Belgium - Bélgica

Introduction Belgium (in Dutch, België, in French, Belgique; officially, Kingdom of Belgium, Koninkrijk België, Royaume de Belgique) is a country of Europe, located northwest of that continent. It borders on the southwest with France, with the Netherlands to the north and with Germany Y Luxembourg to West.

Capital Brussels Idiom dutch, French Y German Surface 30 528 km² Population 11 041 226 Currency euro Time zone UTC 1 (UTC 2 in summer) Telephone prefix 32

A low-lying country in the Benelux, Belgium (Dutch: België, French: Belgique, German: Belgien) is at the crossroads of Western Europe. It combines the historical landmarks for which the continent is famous with spectacular modern architecture and rural idylls. Its capital, Brussels, houses the headquarters of the European Union.

Despite this, Belgium is not without its divisions. In contrast, Flanders, the northern part of the Dutch-speaking country, and Wallonia, the southern French-speaking area, are frequently at odds, and sometimes it seems that their disputes will divide the country in two. Yet despite this seeming incompatibility, the two halves of Belgium come together to form a country that contains some of the most attractive and historic cities in Europe and is a true "must see" for any visitor to the continent.

Historically considered part of the Southern Netherlands, Belgium is a country with strong divisions. To the north is Flanders which is a predominantly Dutch language region, while French-speaking is to the south Wallonia. Between both regions there is a permanent social, cultural, economic and political tension. Between both regions is the capital Brussels, which has become a space that allows the communion of both subregions and is also the main political center of the European Union. A German-speaking minority is spread across the eastern tip of the country.

The differences between the linguistic and cultural communities of Belgium have also given rise to part of its architectural beauty, its economic development and a myriad of expressions.

Regions

Flanders
	Antwerp Witches Ghent Louvain The tourist epicenter of Belgium is the Flemish lands, where Dutch is the predominant language. Witches It is considered among the most romantic cities on the planet and, without a doubt, a must-see destination for those who visit these lands. While Antwerp it is the economic center of the country, Louvain It is famous for its university and its medieval buildings.
The capital and its surroundings
	Brussels Brussels is a multicultural city, located in the middle of Flanders but mainly French-speaking. In recent years it has experienced a boom as it is one of the political centers of the European Union, but it is still possible to appreciate beautiful palaces, enjoy local gastronomy and visit the Cinquantenaire Park or the Plaza Mayor.
Wallonia
	Charleroi Liège Mons Namur Although overshadowed by neighboring Flanders, Wallonia hides some wonders for tourists who venture to know the French-speaking area. You can tour the valley of the Meuse river and visit historical cities such as Namur or Liège. If you are interested in history, you can visit key sites such as Waterloo, but if you are looking for something more relaxed you can visit the spa of Spa or the small villages in the Ardennes.

Cities

• Witches (Brugge) - the most beautiful city in Belgium and one of the most romantic in Europe. It is essential to spend a few nights in this city of fairy tales and discover all its charming corners.

• Ghent (Gent) - Provincial capital since the 14th century, Ghent is a very beautiful city and has a lot of interesting architecture. Similar to Bruges except in architecture, which is two centuries more recent (17th century).

• Antwerp (Antwerpen) - The second most populated and cosmopolitan city in the country. Due to its location on the border with the Netherlands, it did not become the capital of Belgium when it separated from the Netherlands, and its medieval center was preserved in its entirety.

• Louvain (Leuven) - The oldest university town in the Netherlands. Its charms are the medieval and Renaissance university buildings, the most beautiful City Hall in the country, and the Oude Markt (Old Square, adjacent).

• Brussels (Brussel / Bruxelles) - Founded in 979, it is the capital of the country. Ministries, parliaments, the buildings of the European Union, and one of the most beautiful main squares in the world, the only vestige of the medieval center destroyed at the end of the 19th century to create space for the new capital.

• Waterloo - Located in the south of the country, it was here that Napoleon lost everything in a great battle.

• Namur, the proud and romantic capital of Wallonia, has a citadel that is a World Heritage Site. With fewer tourists than Flemish cities.

• Liège (Liège), the largest city in Wallonia and a small historical center with a huge archiepiscopal palace to one side, and in front of it graceful fairy-tale houses.

• Durbuy - this village in the Ardennes is the most typical. Always visit during the week, because on weekends and holidays it is full of Dutch and flamingos. Others haven't figured it out yet ...

Other destinations

Being in the middle of Europe, Belgium is the ideal starting point for visiting central Europe. Most of the trains and planes going abroad leave from Brussels: By train you can go daily to London (1h51), Paris (1h22), Amsterdam (2h01), Cologne (1h50) ...

Understand

Situated on the North Sea coast, Belgium's immediate neighbors are France to the southwest, Luxembourg to the southeast, Germany to the east, and the Netherlands to the north.

Belgium is a densely populated country trying to balance the conflicting demands of urbanization, transport, industry, and commercial and intensive agriculture. It imports large quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactured products, mainly to the EU.

Culture

Belgium is heir to several ancient medieval powers, and you will see traces of these everywhere during your trip to this country.

After the collapse of the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century, the territory that today is Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, was part of Lotharingia, a short-lived kingdom that will soon be absorbed by the Germanic Empire; however, the special character of "Lower Lotharingia" remained intact in the feudal empire: this is the origin of the Netherlands, a general term that encompasses present-day Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.

