All about Belgium

1. BELGIUM
“The Chocolate Capital of the
World”
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

2. OFFICIAL
TAGLINE – “THE
PLACE TO BE”
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

4. Language
• Belgium has three official
languages: Dutch, French, and German.
A number of non-official languages are
spoken as well.
• Belgium is divided between a French-
speaking people, collectively called
Walloons (approximately one-third of the
total population), who are concentrated in
the five southern provinces.
• Flemish- (Dutch) speaking people (more
than one-half of the total population),
who are concentrated in the five northern
and northeastern provinces.
• German is the least prevalent official
language in Belgium, spoken natively by
less than 1% of the population
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

5. ■ Major
Tourist
Attraction
s of
Belgium.

6. Introductio
n
• Located in the middle of
Western Europe, It is one of the
smallest and most densely
populated European countries.
• This compact multilingual
country effortlessly blends the
historic with the new.
• From countless castles to
innovative art museums and
cafes. And with some of the
best comfort food on offer -
waffles, chocolate and fries, all
washed down with the country's
famous frothy beer.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

7. Basic
Facts• Belgium is the founding
member of the EU, Eurozone,
NATO and WTO.
• Brussels is also the capital of
European Union and the EU
headquarters is located
there.
• Currency - Euro ( 1 Euro =
INR 80 ).
• Time Zone - GMT+1,
Summers – GMT+2.
• Language – Dutch & French.
• Capital – Brussels.

8. Fun Facts
• Belgium has been producing chocolate
for almost 400 years.
• Belgians drink 84 liters of beer each
year.
• Tomorrowland is the largest electronic
dance music festival in the world.
• Belgian men are the second tallest in
the world.
• Cricket is thought to be a Belgian
invention, not British.
• Belgium holds a world record for
castles.
• The longest tram line in the world is the
Belgian Coast Tram.

9. History
• Belgium has often been called the
"battlefield of Europe”, notably in
modern times during the Battle of
Waterloo (1815) and the 20th
century’s two world wars.
• It was initially ruled by Romans
followed by Dutch and French.
• After Napoleon's defeat at
Waterloo in 1815, the major
victorious powers (Britain, Austria
and Russia) agreed on uniting the
former Belgium and Belgium got
independence in 1830.

10. History &
Tourism
• Belgium’s cities and fields bear
the scars of centuries of invasion,
siege, conquest. Site of some of
the most brutal conflicts of
modern history, the country draws
visitors looking to understand,
remember and mourn - like the
battlefield where Wellington
defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
• Is famous for it’s museums,
memorials and castles that
sensitively honour the dead and
keep their stories alive.

11. Geographical
Features• Belgium has an area of 30,528
square kilometers
• Belgium has a total of 1,385 km of
land boundaries with neighbours; it
is bounded by the Netherlands to the
north, Germany to the east,
Luxembourg to the southeast, and
France to the south. Belgium also has
some 40 miles (60 km) of shoreline
on the North Sea.
• Belgium has three main geographical
regions: the coastal plain in the
north-west, the central plateau, and
the Ardennes uplands in the south-
east.

12. PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

13. • Coordinates - 50.5039°
N, 4.4699° E.
• Extreme Points -
Highest point — Signal de
Botrange - 694 m Lowest
point — De Moren - 3m
• Climate – Maritime
Temperature.
• Drainage – North Sea.
• Rivers - the Scheldt, the
Meuse and the Yser.

14. Political
Scenario• Belgium is a constitutional monarchy.
• The executive branch of the
government consists of the king, prime
minister and cabinet.
• There are no national parties in
Belgium. Instead the political parties
are divided among the major linguistic
groups.
• The monarch's main political function
is to appoint the prime minister
following elections or the resignation
of the government. In this often-
divided country, the sovereign is a
unifying symbol and plays an
important role.

