The Netherlands vs Belgium DIFFERENCES - American in Ghent vlog

While The Netherlands and Belgium can be similar in many respects, the two countries are also different in a few ways. In this video, I vlog my trip to Ghent, a beautiful city in Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) and talk about my experiences visiting there after living in the Netherlands for two and a half years.
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I like to share my experiences of an American expat in the Netherlands. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, and life in Holland while enjoying every bit of it!
Blog website: www.dutchamericano.com
Instagram: DutchAmericano
Get in touch: [e-mail]
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[@bertnijhof5413]

As Dutchman I lived for 10 years in Antwerp, while working in Brussels. The cities in Flanders are much older than the cities in the Netherlands. Flanders was rich in the 14th, 15th and part of the 16th century and the Netherlands was rich in the 16th, 17th and part of the 18th century. The Netherlands became rich, partly because hundreds of rich protestant merchants from Antwerp were exiled at the end of a siege of Antwerp and they moved to the Netherlands. I loved the restaurants in Antwerp. I love the Belgian beers. especially "Westmalle Dubbel". My favorite restaurants were close the the railway station and they were a Thai and an Italian restaurant, both had excellent food for reasonable prices (I'm Dutch :). Of course I have been to Ghent and Bruges during my time in Flanders and they are beautiful and very well preserved.

[@NS-un5lz]

I guess the Hansa cities don't count.😒

[@spambaconeggspamspam]

A lot of the facades in Ghent stem from the high medieval period as opposed to the Dutch Golden Age, it really highlights when Flanders and Holland experienced their respective economic and cultural boom. Ghent, Antwerp, Brugge were all big cities where a lot of early book printing took place, interestingly enough the first real protestant sects in the low countries were born here and would eventually lead to the inquisition under Margaretha de Parma. Which saw the persecution of said protestants which led to the 80 years war as she dismissed those who begged her to stop as beggars, "Gueux" or as we know them now: "Geuzen".

[@johanwittens7712]

The joke is that the Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam, was built by the Flemish that fled persecution and the wealth and know-how they brought with them after the contra- reformation... Before that Dutch cities were tiny fishing towns, and the big cities were in Flanders. As with most myths and jokes, there is a tiny bit of truth to it. 😉

[@spambaconeggspamspam]

@@johanwittens7712 Correct, The influence of the rich protetestant flemish is not to be understated! But somewhat prior to the 80 years war Holland had already begun to grow as the economic center of the soon to be Netherlands as opposed to the Hanseatic League towns along the IJssel and Rhine rivers (Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle, Kampen) through the "Moeder Negotie" or mother negotiation in which Amsterdam and surrounding cities bypassed the Hanseatic league to trade grain with the baltic states directly. I believe it was Phillip II of Spain himself even who officially pulled the low countries out of the Hanseatic League eventually. FYI This is why when you visit towns in NL you can kind of tell when they experienced their economic boom. In the east it's generally the High Middle Ages and in the west it's generally the Golden Age (1600 ~ 1700) With some exceptions and combinations like Utrecht.

[@aftp6646]

Amsterdam was a melting pot in the 17th century. Next to the Flemish who came to the city there were people from all over Europe and the world. It was a true world city. The Sephardic Jews from the Iberian peninsula brought great wealth as well. Flemish city centers are older indeed. Although there are a lot of medieval looking buildings that were built in the 19th century. The 17th century city centres from Holland are less ornate but generally much bigger.

[@Noahboy8]

I was just going to say this. Except you leave a crucial part out, there was no Flanders back then, atleast not as an independent country. Belgium was part of the Dutch Republic and later part of the kingdom of the Netherlands. Only in 1835 (if I remember correctly) Belgium parted from the Netherlands and became an independent nation, after the passing of several constitutional bills that where unfavourable to the Belgiums. Long story short the Dutch king Willem I basically screwed over his southern states too much, that they eventually felt they could better leave.

[@YouHaventSeenMeRight]

@@Noahboy8 Not quite, Belgium seceded from The Kingdom Of The Netherlands in 1830, though the Kingdom of The Netherlands didn't accept this until 1839. They were only part of The Netherlands between 1815 (when the Kingdom was created as a buffer state by the English against the French, who had conquered The Netherlands in 1800, though their influence was already in The Netherlands with the founding of the Batavian Republic in 1795) and 1830. Before that the areas that form Belgium were actually under Spanish rule from the start of the Dutch war of Independence (1568), which lead to the formation of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, until the formation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. Of course before the the Dutch war of Independence the area of modern day The Netherlands and Belgium was a patchwork of aristocratic fiefdoms without any national borders, only swearing their allegiance to a member of the Austrian Hapsburg family.

[@Vanoux2007]

Those Gent’s buildings are older than the Dutch ones you point out. Furthermore, these were all built by Catholic builders. The Dutch buildings are mostly built with the (Protestant) saying “ Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg” in mind. You don’t display your wealth.

[@jimjungle1397]

I am an American that was a student in Ghent. The Belgian accent is generally softer than the Dutch accent. Ghent is a university city and the Belgian students go home for the weekends and holidays, so us foreign students would have the city to ourselves and we got to know each other. The restaurants in Ghent are ofte geared towards serving students. When the Belgian students are away, the city seems a bit empty. The Belgian students leave for home Friday morning and do not attend Friday classes and they don't return until Sunday night. They go out on the town to socialize among themselves on Thursday night in Ghent. We would see them again Sunday night or Monday night at the movies. The weekends are owned by the international students in Ghent.

[@jacobmannessen1191]

A reacher from Belgium working in Dutch school in Rotterdam told het kids when the went to the playground. “Ge mag niet lopen”. You can not walk. But in the Belgium language lopen is rennen. This a fun difference between Dutch and the Belgium language.

[@saladspinner3200]

Ge moogt*

[@lennert1nevejans]

"ge moogt niet lopen" ;)

[@ashleyftcash]

My Dutch brain: well crawling it is / nou, dat wordt dan maar kruipen

[@AxelHenx]

wandelen hebben we toch beiden. het lopen ding vind ik ook zo verwarrend

[@expatfamilylive9041]

Thank you for your video, Eva! The B&B is cute! Perfect holiday time! We're Russian expats living in the Netherlands and it is always interesting for us to compare our discoveries with the insights of other foreigners!