The largely autonomous fiefdoms of the Netherlands were among the richest places in medieval Europe and you will see traces of this past wealth in the rich buildings of Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, Tournai, Mons, etc. These cities progressively fell under the control of a powerful and ambitious family: the Dukes of Burgundy. The entire kingdom of the dukes stretched from the Netherlands to the borders of Switzerland. Using wealth, strategy, and alliances, the Dukes of Burgundy set out to reconstitute Lotharingia. The death of the last duke, Charles the Fearless, put an end to this dream. However, the treasures of the Dukes of Burgundy remain as testimony to their rules in Belgian museums and monuments.

The powerful Habsburg family later inherited from the Netherlands. The reform is the reason Belgium and the Netherlands were separated for the first time: the northern half of the Netherlands embraced Protestantism and rebelled against Habsburg rule, while the southern half remained faithful to both their ruler and to the catholic faith. These two halves roughly correspond to today's Belgium and the Netherlands.

Belgium was called the Austrian Netherlands, then the Spanish Netherlands, depending on which branch of the Habsburgs ruled it. The powerful German emperor and Spanish king, Charles V, was born in the Belgian city of Ghent and ruled from Brussels. Many places in Belgium are named after him, including the city of Charleroi and even a brand of beer. Every year, the Brusselers emulate their first parade in their city in what is called Ommegang.

Belgium was briefly part of the Napoleonic Empire. After Napoleon's defeat, a great Kingdom of the Netherlands was created, comprising the whole of the Netherlands. However, religious opposition still remained and the division was compounded by political differences between Belgian liberals and Dutch aristocrats. Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 after a brief revolution and a war against the Netherlands.

It was occupied by Germany during WWI and WWII and has many war graves near the battle zones, most of them are around Ieper (in English, archaically translated as Ypre, with Yperite another name for mustard gas due to heavy use there during the First World War). It has prospered in the last half century as a modern and technologically advanced European state and a member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings in the north and the French-speaking Walloons in the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

Festivals

• The festival of 'Rock Werchter in the village of Werchter (June 28-July 1, 2007) is a great annual event for young rock fans from all over Belgium and Netherlands.
• Tomorrowland is an electronic music festival organized every year since 2005 in the town of Boom in Belgium.

Weather

It is characterized by mild temperatures and abundant rainfall due to its proximity to the Ocean.

Winters are mild and can drop to -10 ° C and cool summers with a small annual temperature oscillation (10 ° C on average).

The precipitations are abundant and they are well distributed although with a winter maximum.

Generally quite rainy, humid and cloudy. Belgium's annual mean temperature in the decade between 1976 and 2006 was 10 ° C, a somewhat nonsensical measure to non-meteorologists.

Time zone

GTM 1. One more hour in summer (end of March-end of October), like all of Europe.

Electricity

• Voltage: 220V
• Network Frequency: 50 Hz

Electricity is supplied at 220 to 230 V and 50 Hz. Outlets are CEE7 / 5 (protruding male ground pin) and accept CEE 7/5 (grounded), CEE 7/7 (grounded) plugs or CEE 7/16 (ungrounded). Older German-style CEE 7/4 plugs are not compatible as they will not fit the ground pin found on this type of outlet. However, most modern European appliances are equipped with the CEE 7/7 hybrid plug which fits CEE 7/5 (Belgium and France) and CEE 7/4 (Germany, Netherlands, Spain and most of Europe).

Travelers from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland and all other countries using 230V and 50Hz, using different plugs, simply need a plug adapter to use their appliances in Belgium.

Travelers from the US, Canada, Japan and other countries using 110V 60Hz may need a voltage converter. However, some laptops, mobile phone chargers, and other devices can accept 110V or 230V, so they only require a simple plug adapter. Check the rating plates of your appliances before connecting them.

To get

Entry requirements

Belgium is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

• There are normally no border controls between the countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. This includes most of the European Union and some other countries.
• There are usually identity checks before boarding international flights or ships. Sometimes there are temporary border controls at land borders.
• Also, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty.
• See Traveling the Schengen area for more information on how the program works, which countries are members, and what are the requirements for your nationality .

Citizens of the aforementioned countries can work in Belgium without obtaining a visa or any other authorization for the period of their 90-day visa-free stay. However, this ability to work without a visa does not necessarily extend to other Schengen countries.

By plane

There are several international airports:

• in Zaventem, Come in Brussels Y Leuven, the National Airport;
• in Charleroi, used by several low-cost companies such as Ryanair or Easy Jet (calculate 45min to Brussels)
• between Ostend and Brugge
• in Antwerp
• in Bierset, near Liège

The most used is the National Airport, connected by rail with direct trains to several cities. From the airport, you can get to Witches, Ostend Y Liège in less than two hours; to Antwerp Y Ghent In an hour; already Mechelen Y Louvain in less than thirty minutes. Airport Charleroi it is used by several low cost companies, such as RyanAir and SkyEurope. It is connected to Brussels by direct bus (45-minute journey, € 11, departs from Brussels-Midi Station). Airport Antwerp It is popular with businessmen, and has a good connection to the center by bus. The trip is 15 minutes and runs every 15 minutes.

Brussels airport ( BRU ^IATA ), also known as Zaventem due to the city in which it is mainly located, is the main airport in Belgium. It is not found in Brussels proper, but in the outskirts of Flanders. The airport is the base of the national airline Brussels Airlines . Other full-service airlines use BRU, as well as budget airlines like Ryanair, Vueling, and JetairFly.

