Destination attractions things to do in belgium

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Belgium is a small country in Western Europe, nestled between France and the Netherlands. Belgians are multicultural and also multilingual, speaking French and Dutch, but of course, everyone also speaks English. Belgium has cities dating from medieval times that house superb collections of art and architecture; castles, cathedrals, sophisticated urban centers, festivals, music and theater are some of the attractions you will find in Belgium. Here are some of Belgiums best attractions.

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is a city that has been in existence for more than 1000 years. French and Dutch are both official languages of Brussels, but many other languages are spoken in this cosmopolitan city. Brussels has long been known as an international city, and many international organizations, such as the EU and NATO, have headquarters there. The currency of Belgium is the Euro, and there are many money-changing machines and ATMs around Grote Markt (Grand Place), the main town square of Brussels; you can also use credit cards at most restaurants, hotels and shops. Brussels has a good system of public transportation, and you can buy single tickets or day-tickets that are good on the bus, tram, or metro. Taxis are also available, and trains will take you out of Brussels to other cities in Belgium and Europe. Most hotels will provide you with a free map to help you navigate in Brussels.

One of the most bizarre, and most visited, attractions in Brussels is the Manneken Pis, found on the corner of Eikstraat and Stoofstraat near the Grote Markt. The Manneken Pis is a small, dark statue of a boy relieving himself that stands atop a fountain; the statue is dressed in one of his more than 600 costumes. The costumes are donated by foreign leaders and groups who visit Brussels; there are Elvis, Mickey Mouse, and Cub Scout costumes from the United States, and on festival days Manneken Pis pees beer or wine into the fountain for the crowds to fill their glasses. You can see the costumes at City Museum; theyre on display there along with other exhibits. There are several legends about the history of Manneken Pis, and the shops in Brussels are filled with souvenirs of the little statue.

There are quite a few museums of interest in Brussels; one is the Belgium Comic Book Center. Belgians seem to love comic strips, and there are large murals in the metro station of the Adventures of TinTin. Theres also a yearly festival of sci-fi films, with over 150 showings, and related events such as the Vampires Ball. Other museums include the Museum of Ancient Arts, which has a large collection of Flemish art by artists such as Bosch, Rubens, and Van Eyck, the Museum of Modern Art, which has a collection of 20th century art, Autoworld, a museum housing cars, and Museum Album, which tells the history of Belgium and Brussels through interesting means.

There are many events that take place in the market square at Grand Place in Brussels. During the summer, the square has two music-and-light shows each night, and every year on the first Tuesday and Thursday of July, the Ommegang, an historical procession that dates back to the 16th century, parades through the square. The colorful procession includes the horse parade, representatives from all the trade guilds in costumes, soldiers in elaborate uniforms with ancient weapons, and many other characters; although crowded, the parade is very entertaining, and the costumes are fabulous. Every other year, during the third week of August, an unbelievable flower carpet is constructed in Grand Place; the carpet, made of hundreds of thousands of colorful begonias, fills almost the whole square. The buildings of the Grand Place, including the 14th century Town Hall, the Kings House, cathedral, Galeries St. Hubert shopping arcade, and Baroque guild houses are stunning; the square is surely one of the most beautiful in the world. Restaurants and shops are on the ground floors of most of the buildings, and there are many hotels in this area. To the right of the entry to Town Hall, theres an information center where you can get brochures, maps and information on Brussels.

Brussels is known for its food and is also called the city of beer. There are many cafes and pubs that offer the local brews, including the unusual fruit beers. Theres the Brewery Museum in Grand Place that will show you the history of beer brewing and give you some free sips. Belgium chocolate, especially the Neuhaus brand, is addictive; most shopkeepers will give you free samples because they know after one taste you will want to buy all the chocolate in the store. Waffles, frites (French fries) eaten with mayonnaise, steamed mussels, and other snacks are sold in the street stands. The Rue de Bouchers (Butchers Street) is packed with touristy restaurants that tend to be expensive, but if you are a tourist, its a lovely way to spend an afternoon, hanging out at an outdoor table on the cobblestone street, savoring moules marinieres and wine, serenaded by street musicians. For less expensive meals, ask locals for suggestions; there are whole streets of restaurants very close to Grand Place.

Bruges is a Belgian city that is sometimes called the Venice of the North, and has a medieval feel, with Gothic buildings along the canals; guided boat trips of the town are available, and the canals, once clogged with trading ships, are now only used for tourist boats. Diamonds have been traded in Bruges since the 1300s, and Bruges Diamond House, dating from 1518, is an interesting place to visit if you want to buy some jewelry or are curious about diamonds. Belgian lace is known worldwide, and if you visit the Lace Centre in Bruges, youll see workers making lace, and displays of different types of lace are shown in the museum. The center strives to teach the younger generation the intricacies of lace making, and offers courses for those who want to learn the art. During the 13th-14th centuries, Bruges was an international trading center for textiles, and many of its buildings reflect this prosperous time. There are many museums that are housed in old buildings and have exhibits with artifacts from this period, such as the Gruuthuse Museum and the Brugse Vrije, a former treasure house of Bruges. Art museums in Bruges have excellent works by Flemish artists such as Van Eyck, and there are also a folklore museum and brewery museum that have interesting exhibits. If you dont mind climbing 366 steep steps, go up to the top of Belforts Tower, an old bell tower where you can get a great view of the city.

Antwerp was the home of the artist Rubens, and you can visit his house, the Rubenhuis, and see some of his paintings hanging in the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady, which dates from 1352 and is the largest Gothic building in Belgium. Rubens tomb is in the Saint James Church behind the main altar, and two of his paintings hang there; there are also more than 20 paintings by Rubens in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, along with works by many other renowned artists. Antwerp is known worldwide as a premier diamond center, and you can visit the Museum of Diamonds to see how the mining and processing is done; a majority of the worlds diamonds are cut, polished, and traded in Antwerp. The fascinating tour will show you a treasure chamber of priceless jewelry, and you can see a diamond cutter at work. If youre a beer lover, visit the Kulminator, where you can taste some of this bars stock of over 500 Belgian brews. Each beer has its own special glass, and you can buy a few bottles of a certain beer packaged with its glass.

There are numerous festivals in Belgium throughout the year; festivals honoring beer, cheese, flowers, the canals, Rubens, religious figures, historical events, and music are held in many different towns throughout the country. Other cities in Belgium you may want to visit are Waterloo, which has a large memorial monument and museums such as the Wellington Museum to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, Ghent, a city with an important medieval past, beautiful Gothic buildings, and amazing flowers, and Liege, where you can climb the 406 steps of the Montagne de Bueren staircase up to the park, where amazing photographs can be taken of the city.

If you go to Belgium, you will find it to be an amazing country full of friendly citizens, astounding medieval architecture, priceless artwork, scrumptious seafood and chocolate, and rivers of beer. Brussels and Antwerp both have international airports, and you can ride the Eurostar or TGV trains to Brussels from London or Paris.