our universe
Every object
tells a story

“Redcoat” also referred to as scarlet tunic, is a military garment formerly used by British infantry servicemen – so much so that the term became a reference for the servicemen themselves.  

It dates back to the Tudor period, and was widely used fom the 16th to the 19th century.  By the start of the 20th century the red coat was abandoned for practical reasons by khaki, worn by all British Empire military units.

Today it is still used during full dress ceremonial events in many countries of the Commonwealth of Nations – and can be seen worn by many actors and extras during the Battle of Waterloo reenactment that takes place every year in Waterloo, some 20 kms outside of Brussels.

And did you notice some of the outfits that Michael Jackson would wear on stage during his world tours, such as his 1996 World History Tour? His outfits were inspired by military dress such as the redcoat – and redesigned for fit, fashion and wearability for the man and his moonwalk.  

Every couple of years the trend of military inspired gear returns – and in 2023 it seems to be the case again with tips and style-tricks coming from the likes of Vogue or the Editorialist.

And if that’s your thing – go and take a stroll down the Marolles and the flea market at Place de Jeu de Balles/Vossenplein – where you’ll surely find something to your taste.

This is a coal bucket – also called a fireside bin with ceramic handles.

We found it when we started doing the renovation works at The Classic.

It is a decorative bucket shaped container made to hold and carry coal.  They are generally made from brass or copper with a swinging handle and were popular in the Victorian and Edwardian Arts & Crafts period, when these non-inflammable buckets stood proudly at the chimney or stove.

The handles are made of ceramic for the same reasons – and in this particular case are manufacturered with the famous Dutch Delft Ceramics.

With airco and heating pretty much present everywhere, we now use it to assemble the books our guests left us when they departed – so you can enjoy them too.

Want to check out some local antiques and décor shops?  Go and take a stroll down The Sablon for high-end antiquities and design or walk down to the Marolles and its well-known flea-market and vintage design shops. And if you’re into authentic Dutch tableware and decorative pieces - Delft, the Dutch city famous for it’s Blue Delft ceramic throughout the centuries, is only at some 170km away, just next to Den Haag, the official Capital of The Netherlands

This is Peter.  Peter Paul Rubens – a Flemish artist and diplomat (1577-1640) considered to be the most influential artist of the Flemish baroque tradition.

His paintings emphasized movement, color and sensuality and reference elements of classical and christian history.

Rubens was a prolific artist, running a workshop in Antwerp where he worked on paintings that were popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe.  Some 1.400+ works are referenced today including altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, historic paintings and cartoons for the flemish tapestry workshops and ateliers.

Rubens is all over the city of Antwerp. The Rubenshuis, the many museum and exhibitions are certainly worth a visit at some ½ hour by train or car from Brussels.  

Did you know that Belgium has the largest number of castles per square metre in the world? There are more than 3000 castles, beating even France. Some regions have an average of two castles per village.‍

Chateau de Walzin has been a source of fascination for centuries and has been depicted in many paintings and drawings, including this one in Delfts Blauw ceramic style.  

Looking down on the river Lesse, the Chateau de Walzin rises on a steep rock right above the bank of the river.  It has a fascinating history that include stories of horror, bloody tales of war and even paranormal activities.  The castle has known different periods of decline and prosperity throughout history –its initial construction dates back to the 13th century and the latest rebuild took place from 1930 to 1932.  

Today’s castles gardens were designed by Louis Julien Breydel, who also has the Jardin Botanique in Brussels to his name.

Today, Le Bota, is one of Brussels culture temples hosting exhibitions, concerts, and events.

The Chateau de Walzin and it’s grounds can be visited by taking a walking tour with an official guide.  It also is host to a series of special events during the year including concerts, festivals, food events and other activities such as horseback riding, archery, mountainbiking  or paintball.

If you’re looking to discover a different part of Belgium, with beautiful landscapes, historic buildings, monuments, rivers and natural sites, head over to the city of Dinant. Take a walk, a hike or a bicycle tour around the region – or even go on down the river Lesse by kayak to get another perspective on what Belgium has to offer.

