30 essential things to see in Belgium, beautiful cities and castles

Do you know that feeling that comes through you when you return from a trip and you can't stop thinking about organizing another one as soon as possible to return to that country?

Well, that's exactly what happens to us whenever we travel to Belgium, without a doubt one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

In this article we want to give you all the information you need to know to travel to this beautiful country and teach you What is essential to see and do on your trip to Belgium.

With cities with medieval streets own of fairy tales, it is not surprising that it is a destination that everyone would like to go to at least once in their life.

Thanks to its enormous tradition of flemish painters, Belgium It is a country with a huge cultural heritage, with beautiful castles and imposing monumental buildings.

Furthermore, Belgium is known throughout the world for its craft chocolates, Its channels, craft beer and the dense fogs in its medieval streets where thousands of people rest parked. Bike, the country's transportation par excellence.

To make it easier for you to search for content, here we leave you an organized list with all the topics that we have on our website.
You just have to click on the place you are interested in.

BRUSSELS | BRUGES | leuven | ANTWERP | GHENT | MALINES |

 What cities to see and visit in Belgium

Getting to know a country in its entirety requires several trips, so obviously there are cities that we have not visited and that we hope to visit over time.

These are the cases, for example, of Liège y Charleroi.

But we have been lucky enough to visit the most notable cities, specifically the Flanders region, and now we can tell you What is essential to see in the most beautiful cities in Belgium.

A first piece of advice that we give you for when you travel to Belgium is that you know well the real name of the cities.

The reason? because when you see the posters you may still get confused since these names change a lot with the translation into Spanish from Flemish or French.

In the list we leave you the real names that you will find in the indications relating to the city in question.

Brussels (Bruxelles)

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the largest and most modern city of all.

Here we find some of the most iconic and emblematic places in the country, such as the grand place, Atomium, or the small sculpture known as Mannaken Pis.

It is the most cosmopolitan city in the country, and where you can find everything you can imagine, from a Gothic cathedral, to modern shopping centers and squares and streets full of busy terraces.

And it is also the city of art nouveau architecture, of the great flower exhibitions in spring, comic, from museums such as the decorative arts Fine Arts, where very important events take place throughout the year interesting exhibitions.

Here we leave you all the information that we have been able to collect on our trips about what to see and visit in Brussels  and also the option to sign up for a private tour of Brussels with guide in Spanish, ideal for groups of friends or family.

Bruges (Brugge)

Undoubtedly, Witches It is one of the most charming cities you can visit in Europe.

It is one of the best examples of a medieval city straight out of a tale of princes and princesses, and its streets full of canals make you feel like you're in a period movie set.

We will never be able to forget on our first visit the image of a suspense story that was created with the fog, which is quite common there, the stone walls and the yellow light street lamps from another era.

An authentic storybook scene that is usually quite common if you visit Witches in winter.

Here is the list of articles that after several visits we tell you about what is essential to see and do in Bruges

And here you have the information if you prefer to sign up for one guided tour of Bruges in Spanish.

• Visit the Bruges Town Hall on Burg Square
• Basilica of the Holy Blood on Burg Square in Bruges
• St. Boniface Bridge on the canals of Bruges
• Flemish primitives in the Groeninge museum in Bruges
• Where and how to see Michelangelo's Madonna in Bruges
• Chocolate shops in Bruges
• Museum and tradition of bobbin lace in Bruges

Ghent

Ghent was the first city in Belgium that I had the opportunity to visit.

I didn't know much about her and perhaps that's why I was greatly and pleasantly surprised when I met her.

You walk through its streets and impressive churches keep appearing, each one more striking.

I had to return after a while, but to be able to fully enjoy it, I already visited it in a tour with guide in Spanish since on the first occasion we were left with the feeling that we left many things to see.

As it is a city with a lot of corners to discover and we do not want the same thing to happen to you, we have written a specific article where we tell you what to see and do in Ghent

Also here you have more articles about notable corners of Ghent.

• Panoramic views of Ghent from the Belfort bell tower
• Castle of the Counts of Flanders in Ghent
• Night walk through illuminated Ghent
• Ghent Florals

Antwerp (Antwerpen)

Maybe it is one of those cities that go unnoticed because it is in the shadow of Bruges, Ghent and Brussels, which are the most visited.

But without a doubt knowing Antwerp it has been a real surprise since it is at the level of the previous ones.

It is known as the diamond capital of the world and was the birthplace of one of the flemish painters most important in history, the great Rubens.

Here I leave you all the complete information on what to see and do in Antwerp, the undiscovered city of Belgium whose historic center is marked by the presence of its imposing Gothic cathedral

And here you also have the information to sign up for one Guided tour of Antwerp with guide in Spanish, in which in two and a half hours you will discover the most notable corners of this Belgian city.

Leuven

Leuven is one of most important university cities in the country thanks to its proximity to the capital, as it is only half an hour by train from Brussels.

The population during the student holiday season decreases noticeably, remaining almost in half, but during the course in Leuven there is a great university atmosphere.

In the Plaza Mayor of the city is the impressive gothic style town hall, a building that alone justifies a visit to Leuven.

Here you have all the information about what is essential to see and do in Leuven, and more articles about the most notable corners of this beautiful university city.

Due to its small size and its proximity to the Belgian capital, it is a city that you can get to know by signing up for a excursion to Leuven from Brussels with guide in Spanish.

