Romans or Trains? Our Top 5 Weekend Tips

This weekend offers a variety of activities for those looking to fill their leisure time across Belgium. A major highlight is the 100th anniversary of the national railway company, NMBS, celebrated with a unique traveling exhibition.

The exhibition, featuring 11 special carriages and locomotives from the past century, forms a 300-meter-long train on display at Schaarbeek station. Visitors can explore the history of NMBS, from familiar M4 carriages to luxurious royal coaches from 1939. Some carriages are open for free visits without prior reservation.

Schaarbeek station also hosts Train World, Belgium's only train museum, which is combining its collection with a miniature train exhibition. Professional model builders are showcasing over 20 model railways, and a fair for model train enthusiasts will also take place.

For those who miss the historic train this weekend, it will later stop in Liege-Guillemins on September 12-13 and Antwerp-Central on October 10-11. Art lovers can visit the LARA art festival at the medieval water castle of Laerne near Ghent, featuring works by artists like Guillaume Bijl and Wim Delvoye.