Somehow Belgium is left off most people’s travel bucket lists, instead only being a pass-through destination from Amsterdam to Paris or other more famous European regions. It certainly was never at the top of my travel list. But after spending a week celebrating my birthday with beer in Belgium, I realized how wrong that was. The country is amazing. And, trust me, you need to go to Belgium.
Belgium is known for beer and frites, but its major cities are more famous for diamonds than things to do. Even major travel websites lacked good recommendations, leaving me to assume there wasn’t any reason to visit. But in reality, the market squares and architecture in Belgium, combined with the little towns and — yes, even the beer — made for a fantastic, fun trip.
Here’s why you need to go to Belgium.
A Birthday Week of Beer &
Why You Need to Go to Belgium
Belgium was this year’s answer to my birthday adventure. I knew last year’s birthday celebration in Scotland would be hard to top, so when my friend Heather (whose birthday is the same week) suggested Belgium, I scoffed. I offered alternatives, but they were either too expensive, too cold, or too inconvenient. She convinced me Belgium’s food would be worth it and we could see the opera in Ghent, so I agreed.
We planned to explore all of Belgium, starting with three days in Brussels (including a day trip to Dinant), a night in Bruges followed by two nights in Ghent, then end with another night in Brussels. We ate amazing food, from two Michelin star tasting menus to roadside seafood shacks, and downed enough beer and frites to last me a lifetime. (Or at least until I get back!) We saw the opera and adorable towns and, well… let me slow down a bit.
Three Days in Brussels :: Big City, Buildings & Beer
Brussels is the largest city in Belgium, with both a historic city center and a modern downtown home to the European Parliament. Like most tourists, we stayed in the Old Center steps away from the famous Grand Palace square. The Grote Markt, as it’s known in Dutch, is a beautiful square surrounded by golden-clad buildings dating to the 1400s. Originally a market in the 11th Century, eventually it became the site of public executions and later a hospital during World War I. Today it’s full of restaurants and tourists, making it the perfect place to people-watch with a beer. (Or take a beer and food pairing tour.)
Spreading out beyond the Grote Markt are cobblestone streets lined with shops and restaurants, some dating back hundreds of years. Eventually there are churches, like Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula that took nearly 300 years to build and Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, plus the Royal Palace of Brussels. All are worth wandering through, or at least wandering by. We spent our first day doing just that, stopping periodically for beer or fresh frites covered in mayonnaise. Frites — not French fries, mind you — were supposedly invented in Belgium in the 1600s. (More on what to eat in Belgium here.)
Squares like the Grote Markt have a weird way of captivating people. And while we wandered through Brussels’ Old Center, we kept returning to the Grote Markt without even trying. It was always bustling, with a calming hum of noise and energy, and always seemed perfect timing for a drink.
A Day Trip to Dinant from Brussels
We saved the modern side of Brussels for our last day, so the next day we hopped on a train to the tiny town of Dinant for a day in Belgium’s French side. Belgium is a hodgepodge of languages and cultures. The official languages are Dutch, French, and German, and the prominent one changes depending on the region. (Almost everyone also speaks English.) The north is the Dutch region, called Flanders, that includes Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp. The south, Wallonia, is French, and includes Leiges, Dinant, and Ardennes. The third region in between the two, Brussels, officially speaks French and Dutch.
Brussels is in the center of Belgium, making it the perfect home base for day trips. Bruges and Ghent are most popular, but we opted for overnight stays in both cities, so we picked Dinant for our day trip. Dinant is about two hours away from Brussels and slowly the flat farmland morphed into rocky cliffs as we arrived.
Dinant is known for the striking 13th Century Collegiate Church of Our Lady sitting against a stone cliff. At the top of the cliff is the Citadel of Dinant, a walled fortress originally built in 1051 and rebuilt in 1851. It was the site of several sieges over the centuries, including both World Wars. It takes 408 very steep steps to get to the Citadel or you can take the gondola — if it’s running. Unfortunately February is Dinant’s off-season and the gondola wasn’t operating, so we opted for wine near the river over a workout.
A Day in Bruges :: Medieval History & Memorable Meals
The next day we hopped on the train headed to Bruges in the Dutch region. About an hour away from Brussels, most people go to Bruges for a day trip, but the tiny town is worth at least a night’s stay.
The entire city center of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most well-preserved medieval towns in Europe. If tiny, winding cobblestone streets and ornately-decorated, centuries-old buildings make you swoon like me, you’ll adore it. It’s touristy for sure, with more than enough H&M stores and Starbucks shops, but in between are one-off restaurants, beer bars, and shops selling local chocolate. For best results, focus on those. :)
Like Brussels, the center of Bruges is the Market Square anchored by the medieval Belfry. The Belfry dates to 1240 and leans 34 inches to the east. It’s flanked by the ornate Provinciaal Hof and brightly painted restaurants. One of those restaurants, Le Panier D’or, was the perfect spot for a long lunch of Flemish stew and waffles, both of which paired beautifully with beer. Not far away, the Church of Our Lady houses a Madonna and Child carved by Michelangelo himself and the Bruges City Hall, once a castle, is one of the oldest city halls in the entire Netherlands region (built in 1421).
