Why should you come to Belgium? Because it is the best kept secret in Europe. Visiting medieval cities, quaint towns, gothic cathedrals and town halls, castles and carillons will keep you busy during the day. At night go to a pub, there are more than 350 delicious beers to chose from. The reputation of our gourmet food makes the French jealous and it is almost impossible to find chocolates as good as ours ! Belgium is Europe in a nutshell, multicultural and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its great art cities, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. To the south in Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills of the Ardennes, numerous castles, and the cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai.



The Flemish speak Dutch and the Walloons speak French.

In Brussels, the capital, both languages are spoken. But to make it easy, everybody speaks English, albeit with an accent.

Belgium's history has always been linked to both commercial and cultural exchange, and much of its character is due to its role as the great meeting place of western Europe. Traces of the Austrians, Spanish, French and Dutch can still be seen in its architecture and in the lifestyle of its people. Today, its capital city of Brussels is one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

Somehow, Belgium has maintained a low-key approach to all of this international sophistication. It is a country for connoisseurs, but connoisseurs who do not take themselves too seriously. Because the Belgians certainly do not.

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The Ancient Celts

Beginning in 57 BC, Julius Caesar extended the power of Rome into the region of Europe that is now Belgium. The people he encountered there were the Belgae, one of the various Celtic tribes of early Gaul, and the Romans dubbed their new province Gallia Belgica. In the fourth century AD, with Rome in decline, control of Gaul was ceded to the Franks, a Germanic tribe that the weakened empire employed as mercenaries. As the Franks flourished, they decided to dispense with their Roman employers. By 431, they had established an independent dynasty, the Merovingian, with its capital at Tournai. Soon after, under Clovis I (c.466-511), the Merovingians succeeded in pummeling the last of the Romans in Gaul. They held large parts of present day France and Belgium as well as southwestern Germany. Clovis also adopted Christianity, thus gaining the support of the Church.

After Clovis' death the Merovingian kingdom began to fragment, and the Frankish lands did not come together under single rule again until the reign of Pepin III (the Short) in 751. Pepin deposed the last of the Merovingians and founded the Carolingian dynasty, which is named after his son Charlemagne.

Charlemagne succeeded his father in 768 and ruled for almost a half century, creating during that time an empire that covered nearly all of continental Europe, with the exception of Spain and Scandinavia. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned him Emperor of the West. Although Charlemagne spent much of his reign conquering and subduing various parts of Europe, he also did much to foster commerce and the arts. The beginnings of organized trade along Belgium's rivers was one result of his reign, as was the preservation of classical learning and the arts.

On Charlemagne's death, his empire was divided, and familial feuding led finally to the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Under the terms of the treaty, three of Charlemagne's grandsons split the empire between them. West Francia, under Charles the Bold, formed the basis of France. The Middle Kingdom was given to Lothair, though it would soon fragment. East Francia, under Louis the German, became the basis of Germany. West Francia included the narrow strip of land north and west of the Scheldt river in today's Belgium. The remainder of present-day Belgium was included first in the Middle Kingdom, under Lothair, but it gradually came under the sway of the German kings.

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Medieval Belgium

This division was soon to have great consequences for the development of Belgium's nascent cities. In the northwestern part of Belgium, which nominally belonged to the young kingdom of France, there arose the powerful Counts of Flanders. The first of these was Baldwin Iron Arm, who amply demonstrated his independence from the French by carrying off and marrying one of the daughters of Charles the Bold. Baldwin also began the process of creating fortified towns in Flanders in order to curtail the depredations of the Norsemen. The first of these was Ghent (c.867), and the process was continued by Baldwin's heir (Baldwin II) with the fortification of Bruges and Ypres.

The southeastern part of today's Belgium eventually became part of the Duchy of Lower Lotharingia or Lorraine, under the German kings. In 977, Charles, Duke of Lorraine, built the fortress on the Senne River that was the foundation of Brussels. For the most part, however, the southeastern portion of today's Belgium became split into a number of minor spheres of power, one of which was the prince-bishoprie of Liege.

