0  | 

I found this helpful Thank You! Your vote will be tallied soon!

Learning archery at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, Gainesville, Florida (Scarborough photo)

Spring and fall are prime time for Renaissance/medieval fairs around the world, perhaps because the heavy, stifling costumes and jousting armor need to be worn in temperate weather by those Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) reenactor enthusiasts.

To get medieval in Belgium, visit the beautifully preserved medieval city of Bruges; take a look at the article "The perfect break: Bruges" in the UK's Telegraph newspaper.  We visited there as a family and had a lovely time walking or biking the cobblestone streets, eating (a lot of) chocolate and generally seeing the Middle Ages close up.  I recommend the Hotel Adornes if you go.

You may want to time your visit to Belgium with cat-tossing. No, no, no -- it isn't what you think.

In the city of Ieper/Ypres, there is a yearly festival and Kattestoet parade that features the tossing of plush toy cats out of the Cloth Hall belfry, to commemorate the tossing of (ick!) real felines in the Middle Ages to drive out sorcery and witches.  As the owner of 4 cats, I might just skip this one. 

In the town of Aarschot, read about how Belgians hail the Middle Ages (well, not the plague part) as dedicated reenactors live their national passion.

Closer to home, look for Renaissance or medieval fairs close to your own hometown -- try the SCA events page to get started.  Such festivals are fun family outings, and they give your kids a few history lessons as well.

Or just rent the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and laugh your knightly head off.

Update 18 April 2007 -- This post was featured on the Carnival of Family Life, hosted by the blog Everyday Disasters.  Pay them a visit!

Technorati tags:  travel, family travel, Belgium, Europe