Belgium is Such a Babe: 5 Sultry Cities To See

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Brick, white, and blue houses with flowerpots in Bruges, Belgium on a cobblestone street — [A picture perfect street in **Bruges, Belgium**]

Belgium is SUCH an underrated and unique country! I wish I’d had more time to explore – lots of beautiful scenery and lovely architecture. If you do make it over to Belgium, promise me you’ll try to put more in your itinerary than just Brussels!! (I wasn’t the bigggggest fan of Brussels – but then again, I’m not a huge city person, so…).

Admittedly, I don’t think I really went to the “off-the-beaten track” destinations in Belgium, but maybe I did compared to the average tourist? I’d love to go back and explore more of the countryside – my train rides to Dinant and Durbuy were absolutely beautiful. And I did do some unusual and unique things (read below!!).

The Grand Place (Grote Markt) in Brussels, Belgium has beautiful architecture — [**The Grand Place** in Brussels – I’d argue that it’s the main tourist attraction in Brussels, and it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also just fancy AF]

And the food is GOOD. Between the chocolate, waffles, fries, pastries, and sandwiches (they have so many specific types of sandwiches there! They’re usually in long baguettes, and have a very specific yummy flavor – one of the chains is Panos, and their sandwiches are actually pretty good quality), I was happy happy happy.

Picturesque cobblestone street in Durbuy, Belgium - once the smallest city in the world! — [Isn’t this like one of the most picturesque streets you’ve ever seen? A street in **Durbuy, Belgium**]

Side note: when I was there, Belgium had an amazing deal on train passes for younger people, I think it was up to 26. How’d I find out about it? I literally just asked a worker at a customer service booth if there were any promotions going on! The workers at my hostel didn’t even know about it, so it’s always a good idea to ask again just in case. I took full advantage, and rode the train every single day (save for the day I stayed in Brussels to explore).

Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium is definitely worth visiting! — [**Gravensteen Castle** in Ghent]

Map of Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Dinant, and Durbuy — [Here’s a visual if you’re curious about the distances and locations of each city]

As far as communication goes, many people speak English, but there are 3 official languages: Dutch, French, and German. However, most people speak either Dutch, French, or both, depending on the region.

Both Bruges and Ghent are located in the Flanders region of Belgium, where the official language is Dutch. Brussels is in the Brussels-Capital Region and it’s bilingual in French and Dutch. Dinant and Durbuy are both in the Wallonia region, where most people know French.

However, it’s not too hard to find someone who knows how to speak at least a little English, especially in the larger cities like Brussels and Ghent. It would be polite to learn at least a little in French and/or Dutch, depending on which region you’ll be spending the most time in.

THE BEST CITIES TO EXPLORE IN BELGIUM

BRUSSELS (AND I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SPROUTS)

Mont des Arts Gardens in Brussels, Belgium overlooks the city's beautiful architecture! — [Mont des Arts Gardens]

Of course, if you do go to Belgium, you’ll most likely end up visiting Brussels. It was a very interesting city, that’s for sure – lots of different cultures and people. And, I’m not sure about now, but when I visited in summer 2016 it was pretty cheap to fly to.

Pierre Marcolini in Brussels, Belgium is a popular chocolate shop and is covered in vines of flowers! — [The storefront of Pierre Marcolini, a famous chocolate shop in Brussels]

Belgium was the last country on my solo tour, so I admit that I was pretty dead by that time (which could also be a reason I didn’t LOVE Brussels).

However, I’d highly recommend doing a free walking tour here – I really enjoyed ours, and it’s pretty easy to see all the things on the tour. The guides also gave great tips (especially food-wise) about where to go that was actually authentic and not just shitty tourist food.

For instance, our guide told us where to get the best chocolates (at three different price points), the best frites, and the best waffles! He also gave great suggestions on non-touristy and free things to do. They also do a beer tour, which sounded really cool, but I was on a budget so I opted against it.

Belgian Waffles topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce in Brussels, Belgium outside Monte des Artes — [‘Real’ Belgian waffles, according to our free walking tour guide; apparently the ones with all the crazy toppings are just made for tourists. We got these from a little cart at the Mont des Arts Gardens]

For chocolates, he recommend Neuhaus, Leonidas, and Marcolini (they’re all at different price points, so something for everyone!). For fries, he said Friterie Tabora if you’re in the tourist area; they were delicious! They also have 46 sauces to choose from – my favorite was the andalouse sauce! Not that I tried a ton, but that seems to be the popular one, and it lived up to its hype.

