Past events Upcoming events

2024

Saturday

07 December

2024

Antwerpen, Art Nouveau and Diamonds

The Diva diamond museum agreed to host our End-of-Year event. The new museum presents the close link of Antwerp and diamonds in a broad perspective.

Saturday

05 October

2024

Saint-Omer and La Coupole (F)

The city of Sint-Omer has a rich heritage with Flemish roots. In 1678, Louis XIV conquered the city and annexed the Artois region to France. In 1943, the Nazis built a large concrete base (La Coupole) near the city for launching V2 rockets against London.

Saturday

14 September

2024

Vintage cars and an elegant Château

The vintage car collection of the Belgian Mahy family - 1100 cars from 1895 onwards - is one of the most complete collections of car history in the world. The Château d'Attre is one of the most authentic witnesses of the 18th century in Belgium.

Monday

10 June

2024

Lincolnshire UK-trip

Our UK trip will be to Lincolnshire from 10-15 June. The final programme is work in progress, but, if you are interested, please let us know.

Saturday

25 May

2024

Veurne – Abbey ‘Ten Duinen’

Two often overlooked gems of Belgium’s Westhoek, the region between the Yser River and the border with France.

Friday

26 April

2024

Avant garde art and an alpine garden in the Brussels Green Belt

FeliXart Museum in Drogenbos - Annual General Meeting at the museum - Bloemendal alpine garden in Huizingen

Saturday

23 March

2024

Maaseik and Thorn, two charming border towns on the meandering river Meuse

Maaseik has a rich past and many cultural-historical highlights. It's known as the birthplace of the famous Renaissance painters Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. With its whitewashed houses along narrow cobbled streets, nearby Thorn evokes a Mediterranean atmosphere.

Friday

23 February

2024

Fort Eben-Emael and Vroenhoven Bridge

We learn how the second world war started in Belgium - at dawn on May 10, 1940 at the bridges on the Albert Canal and at the fortress of Eben-Emael - and about the country's waterways.

Saturday

09 December

2023

Amazing and hidden Brussels

Amazing and hidden Brussels. The Library of the Dukes of Burgundy - The Great Royal Oath of Saint George of the Crossbowmen - End-of-Year drink.

Saturday

18 November

2023

Lier – a pleasant little town

Lier is a little town in the historic Duchy of Brabant, close to Antwerp, arguably even on the outskirts of the larger city. The town is also known as 'Lierke Plezierke' thanks to its reputation of being a pleasant, easy-going close community.

Saturday

21 October

2023

Gent, the proud city

Gent, the proud city, birthplace of Emperor Charles V. We visit historic neighbourhoods and two 'city palaces'. In one of these the Treaty of Ghent (1814) was signed.

Monday

04 September

2023

Trip to Devon & Somerset, 4-9 September

Fully booked: 6 day/5 night trip to Devon and Somerset, departing on Monday 4th September (morning) and returning on Saturday 9/9 (evening).

Friday

23 June

2023

Oostende – Sailing to Belgium’s offshore wind farms on the Thornton Bank

Five hour boat cruise with an English-speaking expert, from Oostende to the offshore wind farms on the Thornton Bank, some 30 km from the coastline. Web page UPDATED April 27.

Saturday

20 May

2023

Château de Modave and ‘Le Vieux Huy’

A beautiful 17th century 'château' on a rocky peak with about twenty richly decorated and furnished rooms that are really worth a visit and a small town with a historic core characterized by cobbled streets and rubble stone walls.

Saturday

22 April

2023

Sint-Truiden, a Winery and our Annual General Meeting

Visit to "Huis Nagels", a remarkable notary house from the end of the 19th century. Peter Dufaux, former deputy mayor for monuments, takes us along the historical highlights. Short drive to wine estate ""Gloire de Duras" for a tour and wine tasting.

Saturday

25 March

2023

The city of Spa or the Cradle of Balneology

Since 2021 Spa is part of the Transnational Unesco World Heritage Sites under the name 'Great Spa Towns of Europe'.

Friday

24 February

2023

Antwerpen, the Institute of Tropical Medicine & the Royal Fine Arts Museum

Antwerpen, the Institute of Tropical Medicine & the renewed Royal Fine Arts Museum. Fully booked !

