# The Rest of Belgium



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks! I could start some threads on the Belgian forum to collect photos on these themes (if anyone is interested and has photos?)



joshsam said:


> great pictures!  yes those shrines, even the smallest village has at least 5 or so :nuts: There are like 10 in the sourroundings of my village.(pop. 5000) Most of them in fields in the countryside. Belgium was at one time probably the most catholic country of Western Europe. Crosses, shrines, stautes, every street corner...


It's true, it must have been. This seems strange, as I once read that Belgium is now one of the least religious countries in the world, together with the UK and Czech Republic. I'm not sure if this is true, but I am sure that there are a lot more religious pockets in the Netherlands than in Belgium nowadays, though they are protestant and don't build shrines.

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One small town for today too:

*Rebecq*

Province of Walloon Brabant, population: +/- 10.000

The river Senne/Zenne, with the Moulin d'Arenberg (I don't think it works anymore, but here's another nice mill for you Josham!)

*141.*









Rebecq is the birthplace of famous industrialist Ernest Solvay. This early Solvay factory 50 meters up stream, was being renovated when I was in Rebecq:

*142.*









Nice woodwork:

*143.*









Modernised old house:

*144.*









Church:

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Rebecq station is no longer connected to the nationlal railway network...

*147.*









... but still serves as the terminus of a narrow-gauge tourist line to the village of Rognon:

*148.*









One can see the locomotives as one walks along the line (I have been to Rebecq a few times over the years, and trains actually came past once):

*149.*









The picture that tourists are supposed to make when they visit:

*150.*









Typically Belgian landscape and houses along the line:

*151.*









The Senne/Zenne from a railway bridge:

*152.*









A smaller railway bridge:

*153.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Back in Rebecq itself, some more typically Hainaut/Brabant-style houses:

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Even this transformer-house just outside Rebecq is in this style:

*156.*









1930's neighbourhood:

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## sky-eye (Jan 2, 2003)

Very nice pictures, Belgium has many surprising nice villages/ cities.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

^^Thanks Sky-Eye!

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For today two small villages near Rebecq

*Quenast*

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I thought of making a seperate series of houses with towers such as these, as there are many if them, but I didn't, as this would mean taking some of the nicest buildings out of my posts per town/village. So, expect more in the future... 

*164.*









The typical regional style again:

*165.*









Old-style workers houses, reminiscent of the north of England/Wales:

*166.*









The workers probably work in this enormous quary:

*167.*









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Old fashioned level-crossing keepers house:

*169.*









Strange shed:

*170.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

View towards Tubize and Halle, with Brussels in the distance (I think):

*171.*









View the other way:

*172.*









Belgium is a country of streetlights, and in Quenast there were quite a few which I thought were worth taking pictures of:

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*Petit-Bruxelles*

Petit-Bruxelles consists of two streets of pretty urban looking houses surrounded by fields.

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Remnants of a watertower:

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There are many of these fortified farms in Belgium, does anyone know why?

*180.*


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Very good pictures.


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## Karnoit (Feb 16, 2009)

Hardcore Terrorist said:


> There are many of these fortified farms in Belgium, does anyone know why?



Traditionally in Brabant Wallon, and other close areas like Flemish Brabant and Hainaut, farms are made up of several buildings enclosing a courtyard, giving a very closed and fortified feeling (like here :http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferme_de_Beaurieux).

Beside, Belgium has been the battlefield of other nations for so long, I guess farmers wanted to protect their properties. Some are even "castle-farms", which implies there were somehow hold by lesser nobility. (like this one : http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=ferme+roly&m=text).


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Those farms are in the style of the Haspengouw or Hesbaye region. They are clearly different from the farms in East/West-flanders and Hainaut which consists of separate buildings. I'm not sure why they were built like that, but I think that rich farmers wanted to copy the style of the aristocratic houses (thus creating something that looked somewhat like a castle). There were many rich farmers in the Haspengouw/Hesbaye region, because it is actually one of the most fertile regions in Europe thanks to the loam soil.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for the responses guys! Those seem like logical explanations. I have seen many fortified farms in Brabant/Hainaut though, as well as in Liège (which is on the edge of the Hesbaye/Haspengouw after all). 

----

For today two more towns in the same region:

*Braine-le-Comte (NL: 's-Gravenbrakel)* 

Braine-le-Comte (Hainaut, pop: +/- 20.000) is an example of a Belgian town which could be a lot nicer if there weren't so many cars, though the weather might have played a role in my liking it less than the other towns so far. Nonetheless, it still has a number of nice buildings:

*181.*









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Houses next-to the station (I took this photo on another day, when I only changed trains in Braine-le-Comte)

*184.*









Also next to the station (I especially like the gabled transformer-house):

*185.*









School:

*186.*









Art-nouveau house:

*187.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Nivelles (NL: Nijvel)*

Nivelles (Walloon Brabant, pop: +/- 24.000) was badly damaged in both WW1 and WW2, but is nonetheless still a nice, green town nowadays. 

The church of Sainte-Gertrude, which was rebuilt after WW2: 

*188.*









Town-hall:

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Old houses:

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Another church:

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School:

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Nice facade:

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Art-deco house:

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I also liked this factory, I don't know if it's still there though:

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Countryside near Nivelles:

*199.*









*Ronquières*

Not far from Nivelles, is the famous boat-lift at Ronquières (plan incliné/hellend vlak), which lifts boats up 68 meters over 1432 meters on the Brussels-Charleroi canal (wikipedia).

*200.*









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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Nice updates.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks!


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

It think it's not possible to keep the cars out of those small towns. After all, they don't have an extensive public transport network as alternative like the large cities.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

^^ Yes, that's true, especially if those small towns also serve as regional centres for the surrounding villages.

---

I thought I would upload a map of where we've been and where we're still going in the Brabant/Hainaut region.










1. (_Lier, not on map_)
2. Ecaussinnes
3. Soignies
4. Enghien
5. L'Abliau
6. Manage
7. Ittre
8. Braine-le-Château
9. Tubize/Clabecq/Oisquerq
10. Halle
11. Rebecq/Quenast
12. Nivelles/Ronquières
13. Braine-le-Comte
14. Luttre
15. Charleroi
16. Châtelet
17. La Louvière
18. Mons
19. Quiévrain
20. Tournai


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Which brings us to Luttre, our last stop bedore Charleroi.

*Luttre* (Hainaut, pop. municipality Pont-à-Celles +/- 15.000.

Luttre is in the start of the region of Hainaut with a bit more urban decay.
(these photos are from 2004, and one of the first small Belgian towns that I have photographed, so many things may have changed by now)

Station:

*202.*









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The typical regional style again:

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Factory:

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It is not all bad news though, and I don't think the average person who lives in Luttre is poor. 

