Modena is an ancient town, its origin are etruscan and first written mention about it was done in 3d century BC in connection to Punic Wars. Its university is one of the oldest in the world - it was founded in 1175 and its traditional strong faculties are economics, medicine and law. Town's cathedral ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage site, its old town is cozy and museums are numerous. Gastronomy enthusiasts worldwide praise the locally produced balsamic vinegar. On top of all this, town is known "the capital of engines" because of factories of the famous Italian sports car makers Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati, who have (or had) their factories and headquarters in Modena.

The town is shaped by a narrow valley between the rock and the river Meuse, stretching from North to South along the shore. It became wealthy because of agricultural opportunities presented by the fertile of the land on the plateau that overlooks it, as well as by the limestone of the cliffs themselves. Military architecture fans would admire the 11th-century built citadel, while gastronomy maniacs would appreciate special quiche dinantaise and couque, Europe's hardest biscuit. Dinant was also a hometown of Adolphe Sax, inventor of saxophone.

Mechelen is one of Flanders' prominent cities of historical art, with Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, and Leuven. It was notably a centre for artistic production during the Northern Renaissance, when painters, printmakers, illuminators and composers of polyphony were attracted to the area. The area around town is famous for the cultivation of vegetables, such as asparagus and cauliflower. Mechelen was at the heart of the revival of the carillon (distinctive church bells) in the early 20th century. In 1835, the first railway in Europe linked town with Brussels.