On a last note, it’s interesting to know that Dinant is also the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.  Saxophone statues and references can be found throughout the city and there is even an Adolphe Sax museum, La Maison de Monsieur Sax.

Showcasing a bit of a cheeky smile in his portrait, Stijn Streuvels, west-Flandria 1871-1969, is known as one of the most important innovators of Dutch-language literature.  With a creative and new use of the Dutch language Streuvels is the author of naturalistic novels that show resemblance with the work of Zola and the great Russian authors of his era, specifically Tolstoi.

From 1937 through 1957, he has been nominated 13 times as a contender for the Literature Nobel prize.  Experts agree that the visionary strength of his work, his perspective on reality, and the universality of his themes have lifted his work to international literary standards.

Streuvels was not only a celebrated writer, but also a gifted photographer who photographed persona that sometimes served as models for the characters in his novels.  He photographed village views, landscapes, gardens, family, and friends and made an extensive photographic report during his trip to Palestine in 1935.  This impressive photo collection is on view in the Letterenhuis in Antwerp, exhibiting more than 50 years of photographic works and hundreds of glass negatives from his earliest period.

Yes!  Brussels also has its own apéritif – and it’s not beer!

East-Flemish distillery Rubbens, was created in 1817 when what was an agricultural operation decided to use the grain rests of their harvest to produce alcohol and become a rural distillery.  The distillery started production and distribution of original jenever products that were sold in typical white-stone pitchers.

The distillery has continued to create and produce quality innovative jenever products, aka “Jenever-Vieux-Systeme” and by increasing its production capabilities it caters to a growing demand.  In 2021 Rubbens started their brewery activities and producing some original beers such as Rubbens Blond, Dubbel en Tripel.

The distillery and brewery, on the banks of the river Schelde, are open for visits – and if you’d like to enjoy some of Rubbens products, there is a Brasserie on location where you can enjoy typical regional food & locally produced drinks.  

And yes, beer remains a classic of what Brussels and Belgian have to offer with more than 1.500 beer variants produced throughout the country.  Visit one of the Brussels micro-breweries or specialty stores to take a taste home to your friends and family.

A pillow – but not just n’importe quel pillow – one that proudly puts the Lion’s Mound, le Lion de Waterloo in focus.

Erected between 1824 and 1826, 9 years after the battle of Waterloo, the Lion’s Mound is the most widely recognized landmark of the Waterloo battlefield – and celebrates the victory of the allied armies defying France’s Napoleon Bonaparte.

Its size is impressive: 28 tons of iron, 4,5 meters long and 4,45 meters high, it stands tall on a mound that can be seen from several miles around. There are 227 steps that, once at the top, treat visitors to a panoramic view of the different parts of the battlefield.

Each year, a full-blown reconstruction of this iconic battle takes place in Waterloo, during 2 days, where 100s of actors and extras in historic costumes, horses, workshops, animations and camps come together to showcase and illustrate the history and context of the Battle.

One of the most iconic buildings of the battlefield, is the Mont Saint Jean Farm. It served as a surgical field hospital for the British and Allied troops during the famous battle and played a major role with more than 6.000 servicemen being treated under the supervision of the British Royal Army Medical Corps, only a couple of days after the Duke of Wellington set up the field hospital.  The farm became known as The English Hospital. The building dates to 1719 and is now host to a micro-brewery brasserie that brews local Waterloo beer.  Under it’s roof you’ll find a  brasserie, hotel, museum and many exhibitions and events around the Battle of Waterloo and its history.

Founded in Grasse in 1853, La Savonnerie et Parfumerie Jean Giraud Fils is a family business, specialized in the creation and production of exotic perfumes, located in the world-capital of perfume : Grasse.

Grasse is located in the Provence, on the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera), and is home to a prospering perfume industry since the 18th century.

2/3 of France’s natural aromas for perfume and food are produced in Grasse and some of the most famous “noses” in the world are trained or have spent time in Grasse to distinguish and work with over 2000 kinds of scents.  

