What you describe is not bad service, it's what we expect in Belgium. You get your menu, they come back to take your order and then maybe once to ask if everything is ok. If you need something in between, you have to call your waiter yourself and then they will come and they will help you if possible. That's just the way we want it here and that's the way everybody is trained. That over the top American thing where they show up at your table every five minutes, we call pushy. It also helps that our waiters are not dependent on tips for their survival.
@@Jungle1048 You are a stereotype American, coming to Europe and deciding how we should do things (ie the American way). The two comments above yours clearly say that Europeans don't really like the American style of service and prefer it the way it is here in Europe. But that's not good enough is it? You have to tell us we're wrong. Go to Florida for your next holiday. Sorry -*vacation*.
Yep and then being like oh ye true that or bro you serious, like what he said about us aming for the tourrist when they jaywalk. No it's the other way around, I would just bike along and then bam tourist suddenly had the urge to kill themself and jumps infront of me. Then you have to swerve around almost fall because the road is fucked.
As a Belgian (Flemisch) may I explain the service-thing? Most of us don't like to be over-serviced. Asking once or twice if everything is alright is more then enough to us. We hate to be pampered, so that is why we don't do that ourselves.
@@florinadrian5174 ah, but to understand the train chaos, it'll take a trip down politics and socio-cultural topics that would merit a master's degree, so.... do you have a minute? Or 288,000? I guess the TL;DR is that it used to be a government company with a monopoly, and then privatization came along and European laws about free market competition demanded services to be split up in different companies, which basically didn't change anything except now the departments don't talk with eachother anymore because they are separate companies, and if a Flemish branch of one company needs something from one of the other companies that happens to be in the French speaking part, then they are just plain ignored, and if the French branch seeks to get something from the Flemish company, they get told to F the H off. And then there's political influence, high level corruption, nepotism, incompetent management, and just the general sociopolitical landscape of the most artificial country in Europe (Belgium didn't grow, wasn't conquered or won, wasn't inherited or married into. It was created on a piece of paper and the people that happened to live here along 2 sides of the most dramatic cultural border in the history of mankind (ok, probably slightly exaggerated, but still a very dramatic cultural divide between Roman and Germanic peoples) were told to shut up and make nice together. With one side demanding the other do more of the making nice. It's a mess... But it's OUR mess! (288,000 = the average amount of contact time in a master's degree education expressed in minutes. yea, I have too much time.)
The waffles with toppings is a tourist thing: Belgians eat their waffles plain (Liege type of waffles , or Brussels type of waffles) . All those shops in the center serving all sorts of extravagant toppings on waffles are a recent creation for tourists only.
Yep! I miss the gooey, street waffles with just the pearl sugar (Vigaufra). I know they still sell them, but it's not the same feeling anymore. The new shops look fake.
True. And waffles are not a really popular thing among locals, except maybe for Brussels. Beer, stews, mussels, complaining about taxes, weather, and public transportation... that's what the locals drink, eat, and do 😅
@@chouchounah You go to Antwerp there is the smallest waffle stand of the country close to the Boerentoren when you go from the Meir to the Groenplaats.
Great video. One remark. Belgium has a GREAT NIGHTLIFE. Modern nightlife is actually invented in Belgium. We had the first big techno disco's in the world. The techno nightlife started in Belgium (simultaneously with Londen and Chicago, but we were pioneering) and then spread all over the world. In cities like Brussles, Antwerp, Ghent, Liege, etc. you can party till early morning or even later if you know where to go. Why do you think the biggest techno festival comes from Belgium: Tomorrow Land. It comes from our early techno culture that started in the late 70's and 80's.
In July 2023 I heard on the news that the nightlife (club culture) in Brussels has been recognized as "immaterial cultural heritage" - by the city of Brussels, not by UNESCO.
As a 20 year old from Belgium, I have never met someone from the German speaking part of the country. It's quite a mysterious place I guess. I plan to go there sometime in the future, just to confirm for myself that it actually exists.
there are some very nice towns there. If you go there, i recommend going to Aussichtsplattform Gileppe-Talsperre as well. It has a huge statue of a Lion guarding the German border. (to be clear, it's not AT the German border but rather a few kilometres away from it. There's also a very nice old timey-rail cart ride close to that. (Hohes Venn railbike)
I'm Belgian, and I always tell my fellow Belgians...please... explore the world, but don't skip our own country. It is incredible. Such a small country, packed with mesmerizing towns, cities and nature.
Correct, but avoid Brussel it's Marokesh with even more cigarette 🚬 butts on the ground,and don't forget the junkies living on the streets and the wonderful buildings left to rotten because Liberal politicians have spent all Belgian assets on immigrants. Have a nice holiday in Belguim.
As a Belgian I can say we do have nightlife, but it's pub related. Pubs stay open 'till 5-6am sometimes. We also have the concept of dance pubs, normal pubs which will turn in a dance venue after a while. If you look online you will find clubs in every big city. But in the summers we mainly have open air parties during the day.
@@aaohknsn Yes, Bruges gets VERY quiet after 9pm when all the daytrippers leave. Makes it quite atmospheric to walk through though. But Brussels around La Monnaie et cetera is booming. Liege around Carré, Leuven in all of the student bars, Antwerp in several places... We do good parties. Most of the big clubs have died in the last 20 years or so though. Change of culture.
If you want nightlife and clubs, visit Oostende. Also, a lot of coastal towns have beach bars where delicious cocktails are served until late at night.
Belgian here... here's how we typically do the customer-waiter dynamic in the more decent restaurants: - most often the waiters will assign you a table and they will usually first come with a menu asking what you'd like to drink and sometimes an appetizer (small dishes to awaken the tastebuds), if not immediately, they'll come back almost any time within 10 minutes unless its extraordinarely busy in the restaurant. if you haven't decided what to eat yet, just relax and think it through. if they catch you reading the menu, that typically signals you're still deciding what to eat. - after you had your drinks, the waiter supposedly will come back to ask for a main course if you've all looked in the menu and laid it down to signal you've decided what to eat. - it's not such a big deal if you haven't immediately decided but try to make sure everyone has before the waiter comes because if it gets busy, you don't want to keep the waiters around wasting their valuable time to serve other customers, however don't worry too much... most waiters will tend to ask you if everyone has decided and if someone hasn't decided yet, they'll say no problem and come back 5 minutes later. it's better to take your time and make an informed decision than to rush your stuff and move on to the next thing because to us Belgians that comes off as not taking the time to enjoy your meal. - when you've been given your main course, you just eat your meal as anyone else, take your time to enjoy it (and gush over how good it is lol) and at this point it is socially more acceptable to signal a waiter if you want more drinks, however also here apply a few not-set-in-stone but generally useful rules: order drinks when most people have less than half their glass left. don't order like three full pint size drinks in one go... go easy on the alcohol, especially in a decent restaurant. nothing is as annoying as a bunch of overtly drunk tourists in a decent restaurants. when signalling, don't just obnoxiously signal around with your hand all the time that you need a waiter, look out for one that is not preoccupied and is looking in your general direction BEFORE signalling. if you make eye contact, then signal, and they'll come to you 9/10 times. - when you're done eating your main course, the waiter will come ask if it tasted good, and they'll typically either ask if you'd like to receive the bill or eat desserts (which is often accompanied with hot drinks like a cup of tea or coffee but dessert and hot drinks are usually still priced individually so don't expect 2 in 1). If you receive your bill, and you feel the food was extraordinalery great, it's alright if you want to tip a couple euros but that's completely up to you. nobody's gonna give you a stink eye for not tipping. I hope that helps.
No party nightlife in Belgium ? That's not really the case. It's just that it's specific to some places, especially places with a student community. For exemple a place like "Le carré (The Square)" in the city of Liège has a huuuuge nightlife all year long, with people dancing on the tables and bars closing at 5am or even later.
There is, but its not that big anymore, actual sizable clubs like carré, versuz, kokorico have become more the exception than the rule i feel. In the big city's a collection of small clubs remains, but its not really comparable to what it used to be. And to me, those feel more like cafe's with louder music, than an actual proper club. There is pretty lively rave & festival scene though. Or maybe i am just getting older, and unaware of what has popped up since many places i knew closed.
Oh yes, I will travel 6000km to visit a Bar or a night club..... And there are really people who do that. Crazy... they can have the same music and atmosphere at home in acheaper and greener way....
@@vakaras01 I understand that.... but then I ask: Why on RUclips/Instagram or other platforms there are so many channels exactly to promote that? Yes... if you are there and want to go for one night I can understand.... but solely traveling to go (as people do for example in Europe with going to Mallorca) it is difficult for me to understand.
Lots of nightlife in Brussels, Antwerp and Gent. A lot of it is ‘underground’ so check local listings when you’re there. And Belgium has some of the biggest music festivals in Europe during the summer.
I guess in Belgium there are the most festivals/concerts per capita in the entire world ! If you live in Brussels you could go to a great concert every day if you had the money !
As a Belgium I don't understand the bad service idea. Most of the time it is great, But maybe I just don't like the over the top fake friendly concept.
In my experience it's usually friendly, but not necessarily very attentive. At least, it took me about twenty minutes to get the check twice in the last weekend. Of course, personnel in restaurants is very busy just about everywhere at the moment, so maybe that's not typical?
@@Snowshowslow In Europe in general, it's expected for you to ask for the bill. If the waiter would offer you the bill, without you asking, it's considered rude. It would be seen as them trying to get you out of there, so they can use the table.
The public transportation tardiness is indeed very typical to Belgium, sometimes frustratingly so. I learned to take a bus or train early just to avoid being late
Spent several weeks in Ghent for business. Wonderful city, wonderful people. Discovered the "meaning" of Tripel there. Took me two hours to find my hotel after midnight. At least I walked off the buzz.
