ON LINE EUROPEAN TOURIST GUIDE

BELGIUM

Travel Documents, Health Care, Vaccinations, Electricity, Telephones and Internet, Money and Banks, Shopping, Typical Products

Telephones: Country Dialing Code 0032.

The Belgacom Phone Pass can be used with private phones, pay phones and cellular phones. Belgacom Phone Pass as well as other calling cards are available in post offices, train stations, book stores, newspaper stands, supermarkets, convenience stores and Belgacom Teleboutiques.

The Public Phones take both coins and phone cards. Public phone that display stickers showing flags of different countries can be used to make international calls with operator assistance.  

Mobile Telephones: GSM phones work regularly. Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is excellent.

Mobile telephone operators: Proximus, Mobistar, Base.

Internet: Many Belgian cafés and other establishments offer the opportunity to log onto the Internet via Wi-Fi with your wireless-enabled laptop.

Money and Banks: Belgium is a member of the Economic and Currency Union, the common currency is the Euro. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at ATM’s, banks, post offices, some hotels and Foreign Exchange Offices, many of which are open on Sundays.

All major cards are accepted (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Eurcard) as well as Traveler's Checks. ATM machines are available in all major cities.

Banking Hours: 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.  

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.

Post Offices: The postal offices are generally open from Monday to Friday from 9.00am - 12.00pm and 2.00pm - 5.00pm.

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.

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.

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