Flemish Brabant, the most southerly province of Flanders, is a green oasis with art, bicycle routes and a delicious surprise.
The history of the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant is surprisingly short! Two new provinces, Walloon Brabant and Flemish Brabant, were created when Belgium embraced federalism and decided to split the bilingual province of Brabant. The border between the two new provinces is currently part of the language border between Dutch and French-speaking Belgium. But with cities such as Leuven and Diest and regions such as the Groene Gordel (green belt) and the Hageland there is more than enough to do!
Leuven is the capital of the province and has a lot to offer in terms of culture and art history. In the city centre, visit the Oude Markt, which has been around since the 14th century and take the time to see Leuven's gothic town hall, monumental university library and Sint-Pieterskerk. Wash everything down with a snack and a drink in Munstraat.
The Flemish city of Diest (which had been in the hands of the Orange-Nassau's for centuries) boasts a UNESCO cultural heritage site, Begijnhof, and the Hof van Nassau, where the princes of Orange resided in the 16th century. Enjoy a clear Gildenbier after your walk!
The Groene Gordel in the west encircles Brussels with green fields and hills where you can relax on foot or on a bicycle. The Flemish refer to walking and cycling the belt as 'belting'.
The Hageland landscape in the east of the province is just as green and beautiful as the Groene Gordel, and you can even taste some of the local wine. The town of Houwaart is home to a number of vineyards that are open to the public.
Flemish Brabant is 90 km from east to west and just 40 km from north to south and easy to explore by car. Thanks to its proximity to Brussels, it's also easy to reach by train and public transport. You'll find the train schedules on the website of the NMBS and the bus and tram schedules on the website of De Lijn.
Should you be travelling from Amsterdam or Rotterdam by train, the journey to Brussels takes about 2 hours. In Brussels, you will have to change trains or catch a local bus. Should you be travelling by car from Amsterdam or Rotterdam plan 3 to 4 hours for the journey due to high traffic.
Cycling, walking and the good life: everything is possible in Flemish Brabant!