I'm a Canadian living in Belgium, and there's a few places people miss when they come here. "Don't" miss going to Dinant and Bouillion. They are about a 45 minute drive from one another. Bouillion has one of the most impressive castle I've ever seen, plus it is quite literally the place that started the Crusades. "Don't" miss out on trying beer that you've not heard of before. Paix Dieu, Triple Karmeliet, Chimay and St-Bernardus Abt, to just name a few. One last "don't" for you, is to not miss out on visiting smaller towns. There are Abbeys that make excellent beer, old castles and manors you can visit, beautiful public parks (the one in Enghien is really nice) and some fantastic food to be had. Cheers
As a Walloon, I just want to thank you for mentioning all these beautiful places from my region :) I hope you're having a fantastic time here in Belgium! :)
As a Belgian, visit Ghent and Bruges, those two are the most beautiful (big) cities we have to offer. If you are looking to party during the week, go to Overpoort in Ghent where all the students hang out (including myself), foreign people are always welcomed whit open arms! Especially when we’re drunk. Greetz
I am American and was a student in Antwerp for 1 year and for 3 years in Ghent. My room was near Overpoort, but those are student cafes, used a lot on Thursday nights. Go to the city center on Friday and Saturday nights with the foreign students! I guess most foreign students are older than most Belgian students there, but the Belgian students really keep to themselves, while the foreign students really get to know each other. Ghent is almost empty on the weekends, with the Belgian students away at home. All of us foreign students had the whole city to ourselves on the weekends. Easter vacation was always a good time for two weeks. The Belgian students don't know what they are missing when they go home.
I'd disagree with the argument that there's not a lot of nightlife. Of course big cities like Antwerp and Brussels have some nightlife going on, but the nightlife is particularly more pronounced and concentrated in university cities and towns. Particularly Leuven (and Gent) are known to be the best places for going out here.
@@claudyfocan731 Leuven is a university city. Like there revolves around it. Stuff closes in the summer. Gent is a regular city. I still prefer Leuven, but I went to school there so I am biased😛
Belgium is a nice country. I was stationed there from 91-93 in the Army. Back in the 90's it was a party country! My first born son was born in Mons. My first wife is from Belgium. Good times back then.
Just came back from bruges. Very calm and laid back place. A must go when visiting Belgium. Thank you for posting the most informative videos. They have been very helpful.🇧🇪 ❤️
Belgian here. My partner and mother are 'small eaters'. Not cleaning out your plate is not really frowned upon. You may be asked if anything was wrong, just answer it was good (if it was) and you are finished and no one will bat an eye. Most places will pack your leftovers, but you have to ask. The only place where it is frowned upon is all you can eat places: Take what you can finish there.
I have to agree with other commenters about the service. It is more of a cultural thing, we don't consider it unfriendly (American style service is considered annoying). If you think Belgian service is bad, wait till you visit Paris 😅
Hey! Belgium has some of the best festivals! Also there’s a lot of partying in the university cities! All in all good summary of Belgium. I know we come off as unfriendly but I feel like we’re very much closed off. Once you get to us you’re our best friend! On the other side of that… I used to tell Belgians going to the US that Americans can come off as overly friendly and fake to try and sell you stuff or get more tip. It really is a cultural difference but most people really have your wellbeing as their interest and will help you anywhere!
Really enjoyed this video. I have become very familiar with Belgium these past few years, it really feels like a hidden (or at least understated) gem in Europe, we love it. Just one or two things on the video: firstly, we find Belgians to be much (much!) friendlier than French people, they seem really welcoming and open. Secondly, I think it's important to get across that many museums/ other attractions are closed on Mondays, more than Sundays. Not everything, by any means, but a lot. Our own tip would be just to be mindful of that, and plan in advance what is open on a Monday rather than assuming that everything will be. Same in many European cities.
The French are indeed generally rude in my experience. Their food too, its not better than ours. Nor worse 🤷♂️ Our people sometimes don’t come over very well bcs they might be a bit closed up when meeting strangers. Idk why. I work for an offshore company, I work at sea with people from all over the world, from Croatia to the Philippines, they all mistook me for being Dutch at first 😂 bcs I am more open and “in your face” than they are used to with Belgians 😆
Dont forget wallonia, why always everything to go in Flandria, so much beauty in Wallonia : Dinant (also access in train ^^ ) , Liège , Namur, Bouillon, la Gaume, Bastogne , ...
I’ve just been to Brussels and everything was open late at night every single day. We used to go to sleep around midnight and the streets and restaurants were still full of people even on a Wednesday! It was full of young people everywhere and they had concerts at the square. I’ve never seen so many young people partying on the streets in Europe ever.
Culturally speaking, Belgians are closed, discreet, private, modest,... Thus it may seem that we are not being friendly. But it's nothing personal. We are happy to help. Also, when Belgians go to a restaurant we basically wanna order, get our food and be left alone so that we can enjoy our meal. We don't want pushy waiters, so they're not gonna get pushy. We don't tip, but you may. So if you need something, just ask. Anyway, love your video. You're always welcome! Grtzs from Belgium! 😊
As a local from Belgium (Flemish), it is nice to hear all those positives about our country. We Belgians aren't so positive about our own country but still, all you did say...I have to agree that it is (most of it) thru.
Flemish boy here. Amusing to see my country through the eyes of an American and, in general, not far off the mark. A few nuances though: there is a big nightlife here, but you have to know where to find it. There's a plethora of pubs and clubs, open until morning, techno & dance is still a really big scene here (and was partly invented here) and we have the most summer festivals per capita in the world. Every town and village has a night shop so you can get beers and smokes up to 1 AM or later. Public transport is quite lame here, especially when you go outside of the more populated areas. Rent a bike. Belgium has been upscaling it's bike infrastructure and it's slowly starting to show. And since Flanders is mostly flat, it's excellent bike country. It's national sport #2 after soccer. We do love our beers and our food, but the service is not per se bad, in stead they allow you to take your time. Besides Brussels also Charleroi, Antwerp and Ghent have some really sketchy areas. And we're not all that crazy about chocolate, that's mainly a tourist trap. But I admit, we do have excellent chocolatiers (some of them are celebs even!) As far as the regions are concerned: that's all true, but I would state that there's a bigger cultural difference between city folk and country folk here. But the regional differences within both Flanders and Wallonia are more gradual. The difference in mentality between Wallonia and Flanders as a linguistic/cultural entity, however, is massive and more truncated. Having lived in both parts, it's really like going into another country. Hope that clarifies some things! Enjoy our little s(t)inkhole!
As a Belgian from the Walloon region ( that studied in Flanders ) I find it sad that the northen cities are the only cities being talked about. There are many cities/villages to visit in the Walloon part ( south ). I think there is a lack of tourism there because the Walloons are French speaking and often have a harder time communicating in English to foreigners. But I promise you, they are as friendly and open as in the north. Thanks for talking about Belgium :D I'm glad you enjoyed it here
As someone from Flanders (of Russian origin, but living in Belgium since childhood and basically completely integrated), I very much support this. I think it's a shame that a lot of Flemings as well as foreign tourists only visit Flemish cities (that are absolutely with it, of course) and Brussels, while ingnoring Walloon cities. I very much loved Liège and Namur, as well as many smaller cities and towns: Tournai, Mons, Dinant, Huy, Spa, Arlon! I even liked Charleroi, it's not as terrible as often represented in Flemish and foreign media. While my French is rather limited, people in Wallonia were always super friendly! Belgium is a wonderful country, small yet culturally diverse. In order to fully uppreciate it, one should visit both parts, Flanders and Wallonia, as well as Brussels and even German-speaking region (technically a part of Wallonia, but distinct in terms of language and culture).
@@gt-lv3zoL'abbaye d'Aulne, L'abbaye de Marredsous , la plus grande bibliothèque de tout le pays est en Wallonie. Librairie Molière. Bref! Quand je lis que nous ne maîtrisons pas les langues... Je n'ai même plus envie de faire d'efforts. Pour le reste , faite une recherche sur Google. Je viens d'une famille hollandaise et belge. Je parle trois langues. Mais il faut se ramasser les commentaires des américains... Qui ne parle qu'une seule langue et dont la principale nourriture sont les hamburgers et autres choses qui filent le diabète. Vous voyez les clichés sont vraiment partout.
The French has some beautiful places for sure but if you compare bigger cities the French speaking cities are neglected, there is less structural maintenance and they work less to keep it clean.
Don't tip in belgium? I would change that to "You are not required to tip". If you find the service great and want to leave a tip that's up to you. Saying that tipping is a "don't" could be seen as in japan that it is offensive, but it isn't offensive here in Belgium. You can just do it when you get a good service. Another thing I want to add is, is that It really depends where you are. Nightlife is really booming in Gent, Antwerp,.... (no idea about brussels) But yeah the after 6PM is quite right. XD loved the video!
As a Belgian, I was skeptical of this video when I saw it at first but I agree with most of these. Except the service on, the service here is exactly what it should be, unobtrusive and professional.
As a Belgian, this is pretty spot on. We might differ slightly on some small technicalities or as someone who lives here and someone who doesn't but it's a very very fair representation. Very good work. And good advice about the beers. Don't overdo it. Unless you like to end up drunk, it's pretty easy around here 😉
It's really nice to hear a foreigner enjoying their time in Belgium. I would like to add a few things. 1. Museum: most are free the first Sunday of the month. You can also buy a Museum Pass with which you can visit hundreds of museums or cultural events and don't need to pay the entrance fee, it's covered by the pass. 2. If you need a waiter, wave at one. 3. The nightlife might not be crazy, but we have tons of festivals, especially in the summer. If you want to party like crazy, those are the place to go. Thanks for your video 👍
Certainly visit Wallonie, the south of the country as well. Namur is a gorgeous city, and more enjoyable than overpriced tourist Brugge. The later is just my opinion, as a Brabant man from Antwerpen. The Ardennes area that covers Wallonie, the North of France and a bit of Flanders is gorgeous. And the comment thread on the sevice part is spot on, we like to not be hassled by the people working in a cafe or restaurant. Just like we don't like to hassle them. If the staff has time, I will chat as I am a social person, if we simply want to place our order and everyone does their own thing. US service is obnoxious to most Belgians. Someone in a bar service here has a full wage, just like an office worker, with all the social security like everyone else. Tips are a bonus and they do not need to project the infamous fake American smile for them :)
Being a Belgian, I wanna say this is a very accurate video. Just a few things: it is normal to tip in pubs, restaurants and taxis (one or two euros/person). When you like old towns make sure you visit Doornik (Flemish name) / Tournai (Wallon name) and don't ride a bicycle in Bruges, nothing but cobblestones, very uncomfortable.