Some houses near the station:

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On a road out of the village, I don't think I've ever seen a house quite like this one:

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Another typically Belgian row of houses in the countryside:

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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Charleroi*

Even more so than Liège, Charleroi has a bad name in Belgium and the Netherlands. This is partly based on the truth, but even though I find the industrial landscapes and decay interesting, Charleroi has a lot more to offer than this alone (I'm sure you agree Karnoit!). The city was voted as the "ugliest city in Europe" by readers of the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant (together with Liège:bash, but I don't agree, as Charleroi is definately more interesting than many other towns.

I have visited Charleroi a number of times. In took the next 9 photos on my first visit (in 2005), when I visited Charleroi with a friend, and we walked around the centre and parts of Marcinelle all night. So, what you're seeing is basically my first impression of Charleroi.

The Sambre river in-front of the station (if you saw this photo on the Dutch Wikipedia, it's because I uploaded it some years ago):

*212.*









Part of the motorway ring, behind the station:

*213.*









I find the half urban/half village-like suburbs of Charleroi particularily interesting and surealistic. I took these photos in Marcinelle:

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One often stumbles on surprisingly idyllic houses, like this one:

*219.*









After sunrise, and back near Charleroi-Sud, I really like this building:

*220.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Now a post about the centre of Charleroi, which is friendly and where one can eat good food for a good price. I'm not pretending to give an overview of the whole centre, as I'm just posting the photos that I think are worth showing. (though I should make more soon!)

For those who want an overview, see this thread by Plaas and this one by Sky-Eye, which give quite a good impression of the centre, as well as of some places that will also feature in my next posts.

Near to photo 220, a French-style masion on the Sambre:

*221.*









I'm not often a big lover of modern (post-war) architecture, but I really like this style, which one sees quite often in Wallonia (is this Vanderhove?):

*222.*









Interesting house:

*223.*









Charleroi has its fair share of nice 19th century architecture:

*224.*









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I should make a better picture of this one:

*227.*









near the Belfort:

*228.*









Belfort:

*229.*









Church:

*230.*









Central street:

*231.*









Some streets still have the Gotham-city look (though this is quite similar to some parts of Brussels):

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And lastly (for today), three villas near the back of Charleroi-Sud:

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I have at least 50 more photos of the agglomeration of Charleroi lined up, so expect to see more soon!


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks!

Your photographs have a certain integrity to them. I like them!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

I must admit I don't know Wallonie that good. So it's great to visit this thread every day and explore the south of my own country. The rich architecture surprises me. Of course this beautiful buildings testify to a rich past that seems to be gone forever. You can see that it's a poor region with a rich past.

I love the stunning art deco architecture as you show us in your pretty pictures. 

I've visited Charleroi only once and I was pleased with the nice center, the extra ordinary 'métro lléger' and above all the friendliness of the people. 
I also took some pictures over there. 

Thanks for sharing mate! :cheers1:


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Absolutely amazing!


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

As I am going to the Ardennes this week, I thought I would finish the tour of Hainaut today, so that I can post new pics when I come back

*La Louvière*

Another industrial city, La Louvière (pop: +/- 80.000) is similar to Charleroi, but with less redeeming features. Though that still doesn't mean there's nothing to see there.

Mural at La Louvière-Centre station:

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The town centre:

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One thing that can be said about industrial towns, is that, at least they're usualy pretty green:

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Terraced houses:

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La Louvière also has its share of more impressive buildings, in various states of repair:

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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Thermo said:


> Interesting photo series to say the least...! The Charleroi region has a pretty bad reputation and it's not going to change with this thread I'm afraid.


I don't know. I think the region looks better than many people probably expect it to be. HCT shows us the different faces of Charleroi and surroundings. The decline and industrial gritt, but also the rich architecture. The sun even shines on his pictures! :cheers:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Benonie said:


> I don't know. I think the region looks better than many people probably expect it to be. HCT shows us the different faces of Charleroi and surroundings. The decline and industrial gritt, but also the rich architecture. The sun even shines on his pictures! :cheers:


Thanks Benonie!

----

*Mons (NL: Bergen)*

Skipping Binche (which is a really nice town which I have only visited after dark), brings us to Mons, the capital of Hainaut, and one of Belgiums jewels. For some reason, even though I have been there three times, I only have pictures of this square to show you.

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*Quiévrain*

To the west of Mons lies the former industrial region called Borinage, which is famous for having been the home of Vincent van Gogh in the period that he painted 'the Potato Eaters'. I have visited the area once, when I walked from Quiévrain to Boussu with a friend. We started late, and it got dark quickly, which explains why I do not have many photos to show. I would like to explore more of Mons and the surrounding region in the future though.

Station:

*340.*









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Station square:

*342.*









Though a bit more hilly, the surrounding landscape reminded me a bit of the Netherlands:

*343.*


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Pitty that you only have a few pictures of Mons. This city is even worth its own thread here on ssc. Mons is a very impressive city that is highly underrated. The town is leading the renewal and redevelopment in the region and I think that when all the renovations are done and when the city will get some attention as European capital of culture in 2015, it could even become the Walloon Bruges. :cheers:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

And lastly, I leave you on the most positive note today...

... for *Tournai (NL: Doornik, pop: +/- 70.000)*, on the river Scheldt (which flows through Antwerp) is definately one of the most beautiful cities in Belgium.

Belgians will probably know this, but I will post this anyway for the foreigners viewing this.

The famous cathedral:

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The historic centre:

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The elegant 19th century neighbourhood next-to the station:

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Tournai is worthy of many more photos, but I will leave it at this, as I don't have any more photos that do it justice. I promise I will be back soon, with photos of my trip to the Ardennes (to the area of Couvin), and to start on Brussels (now still a chaotic collection of photos badly in need of sorting).


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Yes, Tournai is another (relatively) unknown gem. It is actually the second oldes city in Belgium and it contains tons of history. The city is full of (to a large extent) nicely maintained architecture from different periods. 
Did you visit the medieval pont des trous?


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

^^Yes I did, though it was dark... 

so thanks for the link!


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## Milan Luka (Oct 10, 2007)

Fantastic thread you are developing here.