Grasse still hosts some of the oldest fragrance houses such as Galimard, Molinard and Fragonard – each offering guided tours and museums to visit.  The international Perfume Museum, created in 1989 is open to the public, showcasing the different techniques used throughout the +5.000 years of perfume making and Grasses contribution to the industry.

Premium global brands such as Dior and Chanel have their own fields of Jasmine and Rose in the vicinity of Grasse.  

The globally successful novel “Le Parfum” by Patrick Süsskind tells a story around the power of aroma and perfume and takes the reader to Paris, Auvergne, Montpellier and Grasse.

We eat waffles – but not just any kind.

First showcased at the Universal Exhibition in Brussels, Expo58, Belgian waffles were introduced to the US in 1962 – and have gone on to live their own life across the Atlantic combining them with fresh fruit, sirups or creme.

There are many myths around the original Brussels waffle, but it is said to be born between 1842 and 1864, with lighter batter, crispy texture, deeper pockets and larger squares, becoming a true Belgian gastronomic icon – gaining popularity through the street vendors selling waffles in the streets of Brussels.

And yes, there’s also the Gaufre de Liège, which is also sold in Brussels, but be aware that there is a difference in waffles : on one hand the Brussels waffle – mostly rectangular, light and golden that one eats with only a tiny bit of powdered sugar or fresh cream and then there’s the Liège waffle, aka Gaufre de Liège.  These gaufres de Liège are much heavier, usually square with rounded corners, come with clusters of sugar in the dough and are eaten hot and on the spot.  

Just take note: a true Belgian will never eat waffles with any weird toppings.  Just a bit of powdered sugar and perhaps a tiny bit of freshly whipped cream.  That’s it.

This is authentic lifebuoy dating back to 1955, when the grandfather of the hostel owners, Maurits, owner of shipping vessels of which one was actually called “Stijn Streuvels” in reference to the awarded author, fished up this buoy from the North Sea.

It came from the Johannishus, an oil tanker built in 1952 in the Malmö shipping yard that went up into flames on the North Sea on June 9th 1955.

The Johannishus was rammed by a Panamanian steamship, The Buccaneer and was heavily damaged – 19 of the crew were lost.  It was then towed to the world-renowned shipping yard RDM in Rotterdam to be repaired and returned to service in May 1956.

Did you know that the lifebuoy is referred too with many names : life ring, safety wheel, life preserver, kisbee ring, lifesaver or donut?  And that the concept of the lifebuoy goes way back to before it was actually produced and used?  Leonardo da Vinci actually sketched a concept for a safety wheel – but also conceptualised buoyant shoes and sticks that would help you walk on water?

Also known as steamer trunks, cabin trunks or traveling trunks, these were originally used as luggage for extended trips by steamship, train or stagecoach or for taking to boarding school. Many were quite elaborate inside and out.  Steamer trunks usually have a distinguishing curved or barrel top and can weigh as much as 100 pounds.

They first appeared in the late 1870s – although most of them date from the 1880-1920 period when traveling exploded as railroads and steam-powered boats provided easier options for travel.  Their popularity lasted for some +50 years, until the suitcase became the preferred companion for travels around the world.

There are only a few manufacturers today that are still in the business of producing travel trunks, and among these you can find the likes of Louis Vuitton, Seward, Rhino and C&N Footlockers.

Plane parts, in the literal meaning of the word: pieces of...  When we saw these in the window of an antique dealer in Antwerp Kloosterstraat, we were a bit intrigued.

They turned out to be authentic parts coming from a 1973 McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-31 and were sourced from the main aircraft boneyard in the US, the Davis-Monthan Air Force Boneyard in Tucson, also the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world (now named 309th AMARG).

AMARG typically sees more than 4.000 aircrafts stored on its terrains – ranging from smaller private planes to large passenger carriers and military aircraft.  Arial photography shows the sheer scope and impressive size and numbers of aircrafts that are stowed and parked on the vast stretch of land.

AMARG offers different storage procedures ranging from Long Term where aircrafts are kept intact and no parts are removed, through Parts Reclamation where the aircrafts are picked apart and used for spare parts to Excess of DoD needs where aircraft are sold either as a whole or in parts.

