Thinking of buying or selling your property in Belgium? Belgium is well-known worldwide for its chocolate, beer, french fries, waffles, comic books, and lace. Additionally, it is well-known for being the historic European battleground, a role it continues to play in a diplomatic sense as the seat of the European Union’s government.
This small kingdom between France and the Netherlands is highly desirable for many reasons, including its strategic location in Europe’s economy and politics, its picturesque countryside, and the allure of its cities, such as the glittering Antwerp and its diamonds, the stunning Ghent, the quaint and romantic ambiance of Bruges, and the global significance of Brussels.
History
Through the ages, the area that is now modern-day Belgium changed hands countless times. More than two thousand years ago, it was a Roman province. A portion of what the Romans termed “Gallia Belgica” (named after the indigenous Belgae people) was added to both France and the Holy Roman Empire in the early Middle Ages. Antwerp, Ghent, Brugge, and Brussels rose to prominence as commercial and cultural hubs after becoming a part of Burgundy in the 15th century. The textile industry in Belgium grew to become a major player in the region.
From the Middle Ages through the 17th century, commerce in Belgium flourished. In the second part of this time period, Rubens, Bruegel, and van Dyck, three of Belgium’s greatest artists, gained widespread renown abroad.
The area was first ruled by Spain, then Austria, and finally France. After falling under Dutch control in 1815, the Belgian Revolution erupted only 15 years later. The year 1839 marked the official declaration of Belgium’s independence from the Netherlands. At this point in history, the monarchy in Belgium was well-established; Leopold of the House of Saxe-Coburg took the throne in 1831.
Belgium’s boundaries have been established. Part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was absorbed by the new country after it declared independence, but the new country lost territory in Limburg and Flanders to the Netherlands and territory in western Flanders to the French.
Belgium was the site of fierce conflict for ages, earning it the nickname “the battleground of Europe.” Both World Wars saw independent Belgium transformed into a battlefield, with German invasions on both occasions.
Following WWII, Belgium joined the EEC and eventually the EU, making Brussels its de facto capital. From 1995 until 2004, Belgium’s Viroinval, in the southern province of Namur, served as the geographic center of the European Union.
Within Belgium’s borders, the terrain is mostly flat and level with a few valleys. The broadleaf and fir-covered hills of the Ardennes climb to a greater altitude to the southeast. Belgium has a moderate, maritime climate with pleasant summers and warm winters, despite its numerous rainy days.
Most locations in Belgium have both a French and Dutch name, or vice versa, due to the country’s status as a multilingual community. In spite of political conflicts (which contributed to the federalization of the country), the Flemings and the Walloons typically coexist peacefully.
Heavy mining for coal, iron and other minerals took place in the sillon industrial in the Walloon region during the Industrial Revolution. The agriculture sector was crucial to the economy of Flanders. The service industry now accounts for a disproportionately large share of the country’s GDP. Brussels is the epicenter of municipal and European bureaucracy, so this is especially true. Metals, chemicals, food processing, agriculture, and textiles are currently Belgium’s most important sectors.
There are significant environmental issues in Belgium. The Senne River, which flows through Brussels, became so dirty that it had to be buried. The cities in the sillon industrial, known for their heavy industry, often have a grubby, dirty air quality. But nature abounds in Belgium, with miles of trails for hikers and cyclists to explore the country’s woods and rolling hills. You may go kayaking, sailing, and fishing on the rivers and streams of Belgium. Skiing is excellent in the winter in the steep river valleys.
In West Flanders, vacationers may take the Kusttram (Belgian Shore Tram) from one end to the other along the North Sea coast, with many stops along the way. This 65-kilometer stretch is dotted with 15 hotels and beaches, and it sees heavy summer traffic.
Belgium’s major cities are important cultural and historical hubs. Antwerp, one of the world’s great diamond centers; Brussels, the diplomatic center of Europe and the capital of Art Nouveau; and Redu, a tiny town that hosts a big book market and the high-tech Europe Space Centre, all have something to offer, in addition to more traditional attractions like parks, museums, shopping areas, open-air markets, and city squares.
The cities of Belgium are also fascinating displays of many architectural eras. Gothic architecture, popular in the middle to late Middle Ages, may be seen in many of the country’s cathedrals, churches, abbeys, town halls, and historic dwellings. Much Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture from the 1920s and 1930s may be seen in the newer, wealthier neighborhoods. Even though Victor Bourgeois’ Cité Moderne social housing complex, built in the minimalist style of the Dutch modernists, did not catch on as he had planned, neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance architecture were widely employed at the same time in Brussels and other major cities.
