Belgium (Dutch: België – French: Belgique – German: Belgien) is a small country with a great variety of landscapes and atmospheres. Do not be fooled by its size, Belgium (11,787 sq mihas more than 200 museums, 300 art nouveau buildings and 35 World Heritage Sites, in addition to the tasty chocolate and beer.
If you have already made up your mind about the things you can do in Belgium, but still have some questions to answer in this section we will try to resolve all doubts with the following fairytale places below (just scroll down and find out the place that ranks first!).
10. Grote Market, Brugge.
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Since the Middle Ages, the Grote Markt square served as a wool market, also fulfilling an administrative function, since laws were promulgated there, summoning citizens through the bells. Today it still has a local market, which is held on Wednesday mornings, with stalls of artisan products such as cheeses, sausages, chocolate and flowers. The historic center of Bruges extends around the square, so it is a good place to start touring the city and also to finish visiting it, as it always has atmosphere: if you have gotten hungry, you can have some fries in one of the two street stalls that are right in front of the Belfort and sit down to see it illuminated.
9. Groot-Bijgaarden (Grand-Bigard) Castle.
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Near Brussels, at the castle van Groot-Bijgaarden a large flower exhibition is held every year from April 5 to May 5. The almost 14 hectare park incorporates almost all spring bulb varieties. Flower lovers will have the opportunity to discover 500 varieties, including 400 tulip varieties during this time of year.
8. Meuse River in the Namur province.
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Belgium is a country that, despite its small size, has more than 1,600 km of navigable waterways. Of these, in the Wallonia region, the Meuse river is one of the most important and bathes, among other cities, Dinant, passing by the Citadel and the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame, and under the Adolpfh Sax bridge; to Namur, where after leaving aside its Citadel, it joins the Sambre, and to Liege.
7. Semois Valley.
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The captivating landscapes and panoramas of the Semois Valley have inspired many artists. This exceptional natural environment also offers a multitude of sporting activities: walks on foot or by bike, fishing, kayaking in the Semois, adventure park … Regarding events, the Trout Festival, the Medieval Festival and the Hunting Party allow you to fully enjoy the atmosphere of this historic city.
6. Château Comtal, Rochefort.
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We will tell you what to see in Rochefort. If you are a nature and adventure lover, visiting the Haan Grottoes in Rochefort can be an excellent option during your visit to Belgium. And it is that the tourist options that this Flemish country has are so wide if you look beyond Brussels and the most famous cities. Read on to discover what a wonder she has in store for you in Rochefort.
5. Vibrant town of Mechelen.
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Mechelen, also known as Mechelen, is a Belgian city of 80,000 inhabitants located about 25 kilometers from Brussels and halfway from Antwerp. It is one of the destinations that you should not miss if you visit Belgium since it presents beautiful structures and buildings with history.
4. Rugged hills of the Ardennes.
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The Ardennes treasure the natural heritage of Belgium in Wallonia. Discover a world of legends with forests, nature reserves, rivers, caves and fauna. Its rugged hills are incredibly beautiful and a magical place to visit.
3. Ghent’s Gravensteen.
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The Castle of Ghent is a great dark stone fortress, surrounded by the waters of the River Lys, through which the Vikings entered several times from the sea, devastating everything they found in their path. In the 9th century, the material that was used for the construction of the primitive fortress was wood, clearly insufficient to stop the feared invaders. The fortress was rebuilt and enlarged several times, but it still took almost 300 years to become a real stone castle.
2. Meuse Valley.
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The Annevoie Gardens in the Meuse Valley were laid out in the 18th century. They were registered in the most important Heritage of Wallonia. Located in the province of Namur, the Annevoie Gardens are the only water gardens in Belgium and are among the most beautiful in Europe. The water flows completely thanks to the natural slopes. At every turn, discover a new landscape: perspectives of the French style, fantasy of the English style and intimate charm of the Italian style. Curves, contrasts, levels and surprise effects: the alliance between the styles creates all the beauty of these gardens.
1. Mechelen Old Town.
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One of the most unique and striking things about Mechelen is that it is full of churches. There are them for all tastes and colors and of different architectural styles; So much so that you could visit only the churches and be satisfied because you would leave knowing a lot about the most prevalent styles throughout the different historical stages of Belgium. Among the most notable churches, excluding the aforementioned cathedral, is that of San Juan, where “The Adoration of the Magi” is housed, one of the most important paintings by Rubens. Also in the church of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw over de Dijle there is an altarpiece by this painter, which we recommend you visit. As these two there are several churches that it is advisable to visit, although these are surely the ones that are mandatory. And, the best: in both the entrance is free.
