🇧🇪 Belgium.


Martin Banks has been a journalist for over 40 years, working in Brussels since 2001 where he has covered EU politics, initially for European Voice and more recently for The Parliament Magazine plus a raft of other titles. He also writes about other topics including culture and travel. Prior to coming to Belgium he had worked in regional (including a 6 year stint as Chief Reporter for the 2nd biggest selling regional in the UK) and national journalism in the UK since 1980.

29 March 2021

Sophie Lenoir: “Since March 2020, I made around 500 lockdown portraits of Brussels residents”

Sophie Lenoir is a Brussels-based photographer. Since march 2020, Sophie captured around 500 portraits of Brussels residents and gathered the testimonies related to the lockdown of the […]
26 March 2021

This is how the Brussels Palace of Justice looks without scaffolding

In mid March it was reported that the scaffolding of the Brussels Palace of Justice would have to be replaced. The scaffolding, which has been in […]
26 March 2021

Cycling through the heathland on this Belgian cycling route

Visit Limburg is developing a new and unique cycling experience, Cycling through the Heathland. The bike path will travel through Hoge Kempen National Park in Flanders, […]
25 March 2021

Belgian wine is booming

Located in northern Europe and with unruly weather, Belgium wasn’t the place to produce wine. With most of its territory being flat and not too many […]
24 March 2021

Belgium implements stricter rules due to new spike of Covid-19 cases

Following today’s Consultative Committee meeting, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that the coronavirus contagion figures were rising and that stricter measures would be implemented. […]
24 March 2021

Discovering Brussels through street art

When talking about Brussels, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the city at the heart of the European Union, tying Brussels […]
23 March 2021

Scaffolding on Brussels Palace of Justice to receive a renovation

The scaffolding currently covering the Brussels’ Palace of Justice now needs its own renovation before workers can use it to carry out the renovations of the […]
22 March 2021

We will always remember: 5th anniversary of the Brussels terror attacks

On the morning of 22 March 2016, exactly five years ago, three coordinated suicide bombings occurred in Belgium: two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem and one […]
22 March 2021

Belgium to lift ban on non-essential travel on 19th April

According to a new Ministerial Decree published yesterday, Belgium will officially lift its ban on non-essential travel abroad on 19th April, after the Easter holidays. The latest […]
18 March 2021

Tomorrowland to be postponed until the end of August

Belgian festival Tomorrowland has announced that its 2021 edition will be postponed until the end of the summer. The rationale behind the decision being the current […]
18 March 2021

Manneken Pis joins the Covid Boys in Brussels

One year ago to the day, on March 18, 2020, Belgium confined itself. A highly symbolic date in the fight against the coronavirus, and in the […]
17 March 2021

Cycle through water on this Belgian cycling route

Ever cycled on water? Well no, it’s not possible. However, in this unique cycling route in Bokrijk, Belgium, it is possible to cycle through water, which […]
16 March 2021

Hallerbos, a world of bluebells

Spring is finally on its way to Europe! Just a few days to go before the season officially arrives, bringing with it warmer weather and a […]
15 March 2021

24 hours in Leuven

Leuven is a Belgian city known not only for its breweries but especially for its academic life thanks to its prestigious University. Last week, I went […]
15 March 2021

Cheers to Gudule Winery, the first urban winery in Belgium

Ah, wine. One of the many treats life has on offer. A drink as multifunctional as a utility knife – always to be enjoyed with moderation, […]
12 March 2021

Belgian restaurant hailed the best destination for beer lovers in the world

For a country with an outstanding reputation for its beer, this doesn’t seem all that surprising at first glance, but spectacular it most definitely is. In […]