315 Best Sights in Belgium

This square has played a part in the economic history of Belgium, for here during the 18th century, when the city was under Austrian rule, the Department of Commerce met and money was minted. It has also felt the brunt of Belgium’s position as a European battleground—it was leveled in World War I and again in World War II. Today the square consists of an immense, hardwood platform—a sunny local meeting place—surrounded by modern buildings containing a conference center and shops. The annual Christmas Market takes over the square in early December. Just off the north end of the square is the 18th-century Beffroi, a stone tower that was never actually a belfry, despite its name.

There's a strong dash of Vienna in this white, symmetrical square, built in the neoclassical style by Brussels's then Austrian overlords. Elegantly proportioned, it is the centerpiece of the Upper Town, which became the center of power during the 18th century. Place Royale was built on the ruins of the palace of the Dukes of Brabant, which had burned down. The site has been excavated, and it is possible to see the underground digs of Coudenberg and the main hall, Aula Magna, where Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, and where, 37 years later, he abdicated to retire to a monastery.

Now a vibrant, bustling focal point, this square went through a long period of neglect after the Cathedral of St. Lambert, the largest cathedral in Europe, was destroyed during the French Revolution. At its center proudly stands a sculpture honoring both the murdered 8th-century saint and the future of Liège. 

If you find the Grand Place overrun by tourists, come to this square/market, a favorite among locals, who come to shop for necessities and banter with fishmongers (Thursday–Saturday 7–5; Wednesday organic market 7:30–3). At night, the square often has a mobile bar, while the fishmonger serves great seafood (see Restaurants). In the evening the action moves to the old Vismet (fish market), which branches off from the Eglise de Ste-Catherine. A canal used to run through here; it's now reduced to a couple of elongated ponds, but both sides are lined with seafood restaurants, some excellent, many of them overpriced. In good weather, there's waterside dining.

The River Scheldt (known in French as the "Escaut") once gave Tournai a vital route to the sea, making it a thriving medieval trading hub. The Pont des Trous (Bridge of Holes) was built as a fortified bridge in the 13th century to defend this vital waterway, and remains one of only three examples of its kind left in the world. Having said that, it was largely destroyed in World War II, only to be swiftly rebuilt with a larger arch to allow for modern transport barges to pass. At the time of writing, it was being enlarged again, despite vociferous public outcry. It is a great spot to watch the barges drift on by.

Although the Port of Antwerp is 88 km (53 miles) from the sea, it is Europe's second-largest port (after Rotterdam) and the 10th largest in the world. Giant locks facilitate navigation up the River Scheldt; the Berendrecht measures 546 yards by 74 yards. Every year, 178.2 million tons of goods are shipped here, serving a vast area stretching across half of Europe. Surprisingly, in the midst of all this hustle and bustle is a traditional fishing village, Lillo, nestled in an old fort among the enormous refineries, tankers, and buildings of the chemical industries. It's worth exploring and has a museum that explains the history of the area.

Built in 1381, this gate is a unique remnant of Brussels’s city walls, which tend to reappear in unusual places. (For example, if you continue down nearby rue Haute, you'll spy a huge chunk of wall next to the bowling alley at the crossroads with boulevard de l'Empereur.) In 1847, this gate became one of the first museums in Europe, though it lost its collections to the Cinquantenaire complex in the 1870s. It now has a permanent exhibition on medieval Brussels, and if you climb its 169 steps to the roof, a crenelated walkway affords sweeping views of the neighborhood.

Originally constructed in the 14th century, Trier Gate is the last remaining evidence of the medieval city wall that once encircled Bastogne. The ramparts kept the city safe until 1688, when they were demolished on the orders of French king Louis XIV, and the gate was converted into a prison—a role it performed until 1914. The German offensive in 1944--45 almost destroyed the building, but it has since been restored. Today it occasionally hosts temporary exhibitions—you'll need an appointment to look inside at other times.

The best-known of Spa’s water sources—locally known as pouhons—is the Pouhon Pierre Le Grand, which can be visited by tourists as well as curistes (people taking the cure). In past times, pregnant women came to drink the iron-rich water. Nowadays, the source draws those with poor circulation, anemia, and arthritis. The building housing the spring dates from 1880, although is was given a major face-lift in 2012.

The world of early humans is on display at this speculative re-creation of prehistoric dwellings. You can get a sense of your ancestors’ technical aptitude while trying your own hand at making pots and polishing stones. The museum is next to the cave of Ramioul, where the lighting system brings out the beauty of the rock formations. Guides explain in English the cave’s animal life and its use by humans. Tours are led April–October on weekends at 2.

