The most beautiful places in Belgium
apart from Brussels, Antwerp, and Brugge...
Brussels is so very well known! Of course, it is the capital of the European Union. More often than not, when people visit Brussels, esp., the expats living in Brussels for a short period, go on a day trip to Antwerp, Brugge, and Ghent. After that, nothing else.......... Then they begin to visit places out of the country - Paris, Amsterdam, etc. So, here are some exquisite places to visit in Belgium, perfect excursions from Brussels that can be done as weekend trips from Brussels or day trips from Brussels by train, which you should consider visiting before heading to other countries.
Skip to the end of the article for details on Public Transport in Belgium
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TOP 30 BEST WEEKEND & DAY-TRIPS FROM BRUSSELS BY TRAIN
BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO VISIT IN FLANDERS & WALLONIA
1. YPRES (IEPER) - WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The place that made me the most emotional. Personally, I'd say this is the most important place to visit in Belgium. Read about the World War cemeteries there, and esp., about the cemeteries of Indian soldiers. Then of course there's the Flanders Fields Museum in the UNESCO Site of Cloth Hall. A walk around the city to see some more sites is definitely recommended.
2. MONS - WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Mons is a city that pleasantly surprised me! It has so much to see & do. While Mons itself has the UNESCO-listed Belfry & the very fascinating paper Google concept and some quirky things like an iron monkey, more fascinating things are in the outskirts. One is the Neolithic (new stone-age) flint mines in Spiennes where you get to go inside the mines underground with a ladder! Another is Bois du Luc & Grand Hornu, 2 of the 4 major Coal mines which is now defunct. Another is the fantastic boating trip that touches the century-old boat lifts!
3. DINANT - LONG WEEKEND, WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The birthplace of Leffe beer! You get to go underground into the Le Merveilleuse caves and get pulled with a winch atop the hill to Dinant Citadel. This little town is the birthplace of Saxaphone. On the outskirts of Dinant, is one of the most fascinating places in Belgium. It's a whole day trip by itself - Domain of the cave of Han (Domaine des Grotte de Han). While its wildlife park is great, the sound & light underground in the cave is mindblowing! If you're an adrenaline junkie, this is the place for you - Dinant Evasion.
4. NAMUR - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Like Dinant, Namur also has a fascinating Citadel whose underground tour is a must. Of course, a walk around the city, and a visit to the strawberry museum are good. If you're an adrenaline junkie, you could do speed boating or wake surfing. If you visit during spring-autumn, don't miss the Rail bikes de la Molignée & Jardin d'Annevoie, between Namur & Dinant. I'd say Dinant itself, is kinda the outskirts of Namur.
5. LIEGE - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Liège city has quite a few things to do including the architectural marvel of Liège Guillemins railway station, the 12th C bronze sculpture that's considered one of the 7 wonders of Belgium, etc. In its outskirts are Blegny Coal Mine, the only one where you can go inside the mine!!! On the other direction, in the outskirts are the Prehistomuseum (a day trip by itself including caves, fire making with flints & more) and Val Saint Lambert Crystal Discovery (where you can see the process of making glass & crystal)!
6. SPA - WEEK-LONG, LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The nature lover's paradise! Hiking the Ardennes Hills here is such a delightful thing to do. There are more than 70 way-marked trails. Apart from that, there's the Spa Francorchamps F1 Grand Prix racecourse here as well as a splendid Skydive Spa, the best of skydiving in Belgium!
7. WATERLOO - QUICK DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The last battlefield of Napoleon Bonaparte. Today, there are 7 spots to see on this site including the Lion's Mound!
8. TOURNAI - DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
While you can walk around the city, the humongous Notre Dame cathedral is just fascinating! If you're with kids, don't miss the Natural History Museum. Toddlers find this Tournai one more relatable than the one in Brussels, which is more suitable for older children.
9. CHARLEROI & THUIN - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
There are 3 main things to do in Charleroi - Belfry (which is one of the 56 belfries listed by UNESCO), Bois du Cazier coal mine (which is one of the 4 coal mines listed by UNESCO), and a short ride to the outskirts to the very picturesque ruins of Thuin Abbey. If you have more time head to Thuin & further ahead as well. There are lots of things to do in Thuin including its incredible hanging gardens, art trail & more. Further ahead at Labuissiere is a nature reserve and the largest nesting area of Grey Herons in Belgium! Right beside Charleroi Airport is Airspace Charleroi Indoor Skydiving experience!