Don't think you can drink the beer like at home. They're smaller scooner sizes for the reason the alcohol % is through the roof. And different beers can hit different. Talking from experience!
The pils beer is doable in large quantities it comes in 25/30 (depending op the bar and brand), 33 and 50 cl sizes. For most of the beers out there it’s almost always 33cl and alcohol percentages can really range from almost 0 to well over 20% but most will be in the 6,5 to 10% range when excluding pils which is generally 5,2%.
I live in Bruges and you can definitely go out and party lol. Sure we don't have actual clubs but we do have 15+ dance cafés open and packed from thursday till sunday
As a Belgian, I loved this video, but want to add something myself: 10:08, There is a nightlife here, you just gotta know where to go. Ghent, Antwerp & Ostend for example are all good places.
Great review im irish i live here had to respectfully comment about you saying it's not a party lifestyle or country 😮 lol you must be mixing in the wrong places. The café music dancing friendliness culture here is amazing i cant keep up😅 😮😂💚
It’s funny that you say most people just go to Brussels because here in the UK I’d say Brugge is more popular, perhaps because it’s closer and easy to get to from here by car (whereas no one wants to drive in Brussels). In fact when I went for the weekend to Brussels many people thought I was going to Brugge... by default to brits a place beginning with B in Belgium is Brugge. Also about the North station... I actually used it when I went to Brussels as we drove from the UK, parked at the airport to avoid driving in the city, and took the train in and North Station had a link to the tram and Apple maps said it was the best one to get off at to get to the European Parliament that we were touring. *Warning though* we left the station building to try and find the tram and it is only accessible via the inside of the train station... if you leave you’ll end up walking round in circles in a piss ridden bus station and then giving up and walking down the street to the next tram stop like we did.
I want to explain the service thing. I’m a Belgian, and it’s normal for us not to get annoyed by butlers or people to ask how we are and if everything is fine. We are happy when we can eat peacefully and not getting annoyed every 5 minutes. If we need something, we put our hands up and we do it. If your too lame to not put your hands up, you’ll have to get your drinks yourself. Just explaining
Belgians in general are friendly. Staff in shops, café’s and restaurant are very hospitable. Even staff in fastfood restaurants are always friendly and helpful. Foreign tourist always take it for granted that the locals understand an speak their language. If lour lost, ask a local for directions in afriendly way: “Excuse me, do you speak English?” In most cases the answer will be: “A little” 😊 off course the younger generations are better in English than the elderly people. But they’ll get you where you want to be. They will do their best to help you. And don’t forget to say, ‘thank you’. Belgium is a safe place to live and to visit. But the big city police forces are understaffed. Don’t go out at night on your own, take some friends with you an stay in de well lit street and squares. Avoid dark alley’s and streets without shops and café’s. Put smarphones away an guard your purse or rucksacks. Traffic in cities is very intens and Belgians aren’t the best and safe drivers. Speeding and rather agressive driving is common. Suit a lot of electric bike as wel and wacht out for cyclists on so called ‘speed pedelecs’. Powerfull electric bikes that can reach speeds over 50 km/u and sometimes even faster. You don’t hear them comming so have a good look before you cross cyclepaths and streets. Enjoy your stay! 😊
The nightlife was bigger here, but more and more clubs dissapeared because reasons. You can find still partys in allot student citys and big citys, in the summer there is ALLOT of festivals. Most famous one, tomorrowland for example.
What Americans call good service, a lot of Europeans call stalking. I was so shocked at how servers would not leave us alone for a second when we ate out in the USA. I got very annoyed because they were constantly interrupting our conversation, which comes off as pushy and rude to me. Ideally, service is invisible: empty glasses are cleared away without interrupting conversation, and servers are available when you need them (just give them a wave), but not in your face.
When it comes to parties we do have some of the biggest music festivals out there, Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop and Tommorowland are all pretty big and attract a lot of tourists, and there are ofcourse moments like the Ghent festivities which are also pretty fun, and massive. For reference, Tommorowland has about 400 000 guests each year, it's Belgium's biggest music festival. The Ghent festivities are a bit longer, but count 2 000 000 guests every year. The music isn't done by that famous artists, but it is free. Fun fact actually, Ghent doesn't book huge artists because it would bring in too much tourists (it's still a free event) and the few times they did, it always backfired.
As a Belgian, yes trains can have delays, but it's a dense network and a good one, a major problem can be technical problems most of the time electronic related. My advice is to stay calm there is a very good coordination team who always do their best to keep the problems to a minimum, and as a regular traveler in Europe, I can say that the neighboring countries are not doing better or worse. And an other thing I want to ad, most international travelers visit the mid to west of the country but also try the north east, very nice bicycle network, a nice open air museum called Bokrijk, with a beautiful free to vist arboretum…
I live in Bruges my whole life. So I know the place very well (54 years). Your comment on the service is partially true. Due to the many tourist you have 2 kind of restaurants. The once for mostly tourists and the once better known with locals. The tourists restaurants are like factories. Try to serve as many tourists as possible (=more money) that result’s in less service. These days most of the people that work there are from Eastern Europe countries and have a complete different mentality (less friendly) then the locals. The more local restaurants offer a greater service and are mostly run by locals. Brugge (Bruges) is a town with a village mentality. And that’s quite unique. They are closed people but if they like you they will open up.
As a person living in Bruges so being West Flemish half Canadian, I can tell you one thing, we as West Flemish people we can party hard work hard and might come off as people who don't have the most patience, we all try our best, and work hard. We do love our country and we learn to speak Dutch, French, German, English very early on in our life to be honest. Nightlife is also pretty good and last long but at times you'll need to learn the places where to go when but everyone can find them. Just enjoy while visiting please
As a Bruges local (and a sort of youtuber myself) I was curious how Belgium is perceived as a tourist. I love how you bring the video to your audience! I would say another don´t is to go in a place speaking the wrong languague, like yelling bonjouuurrr as you walk in a flemish bar and vice versa. This is a historical thing but walking in using the oposite languague is a guarantee for bad service (at least for me) 😅
Pretty well summarised in my opinion. As for the limited service you get in bars and restaurants I'd say it's very much a European kind of service vs a US type of service. People are less service oriented and on top of that there are way less people (probably 4x less than in the US) working in any given bar or restaurant because of the high taxes on wages so they need to focus on efficiency. Nightlife I tend to disagree. There's a lot of nightlife, no closing hours for bars or clubs anywhere and no restrictions on buying alcohol at any time of the day or night but you need to know where the best party is on any given night in any city.... but honestly that is also the case in NYC.
We just spent a few days in Belgium courtesy of a tour guide recommending it to us for consideration as we traveled by rail. We wound up in Antwerp and were so impressed with the architecture (Train station is gorgeous) and diverse food culture. The river cruise ships do stop there so some parts are geared to accommodating tourists. We are already considering a return trip to explore more cities in Belgium. Spectacular!
Harriet and I have been to Belgium. We have a friend who is from there. You were spot on. There's more to Belgium than Brussels. Thanks for the video. Harriet and Jim
as a Belgian myself I do have some sidenotes here, the service stuff has beed explained by other (rather eat in peace than be bugged every 5mins). but on the tipping, I truly don't understand where you got that. tipping does happen regularly, just not in the same way as you might be used to. for one, we don't usually tip everywhere we go, it's mostly if you go to your local pub where you're a regular, when you go to a (fancier) restaurant or when the service actually stood out. and we tend to just "round the bill" or do stuff like pay with card but leave some extra behind as a tip. it's just never in like.. the range of tipping X% or whatever, we don't really tip in percentages. you'll only rarely see tips larger than a few euros in anything except the fanciest of restaurants. in dutch we tend to call a tip "drinkgeld" which literally translates to drinking money. cause for us we expect the service industry to be paid a decent living wage. and when we tip it's more with a mentality of "thanks for the service, we enjoyed it, here's some extra for you to have a beer on us (after your shift :p )". so yes, it's not a custom for belgians to tip every bar we visit, but tipping is very common, it's just a lot more dependent on the situation. as for nightlife, there's locations, theres cities with good nightlife, but it might just not be up to par to the nightlife you're used to xP
It is always nice to hear a foreigners view of my country. Just clarifying some oddities: - In restaurants, pubs, cafés. Contrary as it is common in the US. The bill includes service and VAT (like sales tax). Waiters have a fixed salary. You are always welcome to leave a tip, preferably in cash, as the tip on a credit card does not work the same as in the US. Except some tourist traps the service is fine, more "rigid" than in the US. As the US waiter is paid (mostly) solely on the tip. This is sometimes very confusing when uninformed Belgian people visit the US as they expect a bill all included... - Most local stores stop at 6pm in the main cities on Saturdays even at 5pm. In tourist cities most souvenir shops stays open. - Sundays, it is not as strict as in the UK or Germany. In the morning some supermarkets are open as some bakeries, butchers, etc. If you want to go shopping on Sunday you can go to the town of Knokke (Belgian coast) all stores are open as most Belgians who have themselves a business go over there for shopping. Mondays not all shops are open at least not in tourist cities. - Belgian chocolates "pralines" is an invention of a Belgian pharmacist in the early 19e century to help patients take their medicine, as is the "ballotin" box.... As always you have tourist traps selling you junk for the real stuff. Some nationwide Belgian brands are Leonidas, Valentino, Neuhaus,... and of course local artisans who make them with the tradition in mind. When visiting Belgium do not forget the Southern region with cities like Namur, Liege, Spa and our German cities of Eupen, Malmedy, Sankt Vith.
Belgium definitely has more of a 'dance bar' than a clubbing scene, but mid-sized student cities will also at least have a smattering of places you can go for that, not just Antwerp and Brussels
Oh yes, I will travel 6000km to visit a Bar or a night club..... And there are really people who do that. Crazy... they can have the same music and atmosphere at home in acheaper and greener way....
@@hassanalihusseini1717 but you will travel 6000km to visit a temple or church or restaurant or museum? They have that too in wherever you're from. Silly argument. Even supermarkets are different in different countries, why wouldn't partying be?
@@TDarkHunt But the difference is when you are in a "NIGHT"! club as the name says you are all the night out, and sleeping all the day (I know that from some people I met in Bangkok). And you can find temples like in Thailand in USA? Or pyramides like in Djisah, Egypt in France? You are NOT a traveler at all.
As a Belgian, i loved this video, it's fun to see someone's perspective about us and most of the things are very true, mostly the difference in culture in different parts of Belgium. Although the thing about the bad-service is not really as bad as you make it seem. Most of the time the people are friendly (not always ofcourse) but we don't have a need for amazing service.
another tip if ur going to vlaandere ( dutch part of belgium ) always make sure if the busses trains or trams are not on strike cause it can some times happen without notice and it sucks
also for all of u motorheads out there heading to belgium be sure to give Zolder Circuit a check ( limburg belgium in Bolderberg ) u might even see me :D
Thank you for this great information. My wife and I are going to Belgium for 9 days in September. The most important thing we as Americans from the northeast have to do is be patient!!!
You have great places for going out in Belgium! Basically, you can do so in all 'student' cities (where the big universities in Flanders are): Leuven (the best in my opinion - I live and studied here), Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel, and Hasselt. Also, our service is not that bad... we just don't like that 'fake' happiness... Anyways, nice video! I can see that you really 'understand' Belgium, in some way... Well done! :D
In high-end restaurants in Europe, you don't really see their presence until you need something, they can tell by your body language that you need their attention. The reason is they want to be discrete and not intrusive.
"don't expect for big party nightlife" this heavily depends on the city you're in i live in kortrijk (west-flanders) and we got a lot of nightlife here
No nightlife in Belgium ? You're wrong, they are plenty of places to party, from bars to nightclubs pretty much everywhere across the country (many french come to belgium just to party). Belgium also has the highest rate of festivals per inhabitants in the world. Of course it is not Spain or Portugal where many cities come alive after 10 p.m.
Advise from a 64 old Belgian. Antwerp, Brugges, Ghent, Brussels and of course the sea side are the most visited and important places in Flanders but go also to Wallonia. Visit Waterloo, Durbuy, Dinant with its citadel, Caves of Han? There is enough to see but best have transport because you will have to travel from place to place and the lager cities are not worth your time in Wallonia.
I agree with everything that is said in this video except the service thing. This is very american oriented. As a belgian I'm very happy with the way we're being treated in most places. Of course some are bad, but in general that's just the way we want and like it. The american over friendliness is just fake and annoying. It makes us think it's hypocrisy.
Sadly yes Americans expect that the service everywhere. That's because that's all we know really. The biggest reason Americans are like that is because we only make 2.35 an hour. No that's not a misprint , that's all waiters, and waitress get paid. We depend on our tips for us to survive. So unfortunately we have to do that if we want to eat and pay our bills.
1) belgium party culture is known throughout the world, we party late and every day. It is unique to belgium and the Netherlands. We just keep it neat in the dance cafés, sometimes open till 7am, often grouped (oude markt leuven, overpoort in gent, etc etc) 2) belgian customer service is excellent do not let this man decieve you!! When dining, one is to enjoy the company of their party (and some beers) in peace. When a waiter walks by, raise your hand slightly! From a belgian wishing you a happy stay!
Oh and BTW; tipping is a good custom in Belgium. It is not mandatory as there is a 16% service charge included in prices, but saying that "they don't expect tips" is not quite as it is.
Not a bad summary. I think you grasped it 👍 I would insist on not forgetting there is Flander and Wallonia. There are two subcultures in this country. Belgium is in the middle of Europe and like in Europe, it has is southern "Latin" part and its nothern "german" part, it's not exactly the same culture. For instance, don't be late in Flanders, in Wallonia let's say we're more flexible and less ponctual. Same for jaywalk probably more usual in the south of the country... ;-)
As a Belgian citizen myself, I recommend the city of Gent/ village of Boom (Tommorowland) for the party people out there ;) Those are mostly places for the younger students or party tourists
About the Belgian restaurant service: First, a lot of Belgians tend not to like overly (fake) friendly interactions, and tend to prefer this kind of more formal service. Secondly, a lot of Belgians want to enjoy their meal in peace with their friends/family, and don't like to be interupted every so often. (I think this is a very American thing). If Belgians need something or have a problem with the service, they'll just ask the waiter over. That said, restaurants often don't have a lot of waiters on staff, so when it's busy, you might have to wait a for service. But I hope this gives some different insights into why the Belgian restaurant service is the way it is.
Just to add to your excellent video: 1 You're better off speaking English (rather than French) in Flanders (especially in the tourist towns) and French in Wallonia. Most Walloons don't bother with Dutch and many Flemish would rather not talk French (even if most of them understand it). And the linguistic debate in Belgium is not something you want to get involved in. 2 Avoid the rue des Bouchers in Brussels when going out to eat. You'll eat (at best) average food and pay more than you really should. There are better places. 3 The red light area to the east of Brussels North station is extremely seedy and you don't want to go there late at night. it's not as tourist-friendly as Amsterdam. 4 If you're going for a beer, please make an effort. I was in a bar in Bruges and an American tourist walked in (yes buddy I mean you). He didn't ask the waiter to show him a beer list or make some recommendations. He simply said "i'll have a beer" (and I'm not sure he even added a 'please'). He ended up (to the waiter's credit) getting served the type of beer I'd hesitate to wash my dishes in. 5 Mark mentioned the chocolate. Don't skip the fries either. They knock British fries in to a cocked hat. 6 The Manneken Pis isn't something you should absolutely not miss in Brussels. Enjoy Belgium !
What you describe is not bad service, it's what we expect in Belgium. You get your menu, they come back to take your order and then maybe once to ask if everything is ok. If you need something in between, you have to call your waiter yourself and then they will come and they will help you if possible. That's just the way we want it here and that's the way everybody is trained. That over the top American thing where they show up at your table every five minutes, we call pushy. It also helps that our waiters are not dependent on tips for their survival.
This is pretty much true everywhere in Europe. I really don't like the over-friendly American-style service.
American service is way better. They treat you like royalty. In Europe they don’t care and have room to improve. Bad service and lazy
@@Jungle1048 You are a stereotype American, coming to Europe and deciding how we should do things (ie the American way). The two comments above yours clearly say that Europeans don't really like the American style of service and prefer it the way it is here in Europe. But that's not good enough is it? You have to tell us we're wrong.
Go to Florida for your next holiday. Sorry -*vacation*.
I suppose we Americans have a lot to learn about patience.
True
As a Belgian, it's always strangely satisfying to see someone give visiting advice for my own country...
bro fr hahahah. im just watching this to hear people glaze abt my country lol
As a Belgian, that is exactly what I wanted to say ;)
He also gives good advice.
Yep and then being like oh ye true that or bro you serious, like what he said about us aming for the tourrist when they jaywalk. No it's the other way around, I would just bike along and then bam tourist suddenly had the urge to kill themself and jumps infront of me. Then you have to swerve around almost fall because the road is fucked.
@@larsdeclercq9574 lol we do have good roads
As a Belgian (Flemisch) may I explain the service-thing? Most of us don't like to be over-serviced. Asking once or twice if everything is alright is more then enough to us. We hate to be pampered, so that is why we don't do that ourselves.
I am also flemisch West Vlanderen
So nice of you to clarify. Now explain the train chaos.
@@florinadrian5174 there is nothing to explain, it's just chaos xD
@@florinadrian5174 ah, but to understand the train chaos, it'll take a trip down politics and socio-cultural topics that would merit a master's degree, so.... do you have a minute? Or 288,000?
I guess the TL;DR is that it used to be a government company with a monopoly, and then privatization came along and European laws about free market competition demanded services to be split up in different companies, which basically didn't change anything except now the departments don't talk with eachother anymore because they are separate companies, and if a Flemish branch of one company needs something from one of the other companies that happens to be in the French speaking part, then they are just plain ignored, and if the French branch seeks to get something from the Flemish company, they get told to F the H off.
And then there's political influence, high level corruption, nepotism, incompetent management, and just the general sociopolitical landscape of the most artificial country in Europe (Belgium didn't grow, wasn't conquered or won, wasn't inherited or married into. It was created on a piece of paper and the people that happened to live here along 2 sides of the most dramatic cultural border in the history of mankind (ok, probably slightly exaggerated, but still a very dramatic cultural divide between Roman and Germanic peoples) were told to shut up and make nice together. With one side demanding the other do more of the making nice. It's a mess...
But it's OUR mess!
(288,000 = the average amount of contact time in a master's degree education expressed in minutes. yea, I have too much time.)
@@hc.koksijde.the.1 lol, ajje ton toh edit, toettan va dn eeste kere sjuste wèh... "Flemish" en "Western Flanders" Ajabajaa ee
The waffles with toppings is a tourist thing: Belgians eat their waffles plain (Liege type of waffles , or Brussels type of waffles) . All those shops in the center serving all sorts of extravagant toppings on waffles are a recent creation for tourists only.
Yep! I miss the gooey, street waffles with just the pearl sugar (Vigaufra). I know they still sell them, but it's not the same feeling anymore. The new shops look fake.
Exactly ! The best are plain Brussels waffles with a BIT of powder sugar.
i have never eaten a brussels waffle plain?
True. And waffles are not a really popular thing among locals, except maybe for Brussels. Beer, stews, mussels, complaining about taxes, weather, and public transportation... that's what the locals drink, eat, and do 😅
@@chouchounah You go to Antwerp there is the smallest waffle stand of the country close to the Boerentoren when you go from the Meir to the Groenplaats.
Great video.
One remark. Belgium has a GREAT NIGHTLIFE. Modern nightlife is actually invented in Belgium. We had the first big techno disco's in the world. The techno nightlife started in Belgium (simultaneously with Londen and Chicago, but we were pioneering) and then spread all over the world.
In cities like Brussles, Antwerp, Ghent, Liege, etc. you can party till early morning or even later if you know where to go.
Why do you think the biggest techno festival comes from Belgium: Tomorrow Land. It comes from our early techno culture that started in the late 70's and 80's.
In July 2023 I heard on the news that the nightlife (club culture) in Brussels has been recognized as "immaterial cultural heritage" - by the city of Brussels, not by UNESCO.
Even places like Bruges, Aalst and other smaller cities have lots of raves, so when he said that I immediatly thought it was weird
For real, they should go to the Carré in Liège, they'll see what it's like to have nightlife! 😂
As a 20 year old from Belgium, I have never met someone from the German speaking part of the country. It's quite a mysterious place I guess. I plan to go there sometime in the future, just to confirm for myself that it actually exists.
A Louvain-la-Neuve y en a plein.
You probably have met at least one of them, but they are so perfectly trilingual... that you don't notice
there are some very nice towns there. If you go there, i recommend going to Aussichtsplattform Gileppe-Talsperre as well. It has a huge statue of a Lion guarding the German border.
(to be clear, it's not AT the German border but rather a few kilometres away from it. There's also a very nice old timey-rail cart ride close to that. (Hohes Venn railbike)
@@DJSamsonofficial nice, I did not know about the lion. Perhaps I will go to Eupen by train later this summer, so thanks for the suggestion!
Eupen is the biggest city in the german part with an train every hour from brussels.
I'm Belgian, and I always tell my fellow Belgians...please... explore the world, but don't skip our own country. It is incredible. Such a small country, packed with mesmerizing towns, cities and nature.
Tout a fait d accord!
Ye me and my boy are quite young but we enjoy traveling so we’ve just been traveling with a bike trough Belgium at 15 and it’s fun af
I couldn't agree more
Well I certainly do not agree on the nature part though. Basically every single country in the world has more to show nature wise.
Correct, but avoid Brussel it's Marokesh with even more cigarette 🚬 butts on the ground,and don't forget the junkies living on the streets and the wonderful buildings left to rotten because Liberal politicians have spent all Belgian assets on immigrants. Have a nice holiday in Belguim.
As a Belgian I can say we do have nightlife, but it's pub related. Pubs stay open 'till 5-6am sometimes. We also have the concept of dance pubs, normal pubs which will turn in a dance venue after a while. If you look online you will find clubs in every big city. But in the summers we mainly have open air parties during the day.
I'd say all of the bigger cities are quite lively at night. Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Liège, Leuven, et cetera.
I was gonna say that this is true about Bruges, but not about Belgium.
@@aaohknsn Yes, Bruges gets VERY quiet after 9pm when all the daytrippers leave. Makes it quite atmospheric to walk through though. But Brussels around La Monnaie et cetera is booming. Liege around Carré, Leuven in all of the student bars, Antwerp in several places... We do good parties. Most of the big clubs have died in the last 20 years or so though. Change of culture.
@@Johnnythefirst I mean Bruges has a nightlife just mostly on fridays but I mean i might be biased and I don't know any better so...
If you want nightlife and clubs, visit Oostende. Also, a lot of coastal towns have beach bars where delicious cocktails are served until late at night.
Belgian here... here's how we typically do the customer-waiter dynamic in the more decent restaurants:
- most often the waiters will assign you a table and they will usually first come with a menu asking what you'd like to drink and sometimes an appetizer (small dishes to awaken the tastebuds),
if not immediately, they'll come back almost any time within 10 minutes unless its extraordinarely busy in the restaurant. if you haven't decided what to eat yet, just relax and think it through. if they catch you reading the menu, that typically signals you're still deciding what to eat.
- after you had your drinks, the waiter supposedly will come back to ask for a main course if you've all looked in the menu and laid it down to signal you've decided what to eat.
- it's not such a big deal if you haven't immediately decided but try to make sure everyone has before the waiter comes because if it gets busy, you don't want to keep the waiters around wasting their valuable time to serve other customers, however don't worry too much... most waiters will tend to ask you if everyone has decided and if someone hasn't decided yet, they'll say no problem and come back 5 minutes later. it's better to take your time and make an informed decision than to rush your stuff and move on to the next thing because to us Belgians that comes off as not taking the time to enjoy your meal.
- when you've been given your main course, you just eat your meal as anyone else, take your time to enjoy it (and gush over how good it is lol) and at this point it is socially more acceptable to signal a waiter if you want more drinks, however also here apply a few not-set-in-stone but generally useful rules:
order drinks when most people have less than half their glass left. don't order like three full pint size drinks in one go...
go easy on the alcohol, especially in a decent restaurant. nothing is as annoying as a bunch of overtly drunk tourists in a decent restaurants.
when signalling, don't just obnoxiously signal around with your hand all the time that you need a waiter, look out for one that is not preoccupied and is looking in your general direction BEFORE signalling. if you make eye contact, then signal, and they'll come to you 9/10 times.
- when you're done eating your main course, the waiter will come ask if it tasted good, and they'll typically either ask if you'd like to receive the bill or eat desserts (which is often accompanied with hot drinks like a cup of tea or coffee but dessert and hot drinks are usually still priced individually so don't expect 2 in 1).
If you receive your bill, and you feel the food was extraordinalery great, it's alright if you want to tip a couple euros but that's completely up to you. nobody's gonna give you a stink eye for not tipping.
I hope that helps.
in small restaurants costumer service is really nice :)
ooh i thought if you go out to eat (lunch or dinner), it's best to tip some euros extra because its a respectful thing to do
No party nightlife in Belgium ? That's not really the case. It's just that it's specific to some places, especially places with a student community. For exemple a place like "Le carré (The Square)" in the city of Liège has a huuuuge nightlife all year long, with people dancing on the tables and bars closing at 5am or even later.
There is, but its not that big anymore, actual sizable clubs like carré, versuz, kokorico have become more the exception than the rule i feel.
In the big city's a collection of small clubs remains, but its not really comparable to what it used to be.
And to me, those feel more like cafe's with louder music, than an actual proper club.
There is pretty lively rave & festival scene though.
Or maybe i am just getting older, and unaware of what has popped up since many places i knew closed.
Oh yes, I will travel 6000km to visit a Bar or a night club..... And there are really people who do that. Crazy... they can have the same music and atmosphere at home in acheaper and greener way....
@@hassanalihusseini1717 nobody said to go there only for that. But if you're already there to visit, why not enjoy it too
@@vakaras01 I understand that.... but then I ask: Why on RUclips/Instagram or other platforms there are so many channels exactly to promote that?
Yes... if you are there and want to go for one night I can understand.... but solely traveling to go (as people do for example in Europe with going to Mallorca) it is difficult for me to understand.
so there is no nightlife in Belgium?
Lots of nightlife in Brussels, Antwerp and Gent. A lot of it is ‘underground’ so check local listings when you’re there. And Belgium has some of the biggest music festivals in Europe during the summer.
Especially Tomorrowland, it’s world famous and sold out in minutes.
I guess in Belgium there are the most festivals/concerts per capita in the entire world ! If you live in Brussels you could go to a great concert every day if you had the money !
As a Belgium I don't understand the bad service idea. Most of the time it is great, But maybe I just don't like the over the top fake friendly concept.
In my experience it's usually friendly, but not necessarily very attentive. At least, it took me about twenty minutes to get the check twice in the last weekend. Of course, personnel in restaurants is very busy just about everywhere at the moment, so maybe that's not typical?
@@Snowshowslow In Europe in general, it's expected for you to ask for the bill. If the waiter would offer you the bill, without you asking, it's considered rude. It would be seen as them trying to get you out of there, so they can use the table.
@@kenneth.dl87 I know, I'm European 😉 But it took me twenty minutes to get their attention is what I meant.
@@Snowshowslow Oh I misunderstood, thought you were waiting until they offered you the bill xD
@@Snowshowslow If it takes that long, I just get up and go to the register to pay.
The public transportation tardiness is indeed very typical to Belgium, sometimes frustratingly so. I learned to take a bus or train early just to avoid being late
Funnily enough, trains in Germany are even worse when it comes to that.
"Midi" means noon, so it is a direction showing the South. Easy to remember.
As someone who lives in Belgium, I love waiters not interrupting my meal with a million questions. I just want to enjoy my food in peace XD
@Blue_moon_vL As someone who doesn't live in Belgium (I'm Mexican), I love that as well. 😅🫶🏼 Definitely that was US people oriented, haha.
Absolutely love belgium, from Ireland 🇮🇪🇧🇪
As a Belgian, I love Ireland as well. :-)
They have a lot in common.
@@jezzbro I've been like 10 times planning on moving there next year
Absolutely love Ireland, from Belgium 🇧🇪🇮🇪
And we love you Ireland 🇮🇪 🇧🇪
Spent several weeks in Ghent for business. Wonderful city, wonderful people. Discovered the "meaning" of Tripel there. Took me two hours to find my hotel after midnight. At least I walked off the buzz.
xD hahahaha
lmao so Gentians like
I'm a Canadian living in Belgium, and there's a few places people miss when they come here.
"Don't" miss going to Dinant and Bouillion. They are about a 45 minute drive from one another.
Bouillion has one of the most impressive castle I've ever seen, plus it is quite literally the place that started the Crusades.
"Don't" miss out on trying beer that you've not heard of before. Paix Dieu, Triple Karmeliet, Chimay and St-Bernardus Abt, to just name a few.
One last "don't" for you, is to not miss out on visiting smaller towns. There are Abbeys that make excellent beer, old castles and manors you can visit, beautiful public parks (the one in Enghien is really nice) and some fantastic food to be had.
Cheers
As a Walloon, I just want to thank you for mentioning all these beautiful places from my region :)
I hope you're having a fantastic time here in Belgium! :)
how did you go about living in Belgium as a canadian? that’s awesome! i’m also canadian
... there are* a few places ...
lots of belgians live in canada aswell, migrated during wartime
For beer, there is a Beer museum in Brugge (Bruges) ;) It has close to all beers in the country.