[@quatra1000]

Back, when I lived in N. Brabant, we would often go for weekends in the Ardennes. Completely diffrent from The Netherlands. Beautiful! Great food, excellent beer, great people. Ghent and Bruges are beautiful cities and their centres very pedestrian oriented.

[@eline2511]

As a Flemish person, this is soooo interesting to watch 💕

[@lidewijvos]

I'm from the Netherlands but I go to Gent a lot and it is very touristy, more than Utrecht (where I'm from). Hence the prices but I noticed that too. I usually just buy a salad at Albert Heijn and eat it at the river. The square with all the tables was de Korenmarkt if I'm correct, you will find a similar square (de Grote Markt) in Breda, also filled with tables!

[@aftp6646]

Gent is beautiful but its small historic center makes it easily overrun. Utrecht is very nice as well and it also suffers from a small city center, for Dutch standards.

[@dirk2518]

Belgium really is the border between North and Southern Europe. So we have those mentality differences in Belgium too. Flanders is more organised, rational, the south is more laid back, emotional. We manage to compromise but it isn’t very effective. Lot of debate, lot’s of politicians. This makes Belgium a sort of a strange place to live in. Because of this culturaly i think Belgium is even a bigger melting pot than the Netherlands. We have a more surrealistic style of humour often making fun of ourselves and also a very interesting music scene.

[@leroyjenkins0736]

I feel denmark and switzerland would beat us on most things but honestly i would not wanna move i love my tiny country

[@wimvdputte]

The Dutch king Willem 1 loved Gent. Under his reign, the Ghent University was founded, the international port of Gent expanded and the textile industry took a high jump due to big trade agreements with the oversea colonies of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, Willem 1 underestimated the differences in mentality and religion between the North (Netherlands) and the South (Flanders). Eventualy it lead to the independence of Belgium in 1830.

[@pawion]

Willem the first founded 3 universities in 1816 in Liège Ghent and Leuven. He also was an important investor for the industrial development of the southern provinces. He ordered canals to be dug, like Brussels-Charleroi, and helped industrialists, like J. Cockerill, which eventually lead to the following Walloon economic prosperity. He even married a Walloon in 1841. That might explain why his grondwet reform was generally more accepted in Wallonia than in Flanders. Still, the majority was against it, yet he went on with it and made a case of arithmétique hollandaise.

[@ConsciousAtoms]

Did you visit St Baafs cathedral and / or the St Niklaaskerk? When I was in Gent some 20 years ago I was stunned by the beauty of those churches and the amazing artwork inside.

[@Geert-1988]

Ghent is a really beautiful city, been there once a few years ago, really enjoyed slot gravensteen, such a funny audio tour!

[@manicantsettleonausername6789]

What a nice little travel vlog! If you go to Belgium by car, you can tell with your eyes closed the exactly moment you cross the border, because the road quality instantly significantly decreases. Gent is a gorgeous city, I love visting. Antwerp is really nice as well!

[@hirsch4155]

Belgium is good for you, you look even better than usual. Relaxed and happy.

[@gerbrandlub]

For a moment there I was afraid you were NOT going to comment on the Belgian roads. If you're comparing the Netherlands and Belgium as a dutchie, you HAVE to mention the roads or you're immidiatly deported. Also, the bike lanes hurt my eyes. As for the architecture differences, my guess is that it's testament to the "break" between north and south we experienced during the 80 year war following religous differences. Our break with the catholic church was partly about the lavish and enriching lifestyle of the catholic church, and breaking away from that meant even as a rich merchant you should definitely not copy that style with your own buildings. The southern parts of the Netherlands, present day Flanders was occupied longer by the Spanish and thusly remained more in control of the catholic church. By the way, I can heartily recommend "Het verhaal van Nederland" in case you haven't seen it yet :).

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

You have to mention that it is a documentary series on TV...

[@gerbrandlub]

@@thienpondtt 1: you've clearly never heard of Nijmegen when it comes to old settlements. 2: in the netherlands the national, provincial and municipal governments all pay for their own roads. Source: I've worked for all three on infrastructure. The main reason Belgium roads suck, from what I've heard is that any plan that's beneficial to Flanders needs to be equally beneficial for Wallonia. The result is constant bickering as the roads further deteriorate.

[@gerbrandlub]

@@thienpondtt 1: dat gemeenten niet willen samenwerken lijkt mij een behoorlijk kernachtig en helder probleem wat nog steeds niet verklaard: waarom dan niet? Veeg je eigen straatje schoon, als elke gemeente dat voor zichzelf doet zou er geen probleem moeten zijn. Als men daarvoor niet wil betalen heb je ook een fundamenteel probleem. 2: Leeftijd van gestichte steden maakt geen ruk uit als de gebouwen heel duidelijk uit de 16e/17e eeuw zijn. Toen bestond Amsterdam ook al. We vergelijken hier geen Romeinse villa versus een art-deco jaren 1920 gebouw maar duidelijk koopliedenhuizen uit dezelfde periode.

[@gerbrandlub]

@@thienpondtt "dat is nu eenmaal zo" zou niet acceptabel moeten zijn. "Onze wegen zijn in abominabele staat want ja... wat kun je er aan doen" is toch nonsense? Het kán beter, kijk naar de buren. Qua smaak - er zijn meerdere facebookgroepen, zelfs internationaal over lelijke Belgische huizen. En ik kom geregeld in de Ardennen. Ik weet dat het ernstig is.

