Belgium

Compact country with charms suited
to time-pressed travelers

The home of continental Europe's first railway, built way back in 1835, Belgium has one of Europe’s most extensive rail networks—nearly 2,200 miles (3,500km) of track. Belgium is a small country and compact enough that a couple of hours of riding the rails will get you from the capital, Brussels, to just about any corner of the country. Yet the variety of culture, language, history, and cuisine crammed into this small space would do credit to a country many times its size, making this the ideal destination for the rail traveler on a tight time budget.

Belgium’s diversity is a product of its location at Europe’s cultural crossroads. The boundary between the Continent’s Germanic north and Latin south cuts clear across the country’s middle, leaving Belgium divided into two major ethnic regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia in the south.

The country is also at the crossroads of some of Europe’s major rail networks and serves as a major hub for international train travel. If you’re planning a grand jaunt across the Continent, Belgium makes an easy and convenient transfer point.

For more information on Belgium contact the Belgium Tourist Board.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.