What Makes Belgium Special: Heritage, Art and Belgian Pride

Belgium is a small country with a remarkable cultural richness: one of the world's most beautiful squares, the medieval streets of Bruges, the Flemish master painters, a beer culture recognised by UNESCO, a celebrated comic-strip tradition and three official languages. Here is what makes it special.

Sixteen World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists 16 World Heritage properties in Belgium. Among them:

• La Grand-Place, Brussels, often called one of the most beautiful squares in the world
• Historic Centre of Brugge, a medieval city of canals and merchant houses
• Belfries of Belgium and France, civic towers that symbolised the freedom of medieval towns
• Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai, with its five bell towers
• The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, including a house in Antwerp

Three languages

Belgium has three official languages, Dutch, French and German, and a layered identity of city, region and country.

The Flemish masters

Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel and Peter Paul Rubens worked in what is now Belgium, and their art is among the treasures of European painting.

A beer culture recognised by UNESCO

Belgian beer culture was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016, recognising centuries of brewing traditions.

Comics, chocolate and frites

Belgium has a celebrated comic-strip tradition, from the work of Hergé to the comic murals of Brussels. Belgian chocolate and proper frites are famous far beyond its borders.

Proud cities

Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Liège and many more cities each have their own character, and people are loyal to their own.

Carrying the pride with you

Squares, belfries, master painters and a rich table: Belgium gives its people a great deal to celebrate. That pride is what our Belgium designs are made for, and our guide to choosing a gift based on someone's home town shows how to make it personal.