Monday

12 December

2022

Bozar Interiors – End-of-year gathering at the UK Ambassador’s Residence

Guided tour of the Bozar interiors and reception at the nearby UK Ambassador's residence.

Friday

18 November

2022

Charleroi, where the industrial revolution flourished … and struck

We visit different sites from UNESCO’s World Heritage list in Charleroi, one of the cities where the industrial revolution in Wallonia took off, resulting in a boom of the iron, coal and glass industry and in the first influx of Italian immigrants.

Saturday

22 October

2022

The city of Diest

This will be mainly an ‘open air’ activity, as the idea is to walk through the narrow streets of this charming little town, about 60 km from Brussels, surrounded by high ramparts, which are partially preserved.

Friday

23 September

2022

Anderlecht through the Ages

Erasmus House - Collegial Church of St Peter and St Guidon - urban farm BIGH on the roof of the Foodmet. Lunch included

Wednesday

22 June

2022

Canal Cruise from Brussels to Vilvoorde

Canal Cruise from Brussels to Vilvoorde, past industrial sites, the docks and Laeken. Discover Vilvoorde's amazing, ancient and surprising history.

Tuesday

07 June

2022

A 6-days visit of Northern Ireland

5-nights/6-days coach tour in Northern Ireland, flying from Brussels to Dublin. Departure on Tuesday June 7th, return on Sunday June 12 th. Fully booked.

Friday

20 May

2022

Thuin & Lobbes, two exceptional heritage sites on the river Sambre

Thuin enchants visitors with the elegance of its belfry overlooking the Sambre, and its hanging gardens. The Saint Ursmer collegiate church in Lobbes is Belgium’s oldest church, built at the beginning of the 9th century.

Friday

22 April

2022

Between Zenne and Sonian: the Hallerbos and the art of Lambic brewing.

Our outing will focus on two typical features of the Pajottenland: the Hallerbos and its purple carpet of hyacinths and an old lambic brewery in Beersel that recently resumed the authentic brewing process of Lambic.

Saturday

19 March

2022

City of Leuven – Park Abbey, Beguinage & University Library

The Park Abbey and the beguinage (Groot Begijnhof) are highlights among the well-preserved historic heritage of Leuven, one of Europe's oldest university centres.

Saturday

26 February

2022

Antwerp and the prosperous Low Countries of the 16th century

City highlights - the Plantin-Moretus printers' shop (picture) and the Carolus-Borromeus church

Saturday

20 November

2021

The Adornes Estate and the English Convent in Bruges

The English Convent was a famous boarding school for English Catholic girls. With the Adornes Estate, famous for its unique Jerusalem Chapel, we step into the world of a prominent family in 15th-century Bruges and learn about their special relationship with Scotland.

Saturday

16 October

2021

The oldest Belgian town, Roman Tongeren

We discover the historical and cultural heritage of this charming town in the province of Limburg, the country's oldest city, with Roman roots.

Saturday

25 September

2021

Dinant’s Citadel and the Castle of Freÿr

The Citadel, a historical fortress on top of a rock overlooking Dinant, offers a beautiful view of the Meuse and the surrounding area. The Castle of Freyr is famous for its harmonious architecture, its walled terraced gardens and rippling fountains.

Friday

09 July

2021

A medieval fortress and a summer garden in Bouillon

Bouillon, once the capital of a glorious duchy, close to the French border and on the edge of the Ardennes, is a handsome resort town enclosed in a loop of the Semois river and crowned by an outstanding castle.

Saturday

12 June

2021

Outdoor walk at the Zwin Nature Reserve

What better way to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Flemish Coastal region than by discovering the recently renovated and enlarged Zwin Nature Reserve?

Friday

28 May

2021

A Walk in the Woods

Our first guided walk in the Forêt de Soignes / Zoniënwoud will focus on the area along the former Groenendaal Priory and zoom in on a mix of natural and historic items such as the remains of the priory, the arboretum and other points of interest.

Sunday

28 March

2021

The Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland

From the comfort of your home, take part in a guided tour around The Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland, with Laura Spencer, a professional Blue Badge Tourist Guide.

Thursday

25 March

2021

Art and Nature in one Place – A Corona-proof walk

CANCELED - As a result of the stricter corona measures, museum tours are not allowed until March 31.

