With thousands of people wondering each month if Belgium is a country, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the country is often overlooked when planning a trip to Europe. As it stands in the shadows of much more famous France, Germany and The Netherlands, most tourists spend a day in Brussels – in the best case scenario – and head on towards their next destination.
REASONS TO VISIT BELGIUM
#1 MEDIEVAL TOWNS
Just about anywhere you go in Belgium, you’ll bump into a picturesque Medieval town, village or city that will give you an idea how the Middle Ages must have looked like in the region. Bruges is the most famous Medieval city and can be considered an open-air museum. However, if you make your way to Ghent, Mechelen, Dinant or many of the smaller villages, they are more than likely to take your breath away.

#2 A PEEING BOY AS A NATIONAL LANDMARK
Everyone visiting Brussels wants to take a look at Manneke Pis – a tiny statue of a peeing boy. And while it’s a bit anticlimactic when you finally see it, it’s a great example of the Belgian mentality. We’re a tiny country, but we can have a big impact. Capital of Europe, remember?
#3 CASTLES
From imposing to fairy-tale feeling, with over 3000 castles of which 400 can be visited, you’ll definitely find one to your liking. And with more castles per square kilometre than any of our neighbouring countries, you never have to drive far to bump into one. The Castle of the Counts (Graven Steen) in Ghent, the Castle of Chimay in Chimay, the Castle of Fryer in Dinant and Castle Reinhardstein in Ovifat are absolutely breath-taking, but there are many more to explore.
#4 TRAVEL FRIENDLY
As you can get from one side of Belgium to the other in 2,5 hours at the longest point, it’s safe to say that the country is very travel friendly. Especially when you come by car, you can easily get anywhere you want. However, there’s also a great train network – especially in Flanders. You’ll get to most (bigger) destinations in about an hour or less. The picturesque villages in the South are a bit more difficult to reach though.
#5 FUNKY FESTIVALS
While Tomorrow land comes to mind as the number 1 festival in Belgium, we have tons of other fun ones during the summer season. The best free festivals are Sfinks (Antwerp), De Gentse Feesten (Ghent) and Maanrock (Mechelen). When it comes to paying festivals, the most popular are Tomorrow land (Boom), Rock Werchter (Werchter) and Pukkelpop (Hasselt) but metal festival Graspop (Dessel) and world music Couleur Café (Brussels) are well worth checking out too!
#6 FAMOUS PAINTERS
From Pieter Paul Rubens and the brothers Van Eyck to James Ensor and René Magritte, there’s no shortage when it comes to famous Belgian painters. Ok technically, the Flemish Masters aren’t officially Belgian because Belgium was only founded in 1831, but we’ll still count them anyway. If you’re interested in arts, the country will definitely fulfil your needs.
#7 THE ARDENNES
While Flanders is about as flat as you can get it, Wallonia is a whole other story. Especially the Belgian Ardennes are a lush green, hilly area where you find rivers, cliffs, stunning citadels and the most picturesque villages. If you’re a nature or outdoors lover, this will be right up your alley. You can go kayaking, mountain biking, trail running, rock climbing or any other adventurous sport you can think of.
#8 CANALS
Water always brings charm to a city and the Belgians got that right. Not only world-famous Bruges has a tangle of canals, but many other cities do to such as Ghent, Kortrijk, Mechelen and Lier. On the canals, you can usually take boat rides that give you a whole new perspective on the destination. Furthermore, walking alongside the water is always run and romantic!

#9 BLUE FOREST
While many nationalities form long lines to watch the blue forest at Het Hallebos, most Belgians seem to forget we have such a big attraction going on in April. During 2 weeks (you can’t really tell when it depends on the weather) the bluebells come out in the forest, giving it a purple-blue blanket.
Insider’s tip: skip the long lines in Brussels and head over to the Flemish Ardennes. You’ll find the gorgeous bluebells in many forests in this area as well (for example Het Muziekbos, Het Brakelbos and Het kluisbos).
#10 THE WELL-KNOWN SNACKS: CHIPS, CHOCOLATE AND WAFFLES
When you ask people about Belgium, you can be certain these three delicacies will be named. And well, we have to admit, there are well worth eating when you’re visiting. While waffles might be something for a more special occasion, most Belgian will stop by their fritter (place where you buy chips) once a week. And the chocolate! We’ve tried many types and brands over the years from all over the world and there’s no denying: Belgian chocolate is the absolute best in the world! And if you head over to one of the Chocolate Line shops, you’ll get to buy some from the best chocolatier in the world Dominic Persoone.
CONCLUSION
In the end I would like to conclude this article by saying that The first and most obvious reason to visit Belgium is for the incredible architecture, scenic small towns on lakes, and even a large city such as Antwerp that has so much to offer despite its larger size. The town of Bruges is undeniably the biggest tourist draw card in Belgium.
Belgium is famous for its rich history, diamond industry, three official languages, complex system of governance, and wide variety of beers, waffles, and chocolates. Belgium is also known for its medieval towns, creative minds, music festivals, quirky attractions, and fierce national football team.