Missing Piece · Map quiz · Series
Missing Piece #8: name the country in 3 clues
Three clues, four options, one piece of the world: three official languages, home to the headquarters of the European Union, and known for waffles, fries and chocolate. Watch the film and lock in your answer before the piece drops. The answer, and how to actually go there, is below. Spoilers from here on.
The places in this film
- 1
The answer: Belgium
The three languages are Dutch, French and German. Dutch is spoken in Flanders in the north, French in Wallonia in the south, and German in a small area in the east, while Brussels is officially bilingual. The main institutions of the European Union are based in Brussels. The country is small and flat in the north, with the wooded hills of the Ardennes in the south, and its historic cities are less than an hour apart by train.
- 2
Bruges
A medieval town of canals, brick gabled houses and a tall belfry on the market square. Stay overnight to see it after the day visitors leave.
- 3
Brussels
The Grand Place, a square of gilded guildhalls around a Gothic town hall, is the centre. The Atomium is on the edge of the city.
- 4
Ghent and Antwerp
Two more Flemish cities with canals, castles and large old centres, each a short train ride from Brussels and from Bruges.
Plan it
- Best time
- April to September for longer days and milder weather. December brings Christmas markets. Rain is possible in any month, so pack for it.
- How long
- Three to five days covers Brussels, Bruges and Ghent. A week adds Antwerp and the Ardennes.
- Getting around
- Trains link the cities quickly and often, and the old centres are walkable. A car is only useful for the Ardennes.
Good to know
- Base yourself in one city and take day trips by train. Distances are short.
- Place names differ by language. Bruges is Brugge, and Ghent is Gent or Gand.
- Book the popular museums ahead on weekends and holidays.
Frequently asked
What is Missing Piece? +
Missing Piece is a short 3D map quiz by Drift Vistas. A country is lifted out of the globe, you get three clues and four options, and the piece drops back into place to reveal the answer. Then the film cuts to real footage of the country.
Is the map real? +
Yes. The globe and terrain are built from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and Copernicus elevation data, with borders from Natural Earth. The height of the mountains is exaggerated so the relief reads on a phone screen, but the shapes are the real ones.
Where can I watch the next one? +
New episodes go up on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at @driftvistas. Every episode also gets a page here with the answer and a short guide to visiting the country.
