Belgium Travel Guide:

Best Places to Visit in Belgium

 

Climate Cool, temperate, and rainy; summer temperatures average 77°F, winters average 45°F.  Annual extremes (rarely attained) are 10°F and 100°F.

Bruges  (For detailed information, click on our Bruges Travel Guide.)

• Considered by some to be the "Venice of the North", Bruges has a well-preserved Old Town that  has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the leading trading center of Europe and the world's richest city, today's slow-paced Bruges is a tourist's delight.  Bruges is compact and made for walking, boating, wandering, and relaxing.  Be sure to visit the Belfry and the Memling Museum.

 

• Brussels (For detailed information, click on our Brussels Travel Guide.) 

  • Although its history covers over a thousand years of activities, Brussels is a contemporary, cosmopolitan and cultured city. 

    • A good place to start you tour of Brussels is the Grand  Place (Grote Markt), which will lead you to notice the Gothic and Classical architectures of the city's  churches and palaces (Palais des Nation, Royal Palace, and House of Parliament). 

    • Art is prominent in Brussels and a visit to the Royal Museum of Fine Art is a must. 

    • If you are a "chocoholic" prepare for a taste treat (read our Brussels Guide).

    • Finally, remember the saying, "if you are in Brussels, you must try the Mussels".

   

• Ghent (For detailed information, click on our Ghent Travel Guide.) 

  • Ghent is a historic industrial city with an interesting, compact medieval core. The Old Town is one that is worth your time and the historic center is a fun place to wander for an afternoon.

    • Be sure to visit the Castle of the Counts of Flanders, the Belfry, and the Cloth Hall.

    •  See the Cathedral of Saint Bavo for its beauty and the art that it contains.

    •  For more detail, see our Ghent Travel Guide.

• Antwerp   

  • Antwerp's is now the second largest port in Europe.  The city  is a large, working, industrial complex focused on international trade. While most of Antwerp has little warmth, its historic center has a delightful mixture of charming architectural styles.  While most travelers have only limited interest in touring the city's  Diamond District, it does add a certain  allure to this working city.

  • There are a number of important attractions in Antwerp.   Be sure to see:

    • The gothic Cathedral of Our Lady, is an important cathedral that played a central role in the history of the Low Countries. Click for information from the official site.

    • the Plantin Moretus Museum is an interesting venue focused on the history of printing.  See its site for more information.

    • the Koninklijk Museum offers fine art by Rubens, Memling, Fouquet and others. (Leopold De Waelplaats, B-2000 Antwerpen).

    • The Diamond Museum introduces you to the fascinating world of diamonds, from origin to manufacturing. (Koningin Astridplein 19-23
      2018 Antwerpen)
      

   

• If you are going to spend several days in Belgium and have already visited Brussels, Brugge,  Ghent and Antwerp, you might want to consider visiting these locations.
  
  

  • Tournai (and its stunning Notre-Dame Cathedral).

    
    

  • Namur (an old Roman town with its fortress the Citadel protecting the intersection of the Sambre and Meuse rivers).

    
    

  • The Ardennes is an interesting area to tour, if you are interested in the history of World War II

    • The Ardennes is a beacon for many interested in the epic and pivotal World War II "Battle of the Bulge" that took place here during December, 1944 and January 1945.  If you have an interest in this topic, a detailed explanation of the Battle of the Bulge (and exceptionally detailed maps), can be found here. 

    •  Bastogne was the center of military activity during the Battle of the Bulge and we have centered our map symbol for the area on this town .

     

• The Hergé Museum (Museé Hergé)

  • Located in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ( a "new" university town about 30 KM southeast of Brussels) the museum honoring the famous author of the beloved TinTin adventures opened its doors to the public on  June 2, 2009.

  • Celebrating the art and stories of Georges Remi, better known as Hergé,  the three-story museum presents his work across eight display rooms.  Be prepared to see images of TinTin's dog Snowy, Professor Calculus, and his fisherman friend Captain Haddock.

  • We suspect the museum will be popular with fans, since the books have sold over 200,000,000 copies in over sixty languages.  In addition, Steven Spielberg is planning a movie based on TinTin, which should increase the size of the fan base.

  • The website of the museum is here (in French), but you can download a brochure that includes descriptions in several languages.  The Museé is located at Rue du Labrador 26, (an address mentioned in Secrets of the Unicorn), but until maps are updated to include the change in name, you will need to look for Boulevard du Nord (the former name of the street).

If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web

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                    Map of the Best Places to Visit in Belgium

• Brugge

• Brussels