Introduction
Belgium's sluggish surface hides cultural cachet and a passion for pleasure. If Belgium's spotlight on the European stage is a little dim, it's only because its people are rarely boastful. This slow-burning country has more history, art, food and architecture packed into its tiny self than many of its bigger, louder neighbours.
A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons. 'Every journey in Belgium, no matter however short, no matter however long, ends up in a cafe.' -Benno Barnard.
Geography:
Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, Belgium is one of Europe's tiddlers. The north is flat, the south dominated by the picturesque Ardennes, and the North Sea coastline monopolised by resorts, bar a few patches of windswept dunes. Lower Belgium is criss-crossed by a network of canals.
Destination Facts
Capital: Brussels
King: Albert II
Prime Minister: Herman Van Rompuy
Government: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 30510
Population: 10400000
People: 55% Flemish, 33% Walloons (French Latin) and about 10% foreigners.
Languages: Belgium's tangled tongues date back to when Christ was a toddler and Franks were forcing Celts and Gauls into the land's southern regions, making an early form of Dutch the norm in the north. And so it remains, with French the accepted language in the south. Brussels, stuck in the middle, is one of the world's few officially bilingual capitals.French speakers live in Wallonia in the south.
Currency: Euro (€)
Major industries: Services, agriculture, chemicals, engineering, metal products, car manufacturing, iron and steel, textiles and food
Major Trading Partners: EU (esp. Germany, France, Netherlands, UK), USA
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 32
Getting There
There's a reason radio DJs in Belgium love the Beatles' 1969 classic Here Comes the Sun. The weather here is fickle, and when the sun comes out everyone celebrates. To avoid major dampness coupled with biting cold, plan a visit for May to September (ie late spring to early autumn). The disadvantages of this time include considerable crowds and, depending on where exactly you go, a scarcity of accommodation - Bruges is the most problematic in both these areas. Brussels, on the other hand, is actually quieter during summer (mid-July to mid-September), and some hotels cut prices. In April the weather is more fickle than ever - you'll be catching sun on a terrace cafe one minute and scuttling for cover the next. Wretched is the only word suitable for the mild winter weather from November to March: the days are grey and wet with occasional light snow. Correspondingly, tourist numbers plummet. If you pack the right clothes and keep in mind that the daylight hours will be short, you can make the most of uncrowded museums. The lion's share of events take place over summer. Outside this time, there are a few quirky festivals to consider, the highlight being carnival celebrations.
Getting there and away
Belgium's main international airport is Brussels airport (formerly called Zaventem), 14km (8.7mi) northeast of Brussels. If you're in Europe already, a bus or train is the best option. Eurolines operates international bus services to and from Belgium. Belgium Railways has frequent international services. Brussels has three main stations and is the central hub, with lines in all directions. Car/passenger ferries operate to and from Britain.
Getting around
Getting around Belgium is cheap and easy, which makes up for the rather expensive, and often heavily booked, accommodation. While there are plenty of buses and hiring a car is an easy enough option, the country's transport system is dominated by its efficient rail network. The fastest services are the InterCity trains, backed up by InterRegional and local trains. In the more remote areas, buses take up the slack. There's a good public transport system (including trams and a small metro system in Brussels and Antwerp). Taxis, which lurk outside most train stations, are metered and expensive. Cycling is popular in the flat north and many roads have separate lanes for bikes, making touring by bike an excellent option. Railway stations rent bikes. It's also possible to hire a boat to cruise along the many rivers and canals.
Visa:
There are no entry requirements or restrictions on EU nationals visiting Belgium and Luxembourg. Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and the USA do not need visas to visit either country as tourists for up to three months. Except for people from a few other European countries (such as Switzerland and Norway), everyone else must have a visa. Three-month tourist visas are issued by Belgian or Luxembourg embassies or consulates. They can take a while to be processed, so leave enough time before departure to apply. Fees vary depending on your nationality.
Weather
Belgium has a varied climate from day to day but that is quite similar across the country. Rainfall is mild and fairly consistent throughout the year. Summer has the most pleasant conditions with days averaging in the low 20 ° Cs (low 70 ° Fs) and a decent amount of sunlight. Winters are mostly overcast and, apart from the coast which experiences slightly milder winters, are generally frosty, often dropping a couple of degrees below zero (around 28 ° F).
Places of Interest
If Belgium's spotlight on the European stage is a little dim, it's only because its people are rarely boastful. This slow-burning country has more history, art, food and architecture packed into its tiny self than many of its bigger, louder neighbours. A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons.
