Dutch & Belgian Holiday Celebration

As the home of the European Parliament, Brussels may come as something of a surprise to visitors expecting a bland and humourless city. The Grand Place, surrounded by grandiose guildhalls, is one of the finest squares in all of Europe, and the city has a rich cultural heritage; former residents include Magritte, Brueghel and Hergé, creator of Tintin . The city also boasts an excellent selection of restaurants, cafés and bars, where you can sample moules-frites , Belgian waffles or dangerously drinkable Trappist beer.

Ghent is one of Belgium’s most captivating cities, home to pretty canals lined by handsome brick houses and a burgeoning restaurant scene. The architectural highlights of Ghent’s medieval centre include the soaring Gothic tower of St Bavo’s cathedral, and the city also boasts some excellent museums and galleries.

The vibrant city of Maastricht is sandwiched between Belgium and Germany in the southeastern corner of the Netherlands, and has a real multinational, multilingual feel. Highlights include romantic cobbled streets, fascinating Roman history, fantastic shopping and a lively restaurant and bar scene.

Antwerp is a city bound up with the arts, once home to the likes of Rubens and Van Dyck, and more recently carving out a reputation as the fashion capital of Belgium. It’s also a magnet for shopaholics, with designer boutiques and jewellers galore.

One of the great ports of Europe, Rotterdam’s impressive skyline can be seen from far and wide. With great architecture both ancient and modern, fantastic exhibition and concert halls, theatres, pretty galleries and numerous museums, there is so much to do when you stay here.

Amsterdam is one of our very favourite cities to visit, as well as also being a perfect base to explore the nearby landscape of windmills and dikes. There is a wealth of famous museums and galleries to choose from, such as the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House.