Tree Tents: an Alternative Form of Accommodation

These tear shaped tree tents in Borgloon are are part of Pit, a project of Z33 - house for contemporary art - which brings art in public places. The four tents are made by Dutch artist Dré Wapenaar and provide an alternative form of accommodation to spend the night in the region.

Reservations can be made at tourism Borgloon by mail (toerisme@borgloon.be) or at the tourist information office (Markt z/n, 3840 Borgloon, Belgium). You can spend the night in a tree tent between April and October.

Location: Lane headed to the Castle of Hex (side street of Alfonsstraat), Bommershoven (Borgloon)

C-Mine Genk: a Former Mine Site

Once an active coal mine, C-mine has transformed today into a creative centre with lots of activities to do. Mining activity started in 1917, at its height, the mine employed 6250 miners. The high cost of coal production resulted in closing the mine in 1988.

Some of the original buildings can still be seen and visited today. The main building - the Energy Building - houses the visitor centre. Here you can start a tour through the building and learn more of its history. Highlight is a visit to the mine shaft, offering a beautiful panorama at a height of more than 60 m. Have a look at my post about my visit to the C-mine expedition here.

On the site of C-mine you can also find restaurants, an indoor playground, a culture centre, a cinema and various other businesses.

Location: Evence Coppeelaan 91, 3600 Genk, Belgium.

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels is also called the Dinosaurs museum. Here you can admire Europe’s largest exhibition on dinosaurs.

Highlight of the museum is the collection of 30 fossilized Iguanodons which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart, in the South of Belgium. A part of this group is on display behind glass in lifelike posses. In the basement you can also see the Iguanodons in the position they were found and learn more about how they were discovered.

Besisde the Dinosaur Gallery, the museum has also other permanent galleries. These include the fantastic Gallery of  Evolution, the Gallery of Humankind, BiodiverCity, Mosasaur Hall and other great exhibitions.

Location: Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

GaiaZoo: One of the Best Zoos in the Benelux

GaiaZoo, Located in the South of the Netherlands, is one of the best zoos in the Benelux. The zoo is named after Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth and follows the concept that the earth is one living planet. One of the main focuses of the zoo is on creating natural environments for the animals.

Inhabitants of the zoo include gorillas, giraffes, rhinos, wolfs, lions and many more. Beside an impressive collection of animals, the zoo has also a large indoor dinosaur park, a jungle tour, a petting zoo and great bird shows.

Location: Dentgenbachweg 105, 6468 PG Kerkrade, the Netherlands

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Kiewit Airfield Open House

Kiewit Airfield holds its annual open house every last weekend of August. This recreational airfield is Belgium's oldest airfield(1909) and has a single grass runway of 600 m length.

During the open house you can have a scenic flight, use the flight simulater, sit in an F16 and enjoy many other things.

Location: Luchtvaarstraat 100, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

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Pietersheim: Part of Belgium's National Park

Pietersheim is one of the 6 gateways to the Hoge Kempen National Park in Belgium. You can find different kinds of activities to do on the estate. One of them is visiting the 12th century water castle with visitor centre

Pietersheim is also a great place for hiking in the forest, with different routes to choose from. When visiting with children you can try the leprechaun path and after that visit the petting zoo and playground.

The 5 other gateways to the Hoge Kempen National Park are Mechelse Heide and Connecterra in Maasmechelen, Kattevennen in Genk, Station of As and Lieteberg in Zutendaal.

Location: Neerharenweg 12, 3620 Lanaken, Belgium

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Plopsa Indoor Hasselt

Plopsa Indoor Hasselt is one of three theme parks run by Studio 100 in Belgium. This covered theme park is ideal for families with young children. The park has more than 20 attractions, an outdoor zone, shows and meet and greets with the heroes of studio 100.

Location: Gouverneur Verwilghensingel 70, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

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The Saga of the Unicorn

The Saga of the Unicorn(Sage van de Eenhoorn) is an annual family festival at Herkenrode Abbey in Hasselt.

It transports visitors to a storybook world of knights and ladies. The festival has creative workshops, live theatre, a food market and a medieval tournament.

Location: Zolderse Kiezel 220, 3500 Hasselt

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Connecterra: Main Gateway to Belgium's National Park

Connecterra is the main gateway to the Hoge Kempen National Park, which is the only national park in Belgium. More than 25 years ago the Eisden coalmine was operating at this location and left behind a transformed landscape of hills and lakes. Today Connecterra is the ideal place for nature lovers and hikers and offers beautiful panoramic views of its surroundings.

The 5 other gateways to the Hoge Kempen National Park are Mechelse Heide in Maasmechelen, Pietersheim in Lanaken, Kattevennen in Genk, Station of As and Lieteberg in Zutendaal.

Location: Zetellaan 54, 3630 Maasmechelen, Belgium

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