So fancy a part of a plane?  Hop on one and head over to Tucson or if you’re somewhat less ambitious, take a subway to the majestic Cinquantenaire and visit the Brussels Air museum, with a unique collection of civil and military aircraft to discover.  

And while you’re at it, visit the other museums, monuments and sculptures on site and take a stroll through the French-style gardens (Parc du Cinquantenaire) – erected in 1880 to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Belgiums independence.  

Terrot was the name of a French company launched by Charles Terrot in 1887 - producing bicycles first, then in 1902 started building and selling their first motorcycles and as of 1910 Terrot started manufacturing automobiles.

It’s first motorcycle, the Motorette was produced in 1902 – and had a 2 HP engine.  It looked like a regular bicycle with a small engine. The company then went on to produce some 190 different models with different engines, ranging from 173 to 498 CC. In the 1920s the brand merged with Magnat-Debon.   These early motorcycle concepts were the springboard for the success story of the French motorcycle industry.

After the second world war the company was purchased by Automoto (now Peugeot) and started making 100 and 125 CC scooters.  In 1961 the brand was absorbed by the Peugeot group (PSA) and disappeared from the market.

Nowadays there’s an annual classic & vintage motorcycle race taking place in Gedinnes every summer.  It’s the occasion to take a look at some very rare vintage models and, while you’re at it, take a stroll through the region.

This was before.  When the likes of Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, James Dean and Marlon Brando would ride around the streets of LA and Easy Rider was about to become the landmark counterculture movie that captured the imagination of audiences throughout the US, with Peter Fonda and Denis Hopper riding their bikes from Mexico through LA to New Orleans.

Of course, at the height of the craze there was a need for fuel – and so all major oil companies provided fast fueling stations specifically designed for motorcycles.  So did Royal Dutch Shell – and this is one of them.

With the ecological transition on-going, a set of sustainability goals defined and the world moving away from fossil-fuels, this will be one to remember.  It’s almost ancient history.  Like fossils.

This plate, in Delfts Blauw Ceramic style, portrays Blankenberge, a Belgian coastal town with a long beach, promenade and marina.  It’s famous Belgium Pier dating back to the Art Deco period, was constructed in 1933, and throws itself into the North Sea with some spectacular views of the seafront.  

Blankenberghe is known for its Art Nouveau architecture – and has a unique Belle Epoque center with several restored seaside villas that are witness to the history and architecture of the area.

Today it attracts visitors from all over the world for its rich historic setting, its Casino, Belgium Pier and Sea Life Park.  It is the perfect place to spring from and explore other Belgian coastal towns such as Knokke, De Panne or De Haan by the iconic coastal tram - or to visit touristic hotspots such as Brugge or Gent.

This helmet dates from World War I (1914-1918) and comes straight from the trenches.  It has a bullet hole that probably has seen its owner either severely injured or dead.  It is testimony to the cruel, close encounters the allied forces had with the German invaders.

WWI, also called the Great War, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history.  Despite its neutral position, Belgium was invaded by the German armed forces in 2014 and the Germans went on to occupy 95% of the territory.  While the Belgian government retreated to Le Havre, France, a pocket of resistance remained around Yser, under the command of King Albert I.  

The Germans Race to the Sea was stopped dead by exhausted Belgian forces at the Battle of the Yser, a fight fought mainly in the trenches.

Belgian troops continued to hold the same sector of frontline, known as the Yser Front and by now a part of the main Western Front until 1918, instilling hope and grit to the Belgian forces on the Western Front for the duration of the war.

Artefacts, materials, equipment, testimonials, rare examples of WWI trenches from the British Front and memorials can be visited in and around Ypres at some 120 km from Brussels.  

