Travel guide
Belgium

The 12 keywords Belgium

1. #ART NEW

Very popular at the beginning of the 20th century, Art Nouveau was inspired by natural forms and structures: flowers and plants, but also by their curves, and favoured materials such as glass and steel in the midst of the Industrial Revolution. Belgium has many Art Nouveau houses and buildings, many signed by the master Victor Horta.

2. #COMICS

Belgium has almost 700 comic book authors. Hergé opened the ball with Tintin and Snowy in 1929. Morris imagines Lucky Luke in 1946. Then André Franquin, draws Spirou in 1947, the Marsupilami in 1952, and Gaston Lagaffe in 1957. Peyo imagines the Smurfs in 1954. Let's add Jean Roba with Boule and Bill in 1959 which precedes the modern comics.

3. #BEFFROIS

The Belgian belfries, registered with Unesco, are towers supporting bells which in the Middle Ages punctuated the economic and social life of the cities (working hours, lunch break, alarm bells, festivals...). The belfry was also a watchtower in the face of potential dangers and represented the acquired independence of the cities from the feudal regime.

4. #BEGUINAGES

The beguinages date back to the Middle Ages and are listed by UNESCO. Single women met to help each other, without taking vows. However, they lived devoutly and carried out social and medical work. Each beguinage included a dispensary, manufacturing workshops, a church and modest houses.

5. #CANAL

The gradual reclamation of the land from the 11th century onwards pushed the sea further and further away and dug canals for irrigation and water drainage, which were very convenient for transporting goods to the centre. These can be found in Bruges, but also in Ghent and in the Belgian countryside linking the cities together.

6. #DENTELLE

Since the 16th century, Belgium has been renowned for the quality of its handcrafted lace production. Two manufacturing centres share the work: Brussels, which specialises in bobbin lace, and Bruges, which is the capital of the Binche fairy stitch and continuous bobbin lace.

7. #RED DEVILS

And whether you like football or not, you have to admit that it has one quality: that of bringing Belgians (Flemish, Walloons,...) together around the same ball! The Red Devils played until the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup against the French team. Thibaut Courtois was elected best goalkeeper in the world by FIFA in 2018.

8. #EUROPE

The Commission and the European Parliament sit in Brussels. Moreover, Belgium is fortunate to be at the crossroads of Latin and Northern European cultures. Its richness is therefore unparalleled: Belgians are very open culturally, and speak English, French, Dutch and German in addition to French and Dutch.

9. #NORTH SEA

Undoubtedly a little cold, but full of charm with its tides, breakwaters, iodized air and immense sandy beaches. The Belgian coastline, with nearly 70 km of coastline, is part of the childhood of the Belgians, the sand castles decorated with paper flowers and mica windmills; the walks in "cuistax", these pedal vehicles.

10. #FLEMISH PAINTING

With the technique of glazing, this oil painting allows a luminosity, transparency and nuances never seen before in Europe. It depicts the religious, the daily life of the inhabitants. The Mystical Lamb of the Van Eyck brothers in 1432 is the founder of the primitive current, embodied by Memling, Van der Goes, Bosch. Brueghel the Elder and Rubens during the Renaissance followed.

11. #PLAT COUNTRY

"With cathedrals for unique mountains / And black bell towers as cocagne masts..." Brel sang the Flat Country so well. If Belgium deserves this reputation for its western part (the seaside and its hinterland), on the other hand, Wallonia is much more hilly, especially when you go down towards the Ardennes, in the south-east of the country.

12. #VÉLOS

This means of transport is very popular, whether to go to school, to work, to the disco... You will also be surprised by the number of facilities provided for cyclists (bicycle paths, bicycle parking, etc.). Beware if you are by car or on foot: they are the kings of the road.