Belgium travel guide
Belgium is nestled among France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, with 43 miles of coast line. Belgium is divided into 2 main sectors: Flanders is the Flemish speaking flatlands of the north-west, reaching to the coast and Wallonia or Walloon, the French speaking south-east part. This is a charming country with its wonderful museums, long stretches of beaches, beautifully wooded region of the Ardennes and the pasture lands of Flanders. The district of Ghent is renowned for its orchids, begonias and its azaleas. Most cities have beautiful public parks and a colourful cafe lifestyle. It is a marvellous place to take a holiday. French and Flemish are the official languages but most people you will make contact with have a good working knowledge of English.
Belgium is a Catholic country and, as a consequence, processions and pageants take place all over the country at different times of the year. Some interesting ones include the Carnival of Binches on Shrove Tuesday with the Procession of the Gillies; the Procession of the Holy Blood at Bruges on the Monday after 2nd May; the Combat of the Lumecon, a local version of St. George and the Dragon as well as the Procession of the Golden Cast of Ste. Waudru, both taking place at Mons on Trinity Sunday; Procession of the Pentinents at Furnes on the last Sunday in July; historic cortege and St. Guidon Procession at Anderlecht on September 16th. The most beautiful and spectacular is the mystery called 'Jeu du Saint Sang' played every 5 years in July/August on the open square at the foot of the belfry in Bruges. It relates the story of the relic of the Holy Blood belonging to the city of Bruges.
In Belgium you will eat some of the finest food in Europe. Many people think Brussels ranks with Paris when it comes to food. Local specialties are choesels a la Brusselloise (kidneys), waterzoo (chicken in broth), lobster in whiskey sauce, snipe cooked in brandy, chicken in sherry. Some of the most famous restaurants in the world are in Brussels. Among them are: La Couronne and Les Ambassadeurs (Au Filet de Boeuf) on the Town Hall Square. Restaurant Chantraine (Epaule de Mouton) is over 290 years old and is a famous name in cuisine. It is located just off the Grand' Place. There are many other restaurants, equally good and at prices to suit all pockets.
Ardennes: Wooded hills and valleys, steep rocks and winding streams abundant with fish, forests teeming with deer, ruins of ancient castles, watermills and hunting lodges - such is the scenery in Ardennes and Fagne. La Roche, Ciney, Boullien and Arlon are worth a trip. The Grotto of Han on the Lesse river are also worth seeing. Pay a visit, too, to at least one of the many war memorials that remember the victims from all over the world who fell during the Battle of the Bulge.
Food
Even though they are called French Fries, it is more of a Belgian dish
than a French dish. French fries are found in Fritterie's, take-aways on
streets and in all traditional or contemporary Belgian restaurants. The
French fries served in take-away are usually very greasy and are served
with a variety of 20 different sauces. The Belgians love the wide
selection of sauces ranging from mayonnaise to American sauce
(mayonnaise mixed with ketchup and spices). Belgian are famous for
eating their French fries with enormous quantities of mayonnaise! In a
traditional or contemporary belgian restaurant, the French fries are
usually better than in the take always and are more tasty. They are
usually served with mussels (moules frittes, mussels and fries) or meat.
Mussels and fries is probably the national dish and is served in many
restaurants throughout the country
Belgium is one of the world leaders in chocolate. Belgium used to have
colonies in Africa and used the cocoa seeds efficiently to produce
quality chocolate. Chocolate was a luxury at first but soon became
popular and is today appreciated by millions of people world wide.
Belgian chocolates are different from other countries chocolates. It is
more special than a Mars bar for example. The taste is unique and so is
it's recipe. Belgian chocolates are used a lot as a gift. There are
hundreds of types of Belgian chocolates available in special chocolate
shops. Some of the famous shops and companies are: Godiva, Leonidas,
Côte D'or.
Belgian Waffles are sweet and should not be confused with potato
waffles. Belgian waffles are very popular. There are two main types: The
Liege and the Brussels Waffle. The Liege waffle is found in many public
places. It is smaller than the Brussels waffle but heavier on the
stomach and more filling. It is served warm with a topping such as
chocolate or whip cream. You might also find cold waffles wrapped in
packets in supermarkets or newsagents. These are not as tasty as the
warm waffle and are quite disappointing! The Russell's waffle is not
served that much on streets. It is larger than the Namur waffle but
lighter to digest. It can be found mostly in restaurants and is served
with cream and powder sugar and other toppings. Waffles sold in the
street of Brussels are similar to hot dogs sold in the streets of New
York! A famous 'waffle take-away' is Vigaufra.
Belgian beer: Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Palm, etc are famous
Belgian beers sold throughout the world. Most famous Beers started more
than a hundred years ago as a small local brewery. They have kept the
old traditions of Brewing which are still popular today. Most famous
Beers belong to the Interbrew Group (see picture below). Interbrew is
one of the largest breweries in the world. Apart from the famous beers
you can find hundreds other type of tasty beers. People say you can
drink a different beer everyday and never drink the same twice in a
year! Every Belgian beer seems to have it's own glass! Belgium beers
also include different types of beers such as cherry flavoured beers and
strong brown beers with 10% of alcohol.
Beloeil Castle: Is the residence of the Princes de Ligne. Rich museums, splendid French style park with ornamental lakes