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Sport Football and cycling are the national passions. Brussels’ football clubs, RWDM (website: www.rwdm.be) and Union St-Gilloise, have their fans but RSC Anderlecht (website: www.rsca.be) has a faithful following who support the team at Stade Constant Vanden Stock, Avenue Théo Verbeeck 2 (tel: (02) 522 1539). Anderlecht are frequently at the top of the home league and sometimes make it into the Champions League. Passions were raised to fever pitch in the European Championships 2000, which was hosted jointly by Belgium and Holland in a renamed and reconstructed stadium, Stade Roi Baudouin, Heysel (tel: (02) 474 3940). The stadium has won the contract as the venue for Belgium’s national football matches until 2007, which climaxes with the finals in May. Tickets to football matches are available through Maison du Football (tel: (02) 477 1211). Belgium has an impressive record in cycling and Eddy Merckx did a fine PR job for the country by repeatedly winning the Tour de France in the 1960s and 1970s. His glory still lives on, celebrated annually in the Eddy Merckx Grand Prix, on the last Sunday of August. A more amateur affair follows the same 22km (13.6-mile) trip from the Gare du Nord to Heysel (tel: (02) 502 7355). The major athletics event is the annual Ivo van Damme Memorial IAHF Grand Prix (tel: (02) 878 2025) in late August/early September held in the Stade Roi Baudouin. Amateurs take part in the Brussels 20km (12.4-mile) circular race held annually in May/June, which starts and finishes at the Esplanade du Cinquantenaire (tel: (02) 511 9000). Fitness centres: The vast Physical Golden Club, Place du Chatelain 33 (tel: (02) 539 3036), offers weights machines and fitness classes and has the added kudos of being the place where Jean-Claude van Damme started off his action movie career. Martial arts classes are predictably popular. A day pass costs €25. For the ultra well-heeled, Champneys (tel: (02) 542 4666/67) has opened up next to the Conran Hotel, 71B Avenue Louise. A ‘spa discover day’ costs €105. Golf: The 18-hole Royal Amicale Anderlecht Golf Club, Rue Scholle 1 (tel: (02) 521 1687), is located within Brussels itself. The club charges €30 for a day’s golfing during the week and €45 at weekends when prior reservation is recommended. Brabantse Golf, Steenwagenstraat 11, Melsbroek (tel: (02) 751 8205), is close to the airport. There are two 18-hole courses at Royal Zoute Golf Club, Caddiespad 14, Knokke-le-Zoute (tel: (050) 623 029), located 100km (60 miles) north of Brussels in the seaside town of Knokke-le-Zoute. Visitors are welcome and green fees are €55-95, depending on the handicap of the player. Alternatively, there are 11 courses around Waterloo, just south of Brussels, offering golfing opportunities through a programme called Golf Pass Walloon Brabant. The Fédération Royal Belge de Golf (tel: (02) 672.23.89) provides information on Belgium’s golf courses. Several golfing packages are available in a programme created by Martins Hotels (website: www.passbw.com). Tennis and squash: The Centre Sportif de Woluwe St-Pierre, Avenue Salomé 2 (tel: (02) 773 1820), has squash, badminton and tennis courts. Swimming: There are plenty of pools in Brussels’ sports centres. The one at the Centre Sportif de Woluwe St-Pierre, Avenue Salomé 2 (tel: (02) 773 1820) is Olympic-sized. Océade Water Park is within splashing distance of Mini-Europe (see Further Distractions). |
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