There is a train ( 5,10 € ) that leaves every 15 minutes to the center of Brussels and takes 25 minutes, some of them continue to Ghent, Mons, Nivelles and West Flanders and the bus lines number 12 and 21 ( 3 € at the vending machine / 5 € on board) every 20 to 30 minutes to Place Luxembourg (European Parliament district). The bus stops at NATO and Schuman (for the EU institutions) on its way to the center. There are also two trains per hour to Leuven, which take 13 minutes. A taxi to the center of Brussels costs around 35 €.- Cheaper if booked in advance. Taxis bleus: 32 2 268–0000, Taxis Autolux: 32 2 411–4142, Taxis verts: 32 2 349–4949.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport ( CRL ^IATA ), about 50 km (31 miles) south of Brussels, serves mainly low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizzair. The Gare du Midi in Brussels can be reached by bus in about an hour ( 13 € Going, 22 € round trip). If you go to any other part of Belgium, buy a combined train bus ticket through Charleroi Sud train station at the TEC vending machines outside the airport for a maximum from € 19.40 one way.

However, if you are really stuck, it is not uncommon for taxi drivers to accept credit cards. The price of a taxi ride to Brussels is a fixed rate (approximately € 85 to January 2020) and you can check with the taxi driver if they will accept your credit card or not.

Antwerp airport ( ANR ^IATA ) has some business flights, including the CityJet link to London City Airport at a reasonable price. Other airports include Oostende, Liège and Kortrijk, but they only handle charter and cargo flights.

Flights to airports in neighboring countries may be worth considering, especially Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which has a direct rail link to Brussels, and also makes stops in Antwerp and Mechelen.

Liège airport ( LGG ^IATA ) is located near the city of Liège. A small airport served solely by TUIFly, a low-cost airline. It has between 5-10 daily mainly from Spain, sometimes to Greece and Morocco. It suffers from very bad transport options to the city of Liège: there is a bus number 57 that runs several times a day, it goes to the Liege-Guillemins train station, this bus only runs during the week. Another option is to take bus number 53 or 85 that sometimes passes through the airport to the city center, approx. 30 minutes. TEC buses do not have special prices for Liège airport and will cost 3,50 € per person.

Taxis will cost around from 25 € .

By train [edit]

There are direct trains between Brussels and:

• Luxembourg (normal trains, every hour). If you buy a ticket from Luxembourg to Brussels or from Luxembourg to Liège, the prices will be very high. From Luxembourg to Brussels, the best and cheapest way is to buy a ticket from Luxembourg to Arlon ( between € 6 and € 14 depending on whether you are traveling first or second class and whether you are traveling outbound or inbound, roundtrip tickets on weekends cost about the same as one way tickets), and a ticket from Arlon to your final destination with domestic prices (You must get this ticket online as you probably won't have time to buy a ticket at Arlon unless you want to wait 1 hour for the next train. From Luxembourg to Liège, it's a bit more complicated, you have to get a normal CFL ticket ( 2-3 €) to go to Troisvierges, the last station in Luxembourg, a ticket from Troisvierges to Gouvy (which can be purchased at Troisvierges station or online and costs about 7 € ), and finally a ticket from Gouvy to your destination. If you want to avoid buying multiple tickets, you can buy a regular international ticket, but it could cost up to € 40 for journey. It takes around 2 hr 30 min from Luxembourg to Brussels, 3 hr from Luxembourg to Liège.
• Paris, Cologne / Cologne, Aachen, Amsterdam (Thalys)
• Lyon, Bordeaux, Paris-CDG airport and many other French cities (TGV Bruxelles-France operated by SNCF.
• London, Ebbsfleet, Ashford, Lille and Calais (Eurostar). If you are going to another Belgian city, the "Any Station in Belgium" ticket (£ 5.50 one way second class) includes local transport on your Eurostar ticket. Depending on the distance, this may be cheaper than obtaining a separate ticket. Passengers traveling from the UK to Belgium go through French passport / identity card checks (performed on behalf of Belgians) in the UK prior to boarding, rather than upon arrival in Belgium. Passengers traveling from Lille / Calais to Brussels are within the Schengen area.
• Frankfurt, Köln / Cologne (ICE operated by Deutsche Bahn)
• Zurich, Switzerland, via Luxembourg (normal trains, 2 daily)

There are hourly intercity trains from Brussels via Antwerp to Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Intercity services run from Brussels to Amsterdam via Mechelen, Antwerp, Rotterdam, The Hague and Schiphol. The other direct connection to Amsterdam is the expensive Thalys (book early for reasonable rates). The alternative is to take a train from Brussels or Antwerp to Roosendaal (NL), where intercity connecting trains to Rotterdam and Amsterdam are available. Passengers traveling to Belgium from the Netherlands will need to purchase their tickets at the NS Internationaal counter or website, which are different from those that sell tickets for domestic trains. NS Internationaal also sells Thalys tickets at the same prices as seen on the Thalys website.

International trains connect to domestic trains at the Gare du Midi / Zuidstation in Brussels, and with all Eurostar or ICE tickets and some Thalys tickets, you can end your journey for free on domestic trains. For all high-speed trains, you must book in advance to get cheap fares, either online or through a travel agency. There are no longer regularly scheduled night trains.

