Belgium
- a small European country located between the Netherlands to the
north, Germany to the east, France and Luxembourg in the south and west
of the UK it separates the narrow strip of the North Sea. Here
is the center of the intersection of the political and financial
interests, as well as the capital of the European Union - Brussels. Belgium - and a highly urbanized country with large cities, sea ports of international importance, bound railways and highways. A country that still keeps ancient traditions and customs. Belgium - a country of museums, lace, chocolate and beer, as well as a huge number of architectural monuments.
History
of Belgium dates back to the days when the local land, north of Gaul,
inhabited by ancient tribes Belgians Celtic origin. Julius
Caesar, who seized the area, named it Belgika Gaul, and for a long
time, she was in possession of the Roman Empire, has left a great legacy
in the culture and architecture of modern Belgium. Since then, Belgium has experienced different periods and different rulers.
Officially the Kingdom of Belgium was proclaimed in 1830. And
in 1831, all the European powers, except for the Netherlands, the
kingdom was declared "independent and neutral state forever." In 1839, the Netherlands has also recognized Belgium as an independent state. As the government in the country has been chosen constitutional monarchy.
As
mentioned above, Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium and the
capital of the whole of the United Europe: here the headquarters of NATO
and the EU. Belgian population is about 10 million people, in a relatively small area of 30,500 square kilometers.
Belgium has three official languages: Flemish, Dutch, French and German. The state is composed of various ethnic groups represented Flemings, Walloons, the French and the Germans. The main religious denominations - Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
Belgium - a great place to stay in order to take a tour of the history of Europe. What are alone Brussels and Bruges, you can devote all day for sightseeing. Belgium, with its ancient and mysterious cities and provinces is fraught with many openings for the inquisitive traveler. Movement in the country
From
Brussels National Airport "Zaventem" located 8 kilometers from the
city, regularly and frequently trains to Brussels, as well as buses and
taxis.
In Belgium, the hand movement. The
country has well-developed transport network extended: the beautiful
roads and highways, floodlit at night, which are still free. It is perfectly acceptable to travel on your car or rent a car. To move short distances within the city, convenient to rent a bike.
Public transport of Belgium presented buses, trams and the metro.
Taxi ranks are located in front of all stations, in the squares, in front of hotels.
The most convenient way to travel in Belgium - by train: an extensive rail network covers almost all parts of the country. The
main rail hub in Brussels, from here you can quickly reach any city in
the silent and comfortable trains, which run on schedule.
In addition to road and rail transport in Belgium is well developed waterway. According
to people here Ryupel rivers, the Scheldt and the Meuse swim pleasure
boats and boats, and in-depth riverbed Ryupel go even cruise ships.
Kitchen
Belgium
has always been a country gourmets and aesthetes are even restaurants
offer a high average level of culinary skills in cooking and service at
the highest level. In
the famous "Red Guide" Michelin made thirteen restaurants Belgium and
institution «Comme Chez Soi», which in Russian means "just like home",
has just two Michelin stars. This
Brussels restaurant has a gourmet seafood cuisine, and its signature
dish - halibut fillet under the air with white wine sauce and shrimp,
worth a try.
Traditional
Belgian cuisine is attractive to themselves demanding gourmets, weaving
through the French, German and Austrian cuisine. There are a huge variety of dishes in which a surprising combination of seafood, fruit, vegetables, game. And the dishes themselves with such delicious names, designed to conquer any heart and stomach. The main meat product is pork, but the Belgians use other types of meat: rabbits, beef, poultry, game.
Traditional and favorite Belgian dish - baked in beer rabbit. Beer is used in many recipes and is the basis of most soups, spicy stew with him meat and vegetables. Although
the main courses on the set of products are very similar to the German
and Austrian specialties in the Belgian version, they are much juicier
and tastier, as the chefs use many different spices. In addition, portion sizes in restaurants Belgian much more than in the institutions in Austria or Germany.
The
most popular traditional dishes using spices that are worth a try, in
my culinary world of this wonderful country, offer all the restaurants. These
dishes include kidneys, cooked with juniper berries, Flemish chop fresh
eel with clams and chicory salad garnish, rice milk porridge, sprinkled
with burnt sugar, a variety of steamed vegetables, salads with vinegar
sauce.
Belgians
are very fond of Ardennes ham, salt which consists in the fact that it
is prepared for a fire of beech wood and juniper twigs.
Belgium is famous for its soups, puree, often dressed with local cheeses. Delicacies in Belgium believe asparagus and fresh hops harvested in the spring. After a hearty lunch, Belgians prefer thick black coffee.
French fries
Another irreplaceable product Belgian cuisine - fried potatoes. It is believed that in this country was invented by a well-known potato - fries. According
to legend, one cold winter's night, local fishermen fish carved from a
potato, and then accidentally threw them into the hot oil - it was
invented by the most popular dish. According to other historians, chefs, this legend is not comparable to the date of importation of potatoes in the Old World. Anyway,
in the town of Malmedy can taste the best and real french fries, its
small restaurants serving this dish at different sauces, which are more
than 60 species.