Okay, I’ll be honest – I really don’t get the hype about Manneken Pis (the peeing boy statue) or Jeanneke Pis (the peeing girl). They’re literally just statues of peeing kids?

Concert in Brussels, Belgium at the Grand Place — [I stumbled upon a concert my last night in Brussels; it was in The Grand Place, which was really cool!]

But, what I did get the hype about was The Grand Place. It really is gorgeous! I’d suggest visiting both during and later in the day, since you’ll get different feels for each time. During the day it can feel pretty touristy, so it’s nice to see it when it’s a little emptier in the evening.

At night, The Grand Place also gets lit up – however, I didn’t go to see this since I was by myself and didn’t want to venture out alone in the dark. I probably could have made friends if I wanted to but since it was my last week, I just decided to be my introvert self!

And, it’s free – so you can’t go wrong! It’s also pretty damn unique – I’ve never seen anything like it.

I also really enjoyed Delirium Café – it has the largest selection of beers in the world (3,162 according to the website). I tried a cherry beer, because I am a baby and am still just getting into actual beer. It was delicious, though!

Ornate architecture and gold accents at the Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium — [The Grand Place (aka Grote Markt) is sooo pretty and one of the main tourist attractions in Belgium. It’s the central square and I learned a shit ton about its history from our guide, but I could not for the life of me tell you about it now lol]

Ornate architecture and pretty buildings along a street in Brussels, Belgium — [Dying over the architecture and pretty details!!]

If you love Art Nouveau and Deco, head over to Saint-Gilles, a district in Brussels, and marvel at the pretty buildings! If you have time, I’d recommend visiting the Museé Victor Horta, which was absolutely beautiful and dare I say, unusual. The rest of the area was a little ways from the tourist center, and was very trendy and cool. Lots of eclectic shops and fun restaurants.

Mont des Arts Gardens (first picture in this post) is also a really beautiful overlook! It’s in the same plaza as a few different museums, so you can get your learn on after basking in the beautiful views.

St. Nicolas Cathedral was also stunning! Overall, I liked Brussels, but don’t know if I’m necessarily dying to go back. I definitely preferred the other places I went in Belgium!

BRUGES IS DISGUSTINGLY PERFECT

Bruges, Belgium is full of cobblestone streets, brick houses, and fairytale! — [If you wander outside the city center, the streets are often empty; however, this was also taken after 4PM when a lot of the day-trippers had pretty much left]

I adored Bruges!! But is that really a surprise? I’m a sucker for anything fairytale-like, and Bruges is pretty much exactly that. It did seem a little fake (I’ve heard it’s pretty much dead in the off-season) and kind of felt like a cardboard cutout, BUT it’s such a pretty place that I really didn’t care.

Bruges, Belgium has swans, a beautiful river, bridges, and brick houses — [Bruges in all of its disgusting perfection; and yep, those are SWANS. Are you freaking kidding me]

And so that said, I really want to go back and visit it in fall/winter, because there’ll be waaay less tourists (I made the mistake of going on a Saturday in July…). I just think it would look sooo pretty on a rainy/cloudy day! I’d also like to stay the night, as I noticed the tourists pretty much started clearing out after 4PM or so.

The main square in Bruges, Belgium has pretty brick and colorful buildings — [Buildings in the main plaza]

I also went on a free walking tour and had some of the best chocolate of my ENTIRE EXISTENCE. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the food in Bruges – being a tourist city, I expected the food to be pretty crappy, but I actually really enjoyed it!

A river running through Bruges, Belgium is overlooked by a busy square and brick buildings — [Of course, like pretty much every other touristy city in Europe, you can ride a boat through the canals; Also, you get an idea of how crowded it can be across the street]

And, if you haven’t seen ‘In Bruges‘ yet, you totally should! Maybe even actually watch it in Bruges. *side-eyed emoji*

As for what you should do in Bruges, walk around. Do the free walking tour, like I said, it’s really interesting and gives you a good overview of the city.

There are a ton of museums, which I didn’t go into, but you can find almost anything from art to chocolate to fries.

You can go up into the Belfry and get really great views (wish I’d done this).

Check out De Halve Man Brewery and chill out (such a nice way to end the day!).

