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Bélgica Europa

Bélgica, además de ser conocida por ser sede de muchas instituciones de la UE, esconde en su territorio ciudades tan mágicas como Brujas o Amberes, que son destinos turísticos por excelencia.

En Bruselas, capital del país, hay mucho que ver y mucha vida nocturna por disfrutar. Aquí le proponemos solo algunas de las cosas que no debe dejar de hacer. Para los más modernos y científicos, tienen la visita del Atomium, monumento construido para la Expo de 1958: nueve esferas de acero conectadas de tal manera que forman la figura de una célula, aumentada 168 billones de veces.
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Por supuesto, un paseo por la ciudad viendo las fachadas modernistas (y algunos interiores) del arquitecto Víctor Horta, es algo imprescindible. En la Oficina de Turismo, le facilitarán rutas.

Museos hay muchos y muy variados, pero sin duda le recomendamos especialmente dos: el Museo del Cómic, templo donde reposan historias como la de Tintín, los Pitufos o Spirou; y el Museo de los Instrumentos Musicales, un espacio interactivo en un edificio Art Nouveau. También no hay que olvidar el que se abrirá este 2009 dedicado a la figura de Magritte.

Dejando atrás Bruselas, y dado que el país es relativamente pequeño, merece la pena durante sus vacaciones conocer otras ciudades como Brujas, Amberes, Gante o Lieja.

Así que móntense en este viaje y anoten como imprescindible un paseo entre los canales de Brujas, no en vano conocida como la Venecia del Norte; admiren el Políptico del Cordero Místico, de Van Eyck, en la Catedral de San Bavón de Gante; piérdanse entre los muros de la Rubenshuis, la Casa-Museo de Rubens en Amberes; o conozcan la moderna estación de tren de Lieja, diseñada por el arquitecto español Santiago Calatrava.


1 - 7 de 7
Cajeros en Bélgica
Cajeros en Bélgica


En la mayoría de cajeros de este país podrá sacar dinero (el euro es la moneda oficial) con casi todas las tarjetas de débito o... [Ver más]


Conducir en Bélgica
Conducir en Bélgica

(070 344 777 (En caso de avería mecánica) 101 (Policía belga, en caso de accidente))
En Bélgica se conduce por la derecha y es necesario poseer una licencia belga, de algún país de la UE o una Licencia Internacional de... [Ver más]


Asistencia Médica en Bélgica
Asistencia Médica en Bélgica

(100 (Emergencias-teléfono gratuito))
Para recibir asistencia médica en Bélgica, solicite el Carné de Asistencia Sanitaria Europea en su centro de salud o seguro médico (consulte antes la cobertura... [Ver más]


Horario de las tiendas en Bélgica
Horario de las tiendas en Bélgica


Horario de las farmacias: 8:30-12:00h y 13:30-18:00h. (Sábados tarde y domingos, cerradas) Horario de bancos: 9:00-16:00h. (Lunes a viernes. Cierran 1 hora al mediodía para comer) Horario... [Ver más]


Viajar con animales por Bélgica
Viajar con animales por Bélgica


Los animales de compañía (perro, gato y hurón) para viajar a Bélgica o a cualquier otro país de la UE, debe tener puesto el chip... [Ver más]


Electricidad en Bélgica
Electricidad en Bélgica


La electricidad en Bélgica es de 220 voltios CA, 50Hz. Los enchufes son de dos clavijas redondeadas. [Ver más]


Información Visit Flanders
Información Visit Flanders

(+32 2 504 03 90)
Centro de Información turística de Bélgica y Flandes en Bruselas, capital del país. [Ver más]
Thanks to http://www.world66.com/
*********************The content is published under a creative commons licence :
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0 / ).
Sights
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The Tervuren Park located in the small town of Tervuren is a find.
The Park is beautiful year round. There are fields you can play sports on or have a picnic with a red checkered table clothe.
There is a gate into the park from the center of the town or you can enter from behind the African Museum.

___________Practical Information
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Many expatriates live and work in Belgium, particularly since its capital, Brussels, is host to the headquarters for the European Union and NATO. In addition, many international companies have their European HO or regional office located in Belium.

Websites that help expatriates find their way include: www.xpats.com and www.expatica.com

_________Getting Around
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Belgium is a relatively small country; so flying around is not really an option to get around. There are some private charters from small local airports though and a tour over the country can also be arranged.

By Car

The most comfortable way to travel is by car. This does not only give you freedom to move without having to meet schedules. Furthermore there are a lot of sights in-between the cities that are hard to visit without your own means of transport. A dense network of highways connects all of Belgium. It’s probably the country that has the highest highway per square kilometer rate in Europe. The Belgian highways are renowned for their illumination, so try to do at least some nocturnal driving. On satelite photo's of Europe taken during the night time you can actually see where Belgium is situated as it is one lighted spot (Recently the government decided to shut all freeway lights between 1am and 6am to save power. Except on the R0 around Brussels).

Driving Rules

Belgians and the law don't go along very well. Speeding limits are 120km/h on freeways, 90km/h outside residential/build-up areas (in Flanders, however, more and more roads have a speed limit of 70km/h), 50km/h in towns and cities, 30km/h in schoolzones. Driving is on the right hand side of the road. On freeways this means you always have to drive on the right lane, and use the middle or left lane only to pass. Passing someone on the right is forbidden (even on the freeway). Since many Belgians and foreigners like driving in the middle lane, this may cause some problems. When driving somewhere, make sure you have prepared your trip. Not only will you need to totally focus on hectic driving, but there are also a lot of intersections you'll have to take and cities are not US-like. Bear in mind when driving you won't see any signs like "I-5 north", but you'll rather see "E19 towards Antwerpen". Here we have another difficult thing: Language. When driving in Flanders, every sign is in Dutch, in Wallonia everything is in French and in Brussels everything is in both the languages. For example, you're somewhere in Flanders near the state border. You want to go to Mons in Wallonia. But there aren't any signs! At that point you should know that Mons is translated "Bergen" in Dutch, so follow these signs... So when buying a map, be sure to buy one with both versions of cities on it... Interesting to know is that highways are depicted using green arrows or signs (for instance the sign "E19" will always be in green), and major roads (like "N1") are in blue.

There are also important rules of primacy who can be read here(translated by babelfish)(i'm from belgium myself and if you don't apply these rules you WILL get accidents):

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=nl_en&trurl=http://www.soundandvision.be/rijbewijs/voorrangwet.htm

By Train

If you don’t want to rent a car, or don’t want the hassle of finding an affordable parking place, traveling by train is very convenient. Belgium has four levels of train service, L and P (which are slow), IR (semi-fast) and IC (faster InterCity trains), as well as the international Thalys and ICE services.

National and international passes like the Benelux Tourrail Pass, which can be used to travel between Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, are available at all major train stations.

Seat reservations are not available on national trains (except for groups over 15 persons). The main international train station is "Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi". There you can connect to the Eurostar (reservations required) towards London, Paris and Lille (France); the Thalys (reservations required) to Paris, Amsterdam, Köln (Germany) and special Summer/Winter locations; normal IC (intercity) trains towards Amsterdam and Luxembourg; ICE trains (reservations required) towards Köln and Frankfurt am Main (Germany) as well as a lot of national destinations.

For more info on rail services check the official railroad sites for national and international travel. http://www.b-rail.be

By Bus

For local journeys buses and trams provide excellent and cheap travel; in Flanders the bus operator, De Lijn http://www.delijn.be, offers extremely cheap tickets covering all of Flanders - a day ticket ('dagpas net') costs just EUR 5 (as at June 2005) and a week's travel ('7-dagenpas net) only EUR 10. These tickets are sold at the multi-lingual ticket machines as well as by drivers and at DeLijn information offices.

In Wallonia bus services are provided by TEC http://www.tec-wl.be, who offer a network-wide day ticket ('libre parcours', EUR 5,80 in June 2005) but don't seem to have longer period tickets for tourists.

Hitch hiking

Hitch hiking is forbidden on the highways. You better use the beginning of the ramps towards the highways. Not many Belgians are willing to take hitch hikers though.

Hiking

Actually it’s not uncommon to walk or bike through some parts of Belgium. Especially the Southeast is well known hiking territory.

___________Getting There
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Virgin Express Aircraft

Virgin Express Aircraft

Virgin Express Media Library

[Add Global transport mode]
Budget airlines which fly to Belgium
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Virgin Express Aircraft
Virgin Express Aircraft
photo by: Virgin Express Media Library

The largest budget airline carrier operating in Belgium is Virgin Express (http://www.virgin-express.com), who operate an extensive network of flights from their base at Brussels International Airport (BRU).

Many other airlines fly to Brussels International and other Belgium airports. The Low Cost Airline Guide search engine ( http://www.low-cost-airline-guide.com) can be used to search the available routes. Brussels International (BRU) and Charleroi (CRL) which is about an hour from Brussels are the most commonly used.

By using these budget more..
type: By Air
World66 rating: [rate it]
url: www.low-cost-airline-guide.com

__________Economy
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Economy—overview: This highly developed private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location highly developed transport network and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Two-thirds of its trade is with other EU countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% annual pace during the period 1988-90 slowed to 1% in 1991-92 dropped by 1.5% in 1993 recovered with moderate 2.3% growth in 1994 and 1995 and fell off again to 1.4% in 1996 with continued substantial unemployment. Belgium's public debt fell from 127% of GDP in 1996 to 124% in 1997 and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries. GDP growth of 2.5% is forecast for 1998.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$236.3 billion (1997 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 2.3% (1997 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$23 200 (1997 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:

agriculture: 2%

industry: 28%

services: 70% (1994)

Inflation rate—consumer price index: 1.7% (1997 est.)

Labor force:

total: 4.283 million (1997)

by occupation: services 69.7% industry 27.7% agriculture 2.6% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 12.75% (1997)

Budget:

revenues: $NA

expenditures: $NA including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries: engineering and metal products motor vehicle assembly processed food and beverages chemicals basic metals textiles glass petroleum coal

Industrial production growth rate: 9.7% (1995)

Electricity—capacity: 13.592 million kW (1995)

Electricity—production: 69.56 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity—consumption per capita: 7 306 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture—products: sugar beets fresh vegetables fruits grain tobacco; beef veal pork milk

Exports:

total value: $172 billion (f.o.b. 1997) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU)

commodities: iron and steel transportation equipment tractors diamonds petroleum products

partners: EU 67.2% (Germany 19%) US 5.8% former Communist countries 1.4% (1994)

Imports:

total value: $158.5 billion (c.i.f. 1997) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union

commodities: fuels grains chemicals foodstuffs

partners: EU 75% (Germany 22.1%) US 5% former Communist countries 0.8% (1997)

Debt—external: $31.3 billion (1992 est.)

