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BRUXELLES-BRUSSELS

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Tourist Guide and Information about Belgium

 

 

 

 

 

 

Belgium (Royaume de Belgique, Koninkrijk Belgiè) is a hereditary monarchy, composed by 3 Regions (Bruxelles-capital, Flanders, Wallon) and by three community: French, Flamish and German language. Belgium is divided into 10 provinces: Antwerp, East Flanders, West Flanders, and Limburg in the north, Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, and Namur in the south, Flemish Brabant, and Walloon Brabant. It's part of the European Union.

Belgium borders on the Netherlands to the N, Germany and Luxembourg to the E, France to the S and SW, and the North Sea to the NW. The coastal region, extending about 16–48 km inland, consists of sand dunes, flat pasture land, and polders (land reclaimed from the sea), and attains a maximum of 15 m above sea level. Eastward, this region gradually gives way to a gently rolling central plain, whose many fertile valleys are irrigated by an extensive network of canals and waterways. Altitudes in this region are about 60–180 m. The Ardennes, a heavily wooded plateau, is located in southeast Belgium and continues into France. It has an average altitude of about 460 m and reaches a maximum of 694 m at the Signal de Botrange, the country's highest point. Chief rivers are the Schelde (Scheldt, Escaut) and the Meuse (Maas), both of which rise in France, flow through Belgium, pass through the Netherlands, and empty into the North Sea.

  

Climate: In the coastal region, the climate is mild and humid. There are marked temperature changes farther inland. In the high southeasterly districts, hot summers alternate with very cold winters. Good season usually from April until October. The average annual temperature is 8°C; in Brussels, the mean temperature is 10°C, ranging from 3°C in January to 18°C in July. Average annual rainfall is between 70 and 100 cm.

Tourist attractions: Belgium, has its point of force in the beauty of some historical cities like Bruges (Brugge), Antwerp, Gent. Other beautiful and interesting rich history cities are the capital city Brussels, Leuween, Mechelen, Mons, Wavre, Namur, Liege, Arlon, Charleroi, Dinant, Tournai, Tongeren, Oostende, Ieper. Unesco has inscribed 9 Belgian sites in the World Heritage List: Belfries of Belgium and France (1999); Flemish Béguinages (1998); Historic Centre of Brugge (2000); La Grand-Place, Brussels (1998); Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels) (2000); Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons) (2000); Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai (2000); Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex (2005); The Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvière and Le Roeulx (Hainault) (1998). Between the properties submitted on the Tentative List are: Le noyau historique médiéval ou la "Cuve" de Gand (2002), Noyau historique d'Antwerpen -Anvers- de l'Escaut aux anciens remparts de vers 1250 (2002), The castle, gardens and rocks of Freyr (1997), Palais Stoclet (1998), Le Westhoek, lieu de mémoire et monuments de la Grande Guerre (2002), Leuven/Louvain, bâtiments universitaires, l'héritage de six siècles au sein du centre historique (2002), Maison Guiette, Populierenlaan 32, Antwerpen (2005).

 

Travel Documents: Valid Passport. Nationals of EU-member states and of some other states only need an official identification card.

Health: It is advisable to have an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in case of a medical emergency.

Shopping Opening hours: Shops are open from Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm. Mosts shops are closed on Sundays. Department stores often remain open longer, up to 21:00 on Fridays. Souvenir shops will also be open on Sundays during the tourist season. Bakeries and patisseries also open on Sunday mornings. Banks are open Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Some banks close for an hour during lunch. The postal offices are generally open from 8.30 am to 5 pm.

Electricity: 220 volts, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs can be used.

Cuisine: Typical dishes include Lapin à la Gueuze or Konijn in Gueuze (rabbit in Gueuze, which is a spontaneously fermented beer from the area around Brussels), Stoemp (a dish based on potatoes, carrots and onion sauce with regional variations), Salade Liégeoise (a salad with green beans, lard, onions and vinegar), Flemish Carbonades (Vlaams stoofvlees) (similar to the French Beef Bourguignon but made with beer instead of red wine), waterzooi (especially the one from Ghent), Chicon Gratin/Gegratineerd witloof and Moules Frites/Mosselen-Friet (mussels and chips). Dishes often use typical Belgian beers. French fries, called frieten (Dutch) or frites (French) are very popular. The best place to enjoy Belgian frites is at a friture (frituur or informally frietkot in Dutch) which is a temporary construction usually strategically placed in busy squares. Another Belgian speciality is beer. Although a comparatively small country, there are a large number of beers available in a range of different styles. Almost every different beer has its own unique drinking vessel, usually a glass of some description. Belgium is also well known for its chocolate and its pralines (filled chocolates) in particular. BELGIAN CUISINE RECIPES.

Typical Products: Pralines and chocolate biscuits “speculoos”, beer, tapestries, diamonds, antique dealing pieces, pewter, crystal Val Saint Lambert, gadgets of Tintin, handbags of Delvaux, pottery Boch, bread to the almonds of Destrooper, biscuits of Dandoy, silver of Wiskeman.

WHERE TO STAY:

Accommodations in Belgium:

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Area: 30,528 sqkm

Population: 10,100,000 Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, Mixed or other 11%

State Capital: Bruxelles

Language: Dutch (Flemish): Flanders; French: Wallonia; German: in some eastern areas. Dutch is the language of the four provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen), and West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), which form the northern half of the country. French is the language of the four southern Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, and Namur. The central province of Brabant is divided into three districts—one French-speaking (Nivelles, Nijvel), one Dutch-speaking (Leuven, Louvain), and one bilingual (composed of the 19 boroughs of the capital city, Brussels). The majority of people in the Brussels metropolitan area are French-speaking. 60% of the total population speak Dutch (Flemish), 40% speak French, less than 1% speak German, and 11% are legally bilingual in Dutch and French.

Religion: Catholic (75-80%), Islam, Protestant.

Money: Euro

Time: Central European time.

 

 

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