West Flanders
Once the municipal centre for weighing and storing hops, the 19th-century Stadsschaal now houses this distinctively scented museum, where you’ll learn…
Must-see attractions in Northwest Belgium
Ghent
Ghent's best-loved waterfront square, the 'Wheat Market' is where you'll find some of the city's best architecture, including the former post office (now…
Ghent
Ships have been docking on either side of the River Leie since the 11th century. The area on the east bank is known as Graslei; Korenlei is on the west…
Bruges
Within the stadhuis, this hall's polychromatic ceiling almost drips with medieval carvings. Murals depicting the town's history add to the room's…
Bruges
Eye-catching with its early baroque gables, gilt highlights and golden statuettes, this was once the seat of the ‘Liberty of Bruges’, the large autonomous…
Bruges
Dominating its surrounds, this 13th-century church was reopened in 2015 after extensive renovations. Its enormous 115m spire is unmissable throughout much…
Bruges
Behind the Arentshuis, Hof Arents is a charming little park with a hump-backed pedestrian bridge, St-Bonifaciusbrug, that crosses the canal, offering…
Belgian Coast
Around 5km northeast of Knokke, Het Zwin was once one of the world’s busiest waterways, connecting Bruges with the sea. In medieval times the river silted…
Ghent
This cathedral's towering interior has some fine stained glass and an unusual combination of brick vaulting with stone tracery. A €0.20 leaflet guides you…
Bruges
The Historium occupies a neo-Gothic building on the northern side of the Markt. The immersive one-hour audio and video tour aims to take you back to…
Ypres
Ypres is unusual in that it has retained extensive sections of its city fortifications. Designed by French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de…
Bruges
Just inside the main entrance of the begijnhof this is a charming 17th-century house now converted into an endearing little four-room museum. In the…
Ostend
This lesser-known residential part of Ostend was once in ill repute, but savvy homebuyers have recently snapped up its wealth of utterly charming art…
West Flanders
In a quaint repurposed chapel on the Ypres–Menen road (N8), this small but characterful two-room museum is entered between assorted WWI sandbags, rusty…
Bruges
Under ongoing redevelopment since 2015, ’t Zand is Bruges' largest public square and a major transport hub, fringed with shops, hotels and restaurants…
Ghent
Shoehorned into a 17th-century former nunnery-hospital complex, this fabulous, architecturally striking, ultra-modern museum does a very thorough job of…
Bruges
This appealing Museum of Folk Life presents visitors with 18 themed tableaux illustrating Flemish life in times gone by – a 1930s sweets shop, a hatter’s…
Ostend
Once a vibrant fishing village, Walraversijde disappeared entirely following the strife of 1600 to 1604, leaving mere foundations. Today the…
Ghent
The Romanesque twin towers of this iconic church date from the 12th century but the church itself has undergone numerous expansions, renovations and…
Ghent
Once the city’s forum for public meetings and executions, this large square is named for its Friday market (still held). Tempting cafés sit beneath step…
West Flanders
The mythical Westvleteren Trappist beer comes from this isolated abbey in Westvleteren village, 7km north of Poperinge; it's reached via a web of tiny…
Bruges
Founded in 1856, though there has been a brewery on the site since 1564, this is the last family brouwerij (brewhouse) in central Bruges. Multilingual, 45…
Bruges
Stacked sub-towers top the massive central tower of 13th-century St Saviour’s Cathedral. In daylight the construction looks somewhat dour, but once…
Sanctuary Wood (Hill 62) Museum
West Flanders
This gnome-fronted, surreally ordinary house displays a chaotic hotchpotch of WWI helmets, shoes, guns and harrowing photos, some in antiquated wooden…
Ghent
To admire Ghent’s towers and gables at their most photogenic, stand just west of the little Grasbrug bridge over the Leie at dusk. It’s a truly gorgeous…
West Flanders
Though English troops nicknamed it 'Good old Pops', Poperinge had a more sinister side – it was a place of execution for wartime deserters. Hidden behind…
Bruges
Admission to this small historical church-hospital complex is free with a St-Janshospitaal museum ticket. Ring the bell to gain entry and you’ll find fine…
Ghent
Set in a restored 1363 children’s hospice complex, this delightful museum examines everyday life from the 1890s to the present, with a fabulous emphasis…
Ghent
A vast toilet-roll sculpture humorously marks the back side of this museum, which has a collection specialising in furnishings including baroque, art…
Bruges
In the 13th century, Bruges' great walls were dotted with molens (windmills) where cereals were ground into flour – at one time 25 ringed the city. Today,…
West Flanders
This lake-fronted Normandy-chalet-style mansion and gardens are located in the centre of Zonnebeke village. The mansion was built in 1922 to replace a…
Bruges
While Antwerp is now the centre of the diamond industry, the idea of polishing the stones with diamond ‘dust’ was originally pioneered in Bruges. This is…
Bruges
In the 13th century, Bruges' great walls were dotted with molens (windmills) where cereals were ground into flour. Four still stand on the eastern rampart…
Ghent
In a five-floor 19th-century mill-factory building, this thought-provoking museum celebrates Ghent’s history of textile production and examines the social…
Ghent
Hidden away in an 1857 neo-Gothic psychiatric hospital, this enthralling mental-health museum takes visitors on a trilingual, multicultural journey…
Bruges
The Markt's newest attraction will appeal to the many who love a Belgian beer. Guided by a multilingual iPad app, the museum takes you through the history…
Kapel van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Oudenberg
Northwest Belgium
It's believed there has been a place of worship at this site atop the Muur since 1294, although this quaint, domed-roof neo-baroque chapel was constructed…
Northwest Belgium
Occupying a significant chunk of the city's stunning stadhuis, the new-in-2012 MOU still feels fresh. It presents the visitor with an impressive…
Bruges
The Kantcentrum displays a collection of lace in a row of interlinked old cottages. In the afternoons (2pm to 5pm) you can watch bobbin lace being made by…
West Flanders
Highlights of this fine art museum include Roelandt Savery’s 1604 masterpiece Plundering of a Village and Emmanuel Viérin’s semi-impressionist scenes of…
