352 Best Sights in Belgium

It fell to the land of Tintin to create a fitting museum for the ninth art. While comics have historically struggled for artistic recognition, they have been taken seriously in Belgium for decades. In the Comics Art Museum, they are wedded to another strongly Belgian art form: Art Nouveau. Based in an elegant 1903 Victor Horta–designed building, the museum is long on the history of the genre, if a little short on kid-friendly interaction. The collection includes more than 400 original plates and 25,000 cartoon works. A library and brasserie are added incentives, but best of all is the bookshop, which sells a comprehensive collection of graphic novels and comic books, albeit largely in French or Dutch. Keep an eye out for the comic-strip murals that dot the city; walking maps showing the location of each one can be found at the tourist information office.

This jewelry box of a square is arguably Europe's most ornate and theatrical. It's also a vital part of the city—everyone passes through at some point. At night, the burnished facades of the guild houses look especially dramatic. Try to make it here for the Ommegang, a historical pageant re-creating Emperor Charles V's reception in the city in 1549 (in June and July), or for the famed Carpet of Flowers, which fills the square with color for four days in mid-August on even-numbered years. Dominating the square is the magnificent Gothic-era Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall). Work began on it in 1402, and it's nearly 300 years older than the surrounding guild houses. Be sure to tilt your gaze to the belfry, which is topped by a bronze statue of St. Michael (patron saint of the city) crushing the devil beneath his feet.

Surrounded by a moat, the Castle of the Counts of Flanders resembles an enormous battleship steaming down the sedate Lieve Canal. From its windswept battlements there's a splendid view over the rooftops of old Ghent. Today's brooding castle has little in common with the original fortress, which was built to discourage marauding Norsemen. Its purpose, too, changed from protection to oppression as the conflict deepened between feudal lords and unruly townspeople. At various times the castle has also been used as a mint, a prison, and a cotton mill.

Around 29 km (18 miles) southeast of Bouillon, this magnificent abbey is known throughout the world for its famous Trappist beer, but you will need your own transport to reach this remote corner of the country. Founded by Italian Benedictines in 1070, and once one of Europe’s richest and most famous monasteries, the abbey flourished for 700 years before being destroyed by French troops in the aftermath of the French Revolution. It was rebuilt between 1926 and 1948 under the supervision of Marie-Albert Van der Cruyssen, a monk and builder from Ghent who started the brewery in 1931 in order to finance the rebuilding project. Sadly, the brewery and most of the monastery’s buildings are closed to the public, but you can visit the grounds and tour the ruins of the original abbey. The gardens contain the spring where Mathilde, Duchess of Lorraine, once dropped her wedding band, only to have it miraculously returned by a trout—the magical fish is now the abbey’s trademark symbol. A film in English describes life in the monastery, and the 18th-century cellars house a small museum.

Like a giant, shiny child's toy rising up out of a forest, the Atomium was created in 1958 as part of the World's Fair of Brussels. It's shaped like an atom, with an elevator taking you up the central axis where walkways link to the protruding spheres by escalators. One sphere contains a permanent exhibition about the building's history; the others are set aside for temporary displays on design and architecture. Audio guides in English are available and there are great views from the top sphere, known as the Panorama. Tickets include access to the neighboring Design Museum Brussels.

One of Belgium's best and most moving museums, this huge exhibition space looks at the causes and events of World War II in general, but has a particular focus on the events that happened in and around Bastogne in late 1944, when German troops reoccupied the town for a month. Visits include an audio tour guided by four very different but very real people who lived through the ordeal: a local Belgian boy, a school teacher, an American GI, and a German foot soldier all recount their own experiences of some very dark days.

Kortrijk's 13th-century beguinage ("begijnhof" in Dutch) was home to a religious group of women known as beguines who weren't bound by the Orders of nuns. Although they were cloistered away, many had to earn their stay in the community through teaching and handicrafts, and the story of the beguinage runs alongside that of the city. It was plundered by the French, along with the rest of Kortrijk, in the aftermath of the 1382 Battle of Westrozebeke, and later repurposed as a field hospital when Europe descended into acrimony at the end of the 18th century. It was even taken out of the hands of the beguines for a period, when inns and brothels moved in, much to the distaste of the Grand Mistress. By 2013, the final beguine in Belgium had died and an era ended. Only recently has the 35-year-long project to restore the cluster of whitewashed town houses and chapel that makes up the beguinage been completed, and it remains perhaps the finest example of its kind in Belgium. Visits are free; there is a new museum in the St. Anna room but this is largely in Dutch, so audio guides (€2) are well worth the small outlay.

