Belgium Holidays

You can book your Belgium holiday online by simply choosing from our huge range of flights and hotels to create your own unique arrangement. By booking with Unwind Worldwide you can be asssured that our Belgium holidays represent excellent value for money. We pride ourselves in sourcing the cheapest offers on the best flights and hotels.

Booking a holiday to Belgium online is simple, safe and secure. However, should you have any questions, our Reservations Team are always are on hand to help you book your ideal holiday to Belgium. You can contact our team via LiveHelp or by telephoning 0203 282 7684.

Belgium Travel Guide

Belgium is a low–lying country on the North Sea coast in the Benelux. With the majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of the Belgian capital of Brussels, and as a member of the long–standing international Benelux community, Belgium sits at the crossroads of Western Europe.

Belgium is a country with a rich history. A traveller in Belgium will find plenty of historical periods to explore through landmarks and memorials: it is the heir of several major Medieval and Renaissance great powers, and was a battlefield of modern history.

Belgium might leave you surprised by its rich and gorgeous heritage. It boasts a number of fascinatingly historic cities packed with medieval and Art Nouveau architecture and famous for their long traditions in arts, fashion and fine dining. If you've seen the best of them, the Belgian countryside offers anything from sandy beaches to the densely forested hills and ridges of the Ardennes.

Brussels, the country's vibrant capital, is a modern world city with a highly international character. It combines massive post–modern buildings in its European Quarter with impressive historic monuments, such as the World Heritage listed Grand Place, surrounded by guildhouses and the Gothic town hall. There's Laken Castle and the large St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, dedicated to the cities patron saints. The Royal Palace is a more recent but no less grand structure. One of the city's most famous landmarks is the Atomium, a remarkable steel structure and remnant of the 1958 World's Fair. And yet, with all those magnificent sights at hand, many travellers' favourite is a tiny bronze fountain in the shape of a peeing boy: the curious Manneken Pis.

Perhaps the most popular of the Belgian cities is Bruges. Much of the excellent architecture that arose during the towns Golden Age, roughly the 14th century, remains intact and the old centre is a valued UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among its most prominent landmarks is the 13th century belfry, where the carillonneur still rings the bells on a daily basis. With countless other noteworthy monuments, Bruges is a highly popular destination.

Ghent, in ages past was one of the wealthiest cities in Northern Europe. Although larger and much busier than Bruges, its excellent medieval architecture can definitely compete. Its beguinages, belfry and former cloth hall are World Heritage Sites.

Ypres is a friendly town in Flanders endowed with wonderful architecture and a troubled past. Ypres was once one of the largest cities in the Low Countries and is now best known for its destruction during the First World War, it was the site of three major battles of the First World War, the most famous being the Battle of Passchendaele from JulyNovember 1917. The many memorials and cemeteries of the fallen in and around Ypres draw thousands of visitors each year.

Or visit Antwerp, the country's current place to be as it is a hotspot of the Belgian fashion, clubbing, arts and diamonds scenes. Nevertheless, the city's timeless old centre is right up there with the others, boasting the countries most stunning cathedrals.

For those looking for adventure and exploration and hiking, biking and camping, head to the rugged hills of the Ardennes with their tight forests, caves and cliffs, which are home to wild boar, deer and lynx and hide a number of friendly villages, lots of castles and a few other notable sights. The impressive caves of Han–sur–Lesse, the castle of Bouillon and the modern Labyrinth of Barvaux are some of the best picks.

Being such a small country (300 km as its maximum distance), you can get anywhere in a couple of hours. Public transport is fast and comfortable, and not too expensive. Between larger cities, there are frequent train connections, with buses covering smaller distances.

Traditional Foods

A number of dishes are considered distinctly Belgian specialities and should be on every visitor's agenda.
Mussels are a firm favourite, the traditional way is to cook them in a pot with white wine and/or onions and celery, then eat them up using only a mussel shell to scoop them out.
Balletjes/Boulettes are meatballs with fries. They will either be served with a tomato sauce or with the sauce from Lige, which is based on a local syrup. For this reason they will often be introduced as Boulets Ligeois.
Stoemp is mashed potatoes and carrots with bacon and sausages. It is a typical meal from Brussels.
Stoofvlees is a traditional beef stew and is usually served with (you have guessed it already) fries.
Witloof met kaassaus/Chicons au gratin is a traditional gratin of chicory with ham and a cheesy bechamel sauce, usually served with mashed potatoes or croquettes.
Konijn met pruimen: rabbit cooked in beer and dried plums.
Waffles (wafles in Dutch, gaufres in French) come in two types:
1) Gaufres de Bruxelles/Brusselse wafels – a light and airy variety.
2) Gaufres de Lige/Luikse wafels – a heavier variety with a gooey center.
The latter are often eaten as a street/ take–away snack while shopping and therefore can be found at stands on the streets of the cities.
Despite the name, french fries (frieten in Dutch, frites in French) are proudly claimed as a Belgian invention. Whether or not this is true, they certainly have perfected it although not everybody agrees with their choice of mayonnaise over ketchup as the preferred condiment (ketchup is considered to be "for kids"). Every village has at least one frituur/friterie, an establishment selling cheap take–away fries, with a huge choice of sauces and fried meat to go with them. The traditional thing to try is friet met stoofvlees, but remember the mayonnaise on it.
Last but not least, Belgian Chocolate is famed around the world. Famous chocolatiers include Godiva, Leonidas, Guylian, Galler, Marcolini and Neuhaus, but the best stuff can be found at tiny boutiques, too small to build worldwide brands.