10 Unknown Belgium

Belgium… It is a country that I love very much. After the pandemic, I went back to this beautiful country, which I had the opportunity to visit three times before. It's been great. I finally turned this article into reality, which came to my mind as an idea during my trip to Brussels, Ghent and Bruges.

Belgium with its 10 unknown features!

1) 3 Languages are Spoken in Belgium

Belgian people speak Dutch, French and German. There is no such language as Belgian. The western part speaks Dutch, the eastern part speaks French and the side bordering Germany speaks German. Brussels is located at the intersection of all these three parts. Therefore, these three languages are spoken simultaneously in Brussels. Even the metro stations in Brussels consist of stops divided into three parts. The stations divide the city into three separate parts. There are trips to three separate sections speaking different languages. Very, very interesting. The northern part of Brussels is a place with a Turkish majority. French is the dominant language here. Each region shows the languages that belong to each other as a compulsory subject in schools. A student who goes to school continuously until the age of 14 in Belgium can speak 4 different languages perfectly.

2) The World's 2nd Tallest Men Live in Belgium

Another interesting piece of information. Mixed-race Belgium has the second tallest men in Europe. The leadership belongs to the Netherlands. To put it proportionally, the average height of men in the Netherlands is 182.5 cm. In Belgium, this ratio is 181.7 cm. The general majority is white.

3) Come on to Belgium for the World's Best Music Festivals!

Tomorrowland, Rock Werchter, I love Techno, Boombal Festival and Dour Festival are legendary music festivals that take place in Belgium and that young people around the world are dying to attend. Apart from all these music festivals, many different festivals are also held in Belgium. Bruges – Beer Festival, Ghent – Light festival, Brussels Tulip festival (Every year in August) are some of them. In addition, Belgium is in a very assertive position in Europe with the Christmas Markets established every year during the Christmas period.

4) City Names in Belgium Can Change Any Time

The reason for this is 3 different parts of the city. The Wallonian, Flemish and German parts pronounce the cities in their own language. E.g; Brussels, Brussels or Bruxelles; Bruges (Brüge), Dutch Brugge, German Bruges, French Bruges; Antwerp (Antwerp) may appear as Antwerpen, Antwerp or Antwerp.

5) A Unique Signature in Belgian Art History

Welcome to the series of interesting information! There are many movies set in Belgium. The most famous of these is 'In Bruges' starring Colin Farrel. It does not give much information about the city of Bruges in terms of content, but it does not fail to present the city to you as a visual feast.

Famous Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn and action star Jean Claude van Damme are two famous names born in Belgium. Ludwig van Beethoven's family is rumored to be Belgian. According to another myth, after Beethoven died, he wanted his works to be taken to Liege. Finally, the last part of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the famous work of world literature history, was completed in the city of Ghent. The reason was that Hugo was sent to this city as exile.

6) Belgium Under UNESCO Protection

Yes, there are 17 UNESCO heritage sites in Belgium. The most striking is the city of Bruges. Almost the entire city is under UNESCO protection. UNESCO imposes heavy sanctions on people who want to own a house here. You cannot buy a house in Bruges if you do not report every detail from A to Z to UNESCO. The rules applied throughout the country in Belgium work differently in Bruges. This city has a color, a discipline and a different living system. Good thing there is.

7) The Highest Tax Rates from the Countries in the European Union are in Belgium

Being a home owner in Belgium is not very challenging. Likewise, there are various conveniences in order to own a vehicle. The technology is also relatively cheap. But when it comes to business day-to-day matters, there is no such cost. When you're sick, you can spend almost a salary going to the doctor. If you want to go to the dentist, the 150 € in your pocket is no longer yours. Moving a house can cost as much as a house money. Buying new items is also a very serious cost and tax issue. If you throw the recyclable materials together with other garbage, you will be punished very seriously, just so you know.

8) Belgium's Beer, Waffles, Potatoes and Chocolates Are Unprecedented

The chocolate is definitely very good from Switzerland and Germany. Craving waffles? There is no such taste! It is unbelievable that they can capture this flavor with just the dough powdered sugar and maple syrup. If you are a french fries lover, Belgium is like an emergency call for help. 10 different types of potatoes are grown for french fries. Lastly, I think they overtake Germany badly in terms of beer. And they have a famous saying: “In Belgium you can drink a different beer every day for 4 years, but you can never taste the same twice.”

9) Erasmus Means Belgium

Belgium is the most preferred center for Erasmus, that is, student exchange program in Europe. Thousands of students come every year from China, Korea, South Africa and all European countries. Young people are eager to study in Belgium with Belgium's recent opportunities for innovations in education, the fact that it has been involved in many scientific studies in the international arena, and its diversity in education policy. Finally, the cheapest flight transportation in Europe is in Belgium.

10) Cycling Overtakes The Netherlands

Public transport is very common in Belgium. Antwerp has 68 km of tram lines. It is possible to visit the whole country for 5 Euros without ever getting off the train. However, the country generally consists of flat areas. So it is very suitable for cycling. The altitude in the country is 694 meters. For all these reasons, people from all walks of life prefer bicycles. Both nature-friendly and economy-friendly bicycles are a lifeline in this country.

The short tour of Belgium is over. I hope it was a fun and useful article. See you in nice post-travel articles…