This 300-foot belfry tower symbolizes the power of the city guilds and was constructed in 1314 to serve as Ghent's watchtower. (The current stone spire was added in 1913.) Inside the Belfort, documents listing the privileges of the city (known as its secreets) were once kept behind triple-locked doors and guarded by lookouts, who toured the battlements hourly to prove they weren't sleeping. When danger approached, bells were rung—until Charles V had them removed. The view from the tower is one of the city's highlights.

On the outskirts of Charleroi are the old mining villages that were the heartbeat of the region from the early 1800s until the 1960s. Around them, the pointy hills of the old spoil heaps, now overgrown with forest, rise into the distance, and in the town of Marcinelle, its old works have been preserved as a superb day out. The site has a few museums but most interesting are the outdoor workings, where an audio guide leads you through a tragedy that saw hundreds lose their lives. A memorial pays tribute to the 262 victims. 

A popular daytime meeting place and an enchanting, floodlit scene after dark, the Burg is flanked by striking, centuries-old civic buildings. Named for the fortress built by Baldwin of the Iron Arm, the Burg was also the former site of the 10th-century Carolingian Cathedral of St. Donaas, which was destroyed by French Republicans in 1799. You can wander through the handsome, 18th-century law court, the Oude Gerechtshof, the Voormalige Civiele Griffie with its 15th-century front gable, the Stadhuis, and the Heilig Bloed Basiliek.

A popular daytime meeting place and an enchanting, floodlit scene after dark, the Burg is flanked by striking civic buildings. Named for the fortress built by Baldwin of the Iron Arm, the Burg was also the former site of the 10th-century Carolingian Cathedral of St. Donaas, which was destroyed by French Republicans in 1799. The Burg is not all historic splendor, though—in sharp contrast to these buildings stands a modern construction by Japanese artist Toyo Ito, added in 2002.

Without doubt, the crowning glory of Tournai is its magnificent cathedral, which soars over the center and remains one of the great sights of Belgium. Its existence dates back to the 5th century, though work on the current building began some 700 years later, first in the Romanesque style, then becoming more Gothic as construction progressed. Its exterior is breathtaking, etched in blue stone with a huge rose window (replaced in the 19th century). Parts are still being renovated now but visitors are free to wander most of the interior, including the Tresor (Treasury), which contains, among its relics, tapestries, and the vestment worn by 12th-century saint Thomas Becket, a former Archbishop of Canterbury. 

Many call it "the Versailles of Belgium," and while the building and grounds of Beloeil perhaps aren't the match of France's famous palace, they are nonetheless defiantly grand. The site has belonged to the Princes de Ligne since the 14th century, and a castle has stood here all that time. It is a "castle" in name only, though. This is more a neoclassical French-style château, the kind that became common in the 17th and 18th centuries, as Belgium moved away from its medieval pragmatism. Fine collections of antiques, furniture, and a 20,000-strong library recall its long heritage, though a fire in 1900 sapped the interior of much of its impact. 

The traditional home of the Princes of Chimay is a 15th-century, Renaissance-style castle that looms over the lower town. The first defense to stand here was likely built towards the end of the 9th century when this was part of the Frankish Empire. But over the years it has been endlessly rebuilt, including when a fire tore through the building in 1935. Today, it is still occupied by Prince Philippe and his family, and guided tours sometimes bump into them. The real showpiece here is the theater, built in 1863 as a grand neoclassical space wreathed in palm-tree columns and gold- and white-stucco reliefs. It even plays host to monthly jazz and classical concerts (book online). You'll also find minigolf and escape rooms in the grounds. 

Dominating the surrounding area from atop its rocky spur above the Semois River is one of Belgium's largest and oldest remaining castles. It was first documented in the 10th century, but it may be even older. In 1082, then-owner Godfrey of Bouillon sold the castle to the bishop of Liège in order to raise money to finance the First Crusade. Much of the building's current appearance is down to the French military engineer Vauban, who strengthened the walls in the 17th century on the orders of Louis XIV. You enter the main courtyard by first passing over three drawbridges. Once inside, climb to the top of the 16th-century Tour d’Autriche and you'll be rewarded with stunning views of the town and the Semois River. Kids will particularly enjoy a visit to the torture chamber and the dungeons.

Taking its cue more from Willy Wonka than any museum, this carnivalesque look at the humble cocoa bean is one of the city's biggest crowd-pleasers. Inventive and whimsical, room after room boasts Heath Robinson--esque contraptions that make the history of chocolate making and its production a story worth telling. It's as theatrical as it is informative, using projections, stagecraft, and workshops. Audio guides are pointed at information points along the way, and some rooms are time-locked so you can't leave until your group is done, but there's often a handful of chocolates on hand to quiet the impatient. The finale is a tasting room where you're free to try 10 different kinds of melted chocolate.

