Accompanying persons

Please note that no activities are planned for accompanying persons apart from the symposium tour. Each participant will receive tourist information in and around Brussels.

Belgium is a small country, well served by public transport and there is no problem getting around in English. So travelling around the country for day visits should be fairly easy for accompanying persons. In fact, the hardest part may be choosing from the variety of things you can do or visit: the offer, in terms of culture, nature or entertainment, is abundant for a country as small as Belgium.

Brussels

Here are some places or activities worth visiting:

• The Grand-Place district and the shopping streets (especially the Rue Neuve)
• The Atomium and the Mini-Europe Park
• A major museum (Royal Museum of Art and History, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Natural Sciences, etc.). In particular, the Museum of Musical Instruments, housed in a magnificent Horta building, is worth a visit: it is considered one of the most important museums of musical instruments in the world. The Magritte Museum is also a must-see. It is located just opposite the Museum of Musical Instruments.
• The Royal Museum for Central Africa (Africa Museum) is also a museum gem in Belgium. Located in Tervuren, on the edge of Brussels, it is easily accessible by combining metro and tram.

Wallonia

For those who do not hesitate to use public transport (see sncb.be), day trips can be suggested:

• Discover Pairi Daiza, Belgium's leading tourist attraction, elected "Europe's Best Zoo" in 2018 and 2019 and awarded 3 stars in the Michelin Green Guide
• Visit the Han Caves and its wildlife park.

Flanders

For historical reasons, Flanders is home to a number of art cities that are well worth a visit. Bruges is the best known, but Ghent (with the famous "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by the Van Eyck brothers), Leuven, Antwerp and Mechelen are also worth a visit. All these cities are easily accessible by public transport.

Practical information

Public transports

• Public transport in Brussels
• Belgian Railways
• Map for the train, metro, tram, and bus routes in Brussels

Wallonia - Brussels

• 365.be: This site offers all the information you need for Brussels and Wallonia (the French-speaking part of the country, with a German-speaking minority).
• Visit.brussels: The reference website for Brussels

Flanders - Brussels

• VisitFlanders: The reference website for Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of the country) but also Brussels