A Pleasant Day in Planckendael

In order to introduce Planckendael Zoo, you need to know something more about the one in Antwerp. The Zoo of Antwerp is the oldest zoo in Belgium and actually one of the oldest in the world. In the 1960s however, the Zoo of Antwerp sometimes had problems with available space for its animals. This is exactly how the Zoo of Planckendael was born; it served as a kind of backup zoo for the one in Antwerp. In the beginning, it didn't attract a lot of people. That changed in the 1980s when Planckendael became a fully operational zoo. In fact, both zoos have now become complementary to each other.

Planckendael Zoo is located not far from Mechelen. You can easily reach it in your own car; there is more than ample parking space on the other side of the road. There are several ways to use public transport as well. Close to the zoo is a very small trainway station in Muizen. Otherwise, you take the train to the bigger station of Mechelen and afterwards come by bus or even boat to Planckendael. For more information, check out this website.

Just like many other zoos, Planckendael is subdivided into 5 continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. At the entrance, you receive a map so that you can easily orientate yourself and decide which animals you would like to see first. And there is a lot of choices: Planckendael counts 202 different species of animals.

Feeling hungry and/or thirsty? Spread all over the zoo there are 4 restaurants, each with their own specialities. They are all clearly marked on the map. And there are smaller stands at different intervals as well when you only fancy a snack, a soda or an ice cream.

The most popular spot in Planckendael is without any doubt where the Asian elephants are housed. At the moment of my visit, not one, not two, but three elephants were pregnant. One of them was actually Kai-Mook, the first elephant ever born in Belgium. Unfortunately, about a year later, some of these elephants died suddenly.

Planckendael is a kid-friendly zoo, with lots of playgrounds everywhere. The exhausted moms and dads, on the other hand, can catch their breath on one of the many benches.

There are also two gift shops in the park. To be honest, I love those gadgets and dolls and I can never leave any zoo without one of them!

This is by far my most favourite zoo in Belgium. It misses the grandeur of Pairi Daiza, but Planckendael is cosier and you will always find a quiet corner where you can enjoy the surroundings. It is also less expensive, especially compared to Pairi Daiza.

Find out more about this zoo on their beautiful website!

Tomorrow, I will be back writing on my movie website, devoting my attention to three short horror movies that I discovered on YouTube.

Discovering The Hidden Side of Brussels

Want to see Brussels from a (literally) completely different angle? And you are not afraid of occasionally running into a rat? Then why don't you pay a visit to the Sewer Museum and learn everything about the history and infrastructure of the sewage system of the Belgian capital!

Brussels has actually had a sewage system since the 17th century. But in the beginning it was far from perfect; the network was incomplete and inhabitants of the city kept on throwing garbage into the river Senne. As you can imagine, this led to a lot of pollution and in the 19th century drastic measures had to be taken: the vaulting of the Senne in the centre of Brussels. This explains why you can't see any river (anymore) in the heart of the Belgian capital.

The museum also pays a lot of attention to the infrastructure of the sewers in Brussels. Building this system must not have been an easy task, given the presence of traffic tunnels and the metro and pre-metro system. In the 19th century, the sewer network was about 45 kilometres long, nowadays it's more than 350 kilometres! In the museum, you can also learn everything about the installations such as the pumps, pumping stations, siphons and so on.

The Sewer Museum is not located in the heart of Brussels. The exact address is:

Pavilions d'Octroi - Porte d'Anderlecht
1000 Brussels

You can come here by public transport: take tram 51 or 82 or bus 46 and get off at the stop Porte d'Anderlecht. You can also come by car, of course, because there is parking space in the area. Just a word of warning: this is not exactly the fanciest neighbourhood of Brussels, so be really careful with your valuables. Anyway, at your arrival at the Porte d'Anderlecht, you will see 2 pavilions: one is the entrance and the other one is the exit of the museum. Finally, if you want to know all about the entrance fees, the guided tours, activities for children and the like, better check the official website of the Sewer Museum.

The part of the museum that I liked the most was the small fraction of the sewer system that you can visit. It's like being in a completely different world. The personnel in the museum is very friendly and most of them know French, Dutch and English. Another fun part of the Sewer Museum is the gift shop; don't hurry or you will miss the hilarious collection of rat dolls. All in all, my visit to this museum was a very pleasant one. Moreover, according to some other visitors, the Sewer Museum in Brussels is more interesting and more fun than the one in Paris.

Do you like animals? Then you will certainly love the next post on this blog! On my movie website tomorrow, I will discuss 2 lesser-known horror movies.

Around the Signal de Botrange

Let me take you to the east of Belgium again... First, let's have a look at the highest point of my country or indeed of the whole Benelux: the Signal de Botrange is 694 metres high and is located in between a cafe and one of the entrances of the national park of the High Fens. It's one of the windiest and coldest locations of Belgium. In winter there is a high probability of finding snow here and in summer it will never get warmer than 30 degrees Celcius.

On the other side of the road, you can find one of the entrances to the High Fens, Belgium's biggest nature reserve with a surface of a good 4500 hectares. It consists mainly of forest, moorland and raised bogs and is located between Monschau, Spa, Eupen and Malmedy. This can be a cold, wet and windy location, even in summer.

Did you know that this area served as the background of some movies? Calvaire (The Ordeal), a psychological horror movie by Fabrice Du Welz was filmed in the nature park and about 2 years ago Nicholas Cage was working close to Malmedy as well. If you want me to review Calvaire on my movie website, please let me know. It's actually one of my favourite Belgian movies!

When you follow the road towards Malmedy, you will certainly pass Lake Robertville. This artificial body of water is also located in the High Fens and is a popular summer holiday destination. You can choose from various water sports, as long as it is not motorized. The lake is located near the village of Robertville, which belongs to the municipality of Waimes. Lake Robertville is about 3 kilometres long, 0,3 kilometres wide and covers a surface of 0,62 square kilometres.

Take some time to explore the countryside here; this is one of the most idyllic corners of Belgium! There is even a village called Champagne!

On Monday I will take you to one of the most peculiar museums in Brussels.

An Afternoon at Lake Genval

Belgium can experience some hot days during spring and summer. If you happen to live in Brussels - like I used to do, you can cool off in one of the many parks of the Belgian capital. But if you don't mind a short drive by car or taking the train, you could go to Genval and walk around its beautiful lake.

Located in the southeast of Brussels, Genval is a sleepy small town with one attraction, its lake (French: Lac de Genval, Dutch: Meer van Genval). One of the first buildings you will notice upon arrival is the Château du Lac, a five-star hotel, bar and restaurant. Check out its website if you fancy booking a room here. The website is in three languages (Dutch, French and English).

The Lake Genval is an artificial lake, which measures 1 kilometre by 0,25 kilometre. It has a total surface of 18 ha and is a popular destination during the summer holidays. Make sure to arrive early during sunny days or you won't find any parking space.

Although it's very tempting, it's forbidden to swim in the lake. If you fancy some fishing, you will need a permit. It's also possible to sail on the lake.

But most people come here for a nice walk around the water, occasionally sitting on one of the many benches and admiring the beautiful - and probably very expensive! - Belle Epoque houses. Feeling hungry and thirsty? Don't worry, there are more than enough cafés and restaurants in the area.