352 Best Sights in Belgium

Beyond the museum, the real appeal here is the audio-guided descent into the sewers themselves, where you'll find the River Senne. The city's main waterway had become increasingly polluted and problematic (frequently flooding) by the end of the 19th century and had to be covered over. Redevelopment projects are starting to reveal small stretches of the old river across the city, but this is a rare chance to glimpse, hear about, and yes, smell a little-seen part of Brussels's history, buried since 1871.

Up until the end of the 1800s, like most towns in Brussels, Dendermonde was still wrapped by ramparts and wide canals, a hangover from its days as an important position on the banks of the Scheldt and Dender. Their remains still scatter this pretty park alongside the water's edge, southwest of the center, where you'll find plenty of locals peacefully fishing.

Central to the recent revival of the city has been its renovation of the riverfront and Buda Island. This small scoop of land, between two branching arms of the Leie, is typically reached by Broel Bridge, guarded at either end by 14th-century twin towers built to control traffic on the Leie. They were part of the original city fortifications, but can only be entered with a guide these days. On the banks on either side of the river runs a stepped pedestrian and terrace area. Just a few years ago this was a miserable car park; now, it is the most popular part of the city in summer, when a beach (May–September) is created and the bars open long into the evening. The island itself has been colonized by arts studios, and while there is little here for tourists, the vibe is rather hipper than it used to be. Wander its bridge and you will find the beautiful courtyard of the Hospital of Our Lady. Its monumental gate was erected in 1658, but it dates back to the early 13th century when it was built to provide a night's stay for vagrants outside the city gates.

Coal was discovered in 1901 at this former mine near Genk, around 15 km (9½ miles) northeast from Hasselt, and miners extracted millions of tons during its operational life from 1914 until 1988. The repurposed site is now home to a variety of new ventures, including an art school and a multiplex movie theater, but the highlight is the C-Mine Expedition. Here you can explore a series of tunnels that once led miners to and from the pithead, and learn about life above- and belowground. At one point you can stand above the lift shaft, where cages once ferried miners to their place of work around 3,000 feet below. At the other end of the scale, you can climb to the top of a 200-foot-high pit tower for a superb view of the surrounding countryside. Although the coal face itself is too deep and dangerous to visit, a VR tour takes you down in safety and comfort, and shows you how coal was mined in the 1950s.

An interlocking system of canals connects what was once the industrial heartland of Wallonia with the rivers Scheldt and Meuse. This allowed the shipping of goods to and from France, Germany, and the North Sea. But its creation wasn't easy. A 223-foot drop meant that a series of locks and hydraulic boat lifts had to be created between 1888 and 1917, as a new canal was dug on the outskirts of La Louvière. Now UNESCO-listed, these stretch the waterways between Thieu and Houdeng-Goegnies, around 2 km (1 mile) from the city center (look for "Asc. 1, 2, 3, and 4"). But by the 1980s, barges had become too big for the old system, and a single boat lift, known as the Ascenseur Funiculaire de Strépy-Thieu, was built to accommodate modern vessels. It is the largest of its kind in the world, and tours of the engine room and workings let you see just what a giant it is. Cruises also set off from here to tour the canals and boat lifts in summer (the ticket office is at Strépy-Thieu reception). If you'd rather explore under your own steam, you can rent electric boats (no license required) to chug the canals or cycle or walk the old towpaths. 

First opened in 1763, Spa's magnificent casino is the oldest in the world. Heads of state from across Europe once flocked here to gamble away their wealth in between bouts of “taking the cure,” and it was a meeting place of choice for international high society for more than a century. Today, the casino's glamorous gaming rooms support a number of cultural activities in addition to gambling, and there is also an on-site restaurant.

After floodwaters from the Sambre receded out of Namur in 1751, construction began on this Italian Baroque–style cathedral, made from Belgian marble. Inside, a statue of Notre Dame de la Paix protects the city, and St. Aubain is discreetly represented at the base of the altar, holding his head in his hands. If you’re interested in religious relics, take note of the double cross atop the church dome, signifying that a piece of the holy cross is stored on the premises.

