Belgian chocolate, beer and castles: what is Belgium?

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Belgium, or The Kingdom of Belgium is a small country located in the north-west of Europe. It borders the Netherlands, Germany and France, and is washed by the waters of the North Sea.

Belgium surprisingly harmoniously combines the distant past with modern culture and even the future. This country has a rich cultural and historical heritage: unusual medieval cities, castles, toy houses, but at the same time, modern buildings, magnificent museums and shops.

If we talk about the state itself, Belgium is a member of the European Union, the UN and NATO. Moreover, it is one of the most affluent countries in the world, which is also the political center of Europe.

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Three Belgian regions

Belgium has a very interesting and rather unusual administrative-territorial division. The first thing that is important to know is that the country’s territory is divided into three regions: Flanders, which is located in the north, the capital Brussels and French-speaking Wallonia in the south, which includes only a small German-speaking area.

As it has already become clear, Belgium is divided into three language communities: Flemish, French and German.

The population of Belgium is approximately 10 

millions of people, maybe, a little more. 

The two main groups that make up the country’s population are 60% Flemish and 40% Walloons. Flemings live in the northern provinces of Belgium and speak Dutch, its dialects. The Walloons live in the southern provinces that make up Wallonia, they speak French, Walloon and other languages.

Where to go, what to see and where to drink beer?

Belgium is a country that combines not only different cities, architecture of different eras and canals, but also knows how to surprise in gastronomic terms.

The cities in Belgium are small, and you can get around them in just a day if you want. It is usually recommended to start with the capital — Brussels. 

Here are the famous fountain – the statue of the Pissing Boy, and the Royal Museum with the Royal Galleries of Saint Hubert, and the Grand Place, the square with its architectural ensemble, evaluated by UNESCO. 

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Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are considered authentic, cozy and historical cities. 

A unique water network of Bruges canals, similar to the famous canals of Amsterdam. 

One of the most popular places in Bruges is the Market Square. This is a historical place of the city, it is now completely pedestrian. The center of the market square is the Belfort Tower, again a UNESCO Heritage site. 

The main square of the Grote Markt in Antwerp is often called the pearl of architecture. 

Not only France has its own Notre Dame, but also Belgium. Notre-Dame in Tournai is included in the list of UNESCO protected sites, and has been preserved in very good condition to date. 

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Many restaurants in Belgium can be found in very influential gastronomic guides, such as the Michelin Guide. Belgian food is a mixture of Germanic and Latin influences: waffles, rabbit in beer, fried potatoes, mashed potatoes with carrots, sausages and bacon, and fried mussels. 

In general, everyone can choose to their liking. 

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Belgium has a rich and oldest brewing tradition, so it offers an incredible variety of beer. By the way, Belgian beer is considered one of the best in the world. Among the famous ones around the world are Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarden.

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Belgian sweets deserve special attention. These, in addition to waffles, include chocolate. Waffles, by the way, come in two types: Brussels and Liege. The first can lie for several days and do not lose their taste at all, and the second — you still need to eat still hot.

The Second Amsterdam, or “the country of exiles”

If we talk about Belgium, then, of course, we can not do without interesting facts, the biography of the country and some shocking moments from history. 

  1. Hardly anyone knew, but Belgium is one of the largest countries for the production of comics. The government allocates enough money to create graffiti with Belgian characters on city houses. It is surprising that such drawings do not violate the integrity of the city’s architecture at all, but are harmoniously combined. 
  2. Belgium is called the country of exilesor the country of “exiles”. Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and even Albert Einstein fled here from their native countries during the years of persecution of Jews. Thousands of Russian exiles also fled here after the events of 1917. 
  3. Prostitution is legal in Belgium too, but unlike the “red light street” in Amsterdam, this is not a tourist place at all. 
  4. When compared with other European countries, Belgium has the smallest gender gap between wages. This means that women’s and men’s work is paid almost equally.

One one can make only one conclusion if you go to this country: Belgium is an extraordinary European country, one of the most progressive and most beautiful kingdoms.