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Head To Bruges To Experience The Real Belgium

Each year Belgium opens its doors to hundreds of thousands of visitors. The majority of them head straight to the capital, Brussels, but to experience the real Belgium your trip simply has to include a visit to Bruges. The city of Bruges is just an hour away from its big sister by train and is hailed as the Venice of the north, but that's not all it has to offer as the city opens up a whole new world beyond the popular Brussels and into the real heart of Belgium.

Bruges is a picturesque traditional town filled with great architecture, beautiful canals and plenty of shops and restaurants to keep you well fed and entertained. Some of the best places to see in Bruges can be found by simply taking a stroll through the cobbled streets of the centre. Here you can gaze at the historical buildings and spend some time sitting beside the beautiful canals simply watching the world go by.

If you're looking for some great attractions to visit for the day head for the Museum Gallery XPO which houses some of Salvador Dali's most spectacular paintings. You can spend an afternoon wandering around the space enjoying some of Dali's best work including some of his famous sculptures and graphic art pieces. If history is more your thing a day tour to Flanders fields museum will give you a real insight into the city's involvement in World War 1. Once you've had your fill of art and history check out some of the stunning locations used in the blockbuster film, ‘In Bruges', starring Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes, a must for any film buffs.

If you're after great views of the city then take a hike up the steps of the Belfort medieval tower where you can see the whole town in all its glory. There are also plenty of hot air balloon rides available so you can get a bird's eye view of the surrounding countryside. After a day of sightseeing head to the area of Kraanplein or Langestraat which both offer up some great bars and clubs so you can dance the night away till your heart's content.

You can find plenty of accommodation in Bruges that will suit all budgets and tastes and with travel to Bruges simply an hour's train ride from Brussels, there really is no excuse not to pay this beautiful city a visit. So, if you want to experience the real Belgium stay away from the traditional tourist visits to the capital and head for the unique town of Bruges where you can sample some of Belgium's beauty and hospitality in stunning surroundings.

Cheap Flights to Business Centre Of European Brussels

Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by a descendant of Charlemagne into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants. As the capital and business centre of European Union, there are millions of people who fly to Brussels every year. To find Cheap Flights to Brussels is very convenient and easy with various financial plans and worldwide airlines flying every day. It is allied to numerous divisions of the world, including US and the respite of Europe. Here, you can easily find Cheap Flights to Brussels sourced from several airfare online search engine.

There are thousands of airfare search engines available on the internet. From most of the European cities, Brussels is just 1 or 2 hours away by plane. You can also get the entire details from the sky scanner for the cheapest destination to fly for. There are numerous cities of Europe from where you can easily find Cheap Flights to Brussels. You can find the cheapest airfare departing from Edinburg, London, Glasgow, Stockholm, Madrid, Oslo and various other major cities of Europe. The budget air fares begin from 14GBP all way, without taxes. To get Cheap Flights to Brussels, you should fly from the major city nearer to your town instead of taking a flight from your town.

To take a flight from major cities can help you in reduction of airfares. If you really want to book a ticket for Cheap Flights to Brussels then you should make a search on the internet. By making a comparison between different airline companies, you will come to know about the actual costs of the tickets. You can also travel occasionally to reduce the fare. During the periods of Christmas and New Year, you can get special offers and discounts on Cheap Flights to Brussels. You can also book an entire travel package on the website to get discounts on Cheap Flights to Brussels.

Explore over the web and compile all the relevant service providers or numerous airlines. The compilation of resources must be integrated with your requirement and budget list. Evaluate and monitor meticulously and thoroughly depending on your preferences and demands regarding services offered and charges on that. Scrutinize the list and left with few airline agents who provide you Cheap Flights to Brussels. Ensure about the procedure and working must be legal and authenticated. Ultimately, you get your ticket from one service provider via online ticket booking service, which is fast and reliable.

Best Hotels in Brussels for your holidays

Brussels is always in the world news as one of the most important base for international politics in the European Union. It is basically a collective city as many institutions and organizations all have headquarters in this place. This inland capital city is by The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, because of this it claims the name 'Capital of Europe'.

Brussels-Capital Region, Brussels Region or simply Brussels, is the European Union's de facto capital city. It is Belgium's largest capital that comprise of 19 municipalities including the French Community of Belgium, Flanders and the capital of Belgium - City of Brussels Proper. From a tenth century fortress town it has grown into a metropolis with over a million inhabitants. Its metropolitan area alone has an estimated population of more than 1.8 million. It is for this reason that Brussels became Belgium's largest town.

Narrow streets open suddenly into the breathtaking Grand-Place, with its ornate guild houses, architectures of Brussels is worth seeing, hotels are stylish too. Here are a few recommended Luxury Hotels in Brussels:

Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo Brussels is one of the stylish and traditional hotels and is without doubt one of the best hotels in the city which is highly recommended. The Hotel Amigo has received the award of "3rd best hotel in Europe" by Travel + Leisure "World's Best Awards 2008" CG 03/09. It is a traditional hotel but very well visually decorated with flowers, canopies, together with helpful and courteous doormen. This hotel is perfectly located within a few minutes walking distance of the Grand Place, making itself the most central hotel in Europe!