Belgium's sluggish surface hides cultural cachet and a passion for pleasure. If Belgium's spotlight on the European stage is a little dim, it's only because its people are rarely boastful. This slow-burning country has more history, art, food and architecture packed into its tiny self than many of its bigger, louder neighbours.
A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons. 'Every journey in Belgium, no matter however short, no matter however long, ends up in a cafe.' -Benno Barnard.
Geography:
Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, Belgium is one of Europe's tiddlers. The north is flat, the south dominated by the picturesque Ardennes, and the North Sea coastline monopolised by resorts, bar a few patches of windswept dunes. Lower Belgium is criss-crossed by a network of canals.
Destination Facts
Capital: Brussels
King: Albert II
Prime Minister: Herman Van Rompuy
Government: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 30510
Population: 10400000
People: 55% Flemish, 33% Walloons (French Latin) and about 10% foreigners.
Languages: Belgium's tangled tongues date back to when Christ was a toddler and Franks were forcing Celts and Gauls into the land's southern regions, making an early form of Dutch the norm in the north. And so it remains, with French the accepted language in the south. Brussels, stuck in the middle, is one of the world's few officially bilingual capitals.French speakers live in Wallonia in the south.
Currency: Euro (€)
Major industries: Services, agriculture, chemicals, engineering, metal products, car manufacturing, iron and steel, textiles and food
Major Trading Partners: EU (esp. Germany, France, Netherlands, UK), USA
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 32
Getting There
There's a reason radio DJs in Belgium love the Beatles' 1969 classic Here Comes the Sun. The weather here is fickle, and when the sun comes out everyone celebrates. To avoid major dampness coupled with biting cold, plan a visit for May to September (ie late spring to early autumn). The disadvantages of this time include considerable crowds and, depending on where exactly you go, a scarcity of accommodation - Bruges is the most problematic in both these areas. Brussels, on the other hand, is actually quieter during summer (mid-July to mid-September), and some hotels cut prices. In April the weather is more fickle than ever - you'll be catching sun on a terrace cafe one minute and scuttling for cover the next. Wretched is the only word suitable for the mild winter weather from November to March: the days are grey and wet with occasional light snow. Correspondingly, tourist numbers plummet. If you pack the right clothes and keep in mind that the daylight hours will be short, you can make the most of uncrowded museums. The lion's share of events take place over summer. Outside this time, there are a few quirky festivals to consider, the highlight being carnival celebrations.
Getting there and away
Belgium's main international airport is Brussels airport (formerly called Zaventem), 14km (8.7mi) northeast of Brussels. If you're in Europe already, a bus or train is the best option. Eurolines operates international bus services to and from Belgium. Belgium Railways has frequent international services. Brussels has three main stations and is the central hub, with lines in all directions. Car/passenger ferries operate to and from Britain.
Getting around
Getting around Belgium is cheap and easy, which makes up for the rather expensive, and often heavily booked, accommodation. While there are plenty of buses and hiring a car is an easy enough option, the country's transport system is dominated by its efficient rail network. The fastest services are the InterCity trains, backed up by InterRegional and local trains. In the more remote areas, buses take up the slack. There's a good public transport system (including trams and a small metro system in Brussels and Antwerp). Taxis, which lurk outside most train stations, are metered and expensive. Cycling is popular in the flat north and many roads have separate lanes for bikes, making touring by bike an excellent option. Railway stations rent bikes. It's also possible to hire a boat to cruise along the many rivers and canals.
Visa:
There are no entry requirements or restrictions on EU nationals visiting Belgium and Luxembourg. Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and the USA do not need visas to visit either country as tourists for up to three months. Except for people from a few other European countries (such as Switzerland and Norway), everyone else must have a visa. Three-month tourist visas are issued by Belgian or Luxembourg embassies or consulates. They can take a while to be processed, so leave enough time before departure to apply. Fees vary depending on your nationality.
Weather
Belgium has a varied climate from day to day but that is quite similar across the country. Rainfall is mild and fairly consistent throughout the year. Summer has the most pleasant conditions with days averaging in the low 20 ° Cs (low 70 ° Fs) and a decent amount of sunlight. Winters are mostly overcast and, apart from the coast which experiences slightly milder winters, are generally frosty, often dropping a couple of degrees below zero (around 28 ° F).
Places of Interest
If Belgium's spotlight on the European stage is a little dim, it's only because its people are rarely boastful. This slow-burning country has more history, art, food and architecture packed into its tiny self than many of its bigger, louder neighbours. A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons.
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