I'm particularly fascinated by the pictures of Charleroi. Beautiful in it's own way.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Wapper said:


> Pitty that you only have a few pictures of Mons. This city is even worth its own thread here on ssc. Mons is a very impressive city that is highly underrated. The town is leading the renewal and redevelopment in the region and I think that when all the renovations are done and when the city will get some attention as European capital of culture in 2015, it could even become the Walloon Bruges. :cheers:


I promise to go there once and make some more pictures, as it is very beautiful indeed


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Milan Luka said:


> Fantastic thread you are developing here.
> 
> I'm particularly fascinated by the pictures of Charleroi. Beautiful in it's own way.


Thanks, and yes it is indeed beautiful in its own way!


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Tournai looks lovely and full of character.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

^^ Thanks for the reply, Openly Jane!

---

I spent the week in Vierves-sur-Viroin, in the Ardennes in the province of Namur, 50 kilometers to the south of Charleroi, for a study-project from monday to friday.

To get there, I took the train to *Couvin*, which looks like a nice little town:

*356.*









Two houses with towers for the collection:

*357.*









The region is very picturesque, as is the village of *Vierves-sur-Viroin*.

*358.*









The village is centred on this castle:

*359.*









I am only showing this second picture of it for the plume of steam in the background, because it comes from the nuclear power plant at Chooz, in France, which we will get to later:

*360.*









The other side of the castle:

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The leaning church:

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The Viroin:

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Another view of the village:

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The cemetary:

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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Nice chapel!


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## Supernatural9 (Jan 30, 2013)

Great updates. ^^


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

I took my bike with me, so that I explore the region when it was time to leave on friday-morning:

*Treignes:*

*372.*









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This old station now houses a part of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, as well as serving as a the terminus for a touristic steam train to Matiembourg, which als stops in Vierves:

*375.*









In Treignes, I discovered an Ardenais variation of Art-Nouveau:

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Typically Belgian house, though I never saw a green one before:

*379.*









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Off-topic for a while now, as the next few pictures will take us through a corner of a neighbouring country:

*381.*









A corner of the Champagne-Ardennes region, to be precise, which is surrounded by Belgium on three sides. Although it is a nice region, I found its slogan one of the least befitting I have ever seen:

*382. *









The nuclear powerplant at Chooz:

*383.*









It took me over an hour to cross the rough terain next to the Meuse (yes, the same river that flows through Liège) to make this picture:

*384.*









About 10 kilometers downstream, the town of *Givet*:

*385.*









A lot of things look quite similar to Belgium, but looking at these houses tells us that we are definately in France:

*386.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for the replies!

---

I assume that these buildings in the same street are the former customs buildings...

*387.*









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Factory:

*389.*









... because a the border of my beloved adopted homeland is just a few hundred meters up the road:

*390.*









The next 20 kilometers lead us past some of the most untamed natural beauty in Belgium, something which is quite special in this corner of Europe:

*391.*









At Anseremme:

*392.*









The same place at night, in 2006:

*393.*









The place the picture is taken from:

*394.*









This brings us to the picturesque little town of Dinant, the birthplace of frite and the inventor of the saxophone. I was planning on cycling further, but I decided not to, as the strong ice-cold wind was coming from exactly the direction I was going.

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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Quite a trip you made. Too bad that it was so dark and grey, though you could say that this gives us the best impression of this region.


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Brilliant photos.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Some small towns of great charm - especially Couvin - nestled in its beautiful valley, and Givet.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Some great new stuff in the last few posts. kay: I only stayed in Tournai and Dinant for some days, but that was more than 10 years ago. Reminds me to revisit the south of Belgium. Great pics anyway!


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## Surname47 (Feb 24, 2013)

Somber but captivating. It reminds me of the north of England.


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## Dancer (May 31, 2005)

Really nice photography. Thanks for sharing.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

First time stepping into this wonderfully made thread, and I am definitely surprised that despite my first impressions of Belgium being a country with a lot of canals, I can see a lot of mountains and serene communities that make me think that I am in a different country than Belgium. Yet, let me tell you: the town shots look really gorgeous, especially the older buildings and churches, and even in far-flung rural communities, I can still feel that I belong to them because of the churches that seem to be everywhere. Even a modest church can truly bring a sense of community to an otherwise "isolated" community... but with those mountains and waterways, it makes me feel like I want to explore the rest of your country, if not by bus, by train. The Leaning Church is pretty interesting, in that my first impression of it is that it stands normal... but it took me a few looks to observe that, "oh, it is leaning! What's going on?"

You've got some splendid shots, my friend! Looking forward to even more pics from you... and it makes me want to view your collection from the beginning. :hug:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for all your comments! And Fieldsofdreams, you should definately explore the country by train (it's the nicest way). One of the nice things about Belgium is that it is surprisingly varied for such a small country, it sometimes almost gives me the feeling of making a transcontintal trip in a few hours. Check out my Liège thread too, as this is my favourite region, and also the most mountainous (though they are too small to be considered actual mountains).

And Benonie, you should definately revisit the south of Belgium, as it isn't far away!

And as you say, Wapper, dark and grey is definately the way to present the Ardennes, as that is usually what it is like when I'm there, regardless of the season:lol:

---

The first -and only other time- that I have been in the corner of the Ardennes to the south of Charleroi (described in the first part of my last post), was on a cycling vacation with a friend in the summer of 2006.

We were coming from Charleville-Mézières, in the French Ardennes.

*399.*









The road into Belgium...

*400.*









...brought us to *Philippeville* (Province of Namur, pop: +/- 8.000). It might have been partly due to the weather, but Philippeville stands in my memory as one of the most boring places I have ever been to, in an utterly empty landscape. It was saturday afternoon, and the only people on the streets were drunk old men, who were going back home at 5.

Looking back at the photos, I can tell that it at least it has some buildings worth showing:

Central square:

*401.*









Post-office in the same style as the former main post-office in Liège:

*402.*









Its neighbour, the Belgian workers party:

*403.*









A house with a tower:

*404.*









I was so bored that I decided to write some postcards. I never wrote on them or sent them though, which means that I can now show you these magnificantly outdated (as you can see by the cars) shots:

*405.*









*406.*









A few minor things have changed since then on this shot of the hospital:

*407.*









'80's developement:

*408.*









A typically Belgian view of people eating frite:lol::

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*410.*









Another house with a tower, in Jamioulx, in the Province of Hainaut and to the south of Charleroi:

*411.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

As a compensation for the last post, I'll also give you *Namur* (pop: +/- 110.000 ), the beautiful capital of Wallonia, for today. Though I like it, Namur is probably the Walloon town I find the least interesting, as it is unlike the other towns, where you have to search a bit to find their true selves, thus giving them a touch of mystery. Nontheless, Namur is probably the Walloon town that will seem the most attractive to the majority of tourists.

