Travel to Belgium

Belgium is famous for being packed to the brim with historic architecture, art galleries and restaurants serving fine cuisine. Located in the north west of Europe with around ten and a half millions residents, Belgium has had a relatively quiet history compared to some of their larger European neighbours, but this by no mean makes Belgium inferior as a tourist attraction with some breathtaking architecture which has was inspired over the course of hundreds of years through the middle ages, the renaissance, the revolution and of course modern times.

The capital city of Belgium is the City of Brussels, which should not be confused with the Brussels area which is much larger. The actual city has a population of around 140 thousand residents. There are a plethora of tourist attractions in this grand old city such as the City of Brussels Town Hall, the old twining streets and numerous fine art galleries dotted around the city. Brussels is perfect for a long or short vacation and there are numerous Brussels bed and breakfast accommodations available, as well as modern Brussels apartment rentals.

Antwerp is another interesting and vibrant Belgian city with the area being home to around 400 thousand people and it serves as an important city in terms of the economy. Some architectural delights which are well worth a visit include the 16th century Guildhouse, Antwerp City Hall and in particular the Het Steen 19th century fortification. Whilst staying in an Antwerp bed and breakfast accommodation, visitors can enjoy numerous other tourists' attractions including the Antwerp Zoo, which is one of the oldest and most famous zoos in the world. The Boerentoren is also worth a visit as it has the title of the oldest skyscraper in Europe. There Royal Museum of fine arts always pull in big crowds and is an essential stop in a visit to Antwerp with works from famous artists such as Van Dyck, Titan and Rubens. After a hard days' exploration, you can relax in your Antwerp apartment rental, which are available throughout the city.

There are numerous other locations around Belgium which should be chosen to suit your needs, however a must see for all is the city of Bruges which has been tagged with ‘The Venice of the North' due to its canal based architecture, its entire city centre is classed as a world heritage site. The city is very popular with tourists looking to admire the fine architecture, numerous museums and art galleries. Staying in the city is easy by booking a Bruges bed and breakfast accommodation or some sort of Bruges vacation home rental.

When you are planning a vacation to Belgium it is best to cover all bases before you get there. This includes planning out which sites and events you would like to experience while you are there. Belgium is the perfect destination for travel because it offers a little something for everyone including the most amazing sights, shopping, and of course the delicious Belgian chocolates that we all know and love. It is hard to find a woman who doesn’t love to shop, and in Belgium there are plenty of places to get your retail fix. Brussels, Belgium offers everything from the classy designer stores on avenue Louise to the different funky fashion boutiques that are on rue Antoine Dansaert.

Visiting Belgium always includes tasting the different authentic cuisines that are offered. Brussels is home to one of the best restaurants in all of Europe. You can also enjoy a host of other bistros, authentic restaurants, and cafes which have catering for all tastes. If you are into the night life or just a great beer, you have to visit some of the breweries in Belgium. This country is known for their Belgian beer and has been famous for its breweries since the middle ages when monasteries first began making beer. In total there are more than one hundred and twenty five breweries in this country.

Of course you can’t leave Belgium without tasting their world famous Belgian chocolate. When you hear Belgium that is likely the first thing that comes to your mind and it is hard to find someone who doesn’t enjoy chocolate. Just about every single café and shop offers some type of Belgian chocolates. After touring the country and tasting the different types of cuisine you will need a place to rest your head. The perfect place to stay while in Belgium is a quaint bed and breakfast which offers a room to sleep and breakfast in the morning when you awaken. They will not only save you time in the morning when you are looking for something to eat, they are also very well priced so you can save your money for the many attractions.

Belgium is a country that is surrounded by France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It has a compact size which makes it the perfect country to travel. The capital of Belgium is Brussels and is also known as the heart of the country. Brussels, Belgium is also the headquarters for NATO. There are so many different cultural attractions for travels such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Ancient Art, the Comic Strip Museum, and one of the most popular, the Chocolate and Cocoa Museum. The Chocolate and Cocoa Museum features one of Belgium’s best known products.