See ”The Last Post” performed at Ieper / Ypres – a commemorative event that takes place every day at 20h00 – whatever the weather is like. The buglers that perform The Last Post are part of a volunteer corps of the Ieper fire brigade.  After The Last Post there is a moment of silence in which the emotion of the participants and audience becomes quite tangible.  The Last Post has been performed every single day since the end of WWI – and was only interrupted while WWII was ongoing.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
 Between the crosses, row on row,
  That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
    Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
 We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
  Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
   In Flanders fields…

This famous poem by John McCrae, a Canadian colonel having fought in the 2^nd battle of Ypres in 1915, inspired people all over the world to wear poppies on their lapel as an enduring symbol of remembrance and commemoration.  It is a war poem depicting the cruelty of the war and depicts how wild poppies grow and cover the graves of the fallen soldiers.

Flanders Field is the common English name of the WWI battlefields in Belgium and France.  It was a major battle ground on the Western Front between 1914-1918 - where over a million soldiers from over 50 countries were wounded or died in horrendous conditions. All over the world the third battle of Ypres and the destruction of the town became symbols for the senselessness of war.

Today, the region still bears witness to the war through the many monuments, museums and cemeteries present on the grounds – dedicated to the fallen and the missing.

Each year, on Memorial Day weekend, the American Overseas Memorial Day Association organises commemorative ceremonies at the 3 WWI & WWII American cemeteries (Ardennes Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, where dignitaries from the military, government, public and private organisations bring an homage to the fallen.  

World War II.  Another game-changing horrific chapter in Europe’s history was a global conflict that lasted from September 1939 to August 1945 and included most of the world’s countries, including most of the great powers. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in an estimated 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly civilians.

The iron cast parts you see here were dug up from the Belgian coastline – they were part of the Atlantic Wall, (Atlantikwall Europe) the extensive system of coastal defenses built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense against an anticipated allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Hundreds of reinforced concrete pillboxes were built on the beaches to house machine guns, antitank guns, and artillery. Land mines and antitank obstacles were planted on the beaches and underwater obstacles and naval mines placed in waters just offshore.

Although the defensive wall was never fully completed, many bunkers and historic artefacts still exist near Oostende, the Dutch coastline (Den Haag, Katwijk, Noordwijk) and in Denmark and Norway.

And if you’re on your way to Antwerp, you should stop at Fort Breendonk – another testimony to the cruelty of war. Fort Breendonk is a former military installation, near Mechelen, which served as a Nazi prison camp during the German occupation of Belgium during World War II.

Passendaele is a rural village in west Flanders, near the town of Ypres.  It is also commonly known as the battlefield of the WWI campaign, the Battle of Passchendaele.  

It was a British-led offensive against the Germans and lasted from July to November 1917. The battle which was also known as The Third Battle of Ypres was one of the major engagements of the First World War and one of the largest battles Britain’s Armed Forces have ever fought. Within a few days of the battle, the heaviest rain for 30 years had turned the soil into thick mud that would immobilise tanks – and the battle would be referred to by the British soldiers as The Battle of the Mud.

When the Tank Corps was formed it had no distinctive colours but in 1917 — just before the Battle of Cambrai — it adopted its Brown, Red and Green colours which are still used by the Royal Tank Regiment today. The colours represented the struggle of the Corps — ‘From mud, through blood to the green fields beyond’.

The signs you see here are commemorative plaques that celebrate the victory of the Battle of Flanders on September 18th by the 12th infantry division and the second artillery division of the Belgian armed forces.

As with the battle of the Somme in 1916, Passchendaele saw British forces fight closely alongside its Commonwealth allies of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa as is the case still today in major conflicts around the world.

And yes, it might ring just another bell : the one that sounds like music to your ears if you’re into the heavy metal side of things.  Check out Sabaton’s number “The Price of a Mile” in which the horror of war and fighting in the trenches is being told or listen to Iron Maiden’s Passchendaele – it’s another powerful take on history and commemoration.

In a foreign field, he lay
Lonely soldier, unknown grave
On his dying words, he prays
"Tell the world of Paschendale”

Relive all that he's been through
Last communion of his soul
Rust your bullets with his tears
Let me tell you 'bout his years

Laying low in a blood-filled trench
Kill time 'til my very own death
On my face I can feel the falling rain
Never see my friends again…

This is an original part of the original Atomium coming to you straight from 1958.

