Plan Your Trip To Belgium
"French and German cultures amalgamated"
Belgium Tourism
Chocolates, beer, laces and porcelain are what you think of when you hear Belgium. All of this holds true, but there is a lot more to explore in this small country. Rich in art and culture, Belgium has a fine heritage with many monuments in various cities of the country. Being the centre of EU and NATO, the country holds a lot of prominence among other countries. With long beaches in the north to the highlands in the south, the country offers you everything.
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Best time to visit Belgium
Mid-April to Mid-October is the best time to visit Belgium
Belgium has a maritime climate with hot and dry summers and cold and snowy winters. To avoid the extremities, this is the perfect time to visit the country as the weather is pretty comfortable during (Read More) this time. There are a lot of summer festivals that take place during this time and a lot of tourists from all over the world take part here. However, it is necessary to be prepared for sudden rains as the monsoon is there all throughout the year.
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Holidify's Opinion
What's Great?
Beer and chocolates, tourist friendly cities, numerous carnivals and festivals, delicious and affordable food
What's Not So Great?
Unexpected rains, conservative society, crowded towns
For Whom?
Adventure lovers, couples, family
Read More on Belgium
Exchanging Money in Belgium
Exchanging money is not a problem at all in Belgium as there are many banks that exchange your money at reasonable commission rates. Apart from that, there are exchange bureaus as well, but the rates are a bit on the higher side in this case. There are also 24-hour services at the airports and major hotels to exchange currency.
Nightlife in Belgium
Belgium is well known for its booze and nightlife and it offers a diverse range of entertainment for all the nocturnal. Major towns like Brussels, Gent and Antwerp have the best nightclubs in the country and there are plenty of them. The music there ranges from jazz to club-land music. Youngsters would have a blast in the clubs in Gent and Leuven. The most popular nightclub in Brussels in the Fuse which plays live Techno music. The clubs are open from around 11:00 PM and are open till dawn. Belgium nightlife is also special because of the numerous concerts that go on throughout the year in the hall De Werf in Bruges.
Shopping in Belgium
One can never leave Belgium without buying the chocolate pralines as Belgian chocolate is famous all over the world. The best options are to buy Godiva or Neuhaus chocolates and these are available all over the country. There are also a number of beers available which you wont get anywhere else, so stock up a few before you leave the country. The other items one can buy are Laces in Bruges, Designer wears in Antwerp and the special Belgian comic books from Brussels.
Festivals of Belgium
Belgium houses hundreds of carnivals and festivals throughout the year and there is no main season for it. Whenever you visit Belgium, there is one festival or the other that would be taking place. The most popular one is the Carnival that takes place in February or March and is comprised of grand parades and fireworks. Festival van Vlaanderen is another popular event that holds all the top classical and international music performances. Other major festivals are Zinneke Parade, Durcasse of Mons, Ghent Festival, Ommegang festival, Formula One Grand Prix and Christmas Beer festival.
Hygiene in Belgium
The major concern here is influenza during winters which might cause inconvenience. It is better if people are vaccinated for preventing Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Rabies for precautions. Travellers must eat and drink safely and stay safe outdoors. It is also advisable to carry your basic medicine kit while travelling so that there are no major issues in finding medicines. The health care of the country is very developed and there will be no issues in the case of medical emergencies.
Customs of Belgium
Belgium has a bit of conservative dress code, so it is advised to dress modestly when travelling in public places. One should repeat their name when being introduced, followed by a handshake and a three time kiss on alternate cheeks. Always maintain eye contact while talking to the person and shake hands before leaving. A few unacceptable gestures are hands in pockets and yawning before the other. People can tip in places like restaurants and taxis, though the service fee is usually included. For tipping, one can pay 10% of the entire bill amount.
Tips for visiting Belgium
- The Brussels Card is a good thing to catch hold of while coming to Belgium as it allows one to enter over 30 museums in Brussels. Apart from that, there is also an Antwerp city card.
- Belgium is a safe country on an overall basis, but there are a few neighbourhoods in Brussels and Antwerp which are a bit risky. Charleroi and Leige are also two regions that one must try and avoid.
- The emergency contact number in Belgium is 112.
- While coming to Belgium, one must never forget their raingear as well as sweater for themselves as there are often chances of sudden shows. It is also advisable to get a good pair of shows for trekking and hiking in the country.
Food of Belgium
Belgium is known for its famous cuisine and gourmet specialities. The food here is often described as "French food in German quantities". The special dishes in Belgium are Mussels, Balletjes, Frikadellen met krieken, Stoemp, Stoofvlees, Witloof met kaassaus and waffles. There diet mainly consists of sea food and consists of a large variety including shrimps, sardines and other fishes. Rabbit and pheasant meat is also very commin here which are prepared in French flavours. The food is best paired with Belgian beer and the famous chocolate pralines. Belgium is an abode for beer lovers as there are more than 400 types of beers found here. Belgian food is a mixture of German and French style of cooking, which makes it stand out.
FAQs on Belgium
How to reach Belgium from India?
There are connecting flights from Indian cities like Mumbai and Delhi to Brussels and the major service providers are Aeroflot, Finnair, Emirates and Qatar Airways.
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