Situated in the heart of the European Union, little Belgium charms its visitors with multiple attractions. Belgium is home to historically interesting cities, world-renowned cuisine, delicious chocolate, and quality beer. Even better, all the popular tourism destinations in Belgium are close to each other and the main centers in the country are less than three hours train ride away from major Western European cities like Amsterdam, London, Paris or Cologne.
Delicious Belgian cuisine is famous worldwide. The density of high-quality restaurants as well as cafés in Belgium is probably the highest in the world. Belgian food is a mix of Latin and Germanic traditions. Mussels are a traditional dish here and some of the Belgian culinary inventions such as waffles and French fries have become immensely popular worldwide. Belgian chocolate is also world-renowned, and the tiny country produces over 500 varieties of beer.
Historical attractions. Besides culinary treats, Belgium offers many interesting historic cities to explore. Brussels is home to the headquarters of both the European Union and NATO, and hosts plenty of museums and fine architecture. However, the largest city in Belgium is the bustling historic port city of Antwerp, also known as the diamond center of the world. There are also the old university towns of Ghent and Leuven, as well as the well-preserved medieval town of Bruges that used to be the biggest city of the world in the 14th century.
When to visit. Belgium has a moist temperate maritime climate with four distinct seasons. Weather in Belgium is characterized by a relatively large rainfall throughout the year. Summer months are the best time to visit Belgium, but they are also the most popular: you can expect Belgian cities and beaches to be crowded especially in August. Belgian culinary and city attractions can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Tourism attractions in Belgium: historical sights, city destinations and culinary treats
Because of its versatile attractions and proximity to many large Western European countries, Belgium has become a popular tourism destination. Some of the favorite travel destinations in Belgium are the cities of Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Leuven and Gent, as well as the Ardennes hill region. In the French-speaking Wallonian region of Belgium, the towns of Liège and Dinant are good bases for exploring the beautiful hill country that is great for hiking or bicycling. Belgium also has a coastline with some sandy beaches and the country hosts one of the largest music festivals in the world, Rock Werchter.Delicious Belgian cuisine is famous worldwide. The density of high-quality restaurants as well as cafés in Belgium is probably the highest in the world. Belgian food is a mix of Latin and Germanic traditions. Mussels are a traditional dish here and some of the Belgian culinary inventions such as waffles and French fries have become immensely popular worldwide. Belgian chocolate is also world-renowned, and the tiny country produces over 500 varieties of beer.
Historical attractions. Besides culinary treats, Belgium offers many interesting historic cities to explore. Brussels is home to the headquarters of both the European Union and NATO, and hosts plenty of museums and fine architecture. However, the largest city in Belgium is the bustling historic port city of Antwerp, also known as the diamond center of the world. There are also the old university towns of Ghent and Leuven, as well as the well-preserved medieval town of Bruges that used to be the biggest city of the world in the 14th century.
Belgium travel information and practical tips
Belgium is located in Northwest Europe between France, Germany and the Netherlands. It consists of two main regions: the Dutch-speaking Flanders and the French-speaking Wallonia. The capital of Belgium, Brussels is a bilingual city.When to visit. Belgium has a moist temperate maritime climate with four distinct seasons. Weather in Belgium is characterized by a relatively large rainfall throughout the year. Summer months are the best time to visit Belgium, but they are also the most popular: you can expect Belgian cities and beaches to be crowded especially in August. Belgian culinary and city attractions can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Photo: Clay Irving, used under Creative Commons License (By ND 2.0)
How to get there. Because of its central location, traveling to Belgium is easy and fast not only by air but also by train or bus from other Western European countries. Once in Belgium, the maximum distance between any destinations is just 300 km. The public transport in Belgium is efficient and fast, mainly arranged by trains and buses. Bigger Belgian cities have also subway systems.
Services & safety. Belgium, and especially Flanders region is considered very wealthy, but it is still quite affordable for foreign visitors to travel in Belgium. Hotels, guesthouses and hostels, as well as nice restaurants can be found in everywhere in Belgium. Except for a few neighborhoods in Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium is a very safe country to visit. Belgians are usually helpful towards tourists and their knowledge of English is high.
Short history of Belgium
Situated in the heartland of Medieval Europe, the area of Belgium switched hands several times between larger European countries. The revolution in 1830 led to Catholic Belgium becoming independent from the Protestant Netherlands with Leopold I as their first king. Since then, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. It also participated in colonialism in Africa by its rather violent rule in Congo. During the World Wars I and II Belgium was occupied by Germany.After the Second World War Belgium became one of the founding members of the European Union and has prospered in the last 50 years, changing into a wealthy, modern, and advanced country. However, the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north of Belgium and the French-speaking Walloons of the south continue to have political tensions, although a great deal of autonomy has been given to their regions.
hint See also these nearby destinations: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liege, Bruges, Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden
