Its belfry is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a total height of 60 meters, it is the only remnant of a collegiate church razed to the ground in 1811. It dominates the two valleys of the Sambre and Biesmelle rivers and the view from its summit is wonderful! You will truly appreciate its meticulous restoration works for a visit always appreciated. Prolong your visit to the narrow streets of the Hanging Gardens and the medieval city. You will discover works of contemporary art all over the city.

The hanging gardens are located on the southern bank of the historic center of the upper town of Thuin, perfectly oriented and exposed to sun exposure on the slope and right bank of the Biesmelle, a tributary of the Sambre. Several narrow cobblestoned streets such as the Posty Arlequin and the Grand Mont run along part of these gardens. You will find about 210 gardens spread over several levels between the various sandstone fortification walls. They can be seen through open gates. A vineyard was replanted in 2001 , the vineyard produces a natural sweet wine called: Le Clos des Zouaves.

The visit of the gardens is free of charge along a route marked out with eleven explanatory panels.

The town is one of the hubs of the waterway transport industry, since many barge owners are from this area and choose this place to stay when the time comes to retire to the boatmen’s quarter. Walking or cycling on the towpath is very pleasant from Thuin to the Abbey of Aulne.

The ruins of the Abbey of Aulne, – a Cistercian monks monastery  dating  back to 1147- are also  located on the ground of Gozee’s entity. Take the time to visit, discover Aulne, go on a boat trips, play mini golf and enjoy the numerous terraces on the banks of the Sambre where you can taste the local beer “l’ADA” @bebeer

• And many other things to discover in the four corners of the entity of Thuin: the Wood “ du Grand Bon Dieu”, the tram museum, Leers Fosteau and its castle whith a museum of pharmacy, Ragnies, one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia with its Biercée Distillery, etc.

• The village of Biercée known for its cherries party, with its beautiful kiosk and its hundred-year-old lime tree.

• They are Two craft brewery in the village of Thuillies :
• « Le Fou du Roy » with The beer «  La Galipette »

• “La Rogère” with the beer “La Beerat” and « Saqwé »

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However, a work council has been scheduled today at the head office of the travel company, in Ghent. The British firm, in fact, employs 600 people in Belgium and has 86 travel agencies around the country.

The syndicalist Katrien Degryse, of SETCa, declared: “We hope to get some answers. The announcement of this bankruptcy is not surprising, but it remains a shock for the staff”. She continues saying that in the last ten years, Thomas Cook has carried out numerous restructurings in Belgium.

Also the Minister of Employment and Economy, Wouter Beke, received the management and the CEO of Thomas Cook Belgium. Jan Dekeyser, the CEO, qualified the encounter as “open and constructive.”

In total, around 10,000 Belgians are affected by the situation of the tour operator. The tourist guides posted abroad are informing them of the situation. Until further notice, the tour operator can not accept any new clients, “as a precaution”, précises the spokesman. The Travel Guarantee Fund has not been activated yet. This will only happen if Thomas Cook will declare bankrupt in Belgium as well. However, at the moment it is not possible to make reservations on their website.

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Thanks to Thalys Neige, snow sports enthusiasts can reach the largest ski areas in the French Alps quickly, comfortably and without traffic jams. Tickets will go on sale starting September 13 for travel between December 22, 2018 and April 13, 2019.

The new connection will serve the stations: Antwerp-Central and Brussels-Midi to Albertville, Moutiers, Aime la Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

From €55 in Standard or €120 in Comfort and €129 in Premium, you will have direct access to the most beautiful slopes of the Southern Alps.

The Thalys Neige is accessible from € 55 one way in Standard. 

The Comfort rate is available from € 80 one way. 

And for those who want to enjoy all the services of the famous red train (including a meal served instead and a welcome drink each way), the Premium rate starts at € 129 one way.

Good deal for the fastest: the Snow Flakes offer allows you to discover the Premium range at € 89. 

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As well as all its traditional and iconic attractions, Brussels is packed full of typical spots and secret treasures loved by its inhabitants. That’s why visit.brussels, in collaboration with the creative agency FamousGrey, has developed an innovative online guide that’s available in real time: “now.brussels”.

Now.brussels, a new tool in real time to discover Brussels in a different way

When you’re exploring a city, there’s no better way than to visit the places the people who live there like. Thanks to now.brussels, this is now possible with a click. Now.brussels is an innovative site that lets visitors choose what they want to do based on where they are, the weather forecast, what they fancy doing at that time and, above all, the recommendations of locals.