Sunday

07 February

2021

A Pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona

From the comfort of your own home, you can now join a virtual tour to Scotland, an exploration of the history and culture of the isle of Iona, curated and narrated by Andrew Baxter, an experienced and professional Green Badge Tourist Guide.

Friday

19 June

2020

The English Riviera: Cornwall and Devon

The sunniest counties known for golden beaches, interesting river estuaries, quaint fishing ports, high moors & tors, tin mines, splendid Elizabethan houses and the last castle built. Fantastic local products including the quintessential cream tea await us.

Saturday

25 April

2020

Liège: Fine art in La Boverie and the City’s Major Landmarks

CANCELLED In view of the rapidly changing and still worsening scope of the Coronavirus crisis ...

Saturday

25 April

2020

Annual General Meeting

As there are now legal restrictions on public gatherings, the Committee decided to cancel the planned Annual General Meeting in Liège on April 25th and to replace it by a ‘virtual’ AGM, this meaning that we will have to proceed by electronic way (email).

Saturday

22 February

2020

Antwerpen: Migrants and Textiles

Red Star Line ocean steamers paved the way to a new life for about two million Europeans; their trip to the New World began in a warehouse in Antwerp. HeadquARTers, the art exhibition space of Katoen Natie, houses an unique exhibition “3500 Years of Textile Art”.

Saturday

07 December

2019

Visit of Africa museum – end of year drink

The renovation of the Royal Museum for Central Africa took 5 years and costed roughly € 66 million. The old neoclassical building has been transformed from a colonial institute into a modern museum, open to the Africa of today and tomorrow.

Saturday

16 November

2019

Binche and its historic and cultural heritage

Binche is famous for its world-renowned carnival, in 2003, recognized by UNESCO as an “ Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” Our November outing will give us the opportunity to discover historic Binche and learn about its famous carnival.

Thursday

17 October

2019

Abbey of Averbode & de Merode Castle in Westerlo

The historical abbey of Averbode still functions today as a monastery and spiritual center, which doesn't prevent the monks from also producing cheese and ale. The château in Westerlo came into the possession of the current owners, de Merode family, in 1484.

Saturday

14 September

2019

Two days discovery of Ostbelgien

Our 2-day outing in the Eastern part of Belgium will give us the opportunity to discover famous nature spots, rich merchant houses and romantic castles. It will also give us sufficient time to get acquainted with the region’s history, economy and institutions.

Wednesday

26 June

2019

The Brussels Ommegang

The Ommegang on the Grand Place in Brussels is one of the most interesting and unexpected aspects of Brussels' history, enacted by some 1400 participants dressed up in dazzling historical costumes.

Tuesday

18 June

2019

2019 UK Trip to Essex and Suffolk – June 18-23

The 2019 UK Trip to visit National Trust Properties will take place from June 18 to 23 and will visit Essex and Suffolk.

Saturday

18 May

2019

The City and the Citadel of Namur

The Citadel of Namur, 100 m above the confluence of the rivers Meuse and Sambre, is one of Europe's great fortifications. We will visit the information centre “Terra Nova” and the huge underground tunnel system, 'The Termite Mound of Europe' as Napoleon once called it.

Saturday

27 April

2019

The Port of Zeebrugge and its idyllic hinterland.

With the Brexit conundrum raging on both sides of the Channel, nothing more timely than a visit of the Port of Zeebruges, Belgium’s most important gateway for traffic to and from the UK.

Saturday

23 March

2019

Testimonies of the Cold and the Great war

The Kemmel Command Bunker in Dranouter and the Talbot House in Poperinge.

Saturday

16 February

2019

Mechelen : Capital of the Burgundian Netherlands

We visit the historic city of Mechelen and its recently renovated Museum 'Hof van Busleyden' which is housed in a magnificent Renaissance 'hôtel'.

Saturday

08 December

2018

The Port House, Antwerp – End of Year Event

The Port House is the head office of the Antwerp Port Authority. The new building symbolise the dynamic, reliable, ambitious and innovative nature of the Port of Antwerp.

Saturday

17 November

2018

Mons – Great War Commemoration 1914

In British historical writing the Battle of Mons is an unlikely victory against overwhelming odds, similar to the English victory at Agincourt. Mons gained a myth, the Angels of Mons, the phantom longbowmen from Agincourt, who saved the British Army.