You may also want to check TGV connections to Lille. Trains from the rest of France to Lille are more frequent and usually cheaper. There is a direct train connection from Lille Flandres to Ghent and Antwerp. If your TGV arrives in Lille Europe, it will take you a 15 minute walk to the Lille Flandres train station.

Plan your trip with the Deutsche Bahn timetable. It has all the national and international connections throughout Europe.

Smoking is no longer allowed on Belgian trains.

The train fare for passengers over 65 traveling within Belgium is often capped at 6 € and is valid for the return the same day, but such a fare may require travel only after 09:00.

Boat

From England can be reached by boat to Zeebrugge, the port district (modern, not typical) of Witches. It is a very romantic way to travel and also quite fast and very cheap, due to the competition between ships, planes and trains. There are night ferries to / from Zeebrugge from Hull in England, but they are not cheap.

By train

The train London to Brussels It is fast but very expensive, and a detour for many tourists on the route London-Witches-Amsterdam or London-Witches-Paris or also London-Witches-Germany.

From france

• There are Belgian national trains that end in Lille (station Lille-Flanders ).
• Between the De Panne terminal of the Belgian railways (and the coastal tram - Kusttram ) and the French coastal town of Dunkirk, there is a bus line operated by DK'BUS Marine: [1]. It is also possible to take a DK'BUS that goes to the closest possible distance from the border and then cross it on foot walking along the beach and arrive at a convenient coastal tram station, such as Esplanade .

From Germany

• You can catch a bus between the train stations in Eupen (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany) which is quite fast and less expensive than doing the same trip with an international train ticket.
• If your destination in Belgium is further from the border, you can take the local train from Aachen to Welkenraedt and then change to the InterCity train that connects Eupen with Oostende, passing through Leuven, Brussels, Ghent and Bruges. The journey from Aachen to Brussels takes less than two hours.

From the Netherlands

• For a list of buses that cross the border between Belgium and the Netherlands, you can consult the list in [2].
• Besides being a peculiar result of ancient European history, the city of Baarle (formally Baarle-Hertog in Belgium and Baarle-Nassau in the Netherlands) is a possible point of change, as the main bus stop in the city, Sint-Janstraat, It is operated by flamingos. (Belgians) and Dutch.
• The Flemish (Belgian) company De Lijn operates a bus that crosses the border between Turnhout in Belgium and Tilburg in the Netherlands, both terminals on the rail network of the respective country.
• There is a bus (line 45) operated by the Flemish (Belgian) company De Lijn that runs between the train stations in Genk (Belgium) and Maastricht (Netherlands). There is another bus (line 20A) that leaves from Hasselt and goes to Maastricht . A train connection is being built.

Travel

In taxi

By bus

Flanders, Wallonia and the federal district of Brussels each have their own network of urban and rural buses. However, the standard means of transport, especially in the north, is the train. Most bus lines connect train stations with neighborhoods, towns, and other stations.

By car

Small countries often blame their neighbors for certain problems, and in Belgium this happens with traffic: the four million foreign vehicles a year cause more traffic problems than Belgium's two million, the government thinks. They decided to introduce a autowegenvignet of 60 euros per year for each vehicle.

However, for tourists it is not smart to rent a vehicle: the train is always faster; parking is difficult, very expensive, and only allowed outside of urban centers; all the signage is done in Dutch, except in Brussels where everything is bilingual so that the motorist gets even more confused; and all cities have a historic center made to measure for the medieval pedestrian who first inhabited them.

Cycling

It is the preferred means of transport in Flanders. In Brussels it is still being discovered but public bicycles can be rented very easily.

By train

In this country where Flanders and Wallonia have already divided almost all the powers between the two, the train company (NMBS) is still national. And politicians have good reason not to touch an institution that works so well. It is the densest network in the world, and connections are fast and frequent: in general, all lines have service every 60 minutes. That is, if there is a train from Antwerp to Bruges at 8:06, there is also at 7:06 and at 9:06. The lines have service from 5:00 in the morning until 23:00. The trains are usually very clean, punctual and safe.

It is worth mentioning that there is a station below the Brussels National Airport, with direct trains to Antwerpen-Centraal (Antwerp), Brussel-central (Brussels) and Louvain. For Bruges and Ghent it is necessary to change trains at Antwerp or Brussels.

Talk

Three languages ​​are spoken in Belgium: Dutch (60%), French (31%) and German (0.7%). Only in the city of Brussels (8%) have two languages: Dutch and French, although the majority speak French. Attention should be drawn to the fact that in the different parts of Belgium they only speak the official language of the place, that is to say that in Wallonia they only speak French and in Flanders Dutch. In cities throughout the country it is possible to speak English without complications.

To eat

Belgians like to eat. Belgium is famous for its good cuisine and people like to go to restaurants frequently. The best description for Belgian food would be "French food in German quantities".

