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Belgium Information

Overview

Belgium is a typically stable, cautiously progressive, western European liberal democracy. The alliance with The Netherlands and Luxembourg became the Benelux Union in 1958, which, in turn, became one of the foundation stones of the European Community. Brussels is the headquarters of both NATO and the EU. Today, the anachronistic images of ‘boring Belgium’ have been well and truly banished over the last decade as the country promotes its key destinations, along with a string of new attractions.

Easy to travel around, this pocket-sized country is divided into the Flemish north (Flemish-speaking) and the Walloon south (French-speaking). Brussels, the capital, is the heart of the country and the European Union.

Belgium always had a lot more going for it than the faceless political and bureaucratic buildings that litter its capital with a string of engaging cities in Bruges, Ghent, Liège (and Brussels itself) that offer impressive architecture, lively nightlife, first-rate cuisine and numerous other attractions for visitors.

Then there is reinvented Antwerp, now a hotbed of fashion and modern design, and the more bucolic charms of the beauty of the mountainous Ardennes region to the east, as well as the sweeping sand of the coastline resorts of the western seaboard. Belgium is also a land whose specialities include ubiquitous beers, delicate chocolates, moules frites and Belgian waffles.

The principal domestic problem is continuing tension between the Flemish-speaking north and the French-speaking south of the country, known as Wallonia, not forgetting the capital Brussels. However, throughout the years, Belgium has evolved towards an efficient federal system. Five reforms have been necessary to achieve this (in 1970, 1980, 1988-89, 1993 and 2001). In 2005, Belgium celebrated 25 years of federalism and for the first time ever, article one of the Belgian Constitution stated that ’Belgium is a federal state made out of communities and regions’.

Author

Sharon Harris

Top Things To See

Do not miss the highlight of Brussels (website: www.bitc.be) - the spectacular gothic Grand Place. Pose for a photograph in front of the famous Manneken-Pis (website: www.trabel.com/brussel/brussel-manneken.htm) nearby, and his less heralded sister the Janneken Pis; both statues hint at the exuberance and irreverence of the ‘Bruxellois’.

Explore Brussels further, with St Michael and St Gudule’s Cathedral and the Mont des Arts park, which links the upper and lower parts of the city. Not forgetting the elegant Place Royale.

Take a short trip out to Heysel to see the bizarre Atomium (website: www.atomium.be), a giant representation of a molecule originally built for the 1958 World Fair, and Mini Europe which recreates major EU cities in miniature.

Pay homage to history in the making at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo site, 18km (11 miles) to the south of Brussels, commemorating the battle that shaped the future of both Belgium and modern Europe.

In Antwerp (website: www.antwerpen.be), see how the more traditional attractions complement the new, with the impressive Grote Markt, containing the Town Hall and the Brabo Fountain, which commemorates the legend of the city’s origin and also the 18th-century Groenplaats, with its Rubens statue.

For architectural beauty, make the short journey to UNESCO World Heritage City Bruges (website: www.brugge.be), whose attractions include the 14th-century town hall, the belfry tower and the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour.

Admire the medieval heart of Ghent (website: www.visitgent.be), which boasts many historic buildings, including three abbeys. Key attractions include St Bavo’s Cathedral, place of Charles V’s baptism and home to The Adoration of the Mystical Lamb, the Van Eyck brothers’ masterpiece.

Head southeast from Brussels into French-speaking Wallonia. Stop off at Dinant (website: www.dinant.be), with its spectacular Citadel (website: www.citadellededinant.be), and the equally impressive cliff-face Notre Dame church by the banks of the River Meuse.

Also in Wallonia, visit Liège (website: www.prov-liege.be) a popular tourist destination situated on the banks of the Meuse. The view from the Citadel covers the old town, the most impressive part of the city.

Explore the Belgian coastline, a largely sandy affair that stretches for 67km (42 miles) from Knokke near the Dutch border to De Panne on the French border, with over a dozen resorts. Knokke, Middelkerke and Ostend are the liveliest resorts.

In Tournai (website: www.tournai.be), the country’s second oldest city, admire the oldest belfry in Belgium, and the Cathedral of Our Lady (12th century), both of which are UNESCO-listed heritage buildings.

