flanders

TENTATIVE ITINERARY	NIGHTSTOP

DAY ONE - Tuesday
We depart London on the Eurostar and are met by your Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd guide on arrival in Lille. You can combine this tour with a day or two on our Flanders Western Front battlefields weekend tours in which case you may already be in Lille. We have an interesting and full day ahead with a visit to the Belgium capital Brussels. Brussels hardly requires an introduction as everyone at least knows the Manneken Pis! There is so very much more to this wonderful city and we can claim no more than to be giving you the briefest introduction. The city almost demands four days to itself rather than one on a four-day tour! Still, we'll do our best to show you the main sites on a guided tour including the Grote Markt and Grand-Place, La Monnaie, Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral, and the newer EU administrative buildings. There'll also be a visit to the Waterloo Battlefield.	Leuven
DAY TWO - Wednesday
Today, we first explore Leuven which is often called the open air museum of the past. For those looking to find the most beautiful medieval building in the world, look no further! The magnificent 15th century town hall of the city of Leuven alone is worth the trip. The city centre looks like a very well preserved town with buildings from the 17th and 18th century. There are many styles of architecture to be found in and around Leuven. From the flamboyant Gothic Saint Peter's Church (with the famous 15th century painting of Dirk Bouts 'The Last Supper') to the impressive Romanesque Gate, and not forgetting the unrivalled Park Abbey of Baroque Style. The town still owes much of its character to the numerous university buildings, dating from the 16th and 17th century, many of which were renovated in the 18th century. Another exquisite historic city is that of Mechelen, a town boasting more historic monuments than even Brugge. Visits here can include the medieval square with guild houses and 14th century town hall and seeing works by Van Dyck and other Flemish masters in the cathedral. All in all, a lovely leisurely day with lots of time for sightseeing, shopping and simply relaxing at street cafes and bars.	Leuven
DAY THREE - Thursday
Ghent is one of the country's noted 'art cities', and the capital of East Flanders. Besides two medieval castles, nineteen museums, five abbeys and three beguinages, one will come across dozens of other churches and historic buildings. It boasts waterways lined with gorgeous, gabled buildings, a cathedral decorated with priceless art treasures, the SWAK Museum of Contemporary Art, the museum of the Large Beguinage and a fantastic museum of historical weapons. The city represents something of a 'find' as it is well endowed with historic properties as its neighbour Brugge but not quite as crowded. We'll spend time exploring the city and will also be exploring the scenic driving between here and our base on the Flanders coast near Ostend (which we'll visit).	Leuven
DAY FOUR - Friday
We've saved perhaps the most famed of all Flanders cities until last - Bruges/Brugge. This medieval gem criss-crossed by canals and cobbled streets, never fails to surprise and delight its visitors. We'll enjoy a leisurely and extended visit with sufficient time to explore. There'll be an opportunity of taking an optional horse drawn carriage ride around the city. There'll be time for shopping, perhaps visiting a brewery, and we'd most definitely recommend the Flanders Folk Museum where daily life has been wonderfully recreated in a number of tableaux. In the late afternoon, early evening, we return to Lille where you board the Eurostar for home. It is possible to extend tour visit with additional free-time on Saturday time in Lille, or by travelling to Lille on the Sunday morning and joining our one day tour of the Great War Battlefield of the Somme. An additional night's accommodation can be reserved through Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd at a cost of £55 per person sharing a twin room and £70 for a single. Dinner is not included on this additional night.