As a Belgian, visit Ghent and Bruges, those two are the most beautiful (big) cities we have to offer. If you are looking to party during the week, go to Overpoort in Ghent where all the students hang out (including myself), foreign people are always welcomed whit open arms! Especially when we’re drunk. Greetz
I am American and was a student in Antwerp for 1 year and for 3 years in Ghent. My room was near Overpoort, but those are student cafes, used a lot on Thursday nights. Go to the city center on Friday and Saturday nights with the foreign students! I guess most foreign students are older than most Belgian students there, but the Belgian students really keep to themselves, while the foreign students really get to know each other. Ghent is almost empty on the weekends, with the Belgian students away at home. All of us foreign students had the whole city to ourselves on the weekends. Easter vacation was always a good time for two weeks. The Belgian students don't know what they are missing when they go home.
dan zeg ik graag hallo😆😅
Only Ghent and Bruges? You must be kidding 😅 Or you’re from Ghent 😅
I'd disagree with the argument that there's not a lot of nightlife. Of course big cities like Antwerp and Brussels have some nightlife going on, but the nightlife is particularly more pronounced and concentrated in university cities and towns. Particularly Leuven (and Gent) are known to be the best places for going out here.
I think he forgot about Tomorrowland - Pukkelpop - Rock Werchter an all the other worldfamous festivals and sport events in Summer.
Leuven is mediocre at best, once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. Ghent is indeed the best place. Always rwina.
@@claudyfocan731 Leuven is a university city. Like there revolves around it. Stuff closes in the summer. Gent is a regular city. I still prefer Leuven, but I went to school there so I am biased😛
Belgium is a nice country. I was stationed there from 91-93 in the Army. Back in the 90's it was a party country! My first born son was born in Mons. My first wife is from Belgium. Good times back then.
May I ask where you were stationed?
@@cactuspower6298 Probably SHAPE if Mons?
Nice t hear come back sometime
Or maybe 2ATAF
@@louisr5708 Spent two joyful years stationed at SHAPE.
Just came back from bruges. Very calm and laid back place. A must go when visiting Belgium. Thank you for posting the most informative videos. They have been very helpful.🇧🇪 ❤️
Belgian here. My partner and mother are 'small eaters'. Not cleaning out your plate is not really frowned upon. You may be asked if anything was wrong, just answer it was good (if it was) and you are finished and no one will bat an eye. Most places will pack your leftovers, but you have to ask. The only place where it is frowned upon is all you can eat places: Take what you can finish there.
I have to agree with other commenters about the service. It is more of a cultural thing, we don't consider it unfriendly (American style service is considered annoying). If you think Belgian service is bad, wait till you visit Paris 😅
Ghent is easily my favourite city in terms of beauty, just stunning.
Hey! Belgium has some of the best festivals! Also there’s a lot of partying in the university cities!
All in all good summary of Belgium. I know we come off as unfriendly but I feel like we’re very much closed off. Once you get to us you’re our best friend!
On the other side of that… I used to tell Belgians going to the US that Americans can come off as overly friendly and fake to try and sell you stuff or get more tip. It really is a cultural difference but most people really have your wellbeing as their interest and will help you anywhere!
Really enjoyed this video. I have become very familiar with Belgium these past few years, it really feels like a hidden (or at least understated) gem in Europe, we love it. Just one or two things on the video: firstly, we find Belgians to be much (much!) friendlier than French people, they seem really welcoming and open. Secondly, I think it's important to get across that many museums/ other attractions are closed on Mondays, more than Sundays. Not everything, by any means, but a lot. Our own tip would be just to be mindful of that, and plan in advance what is open on a Monday rather than assuming that everything will be. Same in many European cities.
The French are indeed generally rude in my experience. Their food too, its not better than ours. Nor worse 🤷♂️ Our people sometimes don’t come over very well bcs they might be a bit closed up when meeting strangers. Idk why.
I work for an offshore company, I work at sea with people from all over the world, from Croatia to the Philippines, they all mistook me for being Dutch at first 😂 bcs I am more open and “in your face” than they are used to with Belgians 😆
Dont forget wallonia, why always everything to go in Flandria, so much beauty in Wallonia : Dinant (also access in train ^^ ) , Liège , Namur, Bouillon, la Gaume, Bastogne , ...
I’ve just been to Brussels and everything was open late at night every single day. We used to go to sleep around midnight and the streets and restaurants were still full of people even on a Wednesday! It was full of young people everywhere and they had concerts at the square. I’ve never seen so many young people partying on the streets in Europe ever.
Culturally speaking, Belgians are closed, discreet, private, modest,... Thus it may seem that we are not being friendly. But it's nothing personal. We are happy to help. Also, when Belgians go to a restaurant we basically wanna order, get our food and be left alone so that we can enjoy our meal. We don't want pushy waiters, so they're not gonna get pushy. We don't tip, but you may. So if you need something, just ask. Anyway, love your video. You're always welcome! Grtzs from Belgium! 😊
As a local from Belgium (Flemish), it is nice to hear all those positives about our country. We Belgians aren't so positive about our own country but still, all you did say...I have to agree that it is (most of it) thru.
Flemish boy here. Amusing to see my country through the eyes of an American and, in general, not far off the mark.
A few nuances though: there is a big nightlife here, but you have to know where to find it. There's a plethora of pubs and clubs, open until morning, techno & dance is still a really big scene here (and was partly invented here) and we have the most summer festivals per capita in the world. Every town and village has a night shop so you can get beers and smokes up to 1 AM or later.
Public transport is quite lame here, especially when you go outside of the more populated areas. Rent a bike. Belgium has been upscaling it's bike infrastructure and it's slowly starting to show. And since Flanders is mostly flat, it's excellent bike country. It's national sport #2 after soccer.
We do love our beers and our food, but the service is not per se bad, in stead they allow you to take your time. Besides Brussels also Charleroi, Antwerp and Ghent have some really sketchy areas. And we're not all that crazy about chocolate, that's mainly a tourist trap. But I admit, we do have excellent chocolatiers (some of them are celebs even!)
As far as the regions are concerned: that's all true, but I would state that there's a bigger cultural difference between city folk and country folk here. But the regional differences within both Flanders and Wallonia are more gradual. The difference in mentality between Wallonia and Flanders as a linguistic/cultural entity, however, is massive and more truncated. Having lived in both parts, it's really like going into another country. Hope that clarifies some things! Enjoy our little s(t)inkhole!
Never had issues with service. Been to Ieper >20 times and love Belgium
As a Belgian from the Walloon region ( that studied in Flanders ) I find it sad that the northen cities are the only cities being talked about. There are many cities/villages to visit in the Walloon part ( south ). I think there is a lack of tourism there because the Walloons are French speaking and often have a harder time communicating in English to foreigners. But I promise you, they are as friendly and open as in the north. Thanks for talking about Belgium :D I'm glad you enjoyed it here
Let us know some good ones and we'll go.
Even friendlier… 🤷♀️😌
As someone from Flanders (of Russian origin, but living in Belgium since childhood and basically completely integrated), I very much support this. I think it's a shame that a lot of Flemings as well as foreign tourists only visit Flemish cities (that are absolutely with it, of course) and Brussels, while ingnoring Walloon cities. I very much loved Liège and Namur, as well as many smaller cities and towns: Tournai, Mons, Dinant, Huy, Spa, Arlon! I even liked Charleroi, it's not as terrible as often represented in Flemish and foreign media.
While my French is rather limited, people in Wallonia were always super friendly! Belgium is a wonderful country, small yet culturally diverse. In order to fully uppreciate it, one should visit both parts, Flanders and Wallonia, as well as Brussels and even German-speaking region (technically a part of Wallonia, but distinct in terms of language and culture).
@@gt-lv3zoL'abbaye d'Aulne, L'abbaye de Marredsous , la plus grande bibliothèque de tout le pays est en Wallonie. Librairie Molière.
Bref! Quand je lis que nous ne maîtrisons pas les langues... Je n'ai même plus envie de faire d'efforts.
Pour le reste , faite une recherche sur Google.
Je viens d'une famille hollandaise et belge. Je parle trois langues.
Mais il faut se ramasser les commentaires des américains... Qui ne parle qu'une seule langue et dont la principale nourriture sont les hamburgers et autres choses qui filent le diabète. Vous voyez les clichés sont vraiment partout.
The French has some beautiful places for sure but if you compare bigger cities the French speaking cities are neglected, there is less structural maintenance and they work less to keep it clean.
Don't tip in belgium? I would change that to "You are not required to tip". If you find the service great and want to leave a tip that's up to you. Saying that tipping is a "don't" could be seen as in japan that it is offensive, but it isn't offensive here in Belgium. You can just do it when you get a good service.
Another thing I want to add is, is that It really depends where you are. Nightlife is really booming in Gent, Antwerp,.... (no idea about brussels)
But yeah the after 6PM is quite right. XD loved the video!
As a Belgian, I was skeptical of this video when I saw it at first but I agree with most of these. Except the service on, the service here is exactly what it should be, unobtrusive and professional.
as a belgian citizen , your expl. is pretty accurate my friend ....
As a Belgian, this is pretty spot on. We might differ slightly on some small technicalities or as someone who lives here and someone who doesn't but it's a very very fair representation. Very good work. And good advice about the beers. Don't overdo it. Unless you like to end up drunk, it's pretty easy around here 😉
It's really nice to hear a foreigner enjoying their time in Belgium. I would like to add a few things. 1. Museum: most are free the first Sunday of the month. You can also buy a Museum Pass with which you can visit hundreds of museums or cultural events and don't need to pay the entrance fee, it's covered by the pass. 2. If you need a waiter, wave at one. 3. The nightlife might not be crazy, but we have tons of festivals, especially in the summer. If you want to party like crazy, those are the place to go.
