-Bruges ‘Brugge’
This little medieval town, perfectly preserved and in a most attractive way criss-crossed with waterways, is a true gem. Situated very near to the Belgian seaside at 220 km /136 miles from Beffe, it is easy reachable by car within little over 2 hours drive.
A ‘must see’ is the Heilig Bloedbasiliek /Basilica of the Holy Blood, built to honour the rock-crystal phial of blood believed to be the blood of Jesus Christ.
Make sure too to take a boat trip on the ‘Minnewater’/Lover’s Lake and the many canals and waterways meandering under humpbacked picturesque bridges, through winding narrow streets of gabled houses making up the delightful little town that is Bruges.
A true haven of peace and quiet to visit no doubt is the beguinage, founded in 1245 AC and nowadays a monastery for the Benedictine sisters who live there.
-Antwerp ‘Antwerpen’
With its harbour alongside the river Scheldt and snug medieval city-centre at a mere 170 km/105 miles from Beffe, this means less than two hours by car.
One of the many titles that Antwerp proudly used in the 16th century was that of ‘ de triomfantelijcke coopstad ‘/ the renowned city for shopping. Today this still rings true; shopping in the centre of Antwerp means strolling around in the many cosy pedestrian streets and squares. When you love bargain hunting go on a shopping spree in some of the many antiques and bric-a-brac shops to be found in the ‘Hoogstraat’ and ‘Kloosterstraat’ Visiting Antwerp also means viewing and visiting the many historic houses, as there is for instance, the house of the world famous painter Peter Paul Rubens.
Let’s also not forget the many museums nor the spectacular cathedral of ‘Onze-Lieve-Vrouw’., the cathedral of our Lady with its 123 meters the highest gothic church of the Low Countries, harbouring four masterpieces by Rubens including the famous Jesus' Descent from the Cross.
Tip; Many of the shops, even all of them in ‘ De Hoogstraat’, are open on Sundays.
-Brussels ‘Brussel’
At a distance of 118 km (73.3 miles) from Beffe/Rendeux lies the Belgian capital Brussels with its ‘Atomium’, originally built for the 1958 World Fair, the equivalent of the French Eiffel Tower You get a great view from the top of this 102 metres tall steel and aluminium model of the nine atoms in a molecule.
When visiting, make sure to go to ‘de Grote Markt’ the Grand Place too, once described by Victor Hugo as the most beautiful square in the whole of Europe.
And then there of course is ‘ Manneken Pis’ . The tiny statue of a little boy weeing, is one of Brussels’ most famous landmarks .
Near Beffe/Rendeux, make sure to plan a visit to;
-Durbuy
A beautiful village situated along the meandering river Ourthe, bursting with medieval charm, offering luscious surroundings .
-Bastogne;
A village as it were dedicated to the heroes of December 1944, when American soldiers fought the pivotal battle of that war.
Well-worth the visit; the ‘Mardasson’, a memorial dedicated to the American troops who lost their lives in the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ as well as the’ Bastogne Historical Centre’ with displays explaining the battle.
-Bouillon;
Close to the French border alongside the river Semois, proud stand of the fortified castle once owned by Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the first crusade to Jerusalem later proclaimed king of the said city.
-Orval;
The exquisite abbey of Orval, meaning ‘golden valley’ located near the town of Florenville.
Orval, amidst a scenic wooded valley, is one of the five Cistercian monasteries in Belgium that brew their own brand of beer, a strong dark brown ale called ‘Trappist’.
-Dinant;
With its citadel high on the bluff, overlooking the town at its feet by a 100 meters, you can either drive up the hill to the esplanade, take the telepherique by Notre Dame church or for the really brave among us ..there are the steps…. some 400 and odd of them!
Shifting our interest to the neighbouring countries there are, easily reachable within a few hours by car;
-The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg;
A one-hour drive and truly living up to the statement ‘small is beautiful’ as there is a fairytale feel to this tiny country. Speckled around, reflecting their long warring past are tucked away castles on steep hills with picturesque villages flowing down the hillside down the winding rivers.
On nearly every building you will discover the following inscription; “ Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sin” ….” We want to remain what we are ..”
I hope they will remain true to it for this beautiful almost make-believe lilliputian country has so much to offer to tourists.
-Cochem on the Moselle river/Germany;
A 2h20 minutes drive will take you to what is one of the most well-known and well-loved holiday destinations in Germany.
It offers a unique Mosel countryside (excellent Riesling wines!) and a historical medieval old town overlooked by the romantic hilltop castle Rheinburg which dates from the year 1000.
-The Eifel region in Germany;
Only 88 km (54.6 miles) or a one-hour drive, the area is of a truly delightful landscape, plunging valleys engulfed by wooded hills with the town of Monschau typifying the region.
Lovely streets, exquisite half-timbered centuries old houses, overlooked by the Romanesque style castle called ‘ The Burg’.
When in the area don’t forget to pay a visit to the Eifel National Park. You can go on a guided tour of this stunning volcanic area or go discover it at your own pace falling from the one surprise into the other as this park offers the lure of the wilderness in a landscape of woods and water.
-Paris/France;
Paris…city of light .. at 330 km (205 miles) from Beffe or a 3 ½ hour drive.
The French capital, second largest city of Europe with the most things to see is not likely to disappoint you.
Visit the world-known Eiffel Tower… the impressive Louvre, richest of all museums, vast treasury of civilization and art….stroll down the majestic Champs-Elyssées…visit the Pantheon…the Sacré Coeur and allow yourself to become engrossed, albeit for a little while, in the French way of life….you won’t live to regret it .
-Maastricht/The Netherlands;
Located at the Dutch/Belgian/German border at a distance of 110 km (68.3 miles) or a one-hour drive lies the Netherlands’s favourite city.
A visit to Maastricht guarantees pure enjoyment as this is a city of two faces. On the one hand the historic fortified city with nowadays the outer fortifications still standing and on the other hand the modern inner city.
You will no doubt be impressed by the numerous bridges crossing the river Maas.
This city definitely is one of the best to visit when it comes to mixing old and new in a beautiful display of history and colour.