Belgium packs quite a cultural punch; world-class art, picture-perfect castles, sumptuous chocolate everywhere and more varieties of beer than plant and wildlife species combined.

It is a place of the divine (moules et frites) and the divided (the Flemish north and Walloon south are as different as raw chicory and cheese fondue). The north and south speak different languages and regard one another as culturally dubious.

Comic strips are another Belgian forte and while there are many local favourites, Hergé, the creator of the quiffed reporter Tintin, is the most widely known.

At the turn of this century, the sinuous architecture of Art Nouveau started in Brussels led by Henri van de Velde and Victor Horta. Horta was famed for his interiors which avoided straight lines - ceilings simply became curved continuations of walls. Stained glass and wrought iron were much used to accentuate this whiplash of lines.

Belgian food is highly regarded throughout Europe - some say it’s second only to French. Combining French and German styles, meat and seafood are the main raw ingredients. The Belgians swear they invented frites (chips, or fries), and judging by availability, it’s a claim few would contest. And though they didn’t actually invent beer or chocolate, they may as well have.