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Jaillan Yehia

The 5 Simple Reasons I Love Belgium (& You Should Too)

Written by Jaillan Yehia

Post Categories: Antwerp | Belgium | Continents | Europe | Savoir Eats | Savoir Escape

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Antwerp’s Answer to Boris Bikes

Olympic President Jacques Rogge hasn’t been the only Belgian in town over the last few weeks. I’ve been busy showing some Belgian friends round my home city of London recently, so today I’m going Team Belgian on you with a brief but impassioned 5 point guide to why I Love Belgium – and why Belgium, contrary to what you might have heard, totally rocks for a short break…

1. It’s A Nation of Beers

Belgian Beers

Belgian Beers

If you love white beer, fruit beer and discovering new beers you can’t really get a better destination than Belgium. Best of all consume them in a cosy brown bar, full of atmosphere for a real taste of Belgium. There’s an exciting choice of mouth-watering beers on offer at every bar, cafe and restaurant and the supermarkets sell a great selection at stupidly low prices. Last trip I bought a crate of 24 beers for 9 Euros – including the crate itself. How did I get them home? Well this brings me on to the second reason I love Belgium…

2. It’s Easy To get To From London

Driving onto the Eurotunnel - pretty painless

Driving onto the Eurotunnel – pretty painless

For Londoners and South East dwellers, Belgium is painless to get to, and you can easily pop over there for a weekend via Eurostar or with your car using the (in my eyes preferable) Eurotunnel and I love the feeling you get as everyone disembarks the train and most cars head to France – it’s great to be part of a little band of people who are going to Belgium. It’s a bit like being in a nationwide private members’ club.

Let’s face it, Belgium isn’t that high up on most people’s travel wishlists. Even my Belgian friends can see why, but that self-effacing personality is part of the charm of the place…

3. It’s Got Great People

We Are From Antwerp So We Are Automatically Cooler Than You

Antwerp folks: confident of their own coolness

It’s the people, 9 times out of 10, that make a destination, and you might be surprised to learn that those unassuming Belgians, the ones that drive like maniacs up your rear bumper on the roads, are pretty cool folks when they get out of their cars. They may have a reputation for, well nothing in particular (we think so little of La Belgique that we haven’t even bothered to flatter them with a national stereotype) but this is one trendy, fun and deadpan nation. Come on anyone who dresses as snappily as your average Belgian must be pretty cool…

4. It’s Fashionable – really!

Vier one of Antwerp's great little boutiques

Vier: one of Antwerp’s great little boutiques

You might think Belgium is a bit like Holland. Well that’s like saying England is like Scotland – to the Scottish. The Belgians are not to be confused with the Dutch under any circumstances least of all when it comes to fashion. The Dutch take their national colour of Easyjet orange very seriously and wear it as much as possible. Just strike up a conversation with a fashion-conscious Belgian about the Dutch and you’ll see what I mean. No self-respecting Belgian would wear anything other than designer labels, well-cut seperates and muted tones – they are like a nation of undercover Scandinavian fashion bloggers.

 

5. It is a country famous for Chocolate, Waffles, Moules & Frites

Waffles! Really good ones too.

Waffles! Really good ones too.

Are you seriously still waiting for more reasons?

You’ve watched so much sport recently, surely you deserve a a beer, a chip and a waffle?

 

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Comments (10)

  • Avatar

    Tony

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    No mountains, but I lived in the Ardennes for four years, on the south bank of the river Meuse. Opposite me were spectacular cliffs, one of which is known as “Le rocher du roi Albert” who fell to his death from there in the early 30s. I still have four photos of these cliffs taken in each of the four seasons on my wall, seven years after (mistakenly) leaving Belgium. They’re a few kilometres to the east of Namur, in Marche les Dames. Also if you ever go down the river Lesse in a canoe there are spectacular views there, and also at the Rocher de Freyre near Hastiere on the French border.

    Reply

    • Avatar

      Jaillan Yehia

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      Thanks for the info Tony, I’ll keep these suggestions in mind for my next trip to Belgium 🙂

      Reply

  • Avatar

    Roving Altruist

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    Great points, esp when it comes to food (given the plethora of solid restos/cafes scattered around the country), fashion (Antwerp six, Diane von Furstenburg, Oliver Theyskens…no more needs to be said) and the conflicted, ironic and self-aware Belgian persona. I’m biased, but I find Belgium is the type of place that grows on you…Brussels especially. Many visitors come to see Mannekin Pis and Brugge then carry on to Amsterdam and Paris. There’s so much more…

    Reply

    • Avatar

      Jaillan Yehia

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      Absolutely, it really does grow on you. I think because the tourist ‘attractions’ are few and easily ticked off a list people move on – or don’t come at all – and miss out on the best thing about Belgium which is the lifestyle itself!

      Reply

  • Avatar

    Satu VänskäWestgarth

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    I have never been too big a fan of Belgium (no mountains…), but you outlined some pretty good reasons for loving the place. Especially the beer and waffles… 🙂 It was great to meet you at TBU, hope to see you again at WTM in London!

    Reply

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