Day 2 - Floralia Spring Flower Exhibition
Travel by coach to the Floralia Spring Flower Exhibition, hosted
at Groot-Bijgaarden Castle, a fairytale 12th-century castle
surrounded by a wide moat with an arched bridge. Over a period of
four springtime weeks, the grounds of this marvellous stately home
are transformed with a magnificent display of more than 400 floral
varieties, bringing an array of colour. Indoor gardens here also
hold a superb variety of flowers from around the world and are a
delight to see and smell.
Afterwards, you journey to back to Antwerp, where you visit the
peaceful area of Berchem. This semi-independent district within the
city of Antwerp is notable for its Art Nouveau townhouses, which
were mostly built towards the end of the 19th century. You have
some free time to explore here. Perhaps take a relaxed walk around
the Brilschanspark, a leafy park which forms part of the 'green
lung of Berchem' together with Wolvenberg Nature Reserve. Or, you
could enjoy a spot of lunch in one of the city's many cafés,
sampling some authentic local food. Belgium cuisine is often
compared with that of the French, due to the proximity of the two
countries. Authentic specialities here include sweet waffles,
Mosselen-Friet or Moules-frites - mussels served with fries, and
Stoofvlees, a hearty Flemish beef stew.
Includes