumbold’s Tower (Sint-Rombioutstoren) they can see with virtual…
MECHELEN | Museum Hof van Busleyden and its permanent collection
On 24 February 2024, the Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen (Malines, Mechlin) reopened after some two years of renovations. After visiting the temporary exhibition ‘Knights of the Golden Fleece: a Brilliant Myth Unravelled‘, I explored the permanent collection.
MECHELEN | ‘Knights of the Golden Fleece: a Brilliant Myth Unravelled’ exhibition at Museum Hof van Busleyden
Until 2 June 2024, you can visit the ‘Knights of the Golden Fleece: a Brilliant Myth Unravelled‘ at the Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen (Malines in French, Mechlin in older English).
Leuven ft. the Great Beguinage
In January 2023, Thanh and I went to Leuven to watch Thanh’s niece perform in a play called ‘Wezen‘ (‘Being‘) by Fabuleus at OPEK. Making the best of a Sunday afternoon, we walked around Leuven, visiting the Great Beguinage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Quick Tour of Burgundian and Habsburg Mechelen
In March 2021 I visited the Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen for the ‘Renaissance Children‘ exhibition, telling the story of Burgundian and Habsburg princes being educated by Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy.