Europe

Belgium has a varied cuisine which is heavily influenced by French, Dutch and German flavours and dishes. However, its position as a world centre means that you can find almost any cuisine, particularly in Brussels. The most well-known national dishes include moules-frites (mussels with fries), carbonnade Flamande (a rich beef and onion stew) stoemp (mashed potato with leeks and carrots) and of course chocolate.

The Kingdom of Denmark is bordered by the Baltic and North Seas in Northern Europe. It comprises the Jutland peninsula and close to 406 islands, 80 of which are populated. A network of bridges and tunnels link the largest islands of Zealand (Sjælland), Funen (Fyn) and Jutland (Jylland).

Finland is one of the world’s northernmost countries, bordered by Sweden and Russia. The capital Helsinki lies on the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland and is the most densely populated area, with 1.4 million inhabitants.

France is a large, geographically diverse country in Western Europe. It shares borders with Belgium and Luxembourg in the north, Germany and Switzerland to the east and Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain in the south. Famous for its cuisine, distinctive culture, magnificent architecture and natural beauty…

Referred to as ‘the small country with the big reputation,’ Ireland is a land of breathtaking scenery and distinctive cultural traditions. Ireland (Éire) is an island nation in the North Atlantic, separated from the United Kingdom by the North Channel, Irish Sea and St. George’s Channel.

The Mediterranean nation of Italy consists of the distinctive ‘boot-shaped’ mainland peninsula, the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and a number of smaller islands and archipelagos. Mainland Italy shares land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia to the north.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a small country in North West Europe, bordered by Germany, Belgium and the North Sea. It is often referred to as ‘Holland’ because two of its twelve provinces, North and South Holland, were independent states until 1813.

The Kingdom of Norway is Europe’s northernmost country, sharing a long eastern border with Sweden and with Finland and Russia to the north. The capital of Oslo lies close to the border with Sweden and is the most densely populated area with around one million inhabitants. Norway is one of the most beautiful countries in the world,