The Rough Guide to Belgium & Luxembourg (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
May 19, 2009 by Destination Guide
Filed under Travel Belgium Guides
Product Description
INTRODUCTION
There isn?t a country on earth quite like Belgium. It?s one of the smallest nations in Europe, yet it has three official languages and an intense regional rivalry between the Flemish-speaking north and the French-speaking south. Its historic cities ? most famously Bruges and Ghent ? are the equal of any, as is its cuisine, with a host of regional specialities, alongside a marvellous range of beers and sumptuous chocolate. Neighbouring Luxembourg, commonly regarded as a refuge of bankers and diplomats, has surprises in store too: its capital, Luxembourg City, has a handsome setting, its tiny centre perched on a plateau above deep green gorges, and the rest of the country ? diminutive though it is ? boasts steep wooded hills and plunging valleys aplenty.
Many outsiders view Belgium and Luxembourg as good weekend-break material ? but not much else, which is a pity, as this is historically one of the most complex and intriguing parts of Europe. Squeezed in between France, Germany and the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg occupy a spot that has often decided the European balance of power. It was here that the Romans shared an important border with the Germanic tribes to the north; here that the Spanish Habsburgs finally met their match in the Protestant rebels of the Netherlands; here that Napoleon was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo; and ? most famously ? here, too, that the British and Belgians slugged it out with the Germans in World War I. Indeed so many powers have had an interest in this region that it was only in 1830 that Belgium and Luxembourg became separate, independent states, free from foreign rule.
About the Author
After years of travelling, Martin Dunford took up travel writing and co-founded the Rough Guide series. He is now Rough Guides’ editorial director. Phil Lee has been writing for Rough Guides since the late 1980s – his other titles include Norway, Brussels, Mallorca, Menorca, Pacific Northwest and Canada.
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Having spent an academic year studying and travelling in Belgium, I went through a great many different guidebooks to enhance my Belgian experience. The guidebook experience was a mixed one – some multi-area guidebooks devoted but a few pages to Belgium (Rick Steves’ France, Belgium, and Luxembourg – very spotty on the Belgian information), others were more focused on the culture and history of Belgium than the intricacies of getting to a specific place (the Insight Guide to Belgium).
So, having gone through the gamut of books on Belgium, I can wholeheartedly say that this is the best one out on the market at the current time. The coverage given to tourist sites and getting around this small-but-wonderful country is outstanding…it helped me find some great, off-the-beaten-track destinations that other guidebooks might pass over. The coverage given to Luxembourg within these pages is also very well-done (not to mention helpful) — something sorely lacking in other guidebooks.
The Insight Guide to Belgium is also recommended, but more as a cultural and historical primer. For the practicalities of everyday Belgian life, this is the only book you’ll need (and its physical size is great – the least cumbersome and yet most informative guide I’ve ever carried around on my travels). So…what are you waiting for? Go to Belgium and take this book with you!
The information and background on Belgium and Luxembourg were interesting, but the restaurant and hotel information was out of date.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not A Useful Guide When You Want To Find the “There” There
My wife and I tried to use this guide while we ewre in Brussels for a short visit on our way to other countries, and found it very irritatingly organized and generally much less…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
I love to travel and have many favorite travel books. This was my first Rough Guide that I bought. I used it all through Belguim and Luxemburg and saw places I would never have…