Economic aid:

donor: ODA $808 million (1993)

Currency: 1 Euro (€) = 100 Eurocent

Exchange rates: Euro (€) per US$1—0.7697 (Febr 2004)

Fiscal year: calendar year

__________People
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Population: 10 364 388 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 16.9% (male 892 995; female 855 177)

15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3 435 282; female 3 373 917)

65 years and over: 17.4% (male 745 178; female 1 061 839) (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.79% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 10.48 births/1 000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 10.22 deaths/1 000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.23 migrant(s)/1 000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.68 deaths/1 000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.62 years

male: 75.44 years

female: 81.94 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Belgian(s)

adjective: Belgian

Ethnic groups: Fleming 58% Walloon 31% mixed or other 11%

Religions: Roman Catholic 75% Protestant or other 25%

Languages: Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

Contributors
October 18, 2005 change by stijnvb

:::::::::::::Aalst Travel Guide
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Aalst - Belfort

Aalst - Belfort

http://www.onze-vlaamse-regio.com/fotos/aalst4.jpg
Aalst is a cozy provincial town half way between Brussels (25km) and Ghent (30km), built on the shores of the Dender River. Historically, Aalst was first mentioned in AD 840 as a dependancy of the Lobbes abbaye, and shortly later when sacked by the Danes.

Located in East Flanders, on the border between Flanders and Brabant, an area of land disputed throughout history between German princes and the King of France, Aalst flies both the German eagle and the French Crown in it's banner. Between the two, the town has known it's good days (countycapital of 'the country of Aalst and the two cities') and it's less good.

Aalst boasts the eldest belfry in the Netherlands. And a very beautiful one at that. Together with the City hall (13th cent) and the St Martin's church, it dominates the town center and offers it a timeless beauty.

Aalst has a population of 78,000, which makes it the 11th town in Belgium and the 6th in Flanders. It's people are Dutch-speaking (Flemish). The town is important as an educational, commercial and industrial center for the surrounding villages. History books will tell you it is important for textiles and flower production. In reality however both primary industry and textile industry have almost completely disapeared from the town.

Nowadays secundary industry accounts for almost 30% of the jobs : Tate & Tyle (maize industry), Jan de Nul (dredgers), Honda (cars), Pioneer (electro), Tuperware (plastics) ... But is is by far the tertiary sector that contributes most to employment : about 68%. Aalst is kept alive by it's small businesses. Yet, it is not an easy town for a small business to survive : bankrupcy indices are above Flander's average, and so are unemployment numbers, with considerable numbers of people finding no appropriate job and commuting to Brussels.

Aalst, by the way, has one of the oldest and largest carnaval-traditions in Belgium.

::::::::Aarschot Travel Guide
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Aarschot is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Aarschot proper and the towns of Gelrode, Langdorp and Rillaar. On January 1, 2006 Aarschot had a total population of 27,864. The total area is 62.52 km² which gives a population density of 446 inhabitants per km².

It is located in the part of Flemish Brabant called Hageland, located to the east of Leuven. Aarschot is a very typical town with a long history, dating back to the era of the Roman emperors, according to myths. The church, which dominates the look of the city, is built with the typical brown stone harvested from the hills in the neighborhood. The same hills that, in the middle ages, were home to some of the most well-regarded vineyards of Europe. Today the chain hills, which originate in Diest and continue as far as Calais in France, are mainly covered with woods and fruit yards.

While the church definitely leaves its mark on the appearance of the city, nothing defines Aarschot better than the river that passes through it: the Demer. Aarschot is situated in the valley of this brown-colored river.

Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: Wikipedia

:::Arlon Travel Guide
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Arlon is the southernmost city of Belgium, situated close to the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. With a population of only 24.000 inhabitants and has succeeded in preserving its quiet charm. In the historic centre you find many old houses in either the typical Luxemburgian style or the more Belgian-oriented neo-styles of the end of the 19th century.

The name Arlon comes from the Latin 'Orolanum', which indicates that the city was founded by the Romans. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Arlon was taken by Germanic tribes (the Francs). During the Middle-Ages the city was part of the County of Luxembourg. The Musse Lyxembourgois has a good collection of archelogical finds from the region. The Gallo-roman department of this museum boasts a prominent collection with over 450 statues from tombstones or from the Roman 'Thermae' (baths). Nearly 600 sculptured panels give more information about life in Roman times.

Also worth a visit is the Archeological park (situated Rue des Thermes Romaines). In the center of the park are the foundations of the oldest church in Belgium: a basilica from the 5th century. Around it is a cemetery where christianized Merovingians were buried as from the beginning of the 6th century. Many of the ancient tombstones are still present. Furthermore, one can see at the back of the park the remainders of Roman Thermae and bathhouses.

::::::::::Bastogne Travel Guide
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Memorial to E Co (Band of Brothers) behind the Bois Jacques, outside Bastogne

Memorial to E Co (Band of Brothers) behind the Bois Jacques, outside Bastogne

Dermot O'Mahony

Bastogne is located in the South-east of Belgium, close to the border with Germany and Luxembourg. The region is very beautiful with rolling hills, small rivers and great outdoor opportunities. Many old castles and mansions are found in the area.