Over the past 1,000 years, this fortification overlooking Namur has been besieged and occupied more than 20 times. Today you can reach it by the cobblestone, cherry tree–lined route Merveilleuse; each curve in the road affords a magnificent view of the city. Alternatively, ride the cable car from rue des Brasseurs in the city center. Napoléon famously once described the site as the "anthill of Europe" because of the dense network of underground tunnels that crisscross the site. 

This grand building dates back to the mid-7th century when an abbey was founded here by the ancestors of Frankish king Charlemagne. Its first abbess, Gertrude, was his great aunt and was famously gentle in her manner. The abbey was among the most important in Europe right up until its closure by the French Revolutionary army in 1798. It is a magnificent structure, with a rising western facade topping five stories and a giant nave, beneath which you can visit the archaeological excavation where Charlemagne's first wife, Himeltrude, is buried. 

Ste. Waudru (Waltrude) is the patron saint of the city, and was known for her kindness to the poor. Her pageant is a key moment in the yearly Ducasse of Mons, where a lavish procession wheeling the Car d'Or, a gilded chariot carrying the reliquary of her remains, is pushed from the church into the town center and back. The rest of the year, the chariot and relics lie in this magnificent 15th-century Brabant-Gothic church, founded by the canonesses of Mons. Inside, it now has 29 chapels filled with artworks as well as a magnificent organ made in 1694.

Under the place Royale lie the remains of the palace of Charles V. Known as Coudenberg, it was first constructed in the 11th century and upgraded over hundreds of years in line with the power and prestige of Brussels's successive rulers. However, it was destroyed by a great fire in 1731 and was never rebuilt. Parts of it, and one or two of the streets that surrounded the original building, have since been excavated. Access is through the Musée BELvue, which is worth seeing in its own right and showcases Belgium’s history of democracy and its royal family.

The De Koninck Brewery is almost as old as the city of Antwerp itself and still resides on the site of the inn from which it was converted back in 1833. Back then, De Plaisante Hof (or The Merry Garden) lay in plain view of Antwerp's notorious hanging fields; today its view of King Albert Park is mercifully less shocking. Visitors can now take ambling tours inside the brew hall that include a wealth of interactive video screens and gizmos, as well as a couple of beers to taste. The brewery has also expanded to include a number of local artisanal food and drink producers and a meat-heavy gourmet restaurant, The Butcher's Son, that already boasts a Michelin star. Classes range from beer cookery to sessions on how to pair beers and cheese (or chocolate).

What seems like a million miles from the Rubens paintings and shops of the Meir is actually just a few meters below street level. Beneath Antwerp lie 8 km (5 miles) of sewers, streams, and tunnels that date from the 16th century. In 1885 they disappeared from view when the city brought in covered drains, but their story continued. During World Wars I and II, these tunnels became a way to smuggle goods into the city and people out. Suit up (protective suits are supplied) and wander old vaults, canals, bridges, and medieval fortifications on guided tours (day and night), with boats for the deeper sections; or simply explore by yourself with a tablet and map. Rats and some rather big spiders also make these tunnels their home, so the squeamish should beware. Tours will also be called off in the event of heavy rain, which makes parts of the tunnels unnavigable.

This church contains Liège’s greatest treasure and one of the Seven Religious Wonders of Belgium: the Baptismal Font of Renier de Huy, which dates from between 1107 and 1118. The brass masterpiece of Art Mosan, weighing half a ton, is decorated in high relief with figures of the five biblical baptismal scenes. They’re depicted with an extraordinary suppleness, and the font rests on 10 oxen, which are also varied and interesting. 

Around 12 km (7½ miles) east of Mons, the Borinage yields one of its grandest visions. Many of the industrialists of the late-18th and 19th centuries built accommodation for their workers. These were typically squalid, pragmatic affairs, but the Grand-Hornu was different. It was the dream child of the French industrialist Henri de Gorge (1774–1832), who created a vast neoclassical hub for his workers in 1810. Its 450 homes were spacious, had hot water, and the facilities were plentiful. Workers had access to a school, clinic, dance hall, and library. In 1829, some 2,500 people lived here, but by 1954, the local mines had closed and the site was abandoned. It has since been restored and is now home to an acclaimed contemporary art museum, yet it's worth visiting just to see the grounds, encircled by redbrick arches like some industrial colosseum. This remains a curious anachronism, out of step with what was mostly a dehumanizing era for workers, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012.

This magnificent row of guild houses in the original port area is best seen from across the River Leie on the Korenlei (Corn Quay). The guild house of the Metselaars (Masons) is a copy of a house from 1527. The Eerste Korenmetershuis (the first Grain Measurers' House), representing the grain weigher's guild, is next. The oldest house of the group, the brooding, Romanesque Koornstapelhuis (Granary), was built in the 12th century and served its original purpose for 600 years. It stands side by side with the narrow Renaissance Tolhuis (Toll House), where taxes were levied on grain shipments. No. 11 is the Tweede Korenmetershuis (Grain Measurers' House), a late-Baroque building from 1698. The Vrije Schippers (Free Bargemen), at No. 14, is a late-Gothic building from 1531, when the guild dominated inland shipping.

