Practical information for travellers in Belgium
Living Conditions
Emergency Numbers
Fire/Ambulance Service |
100 |
Police Service |
101 |
Time Difference and Climate
- Current Local Time
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It is %T:%M %A In Brussels
- Summer Time Period
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March to October
Map of the Time Zone
- Type of Climate
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The climate is temperate, with mild winters and cool summers. It is often rainy, humid and/or cloudy.
- Hotel reservation websites
-
Weather Forecast: Belgium
Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall
Eating
- Food Specialties
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Belgian food is varied, with numerous regional specialities reflecting the diversity of the country and its neighbours. Some examples include: Tomate-crevette/ tomaat-garnaal (a snack of grey shrimp and mayonnaise stuffed into a tomato), moules-frites/ mosselen-friet (mussels cooked in white wine and served with fries) and chicons au gratin/ gegratineerde witloof (a gratin of Belgian endives in béchamel sauce with cheese). For a sweet treat, Belgian chocolates and Belgian waffles are world renown.
Fries or frites are the Belgian national dish and, according to legend, were invented in Belgium, not France. They are said to be better in Belgium than in any other place in world.
- Drinks
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Belgium offers an incredible diversity of beers. The most well known are Stella Artois, Duvel (literally: the Devil, beware of the 8.5% abv), Leffe, Jupiler (plain standard beer) and Hoegaarden (white beer). Kriek (a sweet or sour cherry beer) and, for the Christmas season, Stille Nacht (Silent night) are two recommendations.
- Dietary Restrictions
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There are no particular food restrictions in Belgium.
Paying
- Domestic Currency
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Euro
- ISO Code
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EUR
- To Obtain Domestic Currency
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Euros can be withdrawn at an ATM or bank counter, both of which are readily available in towns.
- Possible Means of Payment
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Cash, Cheque, Proton, Maestro, VISA, Amex, etc.
Speaking
- Official Language
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Dutch, French and German. In Belgium, 5.6 million people speak Dutch, 3.5 million speak French and about 50,000 people speak German.
- Other Languages Spoken
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Indigenous languages, recognised since 1990, such as Walloon, and immigrant languages, such as Arabic, Spanish and Turkish.
- Business Language
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International negotiations are often in English, with some occurring in French.
Business is typically conducted in Flemish, French, German or even English (depending on the region).
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Latest Update: November 2023