Many streets in central Brussels were widened as part of the preparations for the 1958 World's Fair, but the narrow rue des Bouchers and even narrower Petite rue des Bouchers escaped being demolished after locals complained. The area was given special protection in 1959. As long as you watch out for pickpockets, it's all good-natured fun in one of the livelier areas of the center, where restaurants and cafés stand cheek by jowl, their tables spilling out onto the sidewalks. They often make strenuous efforts to pull you in with huge displays of seafood and game, though the effort they put into the food itself is not as impressive. Stick to the traditionally reliable Aux Armes de Bruxelles (rue des Bouchers 13) and you won't go wrong.

An exceptionally thoughtful museum for our times, the Red Star Line operated the old steamers that would cross to the New World from Antwerp, carrying some 2 million passengers to new lives between 1873 and 1934. The museum follows the stories of the emigrants who made that journey, leaving the familiar behind for a life of uncertainty, putting a human face on immigration that is sorely needed these days.

Reinhardstein, the loftiest and possibly the best-preserved medieval fortress in the country, dating originally from 1354, is reached by a mile-long hike through the Hautes Fagnes. It sits on a spur of rock overlooking the river Warche and has been in the hands of such illustrious families as the Metternichs, ancestors of Prince Metternich, the architect of the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The Hall of Knights and the Chapel are particular gems. Guided tours, lasting a little over an hour, depart hourly. They are mostly given in French, Dutch, or German, but guides are usually happy to offer some English explanation upon request.

This historic part of town was once popular with those walking the pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostella via the Netherlands or Germany trail. They would visit in order to venerate the relics of Ste. Gertrude at the church. It was later adopted by local brewers. Hostelries once lined the streets here, and you can still see the scallop shell (symbol of St. James) on various facades along rue du Coq and rue Bayard. More recently, the town has traced where the Brabant Way and Gallia Belgica Way used to meet up here, with maps to follow local sections of the trail found in the tourist office. Ivy-strewn stairs also lead out of the St. James area via rue du Wichet to the pretty Dodaine Park.  

The flint mines that lie 6 km (4 miles) outside the city were once a valuable resource to early humankind, its rock capable of being chipped into spearheads, knives, and tools. According to UNESCO, this is the largest and earliest mine of its type in Europe. Visits today descend by ladder into the chalky stone underbelly of the mines, accompanied by an archaeologist guide. 

This late-Gothic church dedicated to St. Andrew dates from 1514 but reflects substantial Baroque influences from its extension during the 18th century. The church is notable for the magnificence of its Baroque high altar, stained-glass windows, and columns. Its most striking feature is the pulpit depicting Peter and his brother Andrew, created by Jan-Baptist Van Hoof and Jan-Frans Van Geel in 1821. The church is closed to visitors during services.

Like so much of Antwerp, the Jesuit St. Charles Borromeo Church bears the imprint of Rubens. The front and tower are generally attributed to him, and his hand can certainly be seen in the clustered cherubim above the entrance. The church’s facade suggests a richly decorated high altar, inviting the observer inside. The interior was once magnificent, but most of Rubens’s frescoes were destroyed by fire, and other works were carted off to Vienna when the Austrians banned the Jesuits in the 18th century. The square is one of the most attractive in Antwerp, flanked by the harmonious Renaissance buildings of the Jesuit convent, now occupied by the City Library.

The church where Philip and Joanna were wed is a product of the De Waghemakere–Keldermans architectural partnership that worked so well in building the cathedral in Antwerp. The interior is notable for its stained-glass windows from the 15th and 16th centuries—those in the choir were the gift of Maximilian of Austria (father of Philip the Handsome), who visited in 1516 and is depicted in one of the windows, along with his wife, Mary of Burgundy.

Peter Paul Rubens is buried in the white sandstone St. Jacob's Church. A painting depicting him as St. George posed between his two wives, Isabella Brant and Helena Fourment, hangs above his tomb. The three-aisle church blends late-Gothic and Baroque styles. The tombs are a who's who of prominent 17th-century Antwerp families. A notable visitor (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) allegedly played the organ here during his 1727 stay in the city.

The outer ramparts of the medieval city of Bruges used to be dotted with windmills; now four remain along the ring road. The two most impressive are the St-Janshuismolen (1770) and close to it the Koeleweimolen (1765). Of these, only St-Janshuismolen can be visited, and it is still used to grind flour. The wooden steps leading up to it are quite steep and not for the fainthearted.

