Belgium: Chocolate, Charm & a Litttle Bit of Magic

We decided to do a multicountry European tour which I found out is known as the BENELUX Tour to include the countries of Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg! The BENELUX region is located in western Europe and is also know as the Low Countries because they sit at or below sea level along the North Sea coast.

Belgium is a small country with approximately 12 million people with three official languages - French, Dutch and German depending on the region of the country. We found that English is also widely spoken in many areas.

This portion of the tour in Belgium managed to pack a lot of charm into a relatively small space. From beautiful historic squares and medieval architecture to good food, music and plenty of opportunities to simply have fun. Belgium gave us plenty of memories to bring home. Belgium is best known for its chocolate, waffles, beer, lace, fries and stunning medieval cities. And yes!- we made sure to experience more than a few of those things!

Grand Place

Exploring BRUSSELS

We spent our time exploring and taking in the atmosphere rather than trying to rush from one attraction to another. One of the highlights was simply walking around one of the most beautiful squares in the world, the Grand Place (Grote Markt). It is no wonder this opulent square is a UNESCO world heritage site with its ornate gilded architecture. Pictures certainly does not do it any justice. We walked through the Royal Galleries which includes shops, restaurants, apartments and cafes that will leave you in awe of its sheer elegance and luxury. Even the smallest detail was appreciated as we came upon the Manneken Pis, a small, ionic, and legendary statue bulit in 1619. This bronze statue remains the emblem of the rebellious spirit of the City of Brussels. Since we are not counting calories on vacation, we made sure to try the waffles, chocolate and fries. We decided to indulge in one of Belgium’s insane variety of beers on the largest rooftop bar in Europe, Rooftop 58. This place was not only perfect for the drinks and the vibe but also for its 360 degree panoramic view of the city

Brussels is a very walkable city with lots to admire and explore and where every sight feels like a postcard.

Manneken Pis

Rooftop 58

Royal Galleries

And then there was GHENT - beautiful, historic and full of energy and vibrant culture. Between the architecture, the people and the atmosphere during the Ghent Festival (Gentse Feesten in Dutch), it was easy to understand why this part of Belgium is so popular with visitors and why we chose to make Ghent our base while in Belgium.

Ghent is a port and university city in the Flemish region of Belgium. Much of the city's medieval architecture remains intact and is well preserved such as St. Bavo’s Cathedral, the Belfry, Gravensteen castle and St. Michael’s church. As we checked into our hotel, we were immediately informed that due to the Ghent Festival, there would be no sightseeing. I was a little confused but once we got into the city center, we were able to to see over the four days how difficult it would be.

The Ghent Festival, one of Europe's largest popular cultural festivals, typically held in July is an annual music and theater festival that lasts for ten days. It has been held for more than 50 years (since 1969) and is attended by about 1–1.5 million visitors. With local, national and international artists, there’s something for everyone including animation for children, parades, fairs and exhibitions. We especially enjoyed the Latin section in Baudelopark which featured salsa and bachata dancing. And most importantly, performances were free. It was obvious that party is the culture and the culture is to party and we did not have a problem with that!

Our Belgium stop was less about checking things off a list and more about enjoying the moment. We walked, explored, danced, ate, laughed, mingled and had a time!

Tip: If you plan on attending the Ghent Festival make Ghent your base in Belgium-it saves time, simplifies logistics and lets you enjoy the festival without constantly changing hotels. Then you can do day trips to Brussels, Bruges or Antwerp via train.