352 Best Sights in Belgium

The city's carnival museum, set within a sprawling former Augustinian college opposite the church, offers colorful context for February’s festivities and even captures their atmosphere a little. It goes into great detail on the carnival’s history, costumes, and preparation—planning begins six months in advance and, judging from the photo display, requires a few beers to kickstart—and it looks at similar carnivals from Wallonia and the rest of the world. The star attractions, however, are the private cinema, which shows nonstop films of the day’s festivities, and the VR headsets that drop you right into the day's action. Downstairs, temporary exhibitions usually focus on masks from around the world. 

This museum traces the history of the Jewish faith and the fate of its followers in Belgium. The extensive collection includes religious objects dating from the 16th century, including documents, religious items, and books. In addition, it has hosted some truly excellent temporary exhibitions, ranging from the Jewish influence on superheroes to the work of prominent Jewish artists.

The university museum's collection stands some 20,000 items strong, spanning just about any topic you care to mention, from Congolese statues to Picasso monographs. It's ordered around some slightly esoteric themes, but essentially this is just a neat way of delving into the stories surrounding the collection. Temporary exhibitions have covered everything from the history of photographing the human body to ancient religious practices. 

The Oldmasters Museum pays special attention to the so-called Flemish Primitives of the 15th century, who revolutionized the art of painting with oil. The Spanish and the Austrians pilfered some of the finest works, but there's plenty left to savor, including works by Memling, Petrus Christus, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hieronymus Bosch. The collection of pieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is particularly eye-catching; it includes The Fall of Icarus, in which the figure of the mythological hero disappearing in the sea is but one detail of a scene where people continue to go about their business. There are English-language brochures and guided tours available.

The history of Belgium is one of invasion, and Cinquantenaire Park itself has even played its role. In the dying days of World War II, it was the scene of skirmishes between the Belgian resistance and the German army. Exhibits include uniforms, weaponry, and even Leopold I's camp bed, with items dating from the Middles Ages up until the wars of the 20th century, though English translation can be sporadic. More compelling are the later sections, when suddenly you find yourself (without warning) in a vast hangar of some 50 fighter planes, gliders, cargo craft, and tanks that appear out of nowhere, or reading about the first Belgian expedition in the Antarctic.

This estate once belonged to Marie of Hungary, though her castle was destroyed in 1794. In the 19th century, it fell into the hands of Raoul Warocqué, heir to a coal-mining fortune. He was also an avid collector of antiquities, having built up the world's largest collection of Tournai porcelain as well as Greco-Roman and Egyptian artifacts. Don’t miss Rodin’s statue of the Burghers of Calais, one of a few that were cast during the artist’s lifetime.

Discover the mystique and mishaps of Liège’s most beloved marionette at this museum in the Outremeuse district. Here you can learn the answers to such burning questions as: How did Tchantchès meet his girlfriend Nanesse? Why did he have to eat an iron shoe to fight the measles at the age of three? Was he really designed by an Italian puppeteer? See Tchantchès in action October through April at the Sunday-morning puppet shows at 10:30, or Wednesday afternoon at 2:30. Note that the museum itself is only open on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4 pm. There’s no explanatory information available in English.

This modest little museum in the town of Waterloo is housed within a former 18th-century coaching inn and was the site of the Duke of Wellington's headquarters on the 17th and 18th of June 1815. It was here that he penned his victory dispatch to the British government. Now it is filled with relics collected from the battle, as well as temporary exhibitions on other wars. 

This workshop-museum began life in 1850 when the painter, sculptor, and writer Antoine Wiertz (1806--65) agreed to leave his collection to the Belgian government before his death. All the more surprising given he was a somewhat controversial figure, drawn to create huge canvases of often shocking subjects, from a naked woman staring down a skeleton, to gruesome accounts of Greek history, and the truly macabre Premature Burial, where a hand is seen clawing its way out of a coffin.

At the western edge of Diksmuide, some 23 km (15 miles) north from Ypres, and just a mile south from the Dodengang (above), the centerpiece of this memorial site is the IJzertoren, a 275-foot tower, rebuilt in 1965 to honor defenders and casualties from both world wars and to represent the Flemish struggle for autonomy. The giant letters on the monument beside the tower (AVV-VVK), mean “Everything for Flanders, Flanders for Christ.” The 22-story tower houses a museum chronicling the two wars and the emancipation of Flanders using images, text, and sound. The top floor and the roof terrace provide a splendid view of the entire area.