10. DURBUY - WEEKLONG, LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
This little town is considered the smallest city in the world, but there are so many things to do in Durbuy including a maze made of plants, a stone-age dolmen and so much more! This city is also the home to Radhadesh - Iskcon temple in Belgium. 3 of the 30 most beautiful places in Belgium (plus beaux villages de Wallonie) are located close to Durbuy, one of which is also the best-preserved megalithic site in Belgium. While here, don't miss Durbuy Adventure Valley which has the longest zipline in the whole of Benelux!
11. MECHELEN - QUICK DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Mechelen has a belfry & beguinages, but more importantly, it has Het Anker Brewery where Gouden Carolus is manufactured! During summer, during certain evenings, the bayaard (carillon) is played live for us to enjoy from the market square! In its outskirts is the Winter Garden of Ursuline Nuns which has some exquisite stained glass windows! There are quite a few things to do in Mechelen with kids as well including Speelgoedmuseum (toys museum), Domain Tivoli, etc, and in its outskirts is the very unique Giant Trolls in Belgium. But the most important place to visit in Mechelen with kids is the Technopolis Museum of Science & Technopolis.
12. HASSELT - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The most important place here is the very beautiful open-air museum of Bokrijk. It is a Flemish village, frozen in time, a few centuries ago... Very unique feature here is the possibility to bike between water and even over the trees! By chance, if you're planning to visit in July, don't miss the lavender fields at Limburg Lavedel Belgium, and within the city is Europe's largest Japanese Garden as well.
13. LEUVEN - QUICK DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Leuven, like Ghent, is a youthful city, thanks to the university. Leuven Library is a definite must-visit. A walk around the city to see the unique street art & sculptures is a must and so is going on a tour of Stella-Artois brewery! You could do either the Stella-Artois brewery tour or the Town Hall tour that happens at the same time! A short cycle ride away from Leuven takes you to the vineyards & wine region of Flemish Brabant with an option of wine-tasting of some the best Belgian wines.
14. BAARLE HERTOG - DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Well, the best way to explain this would be with Google Maps! That's bits & pieces of Belgium inside the Netherlands with a very complicated border with several enclaves! Today the border runs in the middle of houses and businesses!!!
15. HALLE & SONIAN FOREST - MULTIPLE DAY TRIPS FROM BRUSSELS
There are 5 way-marked trails & entry points with tourism offices in Sonian Forest. So far I've been only through Groenendaal Trail and Chateau de la Hulpe Trail. Halle, on the other hand, is best visited during April for Hallerbos - when the Bluebells are in bloom! However, it is an easy half-day trip to Halle from Brussels to go on multiple trips.
16. VENNBAHN-PAD - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Like Baarle-Hertog, this area again has the enclave situation but with just 5 enclaves of Germany in Belgium! Or in other words, the historic, Vennbahn railway line, splits small bits of Germany from mainland Germany. Today the railway line is defunct and there's a dedicated biking path along the line. So essentially, you're cycling in Belgium, but on either side of you, is Germany!!!
17. TONGEREN - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Did you know Tongeren is the oldest city in Belgium! This was called Aduatuca Tungrorum, the capital city of the Roman Province of Civitas Tungrorum in 1st C CE. There are a lot of historic Roman sites to see all over Tongeren and its surroundings. There are UNESCO-listed Belfry & Beguinage here as well.
18. BORGLOON - DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
This little town is located halfway between Tongeren & Sint-Truiden. There's a unique church here called Doorkijkkerk (which literally means see-through church)! As the name says, it is made of strips of metal sheets, making the whole church see-through!!!
19. ROCHEFORT - WEEKLONG, LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Located close to Caves of Han, the little town of Rochefort has another cave called Cave of Lorette which has a unique interior hot-air balloon inside the caves. Close to it are the Rochefort castle as well as Malagne - Archéoparc de Rochefort.
20. MARCHE-EN-FAMENNE - WEEKLONG, LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Very close to Rochefort is Marche-en-Famenne. Being the unofficial capital of the Famenne Ardennes region, this is almost the center point of all the things to do in Famenne Ardennes, a UNESCO Global Geopark Site. The Fond-des-Vaulx hike is the best way to begin experiencing the region. There are many things to do in Marche town incl. street art, museum,s etc. When you're here don't miss a quick trip to Waha to see the 10th C Romanesque church, Église Saint-Étienne de Waha, with very contemporary stained glass windows of Folon. If you're here on a long weekend, add Hotton & Rochefort to your itinerary.