The Atomium is a landmark modernistic construct in Brussels, originally built as the focal piece of the 1958 World Fair, Expo 58.  At the time, when scientific progress was considered a fundamental building block for the future, the building’s designer, André Waterkeym, remarked that in nature iron atoms are organized in the shape of a cube that could be easily transposed to the idea of a monumental structure.

He proceeded to produce an elementary iron crystal magnified 165 billion times that became the centerpiece EXPO58 – built on a steel structures with aluminum coverings for the spheres.  So, yes, you’ll have guessed it by now, the name Atomium is a contraction of Atom and Aluminum.  C’est aussi simple que ça…

The Atomium was renovated between 2004 and 2006 – and has been restored to its full splendor.  Today it is Brussels most popular attraction and serves as a museum, an art center, cultural destination, and restaurant.

The Atomium is located on l’Esplanade du Heysel that serves as a major Brussels hub for sporting events, exhibitions, trade shows, fairs and other events.  It hosts a cinema, a small park with an open-air theatre (Ossegem park), a planetarium, many pavilions of architectural interest, a football stadium and of course the impressive art-deco Palais du Heysel (Brussels expo), built for the 1935 world fair.

This is an original picture that came from the walls of what is now the Contemporary Art Center Wiels in Forest. It used to be the HQ of the Brasserie Wielemans-Ceuppens, of which the main brewing kettles still stand in the entry hall of the art center.

Wiels-Ceuppens was one of the more than 50 brewers in Brussels that were located along the Senne, the small river that went from one side to the other Brussels. When the city decided to cover the Senne in 1871, when it became a serious health hazard for Brussels residents, the Wielemans-Ceuppens family purchased a stretch of land in Forest, located near the railway tracks and the canal and proceeded to build a new modern brasserie that was inaugurated in 1881.

It was here that the famous Boch, Munich, Wiels, Forst were produced, and many special editions saw the day.

In 1889, one of the Wielemans-Ceuppens sons opened the Café Métropole on the Place de Brouckère in the center of Brussels where he started selling the family produce – and when the building next door became available he decided to settle in with the Metropole Hotel – a Brussels Art Nouveau landmark in its own right.  Not only was the hotel the first luxury hotel, but it was also the first to have electricity and central heating.  After some 125 years of operations during which it remained in private property, it was recently purchased by an American investment fund that is planning thorough renovations and intends to reopen in 2025…

And as it’s a small world with many lines that cross through time and space, did you know that the Hotel Metropole is portrayed in one of the Adventures of Tintin books : The Seven Chrystal Balls and that Albert Einstein and Ernest Solvay were frequent visitors of Le Métropole?

This old, battered door used to keep thugs, thieves and other criminals at bay when they were locked up in the 19th century Brugge prison house, at the time one of the largest prisons in Belgium.  

The prison was built following the model of the American Cherry Hill prison in Philadelphia were prisoners were housed in individual cells coming together on shared hallways, which simplified surveillance.

The site has a long history and has seen the terrain occupied by a cemetery of a lost cloister, a medieval luxury gallery (‘t Pand), a detention center and the enormous prison of which some parts such as the gatehouse and prison governor’s residence remain standing.

The old buildings were almost completely stripped in 1992 to make place in 2000-2002 for an urban housing project with some 75 apartments and houses in the center of the town, ‘t Pandreitje. This modernistic housing complex won the prestigious Belgian Architecture Award and is cited as an example for compact living concepts.

Pandreitje is located in Brugge’s City Center, a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO, - also called  the Venice of the North not only thanks to its intricate waterways present throughout the city – but also to the fact that Brugge, between the 12th and 15th century was simply one of the world’s main commercial cities.

Brugge is also home the Brugse Zot, a specialty beer born in the center of the city in 2005, that came to life thanks to a 6-th generation of brewers of De Halve Maan, the last family-owned brewery in the city..   The beer which has a very specific aroma is not only a commercial success but has won numerous awards for its taste and composition – and is now exported to over 40 countries in the world.

Did you know that British and mainland European horses don’t turn the same ways?  In the UK merry-go-round horses turn clockwise with the horses facing to the left – while in the US and mainland Europe they face to the right. Why are we not surprised – with road circulation still today taking opposite ways?