Residence Grand Place Brussels - Again with a traditional exterior look and its central location, Residence Grand Place is within easy reach of most attractions and businesses in Brussels. Each guest room is tastefully appointed with non smoking rooms, bath robes, television, bathtub, shower, mini bar, laundry service/dry cleaning, business centre.

B&B Max 69 Brussels is around a white marble courtyard and garden with a pond. The unique design or marble pillars are so impressive. The European Commission is an 8-minute walk away. All floors decorated with modern art and design. In such a modern hotel, free coffee and Wi-Fi are a must. To enjoy a city night life, B&B Max is an 8-minute walk away from the Diamant metro station and close to city centre.

Marriott Hotel Brussels, which is a 5 star hotel is in almost every charming place in the world. The Marriott Hotel Brussels are close to many Brussels attractions. Amenities include bar, restaurant, gym and business center. Needless to say, the rooms at the Marriott Hotel Brussels include air conditioning, work desk, high-speed Internet access, telephone with voicemail, satellite television, a minibar, irons, bath robes, hair dryers and more. Like everywhere else, Marriott is always convenient to public transportation.

At Best Western Premier Sodehotel La Woluwe, guests here will find themselves within walking distance of the Hof Ter Musschen, a renovated 18th century Belgian farmhouse and Public transportations such as Grand Place and the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Similar to the Marriott, it offers climate controls, desks, wireless Internet access, mini-bars, pay movies, and satellite television. The Best Western Premier Sodehotel La Woluwe Brussels is in the business district, and very close to city centre.

A world class destination in Belgium

Great beers, waffles and french fries is what comes to many people's minds when they think of Belgium. The country is often maligned by the uninitiated who have never sampled the delights that are offered by world class cities such as Bruges and Brussels, but for those in the know it is regarded as a first class destination in Europe.

It takes only a few hours to get from London to Belgium thanks to the high-speed Eurostar trains and so the country has become extremely accessible both to holiday makers from the UK as well as those simply looking for a weekend getaway.

Despite being a tourist magnet and overcrowded for most of the year, the medieval city of Bruges is the country's most popular destination and with its picturesque houses, canals and bridges it is not hard to see why. For beauty and atmosphere you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere else that compares in Belgium. Of course if you are looking for a bit more action, then consider the city of Ghent which is located between Antwerp, Bruges and Brussels. This university town has carved out a reputation for fun thanks to the various festivals held throughout the year.

If you are planning a trip over to Belgium but understandably do not want to be bothered taking a lot of bulky luggage with you then don't worry, because this is where an online parcel delivery company can help out. Rather than having to heft about large items, simply send them over in advance. It really couldn't be simpler to get your things over to Belgium when you go through a reputable courier company that has a solid reputation and years of experience delivering to destinations all over Europe and the rest of the world.

Always make sure before you send anything abroad however that you check it does not fall into a prohibited items category. There are certain goods that customs officials will not allow into Belgium, and there are also a number of goods that courier companies refuse to carry. Many items are obvious, such as explosive materials and firearms, but there are some other less obvious ones. If you are new to sending packages to Belgium then do make sure you check with the courier company first.

When you are considering shipping to Belgium then make sure you find a courier company that can get your parcel to Belgium in one piece.

Wonderful Belgium Hotels For A Memorable Vacation

Belgium, officially known as the "Kingdom of Belgium" is a founding member of the European Union. You will find numerous attractions in Belgium like lovely canals, historical places, beautiful cultural locations, and great shopping centers. Due to these factors tourists from across the world get attracted to visit Belgium.

The number of tourists visiting this lovely country has increased year after year. According to a recent article in the Canarian Weekly, Belgium has made a big contribution to the growth in global tourism; the number of visitors has increased by 9.38% in Belgium. Due to this rise a number of hotels have come up in this lovely country. Here is a list of some of the well known Belgium accommodations:

1.Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre: This is one of the many hotels that has come up recently. Located in the center of Brussels, Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre is ideally situated for tourists and business travelers. It is just opposite the main shopping center of the city and within walking distance from the Grand Place. This Belgium hotel has warm Norwegian style decoration and is easily accessible by road. Opened in April 2000, this hotel offers some of the best amenities to its guests. Staying here you can take advantage of facilities like internet access services and a restaurant (including a bar). In your free time you can visit the Royal Museums of Fine Arts,or go golfing at the Brabantse Golf.

2.Husa President Park Hotel: Built in 1985 this 4-star hotel is barely 3km from the Brussels city center. The Husa President Park Hotel is close to numerous tourist attractions like the Brussels City Hall, Grand Place and the Royal Palace of Brussels. Guests here can utilize facilities like internet access, laundry service, and a 24-hr check in. The beautiful garden behind the hotel gives it a lovely and serene look. In this Belgium hotel, the rooms are well equipped to fulfill all the business requirements as well as basic tourist needs.

At Otel.com, you can get details about cheap hotel rooms and the best part is that you will not be charged for booking, cancellation or amendment of reservations. In case of any difficulty you can also take help of the online 24/7 customer service. Online executives will ensure that you can smoothly complete the reservation procedure!