It is also the place where in World War 2, Nazi-Germany fought their last breath before the Americans invaded Germany itself. Bastogne was a critical town in the Battle of the Bulge; check the [History] section.

________History
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Memorial to E Co (Band of Brothers) behind the Bois Jacques, outside Bastogne

Memorial to E Co (Band of Brothers) behind the Bois Jacques, outside Bastogne

Dermot O'Mahony
Bastogne was a critical town in the Battle of the Bulge of World War 2. Seven roads met at this town making it crucial for control of the roadways. If the Germans could seize Bastogne they had a clear route to the River Meuse. Had they achieved this, it could have given the Nazis the time they needed to develop their new rockets and jet fighters and possibly turn the tide of the war.

So it was that the 101st US Airborne were sent to Bastogne to "hold the line at all costs." They set up a defensive perimter around the town and dug in, repelling everything the Germans threw at them; they didn't concede so much as an inch.

The Germans came to Gnl MacAuliffe of the 101st to offer surrender terms. The one-word response from the Commander of the US forces in Bastogne was a beligerent "Nuts!" The Germans commenced to batter the town to annihilation before taking it. However, they never bargained for the moral strength of the Americans and never set foot in the town of Bastogne.

Against all odds, a single US Airborne division held of attacks by 3 German Armoured divisions, making this, in the words of Sgt. Don Mallarkey, E Co., 506th PIR, 101st A/B, "one of the greatest feats of arms in modern warfare!"

Easy Company are probably the best known company within the 101st Airborne. Their story in the Bois Jacques, overlooking the German held village of Foy, is as inspirational as any from the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne."

The 101st were finally contacted and relieved by Patton's 3rd Army, coming up from the South. The story commonly says that the 3rd Army rescued the 101st, but the Airborne troops see it differently... they were there to hold the town until the 3rd Army could get there... it was not a rescue and they never needed rescuing. It is possible they would have held the town of Bastogne and pushed the Germans back without the support of the 3rd, due to the poor supplies the Germans had available.

After the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans effectively capitulated and crumbled all the way back to Berlin...Hitler had doiverted most of his useful armies to the Eastern Front to attempt to repel the Russian Army which was closing in on Berlin.

The story of the defense of Bastogne is superbly represented in the HBO TV drama, Band of Brothers, as well as the oscar-winning film, Battleground.

::::::::De Panne - Belgian Coast Travel Guide
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De Panne is also known as the green pearl of the Belgian Coast because of its four natural reserves.

It is resort city on the Belgian coast, but it is different from the rest because it boosts the widest beaches of Belgium and because one third (1/3) of all Belgian dunes (340hectares) can be found in De Panne.

It has a pedestrian seafront promenade and a wide array of restaurants. Particular to De Panne is also the Dumont neighbourhood. It a real architectural museum. The Leopold I esplanade is also worth a visit. This statue commemoraes the spot where the first King of Belgium touched the ground of his adoptive country. And last but not least De Panne is where you and your family can find Plopsaland - a fantasy amusement park..

::::::::::De Panne - Belgian Coast Travel Guide
Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see

De Panne is also known as the green pearl of the Belgian Coast because of its four natural reserves.

It is resort city on the Belgian coast, but it is different from the rest because it boosts the widest beaches of Belgium and because one third (1/3) of all Belgian dunes (340hectares) can be found in De Panne.

It has a pedestrian seafront promenade and a wide array of restaurants. Particular to De Panne is also the Dumont neighbourhood. It a real architectural museum. The Leopold I esplanade is also worth a visit. This statue commemoraes the spot where the first King of Belgium touched the ground of his adoptive country. And last but not least De Panne is where you and your family can find Plopsaland - a fantasy amusement park..

:::::::::Diksmuide Travel Guide
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Viconiafarm-Stuivekenskerke

Viconiafarm-Stuivekenskerke
Situated 20 km behind the Belgian coastline, Diksmuide forms a peacefull oasis in the polder landscape. During Worldwar I (1914-1918) and II (1940-1945) it was a battlefield for the Allies and the Germans, where many soldiers on both sides lost their lifes for peace.

To visit: Trench of Death and The Peace Domain with the Ysertower.

::::::::Durbuy Travel Guide
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photo_1
Durbuy is the smallest city of Belgium. It is a very cute place, with lots of old houses, cobbelstone streets and a great setting on the banks of the Ourthe.

As you enter the city, once you’ve crossed the old bridge on the Ourthe, you face the old castle of the Graves from Ursel which was built in the 11th century and rebuilt by this family in the 17th century on the ruins of the ancient feudal fortification. You then notice the Saint-Nicolas church from the 17th and the 18th centuries (baptismal funds) and the ancient convent from the Recollects.

The Corn Hall, an old half-timbered house, stands conspicuously between the homogenous and picturesque group of houses. This house was already mentioned in 1380 and was especially used as seat for judicial and administrative activities. This house dates from the 16th century, it was transformed in the 18th century and it is now in restoration.

The region is excellent for kayaking, rock climbing and hiking. Many of these activities can be arranged either here or in Barvaux just 5 km up the road, which is the adminstrative centre of Durbuy.

:::::::::East Belgium Travel Guide
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East Belgium is a popular tourist region, partially belonging to the Belgian Ardennes partially next to the German Eifel Region. Part of it is a nature park, with many forests (walking, mountainbiking) and with several artificial lakes (watersports), situated at an altitude above 2000 feet. Cross country skiing and some alpine ski pistes during wintertime, excellent restaurants and cosy guesthouses and hotels. Pittoresque villages and churches. Excellent touristic infrastructure.