General rules

• Like anywhere else in the world, avoid tourist traps, where touts try to get you to restaurants. You will get medium to poor quality food for medium to high prices and at peak times they will try to get rid of you ASAP to make room for the next customer. A good example of this is the famous "Rue des Bouchers / Beenhouwersstraat" in Brussels in this image.
• Belgium is a country that understands what it is to eat and can be a true gastronomic paradise. You can have a decent meal in almost every tavern, from small sandwiches to a full dinner. Just jump into one of those and enjoy it.
• If you want to eat really well for little money, ask the local people or the hotel manager (that is, assuming you don't have a restaurant manager brother) for some tips for a good restaurant. It is not a bad idea to find a restaurant or tavern a little outside of the cities (if some locals advise), they are generally not too expensive, but offer decent food at high quality. And ordering the specials during the season will benefit both your pocketbook and the quality of the food.
• Quality has its price: since the introduction of the euro, the price of eating out in Belgium has almost doubled. Expensive food like lobster or turbot will always cost a lot of money in any restaurant. But you can also find some local and simple dishes, quite cheap and still very tasty (like sausages, potatoes and spinach). Typically one dinner (3 courses) will be around € 30-50 depending on your choice of food and restaurant. And for cheap and greasy food, just find one fritter local, also called frietkot or friterie , they will be the best potato Belgian fries you have tried in a while. but neverthelessWhen in such a fritter, it may be best to avoid sandwiches (aside from fries and the rich variety of sauces that accompany them), which are generally deep-fried and made with low-quality waste meat. DO NOT order a cheeseburger or hamburger at such a place! The so-called burger that you would get if you make it is especially known for being deep fried and containing a mixture of poor quality meat.

Specialties

Various dishes are considered distinctly Belgian specialties and should be on every visitor's agenda.

The mussels are a firm favorite and an accompaniment to Moules et frites / Mosselen met friet (mussels with fries). The traditional way is to cook them in a pot with white wine and / or onions and celery, then eat them using just a mussel shell to scoop them out. Peak season is from September to April and, as with all other seafood, do not eat the closed ones. Belgian mussels always come from the nearby Netherlands. Imports from other countries are despised.

The Balletjes / Boulettes They are meatballs with fries. They will be served with tomato sauce or Liege sauce, which is based on a local syrup. For this reason, they will often be presented as Boulets Liégeois.

Frikadellen met krieken they are also meatballs, served with cherries in a cherry juice sauce. It is eaten with bread.

Stoemp It's mashed potatoes and carrots with bacon and sausage. It is a typical Brussels meal.

Stoofvlees (or carbonade flamande) is a traditional meat stew and is usually served with (you guessed it) French fries.

Witloof met kaassaus / Chicons au gratin It is a traditional chicory gratin with ham and a béchamel sauce with cheese, usually served with mashed potatoes or croquettes.

Konijn met pruimen : rabbit cooked in beer and dried plums.

Despite the name, French fries ( frieten in Dutch, frites in French) are proudly claimed as a Belgian invention. Whether this is true or not, they have certainly perfected it, although not everyone agrees with their choice of Mayonnaise instead of ketchup as the preferred condiment (ketchup is often considered "kid-friendly").

Every town has at least one frituur / friterie , an establishment that sells cheap fries to go, with a wide variety of sauces and fried meat to accompany them. The traditional thing to try is friet met stoofvlees , but remember mayonnaise.

Thewaffles ( wafels in Dutch, gaufres in French) come in two types:

• Gaufres de Bruxelles / Brusselse wafels : a light and airy variety.
• a heavier variety with a sticky center known as Gaufres de Liège / Luikse wafels .

The latter are often eaten as a street snack / take away while shopping and can therefore be found on street stalls in cities.

Last but not least, the chocolate Belgian is famous all over the world. Chocolatiers Famous people include Godiva, Leonidas, Guylian, Galler, Marcolini, and Neuhaus, with Godiva, Leonidas, and Neuhaus as official chocolate providers for the Belgian royal family. In almost all supermarkets, you can buy the Côte d'Or brand, generally considered the best 'everyday' chocolate (for breakfast or break) among Belgians.

International

As a small country in the center of Western Europe, the cuisine is influenced not only by the surrounding countries but also by many other countries. This is also emphasized by many foreigners who come to this country to earn a living here, for example by opening a restaurant. You can find all kinds of restaurants:

• French / Belgian: A traditional Belgian restaurant serves the kind of food that you will also find in the best French restaurants. Por supuesto que hay diferencias locales: en la costa (tanto en Francia como en Bélgica) tienes más posibilidades de encontrar buenos mariscos, como mejillones, rodaballo, lenguado o los famosos camarones del Mar del Norte. En los bosques del sur de las Ardenas (¿recuerdas la batalla de las Ardenas?), Es mejor elegir peces de caza o locales como la trucha.
• Inglés / irlandés: hay bares y pubs irlandeses en todas partes y Bélgica no es una excepción, prueba el área de Schuman en Bruselas para ver más pubs irlandeses de los que puedas imaginar. También hay un pub inglés junto a la Place de la Monnaie en el centro de Bruselas.
• Americano: Hay McDonald's o parecidos en la mayoría de las ciudades. La variedad belga se llama "Quick". También puede encontrar un puesto local que sirve salchichas, perros calientes o hamburguesas. Pruébalo: la carne sabe igual, pero el pan es mucho mejor. La salsa de tomate en esta región se hace con menos azúcar (incluso la marca Heinz). Pizza Hut, Domino's y Subway también tienen establecimientos, pero no encontrarás Burger King. No hay auténticos restaurantes estadounidenses, aunque hay un bar americano en el Toison d'Or de Bruselas que sirve comida.
• Italiano: Aproximadamente 500.000 personas en Bélgica son italianas o tienen ascendencia italiana, y los lazos históricamente han sido estrechos entre Bélgica e Italia, por lo que encontrar una pizza o pastas deliciosas no es difícil, especialmente en Bruselas y Valonia.
• Mexicano: Solo en las ciudades y bastante costoso por solo calidad media. ChiChi's (cerca de la Bolsa) sirve comida mexicano-estadounidense, pero no se consideraría una buena relación calidad-precio para los estándares estadounidenses. ChiChi's usa carnes reconstituidas.
• Chino: Tienen una larga tradición de restaurantes en Bélgica. Bastante barato, pero de calidad aceptable.
• Alemán / Austriaco: Maxburg en el área de Schuman (al lado de Spicy Grill) hace un buen schnitzel.
• Griego / español / italiano: como en todo el mundo, agradable, bastante barato, con buen ambiente y música típica (griego: elige carne, especialmente cordero) (español: elige paella y tapas) (italiano: elige cualquier cosa).
• Japoneses / Tailandeses: Normalmente los encuentras solo en las ciudades y son bastante caros, pero te dan una gran calidad. Los precios y la calidad son satisfactorios en un grupo concentrado de restaurantes tailandeses cerca de la estación de Bourse. Sin embargo, evite Phat Thai si no quiere interrupciones, ya que permiten que los manipuladores de sartenes y los comerciantes de flores entren y realicen su "trabajo".
• Árabe / Marroquí: Bastante barato, con una gran variedad de platos locales, especialmente con cordero; no pescado, cerdo o ternera.
• Turco: Bastante barato, con una gran variedad de platos locales, especialmente con pollo y cordero y también platos vegetarianos, los platos con pescado son raros; sin cerdo o ternera.
• Bélgica ofrece una amplia selección de otros restaurantes internacionales.