Saturday

06 October

2018

An Emblematic Castle & A Windmill

Belgium is a land of castles but if you wish to discover one of the oldest, one of the best preserved, still with a moat as castles should be, you have to come with us to Corroy-le-Château.

Saturday

29 September

2018

Magical Gardens of Hainaut

Francis Peeters and Guy Vandesande, who present the weekly garden show on RTBF “Jardins et Loisirs”, will guide us through their 40 are “Amoena Garden”. After lunch we discover the “Gardens of the World” in the “Domaine de Cambron”.

Friday

14 September

2018

London Weekend, Sept 14-17

Eurostar from Brussels Midi to St Pancras. Accommodation in the residence of the Imperial College in South Kensington. Weekend price is about €680 ppers sharing a double room, with a supplement of €95 for a single.

Tuesday

19 June

2018

England’s Three Counties: June 19-24

More than thirty members of the association, under the watchful eye of Carole Ducastel, toured an exciting variety of places in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Review by Colin Puplett

Saturday

09 June

2018

A colony of artists in a rural village

The region between Ghent and Deinze, where the river Leie meanders through woody marshland, played a crucial role in the development of 20th C Belgian art. Come with us to Deinze, Latem and Deurle for a discovery.

Saturday

05 May

2018

Surprising Chimay

Chimay, one of Belgium's smallest towns, is reputed for its typical landscape, its historic castle and the famous “Trappist“ ale, brewed at the “Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont”.

Saturday

21 April

2018

Herkenrode Arboretum and AGM

Father Damien of Molokai and the famous arboretum of Herkenrode, including the private estate of Viscount Philippe de Spoelberch, a renowned dendrologist. The Annual General Meeting for NTAB-members will take place at lunch time.

Saturday

17 March

2018

Clocks and Carriages

A handsome Art Deco house in Schaarbeek provides the setting for a unique collection of ceramic mantlepiece clocks. Next stop is the Train World museum at the Schaarbeek Station, where we have lunch and discover the social history of train travel.

Saturday

17 February

2018

Antwerp: Butchers, Music and Art

We shall be in the centre of Antwerp all day: first at the Vleeshuis Museum, a museum on 600 years of music and dance in the city. After lunch we move on to the Wolsack in the Oude Beurs (17-18th C), which has recently been renovated.

Saturday

09 December

2017

End of Year Festive Gathering

We will close this year’s activities on December 9th in the prestigious setting of the Academy Palace, in the centre of Brussels. We visit the apartments of the Prince of Orange and have a tour of the rest of the palace and its gardens, followed by a drink.

Saturday

18 November

2017

Kortrijk, Golden Spurs and Golden River

During the Middle Ages, the town boomed thanks to the flax and wool trade with France and England. We visit the the Golden Spurs Museum, the beguinage and the Textile Museum, which tells the story of the raise and fall of the flax industry along the Golden Leie river.

Saturday

21 October

2017

Celebrating 20 years of the NTAB

Celebrations will start at 3 o’clock with a seated session at the Château. From 4 until 5 o’clock there will be a guided tour of the Château - where the negotiations leading to the original Treaties of Rome took place. A drink at about 5 o’clock will close the day.

Saturday

30 September

2017

Pearls of Haspengouw / Hasbaye

Our day will start in Kerniel, a formerly independent municipality of Borgloon. There the Mariënlof Abbey excels by its tranquil and timeless beauty and authenticity. After lunch we will have a guided tour of the Castle of Duras and its English landscape garden.

Friday

08 September

2017

Eclectic London, from 16th century politics, through Marx to Multiculturalism

Tuesday

20 June

2017

Come with us to the Welsh Marches!

