We close the year with a visit to the Art Deco exhibition at the BELvue Museum in Brussels, as well as to the Coudenberg Palace, the underground but well-restored remains of the palace of Charles V. We close the visit with our traditional end-of-year reception.
Of course you know the Brussels' Grand Place and its iconic Town Hall. Our November visit will give you the opportunity to explore its richly decorated interiors. The old customs and freight depot Tour & Taxis is a model for Brussels’ urban renewal.
A castle and a ship restauration yard: Wissekerke Castle in Kruibeke and a maintenance & restauration yard for old Dutch and Flemish ships in Rupelmonde.
A weekend outing in September (Sat 13 - Sun 14) to the Gaume, the south-eastern region of Belgium, in the province of Luxemburg.
The 2025 UK trip will be to Cheshire, Liverpool and North Wales from 9-14 June 2025. Accommodation in Chester. Priority for NTAB members. Booking closes on January 28.
Namur, the capital of Wallonia, is a pleasant, small city, situated at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers. It provides an interesting walk among various styles of architecture and a Museum of Decorative Arts, situated in a delightful mansion.
Visit of the renovated privately owned manor of Gors-op-Leeuw. A short tour through the blossoms of Haspengouw and visit of the square farmhouse Renard, with its unique preservation & cooling cellars. Optional tasting at nearby winery Domein Schorpion in Vliermaal.
Guided visits of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie and La Boverie museum of fine arts
Hageland, the eastern part of the province of Flemish Brabant, is a place full of natural beauty, which spoils you with choice to cherish its rich cultural and historical heritage. Horst Castle and the city of Aarschot will undoubtedly bear witness to this.
On Friday 6 December Herita, the Flemish National Trust, will host our end-of-year gathering. HERITA is situated close to the Grote Markt in Antwerp and houses in De Hofkamer, a beautiful 18th century rococo building.
The commune of Beveren is marked and shaped by the Schelde river, its tides and polders, and now stands out for its strong economic development driven by the steady expansion of the Port of Antwerp.
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.
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 an authentic witness of the 18th century in Belgium.
Our UK trip will be to Lincolnshire from 10-15 June. The trip is fully booked.
Two often overlooked gems of Belgium’s Westhoek, the region between the Yser River and the border with France.
FeliXart Museum in Drogenbos - Annual General Meeting at the museum - Bloemendal alpine garden in Huizingen
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fully booked: 6 day/5 night trip to Devon and Somerset, departing on Monday 4th September (morning) and returning on Saturday 9/9 (evening).
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.
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.
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.
Since 2021 Spa is part of the Transnational Unesco World Heritage Sites under the name 'Great Spa Towns of Europe'.
Antwerpen, the Institute of Tropical Medicine & the renewed Royal Fine Arts Museum. Fully booked !
Guided tour of the Bozar interiors and reception at the nearby UK Ambassador's residence.
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.
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.
Erasmus House - Collegial Church of St Peter and St Guidon - urban farm BIGH on the roof of the Foodmet. Lunch included
Canal Cruise from Brussels to Vilvoorde, past industrial sites, the docks and Laeken. Discover Vilvoorde's amazing, ancient and surprising history.
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.
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.
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.
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.
City highlights - the Plantin-Moretus printers' shop (picture) and the Carolus-Borromeus church
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.
We discover the historical and cultural heritage of this charming town in the province of Limburg, the country's oldest city, with Roman roots.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
CANCELED - As a result of the stricter corona measures, museum tours are not allowed until March 31.
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.
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.
CANCELLED In view of the rapidly changing and still worsening scope of the Coronavirus crisis ...
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).
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The 2019 UK Trip to visit National Trust Properties will take place from June 18 to 23 and will visit Essex and Suffolk.
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.
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.
The Kemmel Command Bunker in Dranouter and the Talbot House in Poperinge.
We visit the historic city of Mechelen and its recently renovated Museum 'Hof van Busleyden' which is housed in a magnificent Renaissance 'hôtel'.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today, Catteau-Keramis ceramics are collectors’ items. After our visit you will recognize them at first glance in museums all over the world.
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.
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.
For this event we have worked closely with Herita, the organisation created recently to promote the heritage of Flanders.
David Teniers immortalized Perk and its surroundings in paintings to be found in museums all over the world.
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.
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.
Richard Wheelers talk will look at the restoration of National Trust gardens over the last 40 years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Atlantic Wall Museum in Raversijde and two museum ships in Ostend: the three-masted sailing ship Mercator and the Amandine, a historic fishing vessel on the famous Iceland route.