Travel to Belgium

Royal Museum of Fine Art, Antwerp

A beautiful and a huge compilation of paintings from the 14th century are found in the Royal Museum of Fine Art in Antwerp. Despite from the outstanding art collected works, the neoclassical planning of the museum is outstanding.

Waterloo

The fierce battle of Waterloo finished the Napoleonic Wars on June 18th in the year 1815. Napoleon I was overpowered by the Duke of Wellington. There is ample of battle belongings to visit together with the Lion of Waterloo victory monument , a huge man-made hill with a 28-ton lion on the apex. For the people who have the strength to climb  200 steps, the lion offers an imposing authoritative sight of the spot.

The Ypres War Memorials and the Flanders Battlefields

The town of Ypres is compared with the First World War. Speckled all through the neighboring countryside are quiet memorials to the deceased of the 1st World War. Must pay a visit to genuine dugout in Sanctuary Wood, the full-size modernization of scenes from the War in the Hooge Crater Museum and the trench of John McCrae where he had written the poem "In Flanders Fields", etc. The most touching sites comprises of the 170 British military cemeteries to be found around Ypres.

Tongeren

Tongeren is a very old city in Belgium. Initially a chief Roman throttlehold, the city was damaged twice. Firstly in the 4th century by Norsemen and later by the Salian Franks in 881. The Gallo Roman Museum in the middle of the city, which is constructed on the vestiges of a big lavishRoman villa, presents a startling insight into the settlement and its olden times and civilization.

The Town of Spa

The city of Spa has been famous from the Roman times for its swimming baths. It became so high-flying and the very word spa got associated with this place and was used for restoring and mollycoddling in the English language. Right from 16th century, the wealthy, majestic and well-known have visited Spas to be re-energized and recharged by the therapeutic powers of the areas waters and baths.

The Diamond Museum, Antwerp

Antwerp has been from the beginning been the major centre of diamond dealing out and the diamond business. The renowned ‘Antwerp cut' and the highly developed systematic investigation are renowned in this fascinating museum. There is a restructured nineteenth-century diamond and a jewel chamber in which we can see some precious pieces of jewellery. Every Saturday afternoon you can observe a diamond-cutter working over here.

Unlike the title, Belgium is much more than just the chocolate-box of the world, but that is not something coming as too much of a surprise to tourists, particularly to those who have been there. The country is more than 175 years into its independent existence, and is hardly showing signs of ageing! True, there have been valiant attempts to alter its downtrodden image, but the change has taken shape in a most natural manner. There are quite heavy impressions of medieval architecture uncannily preserved here. Coming to the cities, Brussels and Antwerp lead the pack, followed by Bruges, which is pleasant despite, and also because of, the fact that there are scores of tourists perpetually present here at every single day of the year. Ghent, on the other hand, is a slightly scaled down version of the more dynamic cities of the country, so to speak. Once a city that rivalled Paris in its splendour, Ghent is today happier playing second fiddle to cities like Brussels.

Belgium is an undisputed leader when it comes to moral freedom. Gays and lesbians have been given equal rights compared to heterosexuals, while Euthanasia, a concept that is condemned and criticised in most parts of the world, was legalised in 2002. The topics of discussion over a couple of Duvels, the country's signature pale ale produced in the town of Breendonk, are aplenty, which is also one of the reasons why the country is having one of the most social environments in the world.

Brussels certainly has a split personality in every sense of the word. The competition rages on in many forms – Flemish v/s French, unique v/s boring and happening v/s historic. Eurocrats and red tape set aside, the point of conflict, so to speak, are not just limited to the predictable ones. However, it is this healthy disparity in the times of globalisation that sets the mood for a tourist's unforgettable sojourn in Brussels. The city is also known for its café culture, Art Nouveau architecture and fine dining options. Surreal art also comes to life here, in the northern suburb of Jette, to be specific. The variation in architecture ranges from the age-old Grand Place to the new-age Art Nouveau façades. In the midst of all this, the quality of life is superb – great shopping, numerous choices for eating, 'out of the world' chocolates, and an enviable pub culture.