Liége's imposing Gothic cathedral houses handsome statues by Jean Delcour, including one of St. Paul. (Other graceful works by this 18th-century sculptor dot the old city.) The cathedral’s most prized possessions, however, are to be found in the Treasury (enter via rue Bonne Fortune 6), especially the Reliquaire de Charles le Téméraire (Reliquary of Charles the Bold), with gold and enamel figures of St. George and the bold duke himself on his knees; curiously, their faces are identical. This reliquary was presented to Liège by Charles the Bold in 1471 in penance for having had the city razed three years earlier.

Nestled in a small valley surrounded by low hills, this ultracute village 10 km (6 miles) east from Dinant on the N94 has retained a lot of its old-world charm and is among the prettiest in Belgium. The streets are lined with traditional stone houses and the Romanesque Eglise St-Hadelin sits at the center of everything. 

With the excellent MIMA gallery having shut its door at the start of 2025, it's left to CENTRALE to fly the flag for contemporary art museums in the capital. Set in a former power station built at the turn of the 20th century, its bold shows are never less than daring, and the setting is impressive in itself. Each year, it also shows the work of four hand-picked artists from Brussels and beyond in its nearby offshoot gallery space, Centrale/Vitrine.

This graphic-design and printed images museum has changing exhibitions throughout the year, and most are surprisingly engaging, such as its excellent dissection of tropes in Belgian railway posters over the decades. 

This museum was originally an artist’s home. Sculptor Guillaume Charlier and his friend Henri Van Cutsem were avid art collectors and asked Victor Horta to convert two houses into one to contain their treasures. It’s an eclectic mix, with piles of decorative objects from the 18th to 20th centuries, an impressive collection of Belgian art, and Charlier’s own realistic works vying for attention.

Come for the majestic view and explore ruins dating from the 11th through the 19th centuries at the Castle of the Counts, situated on a rise overlooking Rochefort’s town center. To visit, you'll need to join a one-hour tour in the company of your guide, "Emelyne the Witch." Tours depart from the castle gate at 2 pm from April to November, only during Belgian school holidays—the website has a calendar of open days.

This pretty château lies 6 km (4 miles) southeast of Ath. It was built in 1752 by François-Philippe Franeau d’Hyon atop the ruins of an older castle and possesses all the neoclassical ambitions of that era, with a fleet of Rococo-style rooms. In the late 18th century, its grounds were popular with hunting parties, and the remains of an artificial "mound" (known as the Rocher) used for sighting deer survives. The surrounding parkland makes for a pleasant stroll. 

Beside the river, around 6 km (4 miles) south from Dinant, this impressive Renaissance building has beautiful interiors decorated with 17th-century woodwork and furniture, including a restored children’s coach. Louis XIV visited here during the siege of Dinant in 1675. Its park has been laid out in accordance with the design principles of Le Nôtre, the French landscape architect.

Looming large on a hill above the the town are the ruins of the 11th-century feudal castle. A tiny cobblestone alley from place du Marché takes you there. Throughout the year, occasional medieval-themed events are held here, such as displays of archery or falconry. In summer, the ghost of Berthe, a woman of local legend, supposedly appears at sunset.

Around 10 km (6 miles) northeast of La Louvière, this neoclassical estate offers an elegant escape from the gray pragmatism of industrial Wallonia. Its construction dates back to the 1760s, when it was built as the home of a wealthy entrepreneur, Julian Depestre. Since then, it's had a checkered past, having been requisitioned during World War II by the Nazi military governor of Belgium, then left to ruin. It was later rescued by the state, and these days the grounds alone are worth a visit. 

Choco-Story may deviate from the historical quaintness found everywhere else in Bruges, but it makes for a diverting bookend if you've been trawling the delightful chocolate shops in town. This collection traces the history of the cocoa bean, from its origins in the Americas to its popularity in Europe. There are also chocolate-making demonstrations and a chance to taste. It is certainly the best of a linked trio of disparately themed museums.

The Citadelle is on the cliff top, towering directly over Dinant’s city center. You can reach it by cable car, or by climbing the 408 steps that were cut into the rock face in the 16th century. The fortress is not as old as you might suspect—the ancient fortification was razed in 1818 by the Dutch, who replaced it with the current structure before being ousted. The view is splendid, and there is an arms museum with cannons and cannonballs.

