Belgium’s greatest attractions are its medieval town centers, home to an abundance of UNESCO locales and numerous awesome bistro bars serving a portion of the planet’s best lagers. In any case, there’s quite a lot more, from stalactite-filled caverns to post-modern legacy, woodland edged kayaking waterways and country chateaux to sandy North Sea shorelines. And our wanderlust often motivates us to explore the unknown or lesser known sides of our destinations, because we believe there is much more to place than what is commercially promoted. So, through our mini guide, Belgium Travel – Cockpit Of Europe, we are intending to present this Western European country in a different limelight.
Why Is Belgium Called “The Cockpit of Europe”?
You must be wondering what gives a country like Belgium gives a nickname so strange? Since at any rate Roman occasions, what we currently call Belgium has frequently ended up in the way of trespassers. Urban areas have been attacked and merciless clashes have seethed, not minimum over the most recent two centuries. A lion statue on a funnel-shaped fake slope ignores the world popular Waterloo war zone where Napoleon was at long last vanquished.
Apparently, unlimited columns of white headstones in Flanders fields honor four years of WWI damnation. Also, frequenting previous jail camps and various exhibition halls delicately respect the individuals who kicked the bucket in WWII, the last throes of which incorporated Hitler’s staggering ‘Battle-of-the-Bulge’ counter-assault in the Ardennes.
Belgium is one of the biggest European areas. Likewise ‘Cockpit of Europe’ is the nickname of Belgium, since this is where the largest number of discernible European battles have taken place. In history, heaps of European forces battled with one another for the matchless quality of this zone, consequently, Belgium is known as the Cockpit of Europe.
10 Interesting Places To Visit In Belgium
We are sure that knowing why Belgium was known as the ‘Cockpit of Europe’ of Europe must have been an intriguing process. So, here are a few historically interesting places that should be there on your itinerary for your Belgium holiday:
1. Waterloo War Zone
Waterloo in Belgium is the war zone of Napoleon Bonaparte’s last battle, the Battle of Waterloo, fought June 18, 1815. This was also the largest war zone in Europe during that time. The highlight of this popular site is the Lion’s statue places on a mound, looking upon the vast battlefield. The historical significance of this place attracts a lot of tourists from round the world. The sight can be roughly divided into 3 parts, Hameau du Lion (Lion’s Hamlet), Waterloo Town Centre and in the Museum in the Last Headquarters of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Address: Waterloo, Begium
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2. Atomium
The Atomium in Brussels, is a landmark building located on the Heysel Plateau. It was constructed for the first post-war universal world exhibition (EXPO 58) in 1958 and is now a museum. Atomium was designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak. The structure is 335 feet tall, with nine massive stainless-steel-spheres that are connected with each other, depicting an atomic structure formation. Interestingly, each sphere has space for hosting exhibitions. Five spheres habitable and can be accessed through stairs, escalators and a lift. The topmost sphere also consists of a restaurant which from where you can have a panoramic view of Brussels.
Address: Square de l’Atomium, 1020 Bruxelles, Belgium
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3. King Baudouin Stadium
Cricket is a Belgian invention! Scholars believe that settlers from north Belgium could have imported the amusement to Britain, in light of an ancient poem, composed in 1533, that calls Flemish weavers ‘ruler of crekettes’ and furthermore makes reference to ‘wickets’, originating before English references dating to the 1600s. So, a country where the sport of cricket is so significant, visiting a popular stadium is a great idea. King Baudouin Stadium is a multi-use stadium inaugurated in 1930. This is the biggest stadium in Belgium and you would need a guide for the visit. There are various interactive tools installed at different zones in the stadium that tells you about its history.
Address: Avenue de Marathon 135, 1020 Bruxelles, Belgium
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4. Signal de Botrange
The highest point in Belgium is smaller than the world’s tallest building. The Signal de Botrange on the High Fens level in far-east Belgium is the highest point in Belgium which is around 694m. It is the top of a broad plateau. It is shorter than the world’s tallest skyscraper in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa at 828m. Belgium alongside the Netherlands and Luxembourg are verifiably known as the Low Countries. Interestingly, being the highest point, the weather conditions here also differ from the rest of Belgium. Signal de Botrange experiences stronger winds and the temperatures also drop lower than the center of Belgium. The places also receive more rainfall.
