Today was special not only because we we were heading out from Amsterdam to Brussels, but it was also my birthday! On our way we stopped off in Dordrecht for a nice tour. Dordrecht is the fifth largest city in the South Holland province. One very special fact about the city is that it held the first assembly of the Free states, which is also known as the Union of Dordrecht, in 1572.
We eventually made our way into Brussels and there was quite a notable difference from the Netherlands. As we learned in class the nation is is separated by culture, religion, and language which makes quite an interesting affect on how the country is run. The northern part of Belgium is Flanders. People here speak Dutch primarily. “Flanders is not all flat— there are hilly parts in the south-west, but flatness and the proximity of the sea have profoundly influenced its history and character.” (pg. 63) I definitely noticed that the areas within driving into Belgium from the Netherlands had plenty of hills. Brussels is also very hilly, and it gives the city a lot of character with all the cobble-stoned paths.
In Brussels, one would not truly know they had arrived in a city within Flanders. Many buildings are labelled with french signs. The majority of people here speak french. The city is technically bilingual, but speaking Dutch does not seem to be very popular here. It’s an interesting topic to discuss because the Flemish state does not truly feel at home with a french speaking culture. “ The Flemish have had an awkward relationship with French language and culture since the early Middle Ages, when Flanders came under French Sovereignty.” (pg. 67) The situation of Brussels being situated within Flanders and being heavily French persuasion reminds me of Berlin being surrounded by East Germany during the cold War, but not as hostile obviously.
We went on a small tour through the city center of Brussels, and I must say the architecture and layout of the city is beautiful. Buildings are unique in design and landmarks such as the old plaza including the Guild houses and City Hall are magnificent. Gold is laid upon every part of the buildings, and a strong feeling of royalty and wealth is exerted throughout the medieval part of Brussels. Most Belgians were in poverty unfortunately, but it was the effort of elite southerner factory owners and the Royal family that made Brussels such a grand and Paris-like place.
Amsterdam to Brussels 