15. Economic
ScenarioBelgium switched from the
Belgian franc to Euros as its
currency after 2002. Belgian
per capita GDP ranks among
the world's highest.
Population -11.2 million
GDP (PPP) - $494.1 billion
GDP rank - 25th
per capita Income - $41,585
Unemployment - 8.7%
Inflation (CPI) - 0.6%

16. Visa For Indians
• India is one of the most important tourist
markets for Europe with over 10 million Indians
traveling to Europe every year.
• The Schengen area has 26 member states
including Belgium, so Indian Tourists Travelling
to Belgium needs to apply for Schengen Visa.
• Indians can apply directly at any of the 26
Schengen countries.
• You can apply for Single entry or Multiple entry
visa and stay up to 90 days within a period of 6
months.
• The fee starts from INR 4400 or 60 Euro plus
service charge and the processing time is 12-15
days.
• The convenient way to apply is through VFS
Global (the official visa application and
processing service).
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

17. Procedure for
Schengen Visa
1. The applicant / head of family has to create
an account at the following address:
https://visaonweb.diplomatie.be/
2. Fill out and send the electronic visa
application form from this website
3. The applicant will receive then a copy of the
visa application form at the email address
mentioned in his account.
4. Please print the form and go to the Visa
Application Center you have chosen in your
application. Make sure to bring the required
supporting documents and the visa &service
fees.
5. At the visa application center, your picture
will be taken live (for all applicants – short stay
AND long stay). The fingerprints will be taken
only for the short stay visas if it’s required.
6. Visa application will be processed, as usual,
at the Embassy.
7. Follow the status of your application online.
Documents
Required
1. Schengen visa application form, duly filled
and signed
2. Recent passport-size color photograph taken
against a white background with matte-finish,
size (35mm x 45mm with 80% face close up)
3. Flight Ticket itinerary with hotel reservation.
4. Medical insurance policy, covering expenses
up to 30,000 Euros.
5. Bank statements for the last 6 months or an
original 'official affidavit of support’.
6. Purpose of the visit and duration of travel
mentioned in a Cover letter.
7. Income tax returns for the past 3 years.
8. Appointment letter and reference letter from
your employer if you are employed.
9. Proof of legal entity, bank statements and tax
returns if you are self-employed.
10. Proof of sufficient financial funds for the
entire stay.

18. Cost of Living Comparison
Between INDIA and BELGIUM.
INDIA
■ Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant – INR 250.
■ Domestic Beer – INR 100.
■ Water – INR 20.
■ Eggs (12) – INR 60.
■ Taxi (1km) – INR 14.
■ Cinema – INR 200.
■ Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre –
INR 12000 pm.
■ Average Monthly Net Salary – INR 35000.
■ 3 star Hotel – INR 2000.
BELGIUM
■ Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant INR 1200.
■ Domestic Beer – INR 280.
■ Water - INR 60.
■ Eggs(12) – INR 180.
■ Taxi (1km) – INR 160.
■ Cinema – INR 800.
■ Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre – INR
56000 pm.
■ Average Monthly Net Salary – INR 1,50,000.
■ 3 star Hotel INR - 6500

19. International
Tourist Arrivals
(2016).• 1 Netherlands - 1,919,413
• 2 France - 1,285,610
• 3 United Kingdom -
1,043,613
• 4 Germany - 945,974
• 5 Spain - 360,220
• 6 United States - 388,423
• 7 Italy - 2294,945
• 8 China - 209,045
• 9 Luxembourg - 114,899
• 10 Switzerland - 118,796

20. Major
Cities of
Belgium.

21. Major Tourist
Cities
• Brussels
• Antwerp
• Ghent
• Brudges

22. BRUSSELS
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23. Grand
Palace• The Grand-Place is the central square of
the city where many historic buildings
dating from the 17th century are located.
• It has shops, bars and restaurants nearby
and lot of events takes place around the
year.
• Flower Carpet is a biennial event
in Brussels in which volunteers from
around Belgium, make a huge carpet of
flowers.
• It was registered as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1998 and there is no
entry fee to visit.

24. Atomium
• The Atomium is a landmark
building in Brussels, originally
constructed for the 1958
Brussels World's Fair, it stands
102 m (335 ft) tall.
• It offers spectacular views of the
city of Brussels, when the sky is
clear, the view reaches till
Antwerp.
• It has a restaurant located the top
floor and also a museum.
• Entry free approx. INR 1200.

25. Mini-
Europe• It is a miniature park which has
reproductions of monuments in
Europe, roughly 80 cities and
350 buildings are represented.
• It receives 350,000 visitors per
year and has a turnover of 4
million Euros.
• Entry fee starts from approx.
INR 1200.