Get chocolate from Chocolaterie de Burg – sooooo good! It was recommended by our tour guide, and although I’m sure there was some sort of business partnership going on there, it was damn good. Other good places I’ve read about are Dumon Chocolatier and The Chocolate Line, but I’m sure there are more because Bruges has about 2852930 chocolate shops.

Canal in Bruges, Belgium surrounded by brick buildings, bridges, and filled with boats — [It me!!!!!]

Brick buildings in Bruges, Belgium on cobblestone streets — [You just can’t ignore those picture perfect streets]

GHENT IS BRUSSELS’ COOL YOUNGER SISTER

View of Ghent, Belgium from Gravensteen - look at all the pretty rooftops and brick buildings! — [I am a sucker for pretty city views; this photo was taken from the top of Gravensteen]

I enjoyed Ghent, but I didn’t LOVE it. It was definitely a cool city, though, and I liked it more than Brussels. It’s got more of an authentic feel to it, not to mention it’s architecture is beautiful. Out of all the Belgian cities I visited, this is the one I’d most like to actually live in.

It’s more of a university town, so it feels very hip and modern and fun. It’s one of those places I think I’d fall in love with if I lived there, but not one I would go for a day trip again.

Like, Bruges is a place I would visit but NOT live in; Ghent I could totally see myself living in. Ya feel me?

Boast in a canal in Ghent, Belgium surrounded by walkways, bridges, and brick buildings — [More boats on canals!!!!!!]

River in Ghent, Belgium surrounded by pretty houses — [Walking into the city center from the train station; I would kill to have a place right on the river like so!]

I’d suggest checking out Gravensteen Castle – it’s awesome. It’s unusual in that it used to be a torture chamber and prison, so they have all kinds of information on that, and on the castle itself. The views from the top are stunning, too! I spent like 2-3 hours there.

Other than that, I pretty much just wandered around the city center and surrounding neighborhoods aimlessly.

Gravensteen Castle on a river in Ghent, Belgium — [Not the best picture, BUT! Gravensteen Castle; I highly recommend it! It’s beautiful, and there’s sooo much history to learn about inside. And those views!]

Brick houses on the river in Ghent, Belgium as viewed from Gravensteen Castle — [More pretty buildings – I can’t get enough; view from Gravensteen Castle]

DINANT ROCKS (GET IT??)

Buildings and Collégiale Notre-Dame (Collegiate Church of Our Lady) line the bottom of a large cliff with the Citadelle de Dinant, or Citadel of Dinant, perched on top in Dinant, Belgium — [Look at that pretty view! On the far right is the Church of Our Lady, and at the top of the cliff is the Citadel of Dinant]

Dinant was really really cool. It’s super small, and definitely touristy, but not as much as Bruges. It feels much more ‘real’. And just as beautiful!

It’s located along the River Meuse, so along with pretty city views, you can stare at the river, too! And even take a cool boat ride between April and October.

Giant saxophone along the Charles de Gualle Bridge in Dinant, Belgium — [Here’s one of the saxophones along the Charles de Gualle Bridge]

You’ll also notice giant saxophones all over the city, and lining the Charles de Gaulle Bridge – these were erected in memory of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone!

View of Dinant city buildings, rooftops, river, and bridge from the stairs up to the Citadelle de Dinant, or Citadel of Dinant in Belgium — [View of the city from the Citadel of Dinant; you have to go up quite a few steps to get there, though! But totally worth it]

I hadn’t done a ton of research, but I immediately stumbled upon Collégiale Notre-Dame (Collegiate Church of Our Lady), which is the tallest building in that first picture. As you can see, it’s quite beautiful and definitely worth a stop!

Afterward, I decided to check out the Citadelle de Dinant (Citadel of Dinant) and ended up spending the majority of my day there. There are a TON of steps to get up to the top, but the views are amazing (see above)!

If steps aren’t really your thing, you can also take a cable car to the top, instead.

Once you make it up there, it’s an actual museum! Very cool. It’s all about the citadel itself and its roles in various wars, including both WW1 and 2.

Meuse River through Dinant in Belgium lined with buildings and boats against a forest — [Look at that prettiness!!!! AHHHHH]

The exhibits are all really well done, and very informative and engaging. I like history but wouldn’t call myself a history geek. I really enjoyed reading and learning about everything, although it was a little sad at times.

When I was there, there was also a random exhibit of life-size Disney characters made of sand in the citadel. It looks like it’s still going on, but double-check before you go if that’s something you really want to see!