Belgium is a small nation, with a population of 10.5 million and a land area of about 30,528 square kilometers. It is separated into the Flemish Region (commonly known as Flanders), the Walloon Region (also known as Wallonia), and the Brussels Capital Region.
The Flanders Area
Beer enthusiasts should travel to Flanders. Whether it’s the dark, rich ales brewed in ancient Flanders abbeys or the light wheat beers that have been a tradition in the village of Hoegaarden for decades, the hundreds of kinds of authentic, blushful ales and lagers produced in the Flemish Region are the region’s lifeblood. Furthermore, this area is home to the largest brewery in the world.
But the Flemish area has more to offer than just beer. Old World charm and beauty may be found in the Belgian cities of Antwerp, Brugge, Leuven, and Ghent, which are known for their Gothic churches, parks, and cobblestone streets. Additionally highly regarded are the intricate creations made by lacemakers in the cities.
The region known as Flanders is shared by three different countries: France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The Flemish Region of Belgium (also known as Flanders) is the largest of the country’s three regions. It encompasses slightly less than half of the total territory of the country. While Belgian Dutch is spoken widely across the region, many locals also have a strong command of the English language.
Landscapes of the region, from the fantastical visions of Bruegel to the more realistic styles of Rubens, Van Dyck, and Van Eyck, have been immortalized in the works of the great Flemish masters because of the region’s temperate maritime climate and landscape of flat polders and forests, crossed by rivers and gentle streams. The North Sea, another frequent subject in Bruegel’s paintings, is located at the region’s northernmost point.
The ports on Belgium’s North Maritime coast are large and lucrative since they sit on some of the world’s busiest sea lanes. Of the four, two are located in West Flanders, the only coastal province in all of Belgium.
The Brussels Capital Entity is a distinct region from Flanders despite its location inside the Flemish region and its official bilingualism. Antwerp, Limburg, East Flanders, West Flanders and Liège are the five provinces that make up the Flemish Region. Administrative districts (arrondissement) are further subdivided within each province.
Wallonian Area
Wallonia, often known as the Walloon Region, is home to more castles than you can shake a stick at. About one castle for every 5,000 Walloons may be found in the country’s 25 square kilometres, and there are a total of 450 such structures.
While this is notably true in the western province of Hainaut, aristocratic estates may be found in all of the provinces. The 17th-century Chateau Lavaux-Ste.-Anne in Namur is just one of several that welcomes visitors throughout the year. There are ancient fortifications, the most known of which is the Citadel of Namur, constructed about 1500 years ago to stave off attackers. Many of the region’s renowned beers and cheeses are made in ancient abbeys and monasteries.
These ancient fortresses, complete with moats, turrets, and sprawling gardens, have a distinct air of fantasy that stands in stark contrast to something else that makes Wallonia fascinating. The coal mining and steel producing businesses that boosted Wallonia’s economy, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, were located in a long valley known as the sillon industriel, which runs almost perpendicular to the rest of the area (thus the nickname “backbone”). Despite the decline of its once-powerful heavy industry, the city is still often referred to by that moniker. The agricultural regions of Wallonia surround this region on both its north and south sides, with the former being home to more intensive farming that requires a lot of both cash and labour.
Natural areas such as forests, moors, and rural countryside may be found in great quantity in Wallonia. Through the villages, farmland, and lush forests and gently undulating hills of the Ardennes in the southeast, there are hundreds of kilometres of defined pathways for hiking, climbing, and riding.
Throughout the ages, the Meuse, Scheldt, and Rhine, as well as their tributaries and constructed canals, have been essential to Walloon trade and commerce. Nowadays, visitors enjoy boat excursions, paddle along the Lesse River, and explore the locks and boat lifts that are a marvel of Belgian engineering.
Whether it be art, history, archaeology, science, or even comics, there are thousands of museums dedicated to conserving priceless works of art and artefacts.
The Walloon Region includes the southernmost five provinces of Walloon Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Namur, and Luxembourg. Though French is the de facto language of government and commerce, a sizeable ethnic German minority resides in the region’s eastern half. Namur serves as the region’s capital. Around a third of Belgians identify as Walloons, the French-speaking minority.
Heritage Days are celebrated in September in Wallonia. Historic properties that are normally off-limits to the public are now welcoming guests. Throughout the country, you may visit museums, take part in kid-friendly events, and go on guided walks. Journées du Patrimoine are held so that Belgians may learn about and appreciate their cultural history once more. In the five Walloon regions, there are roughly 500 annual celebrations. Contact us today to buy or sell property in Belgium fast.