Even though Bruges is adorably small, there’s a surprising amount of good restaurants, including several Michelin recognized ones. We picked Zet’Joe, a one-Michelin rated restaurant with an ever-changing tasting menu of French molecular gastronomy dishes and wonderful service.
Two Days in Ghent :: Castles & Cathedrals
On my birthday we changed cities yet again, this time to Ghent. Usually another day trip city from Brussels, Ghent is definitely worthy of a one- or two-nights’ stay. Personally, I could spend months adoring Ghent. Size-wise it’s the Goldilocks medium between Brussels and Bruges, with a city big enough to be livable but historic enough to be mesmerizing. (Here’s why I fell in love with Ghent.)
Like the others, Ghent has an adorable square, called Vrijdagmarkt, surrounded by architecturally adorable buildings. It was the perfect spot for an al fresco lunch of steak strogonoff and beer at Brasserie Friends. But it’s what is beyond the square that I love. There is cathedral after cathedral — sometimes several massive ones on one block! — and curving streets of cobblestone weaving between castles and above canals. The streets are lined with colorful shops and charming restaurants, like Julie’s House, a cute bakery serving delicious treats and breakfast.
In the heart of the city is a massive castle, called Gravensteen, so picture-perfect it looks almost fake. Dating to 1180, the classic castle has a moat, turrets, and cliché arrow-slits lining the top. It’s worth a tour, mostly because the audio guide is hilarious (really!) and tells of the fortress’ storied past.
Ghent has a few unique culinary specialties, too. Don’t miss mastel, described as a bagel much softer, flatter, and sweeter. And, my favorite, Stoverij (also called Carbonade flamande), a Flemish meat stew made with dark beer. There are also plenty of noteworthy restaurants in Ghent. We splurged on a tasting menu at two-Michelin starred Vrijmoed for a mind-blowing several course, several hours dinner. (That’s one way to ring in turning 33, right?!)
Filliers Distillery
Ghent may have been my favorite for a few other reasons, too. It’s where we saw the opera, in a beautiful opera house built in 1840 (unfortunately the opera was awful). And on our first day we took a private tour of Filliers Distillery, a family-owned distillery located just outside of Ghent in Bachte-Maria-Leerne. In the 18th Century Filliers started distilling genever, a juniper-based liquor credited as the precursor to gin. Today Filliers distills genever, gin, and whisky (the first in Belgium to do so!).
Our tour focused on barrel-aged genever, often called “the missing link between gin and whisky.” I couldn’t agree more. Distilled from grain (like whisky), but with juniper berry distillate added (like gin), then aged in oak barrels (again, like whisky). Filliers ages their genever 8, 12, 17, and 21 (!) years in oak, giving them whisky-esque characteristics. As an avid whisky lover, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the barrel-aged genever, especially the 12 and 21 years. (More on touring Filliers Distillery and barrel-aged genever.)
A Night in the Brussels Business District :: Parliament and Parks
At the end of the week we returned to Brussels, this time to the business district. We stayed steps away from the European Parliament and Place du Luxembourg in the European Quarter. The neighborhood shuts down on the weekends, so hotels are cheap but finding entertainment is not. (But it’s a quick train ride back to the Old Center.)
Luckily we were able to grab lunch at La Mer du Nord, a famous seafood stand selling the day’s fresh catch and bottles of wine. We stood streetside eating fresh salmon tartare, razor clams drenched in olive oil, lightly breaded calamari dusted with meyer lemon, and plenty of bread, all with a side of bubbles. It was lovely.
The final item on our tourist to-do list was the Parc du Cinquantenaire to see the Arcade du Cinquantenaire commemorating the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence in 1905. The massive arch is surrounded by museums and sits at the entrance to the park, where concerts and festivals are held in the summer.
Returning to Grote Markt
That evening, on our final night in Belgium, we found ourselves back at the Grote Markt in Brussels. We started with a beer, then walked around the area through the crowds. Even when we wandered away for fries or beers, we somehow found ourselves back there again and again. I admit it’s embarrassingly touristy, but it was almost like we couldn’t help it.
But that’s the whole point of these squares: to be beautiful places for people to gather, to admire the architecture and come together to share beers and laughter. People have been doing it for centuries, so it only made sense that it’s where we found ourselves yet again.
And just like those squares, something tells me even I’ll find myself back in Belgium again and again, drawn back to the architecture, to the beer, to the history. Next time, I’ll gladly welcome the chance to go to Belgium, especially to return to Ghent and its enchantingly beautiful streets.
Until then, I’ll revere in the memories, remembering my incredible birthday week in Belgium.
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Next up :: Why I Fell in Love with Ghent, What to Eat in Belgium, and Easy Day Trips from Brussels
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