An Affluent Belgium

Situated in Northern Europe, bordering North Sea, between France and the Netherlands, Belgium, as a country that can boast of rich historical past, dating back to the middle ages. The country is studded with museums and historical sites- Museum of Musical Instruments (Old Brussels), The Bastogne Historical Center, Tresor du Prieure d'Oignies(Namur) and Grand Place(Brussels). There are also a lot of World Heritage Sites in Belgium. Besides these, Belgium also has a large number of Sacred and Religious places.


Belgium is a highly industrialized nation in the world and comes within top ten trading rank. Its economy is primarily service oriented with a high per capita income and a very productive labor force. Citizens of most European nations do not require any documents to enter the country, people from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and USA do not require a visa for visits up to three months. The average daily expenses for a tourist will be anywhere above $35, depending upon the circumstances but staying in Brussels will be much more expensive.The major cities in Belgium are Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges, Dinant, Genk, Ghent, Hasselt, Leuven, Liege, Namur, Oostende. Spa, and Waterloo.


Though the period from May to September is excellent for visiting Belgium, the summer (July to September) is a good time to visit Brussels. For foreigners, safety is not a big concern in Belgium. Except a few areas in Central Brussels, and the outskirts of Antwerp, most areas are safe for foreigners. Tourists will have to be quite cautious in vacant streets and places and while traveling alone at night. Among the big hotels, BHC Group (Espace53), Café Bergenhof, Kelly's Irish Pub and O'Reilly's Irish Pub Brussels are the most famous.


During the festive season, Burges Ice Festival is quite famous, with ice pieces sculpted from no less than 300,000 kgs of crystal ice and 400 tons of pure snow. The treasure-trove of icy masterpieces is a specialized thermal tent, where the temperature is kept at a constant -5 degrees C. At Brussels Rhythm and Blues Club, non-stop live music with men in Blue and the Witness can be had for the tourists. 

Late evening at the Brussels museums comprise all conceivable subjects, from the most classical to the funniest, from artistic to the scientific passing by technology, industry, history, exoticism and even gastronomy. All hotels in Brussels have an extensive home page with pictures, prices and rooms descriptions so that we can have a good idea of what the accommodation looks like. Web sites available for booking in about 750 hotels in Belgium and there is a wide variety to choose from.

Ancient Belgium - History in Europe

From 800,000 BC the oldest ancient stone instruments were recovered in present day Belgium. At approximately 400,000 BC, here in the village area of Spy was located the river of Meuse where in Neanderthals it is believed the first homo sapiens settled in Europe.

Starting 300,000 BC Homo sapiens were definitely known to be the residents here. On the other hand, there are Neolithic remains left and still to be obtained from Speines, a place where drawing out of flint mine used to operate. Dated as of 1750 BC started the foremost mark of Bronze Age in Belgium. Settlement of Celtic tribes was around this region by 500 BC and involved in trading operations with the Mediterranean world. As of around 150 BC, the earliest coins were first used.

Belgae was the primary name that is used to call the residents of Belgium (whom modern Belgium is named after). The inhabitants occupied Gaulish or Celtic Europe, a valuable area of Northern Gaul during the Roman occupation era. There was an uncertainty of divisions between the two areas of the Belgae located on the Northern portion and the Gauls to the Southern portion on the same hand, but Gauls seem to have been the leading crowd.

Gauls dominion was modified when they were influenced by the Romans and Germans. Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico quoted the coming of the German tribes from north and the east. There is an evidence of Indo European spoken dialect by the Belgae according to the Linguists. The language or multi language has been called Nordwestblock.

As mentioned and resourced from De Bello Gallico, by the time of 51 BC, Belgae come to be swamped by the armed forces of Julius Caesar. The present Belgium is known to have prospered as a Roman province. Its occupied area was even bigger than modern Belgium and had five major cities. The cities were named Nemetacum (Arras), Divodurum (Metz), Bagacum (Bavay), Aduatuca (Tongeren) and Durocorturum (Reims).

Located to the Northeast was the province of Germania Inferior and was just an adjacent province. There are other cities that were in the territory and they are the following: Traiectum ad Mosam (Maastricht), Ulpia Noviomagus (Nijmegen), Colonia Ulpia Trajana (Xanten) and Colonia Agrippina (Cologne). Both provinces include what are now known as the Low Countries.

Germanic tribes conquered this Roman province around the 5th century, which fortold the end of the Roman Empire. The tribes entered the Roman province of "Gallia". Franks lead and administered the installation of a new kingdom over the Merovingian Dynasty Ruler. Clovis I, the famous king ever started the Dynasty which reigned from Northern France, but his administration was based in present-day Belgium. He advocatec the conversion into Christianity and gathered Christian Scholars. Irish monks became the Christian world preachers to the masses then eventually begun a new trend of conversions (Saint Servatius, Saint Remacle, Saint Hadelin).

During the first Millennium the Romans and then the Vikings ruled over the area that is now called Belgium. However in 891A.D. Arnulf of Carinthia who was close to Leuven achieved victory against the Vikings. The land of Franks Viking Dynasty then separated and then later recombined quite a few times by the ruling Merovingians and Carolingians.