Drink and go out

Para las personas con mentalidad de fiesta, Bélgica puede ser genial. La mayoría de las ciudades están cerca unas de otras y son grandes áreas urbanas (Bruselas, Amberes) o áreas de estudiantes (Lovaina, Lieja, Gante), etc. En esta pequeña región, encontrará la mayor cantidad de clubes, cafés, restaurantes por milla cuadrada en el mundo. Un buen punto de partida pueden ser lugares con una fuerte cultura estudiantil / juvenil: Lovaina alrededor de su gran universidad, Lieja en el famoso distrito "carré", etc. Puede esperar una amplia variedad en la apreciación de la música, desde el jazz hasta la mejor música electrónica. hasta algunas barras sólidas de metales pesados. Simplemente pregunte por los mejores clubes y allí probablemente conocerá a algunos fanáticos de la música que pueden mostrarle las mejores fiestas clandestinas en este pequeño país.

El gobierno tiene una actitud mayoritariamente liberal hacia bares, clubes y fiestas. Reconocen el principio de "vive y deja vivir". Mientras no cause disturbios públicos, destroce la propiedad y se emborrache demasiado, la policía no intervendrá; Este es también uno de los principios fundamentales de la vida social belga, ya que el comportamiento ebrio y desordenado generalmente se considera ofensivo. Por supuesto, en las comunidades de estudiantes esto es más tolerado, pero en general, eres más respetado si te diviertes tanto como quieras, pero con un sentido de discreción y autocontrol.

Oficialmente, las drogas no están permitidas. Pero siempre que respete los principios antes mencionados, no es probable que se meta en problemas serios. Sin embargo, tenga en cuenta que no se tolera conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol y las drogas y las leyes de tránsito se aplican estrictamente en este asunto. Especialmente durante los fines de semana en las carreteras principales, tiene muchas posibilidades de que lo detengan para un control de alcohol.

Water

El agua del grifo es potable en todas partes de Bélgica, pero la mayoría de los restaurantes no la sirven. Por lo general, se sirven aguas termales o alguna otra agua mineral y cuesta alrededor from € 2 por botella. Spa es como bru y chaudfontaine una marca de agua muy famosa.

Beer

Bélgica es cerveza lo que Francia es vino; es el hogar de una de las tradiciones cerveceras más importantes del mundo. Al igual que otros países europeos en la época medieval, las cervezas se elaboraban de una gran variedad de formas con muchos ingredientes diferentes. Además de los ingredientes estándar de agua, cebada malteada, lúpulo y levadura, también se utilizaron muchas hierbas y especias. Esta actividad se realizaba a menudo en los monasterios, cada uno de los cuales desarrollaba un estilo particular. Por alguna razón, únicamente en Bélgica, muchos de estos monasterios sobrevivieron casi hasta los tiempos modernos, y el proceso se entregó a un cervecero comercial local si el monasterio cerraba. Estos cerveceros a menudo aumentaban la receta y procesaban ligeramente para suavizar el sabor y hacerla más comercial, pero la variedad sobrevivió de esta manera. Estas cervezas se llaman cervezas Abbey y hay cientos y cientos con una gama de sabores complejos inimaginables hasta que los pruebes.

La etiqueta trapense está controlada por el derecho internacional, similar a la de Champagne en Francia. Solo hay seis abadías trapenses en Bélgica que producen cerveza calificada para ser llamada trapense . Para llevar la etiqueta trapense , hay varias reglas que deben cumplirse durante el proceso de elaboración. La cerveza debe fermentarse dentro de los muros de la abadía, los monjes de la abadía deben participar en el proceso de elaboración de la cerveza y los beneficios de la venta de la cerveza deben destinarse a apoyar al monasterio (similar a una organización sin fines de lucro ).

