Flanders

• 🌍 Antwerp (Antwerpen) — Flanders' biggest city, with a large cathedral, the second-largest port of Europe, and plenty to see and do.
• 🌍 Bruges (Brugge) — also known as the "Venice of the north", a very nice medieval town with lots of small canals
• 🌍 Hasselt — the capital city of Limburg, with a lot of greenery and shopping possibilities
• 🌍 Kortrijk — an old city with famous medieval towers (Broeltowers) and a big pedestrian shopping district
• 🌍 Ghent (Gent) — a more medieval city located approximatively in the centre of Flanders, halfway between Antwerp and Bruges
• 🌍 Leuven — an old town with a very old university and a beautiful town hall
• 🌍 Mechelen — small town with a famous cathedral
• 🌍 Sint-Niklaas — offering nice cycling opportunities and boasts Belgium's largest market square
• 🌍 Ypres (Ieper) — made famous by its destruction during the First World War; many memorials and museums

Nowadays, Flanders is one of the three federal regions of Belgium (the other two being Wallonia and Brussels). This means that it has its own government, a parliament and separate laws. The capital, however, is Brussels, over which Flanders has only partial jurisdiction. But Flanders has travelled a long historic road before arriving at its present situation. Once being its own County of Flanders, the territory has been part of several larger countries or empires. Since Belgium's founding in 1830, tensions between the Flemish and French-speaking population have led to the federalisation of Belgium. There is an active independence movement in Flanders, but the struggle has largely been peaceful and is of no danger to any tourist.

The split between the regions is quite noticeable when travelling via public transport. The bus line operator in Flanders differs from the one in Brussels and Wallonia, resulting in different ticket types and different prices. The train network is a uniform network, however, but the announcements are adapted to the language of the region the train is driving in. Also when travelling by car, you'll see that the traffic signs are translated, so it's better to look up the name of your destination in Dutch and French before you leave.

The official language of Flanders is the Flemish dialect of Dutch. Flemish Dutch has some vocabulary not used in the Netherlands and a distinct, soft accent but it is still standard Dutch. Nearly all Flemings, with the partial exception of seniors, are capable of speaking standard Dutch.

Most people know English at least moderately, and the younger generation (younger than 30) in particular can be expected to understand English properly. Not everyone can engage in a conversation with native English speakers due to lack of spoken English experience. Above 50, the chance of successfully communicating with someone in English decreases rapidly. Basic French is, just like English, taught in schools to everyone, but with the exception of areas in the proximity of the language border, French language skills are usually insufficient for an effective conversation. Flemings are extremely proud of their language, and in the Flemish region around Brussels for example, many locals might not appreciate you ask something in French. Either way, English is a better bet to ask something or start a conversation. A considerable number of people also understand German, but many have difficulties speaking it due to the different pronunciations and conjugations. If you speak German slowly, Flemings will likely understand what you're trying to say. Other languages are most likely unknown, with the exception of Arabic, Turkish and Berber in some Antwerp suburbs where immigrants accumulate.

Tourist brochures are often available three or four languages (German is sometimes excluded). Official information, such as public transport schedules and traffic signs, is very often only in Dutch. Francophone town names on traffic signs are also translated to Dutch (e.g Luik instead of "Liège", Rijsel instead of "Lille", etc.)

Viewing a movie in Flanders is also possible. Most films are shown in the original version (labelled OV at cinemas) with French and Dutch subtitles. Only children's movies are habitually dubbed (NV).

• Historical cities, like Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, Lier or Mechelen.
• Belfries of Belgium and France — 24 belfries in Flanders are part of this geographically large UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Flemish Beguinages — a kind of Medieval monasteries. 13 such beguinages have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites; they can be found in Hoogstraten, Lier, Mechelen, Turnhout, Sint-Truiden, Tongeren, Dendermonde, two in Ghent, Diest, Leuven, Bruges, and Kortrijk.

• Beer. Beer is taken seriously in Belgium. There are hundreds of brands to choose from. 
• Café. Every city or village has a café. 

Flanders is very safe. You will find that people are usually very helpful. In towns, you should of course beware of the usual petty crime (pickpockets in tourist places). Some suburbs around Antwerp have high concentrations of immigrants and should be avoided at night for safety, but tourists are usually unlikely to visit them because these areas typically offer little tourist value. The police force in Flanders is professional and the corruption levels are low in comparison to other government structures. When in trouble, do not hesitate to address police officers, who can be expected to engage in a conversation in English anywhere in Flanders. In tourist areas in particular, police officers will be able to fluently communicate in English.

The relatively flat topography of Flanders favors cycling, but unlike its northern neighbor, cycling infrastructure is poorly developed in many parts of Flanders. Cycling roads are absent outside the major cities, and where cycling roads are available, they are often in a state of disrepair. Wearing a fluorescent vest and safety helmet are not mandatory in Flanders, but of course highly recommendable.

With the exception of wild boars with young offspring, there is no dangerous wildlife in Flanders, and woods or forests are safe any time of the day. In the summer season however, ticks are known to reside in tall grass, and have a small chance of carrying Lyme disease. Check your legs when walking through tall grass or wear long trousers. If strongly discolored concentric circles show up on your skin, you might be bitten by a tick, and it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately.

Jaywalking is not a crime in Flanders, and vehicles will slow down or stop if you stand at the side of the road with the visible intention of crossing.

Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Flanders, so drink bottles can be refilled at any occasion. Surface water however (streams, rivers, wells) are usually heavily polluted as a result of Flanders' high population density, and unsuitable for consumption regardless of how clean they look.

• Flemings don't like to talk about their income or political preference. They do like to talk with you about beer and chocolate.
• Although the vast majority of Flemish people are indifferent to Flemish nationalism, the Flanders-Wallonia question can be a controversial topic, avoid asking strangers about their views on this. Once you get to know them better and you feel they are open for it, you can ask them about it.
• Although many Flemings speak French, avoid speaking that language, as it may be regarded by some as disrespectful. Explaining you're a tourist (and don't live there) will make people understand, though.
• Most people enjoy helping tourists, and a lot of people speak, apart from Dutch, also English, French and some German (especially the students). Don't hesitate to ask locals if you have a question.
• Throwing garbage or gum on the street is frowned upon – don't be surprised if someone talks to you if you do. You'll soon notice Leuven is a very clean city and locals respect this and try to keep it this way. Use the many bins.
• Giving tips shows that you were content with the service given, but you are certainly not obliged to do so. It is sometimes done in bars and restaurants. Depending on the total, a tip of €0.50 to €2.50 is considered generous.

• If you visit Flanders it would be very logical to also visit Wallonia. Though there is a different mentality, you will find that they are Belgians just like the Flemish (lots of beer and good food).
• There are also some towns just across the NL border which are very near and within easy day-trip distance from Flanders. They are very popular among Flemish people to visit (especially on Sundays, as all shops and supermarkets are open in the Netherlands). The most historically interesting and popular places are Hulst (near Antwerp and Sint-Niklaas), Sluis (near Bruges and the Belgian coast at Knokke-Heist, and Baarle (a curious enclave inside NL territory, near Turnhout.
• Paris is pretty close, so are London, Cologne, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. These destinations can be reached by train easily.
• The West Frisian Islands in The Netherlands are also not too far.