A founder member, and now the administrative centre of The European Union, Belgium has a great deal to offer the visitor beyond just the architecture of government, and bar room discussions about politics.
Brussels is a fascinating city, with many ancient churches and museums amongst the modern tower blocks, magnificent buildings in Baroque style house upmarket boutiques, and hide mazes of narrow cobblestone streets that suggest that Brussels has changed little in the last few centuries.
The hotels in Brussels range from the small cosy boutique up to large international hotels with excellent facilities that befit a city that claims to be the capital of a whole continent. On the whole, they provide good rates, particularly for weekend breaks. At busy times of the year, it is vital to make reservations prior to your arrival in Brussels to ensure that you have somewhere to stay.
Antwerp and Bruges can be reached in less than two hours by train from Brussels, and both cities have excellent reputations for tourism, with several excellent museums, and beautiful Gothic Cathedrals to visit. Antwerp was the home of Belgium's most famous artist, Rubens, and the art galleries have good collections of original work.
For those with more time to spend in Belgium, a visit to the Ardennes is well worthwhile for a chance to see some off the small villages and woodland, which is excellent for hiking.
You can get great deals on flights to Belgium throughout the year, and the historic cities are an excellent place to spend a weekend away.
Facts for the Traveller:
Name: Kingdom of Belgium
Capital: Brussels
Area: 30,510 sq km
Population: 10.3 million
Language: Dutch, French, German
Flight Time: 1 Hour from London
Currency: Euro