Bélgica ofrece una increíble diversidad de cervezas. Las cervezas de trigo / blancas (con su mezcla de cebada y trigo) así como las cervezas Lambic ( cervezas de trigo de sabor amargo elaboradas por fermentación espontánea) se originaron en Bélgica. Para los que no son amantes de la cerveza, las cervezas lambic siguen siendo interesantes de probar, ya que a menudo se elaboran con sabores afrutados y no tienen un sabor a cerveza habitual. Varias cervezas belgas de producción masiva conocidas son Stella Artois, Duvel, Leffe, Jupiler, Hoegaarden. Los nombres dados a algunas cervezas son bastante imaginativos: por ejemplo, Verboden Vrucht (fruta prohibida), Mort Subite (muerte súbita), De Kopstoot (cabezazo), Judas y Delirium Tremens.

También se recomiendan calurosamente Kriek (cerveza de cereza agridulce) y, para la temporada navideña, Stille Nacht (Noche de paz).

Borradores rubios lisos (4% -5,5%): Stella Artois, Jupiler, Maes, Cristal, Primus, Martens, Bavik.

Ales trapenses (5% -10%): Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle.

Geuze: Belle-Vue, el lambic Mort Subite (muerte súbita), Lindemans en Sint-Pieters-Leeuw , Timmermans, Boon, Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, Oud Beersel, Giradin, Hanssens, De Troch.

Cervezas blancas: Hoegaarden, Dentergemse, Brugse Witte.

Jenever

The city of Hasselt es bien conocida en Bélgica por su bebida alcohólica local, llamada jenever . Es un licor bastante fuerte, pero viene en todo tipo de sabores más allá de tu imaginación, incluyendo vainilla, manzana, cactus, kiwi, chocolate. Hasselt se encuentra en el este de Bélgica, y está aproximadamente a una hora en tren desde Bruselas y a 50 minutos de Amberes. Los trenes salen dos veces por hora desde Amberes.

Pubs

Los pubs o coffees están muy extendidos. Todos cuentan con una gran variedad de bebidas alcohólicas y no alcohólicas, calientes y frías. Algunos sirven comida, otros no. Algunos pueden estar especializados en cerveza, vino, cócteles o algo más. Fumar en pubs está prohibido por ley.

Bélgica es el país de la cerveza, pruebe algunas marcas, pero beba con moderación. Para salir, de noche, las opciones mejores son:

• Oostende
• Lovaina - De sus 75 mil habitantes, unos 30 mil son estudiantes. Aquí hay marcha todas las noches, sobre todo entresemana. Excepción: junio, mes de exámenes.
• Ghent - La vida nocturna tiene estudiantes, yuppies, y algunos bohemios.
• Antwerp - Aquí en los bares, cafés, terrazas y discos se reúne gente de todo el mundo, y no solamente turistas: obreros de barcos, joyeros al por mayor, diseñadores y artistas... todas las subculturas tienen sus zonas.

Sleep

Hotels

Bélgica tiene muchos buenos hoteles. La capital Bruselas tiene innumerables hoteles de negocios bastante caros que atienden a los burócratas de la Unión Europea, y aunque normalmente puedes conseguir una buena habitación por menos de 100 euros, los precios pueden subir si hay una gran fiesta de la UE en la ciudad.

• Antwerp Mabuhay Lodgings, [1]. Mabuhay Bed en Breakfast se encuentra ubicado en el corazón de Zurenborg, una popular area de artistas, ideal para pasear y disfrutar de su riqueza arquitectónica.

Economic

• Vrienden op de Fiets, 250 direcciones para miembros que hacen un viaje cicloturista por Bélgica, [2].

• Couchsurfing .tiene muchos miembros en Bélgica editar
• Vrienden op de fiets .Si viajas por Flandes en bicicleta o a pie, hay una lista de 260 direcciones donde puedes alojarte en casas particulares con alojamiento y desayuno por no más de 18,50 € por persona y noche, aunque también debes pagar 9 € de membresía. de este esquema.

Security

Solamente en Bruselas existen barrios peligrosos y poco recomendados, como Molenbeek Singt Jean o Anderlecht. De hecho, las partes "peligrosas" de Bruselas están integradas en otras normales, pero el centro y los lugares turísticos son seguros. En todas las demás urbes se puede pasear por el centro a cualquier hora de la noche.

Con las notables excepciones de ciertas partes de Bruselas (la mayoría de las secciones norte y oeste de la región) y Amberes , Bélgica es un país muy seguro. Los turistas no deberían tener que temer por sus vidas cuando toman precauciones básicas y saben a dónde van. Los delitos como el asesinato son poco comunes y los peligros naturales son raros.

Sin embargo, al igual que en gran parte de Europa, los delitos menores como los carteristas ocurren con regularidad, principalmente en Bruselas y en ciudades más turísticas, siendo Brujas y Amberes los mejores ejemplos. Los asaltos agravados se han producido esporádicamente a lo largo de los años, pero rara vez involucran a turistas, excepto en Bruselas.

Los musulmanes y las personas de ascendencia norteafricana o del Medio Oriente pueden experimentar un leve resentimiento por parte de ciertas personas, un problema que es particularmente agudo entre las generaciones mayores, en las áreas rurales y las zonas más ricas de Bruselas y Amberes . The burqa and the niqab are illegal en público. Con todo lo dicho, los belgas son notablemente más acogedores con los musulmanes que otros europeos, y las expresiones públicas contra el Islam han sido ampliamente condenadas.

