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Brussels

If you travel to the south of Belgium you will find yourself in a world of peaceful villages, welcoming locals, colorful carnivals and enchanting castles. The landscape of this region was once described by Ernest Hemingway as, "something out of a Grimm's fairytale." But it's no fairytale - it's Wallonia, also known as the Ardennes. The friendly inhabitants are known as Walloons and their official language is French except for a small area where they speak German. But not to worry, English is widely spoken - albeit with a slight accent.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium, and the administrative heart of the European Union. Growing from a 10th century fortress town founded by Charlemagne's grandson into a city of over one million inhabitants. Brussels is also capital of the Brussels-Capital Region, of Flanders and of the French Community of Belgium.

From the deeply ornate buildings on the Grand'Place (Grote Markt), to the fish-and-crustacean overdose of St. Catherine's Square (Place St-Catherine / Sint-Katelijneplein), to the many bars on Place St-Géry (Sint-Goriks), to the trendy Rue Antoine Dansaert (Antoine Dansaertstraat), to the physically imposing Stock Exchange (Bourse / Beurs) - this is the best place to start exploring the city.

Wallonia is abundant in abbeys, citadels, parks and gardens, chateaus, and culture. The historic towns of Wallonia bubble over with pretty squares, interesting battlefields, outdoor markets, museums and restaurants serving regional specialties such as country ham and Trappist beer brewed locally.

The countryside of Wallonia is composed of woodland, moors, vast fields cut off with hedges and grasslands, all dotted with springs, streams, waterfalls, and lakes with the River Meuse as a bonus. Adventure is easy to find with hundreds of miles of signed pathways for walking and hiking, cliffs for climbing, streams for kayaking, greens for golfing and wide open skies for hot air ballooning.

Whether you visit Namur, capital of Wallonia, or a tiny village in the middle of nowhere you will be met by locals with a warm smile offering to assist you in any way that they can.