Things To Know
Influential Neighbors
Landscape of History
Beaches, Woodlands and Parks
Exploring Belgium
Diverse Foods
Traditional Courtesy
Language Divide
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Landscape of History
Apart from the canals in the north, Belgium has no outstanding landscape features that define it in the way that Norway is
defined by its fjords, Greece by its islands, Switzerland by its Alps or Britain by its surrounding seas. Yet Belgium has
a very special, very powerful identity expressed through historic cities and a peerless artistic legacy. You will be seduced
by medieval Bruges and old Brussels; feel a sense of history in Ghent, Antwerp and regional cities such as Leuven and Mechelen;
and be enchanted by the castles in the Ardennes region. The dazzling works of art of early Flemish Masters and medieval painters
will fascinate you: prepare yourself for Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling and Peter Paul Rubens, as well as the Brueghels, Anthony
van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens.
Belgium is about the landscape of history rather than of scenery. Yet outside the cities and towns, lies a quietly charming
countryside of fruitful farms, serene waterways and flower-filled meadows. On the immediate outskirts of Brussels is the Forêt
de Soignes, a superb beech forest that is an oasis of peace. In the Haspengouw region to the west of Brussels are several
historic castles, such as the stately Gaasbeek with its formal gardens and the 13th-century, moated Alden Biesen. A more somber
yet compelling aspect of Belgium is enshrined in the poem In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae (1872-1918). Throughout Europe's turbulent history this northwestern corner of the Continent has seen conflict,
none so bitter as World War I. Towns such as Mons and Ypres still resonate with memories and you will find many memorials
and graves in the now-healed landscape.
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