A Visual Tour of Belgium

When booking our trip to Belgium, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I’d done my research, and learned that Belgium was a tiny country, about one fifth the size of Florida. I also knew that since it was small and easy to occupy during wars, it had never been bombed; therefore, the architecture is especially beautiful, with lots of medieval castles and forts, coupled with old farmhouses and estates lining the streets. What I didn’t realize is that there are so many beautiful rivers running through the cities and countryside. Or that a good part of Belgium is mountainous (or, at least, filled with extremely tall hills).

Take a road trip through Belgium and you will be amazed by the lush mountains, gardens and rivers. The drive from Namur to Brussels made my jaw drop. The topography reminded me of Lord of the Rings. I felt as if I was in an ancient version of New Zealand, with wild yet peaceful rivers flowing through succulent mountains, and castles that have incredible views nestled amongst the greenery.

Despite its small size, Belgium is home to many incredible cities. Here’s a visual tour of five charming cities in Belgium that should be on the top of your travel bucket list:

Brussels

Brussels is a large city with many areas to explore. It’s a French-speaking city, but pretty much everyone in Belgium speaks English, since they’re forced to learn it in school, and all the American movies shown in Belgium are subtitled (as opposed to dubbed, like the rest of Europe).

We stayed in the touristy old “Grand Place” area, which was gorgeous. Our tour guide mentioned that she recommends that people stay uptown, since many who stay in the old town never leave that area, and never fully experience Brussels. And she has a point. The old town has everything you could ever need: plenty of shopping, restaurants, bars, chocolate shops, beautiful architecture, etc. What it also has is a lot of tourists.

Get a coffee or beer on Rue Saint-Boniface, which is a cute street with many great bars and lots to look at.

There are many beautiful public spaces in Brussels, from gardens with medieval buildings around them, to squares in the center of town that get lit up at night, to a giant park that rivals Central Park. If you want to go out at night, check out Rue Du Marché au Charbon (not to be confused with Rue Du Marché), which has a great nighttime social scene with street cafés, spots to go dancing (like Cartagena Salsa Bar, which is a lot of fun), and not many tourists.

Forget Banksy, Brussels is the home of true street art. It’s also the home of the first cartoons. You’ll find them in combination all over Brussels. Interestingly, every one of the over 40 giant murals around Brussels has an ode to the area worked into it. For example, if it’s on the side of a building, in the painting will be buildings or sculptures that are located in the same area, and other famous Belgian creations, like TinTin or the Smurfs.

If you want to escape the crowds, grab a taxi (or a bicycle, if you’re fit) and head uptown. The Chatelain area is the nicest part of uptown, and the area you should head to first.

In Upper Town you can shop for antiques at the Grand Sablon, gape at the monumental Law Courts building, visit the sumptuous Royal Palace, stroll around the world-class Fine Arts Museum, tour the elegant Belgian Parliament, or marvel at the Art Nouveau architecture along Ravenstein Street. Upper Town is a big area with lots to see, so set aside at least two days to explore this neighbourhood in detail.

And ask your hotel to get you a Brussels Art Guide – a thick red pocketbook filled with information about the hundreds of art galleries in the city. Some are in townhouses, and some in modern spaces. Check out as many as possible, but remember that most are open from Wednesday or Thursday to Saturday, after 1pm. The guide will fill you in on all that.

Oh, and I highly recommend taking a tour with Paquita from Bus Bavard. She’s hyper knowledgeable and fun, and will give you a whole new perspective on Brussels. She’ll open up a whole other dimension to the city that you wouldn’t have otherwise experienced.

Namur

Namur is a small city filled with historic buildings. It’s a city where two rivers converge, with tons of shopping and gourmet treats. It’s the perfect walking city. Their mascot is a snail, which gives you an idea of the expected pace around here.

The Citadel is an old fortress, which is now open for tourists. Honestly, there’s not much to see aside from the view, but it’s worth checking out anyway. It’s up a long and windy road with sweeping views of the entire city of Namur. At the top are a couple of cafés where you can have a snack and take in the sights. It’s definitely worth seeing.

Bruges

Said to be the “Venice of the North”, Bruges is an incredibly romantic city with lots to see and do. With water (and tour boats) running through the city, this town is about as charming and romantic as any city could be. The old buildings and streets are often connected by old brick or stone bridges, and outdoor cafés allow you to sit and watch boats go by.

Ghent

A gorgeous city where you can sit and have lunch while overlooking a medieval castle in the middle of town. At night, the castle is beautifully lit, and you can get a great view from across the water that surrounds the other side of it.

Ghent, like Bruges, also has water running through many parts of the city.

I loved that it seemed like two cities in one, all mixed together. One one side of the coin, Ghent is a historic city with castles and rivers all over the place, primarily geared towards leisure time. On the other side of the coin, Ghent is like a normal, but exceptionally beautiful and cosmopolitan city, with commuters on street cars, tourists visiting large art galleries, several universities and multiple parks and town squares.

It’s a very livable city that pulls you in and makes you never want to leave.

Knokke

Knokke is the Hamptons of Belgium. And while it lacks the beautiful architecture and undeniable charm that the Hamptons offers, Knokke offers something the Hamptons does not: rentable, sectioned-off portions of private beach area. Here, there are public portions of the beach, but most of the sand is taken up by private boxes with loungers, sofas, and — of course — ice buckets filled with bottles of champagne.

The main street is lined with hundreds of shops. It’s clear that the prime pastimes here are #1: Shopping, #2: Spending time on the beach (or maybe it’s the reverse?? …hard to tell!).

From the quaint Namur in the south, to the bustling metropolis of Brussels in the center, to the beachy Knokke in the north, Belgium has something for everyone. I highly recommend that you put a two week trip to Brussels on your travel schedule sometime soon. Personally, I’m counting down the days until I get to go back!