Belgium is a country of North-Western Europe. The country is bordered by Germany, Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg. The name of Belgium was born when Julius Caesar mentioned the Belgae during his conquest of Gaul and when the nation needed a name after independence.

Back then, the first to conquer Belgium is the Romans. After that, it has integrated into the Roman Empire as Gallia Belgica.  After the fall of the Roman Empire, the territories that form Belgium have become a part of the Holy Roman Empire. However, the control of the Holy Roman Empire become decreasing over the centuries. This is when the English and French have taken over the region. At that time, their first capital was at Tournai. Western Europe was ruled the most by Franks but yet the empire was going down too. In the 11th century, a modern Belgium which is at that time was called as Flanders has emerged as a powerful semi-independent kingdom. After a century, Belgium was booming with their wool industry. Belgium has also become the centre of trade where they import the English wool and convert it into fine cloth. Then, the Belgian towns such as Bruges, Gents, and Ypres had emerged. However, the cities of Belgium have a conflict with the kings of France.  It is because the king of France was often at war with England. Nevertheless, Belgium relied on English wool and the merchants were not ready to side the French against British. The king of France was hoping to bring Belgium into his kingdom. The craftsmen in Bruges were refused to pay tax in the year 1302. The French king sends the soldiers to the town. The rest of Belgium was being spread by the uprising in Bruges. On 11th July 1302, the craftsmen and peasants had crushed the French at the Battle of the Golden Spurs. The Belgians managed to collect 600 golden spurs. After that, the battle with the French, Flanders has managed to get their independence.

n the 14th century, a place called Burgundy was a powerful kingdom. The Duke of Burgundy gets married to Margaret of Flanders which is the heiress of the Count of Flanders. After the death of count, the territory of Burgundy became a part of Flanders. The trade economy continues to grow under the rule of Burgundy. In the year 1477, Belgium was under Austrian rule when the heiress of Duke of Burgundy married with Maximilian of Austria. Charles, the grandson of Maximilian, became a ruler of Spain, Austria as well as Belgium. In the year 1566, Charles’s son Philip became a ruler of Belgium and Spain. Hence, Belgium becomes under the rule of Spain. At the end of the 17th century, Belgium was fought by all the Europeans.  Then, France managed to rule over Belgium in 1795. The industries in Belgium become booming in the early 19th century. Not long after that, Belgium and Holland were united together as one country. However, the union was not last long. The rebellion broke out and Belgian gained their independence in January 1831. During the world war, Belgium was suffered so badly. They were invaded by the Germans in 1914. The Germans treat them brutally. Belgium was neutral, yet they were attacked by the Germans again in 1940. Nevertheless, Belgium manages to recover back from the war and they joined Euro in 1999.

The capital city of Belgium is Brussels. Back then, Brussels was a trading centre between Bruges, Ghent, and Cologne. Brussels was the place for luxury items exportation such as fabrics and tapestries to Paris and Venice. Moreover, Brussels has become the centre of economic development, occupation, and revolts. In the 20th century, German was trying to invade Brussels. However, Brussels was a part of the Brussels Pact in 1948 and they initiate for Western European defence cooperation. Now, Brussels is a headquarter of EU.  The population of the capital city is over 2 million people and the city has an area of 161.4 square kilometers.

Belgium has three official languages such as Dutch, German and French. Majority of the population in Belgium speaks Dutch. Those who speak Dutch are more in the urban area. The second language that is mostly spoken by the citizen in Belgium is French. The German language was the least spoken by the Belgian. For religion, the majority of the citizens practice Roman Catholic with 58 percent. The second largest religion is Atheist or Agnostic with 27 percent. Following is Non-Catholic Christians which include Orthodox, Protestant, Restoration with 7 percent, Islam religion with 5 percent and other beliefs such as Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism with 3 percent of the population. The climate Of Belgium is cool and wet. The climate was influenced by the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.  During winter, the weather is cold but not freezing. At that time, in Belgium, it rains frequently. Therefore, the temperature is gradually decreasing. Belgium has a cool summer in which the highest temperature was only reached 21 Celsius in the month of July and August. During spring and autumn season, the weather is cool and cloudy. From November to February, the sun in Belgium is very rare to be seen. The tourists were advised to visit Belgium in the middle of May to the middle of September.

There are different types of cuisines in Belgium which comes from their neighbour countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and France. The country is famous for its snacks. The tourist should try one of the famous foods in Belgium which are chocolate. Moreover, they have the highest quality of chocolate in the world. Besides that, there is a lot of famous brand of chocolates from Belgium such as Neuhaus and Guylian. Besides that, the country is also famous for beers. In fact, they have different types of beers when eating the different type of dishes. Next, the national dish of Belgium is Fries. The key to a perfect Belgian fries is golden and crispy. The tourists are able to taste their fries at any restaurants or food trucks. In addition, the fries are nice to eat with chilli or tomato sauce and mayonnaise.

How to Get There?

By Plane

Malaysian tourists can travel to Belgium by air. There are a few flights available that have made their stops at Brussels Airport. The ticket price per person is in the range of RM 3700 to RM 5000. From Malaysia, the tourists can take an international flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.  They will have a long journey that will take about 14 hours and 15 minutes. Once they arrived at Brussels Airport, they can call a cab or ride public transport as well as they can rent a car.

What to Do There?

Grand Place

The tourists should visit Grand Place or De Grote Markt in Dutch when they are in Belgium. This place is one of the attraction places in Belgium since they received many tourists at all times of the year. Moreover, UNESCO World Heritage Site has named Grand Place as one of them. Grand Place is also surrounded by beautiful building from the 14th to 17th centuries. The locals and tourists are able to learn their outstanding architectural and artistic skill in this place.

Meuse Valley

For those who want to experience the countryside of Belgium, Meuse Valley is the perfect place to visit. Meuse Valley is situated in the south of Belgium. The tourists can take a trip along the river while watching the beautiful scenery of the place. They can also spend their time by doing some activities such as hiking and cycling in the town of Namur and Dinant. Besides that, there are other historical sites that can make learning more about the city.

St. Peter Church

In Belgium, there are spectacular architectures and historical sites. Therefore, one of the most interesting places to visit is at St. Peter Church.  This church has pointed arch windows and sheaf pillars which represent more on Brabant Gothic Style. There are also Flemish paintings which illustrate biblical scene and some religious arts have been displayed in the museum. Hence, this church is a very interesting place for those who want to understand the history of the church and also for art-lovers.

Where to Stay?

Hotel Opera

Hotel Opera is an ideal place to stay in the city of Brussels. The guests can experience by a few of facilities that provided by the hotel. The hotel has also provided tours for the tourists to travel around the city. Besides that, this hotel has a 24-hour front desk.  Therefore, the receptionist will always be available if the guest needs any assistance from them. Other than that, the location of the hotel is also strategic since most of the attraction places are nearby the hotel.

Ibis Budget Antwerpen Port

Ibis Budget Antwerpen Port is located in the city of Antwerpen. This hotel provides good accommodation and comfortable surroundings. The hotel also offers nice rooms at an affordable price.  Apart from that, the hotel staffs are available to help the guests at any time. Besides that, the location of the hotel is good. The tourists are able to visit the attraction places with just minutes away from the hotel.

Neufchatel Belgian Hotel

For those who want to enjoy nice facilities and comfortable place to stay, Neufchatel Belgian Hotel is the perfect place to stay. This hotel has offered great hospitality to their guests. There are plenty of facilities that prepared by the hotel so that the guest will feel comfortable during their stay here. Besides that, it is very convenient for the guest to travel around the area since there are plenty of tourist attraction places near the hotel.