At the outset of the new millennium, Belgium consisted of the cities of Flanders, unified under their strong Counts, and the less unified cities to the south and east of the Scheldt. As the Norse raids fell off and Europe's major kingdoms gradually stabilized, trade began to grow by leaps and bounds. For Flanders in particular, this was the beginning of a golden age. By importing wool from England and weaving it into fine cloth for sale on the continent, the Flemish cities became exceedingly wealthy, populous, and powerful. By 1300, Ghent, Bruges, and Ypres, in particular, had gained virtual autonomy from aristocratic rule, developing the proud civic culture that still distinguishes them today.

Needless to say, this situation did not please the aristocracy, who itched to regain control over such attractive sources of wealth and power. The Counts of Flanders wanted to regain their local authority, and France very much wanted to reassert its claims to Flanders. In 1302, the cities successfully rejected such claims, utterly defeating the French nobility at the Battle of the Golden Spurs. But the aristocracy persisted, and its unity eventually proved stronger than that of the cities, where local rivalries complicated unified resistance. By 1329, the independence of the cities had been broken, and Flanders once again came under the control of France.

England, as the supplier of raw wool to the cloth trade, was more than a little displeased by this outcome. It stopped sending wool, and began a long attempt to break French power, both in Flanders and in France itself. For almost a century, the French and English clashed repeatedly in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), and in Flanders the struggle coincided with repeated attempts by the cities to regain their autonomy. The struggles finally ended when Philip the Bold of Burgundy, who had benefited from Burgundy's long alliance with the English against the French, became the ruler of Flanders in 1384.

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The Burgundian Period

Under Philip the Good (ruled 1419-1467), the Burgundian empire in Belgium expanded and began to flourish. Philip gained control of the southeastern areas, including Brussels, Namur, and Liege. He suppressed the independence of the cities, brought them under central rule from Brussels, and consolidated the region's economy. Philip's reign brought new prosperity and, with it, a great era of cultural development. Painting especially reached new highs in the work of Robert Campin, the brothers van Eyck, and Rogier van der Weyden. After Philip's death, his rule over present-day Belgium passed first to Charles V. In the 1490s, as Bruges' waterways to the sea gradually silted up, trade shifted further north and Antwerp emerged as the pre-eminent commercial city in the region.

The ascension of Philip II to the Spanish throne in 1555 brought on the next crisis in Belgium's history, as King Philip's strident Spanish Catholicism coincided tragically with the rise of Protestantism in northern Europe. In the Flemish cities especially, Protestantism was a deeply political movement, linked to the long tradition of resistance to aristocratic domination. Social unrest in the cities was met by Philip with harsh and rigid repression, including the introduction of a massive Spanish military presence in the north as well as the execution of thousands of Protestants. By 1565, a powerful League of Nobility, under the leadership of William of Orange and Count Egmont (governor of Flanders), had joined in the opposition to Spain. Philip responded by sending in the notorious Duke of Alva at the head of an army of 10,000 troops. Alva outlawed William, executed Egmont and other leading nobles in Brussels' Grand'Place, and began terrorizing the country. Popular opposition exploded, particularly in the north, and within a few years Alva found himself powerless to exercise control over any but the southern cities, which had remained much closer to the Catholic church.

By 1576, William's power in the north was virtually unchallenged, and he came to terms with the Spanish. The United Provinces, as the northern regions came to be known, struggled for the next seventy-five years to maintain their independence. The Catholic regions to the south remained faithful to Spain, becoming known as the Spanish Netherlands. In 1648, with the Treaty of Munster, the much-weakened Spanish not only recognized the independence of the United Provinces, but also agreed to close the Scheldt to navigation. As a result, Antwerp and Ghent, like Bruges before them, lost their predominance as the region's centers of trade. For the next several centuries, the Dutch port of Amsterdam would play that role.

