Situated between France in the south, Germany in the east, The Netherlands to the North and England across the sea to the west, the Kingdom of Belgium is often referred to as the Essence of Europe.
One of the first references made about Belgium was by Julius Caesar who called us the bravest. In the 8th century also the Vikings came to the same conclusion and had their asses kicked.
The northern and Dutch speaking part of Belgium is called Flanders, a flatland crisscrossed by rivers and canals. Flanders is proud of its medieval art cities of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent.
Primarily thanks to the Middle Ages and the Burgundy era, Bruges can boast stunning architecture that decorates quaint cobblestone squares and streets. It’s during this Burgundian era that Bruges became one of the 10 leading cities in Europe. In financial terms we invented both Wall street and world trade centers!
As for the arts, they flourish when wealth is around and so the Flemish masters can be found in any major museum around the world.
Incredible cuisine is found in a wide range of restaurants. Belgian streetfood comes in the form of fries (not French fries!), waffles and chocolates. And to wash this all down we have some of the world’s most famous beers.
To the south in French speaking Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills and forests of the Ardennes, countless castles, and the historic cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai.
Right in the middle is our capital Brussels, one of the world’s great cosmopolitan and multicultural capitals, home to both the European Union and NATO. In European politics ‘Brussels’ sounds like a curse word although we have kept Europe safe, without any major conflicts for the past 80 years.
Throughout history, Belgium, as a buffer state, has been the scene for some major battles and battle field tours are actually quite popular. From the 1815 battle of Waterloo that shaped Europe as we know it now, to Flanders Fields reminiscent of WW1 in the far west corner of our country to the WW2 Battle of the Bulge or of the Ardennes in the far south east.
Bucketlist items are the Brussels Grand’Place and Atomium. The Antwerp cathedral and train station. In Ghent visiting the castle of the counts of Flanders.
As for Bruges in particular you should take a boat ride on the canals or climb the 365 steps of the Belfry tower. Today you are amongst the lucky ones to discover the World Heritage city of Bruges. A place that I call home.
Energetic and carefree, Belgium is undeniably a country of welcoming connoisseurs. Enjoy our hospitality and live like a Belgian for one day. Just one day, until you find out that Belgians pay the highest taxes in the world. We are world champions indeed!
Without its connection to the sea, Bruges would not exist. Storms and floods opened up waterways that allowed merchant ships to come straight into town. Prosperity took a dip when this sea access sanded from the 16th century. But even then we built canals to Dunkerque and Ostend and inland to connect to the rivers and other main cities. In the 20th century we built the port of Zeebrugge which is now one of Europe’s main ports and the world’s #1 port for RoRo cars and automotive. The Port of Antwerp & Bruges is Europe’s second biggest port.
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