It has a territory that is one-tenth of Italy’s and borders, to the north, the Netherlands; to the south and southwest, France; to the east, Germany and Luxembourg; to the west, the North Sea.
Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels
Inside, it appears divided into three regions: The Flanders, to the north, where 58% of the population is concentrated and a soft Dutch is spoken. Wallonia, to the south, where French is spoken. The Brussels-Capital region, in the center, administratively and bureaucratically independent (although physically a Flemish enclave) and officially bilingual, despite the vast majority of the population speaking French.
There is also a small German-speaking community, which includes areas ceded by Germany to Belgium in 1919 and re-annexed between 1940 and ’45, during the Hitler dictatorship.
The Flanders, northern region, are enclosed between two rivers: the Scheldt and the Lys. Morphologically, they are nothing more than a large plain, low and sandy to the west, washed by the North Sea, with large dunes and the characteristic polders, lands taken from the sea by a bold system of dikes.
Inland, flat areas still dominate, rarely exceeding 100 meters in altitude. The official language is Flemish, a soft variant of Dutch, and in tourist spots, English is widely spoken at an excellent level. The Flemings are predominantly Catholic, but there are also Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic minorities. Cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Leuven, Ghent… have a timeless beauty, with prestigious historical and cultural heritage, all characterized by a lively, welcoming, and cosmopolitan spirit despite their small size.
Bruges, for example, is nicknamed the Belgian Venice; with its perfectly preserved medieval historic center, it has been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Wallonia, to the south, is one of the greenest regions in Europe, also including the wild and forested Ardennes, an Eden for lovers of trekking and nature tourism. It is also crossed by navigable rivers such as the Meuse and the Sambre, and is a region rich in history, art, ancient villages, and castles. The main centers are Liège, a university city, elegant and modern; Namur, the capital, located at the confluence of the two rivers, particularly enjoyable to explore aboard tranquil bateaux mouches or a tourist train. Charleroi, cradle of comics. Mons, a city of art par excellence. And Waterloo, about twenty kilometres from Brussels, whose memories are inseparably linked to Napoleon’s final battle.
Belgium at a glance
- Country: Belgium
- Area: 30,510 km²
- Capital: Brussels
- Population: 10 million inhabitants
- Language: Dutch (60%), French (40%)
- Religion: majority Catholic
- Government type: constitutional monarchy
- Major cities: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges
Useful information about Belgium
- Currency: Euro
- International calling code: +32
- International vehicle plate: B
- Driving side: right
- Entry documents: ID Card or Passport
- Required vaccination: No
- § Electricity: 220V 50 Hz
- Measurement system: metric decimal
- Time zone: same as Italy
- Fixed-date holidays: January 1: New Year’s Day; January 6: Epiphany; March-April: Easter Monday; March-April: Easter; May 1: Labor Day; Thursday 40 days after Easter: Ascension Day; Pentecost; 11 days after Pentecost: Corpus Christi; July 11: Flemish Community Day; July 21: Independence Day; August 15: Assumption of Mary; September 27: French-speaking Community Day; October 26: National Day; November 1: All Saints’ Day; November 2: All Souls’ Day; November 15: Dynasty Day; December 25: Christmas; December 26: St. Stephen’s Day
- Climate: fresh, temperate, and rainy climate
- Average temperatures: the national annual average in winter is 7°, in summer 25°
- Transport: National airline SN Brussels Airlines; many others with direct flights to Belgium such as Alitalia, Virgin Express, Ryanair, On Air, etc. Trains: Trenitalia, German Railways (Die Bahn), RailEurope, Eurostar, Thalys; domestic connections with SNCB – Belgian National Railway Company
- Airports: Brussels – Zaventem Airport, Charleroi Airport
