Home to both my favorite waffles and chocolate, Belgium is a quirky country with a colorful history.
Some of these fun Belgium facts are weird enough that you’ve likely never heard of them before, while Belgium is famous for a few others. Let’s dive in!
1. Belgium Has no Language of its Own
There is no such thing as “Belgish”. The people in Belgium speak Dutch, French, or German depending on where they live in the country.
2. Belgians Love Red Devils
The national football (soccer) team that Belgium supports is called the Red Devils. The fervor for supporting their home team is so great that all other differences are put aside during matches.
Belgians decorate their cars, yards, and themselves with Red Devil football regalia so if you’re in Belgium during a FIFA match, don’t be alarmed!
3. Belgians Have More than 30 Kinds of Waffles
This one brings a tear to my eye. While grocery stores carry 30 different kinds of waffles, street vendors typically only sell two types: Liege and Brussels waffles.
Liege waffles are a dream as they are golden brown, sweet and hearty, bursting with pearl sugar. Brussels waffles are light as air and less sweet – more in line with what other countries think a Belgian waffle is.
4. Belgian Chocolate is the World’s Best
According to Belgians, their chocolate is the best and I wholeheartedly agree with them. Belgian chocolate is special because it is finely milled to a tiny 18 microns, which means it won’t be grainy and melts on the tongue.
5. A Urinating Boy is Belgian’s National Symbol
Manneken Pis is often displayed without clothes, though he dons outfits for special occasions. The “peeing boy” is actually a bronze statue displayed in Brussels that stands 55.5cm tall (21.9 inches).
A few times a week he will appear with a new outfit on, to the delight of Belgian citizens and tourists alike. Due to attempted thefts and vandalism, a replica stands outside in the original location of Mannekin Pis which is a 5-minute walk from the Grand Place. One can visit the original at the Brussels City Museum.
6. French Fries Come from Belgium
French fries are not a French invention. Belgian people invented french fries and one can find original Belgian french fries in any town because every town has a frikot (mobile kiosk) where they are sold.
A word of warning – you won’t find ketchup to eat with those fries. Belgium people eat fries with mayo.
7. Belgians Take Brewing Beer Seriously
If you love craft beer, a visit to Belgium should be on the agenda! More than 1,000 varieties of Belgian beer exist.
You can order over 2,004 worldwide varieties of beer at Delirium Café in Brussels which holds the world record for the most beer varieties sold in one location.
Another fun fact – Belgian beer is always served in a branded glass that matches the beer – it would be offensive to serve beer in the wrong glass!
8. Belgium is Famous for Comics
Belgium is home to thousands of comic strips. Lucky Luke, Tintin, and the Smurfs are the three most popular. Yes, the Smurfs originally come from Belgium.
Most Belgian people collect comic strips at home from the time they are children and local libraries carry comic strips for kids.
9. Belgians Love Food
I mean… who doesn’t love food? But with Belgians, cooking and eating are at the center of life. For instance, the bestselling books in Belgium are cookbooks and dinner at a restaurant takes 2 to 3 hours because food and company are meant to be savored and enjoyed.
10. Some Topics are Taboo but not Taxes
Belgians love to talk about shopping and the weather (really), but one topic that should never be discussed is money. Kids grow up not knowing what their parents earn!
The one thing Belgian people will complain about that is money-related is taxes. Belgians pay one of the highest tax rates in the world (40% to 65%) depending on annual income.
11. Belgians Make Carpets from Flowers
One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen was a Brussels Flower Carpet. The first carpet was created and displayed in 1971 and while there was a brief pause from 2019 to 2021, it was once again displayed in 2022!
The only thing I can compare it to is the Rose Parade in Pasadena – but unlike a moving float, flowers are sewn together to create a gorgeous tapestry that is best viewed from above due to its sheer size (roughly 77 meters long)!
It is displayed every August and more than a million flowers are used to create it. The design and theme of the flower carpet change every year.
12. The Internet Wouldn’t Exist without Belgium
A relatively unknown fact is the world wide web was co-created by Robert Cailliaou, a Belgian scientist who helped his English partner Berners-Lee to create the hypertext system. This was pivotal in the formation of the world wide web.
Without the web, there would be no cat memes, and I would be sad.
13. Sinterklaas Trumps Santa in Belgium
Belgian children may get presents from St. Nicholas on December 24, but good children also get gifts from Sinterklaas!
He arrives on a boat from Spain rather than by flying reindeer and delivers presents to good children on the night of December 6th. He visits each house by riding a horse and sneaking down the chimney.
Instead of milk and cookies, children leave drawings as an offering along with sugar and carrots for the horse he rides.
14. Audrey Hepburn was Born in Brussels
The famous actress most well known for Breakfast at Tiffany’s was born in Belgium. Just like her native Belgian citizens, Audrey developed a love for languages and was a polyglot who spoke 6 languages!
15. Belgium Celebrates Epiphany
Epiphany is a celebration in Belgium that falls on the 12th day of Christmas (usually January 6th). It is a holiday meant to honor the Three Wise Men in the Bible.
To celebrate, a King’s Cake called Rois de l’Epiphanie is baked or picked up from a bakery. Inside one of the slices of the cake is hidden a bean and the person lucky enough to get it in their piece is the “king” or “queen” of the day and gets special privileges such as choosing dinner that night.
16. It is Easy to Get Lost in Belgium
If you don’t have GPS, it is incredibly easy to get lost. The reason is that most Belgian towns and cities have two to three different names.
This is due to the multiculturalism that is present in Belgium and the names are different because they are given in German, French, and Dutch.