21. LA ROCHE EN ARDENNE - LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
La-Roche-en-Ardenne was the place suggested to me first when I wanted to visit Belgian Ardennes. But it was slightly far away from a day trip with a kid depending on public transport. But finally, when I stayed overnight at Marche-en-Famenne, I visited La-Roche-en-Ardenne on a day trip from there.
22. OTTIGNIES-LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE & VILLERS-LA-VILLE - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
One of the 3 most beautiful church ruins of Belgium, Abbaye de Villers, is located here in Villers-la-Ville. With its own winery, vineyards, brewery, and hiking areas around it, this can be a packed day trip if you wish. Just before Villers-la-Ville is Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve (literally New Leuven), a recently created town as a French branch of the Leuven University! There are quite a few things to do in Ottignies-LLN incl. the most important museum - the Tintin museum (Herge Museum).
23. DIEST - DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Diest is the only city with its fortification entirely intact, so much that it was in use till the last decade for military purposes. Today Diest Citadel can be visited by everyone. With a beautiful provincial domain with a public swimming pool, and waymarked trails for history buffs and nature lovers, there are so many things to do in Diest.
24. BOUILLON - LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Not only there's a castle, but there's the Tomb of the Giant and many more places to visit & things to do in Bouillon. Hiking & cycling in this region is something. From its Gallo-Romain past to being the first kingdom of Godfrey of Bouillon during the First Crusade war, Bouillon Castle's history is rich.
25. LIBRAMONT - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
I always depend on public transport to travel around Belgium, so Libramont was one of the best places to enjoy snow in Belgium for me!
26. FLEMISH BRABANT - MULTIPLE QUICK DAY TRIPS FROM BRUSSELS
Unlike the rest in this list, this isn't one place, but the entire province that surrounds Brussels on all sides. There are quite a few points of interest here. In fact, Leuven & Diest comes under the Flemish Brabant province. There are more than 10 fairytale castles of Belgium in Flemish Brabant alone and these can be visited in multiple day trips from Brussels by bus or train. Belgium's largest botanic garden & greenhouse, Plantentiun Meise, is also here in this province, just beyond Atomium.
27. LIER - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
I visited Lier on a day trip from Brussels, esp., The main two things to do in Lier for me were to see the special centenary clock (which very much reminded me of Prague's Astronomical clock) and a huge Ostrich farm where I really wanted to take my daughter. There are also 2 UNESCO Sites (Belfry & Beguinange), a race-car museum, a fort in ruins, and the beautiful, picturesque Nete river.
28. BEAURAING - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Beauraing is a pilgrimage site for Catholics all over Europe. But the main reason I visited here was that it is also a part of the UNESCO Geopark Famenne Ardennes. When you're here do visit Voneche, the birthplace of European crystals & Château Lavaux-Sainte-Anne. Read on about all the places to visit in & around Beauraing.
29. NIVELLES & SENEFFE - WEEKEND or DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Nivelles is directly connected to Brussels by train and there are quite a few things to do in Nivelles. This town is the home to one of the authentic Belgian wines at Domaine du Chapitre. Nivelles is also the town where Saint Gertrude found her Abbey and the majestic Collegiate church of Saint Gertrude is a must-visit in Nivelles. Seneffe is a relatively small town that cannot be reached by train but is well connected by bus from Nivelles Railway Station. With Chateau de Seneffe (Seneffe Castle), Balad'ane (walking with donkey experience for kids), and a couple more things to do in Seneffe, it is an easy day trip from Brussels. It is also possible to visit both towns together on a quick day trip or over a relaxed weekend trip from Brussels or 2 day trips!
30. EURO SPACE CENTER - DAY TRIP or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Euro Space Center most important place to visit if you have young kids, esp. of 8-12 years of age. It is definitely a bit tricky to reach her by public transport but not impossible. Read my in-depth Euro Space Centre Review including details on how to visit Euro Space Centre by public transport. When you plan your ESC trip, make it a weekend trip or more with a horse-cart ride at Hatrival or sheep farm at Acremont or Redu, the village of books or Nutons hiking path for kids, etc!
