Chocolates, waffles, pommes frites, beer – why wouldn’t you want to pop over to Belgium for a weekend getaway?

Despite the proximity and appeal, I only made it to Belgium this December. This compact multilingual country is both historic and hip. There are countless castles, innovative museums, and cosy beer bars that dot the entire nation. At the same time, the Belgian people are still reeling from the terrorists attacks this year. Tourism in Belgium dropped 13% this year. Even in the picturesque city of Bruges, which usually attracts a lot of visitors.

On the bright (and frothy) side, Belgian beer was added to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List (I rambled a lot about it during my Viennese coffee houses post last year).

So if you are anywhere near Belgium – go! And go on an empty stomach. Continue reading →