What are the most popular open-air cafes with the locals? Where can you party until the small hours in Brussels? What are the not-to-be-missed events? Brussels’ hotspots are rated in real time, based on what locals are saying on social media (through photos, stories, comments, hashtags…) and their location.

How does it work?

All the user has to do is visit now.brussels and turn on their location, and the Brussels adventure can begin. They can choose from three options: things to do, where to drink, and where to eat. Based on the user’s geolocation and what they choose to do, the site uses an interactive map to identify where locals are at that precise time. According to their size and shade, coloured areas identify the places most visited by locals, which are both near the visitor and located in the Brussels region. The visitor then just has to decide what to do, based on the descriptions and photos uploaded about each place and/or activity.

An authentic “made in Brussels” experience

After visiting the city’s historical highlights, tourists will be able to enjoy the atmosphere and buzz of the “real” Brussels. Exploring Brussels with now.brussels is a unique way to be inspired and guided by locals, as well as to discover Brussels in real time at the same pace as locals.

More information: now.brussels

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The International Greeters Association, a symbol of participative tourism, has been created and its headquarters are in Brussels.

Now in its 26th year, the Global Greeter Network is going from strength to strength. And what better way to visit a city than accompanied by a local? As a symbol of this boom, the International Greeters Association has been created and its headquarters are in Brussels.

Greeters are local people who give tourists an unusual, original and personal insight into their city or neighbourhood, in a friendly and welcoming way. This idea is a perfect example of the trend in alternative tourism, which is increasingly in demand from tourists looking for a more authentic experience. It represents participative tourism, a vehicle for urban development and a cornerstone of tourist growth at the start of the 21st century.

The Global Greeter Network has more than 140 members in all 4 corners of the globe. Brussels can boast about being one of the 6 Global Greeter destinations to have seen the biggest rise in visits, along with Paris, New York, Chicago, Brisbane and Hamburg.

Today, Brussels Greeters and visit.brussels are delighted to announce the creation of the International Greeter Association (IGA). The Brussels Greeters network is a free, participative tourism service, that relies on the volunteering work and enthusiasm of the people of Brussels. Coordinated by visit.brussels, its mission is to welcome and help visitors discover the city. The creation of the IGA in Brussels confirms the capital’s international standing and further boosts its active approach to local partnerships.

Visit.brussels (and the Brussels Greeters), CDT Pas-de-Calais, Hamburg Greeters, Cicerones of Buenos Aires, Paris Greeters and Choose Chicago are the founding members, who will soon bring the 140 existing networks together. The global network is expected to grow by 5% in the next two years.

Brussels, world capital of international associations, with more than 2,300 based in the city will, from now on, also be a leader in participative tourism.

For more information go to

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Literally translated, Pão de Ló means bread of Ló, but taste and texturewise it’s more a sponge cake than a bread. Its production dates to the beginnings of the 18^th century, when a certain Clara Maria started to produce the today famous Pão de Ló de Margaride. The little bread factory, that is more of a vintage bakery, still exists today and is located right in the heart of Felgueiras. We were quite lucky to visit it and watch the hard-working ladies and men during the whole process. It was an exciting experience to see how this traditional cake has been prepared for centuries and retained its charm over all this time.

Pão de Ló is made from eggs, sugar and flour. It’s just the egg yolks that are being used and Guilherme, the owner of Pão de Ló de Margaride, told us that 25 egg yolks go into a kilogram of batter. The yolks are first beaten with the sugar until a creamy batter has formed. Only then the flour is added, and everything is mixed to an even dough. The dough is then filled into clay cake forms that have a hole in the middle and are lined with a thick white paper. Once the dough has been evenly distributed, the cake is baked in the oven for 40-45 minutes. The final product is a beautiful, slightly browned cake with a little crust and a golden, fluffy inside that smells like eggs and perfection. It’s served in the paper it was baked in and it’s usually not cut but ripped off by hand, so the airy texture of the cake doesn’t get lost. You’ll find the cake in bakeries mostly before and during Easter, but also during the year it’s a popular dessert, best enjoyed with a glass of Port wine.