Las personas que son reconocidamente judías, como los hombres que usan kippot, también han experimentado acoso y cosas peores, y deben verificar las condiciones actuales de los judíos antes de irse.

Las leyes sobre la marihuana son bastante indulgentes, con pequeñas cantidades que solo se castigan con multas. Sin embargo, es posible que te metas en problemas por fumar marihuana en público.

El número de teléfono de emergency en Bélgica (bomberos, policía, paramédicos) es 112 .

Health

En invierno, como en la mayoría de los países europeos, solo la influenza le causará un inconveniente considerable. No se necesitan vacunas para entrar o salir de Bélgica.

Tap water es segura para beber en toda Bélgica.

Connect

Bélgica tiene un sistema telefónico moderno con cobertura nacional de telefonía celular y múltiples puntos de acceso a Internet en todas las ciudades, gratuitos en la mayoría de las bibliotecas. También en varias estaciones de servicio, estaciones de tren NMBS / SNCB y restaurantes en las carreteras hay Wi-Fi disponible.

• Muchos cafés ofrecen Wi-Fi gratis hoy en día, pero no lo escriba en la puerta por el motivo que sea ...
• si no puede encontrar ninguno, siempre puede recurrir a Quick , McDonalds , Lunch Garden , Carrefour Planet or Starbucks, que ofrecen Wi-Fi gratis.

Bélgica tiene algunas de las velocidades de Internet más lentas de Europa occidental.

Móvil

Bélgica utiliza el estándar GSM de teléfonos móviles (bandas de 900 MHz y 1800 MHz) que se utiliza en gran parte del mundo, excepto en algunas partes de América. Hay tres empresas principales (Proximus, Orange y Base, y una gran cantidad de MVNO) que ofrecen servicio inalámbrico. El país está casi totalmente cubierto.

Ya no es posible comprar tarjetas SIM prepagas anónimas en Bélgica como resultado de la nueva legislación belga contra el terrorismo y la ley marcial. Comprar una tarjeta SIM por adelantado de Mobile Vikings ahora requiere el registro de nombre y dirección. Si se queda por algún tiempo, compre una tarjeta de teléfono celular prepaga que pueda usar en cualquier teléfono que admita el estándar GSM en las bandas de 900/1800 MHz. Con estas tarjetas, las llamadas entrantes y los SMS son generalmente gratuitos. Puede obtener tarjetas SIM para las tres principales empresas en tiendas especializadas en telefonía.

Todas las redes proporcionan cobertura de Internet móvil UMTS y HSDPA (3G) y están desplegando una red 4G, principalmente en las grandes ciudades.

Respect

• Dar propinas en bares o restaurantes es prácticamente inaudito, incluso en las ciudades más grandes. Si lo hace, demuestra que está satisfecho con el servicio prestado, pero no está absolutamente obligado a hacerlo. Dependiendo del total, una punta de € 0,50 to € 2,50 se considera generoso.
• Los belgas en general están muy orgullosos de sus artistas de cómics. La "escuela belga de cómics" es aclamada como un orgullo nacional. Hay docenas de artículos de mercadería hermosos pero costosos, y los belgas los aprecian. Una figura de plástico de un personaje de cómic o una obra de arte especial de un dibujante de cómics aclamado sería un regalo perfecto para sus amigos y suegros belgas, por ejemplo.
• En aras de la simplicidad, evite hablar francés en Flandes u holandés en Valonia. Hablar el idioma "incorrecto" puede considerarse bastante incómodo e incluso ofensivo, y si comete este error, algunas personas no dudarán en ignorarlo o, en el peor de los casos, dar una respuesta fría y un servicio deficiente, pero es posible que más personas respondan en el idioma que eligió, ya que la mayoría de los flamencos también pueden hablar francés (se enseña en la escuela secundaria) y viceversa. Sin embargo, el dominio del holandés en Valonia tiende a ser comparativamente más bajo. En todo el país, el inglés es el idioma más diplomático y la mayoría de las personas podrán responder en ese idioma. Por eso, como turista, lo mejor es iniciar una conversación en inglés o en el idioma "correcto", es decir, holandés en Flandes y francés en Valonia.
• El dominio del inglés es bueno en Bélgica, especialmente entre las generaciones más jóvenes. Se enseña a nivel nacional en las escuelas secundarias y la gran mayoría de la población lo habla lo suficientemente bien como para conversar.
• Como la gente en la mayoría de los lugares, a los belgas no les gusta hablar de sus ingresos, política o religión. La cuestión o disputa Flandes-Valonia y el elevado número de votos separatistas y de extrema derecha en Flandes son temas controvertidos. Pero es más un debate político que un punto de conflicto en las calles. Esté atento a las señales si la persona quiere hablar de ello o no.
• No les diga a los valones (y a la mayoría de la gente de Bruselas) que son franceses. La mayoría de los valones, a pesar de hablar francés, no lo son ni se consideran franceses.
• Y, por razones similares, no le digas a los flamencos (y también a la gente de Bruselas) que son holandeses. La mayoría de los flamencos, a pesar de hablar holandés (flamenco), no lo son ni se consideran holandeses.
• Finalmente, lo mismo se aplica a los 75.000 belgas de habla alemana, que tienen una gran experiencia histórica con su vecina Alemania.

Surroundings

external links

• Wikipedia has an article on Belgium.w:Bélgica
• Wikimedia Commons houses multimedia content about Belgium. Commons
• Wikinews has news related to Belgium.Wikinews