For a great view of the town and the surrounding countryside, take the short but steep walk uphill from the Meuse to the cliff-top Citadelle—also known as Fort de Huy—part of the defenses built by the Dutch in the early 19th century. During World War II, the Germans used it as a prison for resistance members and hostages. It now contains an exhibition about the the living conditions of the more than 7,000 prisoners held captive here, and of the general Belgian population during the four years of Nazi occupation.

The highlight of a visit to this complex east of Liège is a trip down the former Blegny Coal Mine, which produced 1,000 tons of coal a day at its peak. Liège’s wealth was based on coal, which was mined from the Middle Ages until 1980. An audiovisual presentation illustrates this history, and former miners lead tours of the surface and underground facilities. Make an appointment to take the tour in English. A coal mine tour takes two hours, though you can spend at least half a day here with the kids because there’s also a museum, playground, restaurant, and café.

Belgium's first museum dedicated to the evolution of IT takes you on a journey through time, from the earliest abacuses through to the current age of smartphones and beyond, with special emphasis given to Belgians who have been pioneers in the field. You can also watch the exhibits shrink, as they develop from huge electromechanical calculating devices, via bulky mainframes, to tiny microchips.

De Groote Witte Arend, in a secret courtyard near the Jordaens house, is in a former convent. The background music tends to be Vivaldi or Telemann, the atmosphere is genteel without being snobbish, and there's a good selection of draft beers and tasty sandwiches.

Despite its relatively diminutive size, De Haan lays claim to having Belgium's largest beach: an expanse of white sand stretching around 12 km (7½ miles) from end to end. This size means that even in high summer it never gets overly crowded. At the western end is the Belgian coast's only officially designated nudist beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); toilets; water sports. Best for: nudists; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This working brewery may not be the only one in Bruges anymore, but it's still rather special. It produces the Bruges Zot and Straffe Hendrik brands that you'll see in many bars around town, and if you want to see the brewery in action, daily 45-minute tours include a glass of the house blond beer in its unfiltered form. You'll also find out how a 3-km (2-mile) length of pipeline was laid under the city's medieval streets to allow for enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles an hour to flow beneath the cobbles to a plant outside the city limits. True beer lovers can opt for the extended tour, which descends into the cellars for a more in-depth tasting session and hopped-up tales.

This kid-friendly natural-history museum has exhibits that cover geology, the evolution of life, human biology and reproduction, and a diorama room of indigenous birds. There is also a garden site a short bus ride from Sint-Pietersplein (No. 5a or 5b; get off at Sanderusstraat) with more than 1,000 plant species, a bee colony, and live tarantulas.

The RAVeL network is made up of old rail lines and canal towpaths that have been turned into countryside cycling and walking routes. The first 33 km (20½ miles) stage of the W1 route technically starts in Flanders, but you can just as easily pick it up in Lessines before threading a scenic trail to Ath and following the Blaton-Ath Canal to Beloeil Castle. It's a beautiful route and a day trip that includes some of the best sights in the area. See the RAVel Wallonie website for maps and details. 

Some 85% of the world's uncut diamonds pass through Antwerp, and the diamond trade has its own quarter, where the skills of cutting and polishing the gems have been handed down for generations by a tightly knit community. Twenty-five million carats are cut and traded here every year, more than anywhere else in the world. The district occupies a few nondescript city blocks west of Centraal Station. A large part of the community is Jewish, so you'll see shop signs in Hebrew and Hasidic men with traditional dark clothing and side curls, though many of the businesses are now Indian-owned. Below the elevated railway tracks, a long row of stalls and shops gleams with jewelry and gems. Diamond cutting began in Bruges but moved to Antwerp in the late 15th century, and the industry now employs some 8,000 workers. Many shops close for the Saturday sabbath.

The city's diamond trading and smithing past gets a gloriously theatrical presentation in this interactive museum. Visitors are guided through six rooms by their audio "butler" Jerome, gawking at some rampant abuses of wealth, from a diamond-encrusted gold tennis racket to a king's ransom of jewels, silverware, and chinoiserie. Ensconced in all this glitz, however, is a serious history lesson in how a city was built on its ability to turn rough stones into polished jewels, as well as the fads that accompanied the industry, such as the "Egyptmania," fanned by Napoléon's campaigns in the late 18th century, or Japan's opening up to the West in the mid-1800s, enabling its aesthetic to influence everything from Art Nouveau to a sudden bourgeois craze for kimonos.