‘Big’ towns near Valentise

Here you will find a mini selection. There is so much more to experience in Belgium! Certainly taste our French fries, chocolate and beer!

Antwerp

The city alongside the river Schelde, the city known for diamonds and it’s fashion academy. They throw hands ((h) Ant (d) werpen) and of course the rest of the world is ‘parking’ 😉 (inside joke)

What do you need to see in Antwerp?

The zoo is next to the beautiful central station of Antwerp. This station received the prize for ‘the most beautiful station in the world’.
Rubenshuis The famous painter Peter Paul Rubens and ‘his’ city of Antwerp.
The museum aan de stroom (museum at the river) also known under the name of ‘mas‘
The big ‘sinksenfoor‘, a mega fair or ‘foor’, you have to check google, because they do not have their own site, and only open in the fall!
Middelheim kunstpark. An art park. Grand !!

On these sites you will find even more about Antwerp: visitantwerpen.be and Trip Advisor.

How do you travel from Valentise to Antwerp? By car (30 km) or by train. Tip: Rent a bike in Antwerp, it’s all nice and flat (that’s not the case in Brussels), and everything is close: Velo Antwerp

Brussels

What can we say? Our beautiful capital. So small and so big. Did you know that “Brussels” comes from “Bruocsella” (in Frankish: “bruoc” + “sella”), which evolved into Broekzele, which means “settlement (zele) near the swamp (broek)”? Now you do 😉

What do you need to see in Brussels?

Our own dinosaurs in the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences
Royal greenhouses of Laeken. This jewel only only opens once a year, so check the site
The big market place and manneken Pis
Our ‘balls’, ‘het atomium‘ our massive iron crystal
Trainworld, simply impressive!!

On these sites you will find even more about Brussels: visit.brussels, Trip Advisor and Brussel.be.

How do you travel from Valentise to Brussels? By car (30 km) or by train.

Mechelen

We can’t blame the Financial Times. Woop woop, they rank Mechelen 6th in the ‘Micro European Cities of the Future 2018/2019’ category. We know Mechelen mainly as the city of the moon extinguishers (they try to extinguish the moon in Mechelen), ‘our’ St. Rombout tower and good shopping and eating.

What do you need to see in Mechelen?

Saint Rumbolds tower: To admire and to climb
Taste beer from Mechelen in one of the oldest breweries: Brouwerij Het Anker
Visit the museum Kazerne Dossin. From here, 25500 people were sent to the Nazi camps. A place that touches you.
Fantastic for kids: Technopolis. Learn all about technique and science while doing it.
Just take a romantic stroll next to and over the river Dijle that runs through Mechelen: Het Dijlepad

On these sites you will find even more about Mechelen: visit.mechelen, Trip Advisor, visitflanders.com. There is also a virtual tour of Mechelen !

How do you travel from Valentise to Mechelen? By car (5,5 km)

Leuven

This is where most of our friends went ‘op kot’. Leuven is a student city. It is teeming with fun (and cycling). This small town is yet another gem with old buildings (including the university itself), a world-renowned brewery and who could guess ‘the longest bar in the world’. Yes sorry, we are ‘Burgundians’ for a reason.

What do you need to see in Leuven?

Stadhuis van Leuven, the city hall, a gem, so beautiful, so much ‘lace’
De Stella Artois brouwerij, beer, beer, beer and more beer 🙂
The longest bar in the world: de oude markt with ‘de kotmadam’ in the middle
Abdij Van Park, a real abbey
Unesco world heritage, the great beguinage Het Groot Begijnhof, you don’t have to go all the way to Brugge

On these sites you will find even more about Leuven: visit.leuven, Trip Advisor, visitflanders.com.

How do you travel from Valentise to Leuven? By car (23 km) or by train.

At walking distance from Valentise

Restaurants

Our favorites in the neighbourhood: Bistro La Bionda (300 m), T’hof cafe (20 m), de Melkerij (3 km), Brasserie Oud Sempst (3 km), Silo’s (8 km)

Shops

Valentise is located in the center of a small village called ‘Hofstade’, typically Flemish, built around the small church. Please note, there are 2 Hofstades in Belgium, which is ‘ours’ in Flemish Brabant. With us there are 3 banks / vending machines, 5 hairdressers (our favorite Del Arte), a great boucher slagerij Luc en Adi, a bakery bakker and bread automates broodautomaten open 24/24 7/7. At the bakery you will also find a bit of charcuterie and very tasty cakes, I warn you, very tasty. In the summer you can eat the best ice cream in “‘t Eekhoorntje“.

Pharmacy & Doctor & Hospital

The pharmacy in Hofstade: Sermeus. Doctor on call: call 1733. A new and super soffisticated hospital in the neighbourhood: St. Maarten, Mechelen.

Activities with the children

Indoor playground

De Speelbol (4.3 km) Indoor playground
Nekki (7.7 km) Indoor playground, part of the Nekker (swimming pool, lake …)
Speelstad (61 km) This indoor playground is a bit of a drive, but so much fun for young children

Park – outdoor playground – zoo

Planckendael (6.6 km) beautiful big zoo and playgrounds
Bloso – Park (1.5 km) 172 Ha forrest and lakes. Big outdoor playground, swimming in the lake, beach, high ropes course (all is free, but in summer the beach and swimming in the lake isn’t free, prices go up every year, it’s 5 Euro per person for the moment)
Nekker (7.7 km) Beach, lake for swimming and indoor swimming pool
Vrijbroekpark (5.1 km) park, outdoor playground
Tivoli park (11.4 km) park, outdoor playground, petting zoo
‘t Gulderijtje (3.3 km) petting zoo
‘t struisvogelnest (23 km) only ostriches, our kids love this place
Zoo van Antwerpen (34 km) old zoo, next to the magnificent central station of Antwerp, very easy to go by train !
Pairi Daiza (83.9 km) Best zoo of Europe, breath taking

Indoor swimming pool

Zwembad Geerdegemvaart (2.1 km)
Nekker (7.7 km) Beach, lake and indoor swimming pool
Grimbergen ‘Pierebad’ (15.7 km) a super fun swimming pool
Aqualibi (44 km) a subptropical swim paradise

Theme park – adventure – sport

Technopolis (3 km) science and technique, learn by doing it
Arenal (3.8 km). Trampoline park and padel
Paintball Mechelen (5.2 km)
Schaatsbaan Mechelen (7.7 km) Ice skating track, open all year, yes, really !
Boulder klimmen Mechelen (6.1 km). indoor climbing with thick mats to fall on

Cinema

UGC cinema Mechelen – Utopolis (7.6 km)
Kinepolis Brussel (22.2 km)
Kinepolis Antwerp (35.2 km)

Take a boat

Malinska, boat trips in Mechelen, visit the town from another perspective
Standup paddle sport, Benny’s SUP school Mechelen, only for kids older than 12, a fun experience

Theme parks

Walibi (44 km)
Hidrodoe (61 km) theme in this park is water
Plopsa (for the youngest) (78 km)
Bobbejaanland (69.6 km)
Bellewaerde (136 km)
Boudewijnpark (114 km) dolphins

Museums (a small selection)

Speelgoedmuseum (6 km) Toy museum
Muziekmuseum Brussel (23 km) Music intruments museum
St. Romboutstoren (5.7 km) st Rumbolds, visit and climb it !
Stripmuseum Brussels (28 km) comic book museum
Mini Europe (18.1 km) right next to the atomium
Museum voor natuurwetenschappen (26 km) museum of natural sciences
Hof van Busleyden museum (6.6 km)

Theatr

Beeldsmederij DE MAAN (7.7 km)