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The Battleground

Over the next century, France emerged as the most powerful state in Europe. Under the rule of Louis XIV (1659-1715), the French made sustained efforts to extend their control over the Spanish Netherlands. Louis' ambitions were feared not only by the Spanish, but also by the Dutch, who had no desire to see powerful France extend its borders to their own. England also opposed French expansion, especially after William III, ruler of the Dutch, accepted the English throne. As a result, present-day Belgium was for much of the century a battleground between Louis XIV and the shifting alliances of his opponents.

These struggles reached their climax during the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713), prompted by the death of the childless King Charles II of Spain. Before his death, Charles had named as his successor Philip of Anjou, who also happened to be Louis' grandson. As one might expect, Louis informed his young relative that it would be best for all concerned if Philip would immediately cede the Spanish Netherlands to France. It was an offer that Philip could not refuse, but also one that no one else in Europe could accept. For the next decade France attempted repeatedly to establish its rule, while Dutch, English, and Austrian armies consistently rejected each attempt. By 1713, Louis had had enough, and with the Treaty of Utrecht France ceded its claims over the Spanish Netherlands to the Habsburg rulers of Austria.

In fact, the region continued to enjoy virtual independence, paying as little attention to the Habsburg claims as it had paid to the claims of the weakened Spanish during the previous century. By the end of the 18th century Belgium was ready to assert its own identity. With the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, the country rose up in revolt against the Austrians, and in 1790 independence was declared in the form of the United States of Belgium. However, the leaders of the new country were deeply divided amongst themselves, and the Austrians rapidly re-established control. Austria, however, soon found itself at war with the French Republic, and by 1795 the successful French had "liberated" Belgium. Although the French instituted far-reaching reforms that later served as the foundations for the modern Belgian government, they were in fact far more inclined to see Belgium as a source of revenue and troops. Churches were seized and despoiled, massive conscription was introduced, and popular protest was crushed with a ruthlessness reminiscent of the Spanish occupation.

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The New Kingdom

With the rise of Napoleon, French rule over Belgium became more constructive, including the revitalization of industry and (with the opening of the Scheldt) the partial recovery of Antwerp. With Napoleon's fall, the great Allied powers decreed that Belgium would become a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ruled by the pro-Dutch William of Orange. By 1830 the Belgians' patience had run out. Revolution erupted in Brussels and quickly spread across the country. William made a brief effort to regain control, but within a few months he withdrew. On 20 January, 1831, after centuries of external rule, Belgium was recognized as an independent nation.

The Belgians chose Leopold of Saxe-Coburg to be their first King, under a constitution that significantly limited the power of the monarchy . Under Leopold I and then his son Leopold II, Belgium flourished both economically and culturally. It was Leopold II who acquired the Congo, which remained a part of Belgium until its independence in 1960.

Leopold II was succeeded in 1909 by Albert I, his nephew.. Albert's reign was dominated by World War I, during which most of the country fell under extremely harsh German occupation despite determined resistance. The Belgian army survived the invasion, and it played a central role in retaking the country at the end of the war. Albert lived until 1934, when he died in a tragic climbing accident. His wife Elisabeth is remembered as a great patron of the arts. Together with Eugene Ysaye, she founded the world-renowned Queen Elisabeth Contest, Belgium's foremost musical competition.

Albert was succeeded by his son Leopold III, who like his father was soon confronted by war. In 1940, Germany invaded Belgium and Holland. As the blitzkrieg swept across the country, the Belgian government evacuated to London. Leopold, however, surrendered to the German forces when the Belgian lines at Kortrijk were broken. The territories of Eupen, Malmedy and St. Vith were annexed to the German Reich and the rest of Belgium occupied. Leopold was held prisoner in the palace of Laeken before being taken to Germany. When the Allied Forces liberated Belgium at the beginning of 1944, popular feeling against Leopold was substantial, and his brother Prince Charles assumed regency. Leopold III returned to Belgium in 1950, but popular opposition to his rule remained substantial. In 1951, he abdicated in favour of his son Baudoin.

In the post-war period, Brussels has gradually taken on its role as the 'capital' of Europe. It is the headquarters of the European Community and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as gaining a reputation as the foremost European center of international business. In 1957, Belgium formed, with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, the Benelux Union.

