Travel to Belgium

Belgium is a low-lying country on the North Sea coast in the Benelux. With the majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of the Belgian capital of Brussels, and as a member of the long-standing international Benelux community, Belgium sits at the crossroads of Western Europe. Its immediate neighbors are France to the southwest, Luxembourg to the southeast, Germany to the east and the Netherlands to the north.

Belgium is a densely populated country trying to balance the conflicting demands of urbanization, transportation, industry, commercial and intensive agriculture. It imports large quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactured goods, mostly to the EU.

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II and has many war graves near the battle zones, most of them are around Ieper (in English archaically rendered as Ypres, with Yperite another name for mustard gas due to intensive use there in WWI). It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

The Belgian attitude towards life is one of humility, and being proud of what's given to you. A real Belgian patriot is very hard to find. The different duchies and counties making up the "Southern Low Countries" were first united in the 15th century, only to be separated in the 16th century from the "Northern Low Countries" (today Netherlands) after decades of war. Afterwards the territory we today call "Belgium" was part of the Spanish (1501-1713) Austrian (1713-1790) and French (1790-1815) Empires. It was briefly re-united with the Netherlands in 1815 but broke away again in 1830 to become the Kingdom of Belgium. Every one of these rulers have left their mark in palaces, castles, forts and cities which form the rich historic tapestry that is Belgium today.

For more information follow the link - Belgium Travel Guide

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Strolling into an orange horizon along the River Scheldt, or just guzzling on refreshingly cold Belgian beer, Belgium is a medley that appeals to every traveller, alone or in a group, an art aficionado or a diamond merchant.

It is believed that a smart traveller always befriends locals first. So here's what the country might look like to a local. The four C's that you are guaranteed here are an old world charm, ornate cathedrals, soaring castles and chocolates. Of course, you'll also find the charisma of the world's oldest diamond industry that dates back to the 15th Century. These and more provide enough reason to book a self catering holiday rental (http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/) in picturesque Belgium, and soak up the fervour as the locals do.

If fashion is your culture, and culture is your fashion, then you might already know of the gems that are woven into the Belgian territories. While Belgian lace might top the list in popularity, The Museum of Tapestry and Textile Arts is not far behind.

Interestingly, apart from witnessing some of the finest tapestry exhibits, this museum in Tournai also houses tapestry weavers, where you can see great hands and great brains at work at the Textile Art Research Centre. If exploring the realms of relics gives you an adrenaline rush, you will probably be on a constant high during your holiday in Belgium.

If this were not enough to satiate your thirst for variety, you could always witness the fashion finesse displayed by Antwerp's world renowned diamond cutters. It's no surprise that this city is home to the largest Diamond Museum in the world, where an ‘image and sound' tour enhances your experience of this exquisite gem stone.

Not far from this glittering experience are the Zoological Gardens. Home to almost 5,000 animals, it boasts of being the third largest zoological garden in Europe in terms of species.

This is just a peek into the grandeur and vivacity that awaits you in Belgium, a land that prides itself in producing a staggering 800 varieties of beer.

Travelling in Belgium can be a story in itself. It is believed that the Belgian motorway system is the only man-made structure visible from the moon at night due to the lights all along the network. During your stay, the trams will prove to be an economical mode of transport.

It may help to keep in mind that Belgium has 3 official languages, namely French, Dutch and English.

Belgium is best explored from a private holiday home from a website such as holiday-rentals.co.uk. With plenty of space and privacy, you can relax with your own kitchen and living room while striking out to explore your surroundings feeling fresh every morning.

If you are contemplating the best time to visit Belgium, do not waste time, for any time is good in Belgium. From exhibitions to beer festivals to carnivals to jazz concerts, every month is bustling with activity in this quaint little country.

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Belgium has a lot more going for it than some of the dreary descriptions and jokes about it would suggest. It is a low lying country, situated between France and Holland with a coastline facing England


across the North Sea.


A welcoming country to visit


One of the reasons for its boring, unpopular image probably stems from its capital, Brussels being a dreary collection of administrative offices and its associations with E.U. bureaucracy. Another reason is Belgium’s identity crisis. It is Flemish-speaking in the north and French-speaking in the south and there has always been a considerable clash of cultures between the two, both competing for a definition of what is the real Belgium. However, if one delves beneath the surface of this uninspiring portrayal of Belgium, it soon becomes apparent that the country has much to offer.

