The romantic Peerdenbrug in Bruges

De "Peerdenbrug" is mentioned for the first time in 1392. First it was a wooden bridge that had already been rebuilt in 1431. This bridge, like the nearby "Meebrug", was an important connection between the inner city and the adjacent suburb, the so-called "Braamberg".

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The current stone arch bridge dates from 1642. Next to the bridge, along the "Groenerei", a watering place for horses was built. From 1855 onwards the local residents worked hard to remove the watering place, which happened in 1862. She was then replaced by a stone parapet. The last thorough repair of the Peerdenbrug took place in 1952.

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De "Peerdenbrug" is a steep arch bridge and consists almost entirely of anchored brick, with the exception of the bluestone arc and cover plates. A narrow, stone staircase at the level of the northeast side is closed with an iron gate and  gives access to the water.

You can find the bridge at this address:  Meestraat, Groenerei, Bruges.

The Atomium in Brussels

The Atomium was in 1958 the main pavilion and the icon of the Brussels World Fair, the Expo 58. It symbolized the democratic desire to keep the peace between all peoples, the belief in both technical and scientific progress and ultimately it was the expression of the optimistic view of the future of a new, modern and super-technological world that should give people the chance to have a better life.

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In addition to the symbolic value of its history, the Atomium has also become one of the icons of the city of Brussels, the capital of Europe, with which it stands on very good terms. Since the magnificent restoration (2006), what many call the most Belgian monument is also a museum with permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.

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The monument is 102 meters and 70.5 centimeters high (the diagonal of the cube). The ground plane is a hexagon with a diagonal of 94 meters. The nine spheres, which have a diameter of 18 meters, each consist of 48 triangular plates of 1 mm thick.

You can find the Atomium at this address: Atomiumsquare, Brussels.

The St-Michiels church in Ghent

The Sint-Michiels church has a long construction history. Already in the 11th century a chapel was built there by the Saint Bavo abbey. The construction of the present church was probably taken in the early-Gothic period. After many interruptions, the works were not finished until 1672; the tower remained unfinished. Even though the construction of the church took more than 200 years, it still exhibits a remarkable unity in form and style.

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The Sint-Michiels church therefore also counts as a typical example of the experience of Gothic in an era of renaissance and baroque. Her exceptional homogeneity makes her a serene church and a beacon of rest in Ghent city center. In the Sint-Michielskerk you can see a number of special works of art, including a sculpture by Rombaut Pauwels, and paintings by Otto van Veen, Jan Boeckhorst and Anthony Van Dyck.

You can find the Sint-Michiels church at this address: Sint-Michielsplein 4, Ghent.