City
Bruges
Belgium
A remarkably preserved medieval city of canals, cobbled lanes and a famous belfry.
Western Europe
Belgium
Medieval guild squares, Flemish art cities, world-famous beer, chocolate and waffles, and quiet Ardennes forests, all within easy train rides.
For storytellers
Why Belgium matters
Belgium is a small country with a huge appetite for good living. Its cities grew rich on cloth and trade, and they left behind some of the finest market squares and belfries in Europe. Bruges and Ghent look like paintings, Antwerp is all fashion and diamonds, and Brussels mixes Art Nouveau with the institutions of Europe. Then there is the food: fries, waffles, chocolate and hundreds of beers. Add the battlefields of the First World War and the wooded hills of the Ardennes, and you have a country that rewards slow travel.
Talking points
- Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German.
- Its medieval belfries and guild halls are among the best preserved in Europe.
- Belgian beer, chocolate, waffles and fries are all serious traditions.
- Flanders is a landscape of remembrance for the First World War.
- Brussels is a base for the European Union and a capital of Art Nouveau and comic strips.
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- Capital
- Brussels
- Languages
- Dutch, French, German
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Best time to go
- May to June and September for mild weather and fewer crowds. December has atmospheric Christmas markets.
Where to base yourself
Cities and towns in Belgium
City
Brussels
Belgium
A bilingual capital of Art Nouveau, comic strips, chocolate shops and the most dazzling square in Europe.
City
Antwerp
Belgium
A port city of fashion, diamonds, Rubens and one of the finest railway stations in the world.
City
Ghent
Belgium
A lively university city with a medieval castle, historic quays and a real local feel.
City
Leuven
Belgium
A historic student town with a spectacular town hall, old university and a lively cafe scene.
City
Ypres
Belgium
A rebuilt town at the heart of the First World War battlefields, with a moving memorial gate.
Town
Dinant
Belgium
A dramatic riverside town in the Meuse valley, backed by a cliff, a citadel and a colourful church.
City
Liege
Belgium
A big, gritty-but-friendly city on the Meuse, with a futuristic station and a great market culture.
City
Mechelen
Belgium
A once-royal city between Brussels and Antwerp, with a towering cathedral and quiet canals.
Town
Bouillon
Belgium
A small Ardennes town beneath a medieval castle and a loop of the Semois river.
Top places
What to see in Belgium
- Top places
- Museum 6
- Church, mosque or temple 6
- Square 4
- Historic site 4
- Monument 3
- Neighbourhood 3
- Castle 3
- Palace 2
- Shopping 2
- Tower 2
- Other 2
- Park 1
- Viewpoint 1
- Lake 1
- Food and drink 1
- Stadium 1
Square · UNESCO
Grand-Place
Brussels, Belgium
Brussels' gilded market square, ringed by guild houses and the town hall.
Tower · UNESCO
Markt Square and Belfry
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges' market square, with its tall medieval belfry and colourful guild houses.
Monument
Atomium
Brussels, Belgium
A giant model of an iron crystal, built for the 1958 World's Fair and now an icon of Brussels.
Neighbourhood
Graslei and Korenlei
Ghent, Belgium
The old harbour quays lined with guild houses, glowing at dusk.
Church, mosque or temple
St Bavo's Cathedral
Ghent, Belgium
The home of the Ghent Altarpiece, a landmark of early Netherlandish painting.
Other
Antwerp Central Station
Antwerp, Belgium
A railway station so grand it is often called a railway cathedral.
Square · UNESCO
Burg Square
Bruges, Belgium
A square with the Gothic town hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
Church, mosque or temple
Cathedral of Our Lady
Antwerp, Belgium
A soaring Gothic cathedral with paintings by Rubens.
Museum
In Flanders Fields Museum
Ypres, Belgium
A museum in the rebuilt Cloth Hall telling the story of the First World War in Flanders.
Monument
Menin Gate
Ypres, Belgium
A memorial arch with the names of thousands of missing Commonwealth soldiers.
Viewpoint
Rozenhoedkaai
Bruges, Belgium
The best-known canal view in Bruges, with the Belfry reflected in the water.
Tower · UNESCO
Belfry of Ghent
Ghent, Belgium
A medieval belfry that guarded the city's treasures and gives a wide view.
Church, mosque or temple
Church of Our Lady
Bruges, Belgium
A brick Gothic church with a very tall brick tower and a Michelangelo sculpture.
Square
Grote Markt Antwerp
Antwerp, Belgium
The historic market square, with the town hall and a fountain of Brabo.
Historic site
Leuven Town Hall
Leuven, Belgium
A Gothic town hall so richly carved it looks like jewellery.
Monument
Manneken Pis
Brussels, Belgium
The tiny fountain statue of a boy, one of Brussels' quirkiest symbols.
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