For a start, it is actually packed full of absorbing history; from both before and after its separation from the Netherlands in 1830. Beautiful historical buildings and architecture abounds in nearly every city. Ghent provides a fascinating example of a medieval port and has the most number of historical buildings to see. Bruges however, is the most attractive from a scenic point of view. It is a beautifully preserved 14th century Flemish town whose narrow cobble-streets, canals and gabled houses demand at least a day’s visit and preferably a longer stay there.For a lively city with plenty to do, head for Antwerp which as well as being Europe’s diamond capital and a hotbed of modern fashion, still manages to reveal its impressive past through places like the house where Rubens lived and worked for thirty years.


Although much of Belgium’s countryside is flat and lacking in scenic appeal, the Ardennes region is mountainous and offers a beautiful wooded landscape of wild crags and ravines where one of the most famous battles of World War 2 was fought.


Belgium’s people are generally some of the most welcoming you will find anywhere. They are noted for their love of good food in large helpings. The word Gourmands (meaning big cuisine) rather than Gourmets (meaning fine cuisine) describes the typical Belgium very well. Another cliché often used to describe Belgium cuisine is; French food in German sized helpings. It is very apt!


When to visit


The warmest time of the year is April through to September but Belgium weather is inclined to provide days of grey skies and rain at any time.


A popular tourist attraction takes place at the beginning of July. This is the Ommegang Pageant, a spectacular medieval festival dating back to 1359. The colorful procession through the streets of Brussels is followed by a flag and horse parade. Next, crossbow men surround a statue of the Virgin that the procession has escorted from the Sablon Church. Finally everyone settles down to enjoy an incredible fiesta of games and entertainment.


Getting to Belgium


The UK has several discount airlines operating flights from many of its airports to Brussels, Antwerp and other cities. Visitors from other European countries will usually travel by train or road. U.S. and Canadian tourists will probably need to consider flights to France or the UK rather than finding a direct flight.


More travel tips about Belgium


For more travel tips, information and articles about Belgium as a holiday destination, take a look at the best-travel-tip.com website

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Stewart is very passionate about travel. He is a travel article writer and runs a travel-tip website, which aims to provide travel tips and information about holiday vacation destinations worldwide.

He travels a great deal and derives enormous pleasure from visiting as many of the world’s favourite travel destinations as possible.

Belgium is one of the major tourist destinations of Europe. It is also home to medieval architecture and dynamic cities such as Brussels and Antwerp. One of the interesting places of concern is the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Antwerp), it has a huge collection of paintings right from 14th century and onwards. Also don't forget Waterloo, remember the battle of waterloo where Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington. This site is also one of the major factors for many tourists to make Belgium tourist destination.

The Ypres War Memorials and the Flander Battlefields are the other places of interest. The history of the town of Ypres is associated with First World War. Here they have the silent memorials of the dead of First World War. Belgium has more than 3000 castles and out of which 300 are open for the public. The most popular Castle among them is the Gravensteen also known as the Castle of the Counts. Don't forget to visit the Town of Spa where you can relax in its fine waters, Bruges also known as "Venice of North" because of its canals and bridges. The Diamond Museum (Antwerp) is famous for documenting 'Antwerp cut' and advanced scientific research.

Belgian chocolates are famous for lovers. Belgium produces over 172000 tons of chocolate every year and has more than 2000 chocolate shops. Also Belgium is known for its festival and carnivals. Some of the famous festivals and carnivals are Ommegang Festival (Brussels), Carnival de Binche (Binche), Stavelot (Mid-Lent Carnival) and Zinneke Parade (Brussels).

Flea Market is known for vintage clothes, crockery, furniture and household items. Place du Grand Sablon is paradise for antique lovers one of the best in Europe. There are many shops where you can find fashionable clothes, shoes and accessories from shops such as Brooklyn Antwerp, High and Mighty. You can also visit the Mier in general. People who like to do shopping can make Belgium tourist destination.

There is a common saying among Belgians that their food is cooked with French finesse and served with German generosity. The cuisine here is known for its mussels and frites, waffles and endive. Fish and seafood are equally important and the beer is good here, since Belgium is famous for brewing tradition. All type of meat and game birds are popular among here. And last but not the least Belgians love potatoes. Belgian endive or chicory is famous. Street foods such as French fries are served in paper cone with mayonnaise or curry sauce. The cuisine of Belgium is the reason why so many tourists make Belgium tourist destination.

There are lot more things which Belgium has to offer but if you want to know about it, it's better that you make Belgium tourist destination.

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Read about Belgium Tour Packages. Also know affordable Armenia Tour Packages. Read ways to find best Bhutan Tour Packages.

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.

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