:::::Geel Travel Guide
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This is a city with about 35000 inhabitants. Its name Geel means yellow. The name has been interpreted as referring to the yellow soil which can be found in this part of Kempen.

_________Festivals
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Geel offers differnet festivals as most Belgian cities,

[Add Festival]
Palmkermis
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The Palmkermis or city festival is held every second week in March.
World66 rating: [rate it]
url: www.geel.be

:::::::Gembloux Travel Guide
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Located in the province of Namur, Gembloux is a cut town with lots of old building. Sights include the Belfry, the Benedictine Abbey and the Church.

There is an agricultural university in town so expect lots of young people and a lively atmosphere at night.

::::::::Hasselt Travel Guide
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Hasselt is a Belgian town famous for its jenever and speculaas. A typical drink in Hasselt is a Hasseltse Koffie. It's coffee with a shot of jenever.
::::::::Hastiere Travel Guide
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The estate at Freÿr

The estate at Freÿr

Lefevbre
Hastiere is a rural commune located along the most romantical part of the Meuse in the Belgian Ardennes at the boarder with France . You can discover

the famous Renaissance of Freyr and its classical gardend facing the sperctacular rocks dominating the river on the opposite bank;

the charming old village of Waulsort with its formal benedictine monastery;

the Romanesque church of another formal benecictine monastery at hastière as well as a the groto of the Pont d'Arcoles.



:::::::::Knokke Travel Guide
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Knokke is in fact the " Petit Nice" of the Belgium.

People who work in Brussels, Antwerp or any other city in Belgium do have a little flat situated at the Coast.

Ready for a impressive sounding small adventure? From this town you can bike into the Netherlands!

The beach is quite lovely and worth visiting. You can get to this town by taking a train from Brussels Midi.

::::::Kortrijk Travel Guide
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Broeltorens

Broeltorens
Kortrijk (official name in Dutch and English, "Courtrai" in French) is the cultural, social and economic centre of an agglomeration of more than 300,000 inhabitants. Kortrijk is a city on the Leie River. Its most famous moment in history was the Battle of the Golden Spurs, when a peasant militia scored a victory against an army of heavily armed French nobility on July 11, 1302.

Kortrijk was well-known for its textiles, especially its linen.

Kortrijk lies at the junction of many important roads (E17, A17, A19) and railways, and can also be reached from the regional airport.

The Kortrijk University and many schools of all levers are attended by over 25,000 pupils and students.

Moreover, dynamic Kortrijk is also famous for the hospitality of its inhabitants.


:::::::.Leuven Travel Guide
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Fonske

Fonske

Joke Kerkdijk
With its almost six hundred year old university and its open campus the city of Leuven is infused with an unmistakably student-oriented character. The place is swarming with more than 25.000 students, keen scholars and partygoers alike, the latter having taken over the longest bar in the world, as the locals have affectionately nicknamed the Old Square or Oude Markt with its selection of over 60 cafés. This university town on the banks of river Dyle is also endowed with a number of historic architectural landmarks, by far the most outstanding of which are Sint-Pieterskerk (Church of St Peter) and the imposing Stadhuis (town hall), on the Grote Markt.

There is a lovely Ice Rink to visit if you so desire in this town. It is called "Ijs Baan" It is only 7 euro for a day of fun.

Leuven is the home of Stella Artois beer.

You can use the "De Lijn" bus system to get to Leuven from Brussels.
(Leuven is smaller and cooler than Brussels but the small towns of Tervuren and Kraainem are cooler still)


________Sights
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Naamsestraat
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Take a stroll down Naamsestraat towards Begijnhof, the pedestrian street is lined with various old buildings which perfectly portray the history of the five hundred year old university. These include the Lakenhalle (Drapers' Hall) , which temporarily houses the rectory, and a little further, Sint-Michielskerk (Church of St Michael) featuring one of the most monumental church façades in Belgium.
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University
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You will also come across a number of equally noteworthy colleges. Probably the most impressive of all landmarks bearing witness to the university's intellectual past is the perfectly refurbished Van Dale college.
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Begijnhof
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Leuven's Groot Begijnhof is among the most beautiful Beguine convents in Flanders. This site, totally free of traffic, has become a walker's paradise.
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Library
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The stately university library centrally located on Ladeuzeplein is a compelling attraction for book lovers. The building is also a silent witness to the dedication of the countless contributors who helped to restore Leuven to its former splendour in the aftermath of the ravages of World War I and World War II.
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St. James Church
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This magnificent architectural ensemble situated in Heverlee boasts a unique baroque church featuring a vast collection of paintings. The ceilings of its refectory and library are decorated with skilfully crafted bas-reliefs.
type: Churches and Cathedrals
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oude markt
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The longest row of bars in whole Europe. Specially known for the bar called "cafe allee" which is right between "the cadi" and "the pharao". Stella is the most popular drink follewed by "Duvel" and other known Belgium beers.
type: Squares
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::::::::::Louvain-la-Neuve Travel Guide
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The biggest french speaking university in Belgium was the starting point of this new city because of the split of the university of Leuven in the sixties.
::::::Mechelen Travel Guide
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i_1

Richard Wong
The city of Mechelen, known as Malines to the French speaking, is located in Flanders, roughly halfway between Brussels and Antwerp. It is a pretty city with many historic buildings. The gothic cathedral is the most impressive sight, but to wander around the small streets of the old town in itself is worth the trip.

