Why Belgium rewards city-hoppers
Belgium is small, flat and superbly connected by train, so you can base yourself in one city and day-trip to the rest. Cobbled squares, Flemish art, Trappist beer and frites are never far away. Here are the cities worth building a trip around.
Brussels
The capital mixes EU bustle with grand history. The Grand-Place, a UNESCO-listed square ringed by gilded guildhalls, is the heart of the city, especially when lit at night.
- Highlight: Ride up the Atomium in Heysel for panoramic views, then grab a waffle near the Manneken-Pis.
Bruges
Often called the Venice of the North, Bruges is a perfectly preserved medieval town of canals and step-gabled houses.
- Highlight: Climb the 366 steps of the Belfry of Bruges on the Markt for views over the rooftops.
Ghent
Livelier and more student-driven than Bruges, Ghent has a dramatic skyline of three medieval towers along the river Leie.
- Highlight: See the Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers inside Saint Bavo's Cathedral.
Antwerp
Belgium's style capital is famous for diamonds, fashion designers and the painter Rubens.
- Highlight: Antwerp Central Station, often called the most beautiful railway station in the world, plus the riverside MAS museum.
Leuven
A compact university town with a buzzing student energy and Belgium's beer pedigree (Stella Artois is brewed here).
- Highlight: The flamboyant Gothic Town Hall and the Oude Markt, billed as the longest bar in Europe.
Dinant
In Wallonia, this riverside town sits dramatically beneath a clifftop citadel on the Meuse.
- Highlight: The Citadel of Dinant and the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone.
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