[@Alexssandre]

That's a bit outrageous in my opinion to say bike lines are outrageous in Flanders. It's like the little sister of the Nederland In Brugge and Ghent where I live, it's very well made and give a lot of priority to the cyclisme. Maybe you should visit with u bike

[@nightgoblin29]

Haha I'm from the Nertherlands and can name may differences and similarities between Netherlands, Belgium and Germany... my neighbours.. and I love all 3 of them

[@jonathandebolster8089]

Aha, my beautiful city (just like it was "your" bed & breakfast)! You actually visited the most hipster "frituur" of Ghent. I once witnessed a kid order a large portion of fries over there. Will never forget his facial expression when they brought it to his table!

[@ericvanquickelberghe8575]

Nice video of the city where i am born and raised. The things you remarqued, like the bill in a resteaurant, bycicle lanes and more are not typical for Ghent ,but for whole Flanders region. It can also be that the food is more expensief then in the Netherlands, but generaly the quality of the food is better. We are not pleased with a "kroket uit de muur." like Dutch people love. But that are different cultures. Bur any way, thanks to make this video. I liked it.

[@gertdehaan4005]

1:15 That's is actually true. There are no bathtubs in all of the Netherlands! There just isn't room for it! Too small! Years ago, someone tried to install a bathtub, but it just didn't fit. It protruded for a large part over the border into Germany. The Germans were (of course) not amused and said something like, "Was soll denn das mit die badewanne?" So the tub had to be removed and I think they sold it to someone in Denmark... True story!

[@PendelSteven]

Well, I've seen bathtubs in the Netherlands. In fact, I had to shower in the bathtub. Not a fan. I didn't bathe in it either And thus I guess most Dutch ditch the bathtub and just have a shower.

[@autohmae]

@@PendelSteven Same, I bought a house with a bath tub, got rid of it to just have a shower.

[@2012inca]

Haha I get the joke, but not everyone does it seems.

[@istoppedcaring6209]

if the bicyclepath is just red colloration it isn't a seperate bicycle path but a "bicyclesuggestionstrip" basically, this is an area of the road for both drivers and riders but riders get preference as vulnerable road users. if they are seperated from the road or have a full line border, then it is a bicyclepath for riders only

[@davidvandenbroeck5068]

My wife and I visited Netherlands and Belgium in 2019. Our reasons for the trip was basically twofold. First, we both enjoy travel and those countries have been on our list for awhile, partially due to my ancestors immigrating to the US from there. Notice my last name? The other reason was a scouting trip to see if we would like to live there when I retire in about three years. Great countries! I am currently researching our options for moving there as I really do want to move out of the USA when I retire and either Netherlands or Belgium would be great though I am leaning very heavily towards Netherlands. Covid has delayed follow-up trips but hopefully next year, we will be there again. Would love to buy you a beer to say thanks for making these great videos.

[@flitsertheo]

If you like good roads and everything being rather dull, move to the Netherlands. If you like good food & drinks and everything being rather chaotic, move to Belgium.

[@NS-un5lz]

​@@flitsertheo More like, if you like people being dumb af, move to Belgium.

[@AxelHenx]

@@flitsertheo good assesment :D or do as i do and live in netherlands near the border. as a belgian i prefere living in netherlands but i can't go without our food and drinks.

[@vincentvermeulen6703]

When you travel via road, you also see very different residential housing. I remember my first trip there in late 1980s and was surprised to see so many houses with little towers. They like it there and bring my home is my castle to a next level.

[@johanwittens7712]

The difference is largely due to a difference in housing development methods. Belgium has a way, way more individual approach, where even new "verkavelingen" will be sold plot per plot, and then every individual builds their own house as they like, within general local building codes. In the Netherlands entire neighbourhoods are often designed and built at once by a developer and then individual finished houses sold. So many Dutch neighbourhoods will look far more uniform than Belgian ones. This is way more rare in Belgium. Even in dense cities we have the "I do what I want on my plot" mindset. And second thing is that Belgium did not have any sort of urban planning or building codes worth the name untill the mid 1990s, which meant anyone could build anything pretty much anywhere, leading to the urban planning mess we have today. The Netherlands was far better planned and thought out even in rural areas because of their great urban planning that started pretty much after WW2...

[@andrecostermans7109]

and the sizes of these houses ... usually they are way smaller in the Netherlands ... and ownership of houses ... in Flanders about 80% of the population owns his house , in the Netherlands just about 50%

[@adrianos7334]

@@johanwittens7712 that's what I love about Belgium. A Greek friend of me lives in Schilde, in a stunning neighborhood and in his street, you see those huge Californian new build villa's, next to it, a huge Swiss Chalet, than a Greek villa, with flat roof, a Spanish villa. I love this. Every house is different while the Netherlands it's so borning and looks like a social neighborhood. For me as a Greek, Belgium is far more beautiful. When you visite Wallonia, it looks like France mixed up with Switzerland.

[@palantir135]

The architectures in the Calvinistic northern part of the Netherlands is also different from the catholic Bourgondisch North Brabant and Limburg in the Netherlands. The beer culture in Belgium is much much bigger than in the Netherlands; a lot more variety too.

[@aftp6646]

Belgian has a much larger beer history. With the rise of micro breweries though Holland has great regional variety.

[@NS-un5lz]

Variety? No.

[@juloedtb1420]

If you want to see a really cool facade of a Amsterdam house, you should go to the Centuurbaan. Coming from the east over the bridge crossing the amstel river, there is a house on the right side with a very interesting front. It's the house with the jesters/gnomes.(house #251 and #253) Check it out some day. You can also look online in maps ofcourse but pictures don't do it right in my opinion. To see squares like ghent, you should go south to Maastricht, breda or Den Bosch.

[@kauemoura]

Oh, I've been living here in Belgium for a few years and I can't remember the last time I paid anything with cash. Bancontact with my phone all the way. :)

[@SuperEdwin61]

Ghent is a very special city. I live in the Netherlands but pretty close to Ghent.

[@rpfs2691]

Ghent is nice. Glad to hear you're enjoying it.

[@margreetanceaux3906]

Coming from Rotterdam (my hometown), it takes only 15 minutes longer to Antwerp, compared to going to Amsterdam (by train), but you’re right: it is very much ‘going abroad’.

[@DutchAmericano]

As an American, I'm still surprised by how quickly you're in a Belgium city from a Dutch city.

[@MrFlatage]

@@DutchAmericano You should visit De Clinge in the Netherlands ... or step across the city border and visit De Clinge in Belgium. P.S for 18 euro you totally got like ostrich eggs right?

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Gent is very nice but also visit Brugge or Antwerp they are very nice also! Great vlog! 🙂

[@RichardRenes]

Up to 2019, the intercity to Antwerp and Brussels would go through Roosendaal and Essen into Antwerp, and there it was easier to see but you would know the miniute you would enter Belgium. You would just see it. Nowadays they go from Breda through Noorderkempen and it is a bit less obvious. Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels and Brugues were all well established cities during the time of gothic architecture and it shows. There are some nice gothic buildings in the Netherlands, like the city halls of Middelburg and Gouda, and the occasional building in Zwolle, Deventer, 's-Hertogenbosch, Maastricht, Leiden, Haarlem and such, but not nearly to the extend that Belgium has because at that time, the parts that were eventually form the Netherlands were over all a bit poorer. But I love Belgium. I always have a lot of fun there when I visit.

[@eefneleman9564]

Maybe there's also this difference in 'ornate-ness' because of the catholic vs protestant thing.

[@AxelHenx]

we love our northern brethren too :) not al of us, but most of us ;)

[@_maghetweten]

I've been to Antwerp and Brugge but still need to visit Ghent too. Because they experienced their golden era earlier the whole architecture is different. I did like Brugge more than Antwerp even though it's way more a tourist trap. So I think Ghent blends / fits right in between those two. If you want to enjoy a big market go to Deventer and ask for the brink. Or go there when they have their boekenmarkt / Charles Dickens. You will love the entourage / vibe coming from one living in Zwolle: the direct competitor for Deventer. And oh I will so order a chocolade koekje once I'm there. I do love a pain au chocolat but people in Vlaanderen do like their own language more. Chocoladekoekje does sound more lovely than just plain chocoladebroodje.

[@vincenttayelrand]

A Vlaming once told me that throughout its history Belgium was occupied by foreign forces That experience teaches you to obey the rules and to keep your opinion to yourself.

[@wdh2880]

Well, officially at least... Breaking and bending the rules in secret is a national sport. Unfortunately we keep on doing that even now that we mostly rule ourselves.

[@AxelHenx]

obey the rules? until heads get smashed :D tell me a rule okay, expect me to listen to it, hahahaha. if you read up on the history you see this as a trend. but yes we can claim to be the (by) most colonized country in the world. france, spain, germany, italy, netherlands al attempted verry hard to colonize us.

[@marcvanMaanen]

if you visit Dutch cities like Deventer, Delft, Gouda, Den Bosch, Maastricht, Haarlem etc you will also see different and sometimes really old buildings with ornate facades etc. Gent is a great place to visit btw

[@maskedgamer7565]

The buildings you saw in ghent are not your typical belgian building btw. These are really old buildings and you only see them in Ghent, Bruges and a few in Brussels. But all the other buildings are quite similar to the netherlands or other countries. If you are in Belgium again, make sure to check our castles. We got alot of them and most of them are really nice.

[@shawk1132]

im an american who visited belgium summer 2021. I had been learning dutch years before, but when i tried to speak to those who didn't speak english, i was told that i spoke like i learned in the netherlands. i learned from books, language aps and software. also, ghent, bruges and antwerp are awesome. i also felt brussels was very "big city" compared to the other places i visited. i live in a huge usa city, and some places in brussels felt like neighborhoods back home. I definitely loved the architecture in belgium, especially all the art deco architecture in brussels and antwerp. was it an easy train trip to ghent from utrecht?

[@lemastre]

Hey man, late reply. I am Belgian and I get the big city vibe regarding Brussels. It is the biggest city in the Benelux and truly vibes with a city in the USA. I'd like to give you the opposite view. Been to the 4 corners of the USA. San Francisco was the one I felt was the most European, along with Seattle. Loved the architecture.

[@CreRay]

Good job for trying to learn dutch! I feel sorry for those having to learn it as it is unnecessarily difficult, the dutch language could use a good cleanup, to get rid of all that silly grammar. I think it's not appreciated enough in the Netherlands when people try to speak dutch, people should have more patience and not switch to English immediately.

[@dutchgamer842]

The small portion of fries can be the same in the Netherlands, just depends if you are in the part below the rivers or in the part above the rivers

[@PyrusFlameborn]

They serve smaller portions of fries above the rivers?

[@AxelHenx]

@@PyrusFlameborn they see the portions you get in south of netherlands as a royal portion. north they get even smaller (and worse in taste so you realy do not mind). it's 1/3 cheaper but you only get half, dutch are easely fooled for a "good deal".

[@gertvanderstraaten6352]

The colors of houses are subject to strict rules in the Netherlands, not so much in Belgium, so there's that. The first thing that always makes me realise I'm no longer in the Netherlands is usually the electricity cables above ground. They're all underground here.

[@mimachado5546]

Love your videos!

[@axelbosch3435]

Great video, I'm from the german speaking part of belgium and I also like ghent alot maybe I'll move over there when I'm retired.

[@raynovess3965]

We love your videos and enjoy your walks around the cities but could you please turn your camera around so we can see where your walking and what your talking about. If we can't visit there we would love to experience the walks through your eyes. Thank you.

[@jtb357]

Heerlijk zo'n reis vlog.

[@reggywedding]

Hey Ava! Nice video, again! What’s wondering me however is that nobody mentions the fact that until 1830 (!) Belgium and the Netherlands still were one Dutch Kingdom! Most Of the buildings you mentioned are in fact also Dutch!

[@wesleydhanis3304]

You should actually brush up your history. Most of those buildings were built well before Flanders/Belgium was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

[@wdh2880]

The one Dutch kingdom only lasted from 1815 to 1830. Before that the north and south were separated for centuries. They were once united though, under the rule of the dukes of Burgundy.

