Belgium: 10 Shocks of Visiting Belgium

Hey there fellow travelers, heading to Beglium and not sure what to expect? Well here we cover some of the culture shocks that tourists have when they visit Belgium. Whether it is the incredible amount of chocolate and mussels on offer or the mayo with the fries, or the level of service you get at restaurants in Belgium. There are a lot of things for tourists to know before they visit Belgium. Here are the biggest surprises tourists have when they visit Belgium.
Filmed in Brugges, Belgium
Copyright Mark Wolters 2022

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[jazedftw]

In Belgium, as a waiter, you let people finish their drinks and food. You don't interrupt while they are eating and having a talk. If you need a waiter, raise your hand and they will be right with you. I would say it's pretty similar all over Europe.

[filososabke]

As a Belgian I always wonder why every tourist is so obsessed with 'Manneken Pis', when it is disappointing. We do have something impressive in Brussels worth seeing: the Atomium!
It is a building that can only be compared to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it is very unique and it even impresses Belgians who've seen it hundreds of times...

[wasp]

"Frietsaus" is something they sell in Holland. In Belgium, mayonaise is mayonaise.

[minoarno]

We Belgians want the waiters to come when we need them. tip for tourists, raise your hand/make eye contact with the waiter if you want service.

[Robalogot]

The service part is so funny, when I go to the US as a Belgian I always feel like, "For the love of god can you leave me alone and let me enjoy my meal without you constantly interrupting, your fake smile is just for tips anyway". And when I go home I'm always: "Jeez, can I have some service please, and a smile wouldn't kill you, even though you don't work for tips"

[eammon]

Love your take on Belguim. I’m born and raised in Brugge and i would say, if you want to save some money don’t eat on the squares but find a place in the side streets. Prices wil drop up to 30%. And service wise i would like to ad that the difference between belgian and american service is that we would consider it rude or unprofessional from the staff if they would be at your table every 2 minutes to bring another water or clear one plate. So “unattentive” would be the feeling but is defenatively not the case. Feel free and enjoy Belguim!

[papavictorromeo]

We as Belgians eat our fries with mayonnaise and NOT with frietsaus. Frietsaus is a sauce from the Netherlands with lower oil content and added sugar. It's crap.

[Porrohman]

Had the privilege of being stationed at NATO (Brussels) and lived in Belgium for 4 years. Absolutely loved living there. The history, people, food, sites, and of course the beer. Definitely cherishing those memories!

[gdntx]

That's incredible that you posted this video right now cause I'm visiting Gent (or Gand) for the first time and It's by far my favorite trip ever! And everything you said it's true: the public transportation brings you everywhere and both the Beer and Chocolate is amazing! Also wherever you turn around there's a building or a monument to see. Also everyone to me has been super nice and kind when I point out I'm a tourist and I don't speak dutch

[robbedemey]

5:40 Frietsaus is a Dutch crime against the taste buds. Eat mayo with your fries like a Belgian would do!

[BeefD]

Flemish Belgian here. I'd also make a recommendation for the history buffs among the Americans here to check out the Mardasson WWII memorial in Bastogne in South-East Belgium, commemorating the soldiers who served in the battle of the bulge.
It's a big monument with pillars and a platform on top with every US state written on it and a few poems in in English honoring the fallen.
If you look at it from top down view it's shaped like a star and is meant to pay tribute to all the American soldiers who gave their life to save Belgium from further falling into German clutches.
The Belgian Ardens aside from history are also a great and healthy place to do outdoor activities such as walks in the patches of pine forest, go kayaking downstream with the family or friends or a bike trip (if you have the strength to do it since a lot of the Ardens are rolling hills and low mountain passes), and obviously go see both open-air and quaint little museums with remnants from battle of the bulge.
The ardens isn't the most exciting location compared to other patches of largely untouched natural locales but it certainly is a very healthy place to live considering the relatively scarce population and abundance of pine forests along tall hills, and natural water currents.
They are very small compared to American national park and/or nature reserves but the are nonetheless great locales to walk through.
Probably the only place in Belgium where you can get truly back in touch with nature.
Back in the day when the original Lord of The rings trilogy was popular, we always jokingly referred to the Ardens as "our own little spot of Tolkien's Middle Earth". because whenever we went on one of these long walks there we'd imagine ourselves being on that Journey right after the hobbits leave the Shire.

