Belgium

Belgium's sluggish surface hides cultural cachet and a passion for pleasure.

If Belgium's spotlight on the European stage is a little dim, it's only because its people are rarely boastful. This slow-burning country has more history, art, food and architecture packed into its tiny self than many of its bigger, louder neighbours.

A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats, Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin Walloons.

Despite most of its major political parties having some Christian affiliation, the nation, like most northern European countries, operates a progressive, liberal government.What Belgium lacks in natural resources, it more than makes up for in cultural riches. Antwerp, Brussels and other cities are considered home to sophisticated artistic enclaves, and Belgium vigorously pursues cultural and artistic exchanges with other nations both in Europe and far beyond. Belgium relies on outside contact to fuel its economy. Despite its high number of corporations with vast international scope, Belgium primarily produces value-added products, importing its raw materials from elsewhere. From electronics to textiles, Belgians are the best at what they do.Visitors to Belgium can expect to take in everything from bucolic expanses to tourist wonderlands to booming port towns with a tasty layer of grime. Along the way travelers will be treated to a cornucopia of gourmet pleasures and some of the world's best beer. More and more intelligent travelers are stopping to soak up a pint along with the architecture and national character.