This wooden horse comes from an ancient Brussels Carousel that was dismantled to make place for a modern, iron and steel variant.

The word “carousel” stems from the twelfth-century Arabian games of horsemanship called “carosellos” or “little wars.” It consisted of riders tossing a small ball from one rider to another. In the 16^th and 17^th century these games spread to France and Belgium where people wore costumes and engaged in tournaments of drama called “Carrousels” to celebrate special events.

The most famous carousel of this kind was held by Louis XIV in June 1662, in the courtyard of the Jardins des Tuileries, to celebrate the birth of his son and heir. The site of the event, next to the Louvre, is still known as "the Carrousel”.

By the mid-19th century, the platform carousel was further developed; the animals and chariots were fixed to a circular floor that would suspend from a centre pole and rotate around.  By using central poles and springs to which the horses were attached, an illusion of galloping movement was created for even more sensations.

The oldest galloping carousel in the world was built in 1885 by Belgian craftsmen in Bressoux, near Liège and stayed there till 1964 until it moved to New York for the World Fair. It then went to Montreal for Expo 67.

And if you like all that’s Carrousels, you’re in the right location – De Efteling, Hollands oldest amusement park, hosts two ancient, still functional carousels : the Vermolenmolen dating back to 1865 is the oldest functioning carousel in the world – while the StoomCaroussel dating from 1895 is still turning merrily around today. De Efteling is only some 130 km away from Brussels, so why don’t you take a break on your way to Amsterdam to enjoy one of the oldest, and most awarded, theme parks in the world?

Everybody knows Tintin.  But did you know that Tintin is almost 100 years old?  He was born in the pages of Le Petit Vingtième, a weekly Belgian newspaper in 1929, when he did not yet wear his typical puff.  The puff came about on the very last page of the first album “Tintin au Pays des Soviets”, published in 1930 – when he drove off in an open-top car with his puff rising to never come down again.

Did you know that more than 270 million copies have gone over the counter and that Les Aventures de Tintin have been translated in more than 110 languages?

Did you know that Tintin went to the moon in the famous 1953 album Objectif Lune (“Destination Moon”) – some 16 years before Armstrong actually set foot on the surface?

Did you know that the authors real name was Georges Rémi – and that by turning around his initials het came up with his pen name Hergé (R.G.)?

Did you know that there is a special museum dedicated to Hergé and his art?  It is called Le Musée Hergé and is located near Brussels, in Louvain-La-Neuve.  Here you will find more than 80 original Tintin plates, some 800 photographs, objects, documents, memorabilia, replicas, and artefacts – bringing the life and oeuvre of Hergé together under one roof. The scenography of the museum was created by Joost Swarte, the famous Dutch cartoonist, best known for his “ligne claire” drawings.

Tintin is also very much part of Brussels and it’s rich history of cartoon and comic strips – there is the Musee de la Bande Dessinée (museum of comics), numerous works of art on the walls of the city portraying Tintin and his friends, sculptures in public gardens, a Tintin dedicated shop, etc.  The Hotel Amigo even offers a Tintin themed suite….

Our national Brussels Airport in Zaventem hosts a 800 kg, 6m high statue of the iconic red and white rocket – and if you’re lucky enough to sit and relax in the VIP lounge, you’ll see the replica of the Tintin branded Brussels Airlines Airbus 320. The Airbus is dressed up as the famous shark submarine from the Tintin album “Red Rackham’s Treasure “and is baptized “Rackham”. What’s more, the album “Red Rackham's Treasure” is available for reading on board in Dutch, French and English.

The other way around is true also – some of Brussels most iconic places and locations are present throughout Tintins albums….  

We don’t really know who this man is.  But we liked his portrait and what he represents.  This fisherman stands for a century old Belgian tradition that has been recognized by the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity chapter of the UNESCO.

Shrimp fishing by horse is extinct except for Oostduinkerke which is the only place in the world where shrimp fishing still happens on horseback.

