Holidays in Belgium, Europe A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady scent of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and youll find an artificial state roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons. Divided by pride first and language second, the countrys binding agents are a pervasive sense of family and an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit. And if Belgiums spotlight on the European stage is a little dim, its only because its people are rarely boastful. This country has more history, art, food and architecture per square centimetre than many of its bigger, louder neighbours.   Visa and Foreign Office Information Health Information

Brussels An unpretentious mix of grand edifices and modern skyscrapers, Brussels is a modest, confident capital that many visitors find to be an acquired taste. Since it doubles as the capital of the European Union, its packed to the rafters with bureaucrats and Eurocrats who have given the place an air of bustling efficiency without exactly festooning it with fun. The city is built along a pentagon of boulevards known as the Petit Ring. At its heart is the Grand Place, arguably Europes most beautiful central square. Within a twenty-minute walk is much of the citys accommodation, most of it easily accessible by tram, bus or metroshirts, costume jewellry and straw crafts.  Antwerp While its name may evoke heavy sighs from any would-be Pieter Paul Rubens who ever picked up a paintbrush, the compact and richly historic city of Antwerp is Belgiums most underrated tourist destination. A world diamond trading centre, Antwerp has some marvellous examples if your wallet will stretch. It's bordered by the Scheldt River and the Ring, a highway built on a 16th-century moat which encircled the city in a vain attempt to keep the Spanish out.  The Ardennes Home to deep river valleys and high forests, Belgium s southeast corner is often overlooked by travellers hopping between the old art towns and the capital. But here youll find tranquil villages nestled into the grooves of the Meuse, Lesse and Ourthe valleys or sitting atop the verdant hills. It was in this area that the Battle of the Bulge once raged. There are several tours available which make the most of the ancient citadels of the region.