View of the city in winter from the citadel. The river Sambre, which flows into the Meuse at the point of the citadel, is at the bottom of the picture:

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The Meuse:

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The Sambre & the citadel:

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The Meuse from the citadel in summer:

*417.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Sorry guys, I'm too busy right now to participate in this extremily addictive forum every day, but now it's the weekend, so I thought I could finish my tour of the Ardenes, which started in Couvin last week.

Firstly, here's a map of where we've been and where we're going:










21. Couvin
22. Vierves-sur-Viroin
23. Treignes
24. Chooz (F)
25. Givet (F)
26. Anseremme/Dinant
27. Philippeville
28. Namur
29. Jemelle
30. Saint-Hubert
31. Bertrix
32. Bouillon
33. Arlon
34. Bastogne
35. Bomal


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Now for an extremily incomplete tour of Belgiums true empty quarter, the eastern Ardennes, which is mainly in the Province of Luxembourg (not the country):

*Jemelle* (still in the Province of Namur)

Jemelle is quite a nice village, though I only have three photos to show for it:

The river Lhomme:

*418.*









Another house with a tower:

*419.*









Cement factory:

*420.*









View from a abandoned house and railway building next to the station. I'm sorry, I have the tendancy to make pictures of (amongst other things) abandoned things, whether they are representative of the place or not (this is because I know that these things might not be there for very long)

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Into the Province of Luxembourg now, the small town of *Saint-Hubert* (pop: +/- 3.100) at night:

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The next morning at the busstop, this character made sure we left in a hurry:lol:

*430.*









Art nouveau detail in *Bertix*:

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*432.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Now one of the typical Ardenais small towns, *Bouillon*, which is really picturesque, but doesn't have much of a life of its own outside tourism:

The river Semois and the castle:

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How about this for a piece of Belgian history:

*439.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Arlon (NL:Aarlen)*

To the south of the Ardennes, in the region called Gaume (or Belgian Loraine), lies Arlon, the capital of the Province of Luxembourg. With a population of about 27.000, it is the smallest of the Belgian provincial capitals. It is quite a nice town, and there is almost nothing touristy about it, though I don't know if most people would find it worth the (relatively) long trip to visit Arlon without seeing the surrounding region. 

View from the station:

*440.*









*441.*









*442.*









*443.*









*444.*









*445.*









*446.*









Back by the railway:

*447.*









*448.*


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Bastogne (NL: Bastenaken)* (pop: +/- 14.000)

View from our hotel (in 2006):

*449.*









*450.*









Bastogne is famous for the battles that took place there at the end of WW2, and attracts quite a lot of tourists for that reason. I can't think of very much else to say about it, except for that I liked the fact that it used to have 3 railway stations Bastogne-Nord/Central/Midi, much like Brussels, but with only 200 meters between each station. Sadly there are no railway lines there anymore though. Here's one of them, I can't remember which:

*451.*









House near *Houffalize*, taken from a car on a day that it was actually 30+ degrees in the Ardennes (it does happen!)

*452.*









And lastly, *Bomal*, a really small village on the River Ourthe, close to the border with the Province of Liège (actually, near Aywaille, which has appeared in my Liège thread)

*453.*









*454.*









That's all for today, and I hope that the photos in my older posts will be visible again soon. I've got a few things lined up for my next posts, so stay tuned!


----------



## Karaborsa (Dec 8, 2007)

why arent the pictures visible to me??


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

^^ I'm not sure, Photobucket seems to be having some kind of problems, and I hope it will be solved, because otherwise i will have to repost all my photoshno:

Anyway, thanks for your message.


----------



## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

I have a fascination with abandoned buildings too. I am really liking your thread.


----------



## TeaTree (Feb 26, 2013)

Very good photographs. Thanx.


----------



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Hardcore Terrorist said:


> ^^ I'm not sure, Photobucket seems to be having some kind of problems, and I hope it will be solved, because otherwise i will have to repost all my photoshno:
> 
> Anyway, thanks for your message.


Photobucket seems to be encountering increasing problems in recent times; and seems to be doing lots of maintenance work - which is frustrating!

Anyway; thanks for the new and interesting pictures of a little known area of Belgium. :cheers:


----------



## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

I can see most pics except those from Philippeville and Namur.


----------



## yabbes (Sep 18, 2011)

Beautiful new updates from beautiful Belgium. :drool: :bow:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies!

I think my Photobucket photos should be visible again by the end of the week (at least according to Photobucket).

---

Today I am going to post on another Belgium-wide theme, to mark the end of the chapter on Wallonia (outside the Province of Liège, and until I make some new pictures).

Some people might find this theme a bit tedious, but here it is:

When we visited my grandparents in Brussels when I was young, my dad (who shares some of my interests) and I would go often out for walks in the area to the south of Brussels. We have continued doing this since my grandfather died (though less frequently), and about half of the pictures in the Brabant-Wallon section were taken on these walks. But, to get to the point: when walking in this region, one often finds discarded tiles such as these lying around:

*455.*









I took some of them with me, and ended up with quite a collection, which my parents have threatened to throw away many times:lol: But of course I never let them, as for me they have a kind of beauty comparable to persian carpets, and are a reminder of that Belgiums beauty is partly due to details such as these.

*456.*









*457.*









*458.*









*459.*









*460.*









*461.*









*462.*









*463.*









*464.*









*465.*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Ofcourse one can often still see these tiles on buildings too:

Brussels (can't remember where):

*466.*









*467.*









Antwerp (idem):

*468.*









Rebecq:

*469.*









Braine-le-Comte:

*470.*









Liège-Quai de Rome:

*471.*









In the abandoned house in Jemelle from yesterdays post:

*472.*









*473.*









Luttre station:

*474.*









Brussels, Jette:

*475.*









Nivelles:

*476.*









*477.*


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Indeed, very nice photo updates from Belgium


----------



## Abdul Smith (Apr 23, 2013)

Good and honest pictures.


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies Abdul Smith, Christos, Benonie, Linguine, Acosta, Josh, Buffalo Soldier And yes, Belgium is fascinating Acosta, if you're ever in Europe make sure to visit


----------



## mick_mc (Apr 26, 2013)

:cheers:


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

I never saw a building being demolished like this before (Schaarbeek, Brussels today)


*603.*


*604.*


*605.*


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Ath, Hainaut, part 1*

I haven't had much time for updates recently, and on top of that I have a new camera, with the result of me having even more unsorted photos than before . Nonetheless, I thought it would be nice to post some new pics, and I therefore present to you these pictures of *Ath*, Hainaut (nl: Aat, population: +/- 30.000) from late september, the first pictures I made with my new camera (which I hadn't quite figured out how to use yet).