The factory visit wasn’t the only highlight of our visit. After a delicious lunch in the city, we headed to the actual festival of the Pão de Ló, which is taking place every year, a week before Easter. The festival showcases the biggest and best producers of Pão de Ló and this year was the first time that also international exhibitors took part in the event. Similar types of the spongecake exist in Japan for example, so you could find Japanese-inspired matcha sponge cake. We were introduced to all the Pão de Ló producers, who keep their family recipes a secret since generations and are all well known in the region. They won several awards both nationally and internationally: Fábrica de Pão de Ló de Margaride, Casa do Pão de Ló Agostinho de Sousa, Pão de Ló de Margaride de António Lopes, Pão de Ló de Margaride Mário Ribeiro (Fernando Jorge Cibrão Ribeiro), Casa Rosa Sousa, Alojamento e Produtos Regionais.

After the festival our blood was full of sugar and to set this off, we first attended a very interesting wine tasting at Quinta da Lixa. The lovely lady explained to us everything we needed to know about the famous wine of the region: Vinho Verde that is a big part of the local and regional economy. To finish the evening we enjoyed an amazing, local dinner with fresh and regional produce at the restaurant Brasão, headed by the known and talented chef Carvalho. If you visit the city, don’t miss out on his codfish soup or the incredibly tender steak with hand cut, fried chips.

Regardless why you’re visiting the region, there is plenty of things to do and see. Besides being known for its Pão de Ló, Felgueiras and the neighboring towns are famous for their wine and textile production. The area is also part of the Romanic route where you can visit different sights from the Romanic era, like the Mosteiro do Salvador de Travanca. One thing is for sure: you won’t be disappointed by a visit to the region.

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According to the authorities, the fire started at 3 am so all of the 170 guests had to be evacuated. The fire had apparently started in the kitchen on the first floor, then spread out to the rest of the hotel. However the cause of the fire is yet unknown.

Among the 170 guests, 3 of them were poisoned by the fumes; one was was seriously intoxicated.

With the help of the firefighters, the guests were moved to a hotel close by.

Now the situation is under control. However, the intervention of the firefighters caused the closing of the Avenue of the Golden Fleece to the traffic, between Louise square and the Porte de Namur towards Basilique, reported Bruxelles-Mobilité on Twitter.

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GoodPlanet, Inter-Environnement Wallonie (IEW), visit.brussels and the Brussels Hotel Association (BHA) are joining forces to further promote Green Key in Brussels. Currently, 20% of all hotel rooms in Brussels stands out with a Green Key label. A number of distinctive Brussels event venues and meeting rooms has also received the label, in collaboration with Brussels Special Venues (BSV). The programme, and this new collaboration, was presented in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Brussels-Capital Region government, Rudi Vervoort, in The Hotel, which received the label for the first time in 2019.

Large-scale label for sustainable tourism expands

The label is far and away the largest in the tourism sector, internationally, with 2,900 locations in 56 countries.

There are now 239 Green Key locations in Belgium: 34 in Brussels (20% of the hotel rooms) 69 in Wallonia and 136 in Flanders. This puts our country near the top of the class, but there is still room to grow.

That’s why GoodPlanet, Inter-Environnement Wallonie, visit.brussels, BHA and BSV are launching a new programme to promote the label and support the Brussels candidates. In April and May, interested operators can take part in workshops which will prepare them for acquiring the label.

What Brussels tourism players say

Rudi Vervoort, Prime Minister of the Brussels-Capital Region government: « Brussels is an open city which welcomes everyone and in which the quality of life is above average. My task, as Prime Minister, is to implement a policy which benefits as many people as possible, while safeguarding the well-being of the residents of Brussels. »

Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh, Secretary General of BHA: « This public-private partnership is essential for the development of sustainable tourism, one of the priorities for our sector. The Green Key label is the international benchmark when it comes to tourist accommodations. The fact that this programme is being given an extra impulse in Brussels is very good news for both tourists and residents of the city. »

Patrick Bontinck, CEO of visit.brussels: « As a central pivot of the tourism sector in Brussels, visit.brussels is keen to support sustainability initiatives. The international Green Key programme is a great example of that. The initiative improves the competitive position of Brussels SMEs and gives tourism operators the chance to engage within a sustainable and concrete framework.

Jo Van Cauwenberge, director of GoodPlanet Belgium: « Green Key highlights the commitment of sustainable accommodations, attractions and meeting rooms. You can’t just get a Green Key label. Operators worldwide have to meet more than 100 criteria in energy, nutrition, mobility… »

Christophe Schoune, Secretary General of IEW: « The increasing number of companies with a Green Key label proves that sustainability can be achieved at a tourism level. By choosing an accommodation with a Green Key label, tourists and business travellers are reducing their CO2 emissions and demonstrating their commitment to preserving the planet. »

New website shows tourists the way

A staycation, holidaying in your own country, is gaining in popularity. Holidaying in your own country is more sustainable, because there are no great distances being travelled. It is less stressful, less expensive and it supports the local economy.

