Belgium

Organised Tours

lowlandstravel.com

Transport

You will probably mostly travel by train between cities. If you plan on doing several trips, it’s worth looking into getting a Go Pass (if you’re under 26) or a Rail Pass. More info can be found on the Belgian Railways website, where you can also check schedules and prices.

Busses and trams are run by De Lijn in Flanders, by MIVB in Brussels and by TEC in Wallonia.

The most important airport is in Zaventem, near Brussels, though low-cost airlines such as Ryanair also use Charleroi airport which they call “Brussels south”.

Food

Just another tip regarding dining specialties in Belgium...Mussels are just about (or perhaps already) out of season. The Flemish asparagus season just started and runs to about early June. White asparagus is a good thing. Be sure to try some! They are so tender and not bitter like regular green asparagus. Drenched in butter or cream sauce?...well, enough said. Do yourself a favor!
The rule about mussels is that you should only eat them in months that have an r in them. So now is still ok, may's too late.

As a Belgian, let me say that I find both mussels and asparagus (though I've never seen or tried green ones) some of the most disgusting food I can think of. A Belgian specialty that I do love is chicory with ham and cheese in the oven, but I'm not sure you could get that at a restaurant.

Language

There are three official languages in Belgium: Dutch (spoken in Flanders and Brussels by about 60% of the population), French (spoken in Wallonia and Brussels by about 40% of the population) and German (spoken in a number of villages in the east).

Flemish is the form of Dutch spoken in Flanders, but it is not a seperate language. The difference between Flemish and Hollandic Dutch is like the difference between British and American English.

Most people (especially younger ones) in Flanders speak good English, in Wallonia this is somewhat rarer. It is extremely offensive for Brits or other English-speaking tourists to try and speak broken French to a Flemish person, unless of course it’s already been established they don’t speak English.

Official holidays

1 January - New Years Day
Easter Monday
1 May - Labour Day
Easter + 40 days - Ascencion / Rerum Novarum (Catholic Labour day)
Easter + 7- Whitsun Monday
21 July - Independance Day
15 August - Assumption / Mother’s Day (in Antwerp)
1 November - All Saints Day
11 November - Armistice
25 December - Christmas

Other days worth mentioning are:
Epiphany (6 January), when children dress up as the three kings and sing songs from door to door in return for sweets or money, and people eat a special cake that has a bean hidden in it - the person who gets the bean wins a silly cardboard crown.
Valentine’s Day (14 february).
Carnaval (the days before lent, the 40 days before easter), which is something for children in most places, but is celebrated more widely in places like Aalst or Binche.
Flemish national day (11 july), which is celebrated in many places with concerts etc.
All Souls Day (2 november), when (mainly older) people visit their deceiced loved ones at the cemetary.
Sinterklaas (6 december), when Saint Nicholas brings presents for children.
New Years Eve.

In places with a lot of immigrants, days like Chinese New Year, Eid ul-Fitr (the end of Ramadan etc. are celebrated as well. Halloween is becoming more popular every year as well.

Summer music festivals

In summer, every village has it’s own music festival. Below are the biggest/most important ones (in chronological order).

Graspop Metal Meeting http://www.graspop.be/pages/index.php
In Dessel
Rock Werchter http://www.rockwerchter.be/RW2006/splash.asp
In Werchter, near Leuven
Cactus Festival http://www.cactusfestival.be
In Brugge
Dour Festival http://dourfestival.be/en
The only big one in Wallonia. In Dour, near the French border.
10 days off http://www.10daysoff.be/
Techno. In Gent
Rock Herk http://www.rockherk.be/
In Herk
Pole Pole http://www.polepole.be/
World music. In Gent
Sfinks http://www.sfinks.be/home.php
Folk and world music. In Boechout, near Antwerp.
Reggae Geel http://www.reggaegeel.com/
Very few people go there for the music, if you know what I mean. In Geel
Antilliaanse Feesten http://www.antilliaansefeesten.be/
Caribbean Music. In Hoogstraten, near Antwerp and the Dutch border.
Pukkelpop http://www.pukkelpop.be/
In Kiewit (Hasselt)

In Gent, de Gentse Feesten offer 10 days of music, partying, drinking, street theatre, etc. In Antwerp, de Zomer van Antwerpen includes music, movies, plays, and more.

Links

Some links on WWI in Flanders that may be of use:
The Great War in Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields museum Ieper
Flanders Fields tour (seems a bit expensive to me, but their itinerary is almost perfect)
Tourist information about the city of Diksmuide
Tourist information about the city of Ypres, Ieper
WWI and WWII museums and cemeteries
Liverpool - Brussels - Flanders

Articles

Ypres - A Battlefield in Belgium Lifts a Curtain on the Past

Trip Report by Crystall II

I travelled to Bruges for a two night stay. Be sure to travel via Antwerp rather than via Brussels to avoid Thalys train fares. Bruges is a marvelous city, although filled with tourists. It is a nice city for strolling and everything seems to be picture worthy. Michaelangelo's Madonna and Child is located at the Church of Our Lady in the North Apse. It is free to see, but there is a fee to tour the rest of the church. The church closes at 5pm. Be sure to stroll through the courtyard at the back of the church! You can rent a bike in Bruges and take a short trip to Damme (4-miles from Bruges). Any bike rental location will have a map for that and other trips. The best frite stand in Bruges is located under the bell tower on the Markt (Market Square). Dumon Chocolatier on Eiermarkt just off of Markt is wonderful! Be sure to visit 'T Brugs Beertje (Kemelstraat 5) and De Garre (on Breidelstraat between Markt and Burg Square, on Garre Alley)for fantastic Belgian beer! The Straffe Hendrik brewery tour is fun, and gives a rooftop view of the city with a beer afterward.