Countryside at Mévergnies-lez-Lens, near Ath: 

*606.*


*607.*


*608.*


Brugelette, on the edge of Ath:

*609.*


Intersting café in the "suburb" of Faubourg de Mons:

*610.*


On the other side of the street:

*611.*


Along the moat (which goes on to flow into the river Dendre/Dender) which surrounds the central part of town. The center is called Faubourg de Bruxelles, which I don't understand, as Faubourg means a kind of walled suburb.

*612.*


The moat and the station:

*613.*


*614. *


*615.*


Some buildings opposite the station:

Art-deco school:

*616.*


Rather nice classical Belgian house:

*617.*


----------



## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Good shots.


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Ath, Hainaut, part 2*

Former textiles factory that now houses the employment office (Forem):

*618. *


This house seemed to be be partly made of steel panels:

*619.*


Some old houses on the next block:

*620.*


*621.*


*622.*


Now we're getting to the actual center:

*623.*


The main square:

*624.*


The town hall on the main square:

*625.*


Some buildings on the main square:

*626.*


*627.*


*628.*


Hotel des Finances:

*629.*


Some more old houses:

*630.*


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Ath, Hainaut, part 3*

thanks Paul & Wapper 
____________________________

*631.*


*632.*


*633.*


This kind of '60's architecture is starting to be worth taking pictures of too:

*634.*


Church of Saint-Julien:

*635.*


*636.*


*636.*


Houses on the square behind the church:

*637.*


*638.*


Street to the station:

*639.*


And today's last pic, I quite liked this typically Belgian tile-work, even if it is a bit kitsch: 

*640.*


----------



## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Love this


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

^^ Thanks Paul & Jane


----------



## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

I love the salle des fêtes 

I wouldn't even notice or pay much attention to many buildings you photographed, because most of those styles are very common in Belgium. Your pictures do make me fully realize their beauty again!


----------



## Tchek (Oct 8, 2010)

The Salle des Fetes building's facade is unassumingly beautiful.


----------



## Leongname (Nov 13, 2012)

I love Belgium! Great photos!


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Antwerp Kempen 1*



Wapper said:


> I love the salle des fêtes
> 
> I wouldn't even notice or pay much attention to many buildings you photographed, because most of those styles are very common in Belgium. Your pictures do make me fully realize their beauty again!


It's about to get even more average (though still nice) and closer to home for you now!
__________________________________________________________________

The Kempen (FR: Campine) is a region in the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Limburg and in the Dutch province of North-Brabant. I went to visit a friend there in late october.

Our trip starts in *Lier* - of which the beautiful central square was the subject of the first post in this thread -where my friend picked me up by car.

On this last sunny day, the neighbourhoods outside the center are a quite nice example of average Belgian-ness.

Along the railway line towards Aarschot.

*641.*


*642.*


*643.*


The River Nete (the Grote or Kleine, I'm not sure:lol:

*644.*


My friend lives +/- 30 km to the north, in *Rijkevoorsel*. These photos are from the next day, which was this season's first "wintery" day:

*645.*


Rijkevoorsel has quite a big church for a place its size:

*646.*


*647.*


Nearby *Hoogstraten* has an even bigger and more impressive one. This picture was made from my parents car, avoiding a traffic jam on the way to Brussels in 2004:

*648.*


As I already mentioned, the Kempen lie both in Belgium and the Netherlands, and this is visible in some of its architecture. This house is almost a typical 1930's Dutch house, thought the stone borders around the border are typical of Belgian architecture from that period:

*649.*


The arch over the door of this disco (I don't know if it is still used) seems to be typical of this region:

*650.*


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Some more typical Kempish (or Flemish?) houses:

*651.*


*652.*


And some styles which are more common in all parts of Belgium:

*653.*


*654.*


School:

*655.*


And some more mixtures of Belgian and Dutch:

*656.*


*657.*


Just outside Rijkevoorsel:

*658.*


*659.*


*660.*


In the evening my friend drove me to the station in Aarschot, which definitely looked worth exploring! It was already dark though, so this will be the subject of my next trip to this corner of Belgium.

I'll try to keep on doing regular updates in my threads again, as my photo-archive is continuously experiencing explosive growth


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## Buffalo Soldier (Jun 13, 2009)

Tchek said:


> The Salle des Fetes building's facade is unassumingly beautiful.


For whom it may interest: I was wondering who's the architect of this building, and found it online: http://www.visitwapi.be/spip.php?page=details&id=SMN-02-0006EE&id_rubrique=58&lang=fr
Leon Fourdin. I can't find any other reference of him anywhere, though.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*The Fringes of Antwerp-Berchem*

Now some pictures from when I went to the Dutch consulate in Antwerp to get a new passport in early july. 

Some interesting graffiti at Berchem station:

*661.*


The consulate is on the Uitbreidingsstraat in the neighbourhood of Berchem. As this street is cut in half in rather a strange way - with a few hundred meters and the station between both ends - I started out by walking up the wrong end, while happily snapping pictures on the way.

For me, this building, which stands directly behind the station, falls into the category of buildings that are so ugly that I like them:

* 662.*


The beautiful Art-Nouveau district around the Cogels-Osylei (which featured i Benonie's Antwerp thread) is directly behind this end of the Uitbreidingsstraat, and there are also some beautiful (though dirtier) houses in this style along the route which I walked:

*663.*


*664.*


*665.*


As one walks a bit further, the cityscape turned into the typically Belgian (though in Antwerp style) urban fringe that I always like :

*666.*


*667.*


*668.*


A nice abandoned house for my collection :

*669.*


As I got to this point, another Belgian-Dutchman stopped his car to ask me the way to the Dutch consulate. Obviously, as I had already realised that I must have gone up the wrong end of the street, I got into his car and we went to look for it together.

Therefore, the rest of the pictures in this post are of the part of Berchem on the other side of the railway.

In a side-street to the north of the Grote Steenweg:

*670.*


Between the Grote Steenweg and the station:

*671.*


*672.*


*673.*


*674.*


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## sky-eye (Jan 2, 2003)

Excellent pictures! thanks for the update.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Tongeren part 1*

A long time since I posted here, but I'm back, and trying to catch up on the Flemish towns, which I have mostly overlooked up to now.

The first one is the Limburg town of Tongeren (pop.: 30.000, FR: Tongres), which I visited with my parents the day after we visited Glons, which 8 km away and in the province of Liège (click on the link to my Liège thread for pictures). Like Glons, Tongeren lies in the agricultural Haspengouw (FR: Hesbaye) region, which stretches across parts of the provinces of Namur, Liège, Limburg and Flemish Brabant.

