Belgium, small but packs a punch. Not known among its fellow Europeans as a destination hub nor among those beyond the continent but look close and you will find some hidden gems. A confusing country with 3 official languages! We're here to help you navigate it and find the best best places in Belgium. 

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Lying on the North Sea coast, Belgium's immediate neighbours are France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. The small nation of Belgium might leave you surprised by its rich and gorgeous heritage. It boasts a number of fascinatingly historic cities packed with medieval and Art Nouveau architecture and famous for their long traditions in arts, fashion and fine dining. If you've seen the best of them, the Belgian countryside offers anything from sandy beaches to the densely forested hills and ridges of the Ardennes. Brussels, the country's vibrant capital, is a modern world city with a highly international character. It combines massive postmodern buildings in its European Quarter with impressive historic monuments, such as the World Heritage listed Grand Place, surrounded by guildhouses and the Gothic town hall. There's Laken Castle and the large St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, dedicated to the cities patron saints. The Royal Palace is a more recent but no less grand structure. One of the city's most famous landmarks is the Atomium, a remarkable steel structure and remnant of the 1958 World's Fair.

Belgium

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Cover picture © Credits to iStock/ Stéphane Gallay

Louvain-la-Neuve: a city created only for University students

Salamanca

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Spain is famous for its friendly inhabitants, relaxed lifestyle, its cuisine, vibrant nightlife, and world-famous folklore and festivities, and its history as the core of the vast Spanish Empire. The most popular beaches are the ones along the Mediterranean coast and on the Canary Islands. Meanwhile, for hiking, the mountains of Sierra Nevada in the south, the Central Cordillera and the northern Pyrenees are the best places. Historically, Spain has been an important crossroads: between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, between North Africa and Europe, and as Europe began colonizing the New World, between Europe and the Americas. As such, the country is blessed with a fantastic collection of historical landmarks. The Spanish are very passionate about their cuisine, based on great food and wine. Spanish food can be described as quite light with a lot of vegetables and a huge variety of meat and fish.

Spain

Castille & Leon

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The cave of Salamanca: dark magic & its secrets

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Easter Monday at Salamanca's riverside - a "traditional" party

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Cover picture © Credits to María Noelia Romo Botello

May 15th, a traditional Spanish celebration in the countryside

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Portugal

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Marvão, the impregnable fortress of Alentejo

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Cover picture © Credits; Francisco Antonio Narciso Narciso

“Los Palomos”, a gay pride festival in rural Spain

Valladolid

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Cover image credit © iStock/DoloresGiraldez

Valladolid, the city of tapas and linear architecture

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Cover picture © Credits; Sara Rodríguez Romo

Salamanca through literature, an eternal inspiration

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Belver and Alamal: a beautiful oasis in the edge of Alentejo

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Cover Picture © Credits; Sara Rodríguez Romo

Puerto Roque & Crença, hidden treasures in Alentejo

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Portagem, a medieval toll and a natural swimming pool

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Castelo de Vide: A white, medieval town in Alentejo

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Amieira do Tejo, a land of knights and legends

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Cover picture © María Noelia Romo Botello

The dolmens' route in Valencia de Alcántara- a journey to the past

Mérida

Since the age of the Conquistadors , its continental climate and hot summers have made Extremadura a land of emigration for its inhabitants in search of greener pastures. Fortunately, the Tagus River which runs right through it provides relief, with its humid riverbed, from the zone's relatively rugged and desolate countryside. The cities of Mérida and Cáceres, ideal stopping-off points in the midst of an ecosystem of nature parks, offer archaeological and historical sites, respectively, of great richness.

Extremadura

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The International Festival of Classical Theatre in Mérida

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Mérida, the Roman capital of Hispania

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Ammaia, Alentejo's unknown Roman city

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A Roman city uncovered, Cáparra

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Monte Velho- a trekking route through stone carved graves

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Hiking the old smuggling paths between Spain and Portugal

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The secrets hidden behind Salamanca’s stone carvings

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Almossassa, a medieval festival in Marvão

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Zamora, the European capital of the Romanesque and its tapas

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Salvaleón: a hike through legends and the best jamón

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Évora, a city with unique monuments and great wine

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Badajoz, Extremadura's underrated gem

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Medellín, the fortress of Guadiana

Leon

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The Royal Colegiata of San Isidoro: the Holy Grail and the puzzle of the kings

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Magusto, a folkloric chestnut festival in Carbajo

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Ledesma, a crossroads of history and cultures

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Chestnut party in Marvão

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The international bar cocktail fair in Valladolid

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Jerez de los Caballeros, the city of the Knights Templar

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Hidden treasures under the Valdecañas reservoir

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Munigua, a hidden Roman city in the Sevilla sierra

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Ávila, a fortified beauty in the Castilian plain

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A  day trip to Valencia de Alcántara