Also for anyone not in the know about the food: you may have accidentally heard Mark say "Chocolate moose(s)" but what he actually said is "Chocolate mousse".
'mousse' is French for 'foam', so what he actually is referring to is chocolate foam which is a dessert made of separating yolks from eggs and beating the egg white so it becomes a slightly stiff, fluffy and foamy substance, and then they usually add chocolate and sugar to it.

secondly, food is typically expensive when you go to a classy restaurant. however if you go to a fry shack for example you're more likely to pay fast food prices similar to what you'd pay at a Macdonalds except the fries will taste great. also Mayonaise just isn't the same here the way it is in USA. mayo really DO go well with fries here and that's what most people tend to default to. then there's also this fun invention in fry shacks for people who can't decide whether they want mayo or ketchup and it's called "frite special" which is a pack of fries with BOTH ketchup and mayo on top, usually served with some diced onion sprinkled on top of the sauce and it's delicious. Nowadays they also tend to shake some barbeque spices on the fries with it and it's a taste experience worth trying.


and last but not least, the Belgian special beers here, especially the strong ones, are meant to be enjoyed, so take your merry time and don't chug it all down in an instant.
That's something you do at parties with cheap pilsners.
Don't order one or more Duvels, with the intent of you're chugging these bad boys down in one go because YOU WILL FIND OUT THE HARD WAY like Mark said.

[robbebrecx]

I'm from Belgium, flanders and thank you for the nice things you said about our culture! Have a nice stay and enjoy the beer ;)

[annlootens]

I'm from Belgium. Ordering food and drinks at the same time is primarily done for example when you are having a waffle or a crepe with your coffee or tea in the afternoon, or maybe when you're having a quick lunch. When you're having a more elaborate lunch or dinner, you usually order your drink first, and while you're having your drink, you order your food. One thing that is also worth mentioning is that prices already include the tax, known as V., A.T. That's 12 % on food and 21 % on drinks. Tipping here is not the same as in North America. Eventhough service charge is included, It is appreciated if you leave something for the staff if you've had nice food and good service. I always tip 2-3 € per person cash.

[corentinvg]

Very interesting video. As I am Belgian, to see how a stranger sees Belgium is always special. Thanks for the good advertising of our great country.

If I had a piece of advice to give to tourists is definitely to pay a visit to the Flemish cities like Brugge, Gent, Antwerpen, Leuven and of course Brussels. And there are small walloon cities that might be very interesting as well like Durbuy, Spa, Dinant or Rochefort. The Ardennes in the South, the Fagnes in the East or the Polders near the coast are also worth paying a visit.

As you said, a lot of stuffs are easy to acces with the public transportation and a lot of cities are accessible directly from the Brussels airport.

Also, try our specialties. Not only mussels and fries but there plenty of meals you can only find in Belgium.

And of course Belgian beers and chocolates are the best in the world 😂😂😂

[ThePatchUniverse]

I'm from Belgium, the south, Wallonia, but work in Leuven, and it makes me really proud to see your video. I think Belgium is a wonderful country.

I have to slightly disagree on what you say about Brusseks though, even though I understand why you are saying it. Brussels in not like Paris or New York because it's not obviously as impressive as those cities, but it has a lot of hidden secrets. I think I agree with what you say on how you can appreciate the city if you don't compare it to those places. In that way you can really understand it, with its small secrets such as art nouveau or nice bars, or even the mix of cultures. Brussels, like Belgium in general, is a place where you have to be open and willing to discover it in order to fully understand and appreciate it since Belgium is often in the shadow of its neighboring countries.

[Louis-pmht]

Thanks for your vidéos man! You remind me how great my country is 🇧🇪❤️🇧🇪

[gwenwalravens]

About the service: we want our visit to a restaurant to be cosy and non-interrupted. You can order all at once or just ask if the waiter can come back in a few minutes. Ordering drinks first and ordering the rest later won't be a problem. Most restaurants make a lot of money from drinks. Dishes that are main dishes will ALWAYS be delivered together. Appetizers can be brought out with 2 phases if someone ordered 2 (for example a cold one and a hot one which wasn't uncommon before the multiple price hikes).
Going to the restaurant can take multiple hours. If you are in a hurry, just say so.

[lizdyson]

Might have to give belgium a go. thanks for the info Mark.

[EarthScienceEnjoyer]

2:47 Aah leuven, my favorite little town. 2x more fun when you realize you can just walk into 50% of the buildings since theyre owned by the university. there are so many parks, collections and oddities hidden that you only really get to experience if you know about em.

[tamararussell-czwartacky]

I love Brugge!! One of my favorite places I've ever been. 🖤💛❤