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Belgium - Places to see and things to do.

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in western part of Europe, lying on the North Sea coast. A member of the Benelux community, the European Union and NATO, Belgium is bordering the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. The country is divided into three regions Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia and its capital is Brussels. The country has three official languages, namely Dutch, French and German, however English is widely spoken especially by the young people. The currency is Euro and in Belgium it could by fantastic chocolate that has no rival, and jewellery that is world-famous for its luxury, style and elegance.

The national language in the country is German, though the language used in everyday life is a local dialect. English is spoken widely, and in some parts of Vienna Italian and French are also understood. The currency used in the country is the Euro, and there are many bank machines widely spread around. People from all European Union countries plus those from countries like Switzerland, Iceland and Norway don't requite visas to enter Austria. Nationals from the United States, Canada, Japan, Israel, Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia need a visa valid for three months. All other people coming from South American, African and Arabian countries require visas. The easiest and simplest way to enter Austria is by plane. There are six airports, but the most important one is in Vienna, as it offers connection to all major airports in the world. Besides the Vienna Airport, there are ones in Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Salzburg, as well as Klagenfurt.

The Kingdom of Belgium could be reached with all means of transport, but the most pleasant one is by plane. The country has three airports, at Brussels, Charleroi and Antwerp Deurne. The Brussels Airport is the largest one and the base of the national airline, called Brussels Airlines. From the airport every fifteen minutes start trains and buses to the centre of Brussels, while taxis are also available. The budget carriers like Wizzair and Ryanair fly to Charleroi airport, which is set some 60 km outside Brussels. The third airport Antwerp Deurne usually accepts business flights. There are three additional and rather smaller airports which usually handle charter and freight flights. Almost all parts of Belgium are conveniently located through a train network. From Brussels start direct trains for Amsterdam and Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux, London and Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg. Passengers should remember that smoking is not allowed in the trains. The lines are usually on time and the trains are quite pleasant, modern and comfortable.

Belgium is easy to travel around by car and several of the major European highways pass through the country. The drivers should be aware of the priority from the right rule, which applies here and drive defensively. Taking a lift here is easy and all the hitchhikers should do is having a cardboard with their direction on. The country could be reached from all parts of Europe with the help of the Euroline buses who have stops at Brussels, Antwerpen, Liege and Leuven. In the cities the normal ticket for one zone usually costs 1.50 Euros and many travel cards are available. In addition to the above enumerated means of transport, Belgium could be reached by a ferry too, usually from England and Scotland. The price however is not cheap. As Belgium is a small country with very good and fast transport connections, it allows for quick access to all regions and cities. A good starting point to explore the country would be the capital Brussels wherefrom can start trips to the cities of Gent and Antwerp, Leuve and Brugge, Namur, all short distance away from each other.

The capital Brussels has a beautiful and easy to manage on foot historic centre. Here are situated the headquarters of many European institutions, and the NATO organization. The city has a population of approximately two million people and comprises of nineteen regions. As the old town of Brussels was destroyed back in the nineteenth century, today there are not many monuments to be seen there and thus it is often overlooked by the other tourist destinations line Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent and Leuven. The city however has its charm and fans. As a bilingual city, Brussels has the street names and signs in French and Dutch, and newspapers that are published in three languages. The major landmarks in the city include the Grand Place-Grote Markt which is set in a lovely square surrounded by the city tower and many beautiful old buildings, the Manneken Pis which is a world-famous statue of a child, and the lovely Parc du Cinquantenaire Jubelpark wherefrom could be enjoyed the city below. The city has many museums and galleries, to enumerate a few the Museum of Art History and the Museum of Historical and Modern Art where could be seen paintings of Breughel, Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt. Interesting to be seen are also the Musee Belvue which features the Belgium history, the National Sciences Museum which has some pretty interesting dinosaur collections. Besides sightseeing, Brussels offers many good places where could be tried mussels, fries and of course, chocolates.

Antwerp is a major tourist destination in Belgium and one of the most thriving place, as well as the worlds diamond city and an important port. The second largest city in Belgium, Antwerp is a very old settlement that has a medieval district with a lovely cathedral, baroque churches and many museums. In Antwerp lived and worked many artists such as Vincent an Gogh and Rubens. Today the city is attracting many artists, writers and actors. It has a fantastic plethora of shops, trendy bars and good clubs. While in Antwerp, tourists often go to the Rubens house, the Plantin Moretus and one of the oldest zoos in the world. Interesting to see here are also the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Old Market Square, the Farmers tower. There are two famous districts in the city, the Diamond District where most of the jewellery shops are set and the Red Light District which is similar to the ones in Hamburg and Amsterdam.

Another city on the focus here will be Liege, which is the largest city of Wallonia, beautifully set along a river with some spa resorts closely. While in Liege the tourists are welcome to see the St. Lambert square and the Outremeuse district. The historic centre features the Palace of the Prince Bishops, the Town Hall, many small streets with appealing architecture, and a good number of churches. On the opposite side of the river in Liege is located the above mentioned Outremeuse which has some interesting buildings to show such as the Feast of the Assumption, and the most popular museum complex in the region which features a Zoology Museum, an Aquarius and a House of Science. The third city on our list is Ghent, which is a small picturesque town with canals and a beautiful cathedral.

Interesting places to be seen in Ghent are the three towers at the cathedral of St. Bavo, plus the church of St. Nicholas and the Belfort. In the city there are two castles dating back to the medieval times. The last city in this travel article is the cosmopolitan city of Bruges, which has notwithstanding charm and cosy atmosphere. The historical centre of Bruges is walking friendly, with city walls and circling canal. The places to visit here are the Groeninge Museum, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Begijnhof convent and the Jerusalem church. To get the real spirit of the place, the best solution is to explore the small and tiny cobbled streets that are away from the main tourist zones.