Flanders beer festival

As the home of the best beer in Europe, Belgium hosts a series of festivals each year dedicated to ale.

One of the best is the Zythos Festival held each year in the town of Sint Niklaas on the outskirts of Antwerp - easily reached by car from the ferry port at Zeebrugge.

Held in the Town Hall and nearby market square, the festival takes place this year during the first weekend in March.

Visitors will have the chance to sample 150 different variations of Belgian beer from 50 brewers who still use the ancient techniques passed down from medieval monks.

White beer, old brown and Lambic - direct from the Pajottenland region - are just a few of the variations on display at the festival.

The festival opens at 12:00 (local time) on Saturday and runs until late night on Sunday.

The city of Sint Niklaas offers a host of things for tourists to see and do, with its proximity to Antwerp and Flanders making it the perfect place to visit on a short break in Belgium.