Belgium: Small place but full of beauty

Travel Dates: May 2023 and Jan 2025

Belgium is a small country that became the center of the European Union (EU). Not big enough to bully other members but neutral enough to allow the forming of the EU. However it doesn’t mean that bureaucrats in gray suits running the EU is all you see. Most never visit this beautiful little place, instead opt to hit up bigger names like the next door neighbors France and Germany.

Being the center of EU is hard. There are three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. Different parts of Belgium speaks different a different language. Luckily English is also common so jumping in isn’t as hard. At the heart of Brussels is the Grand-Place. An beautiful giant square surrounded by elegant historic baroque and neo-gothic style buildings. In the olden days, this is where you would find different trade and merchant guilds. You will also see Town Hall and King’s House. In the day time, the square is packed full of people. At night time, the buildings light up shine. You have to see it in both settings to marvel at the beauty. There are restaurants to grab a drink and just stare at the buildings to soak it all in. You will see daytime and night time tours stopping here. You can really feel how grandiose this square is.

Belgium is also home to many authors and many comics. So as you walk around Brussels, you will see comic murals that will bring back memories from your childhood. If you are old enough that is. Schtroumpfs (Smurfs in English), or Tin-Tin might ring a bell. And if you don’t get enough, you can always jump into the comic museum and see a ton of stuff in one go. There are a lot of museums for a small city.

But once you had your fill of the city. Head out to the smaller cities which transport you to another world. Most of the cities are just a short train ride away so you can do these as day trips from Brussels if you want.

Far to the East is Dinant. A cliff clinging to a river with a fortress looking down like it remembers everything. A fairytale town with a quiet Cathedral and home to Leffe beer. The most famous resident of Dinant might have been Adolphe Sax who invented a bunch of musical instruments but only the saxophone really made it. So you will see Saxophones statues spread across this small town. You might even hear someone learning how to play which means you might want a few beers to ease the pain.

Citadel sits at the top of the cliff over looking the Cathedral of Dinant

To the North West lies Bruges. A medieval dream that somehow survived the centuries. Cobblestones, canals, swans that glide by like they’ve been rehearsing for centuries. It’s too perfect. It’s a place that doesn’t make sense. How is it still around? The beauty of this place is amazing. They really preserved the town. This is a city that gets tourism. They don’t shy away from it and tell tourists to go away. They do tell them to stop blocking the roads and get back on the sidewalks/pavement. Remember that this isn’t a park, this is a real town so people are living real lives here.

While Belgium is small, it’s full of character. And I don’t mean the little person pissing into the fountain. You really get the European feel without having to go very far and even transport back in time to a time long forgotten.

Food:

The usual clichés of Belgium food are beer, chocolate, waffles, and frites which are all spot on. You can’t go very far in Brussels town center without running into an artisan making something delicious. Chocolate shops are abundant. So many to try. Good thing they are not Pokemon so you don’t have to get them all. Waffles are also a must. There are 2 main kinds, the Liège and Brussels waffle. Brussels style tends to be light, crispy, rectangular, and topped with whipped cream. Liège is a bit denser and sweeter and comes in all kinds of shape. Both make for a great snack.

Liège style come in different shapes, fresh out off the iron, lightly coated with some sauce or powder depending on what you pick. Good crunch as you bite through it. Just make sure you don’t inhale the powder cinnamon or whatever topping you picked.

Frites come in a paper cone and smothered with some sauce of your choice. I went with just the basic ketchup. Hot, crispy, salty, tasty. Eat them fast because the ones at the moment get soggy as they get steamed and drenched in sauce. They really needs something to wash it down so cue the beer or beers. But keep in mind that some might be really strong. I found a whiskey infused beer that is 20% abv. A pint of that was a lot. Not for the faint of heart.

Trappist beers is also a thing. The majority of them are in Belgium. So if you want to support a religion, this might be it! There aren’t many official Trappists brewery so make sure you fact check it.

People:

People here really enjoy the little things. Indulge a bit. Have some chocolate or a waffle or a mix it up and have a chocolate waffle. Beers are the drink of choice and some can be seriously strong but enjoy yourself but don’t be messy. Even during the Pride festival, the city was clean. Trash was neatly placed near the trash cans and not just all over the place.

Everyone here speak at least 2 languages. If you are in the Northern part, it’s more Dutch. To the East, German is common. To the South, French. But everyone seems to also learn English. So language diversity is quiet high. I found a lot of the people spoke 3 languages fluently and can easily switched between them.

Random things I learned on this trip:

• Saxophone was invented in Dinant.
• Dinant has a famous cookie called Couque de Dinant. This cookie is so hard, you will likely break a tooth on it. You aren’t supposed to bite into it.
• Leffe beer is owned by the Anheuser–Busch InBev brewery giant. They pay royalty to the abbey and this is an “Abbey” beer which is different from Trappist. As usual, religion is complicated.
• Leffe brewery started because the river water was too dirty to drink but once it was made into beer it is safe to consume.
• Bruges is a Unesco Heritage site famous for its cobblestone streets, Gothic architecture, and historic landmarks that is over 700 years old.
• The Basilica in Bruges is known as the Basilica of the Holy Blood because it there is a relic with Jesus’ blood.
• Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium.