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| Belgium
Travel Guide |
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'Nothing
but beer and chocolate?'
A land whose specialities include beers and delicate chocolates,
Belgium is often perceived to be a little dull. The image that it’s
simply a staid haunt for business executives and Eurocrats, or a
gateway to the rest of Europe, reinforces that idea. But Belgium
is a prime destination if you’re interested in countryside,
culture and history, served up alongside a huge proportion of highly
acclaimed restaurants serving everything from haute cuisine
to moules-frites or Belgian waffles.
Easy to travel around, this pocket-sized country is divided by the
Flemish north (Flemish-speaking) and the Walloon
south (French-speaking). The capital Brussels
is the heart of the country and the European Union.
Expanding outwards from the brilliant Gothic architecture of the
Grand-Place, this cosmopolitan city contains numerous
interesting museums and many fine eateries. The Manneken
Pis statue is the place to pose for a photograph and laugh
incredulously at others doing likewise.
Ostend,
in the north, is a popular seaside resort with a long sandy beach,
bustling harbour and many shops to explore. With its canals and
cobbles, thirteenth-century Bruges is one of Europe’s
finest examples of a medieval town and home to some impressive art
collections.
Antwerp is renowned for diamonds and throughout all these
towns it’s difficult to escape the bars and the many pavement
cafes. The south holds great appeal for outdoorsy types with the
forested Ardennes is a nature-lover’s paradise
cut by rivers and gorges where walking opportunities abound. How
dull is that? |
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