Known as the unsung city of the Flanders, Ghent is situated between Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp. A canal city that is as visually spectacular as it gets, it has more often than not been ignored by tourists, and that is why those who choose to tread the road not taken are rewarded handsomely. Sitting on the junction of the Scheldt and Leie rivers, the crowning glory of Ghent is the Het Gravensteen castle. Having an illustrious history, thanks to King Charles V, the city today is the capital of the Oost-Vlaanderen province, and also Flander's biggest university town.

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Belgium 'a beautiful country that is quite appropriately dubbed as the Battlefield of Europe. Indeed, Belgium has had its share of wars. It has endured the rages of greedy kings and ambitious warlords from all epochs, but no war can diminish this country's beauty, making it an ideal place to visit.

1) Have a Cup of Hot Chocolate

No Belgium vacation can be without a trip to the capital city's famous sidewalk cafes. It is absolutely essential to drop by any of the several cafes littered in Brussels City and have yourself a sip of Belgium's famous rich hot chocolate. If there's anything that the beautiful country of Belgium can offer you, it's your sweet tooth's utter satisfaction.

2) Participate in the Carnival of Binche

Be a smart tourist and visit Belgium at the time of year when it's most festive. During the month of February, Belgium hosts its most colorful festival ever, the Cranival of Binche. With Firework displays and music parades and colorful costumes and projectile oranges, this certainly is a festival worth participating in. This festival is even included in UNESCO's heritage list.

3) Follow the Gourmet Trail

One of the greatest things about the Belgians is that they know good food like the back of their hands, and Belgium is known for its fine cuisines that are heavily influenced by the different countries that surround it. Try eating Belgium's Mussels, a shellfish dish, and see if your tongue agrees with the Belgian taste. Also, why not try Belgium's French Fries. It is, after all, the original.

4) Have Fun with a Fluvial Cruise

Hop on any one of Belgium's colorful boats and cruise around Belgium's waterways to have a perfect view of the various cities and towns lining the coastline. You can try the Lys River, which will take you to Bruges or Ghent. You can also try the Escaut river to reach Tournai and Bossuit.

5) Exercise Your Inner Scholar

Belgium is a country that places high stock on good education. Visit Ghent or Leuven, Belgium's student cities, and hurl yourself into local coffee shop and strike a conversation with any of the university students. You'll be sure to find an intellectual conversation anywhere.

6) Party in Ghent

If you're the type who can party well into the night for days on end, then Belgium just has just the thing for you. Ghent City hosts the Gentse Feesten, a gigantic street festival which has everything from street dancing to theater to diverse musical performances. The Gentse Feesten happens on the 14th of July until the 23rd.

7) Frolic in the Flander Fields "the Westhoek"

Have you ever wanted to run unfettered through beautiful flower fields and lush green plains? Well, your fantasy comes true in Belgium's Flander Fields where the Flander fields are not only beautiful but also rich in history. This is the only part of Belgium that wasn't captured during the world war due to the townsmen's ingenious plans of opening the flood gate.

8) Brussel's Oldest Citizen

Who would have thought that Brussel's Oldest Citizen is a little boy atop a fountain? The Mannekin-Pis, located in the Rue de l'Etuve, is probably the most popular tourist spot in the capital city. The Mannekin-Pis is a bronze statuette of Belgian irreverence, a sculpture of a little boy who is "answering the call of nature" (e.g. taking a piss).

9) Where Great Men Once Walked

And you can't have a trip to Belgium without going to the Grand Place, a beautiful piece of architecture that has been around since the middle ages. This is where Marx and Engels once worked to write their Communist Manifesto.

10) Castle Hopping

And, if you're hungry for beautiful and diverse architecture, then Belgium surely is the place for you. Wallonia in Belgium has a huge collection of castles of every kind. They have fortresses and towers and everything you will ever need for your medieval fantasies. These castles have even become popular as honeymoon spots for newlyweds.