Weather: Belgium, Luxembourg

Belgium is a land of gentle transitions meteorologically as well as culturally. The weather of Flanders is very similar to that of the adjacent Netherlands: cool winters, milder summers (especially as you move inland) and, in all seasons, frequent – through seldom intense – rain. As you move south into Wallonia, the climate becomes a little more continental. It's a touch cooler in winter, and there's a day or two less rain, but the difference isn't much to write home about. The higher hills of the Ardennes and Luxembourg do run about 2–3°C/3–5°F cooler on average than central Belgium. The bulk of Ardennes, especially the Hautes Fagnes, also stay cloudier and get roughly 300m/12in more annual moisture than points north and west.