Rediscovered in 1992, this abandoned medieval village once flourished by fishing and piracy.

A piece of the front end of a British cruiser that was used as a block ship in World War I.

The patron of this extravagant Art Nouveau confection insisted that nothing less than a boat should project from its facade.

According to this bar, God gave an “11th commandment” to Antwerp: Thou shalt drink beer.

A man throwing a giant severed hand towers over Antwerp’s main square.

This legendary giant, born from vegetables, terrorized townspeople and cheated local children in games.

This heavily worn bas-relief was once an honored fertility symbol.

Rare wooden escalators lead deep down into an otherwise staggeringly monotonous tiled tunnel.

This fairytale castle was built as a show of power but was nearly torn down thanks to its history of torture.

Each time a baby is born in Ghent, these streetlights flash in silent celebration.

A Museum of Psychiatry in a still-operating mental institution.

In the shadow of a former battleground, the resting place for nearly 2,000 soldiers who died in World War I.

A rare example of World War I trenches from the British front.

A moving memorial to the fallen and missing from WWI trenches.

A Cold War command center is hidden under an idyllic countryside.

This old, abandoned hotel offers magnificent views.

This memorial museum chronicles the apocalyptic destruction of the First World War.

Also known as Napoleon's Canal, this waterway was created on the orders of the general, and construction was interrupted by Waterloo.

This former Masonic lodge has been transformed into part museum, part bar, all awesome.

The compass on its front was a handy tool for 17th-century merchants who needed to know the direction of the wind.

You would never come across this tiny green oasis if you didn't know it existed.

Inside this former medieval prison is a collection of objects designed to inflict unbelievable pain and suffering on the human body and mind.

A beer pipeline runs beneath Bruges.

The bronzed skull of a beheaded traitor was affixed to the city gate in the 17th century.