Although they're small, each of these three countries contains a diversity of culture, language, and tradition that defies easy definition. Belgium is fractured along the age-old European great divide between the Germanic north and the Latin south. This division is expressed in the constant regional bickering between Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia that threatens to split the country entirely.
Holland (the Netherlands) has its great divide, too, along the "three great rivers" -- the Maas, the Waal, and the Rhine. The northerners are straitlaced and Calvinist and (to hear the southerners say it) only know what to do with a glass of beer because they've been shown by the exuberant, Catholic southerners. Then there's the matter of nations within the nation. Friesland, Zeeland, and Limburg have their notions of separateness and their own languages to back them up.
As for Luxembourg, you'd think a country so small that -- even on a big map -- its name can't fit within its borders would be simpler. Not a bit. Luxembourgers are such a mixed bag that they're still trying to sort out the mess left behind when the Germanic tribes overran the Roman Empire's Rhine defenses in A.D. 406.
Diversity is the greatest asset of the Benelux countries. The visitor from afar may be more impressed by their shared characteristics, which include a determined grasp on the good life, than by the differences that separate them.
Taken together, the Benelux nations of Belgium, Holland (the Netherlands), and Luxembourg form a small area -- not much greater than that of West Virginia. But arguably, no other comparably sized place in Europe compresses so many points of interest. Topping the list are artistic masterpieces, cultural events, and substantial reminders of a long and colorful history. Space remains for scenery that, while mostly lacking in drama, can still be lyrically beautiful. There are also the more mundane (but agreeable) advantages of convenience, economy, and friendly populations, not to mention a host of other travel delights -- the exquisite food and drink of Brussels, the exuberant sociability of Amsterdam, and Luxembourg's sidewalk cafes.
For a graphic image of Belgium's two ethnic regions, Dutch-speaking Vlaanderen (Flanders) and French-speaking Wallonie (Wallonia), draw an imaginary east-west line across the country just south of Brussels. North of the line is Flanders, where you find the medieval cities of Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp, and Belgium's North Sea coastline. South of the line is Wallonia. The art cities of Tournai and Mons, and the scenic resort towns of the Meuse River valley and the Ardennes, are the attractions of this region. Then there's Brussels, the capital, roughly in the geographic middle, and going off on a trajectory of its own as the "capital of Europe."
