Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit Belgium! With great architecture, museums, amazing beer and delicious fries, Belgium is a great destination in Europe. As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit Belgium.
Hate #1: Lack of Excitement
For being at the crossroads of Europe and the capital of the European Union, Belgium can sometimes feel a bit boring. The pace in Belgium is a bit slower, and it can seem underwhelming at times. Belgium is definitely not a nightlife destination. If you are used to whirlwind trips of Paris or London, you’ll be surprised at how few things there are to do in Belgium. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you anticipate it ahead of time.
Love #1: Cities to Visit in Belgium
There are some really great cities to visit in Belgium. Bruges is lined with canals, Ghent is full of amazing architecture. Leuven has a beautiful Town Hall and a youthful university vibe. Brussels has the Grand Place with gilded buildings in every direction. The towns of Belgium have fantastic architecture, public squares, and people-watching. If you love exploring smaller towns, Belgium has several worth your time.
Hate #2: Store Hours in Belgium
Stores in Belgium tend to close rather early, around 6:00 pm. If you plan to go shopping in Belgium, you’ll need to plan ahead and buy anything you need before the stores close for the evening. Attractions tend to close early as well, so you will likely find yourself with a few quiet hours before dinner crowds start to head out for the evening.
Love #2: Belgian Beer & Food
The beer and the food in Belgium are fantastic. Even if you aren’t a beer drinker, Belgian beer is such a large part of the culture that it’s worth sampling a few of the different beers. You just might surprise yourself and find one that you like. The food in Belgium is also really good. Belgian cuisine is best known for mussels, fries, (frites) waffles, and chocolate. The fries are served with mayonnaise and sometimes gravy and the waffles can be sweet or savory and piled high with toppings if you wish.
Hate #3: Prices in Belgium
Belgium can be an expensive destination. I find the prices in Belgium to be about 20-25% more expensive than equivalent items in the United States. Most of your money will be spent on hotels in Belgium and eating out in restaurants in Belgium. Visiting Belgium in the off-season will open up some accommodation deals if you are willing to have some cold weather and gray skies.
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Love #3: Public Transportation in Belgium
It is so easy to travel around Belgium. It’s a relatively small country, so you can get from town to town in a very short time on the train lines in Belgium. The trains are really affordable, too, which is nice. You can get from Brussels to Ghent in 30 minutes, Ghent to Bruges in 30 minutes, Brussels to Antwerp in 30 minutes, and on and on. Within the towns, there are buses and trams you can take to get around town easily. This leaves you with a lot of options for choosing your home base in Belgium. Find a great accommodation deal in Brussels, Bruges, Ghent or Antwerp and see all the cities on day trips.
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Hate #4: Service in Belgium
The service in Belgium is one of my biggest complaints when visiting. It’s not necessarily horrible, but very aloof. The servers in Belgium are paid a decent wage, so they aren’t relying on tips as their source of income. You’ll find that they don’t stop by to help you as often as you may need. Make sure you pay attention to what you order vs what you receive and verify everything on your bill before paying. I’ve heard lots of stories of messed up restaurant orders in Belgium.
Love #4: History in Belgium
Belgium has some amazing art history, with the Flemish Primitive artists. Each town also has a unique history, much of which can be explored through the architecture. A lot of European cities focus on WWII history, and there’s a bit of that in Belgium, but there is a lot of World War I history in Belgium. I highly recommend taking a WWI tour of Belgium, where you can see the Flanders fields and learn how Belgium has evolved through all of the conflicts in their past.
Hate #5: Belgian Beer Hangovers
I would say that beer is one of the best things about visiting Belgium. The beer in Belgium is amazing, but it’s a very strong beer. You might throw back a few pints not realizing that the beer in Belgium is much stronger, and you will end up with a Belgian hangover in the morning. Make sure you pace yourself and give the beer time to affect you before downing several in a row, thinking it’s the same as the beer you drink back home.
Love #5: Safety in Belgium
Belgium is a very safe country. Anytime I visit Belgium, I always feel very safe and I’m not worried too much about petty theft or tourist scams. Sure, there are a few neighborhoods in Brussels to avoid, but all of the tourist areas in the Belgium cities are relatively safe. This, in addition to being a bit “boring” means you can actually relax in Belgium. It’s a nice feeling to relax on a European vacation because you are usually at a fast pace trying to cram a lot in.
As you can tell, I had a hard time finding anything to hate about Ghent. I much prefer it over Brussels and I highly recommend spending time in Ghent when you are traveling in Belgium. Want more travel tips for planning a trip to Europe? Check out these other blog posts: