Belgium is a small country that has a lot to offer, beyond its beer, chocolate, comics and fries. 

The first place I would recommend visiting in Belgium is obviously Brussels. What I love most about this city is the fact that is very cosmopolitan. There are so many people from different cultures, almost every nationality is represented in Brussels, you can try so many different types of food and you will hear French, English, Arabic, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese and more when you go out in the streets and in the public transportations, it is a huge blend of cultures. 

Brussels diversity can be explained by the presence of the European institutions and NATO’s headquarters as well as by Belgium’s immigration history. The city is very much alive thanks to the universities that attract students from around the continent and around the world. Despite all of that, Brussels is considered small for such an important capital city, which makes it easier to navigate for its residents and its tourists. Here are a couple of the city’s landmarks you should not miss if you ever visit: the Atomium (a monument resembling an atom), the Grand Place and the city’s Town Hall, the Manneken Pis, the Royal Palace, the Mont des Arts, the Parc du CinquAntenaire and so on. Brussels also has many beautiful parks, museums, stores and churches/cathedrals. 

Belgium is also home to other great cities you might want to visit: Bruges has been nicknamed the Venice of the North thanks to its many water canals and little houses, Antwerp is Belgium’s biggest city after Brussels, famous for its diamond trade, its nightlife and for being home to the fifth largest harbor in the world, Ghent is famous for its rich history and culture, as well as for its renaissance style. The southern part of the country has also a lot to offer: the city of Mons has been nominated the European capital city of culture a few years ago, Liège is rich in history and Charleroi is famous for its street art and its museums. If you love nature and hiking, you’ll love the Ardennes, it is a large mountainous region covered by forests where you can find many little villages, castles, and gorgeous views.