Underrated gem

Lonely Planet is the largest producer of travel guides and it recently published the Best Places To Go in 2014.

Here are the top 10 countries recommended for a visit in 2014 . . . 

1. Brazil 
2. Antarctica 
3. Scotland 
4. Sweden 
5. Malawi 
6. Mexico 
7. Seychelles 

9. Macedonia
10. Malaysia

and coming in at number 8 is none other than . . .

8. Belgium

High emotions in Europe's underrated gem

Historic buildings along the River Leie in Ghent, Belgium. Image by Allan Baxter / The Image Bank / Getty Images

Belgium has picturesque cities – Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent – and in Brussels a walkable capital with great museums. The food and drink is a gustatory blast (think the world’s best beer, chocolate and fries), the countryside flat and placid, the seaside surprisingly chic, while cultural treasures range from medieval masters to Tintin. Yet the words ‘Belgium’ and ‘holiday’ don’t usually mix. From 2014, a huge influx of visitors is expected due to the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI – a festival of remembrance lasting until 2018 – which may change preconceptions. Belgo-newbies will find medieval towns where culture and gastronomy meet, with Gothic buildings, paintings by Breugel, Van Eyck and Magritte, canals and cool shops. And they’ll discover mellow meadows, where cows moo beside monuments, and battlefields and cemeteries that testify to the horrors of a war now shifting from living memory.

I've always said Belgium is underestimated as a great place to visit.  So . . . come see us!