Before his death in 1943, this was the home and studio of the artist Gust De Smet, one of the later stars of the Flemish Expressionists who found their way to the villages of the Leie in the early 1900s. On the bottom floor, his home is kept as it was; upstairs, his work hangs in situ, charting the various stages of artistic development. There is even a Gust De Smet "wandelroute" (walking trail), which starts at the house and offers a pleasant stroll around Deurle and its sights.

This museum, in a flamboyant 16th-century Renaissance palace, has an extensive collection of artworks and period bric-a-brac that illustrate life during the height of the Burgundian Netherlands in the 15th and 16th centuries. One particularly noteworthy treasure is a gorgeously illustrated choir book that once belonged to Margaret of Austria.

In one of Belgium's most important contemporary art venues, you'll find paintings, installations, video art, and experimental architecture from a range of international artists. Among its collection are works by Antwerp-born Flemish polymath Jan Fabre, whose often bizarre sculptures and installations have established him as a leading figure in the Belgian art world. The museum, which also contains an art house cinema and library, is housed in a renovated grain silo. There's also a rooftop café.

The star of this museum is its collection of regional artworks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including two masterpieces: Emile Claus's Beets Harvest (1890), which fills an entire wall of the gallery, and Gustave Van de Woestyne's The Wilful Blind and the Lame Who Wants to Teach a Child How to Walk. It's probably the most rounded collection in the area, with works by the De Cocks, Servaes, De Smet, Raveel, and others scattering the walls. The second floor is given over to the city’s industrial history and its heroes, such as 1926 Tour de France winner Lucien Buysse, but with little in the way of English translation.

In one of Belgium's most important contemporary art venues, you'll find paintings, installations, video art, and experimental architecture from a range of international artists. Among these works is a collection by the Antwerp-born Flemish theater director/choreographer/artist Jan Fabre, whose often bizarre sculptures and installations have established him as a leading figure in the Belgian art world. The museum, which also contains an arthouse cinema and library, is housed in a renovated grain silo. There's also a rooftop café.

A popular local joke goes that there are only three famous walls: Berlin's, China's, and Geraardsbergen's. The Muur (or "Wall") is a cobbled street that runs up Vesten, Oudenbergstraat, and Kapelmuur, culminating at a pretty neo-Baroque chapel on the summit of Oudenberg Hill. It is here where the annual Karakelingen and Tonnekensbrand processions center each year in spring. The actual hill is only 360 feet high, but the steep cobbles are infamous among cyclists, and it is a regular section in the Tour of Flanders. The walk up is less than a mile, but it isn't too punishing. It takes around 25 minutes from the river and is worth it for the views.

Based in the small town of Bellegem, a few miles south of Kortrijk, this historic brewery is best known for its traditional blond beer, which is found in most Belgian bars. Do, however, seek out its "Vanderghinste Roodbruin" brew, a slightly sour dark lambic blend that replicates the original beer made in 1892 by founder Omer Vander Ghinste, which he sold around Bellegem in a horse and cart. Tours last two hours and finish with a tasting. Note that tours are only in French or Dutch unless previously arranged, although the guides are usually happy to add some explanations in English.

On a clear day you can see as far as the Netherlands by climbing the 206 steps to the top of the tower of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady), which was founded in 1225 and rises high above the surrounding farmland as a symbol of Damme’s proud past. Poet Jacob van Maerlant, who lived and worked in Damme during the late 13th century, is buried under the main portal below the tower. Charles the Bold and Margaret of York were married here.

The 13th-century Church of Our Lady is arguably the grander of the two city center churches, though little remains of the original facade after the church was largely destroyed and rebuilt after the Battle of Westrozebeke in 1382. A 14th-century addition, in the form of the Count's Chapel, was built as a personal mausoleum for Count Lodewijk van Male; it, too, was heavily bombarded during World War II but has been well restored. A number of fine artworks hang here and in the church, including the Erection of the Cross by Flemish master Anthony Van Dyck. Famously, this is where the looted 500 gilded spurs, taken from the defeated French knights in the 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs, were hung afterwards; these were likely later taken away by the French but were replaced in 1952 by replicas that still hang here. Check out the new augmented-reality exhibition, where visitors can learn of the history of the battle while touring the church. Nearby, you'll also find the Artillery Tower, which was part of the original 14th-century fortifications.