Perhaps the most significant of the postwar developments has been the increasing local autonomy of various regions of the country. In 1977 the country was divided into three administrative regions: Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. In 1980, the Belgian constitution was changed to recognize this separation, shifting the structure of the nation to a federation. In 1995, the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant were created from the old province of Brabant, leaving Belgium with a total of 10 provinces.

When King Baudoin died in 1993, his brother Albert II succeeded to the throne. Albert II is married to Paola Ruffo di Calabria. The Royal couple has three children, Prince Philip (the official heir to the throne), Princess Astrid (who is married to Archduke Lorenz of Austria), and Prince Laurent.

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Brussels is a cosmopolitan city, with a liveliness and an appeal that are intimately related to its role as a crossroads for all of Europe. Architectural styles range from Gothic cathedrals and churches to the gracious classical facades of the Palais des Nations, the Royal Palace and to the many art nouveau and art deco houses in the comfortable neighborhoods where the Bruxellois live.

The heart of Brussels and the place to start getting to know the city is the Grand'Place. This historic square, lined with exuberantly ornate guild houses and focused on the Gothic heights of the Hotel de Ville, is widely held to be one of Europe's finest.

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The Grand'Place is also, as it has been for centuries, the focal point of the city's social and civic life. The people of Brussels gather here for their most important ceremonies and festivals, for the traditional bird market on Sunday mornings, and - perhaps most importantly - for no task more pressing than to sit, have a beer, and let the world pass.

Every neighborhood has its own market as Brussels is a city of markets: the bird market, the flower market, the antique market, the flea market, and the horse market. Vendors bring fresh produce from nearby fields, cheeses made in farms and abbeys; hams cured in the Ardennes, flowers and potted plants, chickens, rabbits and fresh caught fish, shrimp and mussels from the North Sea.

At the corner of the Rue de l'Etuve and the Rue du Chene, stands the fountain of Manneken-Pis. The statue has long been a beloved figure in Brussels, having come to be regarded as an honored citizen of the town. Kings, Presidents, and celebrities have given costumes to the Manneken-Pis. He now has a wardrobe of more than 250 outfits which are housed in the Musee Communal.

To the east of the Grand'Place, the ground rises toward the upper town where the Royal Palace and the House of Parliament sit. In between these two is a formal park with fountains in the French style with statues where Belgians fought the Dutch for their independence. Slightly to the south is the Place du Grand Sablon, the center of exquisite antique galleries and sumptuous restaurants.

Just to the north of the Grand Sablon is the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, which comprises the museums of Ancient Art and of Modern Art. Both possess enormous collections featuring many outstanding works. Among the rooms not to be missed is the collection of Flemish paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries. All of the major artists are well represented here including Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden, Hugo van der Goes, Dirk Bouts, Hans Memling, and particularly, Peter Breughel the Elder. There is an entire room devoted exclusively to Breughel's work, including his Landscape with the "Fall of Icarus." The national sons, Peter Paul Rubens and his disciple, Anthony Van Dyck have an impressive presence.

There is no shortage of entertainment events in Brussels, and in keeping with the city's cosmopolitan outlook, these are widely varied. They range from the annual Queen Elizabeth Music Competition, which draws aspiring classical musicians from all over the world, to the annual Jazz Festival in Brussels which attracts legendary jazz stars to the city. The Theatre Royal de la Monnaie consistently offers first class Opera and ballet. In the Palais des Beaux Arts, symphony and chamber music concerts are programmed year-round. There are cinemas with American films in their original version, nightclubs and discos to satisfy even the most energetic. Don't forget the folklore and pageantry integral to an understanding of Belgium, with the Ommegang Festival, the first Thursday in July or the Parade of the Giants in May.

Mussels in Brussels are a must! They are prepared in a variety of ways and are a bargain in season. All Belgian food is of course delicious. Proportions are huge, so try to save room for dessert. Chocolates, waffles and cookies are everywhere. And after all, you can always go on a diet in Paris.

