Fodors Travel Guides - Fodors Essential Belgium (Full-color Travel Guide)

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Everything in this guide is worth doingwe dont cover what isntbut our favorite places are designated Fodors Choice to indicate our highest recommendation.

We look high and low to find the most interesting things for you to see and do. For attractions, we always list adult admission fees; additional discounts are usually available for children, students, and seniors.

Unless we state otherwise, restaurants are open for lunch and dinner daily. We classify every restaurant with a price category as well as listing the average cost of a main course at dinner (or if dinner is not served, at lunch). For more detailed restaurant reviews, visit Fodors.com .

While we like all the hotels we recommend, we promise to always give you both the pros and cons. Unless otherwise specified, you can expect private bath, phone, and TV in your room. We classify every hotel with a price category as well as listing the average cost of a double room in high season. For more detailed hotel reviews, visit Fodors.com .

Assume all establishments we recommend take credit cards unless we say otherwise.

We value your opinion and want to know when you think were right and also when weve missed the mark. Want to recommend a new find or an old favorite? Write to us: .

EUGENE FODOR

Hungarian-born Eugene Fodor (190591) began his travel career as an interpreter on a French cruise ship. The experience inspired him to write On the Continent (1936), the first guidebook to receive annual updates and discuss a countrys way of life as well as its sights. Fodor later joined the U.S. Army and worked for the OSS in World War II. After the war, he kept up his intelligence work while expanding his guidebook series. During the Cold War, many guides were written by fellow agents who understood the value of insider information. Todays guides continue Fodors legacy by providing travelers with timely coverage, insider tips, and cultural context.

Bordered by the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Luxembourg, its not hard to spot Belgiums cultural influences. Half the country speaks Dutch (Flanders), the other French (Wallonia), and even a tiny portion converse in German (East Cantons). In the middle, theres cosmopolitan capital Brussels. The medieval cities of Ghent and Bruges offer gateways to the coast and World War I battlefields, while couture reigns supreme in Antwerp. And, of course, expect plenty of beer, chocolate, and frites wherever you wander.