Geography of Belgium
Although heavily developed and densely populated, the scenic beauty of some Belgian geographic regions is breath-taking. Geographically and geologically, as it is in most things, Belgium is a country of
Typical polder landscape
© Westtoer
heavy contrasts.
It is small enough that in the right weather conditions and season it’s perfectly possible to walk along the beach in the morning before going for a cross-country ski in the afternoon. t’s possible, but whether it’s practical is another matter.
Whatever your more "active" hobbies, besides the Belgian beer, may be you will be able to find the terrain to suit your needs.
From rock climbing to rafting most outdoorsports that don't require high mountain peaks can be practised. Read more about Belgium's natural splendour on our Nature and Wildlife and Nature Reserves and National Parks pages.
Geography & Landscape
The country has an area of 30,528 km2 or 11,787miles2, which is more or less one-and-a-half times the size of Wales and small enough to fit into
Belgian Ardennes
© BeerTourism.com
the State of Texas nearly 23 times. As you should know by now, it isn’t big and favourably situated in North West Europe.
Belgium borders on Holland to the north and France to the west and the south. Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are found to the east and the coast of England is only a stone’s throw away across the Channel.
There are three main geographical regions in Belgium: the coastal plains in the north, literally “Low Belgium” (elevation 0-100m/0-325ft); the central plateau or “Middle Belgium” (100-200m/325-650ft) and finally the Ardennes plateau or “High Belgium” in the south (200m-500m+/650-1640ft+).
The country’s highest point, Signal de Botrange, is just 694 metres or 2,276 feet above sea level in the High Fens of Wallonia. But Belgians don’t mind having just these three geographical areas to choose from and no real mountains to speak of with plenty of
Sand dunes
© BeerTourism.com
enormously varied landscapes to enjoy.
To the northwest, along the 65 km or 40.5 miles of the North Sea coast there are still some areas with sandy dunes, backed by flat polders and gentle hills.
Across the centre of the country are large tracts of undulating arable land and towards the southeast are extensive areas of heath and woodland, rolling hills and finally the ridges and forests of the Ardennes in the Walloon part of Belgium.
Much of the Ardennes is typified by steep-sided valleys that have been carved out by its swift-flowing rivers.
Geology
In Low Belgium and Middle Belgium, which together make up more or less all of the Flemish and Brussels Capital regions, the soil is mainly fertile clay with loam and sandy loam in the south
Old mining site
© BeerTourism.com
and sandier soils to the north. Unlike Wallonia, the soils in Flanders and Brussels vary a great deal, supporting a very diverse agriculture.
From its caves to the once lucrative coal fields, the geology of the Ardenne plateau was shaped in the Devonian period, between 408 and 360 million years ago. The discovery of coal and minerals such as iron and zinc saw the Ardennes industrialised very early.
Initially charcoal was used as fuel for smelting, with the forest providing a ready supply of raw material. But once coal’s use in the manufacturing process was discovered, the iron and steel industries moved to be close to the seams, leading to the rapid development of a flourishing Walloon steel industry.
The Ardennes
© BeerTourism.com
The rugged terrain of the Ardennes region seriously limits its agricultural economy, with only a few areas supporting limited arable and dairy farming.
For geology enthusiasts, Belgium has plenty to offer. In 2009 the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences published the first “Geology and Tourism in Belgium” brochure, listing everything the geo-tourist could wish to see.
As well as 28 geological museums there are plenty of caves, old mines and other geo-sites to be explored around the country. At the Royal Museum of Natural Sciences you can even see the largest meteorite ever found in Europe.
Rivers & Waterways
Water plays the most important role in the geography and geology of a country. It provides fertile sediment for agriculture, shapes the landscape, creates
© BeerTourism.com
some beautiful natural scenes and now and then it lashes out and reminds us of the power of nature. Much of the Flemish marshes were drained to make way for agriculture but flooding is still a problem in some areas.
While Belgium lacks much in the way of lakes it more than makes up for it with an extensive network of rivers and canals which have proved indispensable to the nation’s industrial and economic development.
The total length of navigable waterways in Belgium is something over 2,000 km, of which more than 1,500 km remains in commercial use.
The main rivers of Belgium are the Scheldt or Schelde which enabled Antwerp to become Europe’s second largest port, the Yser and the Meuse or Maas.