[@AxelHenx]

apreciate the sentiment, but read more before making historical statements. the misinformation hurts my heart.

[@miguelsureda9762]

All Flemish cities are very beautiful. Antwerp is my favorite cause it has also crazy modern architecture besides the ones from the middle ages.

[@AxelHenx]

the mix gives it caracter, art nouveau next to a 1000 years building etc.

[@eddys.3524]

Hi Ava, loved the video... And you are right : Belgium is a very nice country and very dtfferent from the netherlands. BTW I started to miss your appearance on YT...

[@geralddemeulemeester4961]

Each region (or city) in Flanders has different accents. For example in Ghent the letter "G" is pronounced like a "H". There are lot of differences between Dutch and Flemish people indeed.

[@AmedeeVanGasse]

Wrong. The "G" is pronounced like a "G" in Ghent. You must have encountered an immigrant from West-Flanders. Source: I live in Ghent.

[@hshsh161]

hi! Can you recommend your B&B? :) we are going to Ghent this week and still didn't decide where we gonna stay. B&B are in same price as a 4* hotels :D

[@Frahamen]

I'm glad you liked my city 😊

[@legomattie3295]

Gent is beautiful. Been there once during winter with a winterlandscape. Back then, 9 years ago, prices werent that high, but overall prices go up very gast in belgium at tourist hotspots. Brugge is even worse, way less authentic than Gent, but way more tourists. Because tourists fell for it. You can compare it with haarzuilens in the Netherlands, but way bigger: all looks old and beautiful, but it is all for the tourists. Well Gent is the best choice to go to when you want to visit a belgium city for more than 1 day. Lots to see and lots to do.

[@DutchAmericano]

Gent is indeed very pretty!

[@seaofseeof]

I'm a resident of Utrecht too, but I consider Ghent my second home haha. I feel that while the Dutch value rules less, they do value conformity more; there is far less of that "doe normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg" attitude in Flanders. Flemish people are also a lot more socially withdrawn when it comes to interacting with strangers, but I feel like that when you do connect with a Flemish person, it's a more genuine connection. Less of a script than when you're interacting with Dutch people. While the cultures are certainly different, I don't think the contrast is that stark. The Southern part of the Netherlands, especially the more rural areas, are a fairly decent midway point between Flanders and the Netherlands -- clearly, in terms of attitudes, still Dutch, but but closer to how the Flemish are compared to the rest of the country. Also worth pointing out that the cultural divide between Flanders and the Netherlands increased when TV broadcasting was liberalized, prior to that, the Flemish watched much of the same television programming as the Dutch.

[@autohmae]

The funny part is: culture and language know no border. These things change slowly between regions. For example I live near the German border. Someone from the Netherlands with a thick accent/local dialect/language has pretty much the same language (somewhere between Dutch and German) as someone on the other side of the border with a thick accent/local dialect/language.

[@seaofseeof]

@@autohmae yeah I'm originally from Twente, and my sister lives across the border in Germany. And the German spoken in the rural parts is identical to the Dutch.

[@autohmae]

@@seaofseeof I'm born, raise and living in the same town in Twente, so yes we should stop explaining to each other what we clearly already know. 🙂

[@dirk2518]

Belgium really is the border between North and Southern Europe. So we have those mentality differences in Belgium too. Flanders is more organised, rational, the south is more laid back, emotional. We manage to compromise but it isn’t very effective. Lot of debate, lot’s of politicians. This makes Belgium a sort of a strange place to live in. Because of this culturaly i think Belgium is even a bigger melting pot than the Netherlands. We have a more surrealistic style of humour often making fun of ourselves and also a very interesting music scene.

[@AxelHenx]

@@dirk2518 came across the exact same reply, did you copy paste reply? i agree but just verry deja vu like this

[@jeremyoliviervoice]

Hi Ava! Amazingly fun as always. Back in Minnesota, there is a local town where I live called Ghent (named after the city you visited). They are known as the American capital of a sport called "Roly Boly" (I know, it sounds so cute). Have you heard of this sport at all? It's supposed to be a popular Belgian past-time sport. Thanks and keep being awesome!

[@AxelHenx]

as a belgian i can honestly say i never heared about roly boly. maybe under another name? if you ever visit try out the chocolate to ;)

[@jeremyoliviervoice]

@@AxelHenx "too", please don't lose your English while learning Dutch.

[@AxelHenx]

@@jeremyoliviervoice omg serious?? it's my 6th languague and you want to go grammar nazi on too or to? maybe bether if you never visit, noboddy likes people like you around.

[@Mr-Curious]

If you are still in Belgium. You should check out Oostende! You will like it if it's nice weather. Have an ice cream on the beach!

[@MusicJunky3]

I'm shocked and confused by those egg prices ! Is that store price or restaurant price ?! What a preposterous amount ! Anyway, glad you're back !

[@Snowshowslow]

Restaurant price, the store price will be a few euros for a box.

[@hanfranssen]

The language sounds the same but be ware the mostly mean something different. And yes indeed you always need some cash in Belgium. Regarding the ornaments, next time when you are in Utrecht, just look up, you will see a lot of them. You only have to look up, I can recommend walk one or two streets outside the city centre and you will find a lot of ornaments and special buildings. Regarding Albert Hein, I’m also a big fan, in the Netherlands it’s the most expensive and in Belgium it’s the cheapest

[@zitadeconinck3952]

the menu rules are mostly bc ghent is a student city and generally very popular with teenagers and they tend to order smaller things or pay seperately so that's annoying if you have to do that all the time

[@Dutchbelg3]