Saturday

03 June

2017

Mons: Past Glories and Revival

Saturday

20 May

2017

The Rubens Castle or “ het Steen “ in Elewijt

Saturday

22 April

2017

History and gastronomy in the land of Breughel around Brussels

Saturday

18 March

2017

Oudenaarde – Ancient City of Art

Saturday

18 February

2017

Antwerp humanists: Christophe Plantin and Nicolaas Rockox

Saturday

10 December

2016

End of year festive gathering at the Boesdaalhoeve

Sunday

13 November

2016

Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel

Saturday

15 October

2016

The British Connections in Bruges

Saturday

17 September

2016

Mushrooms, wine and history in Haspengouw

Tuesday

21 June

2016

Be Inspired by the Lake District

Saturday

11 June

2016

One exceptional site and two original gardens

Saturday

21 May

2016

Two charming gardens in the undulating landscape of Walloon-Brabant

Saturday

23 April

2016

Three Centuries in a day – Canal trip and the Domaine de Seneffe

Saturday

19 March

2016

Turnhout: success story of the early and late industrial revolution

Saturday

20 February

2016

Art Nouveau and Folklore in Schaarbeek

Saturday

12 December

2015

Year End Reception in the Egmont Palace

Our traditional Year End reception will this year take place in Brussels historical Egmont Palace. We will start with a short lecture about this famous palace, followed by a guided visit of the main rooms and a festive reception.

Saturday

07 November

2015

The cosmopolitan character of Antwerp through the centuries

Over the course of the 19th century the development of the port of Antwerp attracted a sizeable number of Germans to the city. Many were involved in banking, shipping and commerce and made a valuable contribution towards the rapid growth of the port.

Saturday

17 October

2015

The glamorous past of a Borinage town

Today, Catteau-Keramis ceramics are collectors’ items. After our visit you will recognize them at first glance in museums all over the world.

Wednesday

16 September

2015

The Battle of Waterloo in perspective

Our day on the battlefield will be a very different experience from the normal tourist visit. Our visit will be led by a Waterloo historian and official 1815 guide, Michael Farrar, who will begin with a talk in the morning putting the scene in perspective.

Tuesday

23 June

2015

2015 UK trip: The Anglo-Scottish Border

The Scottish Borders is a region often overlooked by visitors to the UK’s most northern country; wrongly so in our opinion for it is one of great beauty. Its main features are the bubbling River Tweed, which offers great salmon fishing, and the Southern Uplands.

Saturday

06 June

2015

From Castle to Cottage – Beauvoorde and De Panne

For this event we have worked closely with Herita, the organisation created recently to promote the heritage of Flanders.

Saturday

16 May

2015

The Land of the Painter David Teniers

David Teniers immortalized Perk and its surroundings in paintings to be found in museums all over the world.

Saturday

25 April

2015

Handcrafted Stained Glass and Outsiders’Art in a Psychiatric lnstitute

We invite you for a discovery tour by public transport in Ghent to visit, firstly, a stained glass workshop hidden in the historic centre and, secondly, Belgium's oldest psychiatric hospital that also houses a museum and an extraordinary collection of art.

Sunday

22 March

2015

Two Unusual Art Centres in Brussels

Reserve your first Sunday of spring for the guided visit (English and Dutch/French) of two original and rather recent artistic centres in Brussels: the Wiels museum of contemporary art in Forest and the lnstitute Bruno Lussato - Marina Fédier in Uccle.

Saturday

28 February

2015

The Restoration of the National Trust’s Historic Garden – A lecture by Richard Wheeler

Richard Wheelers talk will look at the restoration of National Trust gardens over the last 40 years.

Saturday

20 September

2014

Beloeil: a French castle with a magnificent Baroque garden

Beloeil is the ancestral home of Prince Charles Joseph de Ligne (b.Brussels 1735 - d.Vienna 1814), a real bon vivant who befriended Goethe, Rousseau, Voltaire and even Casanova. The interior has fine furniture and an art collection.

Anderlecht through the Ages

There is a serious possibility that we will have to cancel this planned activity, due to the Covid pandemic. For the time being, we keep it on our agenda but we will inform you in due time about this activity going ahead or not.

Saint Omer and Surroundings

There is a serious possibility that we will have to cancel this planned activity, due to the Covid pandemic. For the time being, we keep it on our agenda but we will inform you in due time about this activity going ahead or not.

Imperial Britain

We decided to postpone our UK and London trips until 2022. It would be unwise to heavily invest in preparations of such trips if there is a high likelihood that they will have to be cancelled.

Rouge-Cloître – the Sonian Forest through its former priories

POSTPONED An oasis in the Sonian Forest on the outskirts of Brussels, the former Rouge- Cloître/ Rood Klooster priory in Auderghem is the gateway to a forest walk.