What to see in Belgium, between Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia

Many think so: the Belgium? It’s a boring country. And then they add: the list of what to see in Belgium it’s already over before it even starts. Sorry to destroy the cliché and the preconception: but it’s not like that at all. Indeed, Belgium is one of the travel destinations most underrated in Europe. Beer, chocolate and the magical ones mussels with french fries will tickle your throat while beauties are everywhere. In nature, in city and in artistic heritage stored in churches and museums, among frescoes of great masters and tapestries. While all around so much history has left indelible and powerful marks.

What to see in Belgium: surprises from the sea to history

Medieval cities like Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp And Gentlemen I’m a concentrate of aamazing architecture and strolling through the narrow cobbled streets in the embrace of lace-like buildings is a unique sensation. Those looking for sweeping views of the sea you won’t be able to miss the broad ones beaches and dunes chasing each other along the coast of the North Sea, gray, windy and always impactful. Those who love art will have to wander among majestic cathedrals and museums discovering that in the list of what to see in Belgium there are well sixty UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

If, on the other hand, you have a passion for technology and modern things, you will find bread for your teeth by discovering the port installations of Antwerp and by the infinity of bridges, locks, canals or devices that have allowed this city to become a very important port. Despite being 90 km from the sea. And yet those who love walking can spend whole days wandering through the forests and hills of the Ardennesin the area of Wallonia to then indulge in the luxury of a relaxing stop at Spa. And the name itself indicates that the sweet life of the spa has always been lived here.

In short, the offer of things to see is large and varied, to which is added a more painful, but no less interesting, chapter which concerns the military history: here the terrible battles were fought in the trenches of the WWIin the Ardennes the massacres of the Second and, in these parts, in a place called Waterloo even a great general like Napoleon discovered that it can be lost. And of all these battles remain poignant testimonies to see.

Belgium, a small country

We talked about what to see in Belgium. And the list seems long. Curious because, this is true, it is a small town. Its maximum length is 290km in the stretch from Ostend to Arlon while give capital Brussels every corner of the country can be reached by car in a maximum of two hours and by train in two and a half hours. So in addition to being a “flat country”, as one of his great sons sang, Jacques BrelBelgium can really also be called a “country of short roads“. Yet several countries seem to concentrate in such a small space.

The Flemish Flanders and the Francophone Wallonia may appear to those arriving as different as the France and the Germany. A short distance from London, Paris And AmsterdamIndeed, Belgium offers a variety of cities and lifestyles that impress those arriving for the first time. While most of the most famous Belgian cities including Brussels, Bruges, Gentlemen And Antwerp are located in the north of Belgium, in the Flandersthe southern region of Wallonia it offers much quieter towns and beautiful landscapes largely ignored by tourists.

And these differences also have repercussions on languages: in Flanders the Flemishwhich is nothing more than a variation of Dutch, in Wallonia the French while Brussels, the capital, is supposedly divided and bilingual. While in the east there is also a part of the country where it is spoken German. Complicated? In no way. In the end everyone also speaks English. And there is always a way to communicate also because you are here to fill your eyes with beauty.

What to see in Belgium: Flanders

So let’s continue our journey by scrolling through the list of what to see in Belgium: the Flandersfor example, have splendid cities rich in a great past as can be seen from the museums and themedieval architecture but its countryside is also dotted with well-kept villages, bordering on the cutesy, united by miles and miles of cycle paths.

Let’s think for example of Antwerpa modern metropolis that is easy to get around and discover that prides itself on its own Cathedral and its ancient streets but which is recently becoming one fashion capital as it always has been diamond market. And in a taste of mussels and fried potatoes the visit must certainly include a stop at the new one MAS museumat the Cathedral of Our Lady and to Rubens house.

Continuing the journey in Flanders here Brugesa world heritage city ofUnesco. And rightly so because few other cities have such a romantic and delicate atmosphere. Strolling along the alleys of Brugesi channels and admiring unexpected glimpses you can’t help but fall madly in love with its elegance of yesteryear (particularly at the end of the year when the Christmas market). Even if here, much less sentimentally, a part of the history of the economy and of the gods has been made trade of Europe wich was.

Brussels then, city-region-capital for 500 million Europeans, is an unsettling mix of Art nouveau and skyscrapers, Art gallery And flea markets, French fries kiosks and Michelin-starred restaurants. It is a complex city, formed by the set of 19 municipalitiesfrom the elegant district of Ixelles to the emerging area of Anderlechtand is a city with a thousand faces that mixes the classic elegance of Grand Place to the modernity of the palaces of modern power.

Ghent and Leuven: not to be missed

Let’s go on with the list of what to see in Belgium? We can’t lose Gentlemen (or Ghent, if you prefer) a compact and authentic city where the past and the present coexist in perfect balance. Walking through the city is like traveling through time: you turn any corner and pass by XIV century to XXI. Here in the evening the streets are filled with University students, its cathedral hides unique treasures and this is perhaps, thanks to its central location in Flanders, the ideal basis to visit the Flemish cities.

Also Leuven, Leuven in Flemishis located in the center of the country and is a famous university city, the university founded in 1425 is the oldest Catholic university of the world, with small dimensions but a beautiful and surprising daily life and a splendid center. Within easy reach are other beautiful cities such as Mechelen, Lier or Tienen and its center on the river Dyle always like. What’s more, it is considered one of the capitals of beer.

We mentioned Mechelen which is perhaps one of city ​​in Belgium most underrated in the country. It has a splendid cathedral, marvelous churches and offers the possibility of taking beautiful walks, discovering art galleries and enjoying good food. And more than Bruges And Brussels it’s also less crowded and cheaper.

Liège and Wallonia

Liège instead it belongs to French Wallonia and is the largest city in the region. It is located on Meuseclose to Ardennes, and has been a very important city for centuries, much more than the others in the same region that have recently fallen into decay. There is not much tourism since it is considered an industrial city but overall it offers a mix of styles and characters that make it worthy of a one-day stop.

You must also plan a stop Msgra town of not even one hundred thousand inhabitants, the capital of province of Hainaut which, however, has good three World Heritage Sites. The name of the city derives from the Latin “Montes” even if in reality it is only a hill and still today offers a pleasant architectural homogeneity, clean streets and a warm atmosphere.

The signs of the Great War

In the end Ypres, the beautiful town in Flanders marked by a tragic past. Three of the biggest and bloodiest battles in the world were fought here WWIthe most famous of which is the Battle of Passchendaele which lasted from July to November 1917. The many memorials and cemeteries of the fallen of Ypres attract thousands of visitors every year and here every evening, for dozens of years, homage has been paid to the fallen. And it is a shocking experience.

What to see in Belgium and when to go

Belgium enjoys a Continental climate with warm summers and moderately cold winters. In general, temperatures are slightly higher in the area Wallonia. There rain it is frequent and the weather can be very variable even within a few hours. Belgium’s cities are year-round tourist destinations and August should generally be avoided, at least in Bruges, to avoid the crowds. The best time then for visit Flanders it goes between early spring and late autumn, even if winter offers unique views with frozen canals and frost-covered countryside. But the hours of light are few.