See the site of the Battle of the Bulge (1944-1945) at Bastogne Historical Centre (website: www.bastognehistoricalcenter.be), close to the Luxembourg border, which features a large American memorial and collections of memorabilia relating to the pivotal WWII engagement. 

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Top Things To Do

 Enjoy the many Brussels museums such as the Museum of Ancient Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Comic Strip Museum and the Museum of the City of Brussels - Maison du Roi (website: www.brusselsmuseums.be/en/musees/index.php).

 Relax over a meal of moules frites in one of the many reasonably priced restaurants of Brussels’Rue des Bouchers, close to the Grand Place. Most have tables outside in the summer, from which to watch the world go by while dining. 

 Pay homage to chocolate, which is one of Belgium’s best known products, with a visit to the Chocolate and Cocoa Museum (website: www.mucc.be) off Brussels’ Grand Place, or Choco-Story in Bruges (website: www.choco-story.be). 

 Take a canal boat ride along the waterways of Bruges (website: www.brugge.be) (sometimes described as the ‘Venice of the North), an excellent and relaxing way to appreciate the medieval architectural splendours of this historic Flanders city. 

 Sample some of Belgium’s many fine beers at t’Brugs Beertje (website: www.brugsbeertje.be), a characterful bar in Kemelstraat in the centre of historic Bruges. It offers a choice of literally hundreds of varieties. 

 Learn all about traditional Flanders lace making at the Kantcentrum (website: www.kantcentrum.com) in Bruges, where visitors can watch demonstrations of the craft and learn all about the history of this famous Belgian product. 

 Visit the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum of Industrial Archaeology in Ghent (website: www.visitgent.be), which was once the largest medieval city in Europe after Paris. 

 Discover Antwerp ’s maritime heritage by joining a tour of the port or visit the Steen, a 12th-century fortress now housing the National Maritime Museum (website: http://museum.antwerpen.be/scheepvaartmuseum), that overlooks the buzzing new city of today. 

 Follow in the footsteps of Peter Paul Rubens, who hailed from Antwerp, at the city’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts (website: http://museum.antwerpen.be/kmska). The Rubens House (website: http://museum.antwerpen.be/rubenshuis), where the painter lived, is also a major related attraction. 

 Visit the WWI battlefields, with a number of sites open with varying degrees of facilities. The killing fields of Ypres (website: www.inflandersfields.be) are the most accessible. 

 Take a sightseeing boat trip along the upper reaches of the River Meuse in southeastern Belgium, along which the scenery is often spectacular. Cruises start from Dinant and Namur (website: www.bateaux-meuse.be). 

Take part in one of Belgium’s dozens of yearly carnivals and festivals (website: www.visitbelgium.com/festivals.htm), including The Ommegang Festival in Brussels, the Carnival de Binche, and the Ghent Festival.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Belgian cuisine is similar to French, based on game and seafood. Each region in Belgium has its own special dish. Butter, cream, beer and wine are generously used in cooking.

Things to know: Most restaurants have waiter service, although self-service cafes are becoming more common. Restaurant bills always include drinks, unless they have been taken at the bar separately. In the latter case, this is settled over the counter. The majority of cafes have licences to serve spirits. Beers and wines are freely obtainable everywhere and there are no licensing hours.

National specialities:
• Moules frites (mussels and chips/French fries).
• Endives with Bechamel sauce.
• Ardennes sausages, ham, and paté are renowned.
• Belgian chocolate.
• Waffles.

National drinks:
There are over 400 beers brewed in Belgium, ranging from lagers and pilsners through to Lambic (made from wheat and barley), white and fruit beers, to Trappist monastery beers.
• Fruit beers, such as Kriek cherry beer, are a speciality.
• Famous names include Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Duvel and Chimay.
• Gueuze is a highly distinctive Brussels speciality.

Legal drinking age: 16.

Tipping: A service charge of 16% is usually included in hotel or restaurant bills, although an additional tip may be left at the discretion of the individual. Cloakroom attendants and porters may expect a tip per item of luggage.