The capital is not the only place to experience in Belgium. In fact there are many enchanting cities including Ghent, Liege, and Bruges which all have impressive architecture, top-rated cuisine, as well as the night life. Bruges, Belgium has been known as the "Venice of the North" because it is one of Europe’s most magnificent and well-preserved medieval cities. One of the best parts about this amazing city is that getting to Bruges could not be any easier. You can get there by Eurostar, a ferry, or Eurotunnel, than take a drive to Bruges.

If you are into popular fashion and modern design then you will want to visit the newly reinvented Antwerp. This city in Belgium is known as being a new hotbed for fashion and design. Antwerp, Belgium has many other sights to offer visitors as well including the mountainous area of the Ardennes region all the way to the East. There are also gorgeous coastline resorts set on the Western seaboard. Belgium is a country that is best known for its specialty products such as ubiquitous beers, delicious chocolates, beautiful lace, and of course Belgian waffles. If you visit Belgium you must stay at one of their comfortable and inviting bed and breakfasts that they are so well known for.

Europe, a historical, cultural and geographical mammoth that squares up confidently to any other continent on earth. From its Northern Lights to its Southern shores, this drama queen keeps on thrilling, surprising and confusing with her extraordinary wealth of sights, sounds, peoples and parties Europe offers you a new and a  fresh experience. Europe having a proud cultural heritage, leads the others in fashion, art, music, architecture and design. Europe is a delight to tourists. 

 

The snow-covered Alps, the coastlines, the ancient cities like Rome, the Vatican, the Scottish highlands, the graceful canals of Venice, etc Europe has it all. Belgium is a low-lying country on the North Sea coast in the Benelux, northwest Europe. Sitting at the crossroads of Western Europe Belgium shares borders with France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Known for its medieval architecture and atmosphere cities like Brussels, Ieper, Antwerp attract thousands of tourists. 

 

Belgium got its independent status in 1830 after being freed from the Netherlands. It remained occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The city of Ieper and the nearby areas have many war graves near the battle zones. Belgium has central rolling hills, wooded hills, valleys of Ardennes Forest in southeast, flat coastal plains in northwest. Belgium comprises of three regions listed from north to south: Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia. Ieper or Ypres is a town in the Belgian Flanders endowed with wonderful architecture. Ieper is best known as the site of three major battles of the First World War.

The many memorials and cemeteries of the fallen in and around Ieper draw thousands of visitors each year. Ieper is the official Flemish name for the city while Ypres is its French name. Ieper has a wonderful countryside with many routes for cycling and walking. 

 

Ieper is generally very safe to live or roam. Some of the place which are a must visit are: 

 

1. Menin Gate- The Menin Gate is a Dedication to the commemoration of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. 

 

2. Flanders FieldMuseum: Located in Grote Market or the Main Square, it is the most famous and a must see monument in Ieper relating to the First World War. It is said to be one of the world’s biggest war museums, located in the rebuilt colossal building Lakenhalle (cloth hall), topped by a 70m high belfry. 

 

3. Cemeteries in Ieper: Ieper has over 75 Commonwealth military cemeteries for the First World War soldiers. The Ramparts Cemetery which was founded in 1915, rests 153 Britons, 11 Australians and 9 Canadians. Even a memorial has been dedicated to the Indian Army which was erected recently in 2002 to remember the brave soldiers from India at the Ramparts. 

 

In Belgium people like to eat and hence is famous for its good cuisines. Some dishes considered as Belgian specialities include Mussels, Stoofvlees, Witloof met kaassaus, Konijn met bier and Waffles. Restaurants, pubs are very commonly found in Belgium as people like visiting them regularly. A bed and breakfast (or B&B) is a small lodging establishment which offer overnight accommodation and breakfast, but may not usually offer other meals. 

 

Generally, bed and breakfasts are private homes with around less than 10 bedrooms available for commercial use. Several establishments can be found easily in the Ieper marketplace that offer bed and breakfast services. Many old farms have been transformed to bed and breakfast establishments for the tourists. These bed and breakfast establishments also provide services like bicycles and vespa rentals.