Small Is Beautiful: Belgium About This Page:

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by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor

Big may well be beautiful, but the country of Belgium doesn’t fit with that phrase. At about the size of Maryland, squashed in between France, Germany and the Netherlands, it’s smaller than many American states, but despite its size, the Belgians have many claims to fame and reasons to attract visitors.

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[PassPorter News]

Let’s start with something that’s always close to my heart – food and drink! If you haven’t sampled Belgian chocolates, then you don’t know what you’re missing. I admit it, I’m a chocolate connoisseur and having tried many chocolates from around the world, I can confirm that Belgian is best. Something else that they do well – in fact it’s a national specialty – is mussels, cooked in garlic in their shells, and fries, complete with mayonnaise. Want to make it a totally Belgian meal? Then you can’t go wrong with a Belgian beer, something else that this country is very good at producing.

But a visit to Belgium is about so much more than eating and drinking, as enjoyable as those things may be! Most visitors to the country will head for the capital Brussels and getting there couldn’t be easier these days. International flights come into the city’s airport from all over the world. It’s also easy to combine your visit to Belgium with a stay in London, thanks to the high speed Eurostar train service. Taking the train means that you can board at London‘s Waterloo Station and two and a half hours later step off into the center of Brussels.

Brussels is a city that’s very much looking to the future, but more of that in a moment. It’s also a city steeped in history and no more clearly can that be seen that at La Grand Place, the central market square. It was back in the 13th century that merchants first started to trade their wares here and a range of historic buildings have grown up around the cobbled square over the years. The most stunning of these is the gothic Town Hall, which towers over the square. Inside is just as impressive with tapestries and works of art dating back to the 15th century.

Lining the other three sides of the square are buildings which once belonged to groups of workers, such as archers and boatmen. The beautiful King’s House was once used as a store house, an odd use perhaps, but despite this building’s name, it has no royal connections. That privilege is reserved for the Palais Royal, the King’s official residence, set in Brussels’ main park. During the summer months it throws open its doors to the public and it is well worth a tour.

Now full of restaurants, the Grand Place an excellent place to enjoy the beautiful scenery and sample that wonderful food and drink, and if you’ve still got room after your meal, you can head for the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate. As well as learning about the history of this wonderful product, you can even sample a chocolate or two in the shop as you exit!

A little further afield is perhaps one of the most intriguing buildings ever constructed. The Atomium was built for the World Fair in Brussels in 1958 and represents an iron crystal molecule’s nine atoms, magnified 165 billion times! Towering over the city skyline, it provides a magnificent view of Brussels as well as fascinating exhibits. The Atomium has recently undergone a major renovation, resulting in its closure for over a year, but one of the changes has seen the addition of a restaurant, which will provide truly breathtaking views while you eat.

Don’t be surprised if some of those breathtaking views include the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben. It’s not too much Belgian beer – it’s Mini Europe at the foot of the Atomium. Featuring scale models of buildings from across Europe, the detail is amazing and it’s an excellent way of touring a whole continent in just a couple of hours.

But that’s not the only European connection that Brussels has. The city is very much at the forefront of the European Union that is now binding a number of European countries together politically as well as economically. It is home to the European Parliament and we were fortunate to be given a tour of it by our local Member on our last visit. It’s a fascinating place and it’s at the heart of a mini city of offices and institutions, which regularly see something like 20,000 people working in the offices of the European Union on any one day, serving 25 different countries. The scale of this really has to be seen to be believed.

Although there’s a lot to do in Brussels itself, there’s just as much to do outside the city. Unfortunately home to some of Europe’s most terrible battles, much of the country is littered with war graves and memorials. In particular, the memorial to the Battle of Waterloo of 1815, which saw Napoleon’s forces defeated, is worth a visit and offers a stunning view over the local countryside. The victims of World War I are remembered at a six acre cemetery southeast of Ypres. The town continues to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, with the buglers from the local fire brigade playing “The Last Post” every night at 8 p.m. while traffic grinds to a halt.

Happier times can be celebrated in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, Bruges. Less than an hour by train from Brussels, it couldn’t be more different. It’s often called the “Venice of the North” and is probably the best preserved medieval city in Europe, making for a perfect romantic escape. It’s really like stepping back in time, as the city center is closed off to cars and the easiest way to get around is by foot, although a boat ride is an absolute must. It’s the only way to view the buildings dating back hundreds of years, although if you’re a land lover, an alternative is one of the many horse drawn carriages that take visitors through the cobbled streets.

Again, the center of life is the town’s Market Square, which is home to the Belfry. It’s an exhausting climb up the stairs to the bell tower, but well worth it for the view over the town. The Market Square beneath is home to many excellent restaurants, and like its counterpart in Brussels, offers you the chance to once again sample some fine Belgian food and drink.

A far quieter part of Bruges is the Beguinage to the south of the town. A walled complex that houses beguines or nuns, this area is bordered by tree lined canals and includes the beautiful Minnewater – the Lake of Love. It’s a wonderful place to spend a few peaceful hours away from the crowds.

This is only a small part of what this small country has to offer the visitor. Big may be beautiful, but Belgium is crammed full of treasures – and not just the edible kind!