352 Best Sights in Belgium

On the southern edge of Koksijde are the ruins of the Cistercian Duinenabdij (Abbey of the Dunes), founded in 1107 and destroyed by the iconoclasts in 1566. Traces of the original abbey, the cloisters, and columns from the refectory remain. An adjacent archaeological museum shows collections from the digs, as well as interesting examples of regional plants and animals.

A few minutes' walk east from the abbey, on Kerkplein, the strikingly modern architecture of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Duinenkerk (Our Lady of Sorrows of the Dunes Church), suggests both the dunes and the sea through bold colors, undulating forms, and stained glass. A crypt holds the remains of the first abbot of the abbey.

Where else would you find an indoor skydiving center but out near the airport? If you want to experience the joys of skydiving without the effort of ascending to 14,000 feet, this is a good option. Basic packages include two "flights" on the freefall simulator.   

Antwerp's zoo houses its residents in style. Giraffes, ostriches, and African antelopes inhabit an Egyptian temple and a thriving Congolese okapi family grazes around a Moorish temple. In part, this reflects the public's taste when the zoo was created 170 years ago. Today, animals are allowed maximum space, and much research is devoted to endangered species. The zoo also has sea lions, an aquarium, and a house for nocturnal animals.

This multimedia show invites you into the world of the castle's most notable occupant, Godfrey (Godefroid) of Bouillon, who ruled here in the late 11th century when the area was still a part of France. It tells the story of Godfrey's biggest—if somewhat dubious—claim to notoriety: he led an army of thousands on the First Crusade, and from 1099 until his death just one year later, he was installed as the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

For a city famed for its ugliness, you can find some rather pretty examples of turn-of-the-century architecture. These date back to when Charleroi first expanded, as the fortress walls were torn down in 1870 and avenues were built atop the old ramparts. By the early 20th century, a thriving middle class arose from the smog and dirt of industry. They built pretty Art Nouveau mansions, mostly clustered northeast of the old town center, off avenue de Waterloo. You can pick up a map for free at the tourism office which offers a nice guide to the area. 

Just to the west of town among the dunes (bus lines 68 and 69 stop outside), this is one of the best preserved parts of the German "Atlantikwall" defensive line, built to repel Allied invasion during World War II. You are free to explore around 60 bunkers, observation posts, and gun emplacements, all connected by 2 km (1.3 miles) of open trenches and underground passages. On the same site is Anno 1465, a re-creation of a long-vanished medieval fishing settlement that once stood on this spot.

A vast collection of vintage automobiles sits in what was originally planned (in the early 1900s) to be a grand exhibition hall. As time rolled on, hosting such fairs proved impractical due to how built-up the area became. These days, the hall makes the perfect showcase, its curved steel-and-glass roof giving the impression of a huge Art Deco garage. Exhibits range from Model T Fords to '50s Americana vehicles.

This small nature reserve on the western edge of town takes its name from the 11 bulwarks that used to reinforce the city defenses. This was where the eighth once stood, though only parts of the wall still survive here, with bats having taken up residence in the old gunpowder bunker. It makes for a pleasant stroll or picnic spot and is filled with beehives.

This former Belgian army barracks dating from 1936 is where, on December 22nd, 1944, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne, uttered the immortal word "Nuts!" in response to a German call for his surrender. Today, the barracks mostly houses an extensive collection of military vehicles from the period.

The city's premier art gallery is a blank slate: all white walls and glass. It was only built in 2015, when it opened with a retrospective on Van Gogh in the Borinage. Since then, temporary exhibitions tend to have only loose connections to the region and have ranged from the photography of Dave LaChapelle to the distorted paintings of Colombian artist Fernando Botero. 

The city's UNESCO-listed belfry is a beauty. On this site previously stood a clock tower, which housed a "workers bell" from 1382 that chimed the hours of the working day and warned of attacks. But by 1661, this had collapsed and a new blue-stone belfry was built on its site. The architect drew inspiration from a trip to Renaissance Italy, hence the Baroque style as opposed to the Gothic towers scattering the rest of Wallonia. Its crown of onion domes is especially beautiful, and beneath it is a carillon 49 bells strong. 

Wrought in magnificent blue stone, Tournai's UNESCO-listed belfry is the oldest surviving example in Belgium. It dates back to AD 1188, when the town was granted the charter of municipal liberties by King Philippe of France. Only in the 16th century did it gain a carillon (now 55 bells strong), as its purpose became more social. This was one of few buildings to escape the bombing of World War II; however, it has recently been closed for renovation. Visitors can still only climb to the first floor, though its upper floors should reopen after 2022. 

