Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a tiny country, rich in deep traditions and history. Although English is widely spoken, the three official languages are Flemish (Dutch), French and German. The mix of these languages and cultures in such a small area has created a unique blend of art, history, beauty, culture, commerce and geography that you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere – there's a little bit of all good things European found in this part of the Benelux, the joint name for the countries of Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. Brussels has much to offer in culture, museums and history, as well as wonderful cuisine. Being the home of the European Union and NATO, Belgium also stars on the stage of world politics. Antwerp is famous for its diamond district and the former home of artist Peter Paul Rubens. The historical pedestrian center of beautiful Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety. Beyond the beauty of the cities and their historical buildings, Belgium is filled with world-class art and museums – even a museum in Ghent dedicated to beer. And of course, throughout all of Belgium, you can enjoy great beer, as well as other local specialties and inventions such as Belgian waffles, French fries, world-class Belgian chocolates – can you say Godiva? – and, of course, great seafood. Whether you explore the old cities on foot, travel through time on a bicycle, or even relax on an enchanting river cruise, there's much to see in Belgium that you don't want to miss.