Quick trip to Belgium

Short weekend-style trips are my favorites when it comes to Europe, and Belgium is perfect for exactly this kind of visit. Brussels made an immediate impression - a city living its full life, buzzing with activity, somehow managing to be both a major EU capital and a genuinely livable place.

Belgium is a fascinating country precisely because it's barely a country at all. With 11.5 million people split between Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia, and a small German-speaking community, it has one of the most complex political systems in the world. The country famously went 589 days without a government in 2010-2011 - and everything kept working just fine.

What I Experienced

The Grand Place in Brussels is genuinely jaw-dropping. I've seen a lot of European main squares, but this one might be the most ornate. The guild houses with their gilded facades, the Gothic town hall, the crowds gathering around the Manneken Pis (which is, honestly, much smaller than you'd expect from its fame) - it all feels authentically European in the best sense.

The food scene lived up to the hype. Belgian fries from a proper frituur, served in a paper cone with mayo. Waffles - both the fluffy Brussels style and the denser Liege variety. And the chocolate shops on every corner, each one more tempting than the last. I may have overindulged.

Brussels has a slightly rough-around-the-edges quality that I found appealing. It's not as polished as Amsterdam or as grand as Paris, but it feels real. The mix of Art Nouveau architecture, EU bureaucracy, and immigrant communities creates a unique atmosphere.

Practical Notes

• Brussels is a major rail hub - easily reachable from London, Paris, Amsterdam, or Cologne
• Euro is the currency
• French dominates in Brussels, but English is widely spoken
• Try the moules-frites (mussels and fries) - it's the national dish
• The Belgian beer selection is overwhelming - ask for recommendations

Fun fact: Belgium has more varieties of beer than any other country - over 1,500 different types. Each one is traditionally served in its own specific glass.

Photography from Belgium is available for purchase with commercial license - ideal for European travel marketing or historic city wall art.