:::::::::Namur Travel Guide
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Namur from the air

Namur from the air

Thierry Matthys
Namur may not be the most attractive Belgian city but it's still a nice place to visit and an excellent base for exploring the valleys around it which are of great natural beauty.

Over the centuries Namur has been one of the main strategic points of the whole of Belgium, on account of its geographical position where the Sambre flows into the Meuse. Namur is also historical town whose foundation goes back to the Roman conquest. Unfortuantley it played a role in many wars and many of its historic buildings have been distroyed over the years.

The main attraction of the city is the Citadel, but you should also take your time to discover the picturesque old quarter of Namur. Passing through its narrow streets and passageways, you will be surprised by its rich architectural history, dating mainly from the 18th Century.

:::::::::Nieuwpoort Travel Guide
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photo

Nieuwpoort is a small fishing harbour on the North Sea coast, and is well-known for its shrimps. The city is made up of two distinct parts, the old cty centre and its market place and fishing harbour, and the coastal town where thousand of holiday appartments have been built by the beach. Nieuwpoort boasts of the largest harbour and docking facilities for sailing yachts and pleasure craft in Europe. The old city lies at the confluence and mouth of various canals and rivers, the most important one being the river Yser. The areas in and around this river were the scene of major bloody battles during World War I and II. Many monuments in and around the city will remind one of this history.


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Spa Travel Guide
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Spa is a very nice city not far from Verviers and Liege, very renowed for its water. Its many water sources made its name become the common denominations to all "spas" in the world.

And indeed even today, Spa is known as not only the home of the biggest Belgian producer of mineral water, but also one of the best thermalism cities of Belgium.

For tourism information, you could visit http://www.spa-info.be/tourisme/index.html

::::::::::Spa-Francorchamps Travel Guide
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Spa-Francorchamps is famous worldwide as one of the legend open circuita for Formula-One [F1] race.

F1 circuit in Spa-Francorchamps using national road that closed temporary whenever the race held in here. Passes through several scenic panorama in the Ardennes mountaineous range, like Eau Rouge.

Spa-Francorchamps can be reached from Bruxelles about 4 hours by train enroute: Bruxelles Noord, Antwerp, Liege, Verviers and Spa.

:::::::::Tournai Travel Guide
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markt

markt

dodecupido
Located on the Scheld River 10 km from the French Border, Tournai is one of the oldest cities in Belgium, established by the Romans on the road from Cologne to France.The Franks of Merovingian dynasty chose Tournai as the seat of their kingdom for a time in the 5th century: Chlodewetch (who aquired the more familiar nickname Clovis from storytellers centuries after he died), was born there. Our Lady's Cathedral of Tournai is one of the most spectacular churches in Belgium. Another famous native of Tournai is Flemish master painter Roger de la Pasture, better known as Rogier van der Weyden.

Barry, Beclers, Blandain, Chercq, Ere, Esplechin, Froidmont, Froyennes, Gaurain-Ramecroix, Havinnes, Hertain, Kain, Lamain, Marquain, Mauldem, Melles, Mont-Saint-Aubert, Mourcourt, Orcq, Quartes, Ramegnies-Chin, Rumillies, Saint-Maur, Templeuve, Thimougies, Vaulx-lez-Tournai, Vezon, Warchin, and Willemeau are all are boroughs within the municipal district of Tournai.


:::::::::::Veurne Travel Guide
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Escutcheon of Zoutenaaie

Escutcheon of Zoutenaaie
Veurne , 6 km from the Belgian Coast in the Westhoek near the french border, is a very old, charming little town in the Polders landscape. A famous inhabitant of Veurne was the surrealist painter Paul Delvaux (1897-1994).Veurne is also well-known for his annual Procession of Penitence which is organized by the Sodality since 1644 on the last sunday of July.

The city of Veurne exist of the following boroughs:

Avekapelle, Beauvoorde (Vinkem and Wulveringem), Booitshoeke, Bulskamp,De Moeren, Eggewaartskapelle, Houtem, Steenkerke, Veurne, Zoutenaaie.

_________Zoutenaaie

This village was the smallest independant place in Belgium until 17/4/71 when it was absorbed by the town of VEURNE. It had only 28 inhabitants and a surface of 207 ha. There was even a mayor and a council.And they had a escutcheon of their own.

:::::::::Waterloo Travel Guide
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photo
Just south of Brussels is Waterloo - where Napoleon found his ... Waterloo. The old battelfield can be visited but you need a bit of imagination to really enjoy it.

This town is sometimes referred to as "Little America" because many American and English speaking X-Pats live there and because the large "St. John's International School" resides there. The neighbour-hoods are very pretty.


