Travel to Belgium

Tempting… Sweet… Sinfully delicious… Erinomainen! The mouth-watering Belgian chocolate and pralines will surely delight your senses; just as your Havaianas will gratify the needs of your feet that are itching to travel around the towns and villages of Belgium. And as you walk around that old village with your little kid running around on baby flip flops, you suddenly stop to sniff the air that smells of waffles and French fries that Belgians just really love.  And while walking around the museum with your stylish shoes, you stop to admire a portrait of a man in a turban.

Being the biggest brewer in the world by volume, you stop by a fine restaurant and have a bottle of beer after having seen the wonderful boulevards and stores in the city of Brussels. And as you gulp every drop of that tasty beverage, you decided to go to the Abbey of Westyleteren to taste the famous Trappist beer. What better way to go to the city of Ypres than to walk there wearing the world’s best flip flops and taste the world’s best beer.

And as you enjoyed cycling on the country’s relatively flat terrain, you pushed the pedal with ease and comfort, thanks to your reliable Havaianas. Enjoying the trails and tracks that abound in the country wouldn’t be hard with your sandals on. This highly urbanized country houses cities that are fascinating combinations of new and old, traditional and contemporary. The churches, houses and guild halls contrast with the modern houses, buildings and factories, a delightful sight to many tourists. Just like those flip flops you were wearing, from Havaianas Belgium, as you tour around the enchanting cities of beautiful Belgium.

Brussels is one European capital that's easy to miss on your grand tour of Europe. The whole little country of Belgium is easy to miss, but it's one that you really shouldn't. It has lots to offer. This grand old city is not only the capital of Belgium, it's the Capital of the European Union. Something you'll have to get used to in all of Belgium, is that there are two languages... everywhere. Dutch and French, so you'll often see signs in both languages. It's Brussels in English... "Brussel" in Dutch and "Bruxelles" in French. You'll get along fine in either language or English. Our friends in Belgium slip from one language to another with ease that puts us to shame.

Right in the center of the city is where you want to be. "La Grand Place" or "Grote Markt" is the main square right in the heart of the old town. This huge cobble stone square is surrounded by the city tower and 300 year old buildings... most of which were guild halls. There are really only a few old streets left around the square, but they're fun to wander. Shop for chocolates. Have Belgian Waffles with caramelized sugar on the square. (Luikse wafel or gaufre de Liege). Definitely have a beer. The Belgians are known for their beers... there are over a hundred breweries in this little country producing hundreds of different brands and many types of beer!

When you stop to eat, you'll have to have mussels (moules). You can have French fries (fritjes or frites) with them, or have fritjes as a snack. If you want to eat those fries as the Belgians do, have them with mayonnaise. The first time we visited friends in Belgium, they made it a point to serve us Brussels sprouts... but you don't have to eat those if you don't want to! If you order any of these as a snack, you can take them and sit on steps or benches around the square just as the locals do. Just a short walk from the Grand Place-Grote Markt is the Manneken Pis. EVERYONE wants to see this fountain with its funny little statue. And it is little.... smaller that you think it will be... especially since it's reputation precedes it all over the world. You know what we're talking about... the funny bronze statue of a little boy... well, Manneken Pis says it all doesn't it? Maybe he had one too many beers?

There is a museum full of little outfits that have been created for the little boy... if you're lucky (or unlucky depending on your viewpoint), you might even see him dressed in one, but they are usually kept in the museum. Signs will direct you to the corner where he stands. For a little culture, visit the Royal Museums of Fine Arts off one end of the main square. There are two museums linked together here, the Ancient Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. If you like early Flemish masters, the Ancient Art Museum is for you. You probably don't need to spend more than two or three days in Brussels to see it well before you move on to other areas of Belgium or Europe, but really, it's a great city that you shouldn't miss.

Dining in Brussels is a real treat; foodies around the world consider this city to be home to some of the best cuisine in the world. Brussels is known by some as the world capital of waffles, chocolate, beer and - the French Fry. Yes, you read that right, the French Fry.

Belgian legend says that when British and/or American soldiers were arriving in Belgium during the first World War, they tried the Belgian Fries. However, as most of the native people and members of the Belgian Army spoke French, they (the Americans and British soldiers) called the fried potatoes French Fries. French Fries, however, are now served a little different than Belgian fries. The Belgian-style fries typically come in a paper cone, are made from freshly cut potatoes (never frozen), fried twice and served with mayonnaise as a dipping sauce. Known as "Frieten", they are the national snack of Belgium. Delicious!

Belgium is world renowned for their chocolate - there is even a museum dedicated to this delightful treat, The Chocolaterie Planete Chocolate. Here they give tours and offer workshop which teach visitors the fine art of chocolate making.

Have you ever had lambic style beer? It is some of the best out there. This beer is only brewed in and around the city of Brussels. Lambic beer is made from yeasts and bacteria native to the Senne Valley, through spontaneous fermentation unlike traditional beers. The flavor of a lambic differs from other styles of beer in that they have a strong aroma that accompanies the flavor. There are many variations of this beer, the most popular being the lambic that has fruit syrup added. If you love good food, then Brussels is an ideal destination for some great eating, if nothing else. Your stomach will thank you for finding a cheap flight to Brussels to partake in this gastronomic adventure- and so will your memory in years to come.

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.