Camping Druivenland, Flanders
This rural campsite is ideally placed. Surrounded by farmland just southeast of Brussels, it also has Park van Tervuren, the Africa Museum, the Waterloo Memorial 1815 and the beautiful Villers Abbey all within 20 minutes’ drive.
There are many permanent pitches at Druivenland, but touring ’vans and tents are welcomed onto a huge camping meadow that can accommodate up to 100 units, with electric. You might need a long lead, though!
This is normally a quiet and peaceful site. We arrived at the beginning of a very busy bank holiday weekend, but everybody settled around us with good humour, and the young staff were very active around the site, ensuring that their facilities could cope.
In addition to the usual motorhome services provided, there is a main building with always-clean showers and toilets and a small laundry room. The motorhome services can also be used by visitors for €5 (£4.44).
Brussels can be visited by bus/metro. We had visited the city previously, so chose to explore other local attractions. Overijse is on the edge of the Forêt de
Soignes, and Park van Tervuren or the arboretum both make nice cycle trips. The park is home to the Africa Museum of natural history and culture, which our Belgian neighbours on site had made a special trip to visit.
We enjoyed our visit to the
Waterloo Memorial 1815, which traces the history of Napoleon’s defeat by Wellington in very visual and imaginative ways, including a 3D film which puts you right in the middle of the battle. One building is dedicated to a huge painted panorama and the view from the top of the famous Butte de Lion (Lion’s Mound) allows you to take in the whole battlefield.
We would also recommend Villers Abbey, which dates from 1146, but was destroyed after the French revolution and never rebuilt.
The ruins are extensive, set in lovely grounds. Visitors are well catered for with information boards, audio guides, and a handy café.