Thanks for your video 👍
Certainly visit Wallonie, the south of the country as well. Namur is a gorgeous city, and more enjoyable than overpriced tourist Brugge. The later is just my opinion, as a Brabant man from Antwerpen.
The Ardennes area that covers Wallonie, the North of France and a bit of Flanders is gorgeous.
And the comment thread on the sevice part is spot on, we like to not be hassled by the people working in a cafe or restaurant. Just like we don't like to hassle them. If the staff has time, I will chat as I am a social person, if we simply want to place our order and everyone does their own thing. US service is obnoxious to most Belgians. Someone in a bar service here has a full wage, just like an office worker, with all the social security like everyone else. Tips are a bonus and they do not need to project the infamous fake American smile for them :)
Being a Belgian, I wanna say this is a very accurate video. Just a few things: it is normal to tip in pubs, restaurants and taxis (one or two euros/person). When you like old towns make sure you visit Doornik (Flemish name) / Tournai (Wallon name) and don't ride a bicycle in Bruges, nothing but cobblestones, very uncomfortable.
As a Belgian I approve of this message. Subscribed.
the party scene is pretty wild, you just need to know where to look, the nightlife in Antwerp gets crazy
Don't think you can drink the beer like at home. They're smaller scooner sizes for the reason the alcohol % is through the roof. And different beers can hit different. Talking from experience!
Public intoxication is also much less acceptable in Belgium than it is, for instance, in the UK.
They have a beer museum in bruges, well worth a visit, just for the history alone
The pils beer is doable in large quantities it comes in 25/30 (depending op the bar and brand), 33 and 50 cl sizes. For most of the beers out there it’s almost always 33cl and alcohol percentages can really range from almost 0 to well over 20% but most will be in the 6,5 to 10% range when excluding pils which is generally 5,2%.
hahahahaha
I live in Bruges and you can definitely go out and party lol. Sure we don't have actual clubs but we do have 15+ dance cafés open and packed from thursday till sunday
As a Belgian, I loved this video, but want to add something myself: 10:08, There is a nightlife here, you just gotta know where to go. Ghent, Antwerp & Ostend for example are all good places.
Great review im irish i live here had to respectfully comment about you saying it's not a party lifestyle or country 😮 lol you must be mixing in the wrong places. The café music dancing friendliness culture here is amazing i cant keep up😅 😮😂💚
Midi means midday in french -> the sun is situated in the south during lunch -> so south
I have lived in Belgium for 15 years, all recommendations are spot on!!!
Love your videos about Belgium, awesome that you're exploring our beautiful little country.
It’s funny that you say most people just go to Brussels because here in the UK I’d say Brugge is more popular, perhaps because it’s closer and easy to get to from here by car (whereas no one wants to drive in Brussels). In fact when I went for the weekend to Brussels many people thought I was going to Brugge... by default to brits a place beginning with B in Belgium is Brugge. Also about the North station... I actually used it when I went to Brussels as we drove from the UK, parked at the airport to avoid driving in the city, and took the train in and North Station had a link to the tram and Apple maps said it was the best one to get off at to get to the European Parliament that we were touring. *Warning though* we left the station building to try and find the tram and it is only accessible via the inside of the train station... if you leave you’ll end up walking round in circles in a piss ridden bus station and then giving up and walking down the street to the next tram stop like we did.
I love Belgium 🇧🇪❣️ I lived there for 2 years when I was a kid. I can't wait to visit Mons again. The cities and country are beautiful.
I live in Belgium
THE LOVELY COUNTRY I HAVE EVER SEEN
I’m actually from Belgium living in Tokyo. I agree with all you’ve said. Glad you enjoyed your stay there.
as a Belgian,i approve of your revieuw ^^
I 💗 Belgium, I 💗 Brussels!La Belgique c est mon pays de coeur!💗
I want to explain the service thing.
I’m a Belgian, and it’s normal for us not to get annoyed by butlers or people to ask how we are and if everything is fine. We are happy when we can eat peacefully and not getting annoyed every 5 minutes.
If we need something, we put our hands up and we do it. If your too lame to not put your hands up, you’ll have to get your drinks yourself.
Just explaining
Belgians in general are friendly. Staff in shops, café’s and restaurant are very hospitable. Even staff in fastfood restaurants are always friendly and helpful. Foreign tourist always take it for granted that the locals understand an speak their language. If lour lost, ask a local for directions in afriendly way: “Excuse me, do you speak English?” In most cases the answer will be: “A little” 😊 off course the younger generations are better in English than the elderly people. But they’ll get you where you want to be. They will do their best to help you. And don’t forget to say, ‘thank you’. Belgium is a safe place to live and to visit. But the big city police forces are understaffed. Don’t go out at night on your own, take some friends with you an stay in de well lit street and squares. Avoid dark alley’s and streets without shops and café’s. Put smarphones away an guard your purse or rucksacks.
Traffic in cities is very intens and Belgians aren’t the best and safe drivers. Speeding and rather agressive driving is common. Suit a lot of electric bike as wel and wacht out for cyclists on so called ‘speed pedelecs’. Powerfull electric bikes that can reach speeds over 50 km/u and sometimes even faster. You don’t hear them comming so have a good look before you cross cyclepaths and streets. Enjoy your stay! 😊
Great advice. I lived in Brussels for 9 years and visited many Belgium locales. Belgium is safe and wonderful! Enjoy!
The nightlife was bigger here, but more and more clubs dissapeared because reasons. You can find still partys in allot student citys and big citys, in the summer there is ALLOT of festivals. Most famous one, tomorrowland for example.
Reasons….???
@@xxbryanxx60 The most common is drugs and moneywashing.
What Americans call good service, a lot of Europeans call stalking. I was so shocked at how servers would not leave us alone for a second when we ate out in the USA. I got very annoyed because they were constantly interrupting our conversation, which comes off as pushy and rude to me. Ideally, service is invisible: empty glasses are cleared away without interrupting conversation, and servers are available when you need them (just give them a wave), but not in your face.
When it comes to parties we do have some of the biggest music festivals out there, Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop and Tommorowland are all pretty big and attract a lot of tourists, and there are ofcourse moments like the Ghent festivities which are also pretty fun, and massive. For reference, Tommorowland has about 400 000 guests each year, it's Belgium's biggest music festival. The Ghent festivities are a bit longer, but count 2 000 000 guests every year. The music isn't done by that famous artists, but it is free. Fun fact actually, Ghent doesn't book huge artists because it would bring in too much tourists (it's still a free event) and the few times they did, it always backfired.
there is a big party scene actually
Fuse Brussels - Ampere Antwerp - Club Vaag - Decadance Gent - Vooruit Gent - Overpoort Gent will be best for this
As a Belgian, yes trains can have delays, but it's a dense network and a good one, a major problem can be technical problems most of the time electronic related. My advice is to stay calm there is a very good coordination team who always do their best to keep the problems to a minimum, and as a regular traveler in Europe, I can say that the neighboring countries are not doing better or worse.
And an other thing I want to ad, most international travelers visit the mid to west of the country but also try the north east, very nice bicycle network, a nice open air museum called Bokrijk, with a beautiful free to vist arboretum…
in Ghent, there has been a long time each year on the first Sunday of the month, all the shops in the city are open
I live in Bruges my whole life. So I know the place very well (54 years). Your comment on the service is partially true. Due to the many tourist you have 2 kind of restaurants. The once for mostly tourists and the once better known with locals. The tourists restaurants are like factories. Try to serve as many tourists as possible (=more money) that result’s in less service. These days most of the people that work there are from Eastern Europe countries and have a complete different mentality (less friendly) then the locals. The more local restaurants offer a greater service and are mostly run by locals. Brugge (Bruges) is a town with a village mentality. And that’s quite unique. They are closed people but if they like you they will open up.
If you want better service go to Damme and look for the 'hidden' restaurants. Just 5 minutes from Brugge.
As a person living in Bruges so being West Flemish half Canadian, I can tell you one thing, we as West Flemish people we can party hard work hard and might come off as people who don't have the most patience, we all try our best, and work hard. We do love our country and we learn to speak Dutch, French, German, English very early on in our life to be honest. Nightlife is also pretty good and last long but at times you'll need to learn the places where to go when but everyone can find them. Just enjoy while visiting please
As a Bruges local (and a sort of youtuber myself) I was curious how Belgium is perceived as a tourist. I love how you bring the video to your audience!
I would say another don´t is to go in a place speaking the wrong languague, like yelling bonjouuurrr as you walk in a flemish bar and vice versa. This is a historical thing but walking in using the oposite languague is a guarantee for bad service (at least for me) 😅
I'm living in Bruges. It's a small but beautiful city. You're always welcome..😂
Pretty well summarised in my opinion. As for the limited service you get in bars and restaurants I'd say it's very much a European kind of service vs a US type of service. People are less service oriented and on top of that there are way less people (probably 4x less than in the US) working in any given bar or restaurant because of the high taxes on wages so they need to focus on efficiency. Nightlife I tend to disagree. There's a lot of nightlife, no closing hours for bars or clubs anywhere and no restrictions on buying alcohol at any time of the day or night but you need to know where the best party is on any given night in any city.... but honestly that is also the case in NYC.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 delighted to hear this… is so funny this Usa guy perception and the way he pronounces….. thank u for highlighting our country 😉…..🇧🇪🇧🇪❤️
Don't forget to visit in Belgium : Apart from Bruges, Ghent and Brussels. The city of LEUVEN, ANTWERP, MECHELEN, LIEGE, NAMUR, MONS,....
We just spent a few days in Belgium courtesy of a tour guide recommending it to us for consideration as we traveled by rail. We wound up in Antwerp and were so impressed with the architecture (Train station is gorgeous) and diverse food culture. The river cruise ships do stop there so some parts are geared to accommodating tourists. We are already considering a return trip to explore more cities in Belgium. Spectacular!
