Fairy tale in the heart of Europe
Did you know that:
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Belgium has more castles per square kilometer than any other country in the world
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Along with Washington, Brussels has the largest number of diplomats and foreign journalists
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Antwerp is the world capital of diamonds
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The world-famous word "spa" associated with relaxation comes from the name of the Belgian city Spa, which has gained fame for its medicinal waters.
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The famous battlefield where the army of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated – Waterloo is located in the center of Belgium (south of Brussels)
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Comic characters: Tintin, the Smurfs and Lucky Luke were created by the Belgians artists
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There are over 750 types of beer in Belgium
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The 1st international football match was officially played in Brussels in 1904
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The musical instrument, the saxophone, was invented in Belgium, in the city of Dinant, by Adolphe Sax.
The Kingdom of Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government.
It is a relatively young country (1830), but its roots go back to the ancient world, antiquity and the Middle Ages.
It is made up of contrasts and rich in wealth in a small area (30,500 m², 220 km wide and 280 km long), with a very dense population (11,350,000 inhabitants).
Belgians, be they Walloon, Flemish or German, are very cordial, cheerful and hospitable people.
Belgium has 3 national languages: French (Walloon region to the south), Dutch (Flemish region to the north) and German (border region with Germany). However, there are regional languages such as Walloon and Brusseleir.
Belgium is located in the heart of Europe and borders countries such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and is a neighbor (on the other side of the North Sea) to Great Britain.
The distance separating Paris, London, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and Brussels is very short in time. You can get to the Belgian capital by train in only few hours.
Belgium is located in the area of concentration of major European centers of economic and urban activity, as well as the world's most important port area of the North Sea.
Belgium is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy: the head of state is King Philip, whose legal status and hereditary succession are established by the Belgian constitution.
In the event of succession to the throne, the constitutional powers of the king are transferred to the legitimate direct descendant born in wedlock.
The eldest daughter of King Philip and Queen Matilda - Elizabeth, takes first place in the line of succession to the throne.
The King / Queen assumes the throne after taking the constitutional oath before a joint meeting of the Senate House of Representatives.
Belgium is one of the founding countries of the European Union. High-level Belgian politicians have played a key role in defining the strategy of European construction.
The headquarters of the Commission of the European Union is located in Brussels and "European summits" are held there several times a year.
Land of contrasts:
The main features of the Flanders landscape are the seaside, plains, cities and ports. Wallonia, on the other hand, is a region of hills, forests and valleys of outstanding natural beauty. Most cities in Belgium are very ancient, some of them were founded more than two thousand years ago during the Roman Empire.
Belgium has a wealth of leisure options, including hiking trails in the Ardennes forests, among the Fenn marshlands or along the North Sea coast; horse riding, boating and speedboating, golfing, castles and manor visiting, car races, exhibitions, antiques fairs, fashion creations...
Belgium offers an incredibly wide range of tourist attractions, which is especially rare for such a small country.
Here everyone can find something for themselves. And everything is at a fairly close distance.
Belgium has always welcomed guests and celebrities in various fields: Karl Marx, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire, Auguste Rodin, ..
The location in the center of Europe at the intersection of the Roman and Germanic worlds, the country's multilingualism and its future-oriented social, political and religious freedom contributed to the formation of the cosmopolitan character of Belgium and favored the development of a tolerant and multicultural society.