Hey Ava, Being born in Amsterdam and now living for 20 years in Antwerpen I (of course) get triggered by this video. One very important comment: There is no such thing as "the Belgian accent". There is a reason why Flemish TV-programs are usually subtitled on national TV channels... The difference in local dialects is very diverse and profound! West-Flanders is so different from Ghent local dialect is not comparable with Antwerp local dialect is not Kempish is not Brusseleirs is not "Limburgs". The local inhabitants will tell you they have different words between village to village! Like every village has almost a different brand and style of beer they also have their own distinct lingo. As a rule of thumb (with of course exceptions!) Dutchies are in majority Protestant (at least north of the "big rivers") where below the big rivers the population is more Catholic. Protestant meant usually : keep it plain and simple where catholic lifestyle is over the top and more decorated/fancy. The menu thing is more a tourist thing.. Not really a distinction between Dutchies and Flemish people. In respect of architecture: The Netherlands are and always will be more regulated and put into laws... If you own a house you can't just paint your house pink or purple. Local laws prevent that. In Belgium rules (if present) are made to be bent and avoided ;-) In The Netherlands (especially nowadays) area's are centrally designed in one style. In Flanders there is "De verkaveling" and it's totally traditional to buy a plot of land and build your own house. In what ever you like for style. So houses in Flanders look all different. In The netherlands a building corporation will build an area with houses and in Belgium many people build there own house. The quality of houses is by that not always the best. Or have the most effective design ;-)

[@2012inca]

I am from the Netherlands and have been to Belgium many times. Belgium is Dutch with a Belgian accent or call it dialect, it is subtitled on Dutch televsion because of the heavy Belgian accent or dialect. I dont need subtitles though I can understand them perfectly.

[@jfrancobelge]

I'm a Frenchman who's been living in Belgium for over 20 years. Though I live in the French-speaking part of the country, I did informally come to learn some Dutch, or I should probably say Flemish Dutch. As long as it's not too much of a local dialect, I can more or less understand what I'd call "Standard Flemish", but I usually don't get a word in "Netherlands Dutch".

[@PendelSteven]

Ah! You visited the city south to me! Fun fact, Ghent wanted to stay Dutch when Belgium seperated from the Netherlands. So you picked the one city that could well still be Dutch by now. :) 2:52 I would not call that in my town in the Netherlands, sounds like silly snobby city term from North of the Great Rivers. And yeah, the NMBS stations are nothing like NS. Unfortunately.

[@frankvanleeuwen2943]

Gent....de stad waar als je met de auto naar Frankrijk gaat je een rare draai moet maken om van de ééne naar de andere snelweg te komen....ik rij daar altijd verkeerd en heb daarom al meer van Gent gezien dan nodig was...😅

[@maartenc6099]

Dan ben je nog nooit bij Luik geweest. Volg je de bordjes Luik wordt het ineens Liege. :)

[@frankvanleeuwen2943]

@@maartenc6099 ja met die bijzondere rotonde waar je aan de verkeerde kant op komt....😆 Maar nog altijd beter dan de situatie van vroeger in Luik dat je langs de rivier moest met al die poortjes en verhogingen.... Heb blijven rare snuiters die Belgen wat betreft de infrastructuur....

[@lordsleepyhead]

I was in Ghent just last November and I noticed the same differences. Including how ridiculously expensive it has gotten! Didn't used to be like this!

[@dutchman7623]

Just out of the tourist areas Belgium used to be better for less, those days are gone.

[@flitsertheo]

​@@dutchman7623 An unfortunate consequence of Covid and its lockdowns. Businesses try to recuperate the money lost in that period and they think increasing prices considerably is the solution.

[@Nynke_K]

I'm half Belgian and you've now covered two cities that I've lived in! I lived in Ghent for a year, 25 years ago. On my last visit, 3 years ago or so, we took a walking tour and I learned so much! If there's one thing that Belgians say about Dutch people it's that we're cheap, and they're right. 18€ for an eggy brunch dish? shocking! then again, they may need to charge that for proper organic fare and proper benefits for their staff :)

[@autohmae]

I think they probably just like the charge the tourists a lot 🙂 (and maybe property values are high in Gent)

[@frankgeurts3912]

Like how the belgians,speak molten dutch🤗soft,and correct.

[@joebloggs2473]

That bit of Vlanderen is very nice; Gent, Brugge down to Oosteinde. Dont call it Belgium when you are there as they are very proud of their Vlaamse background. Calling them Flemish is just as bad. Oost Vlanderen is quite unique. Remember lunch is the most important meal and lasts two to three hours. The Vlaamingen are very wary of the Dutch and Vlaamse businessmen love lunch but the Dutch annoy them as often carry their lunch with them. Infrastructure in Vlaanderen does not have a high priority. They still have many highways that dont reach Dutch standards. Dont talk about cycle infrastructure. Only the railways achieves a reasonable level. I did live and work in Antwerpen on the "Ring"; the highway that encircles Antwerpen. It was an odd experience having to shake your colleagues hands every morning when you came into the office.

[@AxelHenx]

you are clearly not belgian and probably knew a few non generic people around there. seems you got the short end of the stick because most things you describe sound wierd to me.

[@vogel2280]

"Ein Tisch, eine Rechnung" (one table, one bill). You can find that everywhere Germans come including Zeeland in the Netherlands. Otherwise Germans will ask the waiter to split the bill per item per person, which causes the waiter to spend half an hour on one table. You omitted the biggest difference: their politeness.They are even too polite to tell you they can't do what you asked them. So expect to be surprised when you think you have both agreed on something.

[@PyrusFlameborn]

That last part is why I prefer Dutch directness

[@PendelSteven]

5:26 Yeah. Big squares are a thing from around the South-West. The biggest market square of Belgium is in Sint Niklaas. The biggest in the Netherlands is still fairly in the south: De Brink in Delft. Certainly both are near to the province of Zeeland, which makes me wonder... Hmm. I guess ships, merchants et cetera... 8:14 Yeah. You need to know the Ghent better. I'd go to where the cityfolk eat, about one or two km south of the centre... :)

[@jandejongh]

De Brink is actually in Deventer, though Delft has some excellent squares as well :-)

[@Rob2]

I think in cases where we in the Netherlands just use a French word (like "croissant"), in Flemish they will usually have their own word for that. There seems to be some form of competition between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking parts of the country, and Flemish people would not want to use French words.

[@AmedeeVanGasse]

Also, because it sounds "fancy" for the Dutch to use French. And then you end up with "suderans van appel".

