Photo by Bannon Morrissy on Unsplash
It’s that time of the year again, when families start scratching their heads to think of how best to keep the kids occupied and entertained over the long school summer holidays.
The good news is that, however the notorious Belgian weather behaves over the coming weeks, there’s more than enough to do here at home and that goes for both young and old alike
Indeed, the idea of a staycation is, again, all the vogue in Belgium this year with more and more of us holidaying on home soil.
Of course, if a vacation closer to home is de rigueur it does help if there are things to keep us occupied and entertained.
So, and in no particular order, we’ve compiled a short “Top 5” of activities to keep you (and the kids) entertained this summer (and the rest of the year too).
Given that it’s summer, a good starting point is the Belgian coast and one terrific way to pass an hour or more is an informative boat trip at sea with “Captain Blue” from the ever bustling port of Zeebrugge.
This well-established company runs several different types of trips, including a tour of the sprawling port of Zeebrugge, which is home to all manner of maritime transports, ranging from gigantic container ships to passenger ferries and humble tug boats.
During the trip, you will also pass the Belgian naval base, a gas terminal and wind turbines on a nearby dam.
An alternative trip takes you into the open North Sea, via the coastline and close to the beach, offering a chance to look at the Belgian coastline, city and port from a completely different perspective.
While at the Flemish coast, another “must do”, water-based activity can be found at Aqua Mundo and Baluba (children’s play area) at Center Parcs in De Haan. This is a great place, not least for those with travelling with toddlers and young children, and features slides, one “interactive”, and a new wild water river.
This “subtropical aquatic space” is filled with palm trees, orchids and lianas and also boasts and wave pool, hot tubs and children’s pool.
The weather here, as we all know, may not be the most reliable over the summer but this place is great even in inclement weather (there’s an outdoor pool but most of its features are located indoors). It is open to non guests as well as those staying at the park itself and the opening hours and activities are available via the Center Parcs app.
There are family changing rooms (with changing mat) plus, especially for the little ones, life jackets, baby boxes and a microwave oven to warm up baby bottles.It is also wheelchair friendly and its staff are happy to give a helping hand to those with accessibility issues.
Heading south towards Belgium’s beautiful southern region you will find it too has plenty to offer for that much-needed day out. That includes Dinant, the famous birthplace of saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax (President Clinton, a jazz fan, once visited during his term in office).
It is here that you will find the terrific outdoor “Dinant Aventure”, operated by Dinant Evasion, another well-established company which also organises kayaking and boat trips in the area. It offers different programmes, ranging from rope bridges, nature walks and laser games to cross country cycling, telepherique and “deathrides”.
The “challenges” (adventure courses) take place in a natural “bowl” carved out of the rock, and include one of the longest bridges in the country (100 m long and 40 m above the ground). A platform awaits you 60 m up, for the “Spider’s Thread”, the longest abseiling descent in Belgium. Activities, ranging from 2.5 to 5 hours, are suited for all occasions and the challenges can take place between colleagues, friends or families. You get to choose your own formula too and all this is done under the strictest supervision and safety by trained guides who speak French, Dutch and English.
Close to the valley of the river Lesse and overlooking the Meuse, the 18 hectare Dinant Aventure park is nestled in an old sandstone quarry and part of the EU’s Natura 2000 initiative which, among other things, seeks to restrict over development on such land. The whole site, located just off the N97 Dinant-Philippeville road) includes adventure courses; a hiking trail, which follows the route of the high flying course; a 5,000 square metre multipurpose lowland; 200-seat BBQ area and 50-seat covered tent.
Beware that you have to book before coming (to ensure the availability of the guide) and be on site at least 20 minutes before the start of any activity at Dinant Aventure. The car park is a ten-minute walk (300m) to the reception.
It may be hard to imagine, from the sedate river below, that so much is happening among the trees but Dinant Adventure makes for a brilliant outing.
Just up the road is Wallonia’s capital, Namur, which is dominated by its ancient Citadelle, which is well worth an excursion from Brussels or anywhere in Belgium.
The citadelle is a fascinating place to visit and is brought to life by a guided tour (in French, Dutch and English).
A tour starts at the excellent Terra Nova Visitor Centre (you can park free of charge a short walk away) and, within seconds you are in one of the several tunnels and passages that criss-cross this whole 80-hectare site.
It’s a mini history of Belgium itself, tracing the times when the country was run by the Spanish, Dutch and French.
The passages and tunnels, largely dug by hand, are remarkably well maintained and have been used down the centuries for everything from defending attacks on the citadelle (it’s been attacked 20 times over the years) to housing Belgian armed forces before the German invasion in WW2. It’s also a great spot for wine storage which is just what one local wine producer does, apparently.
You get a measure of the task involved in constructing the whole thing when told that it took (miners, not soldiers) some 6 years to build 2.5 km of tunnel here.
Construction of the 4km of tunnels first started way back in the 16th century and its 500 years or so of history is very well explained by one of the informative tours.
Back above ground, look out for the huge Esplanade which, next year, is due to undergo major renovation. Close by is the citadelle’s telepherique (cable car),opened just a couple of years ago, which takes you over the river close to the centre of the city.
Before leaving have a look at the newly-opened statue of AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson.
Completing our “Fab Five” is something a bit closer to Brussels – the excellent ZOO Planckendael where, apart from a whole host of (live) animals, you can discover an exceptional exhibition of animal sculptures made with more than a million LEGO® bricks.
Brick Safari is a completely free exhibition, included in the visit to the zoo and said to be a first in Europe.
So, they you have it: a relatively small but select choice of places to visit during the summer.
Whether it’s swinging around on ropes and zip wires in the Ardennes or a more sedate boat trip around one of Europe’s busiest ports you have plenty to keep you entertained over the holiday season.
Further info:
www.centerparcs.be
www.zooplanckendael.be