__________Sights
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WATERLOO BATTLEFIELD – LION MOUND , BELGIUM Come and discover Waterloo Battlefied . See the battlefield exactly like it was June the 18th of 1815 when Wellington faced Napoleon for an ultimate battle that changed Europe 's face forever. Visit the Lion Hamlet and experience the new animation: Battlefield Tour. Contact: Reception: +32.385.19.12 Fax: +32.385.00.52 Email: reservations@waterloo1815.be URL: http://www.waterloo1815.be/en/waterloo/

::::::::Ypres Travel Guide
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best B&B in town

best B&B in town

Andre
Ypres (locally: Ieper) is a small cosy town in Western Flanders, Belgium's coastal region. Its roots are back in the early middle ages. In those days, Ypres lived from its sheet-weaving industry. The trade was mainly with France, London, Italian States, and also up north with the Hanze. As the wealth was amounting quickly, the inhabitants raised some very impressing buildings, such as the cathedral. In the end of the 18th century, Flanders and Ieper were under French rule. Their famous architect Vauban designed the impressing fortifications, still in place today.

In the first world war, Ypres was just 8 km away from the frontline, within shooting range of the german canons. The whole town was completely destroyed, all old buildings where truly gone. It is said that a man on a horse could oversee the entire city ! Around Ypres, there are a lot of British, Canadian, Belgian, German, French, Australian,... war cemeteries. During the 1920's, the town was reconstructed in the original style. So today, it is like a living museum. At the Menin gate, there is a monument with thousands of names of commonwealth soldiers, still missed today... Every night at eight, there is still a short moment of honour for all those fallen in the Great War - Last Post played by the Buglers (local firemen) - get there early to soak in the atmosphere and remember those who died for us to be free!

Take a walk around the Ramparts - beautiful views and feel of the countryside - feed the ducks, visit the Ramparts Cemetery - wonderful feeling of peace - visit the Cafe K'leine d'reisal just by the Medival Lille Gate and have local beer, good food and be sure to look at Phil's WW1 Museum - with the smells and noise of WW1 - Brilliant!

Ypres is easy to travel to by train, motorway... and has over 10 hotels and plenty of B&B's.

Make sure you don't miss out Ieper on your trip through Belgium!

Come and try the Local Belguim Beer and Chocolates.
_________Grazie a www.imondonauti.it
BELGIO

A cura di Flavia Daneo

IL PAESE
Belgio in cifre

Capitale


Bruxelles

Superficie


305.528 kmq

Abitanti


10.364.388 ( 2005)

Abitanti capitale


143.056 (1.800.000 l'agglomerato urbano)

Religione


cattolica, protestante, islamica, ebraica
Geografia e territorio
Mappa Belgio

Click per ingrandire

Il Belgio confina a N con l'Olanda e il Mare del Nord, a E con la Germania, a SE con il Lussemburgo, a S e ad O con la Francia. Affacciato sul Mare del Nord con un breve tratto di costa, Il Paese è costituito da un territorio poco esteso in gran parte pianeggiante, ondulato solo a sud verso i rilievi delle Ardenne. La vasta pianura alluvionale che costituisce la fascia costiera corrisponde alla regione delle Fiandre mentre le regioni del Brabante e del Limburgo costituiscono la parte centrale del Belgio caratterizzata da un territorio decisamente collinare. I fiumi principali che lo attraversano nascono entrambi in Francia e sono la Schelda, che attraversa le Fiandre, e la Mosa il cui corso si snoda tra i rilievi delle Ardenne. Sulle rive della Schelda sorgono le città di Bruxelles, Anversa e Gand.
Clima

Il clima è influenzato dai venti freddi e umidi dell'Atlantico: piove in tutti i mesi dell'anno con uguale abbondanza. Lungo le regioni costiere il clima è più mite ma anche più umido, con estati non troppo calde ed inverni non troppo freddi mentre all'interno le escursioni termiche sono più forti.
Ora

In Belgio vige la stessa ora che vige in Italia.
Lingua

Il Belgio ha tre lingue ufficiali: il neerlandese (dialetto fiammingo) parlato da circa il 60% della popolazione e dominante nelle Fiandre, il francese parlato da quasi il 40% della popolazione e dominante il Vallonia, e il tedesco parlato da meno dell'1% della popolazione dei Cantoni dell'Est. A Bruxelles si parla sia neerlandese che francese. Tutti i belgi parlano e capiscono l'inglese.
Quando andare

Il periodo migliore per visitare il Belgio va da aprile ad ottobre. A Bruxelles il mese più caldo è luglio con una media diurna di 23° C, il più freddo gennaio con temperature che vanno dai 5°C del giorno ai 0° C della notte.
Burocrazia e visti

Dall’1 gennaio 2000 i cittadini provenienti dall’area Schengen (ossia dagli Stati che fanno parte dell’Unione Europea) e quindi anche i cittadini italiani non sono sottoposti a controlli sistematici al momento del loro ingresso in Belgio. Poiché controlli individuali sono sempre possibili si consiglia di portare comunque con sé il passaporto o la carta d’identità validi; con questi documenti è consentito un soggiorno massimo di 3 mesi. Per i minorenni sprovvisti di documenti è sufficiente un certificato di nascita con foto autenticata dalla Questura.
Posta e telefono

Per telefonare dall'Italia in Belgio bisogna comporre lo 0032 seguito dal prefisso locale senza lo 0 iniziale e dal numero desiderato. Per telefonare dal Belgio in Italia bisogna comporre 0039 seguito dal numero dell'abbonato. Tessere telefoniche sono acquistabili presso gli uffici postali, le stazioni e alcuni giornalai. Si può anche telefonare con chiamata a carico del destinatario digitando l' 1324. I cellulari si possono usare ovunque senza problemi.
Elettricità