The towering spire of the plain Gothic Church of Our Lady, begun about 1220, rivals the Belfry as a symbol of Bruges. At 381 feet high, it is the second-tallest brick construction in the world. The art history highlight here is the Madonna and Child statue carved by Michelangelo, an early work. The choir museum contains many 13th- and 14th-century polychrome tombs, as well as two mausoleums: that of Mary of Burgundy, who died in 1482 at the age of 25 after a fall from her horse; and that of her father, Charles the Bold, killed in 1477 while laying siege to Nancy in France. Mary was as well loved in Bruges as her husband, Maximilian of Austria, was loathed. 

Built on the banks of the river from blue Tournai stone, the 13th-century Church of Our Lady of Pamele is a fine example of the Scheldt Gothic style. It lies across the river from the center in what was a separate town until the 1950s. To the rear of the church, you can see the tombs of the Lords of Oudenaarde, though these have been badly damaged. Entrance is only on weekends, but even if you can't venture inside, it's worth visiting as part of a stroll along the historic riverfront. To the north lies the stately Huis de Lailing, a 15th-century mansion that used to hold the town's tapestry collection until it was moved to the MOU. Further south is the rose-colored Maagdendale Abbey, founded in 1233 and now a school for the arts.

Around 4 km (2½ miles) north from Damme, Oostkerke has to be one of the cutest villages in Flanders. Every house in the tiny hamlet is white-washed, and at the center stands the imposing bulk of the Sint-Quintinuskerk, founded around 1100. Also nearby is a 19th-century mill and a 14th-century castle, albeit the former is in a poor state of repair, and the latter is now a private residence and closed to visitors. If you're in need of refreshment, Eetcafé De Knotwilg (www.deknotwilgoostkerke.be; closed Tuesday and Wednesday) serves simple snacks and full meals.

A 10-minute train ride, or drive, northeast from Hasselt, this huge open-air museum features around 150 mostly agricultural buildings, in different architectural styles, that were brought here stone by stone from all over Flanders, and rebuilt in a series of regional clusters across a largely wooded site. Many of the buildings date back to the 17th century, and they are furnished and decorated with thousands of pieces of period furniture, farm equipment, and general bric-a-brac. There are themed events here throughout the year, including Sunday walks even during the winter shutdown when the museum buildings are closed. Bring walking shoes: the whole site covers a whopping 5 square km (2 square miles).

Founded in 1882, this is one of the last remaining original lambic breweries in Belgium. Lambic beers require a special kind of brewing that uses spontaneous fermentation. This relies on a certain kind of microflora found in only a few areas: the Pajottenland region, the Zenne Valley, and Brussels. Whether you have acquired the taste (and it is an acquired taste) for the gueuze and kriek beers it produces, it's still a fascinating process. This brewery sadly closed in 2002, when its classic tiled Beerhuis (bar) became a flower shop. A few years later, however, it was bought by new owners and reopened, with its old bar (Thursday–Sunday) starting up again in 2022. English-language tours of the brewery are organized on Saturday (noon and 5 pm), lasting around 45 minutes plus a tasting session.

Probably the biggest reason Belgians come to this part of Wallonia is to visit the huge safari park in the grounds of a former Cistercian abbey. Look out for its botanical garden and some 7,000 animals spread over 160 acres, with everything from fish pedicures and ice-skating to the largest Chinese-style garden in Europe to keep families entertained. 

This lovely 18th-century manor house was built by Namur’s Bishop de Strickland; nowadays the Walloon Parliament meets in what was once the bishop’s private chapel, and the interior is only open to visitors by appointment. Inside, the walls are lined with art, including an Italian stucco of the four seasons in the foyer, and in the receiving room, which was originally the billiard hall, a portrait of the bishop himself.

Based in the adjoining village of Ename (a 10-minute bus ride from the center), this interactive museum narrates the last 1,000 years of history in the region. Its sites sprawl a village that once stood on the border between medieval France and Germany. Visits include the open-air museum of the archaeological park, where you'll find the first stone inklings of a Benedictine abbey and the foundations of the old city that once stood here.

Before VR, this was the closest you got to an immersive experience. This huge circular painting of the battle was created by the artist Louis Dumoulin in 1912 and is 360 feet long, wrapping the circular gallery in which it's displayed. Sound effects (yelling, cannon fire) set the scene. 

Also located on the Citadelle grounds, this spacious park includes a large playground with miniature golf, a climbing circuit, go-carts, and electric cars.

This small park on the bank of the Ourthe offers a lighthearted variation on the concept of a formal European garden. Here, more than 250 box trees have been patiently pruned into a variety of shapes and sizes. Look for the dancing elephant, and the re-creation of Brussels’s Manneken Pis. The café terrace commands an excellent view of the village.