Before becoming part of the Roman Empire the region was populated by the Bolgoi, or (Latin) Belgae, (one of three main people groups inhabiting Gaul in the first century BC.) The Romans called the province* Gallia Belgica after them.
Caesar described the Belgae as war hungry and Bolgoi likely comes from the Proto-Celtic belg- or bolg & PIE root bhelgh = to swell, bulge (particularly with anger or battle fury)
*The region included parts of today's France, Netherlands and all of Luxembourg
Why It's Worth a Visit
An amalgam of the best of Dutch/ Flemish, French + even some Germanic culture all blended together, Belgium is littered with history, amazing architecture, art and world class cuisine.
Bruges Bonifacius Bridge
@ a glance essentials:
French
Language:
+ Dutch & German. Most locals speak English in larger cities.
Country's Visitation Limit:
90 Days
Water safety
Generally Safe to Drink - including from many public fountains.
Emergency #
112 Police: 101 Ambulance:100
.
How to Say - Hello:
Bonjour, Salut (F) or Hallo (D)
Thank You:
Merci (F) or Bedankt (D)
............................... With so many languages there are a miriad of choice curses like the French Dikkenek = fat (dikke) + neck (nek) = arrogent/ 'bighead' (also tittle of a Belgium cult film classic) or Une flatte = cow turd = lazy person/ piece of sh*t/ couch potato... or my favorite, the Dutch Scheefpoeper, literally crooked pooper, which refers to man who cheats on his partner.
Best Belgium Curses:
Hot Tip:
Be sure to look up for the French, German & Dutch names of any cities you are visiting so you know which stops to get off the train, (Pre-purchased tickets may list a different name than the train does eg: Tournai & Doornik are the same place)
Belgium, has been part of a multitude of nations over the years from the Roman Empire, the Frankish Merovingians, Carolingian Empire, and the Burgundian Netherlands.* Pieces of the current country have been ruled by the Flemish, the French and the Austrians as the country has been divided, shifted and reunited throughout it's history. As such it's culture is a melding of many different traditions from it's past and current neighbors.
a bit of background...
................Belgium has no Federal Government. (It has a King & 5 Regional Governments & in 2019-2020 it took 652 days to actually form the government) But it does have a special, unique glass for every one of it's 1000+ locally brewed beers.
FUN FACT:
Sometimes called "the Battlefield of Europe" it gained independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands after the 1830 Belgian Revolution and is now made up of three regions; the Northern Flanders, Southern Wallonia and the central Brussel Region encompassing the city of the same name.**
*Burgundian Netherlands split into the Dutch Republic (modern day Netherlands) & the Southern Netherlands after the 80 years war. The Southern region was split again (into what is now Belgium & Luxembourg) after briefly being ruled by France before coming under the United Kingdom of Netherlands rule again.
**The Flemish region is Dutch, Walloon is mostly French with a small German component, and Brussels Capital Region is a combination of the Dutch & French.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Belgian Gaufre/Waffles* with fruit & whipped cream or Liège Syrup, a sweet reduction of fruits
Moules-Frites/ Mussels & Belgian Fries** with mayonnaise or andalouse ▪️ Waterzooi - a Flemish creamy fish stew Speculaas - crisp, ginger spice shortbread biscuits*** ▪️ Frikadellen met Krieken/ Meatballs & Cherry [Sauce]
Crevettes Grises/ [Tiny] Grey Shrimp in croquettes or in tomatoes ▪️ Anguilles au Vert/ Eels in Green [Herb Sauce]
*Belgian is a misnomer. There are 2 distinct styles - Brussels; rectangular, light + crispy & Liège; thick, chewy w/ sugar in the batter that caramelizes
** There's a hot debate as to whether the French or the Belgians came up with fries
*** An airy, less spiced version, Speculoos were made popular by Lotus biscuits which rebranded and become an international sensation as Biscoff Biscuits &
biscuit spread - a creamy butter-like substance made from crushed biscuits (from the tradition of dunking speculaas in coffee, then spreading the mushy concoction on toast.)
SEE
DO TRY
&
VISIT
What to Where to Why . . .