[@jfrancobelge]

What is called "une viennoiserie" in French from France (i.e. the likes of croissants, pains au chocolat...) is called "une couque" in Belgian French,; this word is totally unknown in France (except maybe along the Belgian border) and it's a gallicized version of the Dutch word "koek". And I'm certain there are some French imports in Flemish as well that the Dutch don't use.

[@ricktellon3755]

Sorry Rob, a croissant in the Netherlands is also a croissant in Flanders. Also in Flanders we are forced from the 5th grade on to learn French (not the other way around in Wallonia and Brussels), so don't say that we are reluctant to use French words. T'a piégé, cher ami?😅

[@Edodod]

I hope you'll make one abt Antwerp!

[@Ronnet]

Part of the architectural difference is due to the catholic vs protestant split. In the Netherlands the wealthy had to demonstrate their soberness through a somewhat plain house. Only allowed decoration was natural hence the tulips to show character. In Belgium they didn't have this influence so its similar architecture but fancier.

[@deeceeke]

als je naar het toeristische stuk van gent gaat.dan durven ze,net zoals in nederland,de prijs zwaar overdrijven.toeristen worden overal wel een beetje opgelicht

[@patrikfagard6525]

Belgium is a mix of the Northern European mentality of having strict rules, and the Southern European mentality of breaking them. As such, every time we find a way around an existing rule, we have to create a new one. We just end up with a lot of rules that no-one really follows.

[@roy_for_real2674]

have you been in The Netherlands a lot? no doesn't really exist here.

[@periodtpooh5007]

Greetings from Belgium

[@bobbygracemm2478]

Those rules on the menu are given to Dutch people, who otherwise would try to be cheap. Ghent is an expensive city for food, that is true.

[@ibenb.4767]

The architecture in Wallonia is also a lot different, it looks a lot more French. Even some cities in the same province can differ in style! Belgium has a lot of architectual diversity for being such a small country.

[@Mrevolva]

very nice!

[@cloggy010]

great!

[@thomastoadie9006]

Belgium is great. It has a lot to offer.

[@roccomeijer1380]

zo grappig…. ik houd van details, in het shot van jou in Gentcentrum…… zie ik via de reflectie van je zonnebril jou vriendin! super leuk!

[@geertvanschaik7976]

I can't wait for your videos when you visit France and Germany...

[@MartijnFrazer]

What's funny about Flemish people is that even though they all speak & understand French very well, they refuse to use French terms if they can. They'll never say "pain au chocolate" haha. And even the French words they do use, they pronounce in a Dutch way. "Dossier" for example is pronounced in the French way in NL, but in Belgium they pronounce it like it's written.

[@MiguelJW]

Correct! They also don’t use capuchon or jus d’ orange.

[@DutchAmericano]

Haha, that's true! It's quite interesting. My girlfriend (Dutch) noticed that for "opticien"

[@MiguelJW]

@@DutchAmericano you know the Flemish word for vacuum cleaner?? A ‘jankbezem’ or cry broom. Thats no joke. In Netherlands they buy new/ nieuw stuff. In Flanders they buy fresh/ verse stuff☺️

[@MiguelJW]

You know hagelslag right?? In Flanders they call it muizenstrontjes that’s little mice poop. Again no joke ☺️

[@helgabruynooghe4306]

well, if you as a people are oppressed by others (French, Spanish, etc.) your identity, like language and culture are even more important to keep. My grandfather, who grew up in West-Vlaanderen and died when I was 11 years old, had to learn his mothertongue out of French schoolbooks. Children were punished caught talking flemish/dutch on the schoolyard..... I am quite convinced Dutch still exists in Europe in the way it is, thanks to the Flemish people fighting for it for hundreds of years.....

[@johnalexander8682]

How was your Kingsday experience?

[@chrislaarman7532]

I do agree that the Netherlands and even Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) are different. But, (1) the cultural boundary doesn't match the states' border, and (2) culture changes a lot across Belgium. (From Northwest to Southeast, I'd say.) If you should enjoy riding a bicycle by now, you could make some cross-border bike trips. Ones I've made (most of them on a folding bike, taking it with me on the train), from memory: Vlissingen - (ferry) - Breskens - Sluis - Brugge vv, Bergen op Zoom - Merksplas - Eindhoven, Eindhoven - Bree - Maastricht, Maastricht - Liège - a bit up the Ourthe valley (may still be damaged from the 2021 floodings), Maastricht - Eupen - [beyond]. This "beyond" means a personal record (in the unexpected rain!) to Monschau (D) and a personal preference, a nature reserve, in English called "High Fens". (Warning: the great amount of water there has come from the sky.) A hobby of mine while cycling is: trying to detect the state border... However, on an Eindhoven - Bree - Maastricht trip, you'd likely pass "Den Doodendraad", the WW1 high-voltage fence (a memorial) Making these trips by bike, you can see the differences and similarities. (I have made similar trips into Germany.) Fun facts for Americans (or maybe most people) regarding that trip in that Maastricht - Eupen region (with steep grades!): 1) You start in the Netherlands (but with city-limit signs both in Dutch and in local dialect), then in Belgium enter regions where Dutch is now the official language but where the inhabitants cling to their original French, then must switch to official French, then enter the German-speaking part (a WW1 trophy) where French seems (to me) on the rise. 2) That "officially French" region includes Moresnet. For a time, Moresnet was an independent country, due to a fold in the official map (from memory: of the division of Europe after Napoleon, at the 1815 Vienna Congres)!

[@johnalexander8682]

Nice! Next destination: Maastricht?

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

I quite liked Ghent and also liked Antwerpen but I preferred Brugge.

[@MarcelBerbers]

No camping? Great video

[@jsb7975]

Belgian stroads are almost copies of those of the U.S. You gotta love them... Just kidding. Historic 14 and 15 hundreds are unique in Europe. (Also some architecture of that time still remains in the (current) Netherlands like some stadhuizes and kathedrales like in Dutch Brabant : Den Bosch or s'Hertogenbosch, the city of Jeroen Bosch, predecessor of Breughel)

[@gijsvanlieshout]

In België, de gebouwen zijn inderdaad iets uitbundiger, bourgondischer, minder calvinistisch dan in Nederland.

