Top 10 Belgium facts

Limburger. The cheese is especially known for its strong smell caused by the bacterium Brevibacterium linens. Brevibacterium linens is ubiquitously present on the human skin, where it causes foot odor. The same bacterium is also employed to ferment several cheeses such as Munster, Limburger, Port-du-Salut, Raclette, Livarot, Pont l'Eveque and Năsal.

It was designed for coachmen. The brewery claims the glass was designed by the innkeeper Pauwel Kwak in the early 19th century for coachmen. The shape of the glass allowed them to fix the beer to the carriage and avoid spills.

Belgium and France. Processional giants and dragons are a set of folkloric manifestations in Belgium and France, Inherited from medieval rites. The Giant is one of the symbols of the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Present at regional festivals and events, he represents the northern community.

Belgium's association with chocolate goes back as far as 1635 when the country was under Spanish occupation. During the early 20th century, the country was able to import cocoa from its colony, the Belgian Congo. Many aspects of chocolate composition are regulated by law. In particular, vegetable-base fats are not used.

In Belgium. The Smurfs were created by Pierre Culliford, a Belgian comics artist. He is well known as "Peyo", a name which he invented for himself, basing on an English cousin's mispronunciation of Pierrot (a diminutive form of Pierre)

Cherry. Kriek lambic is a style of Belgian beer, made by fermenting lambic with sour Morello cherries. Traditionally "Schaarbeekse krieken" (a rare Belgian Morello variety) from the area around Brussels are used. As the Schaarbeek type cherries have become more difficult to find, some brewers have replaced these (partly or completely) with other varieties of sour cherries, sometimes imported.

Belgium, the home of pralines, is world-renowned for its chocolates, and a major chocolate manufacturing center. There are around 17.000 Belgians employed in the industry, which results in 172.000 tonnes produced each year.

Antwerp. The largest cities in Belgium: Brussels (1.0 million), Antwerp (466,000), Ghent (235,000) and Charleroi (201,000).

Witbier. Pierre Celis was a Belgian brewer who opened his first brewery in 1966 to revive the wit beer style in his hometown of Hoegaarden. Both German Weißbier and Belgian witbier are termed "white beers" because "wheat" has the same etymological root as "white" in most West Germanic languages.

Dardenne. Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce and direct their films together.