31. TURNHOUT - DAY TRIP or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Turnhout is the home to the unique National Museum of Playing Cards. There are plenty of things to do in Turnhout in a day like museums, a castle, a miniature train ride in a park, etc. But you can extend it for another day to visit the apple orchards in Oud-Turnhout and/or visit the Colonies of Benevolence in Wortel & Merksplas.
32. CHIMAY - WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Chimay is well known all over Belgium thanks to Chimay Beer and Chimay Cheese. Apart from these 2, on the outskirts of Chimay is Virelles Aquascope, one of the best places for birding in Belgium. It is also possible to stay in a tiny house cabin at Virelles Aquascope. You definitely need 2 days in Chimay to visit the Espace Chimay, Virelles Aquascope, Chimay Cathedral, and Chimay Castle.
33. LAVAUX-SAINTE-ANNE - WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
Chateau de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne Castle is one of the charming, picturesque, instagrammable castles in Belgium. Though it is located close to Rochefort-Jamelle and connected by bus, it is not very practical to visit here on a day trip (though not impossible), but it is more suitable on a weekend trip from Brussels by train.
34. HUY - LONG WEEKEND or WEEKEND TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
https://travel.bhushavali.com/2023/06/things-to-do-in-huy-andenne-belgium.html
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN BELGIUM ON MY WISHLIST
Torgny, Arlon, Lanaken - All yet to do!!!
UNUSUAL THINGS TO DO IN BRUSSELS
1. Museums - Musical Instruments Museum, Cinquantenaire Museum, Hallepoort (part of the 14th C City Fortification wall), unusual museums of Brussels incl. Sewer Museum, Labour museum, Museum of the clothes of Mannekin Pis, African museum etc, educational museums in Brussels for kids like Museum of Natural History, Medicine museum etc.
2. Floralia Brussels - Belgian Tulip Festival (of course, its in bloom only in Apr & May)
3. Flower Carpet or Flower Time - Again applicable only if you're here in mid-August, for both happen only for 3 days every alternate year! Here's about Flower Carpet 2016, Flower Time 2017 and Flower Carpet 2018!
4. Jeanneke & Zinneke Pis - While the pissing boy is famous, here are also the not-so-famous sister & dog!
5. Comic Strip Walk - With 2 museums dedicated to Comics & a gazillion murals, being the birthplace of Tintin & Smurfs, the Brussels comic strip walk here needs a whole day and lots of energy!!!
That's just a gist. Here's my ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE TO VISIT BRUSSELS with interesting facts about Belgium, top things to do in Brussels, unusual things to do as well as practical info.
TRANSPORTATION IN BELGIUM
- The Belgian Railways called SNCB-NMBS
- Public Transport in Brussels called STIB-MIVB
- Public Transport in Wallonia called LeTEC
- Public Transport in Flanders called DeLijn.
Most of the transport tickets can be loaded in the MOBIB Chip card. This MOBIB Chip Card can be a general one or a personal one which you have to buy using an ID Card (EU residence permit or passport) at a kiosk. The MOBIB Chip Card is issued by all the transport companies - SNCB, STIB, DeLijn & LeTEC and all can be used with most others. The best is to go for a personal SNCB-NMBS MOBIB Chip Card at any of the railway stations. With an EU ID-Card, it is issued immediately over the counter. It costs €5 everywhere.
SNCB-NMBS:
Belgium is very well connected by train. There are 2 interesting aspects of Belgian Rail that I would like to point out - Weekend Internet ticket & B-Excursion. The process to book a Weekend Internet Ticket is like usual online ticket booking and at the end of the steps, one of the options is this, which is 50% off from standard pricing applicable for travels from Friday 7:00PM to Sunday midnight. Discovery Combi (earlier called B-Excursion) is a combination of train tickets + entrance tickets for certain attractions/festivals. This is listed on a separate page within their site. This works out cheaper than separately buying the tickets, esp. more so, in midweek. Some sites incl. Caves of Han, Bokrijk, Pairi Daiza, Dinant etc. If you plan to visit faraway places with Brussels as the base, on multiple day trips, an excellent option is to buy Standard Multi which is a 10-journey (5 return journeys) priced at €86. Read more about various offers, combinations tickets & cheap Belgium train tickets that can be bought by residents & tourists alike.
