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Lille

commune in Nord, France

43km

50.63723.0633

Ypres

city in West Flanders, Belgium

45km

50.852.8833

Ghent

city in East Flanders, Belgium

57km

51.053.7333

Poperinge

municipality in West Flanders, Belgium

60km

50.852.7333

Hauts-de-France

Hauts-de-France is the northernmost region of France, located to the north of the French capital Paris and situated on the English Channel at the point closest to England. The region also fronts much of the French border with Belgium. The area is sadly known for its central part in the trench warfare of the First World War (1914-1918), perhaps most notoriously the Battle of the Somme, which lasted four and a half months during which more than one million men and women lost their lives. Unsurprisingly, Hauts-de-France hosts a large number of battlefields, war cemeteries and memorials. Less well-known, but still worth your time are the region's many belfries and Gothic churches, and the remnants of France's industrial heartland. Hauts-de-France was created in 2016 by merging Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy.

107km

49.92062.703

Brussels

city and municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region, capital of Belgium

127km

50.846434.3517

Antwerp

municipality in the province of Antwerp, Belgium

130km

51.22064.3997

Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant is one of the five provinces of Flanders (Belgium). The province completely surrounds Brussels, the national capital. Brussels however is not a part of the province. The capital Leuven is one of Belgium's largest student cities. The university is one of the oldest universities in this part of Europe and makes the city one with an impressive student tradition.

152km

50.91674.5833
Sights (24)

Choco-Story

This museum is a must see for chocolate enthusiasts as it describes chocolate's transition from cocoa into chocolate. Its low-cost tasty exhibits make it well worth the time (and Belcolade's gently overt marketing). Be sure to stay for the chocolate making exhibition to get some excellent samplers.

156m

51.210555563.22611111

Basilica of the Holy Blood

A beautiful church on the Burg square. It houses a relic - a vial of blood that is said to be that of Jesus - and was built in the Gothic style. Try and get there early so you can view the chapel when it is quiet and not filled with tourists. And don't forget to visit the chapel underneath, in heavy Romanesque style - a contrast to the lovely light Gothic above.

220m

51.208166673.22672222

Groeningemuseum

Known as 'The city museum of Fine Arts', it houses a collection of artworks that span several centuries (14th-20th), focusing mainly on works by painters who lived and worked in Bruges.

282m

51.206111113.22638889

Church of Our Lady, Bruges

A fascinating church with architecture from the Romanesque and Gothic periods. In the east end of the church are very fine tombs of Charles the Bold and his daughter Mary of Burgundy - in contrasting Gothic and Renaissance styles, despite their superficial similarity. The church also houses one of the few Michelangelo sculptures outside of Italy, the "Madonna with child". To see the "Madonna with Child" an entrance fee of €5 for 18 to 26, 26 to 64 is €6, over 65 is €5, and under 17 is free.

329m

51.204722223.22444444

Old St. John's Hospital

Sint-Janshospitaal contains a museum of six paintings by Hans Memling, within the early medieval hospital buildings.

389m

51.2043.224

Ten Wijngaerde (Begijnhof Brugge)

In the history, many women couldn't find a man, as men were more likely to die in accidents or in a war. Those women could "marry God" and become a beguine. The beguinage, also known as the convent, offered protection for those single ladies. It lies between the centre of the city and the station, with white painted small houses and fine plane trees, is a quiet place to walk - groups are discouraged.

626m

51.201222223.22255556

West Flanders

province in Flanders, Belgium

28km

513

Tyne Cot

The largest Commonwealth Wargraves Commission cemetery in the world, situated to the south of the village of Passendale. There are also many more smaller Commonwealth cemeteries dotted around the region as well.

33km

50.886944442.99805556

Langemark German war cemetery

The cemetery, which evolved from a small group of graves from 1915, has seen numerous changes and extensions. It was dedicated in 1932. Today, visitors find a mass grave near the entrance. This comrades' grave contains 24,917 servicemen, including the Ace Werner Voss. Between the oak trees, next to this mass grave, are another 10,143 soldiers (including 2 British soldiers killed in 1918). The 3,000 school students who were killed during the First Battle of Ypres are buried in a third part of the cemetery. At the rear of the cemetery is a sculpture of four mourning figures by Professor Emil Krieger. The group was added in 1956, and is said to stand guard over the fallen. The cemetery is maintained by the German War Graves Commission, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.

39km

50.920555562.91666667

Bellewaerde

Bellewaerde was established in 1954 as a zoo and safari park. The park evolved into a theme park. Bellewaerde attracts 850,000-900,000 visitors a year and is one of the main theme parks in Flanders.