Harriet and I have been to Belgium. We have a friend who is from there. You were spot on. There's more to Belgium than Brussels. Thanks for the video. Harriet and Jim
as a Belgian myself I do have some sidenotes here, the service stuff has beed explained by other (rather eat in peace than be bugged every 5mins).
but on the tipping, I truly don't understand where you got that. tipping does happen regularly, just not in the same way as you might be used to. for one, we don't usually tip everywhere we go, it's mostly if you go to your local pub where you're a regular, when you go to a (fancier) restaurant or when the service actually stood out.
and we tend to just "round the bill" or do stuff like pay with card but leave some extra behind as a tip. it's just never in like.. the range of tipping X% or whatever, we don't really tip in percentages. you'll only rarely see tips larger than a few euros in anything except the fanciest of restaurants.
in dutch we tend to call a tip "drinkgeld" which literally translates to drinking money. cause for us we expect the service industry to be paid a decent living wage. and when we tip it's more with a mentality of "thanks for the service, we enjoyed it, here's some extra for you to have a beer on us (after your shift :p )".
so yes, it's not a custom for belgians to tip every bar we visit, but tipping is very common, it's just a lot more dependent on the situation.
as for nightlife, there's locations, theres cities with good nightlife, but it might just not be up to par to the nightlife you're used to xP
This is a very brave man! Standing in a town square in Belgium with a German shirt? You don't see that very often.
I was thinking the same thing. LOL!
Is there beef with the Germens?
Nobody gives a f about that fr
Germans are very welcome here, it's the Dutch that have "beef" with them lol
It is always nice to hear a foreigners view of my country. Just clarifying some oddities:
- In restaurants, pubs, cafés. Contrary as it is common in the US. The bill includes service and VAT (like sales tax). Waiters have a fixed salary. You are always welcome to leave a tip, preferably in cash, as the tip on a credit card does not work the same as in the US. Except some tourist traps the service is fine, more "rigid" than in the US. As the US waiter is paid (mostly) solely on the tip. This is sometimes very confusing when uninformed Belgian people visit the US as they expect a bill all included...
- Most local stores stop at 6pm in the main cities on Saturdays even at 5pm. In tourist cities most souvenir shops stays open.
- Sundays, it is not as strict as in the UK or Germany. In the morning some supermarkets are open as some bakeries, butchers, etc. If you want to go shopping on Sunday you can go to the town of Knokke (Belgian coast) all stores are open as most Belgians who have themselves a business go over there for shopping.
Mondays not all shops are open at least not in tourist cities.
- Belgian chocolates "pralines" is an invention of a Belgian pharmacist in the early 19e century to help patients take their medicine, as is the "ballotin" box.... As always you have tourist traps selling you junk for the real stuff. Some nationwide Belgian brands are Leonidas, Valentino, Neuhaus,... and of course local artisans who make them with the tradition in mind.
When visiting Belgium do not forget the Southern region with cities like Namur, Liege, Spa and our German cities of Eupen, Malmedy, Sankt Vith.
Belgium definitely has more of a 'dance bar' than a clubbing scene, but mid-sized student cities will also at least have a smattering of places you can go for that, not just Antwerp and Brussels
Oh yes, I will travel 6000km to visit a Bar or a night club..... And there are really people who do that. Crazy... they can have the same music and atmosphere at home in acheaper and greener way....
@@hassanalihusseini1717 but you will travel 6000km to visit a temple or church or restaurant or museum? They have that too in wherever you're from. Silly argument. Even supermarkets are different in different countries, why wouldn't partying be?
Go to Leuven (Louvain) and to Louvain-la-Neuve
@@TDarkHunt But the difference is when you are in a "NIGHT"! club as the name says you are all the night out, and sleeping all the day (I know that from some people I met in Bangkok).
And you can find temples like in Thailand in USA? Or pyramides like in Djisah, Egypt in France? You are NOT a traveler at all.
gent,leuven
As a Belgian, i loved this video, it's fun to see someone's perspective about us and most of the things are very true, mostly the difference in culture in different parts of Belgium. Although the thing about the bad-service is not really as bad as you make it seem. Most of the time the people are friendly (not always ofcourse) but we don't have a need for amazing service.
Just 1 correction, for young backpackers, there is plenty especially during summer. Nice nature in the ardenne and many festivals.
another tip if ur going to vlaandere ( dutch part of belgium ) always make sure if the busses trains or trams are not on strike cause it can some times happen without notice and it sucks
also for all of u motorheads out there heading to belgium be sure to give Zolder Circuit a check ( limburg belgium in Bolderberg ) u might even see me :D
Flanders is "Dutch or Flemish speaking", not "Dutch".
Dutch means The Netherlands.
Thank you for this great information. My wife and I are going to Belgium for 9 days in September. The most important thing we as Americans from the northeast have to do is be patient!!!
Especially where they speak french, Walloons are known for being lazy.
Dear, some places to visit.
Ieper - Brugge and Damme - knokke - gent - belgian coastline - antwerpen - leuven - Brussels - namur - dinant - Liège - tournai - bouillon- ...
Pairi Daiza - grottes de han + wildlife - ...
Great talk, all perfect just your T-shirt is German, butt thanks for your words for Belgium Greetings Albert👍
You have great places for going out in Belgium! Basically, you can do so in all 'student' cities (where the big universities in Flanders are): Leuven (the best in my opinion - I live and studied here), Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel, and Hasselt. Also, our service is not that bad... we just don't like that 'fake' happiness... Anyways, nice video! I can see that you really 'understand' Belgium, in some way... Well done! :D
In high-end restaurants in Europe, you don't really see their presence until you need something, they can tell by your body language that you need their attention. The reason is they want to be discrete and not intrusive.
I have been to Bastogne a couple of times, and it was amazing!
"don't expect for big party nightlife"
this heavily depends on the city you're in
i live in kortrijk (west-flanders) and we got a lot of nightlife here
No nightlife in Belgium ? You're wrong, they are plenty of places to party, from bars to nightclubs pretty much everywhere across the country (many french come to belgium just to party). Belgium also has the highest rate of festivals per inhabitants in the world. Of course it is not Spain or Portugal where many cities come alive after 10 p.m.
Advise from a 64 old Belgian. Antwerp, Brugges, Ghent, Brussels and of course the sea side are the most visited and important places in Flanders but go also to Wallonia.
Visit Waterloo, Durbuy, Dinant with its citadel, Caves of Han? There is enough to see but best have transport because you will have to travel from place to place and the lager cities are not worth your time in Wallonia.
I agree with everything that is said in this video except the service thing. This is very american oriented. As a belgian I'm very happy with the way we're being treated in most places. Of course some are bad, but in general that's just the way we want and like it. The american over friendliness is just fake and annoying. It makes us think it's hypocrisy.
Sadly yes Americans expect that the service everywhere. That's because that's all we know really. The biggest reason Americans are like that is because we only make 2.35 an hour. No that's not a misprint , that's all waiters, and waitress get paid. We depend on our tips for us to survive. So unfortunately we have to do that if we want to eat and pay our bills.
1) belgium party culture is known throughout the world, we party late and every day. It is unique to belgium and the Netherlands. We just keep it neat in the dance cafés, sometimes open till 7am, often grouped (oude markt leuven, overpoort in gent, etc etc)
2) belgian customer service is excellent do not let this man decieve you!! When dining, one is to enjoy the company of their party (and some beers) in peace. When a waiter walks by, raise your hand slightly!
From a belgian wishing you a happy stay!
As a Belgian, I totally agree with you Mark ! 👍
Feit👍🏻
Oh and BTW; tipping is a good custom in Belgium. It is not mandatory as there is a 16% service charge included in prices, but saying that "they don't expect tips" is not quite as it is.
Not a bad summary. I think you grasped it 👍
I would insist on not forgetting there is Flander and Wallonia. There are two subcultures in this country. Belgium is in the middle of Europe and like in Europe, it has is southern "Latin" part and its nothern "german" part, it's not exactly the same culture.
For instance, don't be late in Flanders, in Wallonia let's say we're more flexible and less ponctual. Same for jaywalk probably more usual in the south of the country... ;-)
🙋🏻♂️Belgian here! Cleaning your plate is part of our culture mainly because of the war. My grandmothers cared about cleaning the plate.
As a Belgian citizen myself, I recommend the city of Gent/ village of Boom (Tommorowland) for the party people out there ;) Those are mostly places for the younger students or party tourists
I live in Boom. I don't feel it that way (altough I love living here, when it is not tommorowland)
I understand that for sure, one big hell of insomnia-summer XD
Feel free to tip when the service is good, especially when the waiter is a student
About the Belgian restaurant service:
First, a lot of Belgians tend not to like overly (fake) friendly interactions, and tend to prefer this kind of more formal service.
Secondly, a lot of Belgians want to enjoy their meal in peace with their friends/family, and don't like to be interupted every so often. (I think this is a very American thing). If Belgians need something or have a problem with the service, they'll just ask the waiter over.
That said, restaurants often don't have a lot of waiters on staff, so when it's busy, you might have to wait a for service.
But I hope this gives some different insights into why the Belgian restaurant service is the way it is.
As a Flemish, I indeed can instantly tell from which province a fellow Flemish person is.
Just to add to your excellent video:
1 You're better off speaking English (rather than French) in Flanders (especially in the tourist towns) and French in Wallonia. Most Walloons don't bother with Dutch and many Flemish would rather not talk French (even if most of them understand it). And the linguistic debate in Belgium is not something you want to get involved in.
2 Avoid the rue des Bouchers in Brussels when going out to eat. You'll eat (at best) average food and pay more than you really should. There are better places.
3 The red light area to the east of Brussels North station is extremely seedy and you don't want to go there late at night. it's not as tourist-friendly as Amsterdam.
4 If you're going for a beer, please make an effort. I was in a bar in Bruges and an American tourist walked in (yes buddy I mean you). He didn't ask the waiter to show him a beer list or make some recommendations. He simply said "i'll have a beer" (and I'm not sure he even added a 'please'). He ended up (to the waiter's credit) getting served the type of beer I'd hesitate to wash my dishes in.
5 Mark mentioned the chocolate. Don't skip the fries either. They knock British fries in to a cocked hat.
6 The Manneken Pis isn't something you should absolutely not miss in Brussels.
Enjoy Belgium !