STIB-MIVB in Brussels:
Brussels is well connected by metro, buses, and trams and together they are called STIB-MIVB. The kiosks to buy the STIB-MIVB tickets can be found in all metro stations and some bus & tram stops. It is a good idea to buy a Brupass 1 jour (day-pass) of STIB if you're here for a day or a Brupass 10 voyage pass (10 journeys) if you're here for more than a day. Tap-in in all public transport is obviously necessary. Some metro stations require a tap-out but otherwise, it is not required. Taps done within 1 hour are considered a single journey, so don't worry about having 2-3 legs of the journey to reach your destination.
LeTEC in Wallonia:
The whole region of Wallonia (South Belgium) is connected well by long-distance buses and in bigger cities like Namur, Liege, Charleroi, etc, there are local buses, trams, metro, etc. All of these together are under LeTEC.
LeTEC Ticket Fares: The LeTEC ticket fares depend on the zones (distance) traveled. There are 3 types of LeTEC Tickets - Next, Horizon, and Express. LeTEC tickets can be bought for 1 journey or multiple journeys. For tourists, the best option would be to get a MultiFlex ticket which is a combination of Next, Horizon, and Express tickets. LeTEC Multiflex ticket costs €13.80 and is valid for 12 Next or 6 Horizon or 4 Express journeys or a combination of all 3. Tap the card on the ticket reader once you board the bus/tram/metro. The machine will ask to choose the ticket type. Calculate the fare on LeTEC's website or ask the driver & choose accordingly.
Where to buy LeTEC Tickets: Online on the official website of LeTEC. If you already have a MOBIB card, you can load the tickets in it by entering the card number.
DeLijn in Flanders:
The whole region of Flanders (North Belgium) is connected well by long-distance buses and in the bigger cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Mechelen, Leuven, etc. as well as coastal tramline there are local buses, trams, metro, etc. All of these together are under DeLijn.
Where to buy DeLijn Tickets: The best part is DeLijn has an app and you don't require a physical ticket at all - DeLijn Android app; DeLijn IOS app!
DeLijn tickets are valid for 1 hour, no matter how many times you break the journey. If you take a very long-distance bus, you may have to buy a 2nd ticket on the app when the 1st ticket expires after 1 hour! If it is a very short journey, you can probably do both the onwards & return journey with the same ticket!
DeLijn Ticket fares: The best ticket for tourists is DeLijn m-card10 and DeLijn m-daypass. They cost €16 and €7.50 respectively. These can be bought in the app and activate the ticket when you board the bus/tram/metro.
UNIQUE HOTELS TO STAY IN BELGIUM
- Dream Hotel, Mons - It was a church!
- La Merveilleuse, Dinant - It was a convent!
- Hotel Neuvice, Liege - It was 3 houses of 18th C!
- Hotel Les Tanneurs, Namur - It was a part of city fortification in 14th C!
- Hotel Prinsenhof, Brugge - It was 2 houses in early 20th C!
- Ghent River Hotel, Gent - It was a house of 16th C which was then a cotton mill in 19th C!
- Hotel Quartier Latin, Marche-en-Famenne - It was a 18th C Jesuit Church!
BELGIAN BINGO - BELGISCHE BINGO - BINGO BELGE!
Here's your ultimate travel inspiration to explore Belgium. To begin with, click the below images to enlarge them, take a printout of this Belgian Bingo (EN), Belgische Bingo (NL), or Bingo Belge (FR) and put it up on your fridge or the pin-board of your desk. Start checking off one by one...
Browse up, to see more details about these places as well as the links to read the articles in detail about each & every place (well... most! I'm yet to do a couple more) mentioned here.
Let me know once you've done it all. Send me some pics and I'll be happy to share them on my FB page & Insta. Also, I'll give you some more places to check off!!!
Wow, now I have to say, I did not know there are so many lovely places to visit from Brussels, I have only heard of (as you mention), Antwerp, Brugges and Ghent. I am planning on visiting Belgium in December, although I haven't finalised the plan yet, for Christmas markets. Looks like I can add a couple of these off beat day trips to my plan, especially Spa, I am a nature lover myself and would love to do some hiking. I just hope it isn't too cold at the time!
ReplyDeleteI live and work in Ghent. I believe this is some gold digging info. Kudos to you for sharing this. At least 3-4 places are added to my bucket list and will visit before the year end. Hope these places are a photographer's paradise too.
ReplyDeletethanks. Lovely to visit some places again, and regret of not reading your blog before visiting Belgium.
ReplyDeleteWonderful article. Thanks for making the effort. Have been here 3 years and not even close enough to exploring them. And here I thought I was done exploring Belgium.
ReplyDelete