One of the most important of these rivers is the River Meuse that rises in France and flows through
Canal transport
© BeerTourism.com
the Belgian cities of Namur and Liège before crossing the Dutch border where it becomes the River Maas. It passes through Maastricht and flows north until it joins with the Rhine and the various other smaller rivers that make up the Rhine Delta before flowing into the North Sea.
The waterways are so essential to the country’s economy that the world’s largest ship-lift, the counterweighted lift of Strepy-Thieu, can be found in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia.
It doesn’t matter now that it was an overambitious and costly project which now has little practical use, with a height of 73 m or 80 yards Strepy-Thieu can boast they have largest ship lift ever constructed. The lift is even listed as UNESCO World Heritage .
Related Pages
Cycling
Belgium by bicycle. Throughout Belgium and in the Flemish region in particular, the love of cycling borders on fanaticism.[ more... ]
History
The history of Belgium. A concise summary on how Belgium was founded and got to its present day form.[ more... ]
UNESCO World Heritage
Information about UNESCO World Heritage sites in Belgium and explanation why beer culture in Belgium was officially recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.[ more... ]
Nature and Wildlife
Belgium is blessed with some areas of exceptional natural beauty which are well worth leaving the medieval cities for. [ more... ]
Art with a capital B
An introduction to the history of Belgian art including an overview of some of the most influential and well-known artists to have come from Belgium.[ more... ]
Belgian Antiques and Flea Markets
An extensive guide to some of Belgium's most important antique cities, shopping areas and flea markets in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia.[ more... ]
Comments
You must be logged in to leave a comment
SHARE:
You Might Like
Looking for lambic, geuze or kriek, Trappist beer, Belgian speciality beer, abbey ale, limited editions or a gift voucher? Belgian Happiness offers a wide range of Belgian beers, beer glasses and mixed beer boxes. Worldwide shipping and get 10% off by ordering a full box!
The ultimate book on Belgian beer; a 704 page illustrated hardcover written by Erik Verdonck and Luc de Raedemaeker. Discover how brewing works, how to tap, pour, taste and store your beer; which beer styles and types there are, how to pair beer and food, must-try beers and what about the new craft beer trend? The Belgian Beer Book covers it all.
The Duvel Moortgat Brewery caters to everyone’s tastes with 3 different brewery experiences. From complete novice to experienced beer lover, Duvel has the brewery visit package for you.
On August 24th, 25th and 26th we look forward to welcoming you to the 4th edition of the North Sea Beer Festival. Taste over 200 Belgian beers, eat some delicious food and enjoy the music in the wonderful surroundings of Leopoldpark in Ostend.
Brewery Van Honsebrouck - Bierkasteel
Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck, well known for it's "Kasteel" beer range, now offers their Bierkasteel beer experience; brewery visit, event location, restaurant, bar and shop. Open from 10th August 2016.
BLOG
POSTS
Palm and Rodenbach - now under the banner of Swinkels Family Brewers
LIESHOUT/STEENHUFFEL - Since 2016 the Palm, De Hoorn and Rodenbach breweries have been owned by Bavaria, a Dutch-based brewer. Two years after the takeover, Bavaria has been re-named Swinkels Family ... [ more ]
The Brewers Of Europe Forum 2018
BRUSSELS - To be authentic is not a competition and neither is it a fashionable attitude. You either are an authentic brewer or you are not. You are driven, you make great beers that have a soul, you have a good story to... [ more ]
Zythos 2018. Watch out… there’s some heritage about!
LEUVEN - 12,500 fans made their way to Leuven for what was already the 15th edition of the Zythos beer festival. Many fans travelled a long way to get to Belgium. They flocked here from many European ... [ more ]
Showcasing the Belgian art of living, Horecatel 2018
MARCHE-EN-FAMENNE - “Their cuisine is on a par with that of the French and the portions are generous...” When people discuss the Belgian art of living, it won’t be long before the term ‘Burgundian’ ... [ more ]
Bruges Beer Festival 2018: your window on the Belgian beer world
BRUGES - Eleven years ago it all started off on quite a modest scale in the medieval town hall of Bruges, under the imposing gaze of the Belfry. Now, in 2018, the Bruges Beer Festival has spread its wings and encompasses... [ more ]
More Beer
Lupulus Hopera is a golden-blonde Belgian pale ale, dry-hopped and re-fermented in the bottle. The beer is both unfiltered and unpasteurised. Although this is a strongly hopped ... [ more ]
Beer Tourism Newsletter Signup
Enter your name and email address on the right and click "SignUp" to join.