GoodPlanet and IEW developed a tool to help tourists easily find a sustainable accommodation in Belgium. Organic breakfast, paying with ecocheques or easily accessible by train? Tourists looking to travel sustainably will find Green Key locations to meet their expectations, through a search module. The locations are also clearly shown on a map.

The Hotel

According to The Hotel, « everyone has a part to play in limiting climate change and we all have to reduce our carbon footprint in order to leave a decent world behind for the future generation. » In view of that, The Hotel Brussels decided to partially produce its own electricity, for example, through cogeneration, saving energy in the process. They took other sustainability measures too, and were awarded the Green Key label. The Hotel intends to go a step further than simply doing business sustainably; they want to raise awareness in their guests about the subject too.

The Hotel is a first-class hotel with a breathtaking view across Brussels from its height of 94 metres. The 420 rooms are furnished in streamlined, contemporary design. The location, in the upper part of the city, is ideal and allows you to undertake many tourist activities in the surrounding area.

There are other amenities available in the establishment: 12 meeting rooms on the 1st, 25th, 26th and 27th floors (including the Grand Ballroom, which accommodates a maximum of 400 people), a restaurant with a weekly menu and creative cuisine, a bar, a sports hall and an Urban Spa. Get ready for an exceptional stay in Brussels!

The Hotel has taken the following sustainability initiatives:

• Production of own electricity through a cogeneration unit, which provides a significant saving in primary energy and facilitates a reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases;
• The implementation of an external energy audit and other measures for the reduction of energy consumption: restricted outside lighting, movement sensors, automatic lighting system, electrical equipment and devices with energy labels of at least A and A++++, automatic stand-by on electrical equipment;
• Composting of organic waste;
• Incentive for active mobility: bike rental;
• Wheelchair access;
• Dual-flush toilets;
• Products with an eco-label for use in dishwashers and washing machines;
• Use of dispensers; no individual packaging of soap/shampoo;
• Use of ecological and biodegradable soap/shampoo;
• Use of microfibre cloths to reduce use of water and chemicals;
• Initiatives around sustainable food: buying food from a Belgian producer, heritage vegetables and lesser-known fish sorts on the menu, attention to seasons and labels;
• Supporting environmental or social activities at a local level.

Green Key laureates in Brussels

Green Key

Green Key has been showing the way to sustainable tourism, recreation and meeting rooms for 13 years already. Green Key is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Since its launch in Brussels, the programme has been supported by the Brussels Hotel Association (BHA) and Brussels Special Venues (BSV) and coordinated by the Fédération Inter-Environnement Wallonie (IEW). The IEW will be working in future together with GoodPlanet Belgium, with the support of visit.brussels.

GoodPlanet Belgium coordinates Green Key in Flanders, with the support of Toerisme Vlaanderen. In Wallonia, Green Key is coordinated by IEW, with the support of the Minister for Tourism and the Commissariaat-generaal voor toerisme.

GoodPlanet Belgium

Since 1997, GoodPlanet Belgium has been inspiring young and old to work towards a sustainable society, by initiating positive actions and sharing expertise. GoodPlanet develops and supervises projects, training and educative tools for all sustainability themes. The 80 staff members reach more than 500,000 children, teenagers and adults throughout all of Belgium each year.

IEW

Inter-Environnement Wallonie, a federation of environmental associations, was founded in 1971. It represents almost 150 associations of varying types and sizes. The diversity is extremely rich and encompasses local, regional and even international associations. IEW strives for better air quality in cities, protection and recovery of eco-systems, environmental education, citizens’ cooperatives, sustainable food, ‘soft’ mobility and sustainable tourism. They work on the legal framework and search for solutions for speeding up the ecological and solidarity transition.

Visit.Brussels

Visit Brussels is the Brussels Tourism Agency. The agency was given the task of strengthening the imago of Brussels-Capital Region. Visit.brussels aims to promote Brussels locally and internationally as the capital of 500 million Europeans; a ‘global city’ in which more than 180 nationalities co-exist and make Brussels a cosmopolitan city which resonates with the rest of the world.

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