7 Best Sights in Limburg Province, Antwerp and the Northeast

Around 5 km (3 miles) northwest from central Hasselt, the vast Herkenrode Abbey complex was founded more than 800 years ago as the first Cistercian monastery in Benelux. Over the centuries it became a site of pilgrimage, and it experienced periods of great conflict and prosperity, until the monastic order was abolished following the French Revolution. After years of neglect, the Flemish government bought 250 acres of the site and began a lengthy restoration project, partly financed by the sale of Herkenrode abbey beers—not brewed here, but available in the on-site shop and café. Inside, an audio-guided "Experience Center" recounts the site's turbulent past in a series of galleries. Behind the abbey, a meticulously planted Herb and Inspiration Garden covers 5 acres and contains 500 different species—divided by hedges into a series of peaceful small spaces, some with water features. Elsewhere, accessible without an entry ticket, do not miss "The Quiet View," a permanent artwork by the artist Hans op de Beeck—it's a stunning monochrome landscape diorama that makes ingenious use of mirrors to create a sense of infinite space.

The elaborate Basilica of Our Lady is one of the most beautiful medieval monuments in the world. The original church was built on Roman foundations in the 4th century and was the first stone cathedral north of the Alps. A siege in 1213 destroyed everything but the 12th-century Romanesque cloister; soon afterward construction of the present-day Basilica of Our Lady began, a project that would take three centuries to complete. The central nave, up to the pulpit, the choir, and the south transept, dates from 1240. The candlesticks and lectern, from 1372, are the work of Jehan de Dinant, one of a number of outstanding metalworkers who flourished in the Meuse valley at that time. The basilica has excellent acoustics and is often used for symphony concerts.

The Gallo-Roman museum traces the region's human history, and features a host of local archaeological finds, not just from Roman days but all the way back, via the Celts, to the original Neanderthal settlers. To get the kids inspired, ask for the special child-oriented audio guide, which features stories told by the archaeologist "Bob the Digger."

Just east from the city center, the delightful 6-acre Japanese Garden is the largest of its kind in Europe. As you'd expect, everything is serenely ordered and precise, with a maze of paths surrounded by lush greenery, streams, waterfalls, koi carp ponds, and delicate pavilions. It was designed by the Japanese architect Takayuki Inoue and built when the Japanese city of Itami became twinned with Hasselt in 1985. At quiet times, the silence is only broken by the sound of trickling water, and the occasional chiming of a Peace Bell, which was installed in 2016.

Perpetuating Hasselt’s slightly raffish distinction of having had jenever as its major industry, the museum occupies a building that was a commercial distillery from 1803 until 1971, and the original equipment is still in use and on display. On a tour of the installations, you’ll learn about the production process, while other exhibits include glassware and advertising posters. In the paneled tasting room you can sample jenever of various ages, flavors, and proofs from two dozen Belgian distilleries—your entry ticket includes one free drink.

A 10-minute train ride, or drive, northeast from Hasselt, this huge open-air museum features around 150 mostly agricultural buildings, in different architectural styles, that were brought here stone by stone from all over Flanders, and rebuilt in a series of regional clusters across a largely wooded site. Many of the buildings date back to the 17th century, and they are furnished and decorated with thousands of pieces of period furniture, farm equipment, and general bric-a-brac. There are themed events here throughout the year, including Sunday walks even during the winter shutdown when the museum buildings are closed. Bring walking shoes: the whole site covers a whopping 2 square miles.

Located in the Chapter House and cloisters of the adjacent church, the Teseum is the treasury of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek, and it contains arguably the the richest collection of religious art in the country. Highlights including a 6th-century ivory diptych of St. Paul, a Merovingian gold buckle from the same century, and a truly magnificent head of Christ sculpted in wood in the 11th century.