The shrimp fishing takes place at low tide, both in summer and winter, for about two hours, 1 hour before and 1 hour after low water. The fishermen are clad in traditional southwester, bright yellow oilskins, and rubber waders. The horses that are used are usually robust stallions of the Brabant or Hainaut breed. Breast deep in water, the horses advance at a steady pace, dragging the nets up. From time to time, the fishermen and his horse leave the water to empty the net and to put the contents into two wicker baskets fixed on each side of the horse. – or by having the nets pulled by horses that are up to their shoulders in the water.

This tradition is honored every year during the month of July in Oostduinkerke.  The first week of July sees many activities around the shrimp fishing tradition such as markets, workshops, and demonstrations, culminating in a yearly parade celebrating North Sea fishing activities.

The Navigo Museum in Oostduinkerke is the national fishery museum where history and tradition of Belgium’s fishing industry can be discovered.

Introducing Charles and Hector in their typical black and blue shirts.  Hector Goetinck and Charles Cambier were two of the top players of FC Bruges, the famous Belgian soccer club that has been crowned Belgian League Champions 18 times since their beginnings in 1891 (second only to major rivals Anderlecht), won the most cups in Belgium (11), won the most Super Cups (17).  It shares the Jan Breydel stadium in Brugge with city rival Cercle Brugge

Throughout its long history, Club Brugge has enjoyed much European football success, reaching two European finals and two European semi-finals. Club Brugge is the only Belgian club to have played the final of the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) so far, losing to Liverpool in the final of the 1978 season.

The club has the largest fan base in Belgium – surprisingly not only from the Flemish side, but also on the French speaking side of the country – rallied around their battle cry: “Geen woorden, maar daden” which translates the drive and action-oriented spirit of the club and its players.

Did you know that in tribute of their loyal fans – often called the 12^th man -  Club Brugge is no longer assigning the number 12 to its players?  Number 23 is not assigned either after one of the players wearing that same number, François Sterchele, died in a car accident on the A1 from Antwerp to Brugge in 2008.

On a lighter note, the original mascot, the bear, in reference to the legend of the first count of Flanders, Baldwin I, who had fought and defeated a bear in his youth, is accompanied since 2002 by a second bear that walks the side of the terrain.  They’re called Belle and Bene.  In 2010 a third bear, Bibi, made its appearance as the child of Bene and Belle – and serves the purpose of creating a dialogue with a younger generation of Club Brugge supporters.

So while you’re in Brugge, visiting the many interesting hotspots of the city, why don’t you take a stroll to the stadium or stop at the FC Bruges fan shop in the city canter and take some of those iconic black & blue shirts home

Exactly 100 years. That is what the 1930 exhibition is all about: a celebration of 100 years of Belgium independence, gained after years of submission and hardship.

At the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, Belgium (then the Southern Netherlands) and the Northern Netherlands (Holland) were united to form one State. This new state was ruled by King Willem I der Nederlanden. Although this was beneficial to the Belgian bourgeoisie, there was protest. The Catholics objected against the interference of the protestant king in clerical matters and the Liberals demanded more freedom.

After a series of incidents, the revolution erupted in Brussels in 1830. It started on the Place des Martyrs, right behind the Rue Neuve, at some 2 minutes away from The Legacy by 2GO4 Hostel.  The statue that adorns the square is a monument to the revolution and Belgian’s subsequent independence, commemorating the victims of the revolution.

Willem I sent in his troops, but they were defeated on September 27th, 1830. Following these events, Belgium separated from the Northern Netherlands. A provisional government declared independence on October 4th, 1830 and on November 3rd of that year, a National Congress was elected. On February 7th, 1831, the national congress adopted a constitution.  And Belgium as a state (and Brussels as a capital) was born.

By the way, did you know that there are 6 places in the US called Belgium?  They’re located in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, West Virginia and in two townships Ozakee Country and Folk County.

Belgium in a nutshell: https://www.britannica.com/place/Belgium/Ethnic-groups-and-languages

Fun facts Belgium : https://fullsuitcase.com/belgium-facts/ and https://www.expatica.com/be/moving/about/belgium-facts-108729/