It was Sunday and - unlike the previous day - the weather sucked, not making ideal conditions for either the liveliness of the town or for photography. Nonetheless, the rich heritage of the oldest town in Belgium (together with Tournai) is definately worth showing.

Tongeren has been around since Roman times, when it was home to Ambiorix, the head of a celtic tribe called the Belgae, who resited the Romans, and who is honoured by a statue in the town (which I didn't see) and by featuring in Asterix (I think). Sorry for my being rather uninformative on this, I'm not sure how correct this is...

Anyway, to the photos:

Like Glons, Tongeren gives a bit of a crappy impression when arriving at the station.

*675.*


*676.*


The fringes of the town are not particularly interesting, though the rather special _Hôtel du Chemin de Fer_ sits opposite the station:

*677.*


*678.*


Some houses in a typical style of the Haspengouw in the outer streets of the centre:

*679.*


*680.*


*681.*


And quite a typical Belgian one. Sadly, we noticed that there are quite a lot of empty shops in Tongeren:

*682.*


For some reason there was a red carpet rolled out here:

*683.*


And now we're getting to the interesting part of town. A house from 1680 (says so on it) on the 'Grote Markt'. Sadly the panorama I made of the whole square looks awful because of the weather, so I'll go back and make a good one on another day.

*684.*


This is one of the things we came for, the 15th century Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe (our fair lady) Basilica:

*685.*


*686.*


And the inside:

*687.*


*688.*


As you can see on the previous picture, the organ is absolutely enormous:

*689.*


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Hardcore Terrorist said:


> Tongerlo Abbey, which was founded in the 11th century, though I don't know the current buildings were built. Tongerlo lies about 15 kilometres from Aarschot, just over the border in the Province of Antwerp, and these pictures were taken on 2014-12-28, the same day as those of Aarschot.


There's a very nice youth hostel in a former castle park not far from the abbey. We've stayed there several times. It has got a cozy bar where they serve the Tongerlo beer at low prices. It's not brew in the abbey anymore, but still taste delicious. :cheers:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Aalst, Part 1*

Thanks for the comments Wappe, Yansa, Christos and Benonie, I'm pleased your enjoying it

Yes I can imagine Tongerlo and its surroundings are a nice place to spend a weekend!

Now Aalst (FR: Alost), an East Flanders town of about 83,000 that I visit with my dad on an afternoon of extreme changes of weather in October 2014. I think Aalst is famous for its carnaval, but someone we picked up who needed to go to the station says not much else happened there. Like many other Flemish (and Belgian) towns, Aalst was badly damaged in WW1. Nonetheless, Aalst is definately worth spending an afternoon.



791/792. We didn't come by train, but I thought the station would be a good place to start our tour anyway




793. One of Aalst's many churches seen from the platforms (I now realise we didn't see this one from close at hand)


794. A typical kind of facade in western Belgium that seems to be dissapearing because it is hard to maintain


795/796. Aalst station, which is architecturaly definately among Belgium's most interesting




797. It sits on a nice station-square of the kind that is becoming more and more rare


798. Hotel on the square


799/800. The river Dender


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Aalst, Part 2*

801. Renovated industrial building


802. The railway to Brussels crossing the Dender (FR: Dendre)


803.


804. Another church


805/806/807. The municipal museum, where an interesting exhibition on Flemish impressionism was being held 






808. 


809/810. A side street that seemed to be undergoing redevelopment


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Aalst, Part 3*

811/812. Old church and house on the Pontstraat




813. The Church of Saint-Martinus, which was built between 1480 and 1660


814/815. Interior of the church




816/817. The church has numerous stained-glass windows of different styles




818/819/820. My favourites are these modern-ish ones






Stay tuned for the rest of this tour of Aalst, in which we will visit, among other things, its impressive main square.


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## JanVL (Jun 25, 2012)

Truly amazing thread :applause:


----------



## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Aalst is a city that is changing fast. It is now (just like the whole area) a very popular place to settle for people who find Brussels too expensive or too busy.


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## Thermo (Oct 25, 2005)

I've always heard that Aalst is the ugliest city in Flanders... :hide:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Aalst, Part 4*

@JanVL
Thanks for your comment, I'm pleased you're enjoying it
@Wapper
Yes the guy we picked up on the way to the station said something of the sort, and said that was why there wasn't much to do in Aalst itself.
@Thermo
As a whole, it may not be Flanders' most beautiful city, but seeing the things it does have, I really can't imagine how it got that reputation 

821/822. The street around the church




823.


824/825. On the street to the main square (Grote Markt)




827/828/829. Grote Markt






830. Town hall on the Grote Markt


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Aalst, Part 5*

831. Small square behind the town hall


832. Street leading of the other side of the Grote Markt


833/834/835. New buildings on the way back to the station






836. 


837. Another new building


838/839. Typical houses on a street leading to the square in front of the station


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Thermo said:


> I've always heard that Aalst is the ugliest city in Flanders... :hide:


I wish my city was half as beautiful as Aalst... :lol:


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

I certainly doesn't look ugly.
Weird thing is (now that I think about it) that Aalst and surroundings is probably the only place in Belgium that I never visited. For me it's just oddly located between Brussels Ghent and I never had a reason to go there. I think you just gave me a good idea for a trip in the upcoming spring.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Halle, Part 1*

^^No it's certainly not ugly. What I saw of the surroundings of the centre didn't look particularly interesting, but not awful either. Pleased I give Belgians ideas of places to go in their own country

Now Halle, a town of approximately 38,000 in the province of Flemish Brabant, on the southern edge of greater Brussels. Halle is mainly worth visiting for its small historic core, which lies around the gothic Basilica of Saint-Martinus. For more pictures (though of much lower quality), go to page two of this thread. Pictures taken on 2016-01-16
00 map Halle by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

840. Walking into the centre
01 P1640473b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

841. The Basilica of Saint-Martinus
02 P1640477b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

842/843. Halle's 15th century town hall, which sits just off the round square that surrounds the basilica
03 P1640488b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

04 P1640522b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

844. The basilica
05 P1640502b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

845/846/847/848. Continuing around the basilica
06 P1640526b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

07 P1640534b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

08 P1640545b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

09 P1640639b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

849. The square would have been perfect if it wasn't for this eyesore
10 P1640647b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Halle, Part 2*

850/851. 
11 P1640664 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12 P1640697b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Interior of the basilica:

852.
13 P1640556b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

853.
14 P1640575b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

854.
15 P1640603b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

855.
16 P1640552b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

856.
17 P1640629b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

857.
18 P1640609b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

858.
19 P1640619b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

859.
20 P1640592 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

860.
21 P1640612b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

861. 
22 P1640591b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


----------



## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Hardcore Terrorist said:


> Pleased I give Belgians ideas of places to go in their own country


To boldly go where no Belgian has gone before!  Thanks for sharing HCT!