La rete elettrica belga è a 220 volt. Le prese sono generalmente uguali a quelle italiane, ma alcune possono essere di tipo tedesco per cui può rendersi necessario un adattatore.
Moneta, carte di credito e cambio

Moneta ufficiale del Belgio è l'euro. Le banche sono aperte dal lunedì al venerdì con orario 9-16/17. Le carte di credito sono diffuse e accettate quasi ovunque; nessun problema per l'utilizzo del bancomat.
Come arrivare

Il mezzo più veloce e comodo per arrivare in Belgio dall'Italia è naturalmente l'aereo. La compagnia di bandiera belga SN Brussels Airlines (www.flySN.it) consente di raggiungere Bruxelles da molte località italiane, Alitalia (www.alitalia.it) solo da Roma o da Milano (circa di 2 ore di volo da Roma). Su Bruxelles volano anche alcune compagnie low cost con partenza da varie città italiane (Virgin Express, Ryanair, Air Service Plus). Se volete usare invece il treno, ricordate che dall'Italia non esiste alcun collegamento diretto con il Belgio (www.dbitalia.it; www.trenitalia.it ). Vi sono invece linee di pullman (www.eurolines.it) che, con partenza da varie località italiane raggiungono Bruxelles, Liegi, Lovanio e Anversa. In auto il tragitto più comodo è quello che da Milano passa per Como-Lucerna-Basilea-Nancy-Metz-Lussemburgo-Bruxelles.

Spostarsi

Il Belgio non è particolarmente vasto e raggiungere le città principali partendo dalla capitale richiede tempi brevi. Da Bruxelles ci sono treni che ogni ora raggiungono le località più importanti (www.sncb.be) oppure ottimi servizi di pullman che consentono di raggiungere anche le località minori (www.delijn.be per la Fiandra, www.tec-wl.be per la Vallonia). Qualora viaggiate con la vostra auto è sufficiente la patente italiana. Le autostrade sono gratuite. I cartelli stradali hanno indicazioni scritte in fiammingo nelle Fiandre, in francese in Vallonia mentre sono bilingui a Bruxelles. Può essere interessante spostarsi con la bicicletta, molto usata dai belgi. E' possibile noleggiarla un po' ovunque, in particolare nei pressi delle stazioni.
apri <
Trova qui il tuo noleggio auto piú conveniente:

Chiudi
Sanità

Il Belgio non presenta alcun rischio sanitario e il livello di assistenza sanitaria è buono. Se non siete ancora in possesso della nuova tessera sanitaria, prima della partenza dall'Italia è bene farsi rilasciare il certificato sostitutivo provvisorio con cui potrete essere curati gratuitamente dal servizio sanitario belga.
Disabili

Il Belgio presta grande attenzione alle persone affette da disabilità. Vi sono aeree attrezzate negli aeroporti, parcheggi riservati, rampe, hotel con camere attrezzate ecc. Per maggiori info potete collegarvi a www.handiplus.be  . Sia in Fiandra (www.toegankelijkreizen.be) che in Vallonia ( www.wallonie.be ) vi sono proposte turistiche ed itinerari dedicati ai disabili.
Indirizzi utili

Indirizzi utili burocrazia

Ambasciata del Belgio in Italia


Largo Monti Parioli 49, Roma, tel. 06-3609511, fax 06-3226935

Consolato generale del Belgio in Italia


Via Lamarmora 39, Torino, tel. 011-5805101, fax 011-5098258

________________Consolati

Via Dei Servi 28, Firenze, tel. 055-282094, fax 055-294745

Viale Repubblica 13, Bologna, tel. 051-505101, fax 051-505101

Via Raiale 305, Pescara, tel. 085-4310575

Via De Pretis 78, Napoli, tel. 081-5510535, fax 081-5512114

Via Gentile 53/C, Bari, tel. 080-5583477, fax 080-5580326

Ambasciata d’Italia in Belgio


rue Claus 28, Bruxelles, tel. 2-6433850, fax 2-6485485, ambitaliabruxelles.org

Consolato generale d'Italia
bd. Audent 24, Charleroi, tel. 71-328650, fax 71-308883, cell. servizio 0032 476 221865; users.skynet.be/consolato.italia.charleroi

Consolato d'Italia


Place Neujean 31, Liegi, tel. 4-2302800, fax 4-2224972, cell. servizio 0032 477 285929, sedi.esteri.it/liegi

rue de Livourne 38, Bruxelles, tel. 2-5431550, fax 2-5375756, cell. servizio 0032 477 278680, sedi.esteri.it/conbruxelles

Consolati onorari a:
Anversa, Lovanio, Gand, Ostenda

Indirizzi utili turismo e cultura

Ufficio del Turismo delle Fiandre (Toerisme Vlaanderen)


Grasmarkt 63, Bruxelles, tel. 2-5040390, fax. 2-5040270, www.visitflanders.com

Ufficio del Turismo Vallone e di Bruxelles (Office de promotion du tourisme Wallonie-Bruxelles)



rue du Marché aux Herbes 61, Bruxelles, tel. 2-5040390, www.belgique-tourisme.net

Indirizzi utili sanità e sicurezza


Soccorso stradale


tel. 078-152000, 02-2879000, 70-344777

Polizia


tel. 101

Ambulanza


tel. 112, 100

Pronto soccorso medico


tel. 4791818

Pronto soccorso dentistico


tel. 4261026, 4285888