Chareloi was never a great beauty, but all its money has gone into polishing the Lower Town, leaving its former heart looking a bit shabby. It's a shame because the buildings surrounding it are quite beautiful. The Art Deco City Hall, clad in blue and white stone, dates from 1936 and makes a fine impression. Adjacent is the UNESCO-listed, 70-meter-high (230-foot) belfry, which offers fine views across to the river. 

The town hall has undergone as many face-lifts as an aging Hollywood star. Originally built in the 14th century, the same architect responsible for Binche Palace gave it a Renaissance-style makeover after the city's sacking by French troops in 1554—the coat of arms of Charles V and Marie of Hungary still adorn the building. By the 18th century it had acquired a new neoclassical facade; this remained until 1901 when its current Romanesque look took shape. Throughout this period, its towering, UNESCO-listed belfry has stood with aloof abandon and a carillon that partly dates back to the 16th century. 

This beguinage—a community of women who dedicated themselves to religious duties without taking any vows—dates from the 13th century, but by the 1960s there was only one beguine left. Redbrick buildings surrounding a courtyard garden give a sense of tranquility as you stroll the roughly cobbled walk. The building is a little difficult to find, but your efforts will be rewarded with serene surroundings and charming houses, which you can only view from the outside.

This 13th-century béguinage consists of a pretty and serene cluster of small whitewashed houses, a pigeon tower, and a church surrounding a pleasant green at the edge of a canal. The Begijnhof was founded in 1245 by Margaret, Countess of Constantinople, to bring together the beguines—girls and widows from all social backgrounds who devoted themselves to charitable work but who were not bound by religious vows. In a time when options for women were get married, become a nun, or be ostracized as a spinster, these places offered another way. Led by a superintendent known as the Grand Mistress, the congregation here flourished for 600 years. The last of Bruges's beguines died about 50 years ago; today the site is occupied by the Benedictine nuns, who still wear the beguine habit. You may join them, discreetly, for vespers in their small church of St. Elizabeth. Although most of the present-day houses are from the 16th and 17th centuries, they have maintained the architectural style of the houses that preceded them. One house (No. 1) has been set aside as a small museum. Visitors are asked to respect the order's vow of silence. The horse-and-carriage rides around the town have a 10-minute stop outside the béguinage—long enough for a quick look round.

Lier's Begijnhof differs from most other beguinages in that its small houses line narrow streets rather than being grouped around a common. A Renaissance portico stands at the entrance, and on it is a statue of St. Begge, who gave his name to this congregation and who probably derived his own from the fact that he was un begue (a stammerer). Beguines were members of ascetic or philanthropic communities of women, not under vows, founded in the Netherlands in the 13th century.

There are three beguinages ("begijnhof" in Dutch) in Ghent, built centuries ago to house women (beguines) who lived lives of prayer and devoted themselves to charitable works but did not take religious vows. It sounds like something from another age, but the last beguine to live in Ghent only died in 2013. The best surviving example is Our Lady ter Hoyen, founded in 1235 by Countess Joanna of Constantinople. This is the smallest of the three and is protected by a wall and portal. The surrounding homes were built in the 17th and 18th centuries and are still organized in a medieval style, each holding a statue of a saint. Today, you can walk quietly through the main building and peek into the stone chapel—the houses are off-limits, with the larger ones leased for residential use. The smaller houses have become artists' workshops. Although entry is free, a gate closes to keep out nonresidents 10 pm--6:30 am.

The city's second beguinage, the UNESCO-listed Groot Begijnhof, is found on Van Arenbergstraat, west of the city center. At its peak, some 600 beguines lived there. The city's third and final beguinage is on Begijnhofdries, but its walls have long since come down.

Dominating the Grote Markt square, the 140-foot gothic bell tower (belfort) was built in 1369 adjoining what was then the Cloth Hall. The rest of the original building is long gone, as it was replaced in 1740 by what would become today's town hall, now also home to the tourist office. The carillon atop the tower has 23 bells and it strikes up a tune every 15 minutes—along with 23 other Belgian carillons it was jointly awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.

Take the 7 or 15 trams to this neighborhood southeast of Antwerp's city center, where 19th-century entrepreneur Baron Edouard Osy and his sister, Josephine Cogels, inherited an old castle, demolished it, and built some refreshingly eccentric houses reflecting the eclectic tastes of the era. There are houses in Renaissance, Greek classical, and Venetian styles, but most of all, there are Art Nouveau town houses, especially on Cogels Osylei, Transvaalstraat, and Waterloostraat, mainly built between 1890 and 1906. Berchem is the first stop on the railway line to Brussels; the local tourist board organizes some interesting walking tours of the area that start and end at the station.