----------



## Klausenburg (Jul 25, 2007)

Hardcore Terrorist said:


> I thought this advert at Brussels-North station was funny. Judging by the train and the logo (I looked on Wikipedia, and the current Dutch Railways logo was designed in 1968), this has been here for a long time, and I don't know if it was left there on purpose.
> 
> *568.*


The train in the image is Mat '64. Therefore, I guess this commercial from sometimes between 1964-68...


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Wauthier-Braine, Part 1*

^^Thanks for the info Klausenburg I looked for that poster again, but it's either gone or I was looking in the wrong place.



Benonie said:


> To boldly go where no Belgian has gone before!  Thanks for sharing HCT!


Yes, it was quite scary:lol:

Slightly to the south of Halle and in the province of Walloon Brabant, Wauthier-Braine (NL: Woutersbrakel), in the Braine-le-Château (NL: Kasteelbrakel) municipality, 2013-10-12
00 map Wauthier-Braine by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

862.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (1) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

863.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (4) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

864.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (6) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

865.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (11) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

866.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (14) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

867.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (15) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

868.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (18) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

869.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (21) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


----------



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Wauthier-Braine, Part 2*

870.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (24) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

871.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (31) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

872.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (35) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

873.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (37) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

874.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (38b) (1) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

875.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (42) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

876.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (48) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

877.
2013-10-12 Wauthier-Braine (50) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Very interesting new sets, Ruben!
Especially love #229!


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Around Lembeek*

Thanks Yansa

I almost forgot to post these photos I took on both sides of the language border in Flemish and Walloon Brabant around Lembeek, on 2014-02-08.


878. The Hallerbos, which was full of snowdrops, 2015-04-11


Now around Lembeek, 2014-02-08:

879. This area seems to have once had some kind of connection to former Belgian colony of Congo


880. Detail on a house. The text reads 'At/to the three oldest friends tavern' (I had to look up the last word, I'm not sure if it's right)


881. Empty shrine


882. Farm on the street that runs along the language border


883. 


884.


885. Plaque reading 'Congo soldiers club'


886. 


887.


888.


889.


----------



## caughttravelbug (Dec 4, 2016)

Amazing thread about Belgium!!!
Thank you for sharing so many photos about this beautiful country.
Great job!!!


----------



## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Hi Ruben, months ago you asked me if Stift *Göttweig* can be seen from
our Highway A1. Now Koloman was so nice to tell me the answer:
Yes, the impressing monastery can be seen from A1 Westautobahn. kay:
Sorry that it took so long to present you the answer!


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## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

cool shots specially the close-ups.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Around the southern edge of Brussels, Part 1*

A bit late, but thanks for the comments guys

Bike ride with a friend, 2017-05-06

1. We will start our trip with a view of the area around Tour & Taxis (a complex of former custom buildings) from Boulevard du Jubilé
01 P2140045b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. As you can see on this photo of the same place from 2012, almost everything has changed in recent years, partly as part of a plan to build foot/bike paths on former railway lines
01c BE Brussels-Laeken-Boulevard du Jubilé 2012-11-03 (3) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Our goal for today was not Brussels itself though, but a trip around the southern half of it along a network of similar bicycle routes through the province of Flemish Brabant.

3. This route led us through both rural and urban areas, often adjacent to one and other, as you can see here in Beersel, where I took this photo from the same place as...
02 P2140226b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. ... this one
03 P2140206b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

I didn't make pictures that are representative of the whole route (which was very nice), but rather of two different themes, the first being abandoned or shabby looking older houses in this otherwise mostly upmarket area.

5. Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
04 P2140049b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. Also Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
05 P2140080b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. I think this is near Ruisbroek (I still have to search for the right locations...)
06 P2140084b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. Beersel
07 P2140091b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. Still Beersel
08 P2140102b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10.
09 P2140278b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. Near Hoeillaart
10 P2140294b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Around the southern edge of Brussels, Part 2*

The second theme is a rather strange kind of gravel façade of which I have shown more examples throughout this thread (especially in the first half)

12. Beersel
11 P2140254b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13/14. Next to the last one
12 P2140256 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13 P2140259b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. Also in Beersel
14 P2140273b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. Linkebeek
15 P2140288b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17. Near Hoeillaart
16 P2140289 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. I would like to finish with my favourite place on the route ...
17 P2140127b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19/20/21. This old factory in Lot, which looks like it is going to be renovated 
18 P2140113b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19 P2140164b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20 P2140190b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Sint-Truiden - Part 1*

Last weekend I finally visited Sint-Truiden (FR: Saint-Trond), a town of approximately 20,000 in Limburg which is known on this forum for being the home of Josham(sorry Josham, I would have let you know but it was a last minute decision). I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised, and that I liked it most of the towns in the region I have visited so far (Aarschot, Tienen, Hoegaarden, Tongeren, Maaseik and Hasselt, all of which I liked as well)

1. Sint-Truiden's main square, Groenmarkt, with the 13th-15th century UNESCO listed town hall on the left and the 14th-15th century Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk on the right. 
01 P2200905c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


2.
02 P2200499b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


3. Sint-Truiden's coat of arms is similar to that of Liège because it was formerly one of the 23 principle towns of the Prince-bishopric of Liège
03 P2200476b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


4. An old house in the regional Mosan style, which can also be found in Liège and Maastricht
04 P2200814b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


5. The Abdijtoren, which was damaged by fire in the 1970's, at the northern end of the Groenmarkt
05 P2200808c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


6. The southern end of the square (where the first picture was made from)
06 P2200832b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


7. The 18th century Minderbroederskerk
07 P2200537b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


The area around the Groenmarkt is home to various styles of architecture. Two houses in a style quite typical for the region:

8.
08 P2200713b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


9.
09 P2200750b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


And a few art-deco and other strangely styled buildings:

10.
10 P2200718b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


11.
11 P2200727b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


12.
12 P2200733b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


13.
13 P2200920b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

To be continued...


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates; well done :cheers:


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

I hope the nice old factory in Lot will going to be renovated, Ruben!

#266/1 and 2 - what a nice place! kay:

#266/3 - love this building, it's very extraordinary


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

To bad we couldn't meet up! Sint-Truiden is renovating all its downtown streets at the moment. The town center has indeed around 20.000 inhabitants and is rather lively for a center its size.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Beautiful architecture, ugly parking square.... this must be Belgium.