40km

50.848333332.94555556

Battle of Hill 60 (Western Front)

A well-preserved World War I battle site that changed sides repeatedly. There area covered in craters. There was also a large amount of tunneling during the war which adds to the uneven terrain. The memorial to the 1st Australian Tunneling Co contains bullet holes from World War II.

42km

50.821388892.93166667

Menin Gate

Dedicated on 24 July 1927 as a memorial to the missing British and Commonwealth soldiers who fell in Belgium during World War One. Has a Last Post Ceremony each night at 20:00 as a way for the Ypres citizens to express their gratitude towards those who died for Belgium's freedom.

44km

50.852222222.89166667

Ypres Cloth Hall

45km

50.85122.8858

Museum Godshuis Belle

art museum and gallery in West Flanders, Belgium

45km

50.84972.8862

Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst

contemporary art museum in Ghent, Belgium

54km

51.038055563.70388889

Graslei

street in Ghent, Belgium

56km

51.0553.72083333

Vleteren

municipality in West Flanders, Belgium

57km

50.933333332.73333333

Campo Santo, Ghent

This monumental cemetery is located on a small hill in the suburb of Sint-Amandsberg. Many famous and important Belgians that lived in Ghent are buried here.

59km

51.06453.7498

Dour

Walloon municipality in Hainaut, Belgium

84km

50.43.78333333

Maison Van Gogh

Cuesmoise the house where he lived from August 1879 to October 1880, was saved from ruin in the 1970s and is now accessible to the public.

94km

50.441388893.92527778

Belfry of Mons

Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, dates from the 17th century and is the only Baroque-style belfry in Belgium.

96km

50.454166673.95011111

Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes

You can visit a silex mine dating back to the Neolithic period. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

100km

50.430773.97879

Binche

city in Hainaut, Belgium

119km

50.44.16666667

Thuin

city in Hainaut, Belgium

132km

50.333333334.28333333
Nature

we will see

Bruges

Belgium
Someday we will visit Bruges or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Bruges

Bruges is a picturesque city in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. Once Europe's richest city, now both cosmopolitan and bourgeois in its compact size, it is one of the best preserved pre-motorised cities in Europe and offers the kind of charms rarely available other than in Europe.

Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact, making it one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. The historic centre of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Many of its medieval buildings are notable, including the Church of Our Lady, whose brick spire reaches 115.6 m (379.27 ft), making it the world's second highest brick tower/building. The sculpture Madonna and Child, which can be seen in the transept, is believed to be the only of Michelangelo's sculptures to have left Italy within his lifetime.

  • The Béguinage (Dutch: Begijnhof)
  • The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Dutch: Heilig-Bloedbasiliek). The relic of the Holy Blood, which was brought to the city after the Second Crusade by Thierry of Alsace, is paraded every year through the streets of the city. More than 1,600 inhabitants take part in this mile-long religious procession, many dressed as medieval knights or crusaders.
  • The modern Concertgebouw ("Concert Building")
  • The Old St. John's Hospital
  • The Saint Salvator's Cathedral
  • The Groeningemuseum, which has an extensive collection of medieval and early modern art, including a notable collection of Flemish Primitives. Various masters, including Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck, lived and worked in Bruges.
  • The City Hall on the Burg (Bruges) [nl] square
  • The Provincial Court (Provinciaal Hof)
  • The preserved old city gateways: the Kruispoort, the Gentpoort, the Smedenpoort and the Ezelpoort. The Dampoort, the Katelijnepoort and the Boeveriepoort are gone.

The municipality comprises:

  • The historic city centre of Bruges, Sint-Jozef and Sint-Pieters (I)
  • Koolkerke (II)
  • Sint-Andries (III)
  • Sint-Michiels (IV)
  • Assebroek (V)
  • Sint-Kruis (VI)
  • Dudzele (VII)
  • Lissewege (with Zeebrugge and Zwankendamme) (VIII)

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

6.2°C0.9
Precipitation: 66.5 mm

Feb

7°C0.6
Precipitation: 55.8 mm

Mar

10.8°C2.8
Precipitation: 58 mm

Apr

14.5°C4.5
Precipitation: 44.2 mm

May

17.4°C8.4
Precipitation: 61.5 mm

Jun

19.9°C11.3
Precipitation: 68.5 mm

Jul

22.4°C13.3
Precipitation: 71.3 mm

Aug

22.5°C12.9
Precipitation: 79 mm

Sep

19.7°C10.4
Precipitation: 79.2 mm

Oct

15.3°C7.4
Precipitation: 84.8 mm

Nov

10.1°C4.2
Precipitation: 86.1 mm

Dec

6.6°C1.7
Precipitation: 81.1 mm
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