Surprising Finds:
📍 Sewer Tours: The Musée des Égouts Bruxelles/ Sewer Museum. Underground (obviously), where you tour working
sewer, tunnels, filth & all, and the buried river Senne, (which was covered in the 19th century as the city expanded)
& The Antwerp Ruien covered natural canals between the hills of the river Scheldt
📍 The Lucifernum in Bruges - home of Don "Willy" Retsin (a self-described vampire) who hosts parties in the 18th
century Masonic Lodge (a sort of cabinet of curiosities - usually open to the public Sundays, 8 p.m - 11p.m)
📍 Flashing old fashioned street lights of Ghent's Sint-Veerleplein square, an interactive art
piece called Ai Nati Oggi (For Those Born Today) announcing the birth of every new
Ghent baby. Buttons at the maternity wards, that new parents can push, will flash the
squares lights to celebrate the birth
📍 Wooden escalators from the 1930's, deep down into Antwerp's St. Anna’s Tunnel beneath
the Scheldt River
📍 Het Bootje (the Little Boat) - a boat stern protruding from a Victorian, Art Nouveau
building in Antwerp
Gaufres (Waffle) Truck
📍 Brussels with La Grand Place's guild houses, the Atomium the 355 foot (102m)
centerpiece of the 1958 World Fair Expo & Manneken Pis statue
📍 Medieval canals and cobblestone of Bruges, with the Basilica of the Holy Blood
📍 A 400 year old tradition of Chocolate, with strict laws about what's officially
“Belgian” (it must contain 35% cacao; where American chocolate contains on average 10%)
The world’s largest chocolate factory is in Wieze, producing 270,000 tons a year
📍 Gorgeous castles like Château de Bouillon, Beersel, Gravensteen, Gaasbeek, Freÿr & Steen Castle (Belgium has the
most castles per square meter in the world)
📍 Van Monckhoven Observatory, on the Blandijnberg grassy roof terrace | Un. of Ghent, has the Steinheil-Cooke
telescope, oldest in Europe with a still-functioning tracking system; a 228 mm f/11 refractor on a 1880 mount
📍 Last Post Ceremony @ Menin Gate, Ypres - a beautiful ceremony for soldiers lost in WWI every evening at 8 o’clock
under a huge archway depicting the names of those who died there
Street Fries
Jeanneke Pis in Brussels
Most Known For:
♦️ Flanders Region, with medieval, cobblestoned cities of Bruges, university town Ghent
& Antwerp; Diamond Capital of the world (50% of all diamonds pass through Antwerp),
home of artists van Dyck & Rubens, the Plantin-Moretus Museum of Printing with
world's only copy of original Garamond letter dies, & Antwerp Central Rail Station
🔸 WWI Western Front Trenches* where 3 million soldiers fought at the Battle of the
Somme, (one million of whom died). Plus monuments, cemeteries, and remembrance
rituals like In Flanders Fields Museum, & Tyne Cot Cemetery. Waterloo - Napoleon's last stand - is also in Belgium
♦️ The town of Spa, namesake for all modern spas, home of the world's most famous (fictional) detective, Hercule
Poirot, and unique museums like The Laundry Museum & National Museum of The Playing Card
🔸 Wallonia with country châteaus, the Ardennes Forest (known for skiing, hiking, wild game & beer brewed by
Trappist monks,) the Lorraine Vineyards & cities like Liège famous for waffles filled with exploding sugar crystals
& the abandoned, 150 year old Fort de la Chartreuse being overtaken by foliage & cool graffiti
♦️ The European Union & Nato headquarters in Brussels
🔸 Ostend Fish Market, Visserskaai, an open-air market on the North Sea
♦️ The Belgian comics The Smurfs, (originally called Les Schtroumpfs) & TinTin
*Many trenches remain intact, but it’s advised you walk with a guide as some areas are still unsafe
🌀 Carnaval De Binche masked parade held in Binche preceding Ash Wednesday, dating back to 1394,
famous for costumed Gilles tossing oranges to the crowd
🌀 Flower Carpet Festival - where millions of colorful flowers are 'woven' into a themed patterned carpet
(Celebrated in Brussels & Bruges)
🌀 Salon Du Chocolat Brussels (October - November) - Chocolate festival with the Chic & Chocolate Gourmet
🌀 Doudou, Ritual Ducasse of Mons (weekend of Trinity Sunday) - A feast with origins in the Middle Ages:
A Procession of Waltrude’s Shrine & The Enactment of the combat of Saint George & the Dragon
🌀 Gentse Feesten - in Ghent, largest cultural outdoors festival in Europe: food, music, & street entertainment
& Lichtestival, the Ghent Light Festival, (every three years) - light artists & performers
🌀 Toussaint - All Saints Day*, is usually celebrated with family visiting cemeteries to adorn the graves loved
ones with lit candles & chrysanthemums (symbolizing death & eternity.)
*Like the rest of Europe, Halloween is not (traditionally) celebrated
Cool Local
Festivals:
Going to visit
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