The tremendous holdings of this gallery give you the makings for a crash course in the Flemish Primitives and their successors. Petrus Christus, Hugo van der Goes, Hieronymus Bosch, Rogier van der Weyden, Gerard David, Pieter Bruegel (both Elder and Younger), Pieter Pourbus—all the greats are represented. Here you can see Jan van Eyck's wonderfully realistic Madonna with Canon Van der Paele. There's also one of Hans Memling's greatest works, the Moreel Triptych. As if this weren't enough, the museum also encompasses a strong display of 15th- to 21st-century Dutch and Belgian works, sweeping through to Surrealist and modern art. The Groeninge is set back from the street in a pocket-size park behind a medieval gate. It isn't a huge museum; nonetheless, its riches warrant a full morning or afternoon. An audio guide is available in English.

The magnificent Han Caves, which had provided refuge for threatened tribes since Neolithic times, were only rediscovered in the mid-19th century. To tour them, board an ancient tram in the center of Han-sur-Lesse that carries you to the mouth of the caves. There multilingual guides take over, leading groups on foot through 3 km (2 miles) of dimly lighted chambers. You get occasional glimpses of the underground River Lesse as you pass giant stalagmites and eventually enter the vast cavern called the Dome, 475 feet high, where a single torchbearer dramatically descends the sloping cave wall. The final part of the journey is by boat on the underground river. The trip takes about 75 minutes, and involves a total of 365 steps. The cave is 9°C (48°F), with 90% humidity, all year long, so consider bringing a sweater with you. Your ticket also includes entry to PrehistoHan (Rue des Grottes 46, Han-sur-Lesse), an exhibition of the many archaeological finds unearthed within the cave system over the past 60 years.

Arguably the city's finest museum lies within a house built in the 15th century for the Gruuthuses, a powerful family who made their money on the exclusive right to sell "gruut," an herbal mixture used for flavoring beer. Louis, the patriarch behind its rise, was a businessman, diplomat, patron, and a lover of culture. Of course, its history didn't end there, and it has stood throughout the ups and downs of one of the great medieval cities. The museum tells the story of Bruges through its most powerful family and their legacy of art and relics, but also through the museum's own collection of crafts—lace, amber, porcelain, jewels—that formed the backbone of the city's trade.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood manages to include both the austere and the ornate under one roof—not to mention one of Europe's most precious relics. The 12th-century Lower Chapel retains a stern, Romanesque character. Look for the poignant, 14th-century Pietà and the carved statue of Christ in the crypt. From this sober space, the elaborate, external late-Gothic De Steegheere staircase, with a reconstructed bluestone facade, leads to the stunningly lavish Upper Chapel, which was twice destroyed—by Protestant iconoclasts in the 16th century and by French Republicans in the 18th—but both times rebuilt. (Note that the Upper Chapel is closed to visitors during Eucharistic Mass on Friday and Sunday 10:45–12:15.) The original stained-glass windows were replaced in 1845, and then again after an explosion in 1967, when they were restored by the Bruges painter De Loddere. The basilica's namesake treasure is a vial thought to contain a few drops of the blood of Christ, brought from Jerusalem in 1149 by Derick of Alsace when he returned from the Second Crusade. It is exposed in the Upper Chapel every Friday 10:15–11, and every afternoon 2–3 (sometimes until 4): queue up to place your right hand on the vial and take a moment for quiet reflection. On Ascension Day, it becomes the centerpiece of the magnificent De Heilig Bloedprocessie (Procession of the Holy Blood), a major medieval-style pageant in which it is carried through the streets of Bruges. The small museum next to the basilica is the usual home of the basilica's namesake reliquary.

Around 5 km (3 miles) northwest from central Hasselt, the vast Herkenrode Abbey complex was founded more than 800 years ago as the first Cistercian monastery in Benelux. Over the centuries it became a site of pilgrimage, and it experienced periods of great conflict and prosperity, until the monastic order was abolished following the French Revolution. After years of neglect, the Flemish government bought 250 acres of the site and began a lengthy restoration project, partly financed by the sale of Herkenrode abbey beers—not brewed here, but available in the on-site shop and café. Inside, an audio-guided "Experience Center" recounts the site's turbulent past in a series of galleries. Behind the abbey, a meticulously planted Herb and Inspiration Garden covers 5 acres and contains 500 different species—divided by hedges into a series of peaceful small spaces, some with water features. Elsewhere, accessible without an entry ticket, do not miss "The Quiet View," a permanent artwork by the artist Hans op de Beeck—it's a stunning monochrome landscape diorama that makes ingenious use of mirrors to create a sense of infinite space.