Nowhere in Belgium is too far, so here are some ideas for getting away from it all and breaking free of the city.

Be careful if driving during public holidays — traffic jams are common, especially on the coast roads in summer. The trains offer reduced fares at weekends as well as group and family specials.

Taking the Plunge
The eponymous town of Spa can take away the stress of modern life. Located in the heart of the Ardennes, it takes around two hours to reach by train.

Spa's sulphurous waters were originally discovered by the Romans, although it was to be another half century before it became famous as a resort.

After falling into 19th century disrepair and disregard, Spa has, since 2004, been transformed into a magnificent therapy and relaxation centre, worthy of a new millennium.

Go to relax, to be pampered, to take the waters and to enjoy the town itself and the surrounding forest.

Thermes de Spa
Colline d'Annette et Lubin
4900 Spa
087 77 25 60
www.thermesdespa.com

Dipping your Toes
The Belgian coastline is only 64km long, but it embraces the best of kiss-me-quick seaside activities, sophisticated living and wildlife sanctuaries

Oostende is a good place to head for if you want a taste of royal Belgium, for this place is known as the Queen of Belgian Resorts.

The royal bit comes from the fact that Leopold II built a fair number of villas there and even Queen Victoria crossed the channel to visit and take a paddle.

Much of Oostende was bombed during World War II, but what is left of the old is impressive.

The Fort Napoleon, built in 1812, is the only intact Napoleonic fortress left in Europe.

At the western end of the promenade, there is Leopold's 390m gallery, Tuscan columns with a belle-époque pavilion as a finial. His former villa is now a luxurious hotel.

Without doubt the crowning glory of the post-war period is the Oostende Casino, built in 1953, the 4th casino to stand on the same spot.

The walls of the gaming room are decorated in frescoes by Paul Delvaux, though you have to take a place at the tables to see them.

Knokke-Heist is a much more upmarket resort, where wealthy Belgians keep swanky seaside homes and where the shops, restaurants and beach clubs are all designer.

A short way north, close to the Dutch border, is Zwin a protected area of natural beauty.  The windblown dunes offer sanctuary to birds and other wildlife.

A great way to explore the whole coastline is by the Kusttram, a tram which runs its entire length from De Panne to Knokke. 

Run by De Lijn, the tram calls in at 70 stops in 16 towns. You can hop on and off with day ticket costing EUR 5 or you can be foolhardy and do the whole journey in two hours and 20 minutes.

Oostende
www.ostend.be

Knokke-Heist
www.knokke-heist.be

Zwin Nature Reserve
www.zwin.be

Kusttram
www.dekusttram.be

Rambling in the Ardennes
The Ardennes, in the south of the country, covers the three provinces of Namur, Luxembourg and Liège and is an area of outstanding beauty.

The gentle but rugged countryside of the Ardennes is full of heritage, history and charm.

It can get quite touristy in the summer, but there is always somewhere to escape, especially if you have a car.

If you go by train, you'll need to choose a centre as a base and then work your way out from there, bearing in mind that it is still very rural.

Dinant is a good place for a day trip from Brussels. Overlooked by its hilltop citadel, it's a pretty location — though there's not much to do over a longer period of time. Instrument inventor Adolphe Sax was born here and his house can still be seen.

St-Hubert also has a railway station and is a perfect base for setting out on cycling or walking activities.

It's named after the patron saint of hunters which explains why this is the centre of hunting land and why its restaurants specialise in game. The town is surrounded by the most beautiful countryside.

In the winter, parts of the Ardennes become a ski resort. We're not talking Alps here, but Belgium's highest point, the Baraque de Fraiture, at 652m offers three alpine pistes. In total, there are 11 alpine pistes in the Ardennes and 62 pistes for ski de fond.

Ardennes Region
www.catpw.be

Dinant
www.dinant-tourisme.be

St-Hubert
www.sthubert.be

Ski info line
084 41 19 82

Carnival Time
Carnival is an important part of Belgian cultural heritage and happens every year at Lent, mostly in smaller towns and villages in Wallonia.

The most famous carnival is in Binche, not far from Charleroi.

However, this is not some riotous explosion of music and dance as in Rio or New Orleans.  Binche is based more on a tradition that started centuries ago.

There are strict rules for taking part; only men born in Binche can don the Gilles costume, so if you go, you are there as an onlooker. The costumes are beautifully outrageous and carry strange, secret symbols.

The festivities continue over three days, with each day having a different parade and meaning.

During this time, the Gilles wear different head dresses and masks which include strange white faces with glasses and a moustache and ostrich plumes.

It all culminates in a parade where boys throw blood oranges into the crowd (these are not meant as missiles, but gifts and should never be thrown back).

The Binche carnival is now recognised as one of the most outstanding — if not downright weird — carnivals in the world.

Other renowned carnivals take place throughout the region.

The Malmédy carnival involves men in black hats decorated with ostrich feathers grabbing at onlookers with their tong-like hape-tchâr (flesh snatchers). They won't let go until you say sorry.

In Stavelot, the carnival starts on the third Thursday in Lent and is renowned for its participants in white monks' robes and hoods known as the Blancs-Moussis.

This carnival is a bit more riotous with its confetti cannons, pigs bladders and long brooms — we'll leave the rest to your imagination.

There are also carnivals in Flanders which tend to follow the German tradition.

The Tonnekensbrand is held in Geraardsbergen on the first Sunday of Lent. A procession dressed head to toe in white passes through the town.

Then, the oldest citizen, followed by the mayor, is presented with a glass of white wine swarming with small live fish. Both drink a mouthful and swallow a fish.

It's a funny old world.

Binche carnival
www.carnivaldebinche.be

Updated May 2008

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Subject: Getaways in Belgium