View from the Citadelle de Dinant, or Citadel of Dinant in Dinant, Belgium — [Another view from the Citadel of Dinant]

After the Citadel of Dinant, I just enjoyed walking around the city bit. It wasn’t very crowded – granted, I did go on a weekday, but still! I think most people just go to Brussels, Bruges, and maybe Ghent when visiting Belgium, so I’d highly recommend looking into other smaller cities (especially if you’re a nature lover, like myself).

It’s worth going to just for the train ride, honestly – it’s so pretty!

Lol do you see a theme here? I end up just wandering aimlessly in most cities at least part of the day, mainly because it’s free 🙂

DURBUY, AKA THE SMALLEST CITY IN THE WORLD

Durbuy Castle in Belgium on the river surrounded by trees — [Durbuy Castle; I wanted to check it out but you can’t actually go inside]

Durbuy was once the smallest city in the world. It’s still pretty damn small, and feels a little touristy, although I didn’t hear much English spoken. It was still pretty, though, and I’m glad I made the trek out – similar to Dinant, the train ride alone was absolutely gorgeous!

Vine-covered stone building in Durbuy, Belgium — [Give me all the vine-covered stone buildings with flowers in the window]

Getting to Durbuy from the train station without a car can be a little difficult. A shuttle picks you up at the train and takes you to Durbuy, but it only comes around sporadically.

I wanted to get all the exploring I could out of it at the cheapest rate, so I tried to walk. Partway I realized it just wasn’t going to happen and decided to try and hitchhike. That did not work at all (I just got a lot of weird looks; one couple stopped to apologize that their car was too full, and one other guy didn’t speak English), and I gave up after about 20 minutes. I bit the bullet and paid for the shuttle (which really isn’t even that expensive, I just wanted to try hitchhiking again after doing it with my friends in Ireland).

Road Signs in French in Durbuy, Belgium — [All the signs]

I ended up talking a lot with the shuttle driver, which was fun. It was just he and I for a while, so I started asking him questions about what it was like living here. He was super cool and ended up telling me about hitchhiking all over France and Italy; when I told him I tried here, he laughed and said no one would ever pick up a hitchhiker in Belgium. So that was interesting, and I didn’t feel like as much of a failure ha.

Tortuga Bar in Durbuy, Belgium — [Tortuga Bar is apparently really popular, but it was closed when I was there]

I’d recommend walking around (it’s super small, so you can pretty much see everything in a few hours) – I popped into a few shops, and there’s this cool artisanal jam shop that I missed (I think it was closed? I can’t remember why I didn’t go) called La Vraie Confiture de Durbuy.

There are quite a few restaurants and a cool tiki bar.

There are also some other shops – I can’t remember the name of the one I went to, but it had all local Wallonian products (the region that Durbuy falls in).

Anticline in Durbuy, Belgium — [Look at all that coolness!!!!]

The Anticline in Durbuy, Belgium — [Another photo, for scale]

Something I thought was SUPER COOL and unusual was the anticline! It’s a cool u-shaped rock formation that formed from layers and layers of accumulated sediment. It’s so unique looking and I was super into it.

The Topiary Gardens are supposed to be another unusual attraction, but I didn’t visit because, to be honest, I didn’t really care. I looked at pictures and decided I’d rather spend my time exploring the city.

However, if you’re a fan of topiary, it’s supposed to be great! It’s also supposed to offer great views of the castle, but I thought the ones I got were good enough.

I’d love to go back to Belgium and explore more of the lesser known towns! And really get outdoors there, as it’s soooo pretty.

WHAT I MISSED (BELGIUM, I’M COMING BACK):

– If I went back at a different time of year, I would’ve loved to have visited Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (natural history museums are my jam!!).

– Hallerbos (The Blue Forest) looks beautiful – in April, the forest floor gets covered with bluebells!!! If you do choose to visit, please be respectful and practice LNT (Leave No Trace) principles. The forest is becoming quite popular and some people have been trampling the flowers. Let’s work to preserve this unique place!

– All the other cities: Leuven (pretty university town), Mechelen (beautiful architecture and one of the oldest-operating breweries), and Ypres (history of the world wars). I’m sure there are so many more, but those are the ones I was choosing between!

– Belgium also has some amazing parks and natural scenery – I would love to come back and explore more, especially in the fall!

Cobblestone street lined with stone buildings and trees in Durbuy, Belgium — [Another perfect street in Durbuy]

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