Whew, it’s crowded here: with 378 inhabitants per square kilometer, Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. And practically all of them (more than 98 percent) live in cities. Here’s what they’re up to.

Inventive

They don’t speak Belgian, but they do have three official languages: Flemish, French, and German.

Sweet temptation: Liège waffles. Photo: Jrenier

Drinky

French (!) fries, Belgian waffles and the best chocolate all come from here – even if the latter were invented by a Swiss in Brussels. Belgium is also famous for its variety of beers. These include numerous abbey beers with high alcohol content, beers fermented in a special way, such as Lambic and Geuze, and beers infused with fruit aromas.

Double-fried: Belgian chips. Photo: Hayford Peirce

Musically

What would jazz be without the Belgian Adolphe Sax, who invented the saxophone in 1840? However, the instrument was patented in France. Genre change: Every year, techno fans are drawn to the city of Boom. The Tomorrowland electro festival held there is one of the most influential and best-known in the world.

Heroic

Tintin, Gaston, Smurfs and Lucky Luke – in Belgium, you’ll see these colorful heroes not only on the walls of many buildings. Because Belgium is the land of comics! But no one else comes close to this real-life hero: Jean-Claude Van Damme, the muscles from Brussels who has become a world-famous action star.

How many Belgian beers have you tried – and did you like them? We’re looking forward to your comments.