26. Museums
There are more than 100
museums in Brussels, some of
the famous ones are –
• Train World
• MIM - Musical
Instruments Museum
• Auto World
• Royal Museum of Fine
Arts
• Tram Museum
• Belgian Comic Strip
Center

27. Brussels Food and
Beer Tours
• In 2016 Belgian beer culture
was added to the UNESCO
Intangible Cultural Heritage
list as a recognition of the
important role that it plays in
everyday life and
celebrations in Belgium.
• Starts from INR 2000
approx.

28. Getting Around
Brussels• The Brussels-Capital Region
runs a comprehensive public
transport network, comprising
trains, trams, buses and the
metro. You are always sure of
reaching your destination by
one or more of these modes,
perhaps in combination with
the bike. Often quicker than if
you had taken the car,
• You can also use Hop-on Hop-
off Bus, price starts from
approx. INR 2500 (24 hours).

30. ANTWERP
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32. Cathedral Of Our
Lady• After 169 years of construction the
cathedral of Antwerp finally
dominated Antwerp's skyline in
1521 with a height of 123 meters.
• The Church has an impressive
collection of major art works,
including a series of paintings.
• The belfry of the cathedral is
included in the Belfries of Belgium
and France entry in the list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Entry free is INR 480.

33. Central
Station• Antwerpen-Centraal (Antwerp
Central) is the name of the
main train station in the
Belgian city of Antwerp. The
station is operated by the
National Railway Company of
Belgium (NMBS).
• It is Antwerp’s Train station,
which is regarded as one of
the most beautiful train
stations around the World.

34. Museum
Plantin -
Moretus• The Plantin-Moretus Museum
is a printing museum in
Antwerp, Belgium which
focuses on the work of the
16th century printers
Christopher Plantin and Jan
Moretus. It is located in their
former residence.
• It is one of the few museum
which has been a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
• Entry free INR 800.

35. Antwerp
Zoo
• It is a zoo located in the
center of Antwerp, Belgium,
located next to the railway
station. It is the oldest animal
park in the country, and one
of the oldest in the world,
established on 21 July 1843.
• Entry Ticket approx. INR
2000.

36. Diamond
District
• Antwerp, Belgium is where
60-80% of the world's
diamonds are cut and traded,
and is known as the "Diamond
Capital of the World.“
• Antwerp has been a focus of
the diamond trade since 15th
century. Since late 20th
century, Indian and Armenian
diamond dealers have gained
importance in city's diamond
trade.

37. De Koninck
Antwerp City
Brewery
• It's a unique experience where
you get to explore 10
interactive rooms and discover
history of beers.
• It is a self- guided tour and
cost approx. INR 1000.

38. GHENT

40. Ghent City
Center
• It has many historical
buildings, train station, shops,
restaurants and bars.
• As the city council made the
center free of cars, it is now a
very welcoming and open
area.
• You can also enjoy a boat ride
at the City center.

41. Gravensteen
Castle• The Gravensteen is a castle in
Ghent originating from the
Middle Ages. The name means
"castle of the count" in Dutch.
• The long spiral staircase to the
museum of torture devices on
the top floor will lead to a
unique collection of instruments
for torture , as well as a
collection of weapons.
• Entry fee INR 800 approx.

42. St Michael's
Bridge
• St Michael’s Bridge used to be a flat
turntable bridge, but it was replaced
by stone arches at the beginning of
the 20th century. In the middle of
the bridge is a beautiful central
lantern with a bronze statue of St
Michael.
• One of the best photo spot in
Belgium.

43. BRUGES

45. Minnewater
Lake
• In the south part of Bruges,
surrounded by trees and the
adjacent Minnewaterpark,
there is this small rectangular
lake called 'Minnewater' or
Lake of Love.
• There is a saying that you will
experience eternal love if you
walk over the lake bridge with
your partner. This of course
turns Lake of Love into an
exceptionally romantic spot.

46. Historic
Centre of
Bruges
• The historic center of Bruges
has been designated a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
since 2000 thanks to its status
as one of the commercial and
cultural capitals of Europe and
its enduring Gothic
architecture.
• Best way to explore this area
is by boat, tours starts from
INR 650.

