5 – 9 April 2024
The rich art and architecture of the cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent reflect their historic trading, wealth and prestige. Glorious churches, spectacular decorative and fine arts museums, and an astonishing array of civic buildings are a testament to the country’s role as the great meeting place of Western Europe. Traces of the Austrians, Spanish, French and Dutch are to be found in the eclectic mix of architectural styles, beginning with the Romanesque and culminating in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco of the 20th century. Highlights will include the world-class Musée de Beaux Arts in Antwerp, which recently re-opened after many years of closure and the house and printing workshops of the Plantin Moretus family, a rare survival from the 16th century when Antwerp was at the centre of the book trade. Jan van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, in Ghent, will be the subject of a special pilgrimage.