Many tourists visit Belgium, with intentions to get acquainted with its extraordinary cuisine. Virtuoso
meticulous cook Belgian cuisine does not stop inventing new recipes,
while not forgetting the old, and often successfully connecting them.
If
the service in a cafe or restaurant, you can leave a tip of 5-10% of
the amount, but, as a rule, all gratuities are included in the amount of
the check. Belgian sweets
Belgian cuisine is impossible without sweet dishes, desserts, cakes, chocolate and waffles. Here
in every house there is always something sweet for tea, and almost
every family has some family recipe delicious dessert that is passed
from generation to generation. The
most famous confectionery art - is roasted nuts from Bruges, cheese
cake with almonds from Gerarbergena and unique delicious cream Malmedy. Belgian chocolate
Creating
chocolate we owe Belgian chemist Johann Neuhaus, who developed cough
medicine, and eventually got something more valuable. Later Belgian praline pastry chefs have come up - a chocolate mass, rubbed with nuts. Famous
Belgian chocolates and other sweets are appreciated everywhere, every
region of Belgium has its own unique characteristic of the recipes and
they are all in their own way extremely tasty.
Belgian chocolate is considered one of the best, and the variety of its forms, varieties and species is staggering. The local chocolate prepared with all kinds of toppings that make it unique and original taste. As
fillers can be anything you want - different nuts, dried and fresh
fruit, cream, liquor, coffee, essential oils, pepper and other spices. Confectioners
not afraid of any experiments that helped to create the most unusual
creations, such as chocolate, instantly uplifting, brewed by the extract
of tropical flowers.
Specialty shops that sell chocolate and various glassware, made by confectioners, called Chocolate. They
can not just buy a variety of chocolate candy, but also to try other
items on display you liked: chocolate in each such institution is little
room for tasting. Needless to say that all of you have purchased, kindly packed in nice pretty boxes, which in themselves are works of art. In
addition, all chocolate boutiques to fulfill any orders for the
manufacture of products from chocolate - prepared in a most incredible
little things that you just like, your every whim.
Chocolate "Mecca" of Belgium - Bruges. Largest selection and the real chocolate is here, because chocolate lovers should definitely visit this place. In Bruges is a special chocolate restaurants where you can sample traditional dishes with the addition of chocolate. The
city conducted all chocolate festivals and exhibitions, which attracts
all the masters of Belgium and display their creations on display and
tasting. Belgian beer
Belgium, many associated with beer, intoxicating taste is right there on your lips. Belgians love to beer so great that in honor of the popular drink was named in 2005 - the year of beer. In
the past century, the number of breweries equal to the number of
churches, and each brewery had its own water source, your grade, brand
of beer, and of course a brewer. There's even an old saying: "He who loves wine, he communicates with the glass, and who loves beer, he talks to the neighbor." Belgian beer is famous throughout Europe, and his grades do not count. Some beers are of the old recipes, most of which is calculated not for years, but for centuries.
Each region of the country has its own, characteristic for him beers. There
is a dark beer and light, sweet and bitter, there is even a sour beer,
and each beer has a serving temperature and filling their glasses. Some recipes can get a beer with a taste of sparkling wine or champagne. Brewing thrives year after year, more and more new and new types of beer, do not forget, and old recipes. When
creating new varieties, various berries: raspberries, cherries, sweet
cherries, and others, to achieve a variety of flavors.
In all corners of Belgium are an old brewery that still pass the tasting, where tourists are invited to try living beer. Arriving in the capital of Belgium, you can visit the wonderful beer Brussels.
Shopping
In
addition to the gastronomic specialties of the country, Belgium is
famous for its lace, which, we think, is worth looking in more detail,
and that are stylish souvenir from Belgium. Belgian lace
In the Belgian region of Flanders weave beautiful lace, is world famous. The
art of lace originated in this region in the late sixteenth century, a
period of economic and cultural development of Flanders. Belgian lace was very popular, all the kingdom courts prefer to decorate their garments with lace thin air. Flemings owned special technology finest threads and each region of the province distinguished by its unique weave.
For
a typical Antwerp lace lace with floral motifs and vases, on the
background of small six-pointed stars, scattered on the track.
Lace
Raspberry - Mechelen similar to Antwerp, but they are more elegant and
subtle, they were used mainly for finishing cuffs and nightdresses, sew
bibs. Malin lace very popular.
Bruges lace are continuous taped, with a fancy intricate pattern, which are formed when individual parts.
The most expensive and luxurious considered Brussels lace, which alone made ornaments combined against tulle. These
excellent lace especially appreciated outside of Flanders, and exported
to England under the name angletter because of the ban on importation
of Flemish lace at Albion. Another
view of Brussels lace called "duchess", they lacked the background as
such, and ornaments artfully braids joined together.