The Municipal Park is home to the remains of what was reputedly one of the finest castles in Belgium. A building first stood here in the 12th century, though by the time Marie of Hungary, a regent of the Spanish Netherlands, was gifted the land by Charles V, it had fallen into ruin. In 1545, she commissioned an architect, who took five years to rebuild it in the Renaissance style, at which point it was hailed as one of the great palaces of Europe. Yet he needn't have bothered. Barely a moment later, France's King Henri II had it burned to ground and its restoration ceased after Mary moved to Spain. Subsequent attempts were made to resurrect it, but by the early 1700s what was left was demolished. Only a few stray remnants survive in the park, which was built atop the remains and is still wrapped by the ramparts of the old city walls. 

Along with the Grand-Hornu (Mons) and Bois-du-Cazier (Charleroi), UNESCO-listed Bois-du-Luc was one of the oldest and largest mines in Wallonia. It had been operating for nearly three centuries by the time its machinery stopped turning in 1973. By then, an entire industrial village had been purpose-built around it for its workers, consisting of shops, a church, schools, even a library. Guided (or audio-guide) tours of the site explore how these communities grew and developed. 

This 26-km (16-mile) Grand Randonnée walking route traces a path through the old mining villages east of the city. The "Black Loop," as it's known, traverses canal towpaths, former railways, and the area's main slag, or spoil, heaps—the excavated soil and waste from the mines—which have been left to rewild since the last pits closed here in the early 1980s. These, in particular, afford fine views across an area that, while not always pretty, is still dramatic. Maps with directions in English can be picked up at the tourism information office. You can pick up the route at Charleroi Sud station.  

One of the largest art museums in Wallonia takes over a pair of buildings north of the center. The old industrial hall exhibition space is particularly dramatic. Exhibitions change regularly and tend to focus on contemporary Belgian artists. 

In an old mill 7 km (4 miles) south of Dinant, this brewery heats its brews using a traditional wood stove. Its signature snail mascot is a whimsical allusion to Namur province’s reputation for being slow-paced. Even if you don’t drink, the distinctive cavernous tasting room lined with old brewing equipment is worth a visit; tours of the brewery include a tasting of four beers. In addition to the normal weekend afternoon opening times, the brewery is also open Wednesday afternoon in July and August.

After almost 60 years away, the Bourgogne de Flandres brewery returned to Bruges in 2015, and added a new visitor center and tour. It's aimed squarely at families, with lots of diversions for kids while their parents get to quiz brewmasters and point their audio guides at various triggers, unraveling the mysteries of the brewing process. For example, did you know that Brussels's famous lambic beer can only be brewed in that region because of a wild yeast that grows in the air there, creating spontaneous fermentation?

The first document referring to the brewery dates from 1369, making it one of the oldest breweries in Belgium. Touring this small, intimate brewery, the birthplace of Mechelen’s pride and joy, the dark, sweet Gouden Carolus Classic (Golden Charles) beer, you can witness every stage of the beer-making process. Tours and tastings in English lasting one hour 30 minutes must be arranged in advance, but leave at least once a day (except Monday), more often on weekends. Het Anker's own De Molenberg distillery—previously located 5 miles away—was moved in 2024 to the brewery site, and a distillery visit is included in the tour. The brasserie next to the brewery is open daily, and serves the entire range of Gouden Carolus beers and several beer-seasoned dishes at affordable prices. There is also a hotel in the brewery complex, so devoted beer fans can spend the night.

Frites and chocolate already have their own museums in the city, so it was only a matter of time before the third comestible in Belgium's holy trinity received its due. It's atop the old post office building on Markt Square, and once you've scaled the many flights of stairs, you'll be handed a tablet to scan the displays' QR codes; these bring up information on the history of Belgian beer (in 10 languages). There is a particular focus on the medieval period, including Trappist and abbey brewing, and "gruut," herbal beers that were once common to the region. A beautifully illustrated kids' tour tells the parallel story of a trapped bear. At the end, visitors get to sample a trio of draft beers from a choice of 16 in the tasting room.

Dating from the 13th century, the imposing stone Brussels Gate is all that remains of the medieval walls that once kept Mechelen safe. Today, it stands in the middle of the busy ring road around the center, and is no longer open to the public, but in its day it was the highest and most impressive of 12 gates that controlled people's passage in and out of the city.