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March / April 2007 Article

Belgium, a Bon-Vivant and History Buff’s Paradise

“Welcome and what a good choice you have just made!” says Christophe Delvallée to any meeting planner who selects his country as a destination. After all, as he describes it “Brussels is the heartbeat of Europe.” Listen to Christophe a bit more and you may be ready to catch a plane yet tonight.

About the size of Maryland, Belgium has three distinct areas: Flanders in the north, the lowlands where the official language is Dutch; Wallonia in the south, largely covered by the Ardennes Forest, where French is the official language; and the Brussels-Capital region where both languages are used. But, English is widely spoken, Christophe, Groups' Operations Executive of Brussels International Travel Service, reports.

A country where Napoleon met defeat, Belgium promises to win you over with its extraordinary history, marvelous cuisine, incredible art and architecture, and most welcoming people. Christophe suggests starting with...

A Tasty Tour

A Gourmet walk in Brussels is highly recommended where the best of the nation’s signature foods come together. “It is a walking visit of Brussels,” Christophe says, “ seeing all the important sites but also tasting chocolates, beers, cheese and waffles…all the Belgian specialties. We can include a visit to a chocolate factory where clients can create their own chocolate. We also can visit a brewery ending with a beer tasting.”

Waffles with whipped cream are a Brussels favorite while waffles with sugar reflect the style in Liege, Christophe explains. Beer and mussels with French fries (moules et frites) are another must-do on the Belgian culinary list.

What makes the capital city of Belgium so special? According to Christophe, Brussels is:

1. The heartbeat of Europe.
    
2. The political and commercial centre.
    
3. Easy to get to by air, road and rail. (It is 6 ½ hours from the East Coast with direct flights from New York, Newark, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia)
    
4. A leading conference city.
    
5. Home of the European Commission and NATO, plus 1,200 non-governmental organizations, 1,000 press correspondents and most of the European lobbying industry, home of over 1,700 international associations, 20 minutes from Brussels airport to city centre

Because Brussels is a political and economic powerhouse, it can boast such advantages as 1,500 restaurants from all over the world. Christophe also points to its “Amazing choice of special venues, world class meeting & exhibition centres, and highly-professional front line staff. Most of the places are centrally located with easy and quick access.”

And, especially welcoming to event planners, Christophe says, “ Belgium is genuinely less expensive than its European neighbors. Hotels in Brussels carry reduced rates during weekends and in the summer.”

Some of Cristophe’s favorite meeting venues include:

Cureghem Cellars. A large underground space with majestic vaults with alternating arches and pillars creating superb architectural views. An especially fitting event at the cellars is a medieval banquet featuring live entertainment with orchestra, buffoons, fire-eaters, and magicians.
Albert Hall. An Art Deco style building dating back to 1930, located close to the European Quarter. Rooms include an Art Deco ballroom, an ancient cinema with big screen, and an auditorium for up to 250.
Theatre Le Plaza. The Theatre at the Le Plaza Hotel created in 1930 as a movie theatre and now listed by Royal Decree as a national monument for its architectural value-- Hispano-Arabesque and Moorish style. A unique place to organize a gala dinner for up to 400.
Concert Noble. A renovated 19th century historic building in the European Union area. The Concert Noble offers modern facilities while preserving the gracious 19th century appeal with a ballroom, banquet rooms and more. (President Bush spoke there in February 2005.)

Other available venues include the Belgian Comic Strip Museum, which is monument to the European art of comic strips, and AutoWorld, a museum dedicated to vintage cars from the beginning through the 1960s.

Battlefield Excursions

Waterloo, Flanders, Bastogne – some of the most significant battles in history took place on Belgian soil and can be visited through museums on the sites.

Waterloo – the battlefield where Wellington defeated Napoleon in June 1815, located just outside of Brussels.
In Flanders Fields, Iepe– Museum about how life was at and behind the trenches during World War I
Battle of the Bulge Museum, La-Roche-en-Ardenne, includes an important collection of equipment, armament, and personal objects found on the battlefield.
Henri-Chapelle American War Cemetery. Here 7,989 US soldiers are buried, killed during the advance from France through Belgium to the Netherlands (September 1944) and during the Ardennes Offensive (December 1944-January 1945).

Other fascinating side-trips, not related to war, include visits to the romantic medieval canal city of Bruge; and to the city of Rubens and the world center of diamond cutting and trade, Antwerp. “Brussels is centrally located and in a short driving time you can go everywhere, ” Christophe says.

Beyond terrific cuisine and significant history, Belgium has yet another specialty – fine art. The country’s museums abound with works from the incredible list of native artists – Brueghel, Utrecht, Rubens, Van Dyck, Van Eyck, Magritte, and more.

Add location as another Belgian benefit. For Europeans or for Americans wanting to travel further, Brussels is ideal. Take a high speed train and

• Paris is only 1h15min from Brussels,
• London 1h30min (soon – and 02h15 for the moment)
• Amsterdam 1h30 soon.

Come to Brussels, Christophe assures, and “You will see it maybe for the first time but for sure not the last.”

Brussels International Travel Service (BITS) was founded in January 1988 and offers a complete range of services from incentives to large conventions to even a single hotel reservation. A full-service DMC, it handles airport transfers, fairs and conferences, gala dinners, hotel reservations, motivational activities, registration, restaurants, sightseeing, transportation, ticketing and more.

For more information on Belgium or BITS, contact your GEP representative or e-mail newsletter@theeventinsider.com