47. Belfort
• The most important of Bruges'
towers stands 83 metres tall.
• Those who take on the
challenge of climbing a tiring
366 steps, your efforts will be
rewarded with a breath-taking
and unforgettable panoramic
view of Bruges and her
surroundings.
• Entry fee approx. INR 800.

48. SOME
MORE
FAMOUS
PLACES
AND
FESTIVALS

49. Sonian
Forest
• Paradise for Nature lovers, it is
located at a distance of just 25 km
from Brussels the Sonian Forest or
Sonian Wood is a 10,920-acre
forest at the southeast edge of
Brussels, Belgium.
• The Sonian Forest is the only
natural site that has been inscribed
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in Belgium.
• No Entry fee.

50. The
Ardennes
• The Ardennes, situated in the south-east
of Belgium, are one of nature's unspoilt
areas, rich in fauna and flora, with vast
forests of broadleaf, hills and fast
flowing rivers.
• Springtime in the Ardennes is the season
for walking, cycling, fishing, canoeing
and kayaking. Horse riding, climbing
and mountain biking are other examples
of popular sports in the Ardennes.
• There are accommodation facilities to fit
every budget. There is a choice of
holiday cottages, shared accommodation
and 'bed-and-breakfast’.

51. The Belgian
coast• The coast's 65 km long stretch of sandy
coastline has 15 resorts, each with its
own character and unique atmosphere.
The sandy beaches are ideal for children.
• The Belgian coast offers a wide range of
sport and recreation facilities : here you
can hire a bicycle or a buggy, or go
sailing or fishing. The wide beach is
ideal for ball games, horse riding and
beach surfing.
• Sunbathers have found that they acquire
a healthier tan here than in southern
Europe, thanks to the iodine and salt in
the air.

52. Coast Tram
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

53. TOMORROWL
AND

54. Tomorrowla
nd
• Tomorrowland is an electronic
dance music festival held in
Boom, Belgium. It was first held
in 2005, and has since become
one of the world's largest and
most notable music festivals.
• It now stretches over 2
weekends and usually sells out
in minutes.
• It is held in July Every year, in
2017 – 4,00,000 people
attended.

55. Carnival of
Binche• The carnival is one of the best in
Belgium and has been proclaimed
as a Masterpiece of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity
listed by UNESCO.
• Events related to the carnival
begin up to seven weeks prior to
the primary celebrations. Street
performances and public displays
traditionally occur on the Sundays,
consisting of prescribed musical
acts, dancing, and marching. It is
held in February/March.

56. Battle of
Waterloo
reenactment• The Battle of Waterloo was a battle
that was fought between the French
army led by Napoleon and the British
and Prussian armies.
• The Battle of Waterloo reenactment is
an annual modern recreation of the
19th century Battle of Waterloo on the
original battlefield in Waterloo,
Belgium.
• It is held every June on the weekend
nearest to the historic date of the Battle
of Waterloo (18 June 1815). In a
regular year there will be 600–800
reenactors.

57. Airports in
Belgium• Brussels-Zaventem - BRU
• Brussels-CharleroI - CRL
• Ostend - OST
• Liege - LGG
• Antwerp - ANR
• National carrier –
Brussels Airlines (SN),
Non-stop flights from
BOM - BRU (09h 30m) .
• Cheapest Flights
between Delhi and
Brussels is Ukraine

58. Indian
Restaurants in
Belgium.
• Feux de Bengale
• Bombay Inn
• Mumtaz
• Shere-E-Punjab
• L'Everest

59. INTERNATION
AL
CONNECTIONS
TO BELGIUM• France – Belgium : Arrive in
Brussels on to a high-speed Thalys
train from Paris (2 hours).
• Great Britain – Belgium : Travel
from London to Brussels with the
Eurostar in less than 3 hours.
• Luxembourg – Belgium : Take an
InterCity or EuroCity train from
Luxembourg city to Brussels (3
hours).
• The Netherlands – Belgium : Take an
InterCity train from Rotterdam to
Brussels. (1hr 45min).

60. DANK JE -
THANK YOU

61. References
■ https://www.belgium.be/en
■ https://www.tripadvisor.in/
■ https://www.lonelyplanet.com/
■ https://visit.brussels/en/
■ https://www.skyscanner.co.in/
■ https://www.makemytrip.com/