🇧🇪 Belgium
Hej! I’m sharing a glimpse of my experience visiting beautiful multifaceted Belgium. I was there in 2024. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and does not cover all the wonderful local features and places ☺️.
🗺 Places: Brussels, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Schaerbeek, Antwerp.
🏛 Top sights visited:
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- Brussels
- Grand Square (Grand-Place / Grote Markt)
- Manneken Pis (Petit Julien / Manneken Pis)
- Palace of Justice (Palais de Justice de Bruxelles / Justitiepaleis van Brussel)
- Egmont Park (Parc Egmont / Egmontpark)
- Royal Palace of Brussels (Palais Royal de Bruxelles / Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel)
- Brussels Park (Parc de Bruxelles / Warandepark)
- Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule / Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele)
- Mont des Arts (Mont des Arts / Kunstberg)
- Church of Our Lady of the Chapel (Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Chapelle / Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Kapellekerk)
- Saint-Josse-ten-Noode
- Saint-Josse-ten-Noode City Hall (Maison Communale de Saint-Josse-ten-Noode / Gemeentehuis van Sint-Joost-ten-Node)
- Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanique / Kruidtuin)
- World Trade Center (World Trade Center / World Trade Center)
- Schaerbeek
- Schaerbeek City Hall (Hôtel Communal / Gemeentehuis)
- Saint Mary’s Royal Church (Église Royale Sainte-Marie / Koninklijke Sint-Mariakerk)
- Lehon Plein (Place Lehon / Lehonplein)
- Antwerp
- MAS (The Museum aan de Stroom)
- Het Steen (Het Steen)
- Rubenshuis (Rubenshuis)
- Vleeshuis (Vleeshuis)
- Grote Markt (Grote Markt)
- Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal)
- Vlaeykensgang (Vlaaikensgang)
- De Zwarte Panter (De Zwarte Panter)
- Antwerp Diamond District (Diamantkwartier)
🎧 Local musicians:
- 🇧🇪 Stromae (singer). Genre: pop
- 🇧🇪 Lara Fabian (singer). Genre: pop
- 🇧🇪 Kate Ryan (singer). Genre: pop
- 🇧🇪 Lissa Lewis (singer). Genre: pop
- 🇺🇳 Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike (DJ duo). Genre: big room
- 🇺🇳 XiJaro & Pitch (DJ duo). Genre: uplifting trance
- 🇺🇳 Sylver (band). Genre: eurodance
- 🇺🇳 Netsky (DJ). Genre: drum’n’bass
- 🇺🇳 Eptic (DJ). Genre: bass house
- 🇺🇳 Danzel (DJ). Genre: electro house
- 🇺🇳 Basto (DJ). Genre: progressive house
- 🇺🇳 Lost Frequencies (DJ). Genre: pop
- 🇺🇳 Charlotte de Witte (DJ). Genre: dark techno
- 🇺🇳 Essyla (singer). Genre: dance pop
- 🇺🇳 Technotronic (DJ project). Genre: new beat
- 🇺🇳 Frank de Wulf (DJ). Genre: belgian techno
- 🇺🇳 Da Rick (DJ). Genre: jumpstyle
🎚️ Contribution to Electronic Music:
- New Beat. Originated: mid-1980s
- Belgian Techno. Originated: early 1990s
- Jumpstyle. Originated: late 1990s
🍽️ Local food & drinks:
- 🥗 Filet Americain (Americain Préparé / Filet Americain)
- 🥙 Martino Sandwich (Martino Sandwich / Martino Sandwich)
- 🥘 Mussels’n’Fries (Moules-Frites / Mosselen-Friet)
- 🥘 Steak Frites (Steak-Frites / Steak-Friet)
- 🍰 Belgian Waffles (Gaufres Belges / Belgische Wafels)
- 🍰 Belgian Chocolate (Chocolats Belges / Belgische Chocolade)
- 🍰 Belgian Pralines (Pralines Belges / Belgische Pralines)
- 🍶 Belgian Beer (Brands: “Stella Artois”, “Jupiler”, “Leffe”, “Delirium”)Brussels-Capital - Regional Special:
- 🥘 Stewed Brussels Sprouts (Choux de Bruxelles / Spruitjes)Flanders - Regional Special:
- 🥘 Shrimp Croquettes (Garnaalkroket)
- 🥘 Flemish Stew (Stoofvlees)
- 🥘 Eel in the Green (Paling in ’t Groen)
🎬 Local movies:
- Mr. Nobody (Mr. Nobody). Year: 2009. Genre: fantasy
- In Bruges (In Bruges). Year: 2008. Genre: thriller
- Zillion (Zillion). Year: 2022. Genre: thriller
- The Translators (Les Traducteurs). Year: 2019. Genre: thriller
- Loft (Loft). Year: 2008. Genre: thriller
- Maldoror (Maldoror). Year: 2024. Genre: thriller
- Ben X (Ben X). Year: 2007. Genre: thriller
🪔 Authentic features:
- 🦉 Authentic Concept: Belgitude (Belgitude / Belgitude)
- 🐦🔥 Belgian Folklore (Folklore Belge / Belgische Folklore)
- 🛖 Belgian Friteries (Friteries / Frietkoten)
- 🏛️ Brabantine Gothic Architectural Style (Gothique Brabançon / Brabantse Gotiek)
- 🎨 Belgian Comics (Bandes Dessinées Belges / Belgische Stripverhalen)
- 🏓 Crossage Game (Crossage / Chole)
- 🪕 Authentic Musical Instrument: Saxophone (Saxophone / Saxofoon)
- 🧝 Legacy of Belgae (Belges / Belgae)
- 🏰 Heritage of the Duchy of Brabant (Duché de Brabant / Hertogdom Brabant)
- 🏰 Heritage of the United Belgian States (États-Belgiques-Unis / Verenigde Belgische Staten)
Brussels-Capital - Regional Special: - ⛰️ Flower Carpets (Tapis de Fleurs / Bloementapijt)
Flanders - Regional Special: - 👲 Culture of Flemings (Vlamingen)
- 🎨 Flemish Baroque Painting (Vlaamse Barokschilderkunst)
- 🎨 Bruges Lace (Brugs Bloemwerk)
- 🪕 Authentic Musical Instrument: Doedelzak (Doedelzak)
🎊 Authentic holidays & celebrations:
- National Day of Belgium (Fête Nationale Belge / Nationale Feestdag van België). Month: July
Flanders - Regional Special: - Flemish Community Day (Feestdag van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap). Month: July
- Carnival of Aalst (Aalst Carnaval / Oilsjt Carnaval). Month: February or March
💐 National flower:
- Red Poppy (Coquelicot Rouge / Rode Klaproos)
Brussels-Capital - Regional Special: - Yellow Iris (Iris Jaune / Gele Lis)
🦉 Local wisdom: “If you want butter, you have to beat it.” / “Si tu veux du beurre, il en faut battre. / Als je boter wilt, moet je het kloppen." — Belgian proverb
👨🎓 The oldest university: The Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), Leuven, est. 1425.
