The monastery Church of the Clarians in Brussels

The monastery order clarions originally had their convent near the Halle Gate, where they settled in 1343 at the invitation of a generous lender. This monastery was demolished in 1578 to expand the city walls and the sisters settled here, in the monastery of Nazareth, the former property of the "Frères de la vie commune". In the 17th century, they decided to expand and renovate their monastery, as well as to built a new church. Construction commenced in 1665, according to plans by the architect Luc Fayd'herbe (1617-1697).

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Thirty years later, the building is the victim of the bombardment of the city by the French army and must be rebuilt. The rebuild was stopped during the French occupation who added two new streets crossing on the grounds of the monastery, the Rijke Klarenstraat, and the Sint-Kristoffelstraat.

The church is reopened, enlarged and got its religious function back in 1806, this time as a parish church. During the battles of September 1830, the church served as a hospital for the wounded. On 15 June 1989 the church was the victim of a heavy fire, and since then it has been painstakingly restored. Among other things, the organs are definitely lost. At the same time, excavations were carried out that exposed remains of the old monastery.

You can find the church at this address: Rijkeklarenstraat 23, Brussels.

The Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck Monument in Bruges

Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, two folk heroes of the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, are known far beyond the Bruges borders. They were also the heroes in the book "The Lion of Flanders" (1838) by Flemish autor Hendrik Conscience. It is therefore not surprising that the two heroes were immortalized in 1887 on the Marketplace in Bruges with an impressive statue.

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The statue was made by two different artists. The pedestal is made by Louis Delacenserie, the architect of, among others, the neo-gothic movement in Bruges. The bronze statue of the two folk heroes is the work of Paul De Vigne, a sculptor from Ghent,

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Due to friction between the Flemish-minded Breydel committee and the French-speaking Bruges city council, the statue was unveiled twice. The first time on 11 July 1887 in Flemish by the Breydel committee; a second time on August 15, 1887, this time in French and in the presence of King Leopold II.

A boat trip in Ghent

Do you want a pleasant or romantic boat trip in Ghent? Your cruise starts at one of the most beautiful and historical quays of the city. Several shipping companies show you Ghent seen from the water. On the Graslei, you can embark for a 40-minute round trip. 

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The little cruises takes place daily. The captain is also your guide. During the boat trip the helmsman likes to share his knowledge of the city with his passengers, and of course in different languages. You will be amazed what history this city has.

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Every 15 to 20 minutes there is a departure from Graslei by open boat. In case of rain, there are covered boats, with a departure every 30 to 60 minutes. For a special occasion or family reunion there is the possibility to rent a boat privately with own personal captain and a personalized catering.