BELGIUM

Day One:
DAY 1 : DINANT
Embarkation in Dinant at 6:00 PM. Settling into the cabin is followed by introduction of the crew in the lounge over a welcome cocktail. Dinner on board the ship. Overnight in Dinant.

DAY 2 : DINANT - THE MEUSE VALLEY - LIEGE
Departure of the ship early in the morning with breakfast on board as we begin sailing on the Meuse River. This will be an exceptional cruise as the Meuse is known for the richness and variety of its scenery. We disembark at the RiviŠre Lock for an optional sightseeing trip by coach to the Guy Delforge Perfume Workshop, which is uniquely situated in the citadel of the town of Namur . Their slogan is that their "Perfumes are born and mature in the bowels of the citadel". Back on board the ship at about 12:00 Noon in Namur . Lunch is served on board as we begin sailing towards Huy. Arrival in Huy is at about 3:00 PM . We then depart on an optional sightseeing tour of Huy. This is a charming little town with a well protected old city centre that is dominated by a Gothic cathedral and a fort dating from the beginning of the XIX century that overlooks the town of Huy and the Meuse River . Embarkation from the town is between 6:00-7:00 PM in LiŠge which is Georges Simenon's native city. Dinner on board with the evening free to explore this very busy city. Overnight in Liege.

DAY 3 : LIEGE - NAMUR


Breakfast on board. In the morning, an optional sightseeing tour of LiŠge is offered. Liege is the main town for art and history in Wallony. The architecture is typical of the Renaissance era and the principality of LiŠge dates back to the X century. In the heart of LiŠge, you will see the bishop prince palace with certain parts of it that go back to the Renaissance. After the tour, we get back on board the ship for lunch as we depart Liege at about 12:00 Noon . In the afternoon, we stop at the Val Saint-Lambert Castle. An optional visit is offered to the castle that was converted into a museum of fine glassware and crystal making. Back on board the ship in Huy as we begin sailing towards Namur. Arrival in Namur at about 7:00 PM. Dinner and a gala evening on board is planned. Overnight in Namur.
Belgium is a member of the Schengen Agreement. For EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) citizens, an officially approved ID card (or a passport) is sufficient for entry. In no case will they need a visa for a stay of any length. Others will generally need a passport for entry.

There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But be careful: Not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty, and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union.

Airports in Europe are thus divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" sections, which effectively act like "domestic" and "international" sections elsewhere. If you are flying from outside Europe into one Schengen country and continuing to another, you will clear Immigration and Customs at the first country and then continue to your destination with no further checks. Travel between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen country will result in the normal border checks. Note that regardless of whether you travelling within the Schengen area or not, some airlines will still insist on seeing your ID card or passport.

Keep in mind that the counter begins once you enter any country in the Schengen Area and is not reset by leaving a specific Schengen country for another Schengen country, or vice-versa.


Antwerp Street, City Square

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II and has many war graves near the battle zones, most of them are around Ieper (in English archaically rendered as Ypres, with Yperite another name for mustard gas due to intensive use there in WWI). It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.
Comines Fete des Louches, 2008

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II and has many war graves near the battle zones, most of them are around Ieper (in English archaically rendered as Ypres, with Yperite another name for mustard gas due to intensive use there in WWI). It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.



http://wikitravel.org/en/Belgium