Gorgeous medieval cities and towns
Belgium's main draws are its medieval town cores, which are home to a plethora of Unesco sites and many delightful cafe-bars serving some of the world's best beers. There are also stalactite-filled caves, post-industrial heritage, forest-edged kayaking rivers, rural chateaux, and sandy North Sea beaches. From the Flemish Primitives to Rubens' voluptuous nymphs and art nouveau's sinuous curves, bizarre surrealism, comic strips, and 21st-century fashion, cutting-edge museums and finely endowed galleries reveal the complex history of what has been a crucible of European art. Belgium is also home to some of the strangest carnivals in the world.
Despite its small size, Belgium is a land of stark contrasts: linguistic, cultural, and geographical. The majority of the historic 'art' cities are located in predominantly flat, Dutch-speaking Flanders, enticing visitors with medieval belfries, magical market squares, and step-gabled houses that often overlook picturesque urban canals. These excellent museums and galleries are close together and seamlessly interconnected by regular public transportation. Despite some intriguing post-industrial cities, much of hilly, French-speaking Wallonia is deeply rural. So having your own wheels is useful for getting to the region's spectacular caves, impressive castles, and bucolic valleys, where there's endless outdoor fun to be had.
