BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG

BELGIUM AND ITS diminutive neighbour have much in common: they fall naturally into the same section. Many of their old castles and pretty half-timbered mansions have been converted into luxury hotels, and everywhere you will find an emphasis on food. Some hotels do two rounds of breakfast (the second starting at 11am). Expect generous portions.Simple soup can turn out to be a ‘relay race’ of several different flavours; a humble espresso may be elaborated with a side order of whipped cream and pralines. If the eating gets too much, you could try resting your liver at a ‘thermal centre’, such as one of those found in the Belgian town of Spa – parent of ‘health farms’ worldwide.

The North

The Flemish north and the Walloon south of Belgium have different languages, communities and indeed administrations. The capital, Brussels, is on the dividing line separating the two. In the north are the provinces of West and East Flanders, Antwerp, Limburg and the upper reaches of Brabant. The region is flat and very similar to Holland. Antwerp mixes sleaze and wealth in equal measure, is Europe’s second largest port and centre of the world diamond trade.

Some wonderful places to stay here include a townhouse hotel dating from the 16th century, and an Art Deco villa. In Flanders, to the southwest, there’s the chance to stay in a couple of quayside hotels in Bruges, and visit Ghent, with its artistic and architectural treasures.

The South

The Walloon south begins at the province of Hainaut. To the east are the Ardennes, an area of thickly forested hills which also spill over into Luxembourg and northeastern France. Whereas the French Ardennes are industrialised, the Belgian Ardennes are largely unspoilt, and some of the region’s most beautiful hill-top castles have been converted into hotels. The Ardennes town of Spa was noted in Roman times by Pliny the Elder as a health resort, and there are some interesting places to stay in and around the town. If the treatments don’t appeal, then make your way to Namur, the gastronomic capital of Belgium. Luxembourg Luxembourg has two aspects: the hilly Ardennes in the north and the farmland of the south – called the Bon Pays or Gutland (Good Land). The Grand Duchy (population about 400,000) has its own steel industry which is concentrated in the southwest. The rest of the country is covered in vineyards, particularly the slopes on either side of the Moselle river.

FOOD AND DRINK

BELGIANS ARE keen to point out that their country contains more Michelin-starred restaurants than France. Dishes are similar in style to French cuisine and specialities include foie gras, fine cheeses, snails served with herb butter, and fresh trout, pike, perch and crayfish from the rivers. Beef from Herve and lamb from Hainaut are particularly good. In Brussels, café snacks include mussels and chips, shrimp croquettes, chips and mayonnaise or stoemp (steak tartare). Vegetarians are not particularly well catered for: in fact, vegetarian restaurants are rare – the notable exception being Lombardia (03 233 6819) in Antwerp.

Sweets and pastries are on sale everywhere. As any chocoholic knows, Belgium and chocolate go together as readily as Plastic Bertrand and Europop. There is a Chocolat Jacques ‘kingdom of chocolate’ at Eupen, 30km (18 miles) from Liège, but if you don’t make it there, look out for their chocolates on sale everywhere, or those of Galler Manufacture, Léonidas or Godiva, who are the other top chocolate producers. There are more than 400 types of Belgian beer, including three strong beers brewed in the traditional way by the Trappist monks at Chimay, Rochefort and Orval. It’s also worth trying the equally lively fruit beers. Brussels’ famous beers are Faro, Gueuze, Lambic and Kriek. Luxembourg’s specialities include mussels, Ardennes ham, pastries and trout. Its Moselle wines are similar in style if not in quality to those over the border in Germany. BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

ROOMS USUALLY have double beds. If you would like twin or single beds, these must be requested when booking. It’s very rare for any of the hotels listed here not to have en suite bathrooms, but a bathroom with a bath costs more than one with a shower.

IN NORTHERN Belgium, breakfasts are like Dutch breakfasts; in the south, they are more like the French. Luxembourg breakfasts are a mixture of Dutch and French. Many of the restaurants with rooms offer reductions for half board or demi-pension (a per person rate for the room, dinner and breakfast). These are often good value. Language About 60 per cent of Belgians are Flemish speakers; the rest (the Walloons) speak French. There are also some German speakers in the eastern provinces.

In Luxembourg, the two official languages are French and Letzeburgesch. The latter is a Germanic language which most of the population speaks. Road signs are written in both.

Currency

From 1 January 2002, the European euro (written ‘EUR’), made up of 100 cents.

Shops

9am–5:30pm Mon–Fri. Some shops are closed on Monday mornings and for lunch. On Saturdays, shops open for half a day or all day and are closed on Sunday.

Tipping

In hotels, service is included in the bill, and a 16 per cent service charge is usually added to restaurant bills. A further tip is only required for exceptional service. As in France, cinema usherettes are given a small tip (about 50 cents).

Telephones

Public phones in Belgium take coins or telecards, which are on sale at post offices, newsstands and stations.

But with cheap, unlimited local calls, phoning from a hotel may, unusually for Europe, be a relatively economical option. To make phone calls inside Belgium, dial the whole number including the initial 0. To telephone Belgium (or Luxembourg) from the UK, dial 00 32 (00 352), then the number omitting the initial 0 from the area code; from the US, dial 011 32 (00 352), also omitting the initial zero from the area code.

Public holidays

Carnival time (the week around Shrove Tuesday) sees many businesses shut, and the grape harvest in Luxembourg’s Moselle Valley is another occasion for holidays.

The official holidays are: Belgium: January 1; Easter Sunday and Monday; 1 May; Ascension Day; Whit Sunday and Monday; 21 July; 15 August; 1 November; 11 November (Armistice Day); 15 November (King’s Birthday); 25 and 26 December. Luxembourg: As above, but with the addition of Good Friday; 23 June (National Day).