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Some of the finest artistic contributions to the Western cultural heritage exist in Belgium throughout Flanders and the Ardennes. From their glorious cathedrals and town halls to their castles, carillons and lively market squares, Belgium's historic cities are among the most fascinating and delightful works of art in the world.
Distances of Cities from Brussels
Antwerp = 29 miles
Bruges = 60 miles
Ghent = 35 miles
Arlon = 116 miles
Bastogne = 93 miles
Namur = 39 miles
Liege = 61 miles
Paris = 184 miles
London = 219 miles
Amsterdam = 123 miles

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Antwerp

Antwerp reached its peak after the decline of Bruges and emerges as the most important trading port in the 15th and 16th centuries. Ornate baroque mansions remind us of the opulent merchants who commissioned tapestry, paintings, silverware, and sculpture that can now be found in its churches and museums.

The most beautiful monument is without a doubt the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady housing two masterpieces, the "Raising of the Cross" and the "Descent from the Cross", by Peter Paul Rubens, the local celebrity. His wonderful Flemish Renaissance house linked by an elegant Italian portico to the Italian Renaissance atelier can be visited.









More of his paintings are in the museum together with the works of his pupil Anthony van Dyck , as well as Teniers, Breughel, Jordaens, Matsys, Permeke, Ensor and many more.

The Plantin Moretus Museum will give you an idea of how a 16th century printing plant actually worked. Today it houses priceless bibles, books, prints, as well as the family portraits by Peter Paul Rubens.

Among the city's many other attractions are the Diamond Museum where the entire process of diamond mining and processing can be viewed.. Antwerp is the very center of the world's diamond industry. More than 70% of the world's diamonds are cut, polished and traded here. Also worth a visit is the Antwerp Zoo. On the grounds of the nearby estate of Middleheim is the open-air Museum of Modern Sculpture, which exhibits works by virtually all major sculptors from Rodin to the present day.

Antwerp has a very lively night life. A famous Opera house, concerts, ballets and theatres provide entertainment for the culturally hungry. If you really want to see the local scene, join a group of animated beer-pub crawlers and sample a few of our 400 beers.



Bruges

The fortunes of Bruges rose and fell with the strength of the Zwin, the river on which the city is built. Although there is evidence that the area was inhabited as far back as Neolithic times, the beginning of Bruges' history, as a pre-eminent commercial and cultural center, is marked by the great Dunkerque Floods of the twelfth century. The wash of the flood waters made the Zwin into an ideal trade river, and Bruges soon prospered. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the city became one of the richest in the world, its trade supplemented by fine cloth manufactories and excellent banking services. Its population soared, its port welcomed ships from all over the known world, its artisans produced tapestries, sculpture, paintings and lace of unparalleled splendor, and its wealthy citizens patronized the finest artists of the age.

By the middle of the 16th century, all this had changed. The Zwin had begun to silt up, discouraging the passage of commercial shipping. Trade routes shifted and the cloth industry declined. After suffering a series of sieges and attacks over the next few centuries, Bruges had by the 18th century become a ghost of its former self.

At its city center, Bruges remains a medieval city of stunning beauty and charm. It is rich in architectural and artistic treasures, graced by quiet canals and waterways and a favorite to visitors. The Belfry (13th and 15th century) at the old city center is widely considered Belgium's finest, with a carillon that has rung out the quarter hour for nearly seven and a half centuries. Undoubtedly the most enjoyable way to visit Bruges is to amble along its cobbled streets, glide by boat along its tranquil canals and discover a city that time has forgotten.

Among the city's most notable monuments are the Memling Museum, housed in the church of the medieval Hospital of St. John, the Groeningen Museum, and the Church of Our Lady. The Memling Museum, as its name suggests, contains as its primary attraction six works by the Flemish painter Hans Memling (c. 1430-1494). The most renowned of these is the Shrine of St. Ursula, a reliquary decorated by several extraordinary paintings illustrating the legend of the saint. Memling set the legend in the Europe of his own time and one of the most fascinating aspects of the panels is their painstakingly accurate portrayal of his contemporary world.

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