Like many of the early medieval churches, St. Martin's has been rebuilt and renovated numerous times since it was first constructed in the 12th century. Among its large collection of medieval art, the crown jewels are the 16th-century altarpiece Triptych of the Holy Spirit by Kortrijk-born Bernard de Rijckere and a magnificent 6.5-meter-high tabernacle tower with some fine reliefs. A free brochure explains many of the artworks. You can also climb its 246-step tower for sweeping views of the city; tickets for this are free but you'll need to scan the QR code at the gate to download them. 

Perhaps Belgium's best example of Scheldt-Gothic, St. Nicholas's Church was built in the 11th century in Romanesque style, destroyed a century later after two disastrous fires, and later rebuilt by prosperous merchants. During the French Revolution, the church was used as a stable, and its treasures were ransacked. The tower, one of the many soaring landmarks of this city's famed skyline, dates from about 1300 and was the first belfry in Ghent.

The late-Gothic St. Paul's Church, built 1530–71, is a repository of more than 50 outstanding paintings, including a series known as the 15 mysteries of the Rosary by Antwerp's finest painters of the time. There are three by Rubens, including a visceral depiction of Jesus's flagellation, as well as early works by Jordaens and Van Dyck. The church is further enriched by more than 200 17th- and 18th-century sculptures, including the 10 Baroque confessionals attributed to Peeter Verbruggen the Elder. A Baroque altar completed in 1639 towers over the more somber Gothic nave. Sint-Pauluskerk was restored in 1968 after damage from a major fire.

This Benedictine abbey is just one of those remarkable sights you find in small Flemish cities like Dendermonde. The building is breathtaking, a vast rose redbrick, gabled facade in the Flemish neo-Renaissance style, interrupted only by the Gothic twin towers of the church. The interior may only be visited once a year, on Whit Monday (2–6 pm). You can, however, buy its tripel-style beer, which is made externally by Brewery de Block, at the Liturgisch Kunstapostolaat on Dijkstraat any time. 

There has been an abbey on this site since the 7th century, and during the Middle Ages this was one of the richest and most important in Flanders. Most of the Baroque buildings you see today were built in the 17th century, however, and now house the St. Peter's Abbey Arts Center. You can walk around the abbey, the ruined gardens, and the cellars, where there is an exhibition about the monks, or watch the "movie guide" (€4), which explores the building's checkered history. There are also changing exhibitions upstairs ranging from painting to photography.

Located in a former flower show hall, this edgy, contemporary art gallery couldn't be farther removed from its dainty origins. Known for housing the odd daring exhibition, together with a permanent collection that includes the likes of Warhol, Christo, and Hockney, it does what good contemporary art does best: it challenges the viewer to leave their preconceptions at the door.

Nicolaas Rockox and Frans Snijders were pivotal figures in Antwerp's art scene during the Baroque period. Rockox (1560–1640) was Rubens's friend and patron, as well as being seven-time mayor of Antwerp; Snijders (1579–1657) was a skilled painter of animals and still lifes. Together they lived side by side for 20 years in a pair of beautiful town houses on Keizerstraat, which have now been turned into one museum. It was here that humanist and art collector Rockox built an enviable art collection, and on display are two of Rubens's works: one is Madonna en Kind (Madonna and Child), a delicate portrait of Rubens's first wife, Isabella, and their son, Nicolaas, and the other is a sketch for the Kruisiging (Crucifixion). The collection also includes works by Van Dyck, Joachim Patinier, Jordaens, Pieter Bruegel (including his infamous Proverbs), and, of course, Snijders himself, whose work features prominently. The paintings are shown in the context of a pair of upper-class Baroque homes, furnished in the style of the period. Handheld tablets give you information on each painting.

The street leads up to the quay where goods from Spain were unloaded, near Jan van Eyckplein Square. The house at No. 9 was where St. Ignatius of Loyola stayed when he came to Flanders on holidays from his studies in Paris. Directly ahead are the three arches of the Augustijnenbrug. Dating from 1391, it's the oldest bridge in Bruges. On the other side of the canal, Augustijnenrei is one of the loveliest quays.

The 1914 Battle of Mons was a bloody affair, in which British forces (some 75,000) found themselves up against a German army twice that size. It was the first engagement of the two opposing forces in World War I, and saw the British swiftly retreat by evening. Four years later, the same pair would meet in reverse as the Germans were forced from the city on the day the armistice was signed. In between, in 1916, a German soldier looking for a plot of land to commemorate his fallen comrades met a local botanist who agreed to help him on the sole condition that the cemetery would respect all nationalities. Thus, 284 German and 229 Commonwealth soldiers are buried here, including the unfortunate Canadian private George Price, who was killed just two minutes before the 11 am armistice. It makes for a moving, contemplative stroll.