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## Thermo (Oct 25, 2005)

^^ Those cars totally ruin the square, what were they thinking? 

Reminds me of Lier, also a town with a central square which used to be full of cars. In contrary to St Truiden, they had the courage to make it car free. Looks a lot better.











Lier, Belgium by magalicja, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Sint-Truiden - Part 2*

Thanks for all the comments guys Yes I definitely agree about the cars, but thankfully this is slowly changing in Belgium (like it did Lier). I don't know if it will in Sint-Truiden though...
Yansa: the factory in Lot is being renovated
Josham: I'll let you know if I go to Sint-Truiden again, there's definitely a lot more photos waiting to be made

For instance, almost every house in the 19th century neighbourhood between the centre and the station is worth photographing (and I just made a few photos):

14. 
14 P2200946b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15.
15 P2200961b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16.
16 P2200933b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17.
17 P2200967 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18.
18 P2200968 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. The sign on this snack bar is almost heritage in its own right
19 P2210005b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. The other side of the same block
20 P2210022c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21. Near the station
21 P2210059b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Sint-Truiden is also rather green, and has a kind of green belt surrounding a part of the centre:

22.
22 P2200550b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


23.
23 P2210035b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


24. A street near the edge of town
24 P2200593b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


25. The beguine
25 P2200573b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


26.
26 P2200576b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


27. Looking back at the centre from a footpath just outside town
27 P2200588b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


That's all for Sint-Truiden, I'll be back soon with a few pictures I made in nearby Landen on the way home.


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Oh... - but good for the factory in Lot! 

Nice updates like always, Ruben! kay:
Wonderful alley picture!


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Sint-truiden has a very strong politically grounded tertairy sector that acts as opposition and doesn't want to make the square car free. They only want to make the square car free if the city builds the same amount of parking space below ground and thus far all plans to do that havent been realised.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Landen*

Thanks again for the comment Yansa, and also thanks for the explanation Josham, yes that it is a pity, but I can imagine that having less parking places would indeed cost them a lot of business for a few years (and of course, adding parking somewhere else would probably ruin some green space on the edge of town).

Now a few pictures I took at nearby Landen station, where we had to change trains on the way home. The funny thing about Landen is that it is pronounced as 'London' in Dutch/Flemish, which sometimes confuses foreigners on trains between Brussels and Liège (some of which stop there). According to Wikipedia, the names of the British capital and this town of 15,000 in Flemish-Brabant come from the same root, Londo, which means 'wild'.

28. 
28 P2210127 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

29.
29 P2210126b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

30.
30 P2210110b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

A row of houses in a style which you find quite a lot of in the region (I had seen them quite often from the train back from Brussels, and always wanted to make pictures of them as I can imagine them not being there in the future because no-one seems to consider this style to have any heritage value):

31.
31 P2210090b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

32.
32 P2210083b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

33.
33 P2210078b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

34.
34 P2210075b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

35.
35 P2210073b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again great, very nice photos from Belgium


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

It's a strange place, Landen. The main thing over there is the station, I suppose. People only pass there, or change trains. And indeed, it's quite funny hearing /'lʌndən/ through the train's broadcasting system.



> A row of houses in a style which you find quite a lot of in the region (I had seen them quite often from the train back from Brussels, and always wanted to make pictures of them as I can imagine them not being there in the future because no-one seems to consider this style to have any heritage value)


Some people do, I see some renovated houses on your pictures. But many disappear and are replaced by new houses or apartment buildings.


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## shik2005 (Dec 25, 2014)

Interesting thread.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Ah Landen, a sleepy town I have some friends there. It's completely dead during the day. Nearly all people there work in the Brussels region and take the train daily. On rush hour it looks like the whole town gathers at the station.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Borgloon*

Thanks for your comments Benonie, Shik and Josham



Benonie said:


> It's a strange place, Landen. The main thing over there is the station, I suppose. People only pass there, or change trains. And indeed, it's quite funny hearing /'lʌndən/ through the train's broadcasting system.
> 
> 
> Some people do, I see some renovated houses on your pictures. But many disappear and are replaced by new houses or apartment buildings.


Good to hear that some do Belgian demolition habits make me a bit paranoid, even houses that are in a good condition don't seem to be safe...




joshsam said:


> Ah Landen, a sleepy town I have some friends there. It's completely dead during the day. Nearly all people there work in the Brussels region and take the train daily. On rush hour it looks like the whole town gathers at the station.


Haha, yes the friend I was with at the time remarked that Landen looked like a bit of a non place

As it was exeptionally nice weather on Sunday, I decided to cross one more town from my list of Belgian towns I haven't visited yet (as I once mentioned, I plan to visit every town in Belgium). To do this, I cycled north along the N20 to Tongeren (see page 9/10), where I turned west on to the N79 to Sint-Truiden. I didn't make many pictures because the sun was too bright, and because the view from these main roads is never particularily beautiful (though sometimes surrealistic enough for a seperate series). This is why we will start in my first stop, the small town of Borgloon (Limburg, pop.: +/- 3,500, FR: Looz), which lies roughly half way between Tongeren and Sint-Truiden, in the agricultural region of Haspengouw/Hesbaye. 

Borgloon has a small but picturesque historic centre (I have to add that the cars hadn't really bothered me in Sint-Truiden, but that Borgloon really seemed to be crammed full of them, and that in a town centre that is barely 600 meters in diameter). It surrounds two main squares: 

1. Firstly, the Speelhof...
01 P2220254b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. ..., with the tenth century Church of Sint-Odulfus ...
02 P2220416b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. ... and the 17th century Kanunnikenhuis (something to do with the church) in the regional Mosan style of architecture (such as you have seen in Sint-Truiden and Liège)
03 P2220438b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. And secondly, the Markt ...
04 P2220294b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. 
05 P2220347b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. ..., which sits around the 15th century town hall, which is also built in the Mosan style. I don't have a good picture of the front because of the strong sunlight
06 P2220378b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. In a side street (the centre of Borgloon only consists of a few streets)
07 P2220389b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. Another Mosan-style building in the same street
08 P2220399b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. Leaving town the way I came in, on Tongersesteenweg, which is the longest urban street in Borgloon
09 P2220462b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

A few art-deco buildings on Tongersesteenweg

10. 
10 P2220466b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11.
11 P2220473b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12.
12 P2220475b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. A side street
13 P2220470b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. A Sunday flee market seemed to have just finished when I arrived
14 P2220483b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. Now heading in a southerly direction, a last view of Borgloon
15 P2220497b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Next time, I will take you on the trip I took home through green summer Haspengouw/Hesbaye.


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