Groot-Bijgaarden Castle - Waterloo Battlefield - Louvain - Mechelen

Route: Brussels - Groot-Bijgaarden Castle - Waterloo Battlefield - Louvain - Mechelen - Brussels
Duration: 10 h
The first stop in our tour will be at Groot-Bijgaarden Castle wich was built for Almaric Bigard, the first lord of Bigard in 12th-century. The castle is surrounded by a wide moat spanned by a bridge with five arches, leading to the drawbridge. The central part of the gatehouse dates from the 14th century; a four-storey keep tower is situated by the side of the gatehouse. The castle was built in the Flemish Renaissance style, with red brick and a slate roof. A 14-hectare park alongside the castle was designed at the start of the 20th century. The park is open for an international flower exhibition with tulips from the Netherlands and  called Belgian Keukenhof.The next stop in our tour will be at Waterloo  which is obviously known for the famous battle named after it. Many of the things to do here have a connection with the final defeat of Napoleon. It’s a great place for history buffs, but for those not too keen on exploring the ins and outs of the historical fight, there are plenty of other things to see. The next place where we will stop is city Leuven wich is a place to delights such as a UNESCO listed beguinage and a handful of churches. Belgium's most famous university town, Leuven has a charming position beside the banks of the Dijle. The Catholic university here was founded in 1425 and rose to prominence as one of Europe's most highly regarded places of learning. The great humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam and Justus Lipsius both taught here, the geographer Gerhard Mercator studied here, and one of the university's chancellors became Pope Adrian VI in 1459. With its illustrious university college buildings and fine Gothic buildings in the city center, Leuven is a wonderful town to get to grips with Belgium's architectural heritage. During the visit you also will see the top tourist attractions in Leuven as  St. Peter's Church (Sint-Pieterskerk), Stadhuis (Town Hall), Universiteitsbibliotheek (University Library), Schatkamer (Church Treasury) , Groot Begijnhof (Grand Beguinage) and Hortus Botanicus Lovaniensis (botanic park). The last stop in our tour will be at city Mechelen, which is a cosy and compact city situated around the Dyle. The Saint Rumbold cathedral forms the central point en can be seen throughout the entire city. Visit Mechelen, discover the city’s most fascinating and delightful places. Expect interesting stories, culture, history and amusing anecdotes. During the visit you will see the following points: Grote Markt, Palace of Margaret of York, Busleyden Museum, Church of San Juan,  Sint Truiden Abbey Gardens, Tuin van Oh, Church of Santa Catalina, Havenwerf, Vismarkt, Cathedral of San Rumoldo.Afdter we will return to Brussels.
Price: per person