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A day trip from Mérida: Lácara and Cornalvo

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Olivenza: the best architecture of an empire

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Olivenza's traditional celebrations & its controversial cake

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Campo Maior, a fortress city with a very special celebration

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Ciudad Rodrigo, a colossal city-fortress in Spain

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Alcántara and its glorious past - the unknown treasure of Extremadura

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Almeida, Castelo Mendo and Castelo Bom: the defensive stars of Portugal

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Monsanto, the most Portuguese village

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Idanha-a-Velha: a historical city and a psy-trance summer festival

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COVID-19 in Salamanca: A students' city without its students

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Penha Garcia fortress & Naturtejo's 450 million-year-old snakes

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25.000 years of human art in the Côa Valley

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A memorable trip around the Côa Valley

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Pinhel, the falcon city

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Mogarraz, a hidden gem between the mountains of Salamanca

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Extracting cork in Extremadura, a long-lasting Iberian tradition

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La Alberca, the most beautiful village in Salamanca

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Our Lady of Peña de Francia: legends & best views of Salamanca

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Charming Plasencia: the city of pleasures

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Estremoz, the Alentejan city of marble

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Simancas, the jewel of the Castilian crown

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Regina & Reina, a Roman city towered by an Arabian castle

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Llerena, the little Athens of Extremadura

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Spain & its timeless beauty to fall in love with

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Urueña: the beautiful book village in Castile and León

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Campiña Sur at its best: Virgen del Ara Hermitage & La Jayona

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La Mota Castle: the fortress of a mighty queen

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Alcañices: where Europe's most ancient border was drawn

Sintra

Estremadura

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Portugal, a sun-kissed country that has it all

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Tomar: the last stronghold of the Templars in Portugal

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Granadilla, a village frozen in time in the 1950s

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Berlengas: the Portuguese tropical islands

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Candelario, a beauty hidden amongst the mountains of Castile

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Arrábida: paradisiac nature, hidden beaches & Portugal's best sunset

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Bolonia Beach: a dune & a Roman city by the sea

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Conil de la Frontera: great beach, party and food!

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Potes, a balcony to the Picos de Europa

Setenil de las Bodegas, a town nestled in rocks

Playa de los Muertos, one of the best beaches in Spain

Manacor, a pretty Mallorquin city full of attractions

Roquetas de Mar: the perfect holiday destination

Why is Christmas in Spain different?

Seville

Andalusia's cultural treasures make it a strong tourist attraction. It's economy - badly hurt by the latest economic crisis - is mainly based on tourism and is supported by agriculture and livestock breeding.

Andalusia has made its mark on Spain's fine arts, literature and theatre. The art and architecture of this region best shows what southern Spain was like during the Moorish rule. Come see the cultural heritage in Andalusia for yourself, an area where Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted peacefully for a long time.

Andalusia

A unique Spanish tradition: the Three Kings parade

Playa de Muro, a dreamy beach in Mallorca

Jerez de la Frontera: home of sherry, flamenco & Cartujano horses

Tarifa: surf, infinite beaches, history & fun

Alcúdia, a medieval city in paradisiac Mallorca

Magaluf, where the party never stops

Mahón, the most coveted port of Menorca

Miranda de Ebro, the beautiful Spanish crossroads

Sagres, the last wild corner of Europe

Mojácar: great beaches & a white Moorish town

Exploring iconic caves & beaches on Algarve: Portimão

Seville, the crown of Andalusia

Madrid

The rich collections of its museums, the Prado and the Queen Sofía, in themselves make the city worth a visit. In the immediate vicinity of the city, in its close suburbs, you can experience the tranquillity of small historic towns like the medieval Chinchon. As one of the economic drivers of the country, certainly in the service industry and the administrative sector, the zone fully assumes its status of capital region.

Community of Madrid

Madrid, the heart of Spain

Granada, the Spanish wonder of the world

Sil Canyon: a magical landscape in Galicia

Santiago de Compostela, the soul of Spain

The Camino de Santiago: a universal landmark

I am 32 and I was born in Olivenza, a place that used to be Portuguese. As we say there, I am a daughter of Spain and a granddaughter of Portugal. When I was 13 I moved to Portugal and ever since I haven’t stopped moving around the world: I have lived in Belgium, Chile, Germany, India. I studied Journalism and Philosophy. I have a master in Archaeology and currently I am doing a PhD with a thesis about a Greek goddess. I have been three times on Erasmus during the past ten years: Belgium, Italy, Greece. I have been an au-pair in Chile, a waitress in Germany, a journalist and export manager in Spain, a tour guide on a horse in Portugal. I love History and outdoors activities, that’s why my new two favourite countries in the world are Turkey and Greece. And I love writing about the places I have been: how to remember them otherwise?

Belgium

Spain

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Portugal

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Spain

Portugal

Portugal

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Portugal

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NAVIGATION