• Leuven Gothic Town Hall
• Grand Beguinage of Louvain
• St. Peter's Church in Leuven
• Leuven University Library

Mechelen (Mechelen)

Mechelen is a city ​​near Brussels whose history is marked by its incorporation into the French Duchy of Burgundy, at the end of the 14th century, and due to the subsequent presence of Margaret of Austria, at the beginning of the 16th century.

Also a very easy city to visit, in the historic center of Mechelen its Large square, with the outstanding buildings of the St. Romualdo Cathedral and Town hallWith its Belfroi tower.

During your walk through the city we advise you to visit the corner of the May Beguinager, and if you want to go deeper into the burgundy era of Mechelen, the recently inaugurated Van Busleyden Palace Museum.

Here you have an extensive article with information about the best things to see and do in Mechelen.

And here all the information to sign up for one excursion in Spanish from Brussels to Mechelen. which in a 9-hour day also includes a walk through Leuven.

Oudenaarde

Oudenaarde It is a small Flemish city located very close to Ghent, which is worth a brief visit to see the imposing building of its gothic town hall.

At MOU museum that houses the Cloth Hall From said building you can also visit a tapestry collection made in the 16th century for Alexander Farnese.

Genk

The very little known, from a tourist point of view, city of Genk, has some corners that are well worth visiting.

Located northeast of the Flanders region, you can reach Genk in an hour and a half by train from Brussels, and in an hour from Leuven.

A first place to visit, and a sufficient argument for making a getaway to Genk, is the Bokrijk open air museum, where you can see various samples of the rural architecture of said region.

Specifically, there are up to 120 buildings grouped in three different areas emulating small towns, and where during your visit you will also see various rural activities, such as sheep herding, and crafts.

Here you have extensive information to visit the Bokrijk open air museum in Genk.

On the other hand, in this small town with a long mining tradition is the headquarters of the world-famous Belgian artist, Koen Vanmechelen.

You can learn about his work and his contribution to biodiversity by visiting LABIOMIST, a recently inaugurated park where you will see various artistic installations, and learn about the curious and interesting philosophy of Vanmechelen.

Here you have the information for visit LABIOMISTA in Genk.

Tips for traveling to Belgium

Below you have some tips that will surely be useful for your trip to Belgium.

Transport in Belgium

The best way to move between the different cities in Belgium is by using the train.

It is a country with very short distances and there are many trains that pass every so often; The truth is that a transportation service that works very well.

Be careful with big cities like Brussels that have several important stations.

The train is even the best transportation to cross to one of the neighboring countries. In our case we have used it on several occasions to cross to Holland.

Here we leave you the page from where you can see the train schedules in Belgium, where you can also buy the ticket, although it is not really necessary to do so in advance.

To move within the cities the best is trolley car, or if you want to have more freedom of movement, Belgium has cities ideal for rent a bike since it is a practically flat country.

It is important to know that you can explore most cities perfectly on foot.

What languages ​​are spoken in Belgium?

For the majority of the inhabitants of Belgium the main language is Flemish, although a large majority are bilingual having as a second language French.

In practice there is no problem get around big cities speaking English, since it is a country very used to tourism.

All establishments and hotels are prepared to welcome travelers even in their native languages.

In fact, most hotels usually have staff who greet you in Spanish, many of them Spanish immigrants since it is one of the most important foreign populations in the country.

TOURS AND EXCURSIONS IN BELGIUM
If, as in our case, when you visit a country or a city you like it hire an excursion with a guide in Spanish to accompany you to show you the city, we leave you here the information on where you can hire him.

What is the weather like in Belgium?

As in this entire area of ​​Europe, rain and cold are common for much of the year; Only in the months between April and September do temperatures moderate.

The area closest to the sea is the one where the least rainfall is recorded, with warmer and more humid temperatures than the rest of the country.

As you move away from the coast, winters get colder, even snowing in some areas near the border with Germany.

Although it is not extremely cold like in other parts of Europe, If you go in winter you should know that you have to bring warm clothing because the temperature can drop to 0 degrees.

In summer However, the temperatures rise until they are very pleasant and it only cools down a little when the sun goes down.

What to eat in Belgium?

There are many typical dishes and drinks of Belgium, but there are undoubtedly some that stand out for their popularity.

One of these star dishes unites three of the Belgians' passions, beer, mussels and fries, the must.

The first time we heard it it seemed like a very strange mix, but it's incredible how well they combine.

They usually do the steamed mussels with celery and onion, bathed in local beers, served in a saucepan with a platter of chips To accompany.

It is worth trying them. Simply spectacular!!

Besides must, Belgium It is a paradise for sweet lovers, who can taste chocolate in multiple varieties, waffles, neuzekes “noses” or spéculoos, some typical Christmas cookies.

A plate of the traditional that you should not miss is the Waterzooi, a meat stew present in every house.

And of course, a combination that we discovered in Bruges, traditional belgian beer with some of the various cheese as snack.

What currency is used in Belgium?

By being part of the European Economic Community, the currency of Belgium is euro.

In most places where you go to buy, the credit card.

Airports in Belgium

Although the country has several airports, most travelers usually arrive at Brussels airport.

The companies low cost also travel to the neighboring city of Charleroi where the Brussels South airport one hour by train from the city of Brussels.