Address: Liege, Beligium
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5. Boerentoren
Boerentoren or the Farmer’s Tower is Europe’s first skyscrapers. The structure, that is originally known as Torengebouw van Antwerpen and officially known as KBC Tower, was completed in 1928 in Antwerp. The height of Boerentoren has made several records in the history and it is yet the tallest place in Antwerp today. It is about 96m high and consists of 26 floors. The workmanship deco structure, now known as Boerentoren or KBC Tower, was the tallest expanding on the landmass until 1940 when Terrazza Martini Tower opened in Genoa, Italy. Boerentoren building was designed by Jan Van Hoenacker.
Address: Schoenmarkt 35, Antwerp, Belgium
6. Rue du Marché aux Herbes
Belgium is additionally credited to having Europe’s most seasoned shopping arcades, The Galeries St Hubert, which opened in Brussels in 1847. The oldest shopping place in Belgium is in the back streets between the Rue du Marché aux Herbes /Grasmarkt and the Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères /Warmoesberg and displace an ignoble space where the bourgeoisie hardly wandered into with a secured shopping arcade in excess of 200 meters (660 feet) long. This packed lane is a popular shopping street in Belgium, so make sure you pay a visit to this humble yet busy street for a real feel of Belgium shopping.
Address: 1000 Brussles, Belgium
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7. Rue des Bouchers
Get ready to add an inch or two to your waistline. Belgium’s surprising scope of food specialties goes a long way, past the nation’s modest size and isn’t meant for weight-watchers. Brussels and Liège contend over what establishes the ideal waffle, while innumerable shops offer a portion of the world’s most delicious chocolates. Large mussels are presented with a firm, twice-seared frites that you’ll just call ‘French’ fries at your danger. Blending is relatively mysterious workmanship in Belgium with an amazing rainbow of various styles, most remarkably the six extraordinary Trappist brews, still made inside dynamic religious communities. Wondering, where to go to gulp all of this? Head straight to Rue des Bouchers, the popular food street in Brussels.
Address: 1000 Brussles, Belgium
8. Flanders
Despite the fact that minimal, Belgium is a place with striking complexities: etymological, social and topographic. Most of the memorable ‘workmanship’ urban communities lie in prevalent level, Dutch-speaking Flanders, tempting guests with medieval towers, mystical marketplaces and architecturally different houses that frequently ignore really urban waterways. Flanders is a Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium. If you want to explore a different cultural side of the country, this is where you must go. The sight of its beautiful canals and bridges harmoniously blending with urban settlement will leave you breathless.
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9. Wallonia
Wallonia is the French-speaking portion of the Southern Belgium. Conversely, in spite of some interesting post-modern urban areas, quite a bit of sloping, French-speaking Wallonia is significantly rustic. So it’s valuable to have your own wheels to achieve the locale’s tremendous caverns, noteworthy manors and rustic valleys, where there’s perpetual open-air amusing to be had. The place is known for its medieval towns, Renaissance-era architecture and traditional Trappist beers. Popular tourist spots include baroque St. Aubin Cathedral and the Citadel, a hilltop fort founded in the 10th century. It is located in the Namur.
10. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Forefront exhibition halls and finely enriched displays disclose the mind-boggling history of what has been a pot of European craftsmanship, from the Flemish Primitives, through Rubens’ enticing fairies and workmanship nouveau’s twisted bends to unusual surrealism, funny cartoons and 21st-century mold. Belgium likewise has a portion of the world’s most bizarre fairs. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is a place where you can get a peek of all the above. This group of art museums contains over 20,000 drawings, sculptures, and paintings, dating from the early 15th century to the present.
Address: Rue de la Régence 3, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Further Read: 10 Extraordinary Things To Do During Your Summer Holidays In Europe
We hope that our mini guide, Belgium Travel – Cockpit Of Europe, has helped you travel through time and virtually visit the wonderful historical streets and places of Belgium. So, plan a trip to Belgium now, pack your stuff and plunge into the amazing experience that Belgium has to offer.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Belgium Travel – Cockpit Of Europe
Which country is known as the ‘Cockpit of Europe’?
Belgium is known as the ‘Cockpit of Europe’.
What does ‘Cockpit of Europe’ mean?
Belgium is called the ‘Cockpit of Europe’ because it is where the largest number of European battles have taken place in the history.
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A writer at TravelTriangle, Elin, enjoys putting her travel experiences into words. She is a lover of cats and coffee and believes in the idea of ‘Live and let live’.