[@markfieten9558]

Zijn ook wat minder gebombardeerd

[@gijsvanlieshout]

@@markfieten9558 Klopt. Dat heeft alleen met de decoratieve stijl van de oude gebouwen niet veel te maken natuurlijk. Het is niet zo dat de meest gedecoreerde gebouwen in NL zijn platgegooid en alleen de minder uitbundig gedecoreerde gebouwen zijn blijven staan.

[@markfieten9558]

@@gijsvanlieshout Je hebt gelijk, ging om de stijl en niet om het aantal, ik moest alleen aan Rotterdam denken, waarvan ik veronderstel (geen idee eigenlijk) dat het ook een rijkdom aan historische gebouwen zou hebben. Maar waarschijnlijk idd niet zo baroque

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

The little rules at restaurants you will find where too many tourists make the waiters work hell if they don´t have them.

[@DutchAmericano]

Yeah, I do understand that!

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

@@DutchAmericano O wow I didn´t expect a response. Thank you, ik voel me helemaal vereerd.

[@miekejamine951]

Like your vlogs. Normally I don't read the comments. But being born in Ghent, living in Antwerp and having a Dutch grandmother I did this time. Sorry to say that some are "niet gehinderd door enige kennis van zaken" rude and arrogant in a "colonial" style. But I did say "some".

[@karmadorjee7062]

what is deferance belgium n usa ?

[@CreRay]

Oh yes, Ghent is an amazing city! As a dutch guy I never lived in Utrecht but I'd choose Gent over Utrecht any day. It's not just the language accent, the general culture and communication is different as well. Flemish people are generally less direct, and honestly I think they are more pleasant, and better mannered. To see the best side of Flanders (and I guess that counts for every country) one should try to adept. Even though Belgium shares a language with the Netherlands, it is a different country, something that's not always respected by dutch people visiting. It can make "the dutch" less popular, which kind of shows if you watch flemish TV series: Every time there is a dutch character in a series you can bet it is "the bad guy"! Ghent is more pronounced as "hhhhent", the "sanding paper G" that so trademark of most parts of the Netherlands doesn't exist in Flanders.

[@AmedeeVanGasse]

Welcome in my city!

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

All political and historical factors aside. If the Netherlands and Flanders would be one country, it would be a way more interesting . The Nature and Gothic Catholic architecture would made a great combination with the Dutch cities and landscape . And the Belgians have a great cuisine ;)

[@jtb357]

No, thank you.

[@seaofseeof]

They were the same culture. Plus, sharing the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp would be huge.

[@jtb357]

@@seaofseeof Still, no thanks

[@Acmawn]

No, Belgium is a country. Or if you absolutely want to add Flanders, you should add Wallonia and Luxembourg (due to history)

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

​@@Acmawn relax, you should read the comment . I'm only saying it would compliment each other , i'm not planning a coup.

[@doemijmaarfriet]

a big language difference between Dutch or Belgiums: Fries OR Patat. So you had Patat, not Fries. This is typical naming difference as soon as you pass the big dutch rivers to the south of the Rijn (Rhine).

[@AxelHenx]

patat = just the stuff fries are made of ;) :P also if it's called patat you know it's going to be bad.

[@hillviewtourandtravellers4099]

LOTS OF LOVE FROM LEH LADAKH ❤❤❤

[@peter1062]

Is it me, or do Dutch streets have more trees than Belgian streets?

[@quark31]

no, you are not wrong! Belgian cities and towns are heat islands during summers. At least in the Limburg part of Belgium. Concrete everywhere. People are scared to plant trees or have lush greenery around their houses. There is a sterile green carpet and some fine stones sand with patterns. If there is a tree, they even cut it down because they fear it will fall on their roofs.

[@jennatransgirl]

Gent is not Belgium, restaurant are more expensive due the toerist. But in general Belgium is cheaper

[@H1SCOTTY]

Talking about sponsorship before opening I got a add of DE coffee and I was thinking did she sell her soul (didn’t you dislike that brand?). Gent isn’t typical Belgian architecture is in most places unregulated or less regulated (that’s why there is a book “ugly Belgian houses” and by demand a second book “More ugly Belgium houses“). And their city planning is most of the time ad hoc, were they inherited street centers by, villages that started around a street going from point A to B, and when they were expanding there would come a few streets right or left but always in the length of that street. Where the Netherlands is developing bypasses or ring roads to divert traffic out the city centers, Belgian villages most of the time have that one street in the center. Where till a few years ago you were allowed to drive 70 Km/h. Didn’t you watch learn Dutch with “Wie is de Mol”, than I recommend “De Mol” because you like the Belgian dialects. Because it’s the original series and because it’s so much better than WIDM.

[@dimike100]

very funny video! I'am from belgium, living nord from gent in a small villige!

[@gordonwallin2368]

Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[@acatnameddoerak]

The difference in 'feel' is also because Belgium has a far more liberal rules about where and how to construct a building and how it should blend in the environment. In the Netherlands the 'rooilijn' is very important. You MUST put the front of a building exactly on the rooilijn, not 5cm off. In Belgium you can put your house basically anywhere on your plot of land. As a result you can always see when you cross the border, simply because the houses don't line up in Belgium, and it also explains why many Dutch consider Belgium to be so 'rommelig' and Belgians consider the Netherlands so 'proper'. Another thing that I consider very distinctive of Belgium is all these blown tyres on the highways. You cannot drive 10 minutes on any highway in Belgium without seeing some disposed tyre lying on the road, whereas elsewhere in Europe, you will never encounter that. That said, Ghent is a really nice town, as are Brughes, Antwerp, and the often overlooked city of Lier...

[@jensverweert8448]

That’s certainly not a general rule. Building constraints are very strict in belgium.

[@ricktellon3755]

If you don't believe this he'll tell you some other fairytale.