5 reasons to visit Belgium (it is not boring at all!)

Belgium is often skipped by tourists traveling through Europe. This little country surrounded by the more popular destinations such as France, Holland, Germany and the U.K seems to be mistaken for boring, unattractive and uninteresting due to the lack of strong features. Well, let me tell you that nothing can be more wrong! Belgium may be small but there are a lot of beautiful cities and things to do.

Belgian cities

Ghent

If you decide to visit Ghent by train I suggest you get off at Sint Pieters train station and take the tram right to the Korenmarkt. From there the exploring can begin! Ghent is an absolute must visit when going to Belgium. It’s a cosy town, known for its well preserved and restored medieval buildings, its many churches such as the Cathedral, which is home to the Ghent altarpiece, better known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb and its canals. Sitting along the riverside at the Graslei with a nice cold beer in the Summer time, while taking in the nice scenery and watching the boats float by is absolute bliss. Ghent’s specialty is Cuberdons, better known as Neuzekes (noses). A very sweet treat that I simply adore and you must try! You can read more about Ghent here.

Bruges

Bruges, sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North due to its many canals, is a rather small town but has a lot to offer! Next to Antwerp, my home town, Bruges is my absolute favorite! The old town has a lovely park called the Minnewater Park, the cutest streets with small, medieval houses and hidden courtyards of God’s houses. Floating down the canals in a small boat offers the most terrific sceneries of places you can’t reach by foot. One of the most famous views is probably the Rozenhoedkaai with its hanging tree and the Belfry tower in the back. More about Bruges here.

Antwerp

The city of diamonds, the city of fashion, the city by the Scheldt… this wonderful city has so many nicknames because it is so versatile. There are so many different museums such as the Diamond Museum where you can learn everything about the bling bling, the MAS museum, where you can learn about art and history, the Rubens House where Rubens, the famous painter used to live, the Red Star Line Museum that shows you how people moved to America or the MoMu Fashion Museum for the fashion lovers. There’s something for everyone. The old town situated around the beautiful cathedral offers a wide range of restaurants and is fun to wander around. You can take the pedestrian tunnel to get to the other side of the river to enjoy the scenery of the city skyline. More about Antwerp here.

Nature

Ardennes & High Fens

Belgium isn’t all about the cities. You can find beautiful nature as well. I love to hike at the Ardennes, which is the eastern region consisting of extensive forests and gentle hills. One of the most beautiful areas are probably the High Fens. Situated between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. You can find a lot of tiny streams here which makes hiking more fun. The sound of the streams always make me feel total zen!

Hallerbos

One of the most magical forests during Spring must be Hallerbos (Halle’s Wood). It is situated South from Brussels and is a must visit when visiting Belgium in April. Then the bluebells are blooming at their best and form a purple carpet that covers the complete forest.

Seaside

Belgium’s western border consists of beaches. Most of the coastline consists of tall apartment buildings because the government apparently thought it was ok to destroy the dunes. But you can still find beautiful dunes near De Panne. Another nice place at the coast is De Haan. Here you can find the cutest houses and quiet beaches!

The food

If you like good food, you’ll love Belgium! Not only can you find so many excellent restaurants here, Belgians are known for a lot of sweet treats such as Belgian Waffles, Belgian Chocolates, Neuzekes, Babelutten, Smoutebollen, Pies,… You may not be a fan of Brussels Sprouts, but who doesn’t like ham and endive (Belgians call it witlof) gratin, a traditional oven dish? And believe it or not; Belgians are the inventors of fries! I know they’re often called French fries, but frites originate from Belgium! They are made of fresh potatoes and get fried two times. You can find a frituur (often more than one) in every town. This is a kiosk or van serving quick-service fries.

The alcohol

There are around 1150 original Belgian beers so if you’re a beer lover, there’s no doubt you need to visit Belgium. My favorite is the sweet Liefmans on the Rocks! Besides beer you can also discover other delicious drinks such as jenever, the traditional liquor which exists in many different flavours. Another typical drink is Elixir d’Anvers, a herbal liquor from Antwerp.

Small distances and great public transport

No matter in what city you decide to stay, nothing is too far away. You can easily take the car and drive to the other side of the country in less than 2 hours (without traffic jams). But since traffic is a huge problem in Belgium I recommend taking the public transport which is well organized and it can take you almost everywhere! Do check the websites for strikes though, since they are more common lately.

In my opinion these are the main reasons why you should visit Belgium! Have you ever been there? If so, don’t hesitate to share why you think others should visit this beautiful small country!