Country guide · Belgium
Best places to visit in Belgium
3 destinations compared, so you can choose where to spend your time.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first trip to Belgium, start with Antwerp: Rubens, diamonds, avant-garde fashion and a grand port on the Scheldt. Antwerp is the least expensive of the destinations in this guide.
Key facts
- Destinations in this guide
- 3
- Best months overall
- May–June and September
- Start with
- Antwerp
- Least expensive here
- Antwerp
3 places to visit in Belgium
Best: May–September · 3 days
Antwerp
Rubens, diamonds, avant-garde fashion and a grand port on the Scheldt
Best: April–June and September · 2 days
Bruges
Medieval canals, a climbable belfry and Flemish masterpieces in a walkable old town
Best: May–June and September · 3 days
Brussels
The Grand-Place, Art Nouveau houses, comic murals and serious beer and chocolate
Compare the destinations
When to visit Belgium
Across these destinations the most reliable months are May–June and September. Timing still varies by place: Antwerp is best in May–September; Bruges is best in April–June and September; Brussels is best in May–June and September.
Signature dishes across Belgium
Events through the year in Belgium
| Month | Events |
|---|---|
| January | Antwerp: Winter sales in shops (usually from early January); Bruges: Winter sales — shop discounts (usually from early January) |
| February | Brussels: Brussels Light Festival — illuminated art trail (usually February) |
| April | Antwerp: Antwerp 10 Miles and Marathon (usually April); Brussels: Royal Greenhouses of Laeken open to the public for a few weeks (usually April–May) |
| May | Antwerp: Sinksenfoor — Pentecost funfair (usually May–June); Bruges: Procession of the Holy Blood — historic religious procession through the centre (Ascension Day, usually May) |
| June | Bruges: Triennale Brugge — contemporary art and architecture in public spaces (every three years, usually spring to autumn); Brussels: Fête de la Musique — free concerts (around 21 June) |
| July | Antwerp: Tomorrowland electronic music festival in nearby Boom (usually late July); Bruges: Cactusfestival — music festival in Minnewater park (usually July) |
| August | Antwerp: Antwerp Pride (usually August); Brussels: Flower Carpet on the Grand-Place (mid-August in even-numbered years) |
| September | Antwerp: Open Monument Day — free entry to historic buildings in Flanders (usually second Sunday); Bruges: Open Monumentendag — Heritage Day with free access to historic buildings (usually second Sunday) |
| November | Antwerp: Sinterklaas arrival by boat (usually mid-November); Bruges: Christmas market and ice rink on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein (usually from late November) |
| December | Antwerp: Christmas market on the Groenplaats and Grote Markt (usually December to early January); Bruges: Christmas markets on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein (usually until early January) |
How far apart they are
| From | To | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Antwerp | Bruges | 82 km |
| Antwerp | Brussels | 41 km |
| Bruges | Brussels | 88 km |
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I go on my first trip to Belgium?
Antwerp: Antwerp, Flanders' largest city, grew rich in the 16th century as one of Europe's great trading ports, and its old centre around the Grote Markt and the Cathedral of Our Lady still shows that wealth. It is the city of…
+When is the best time to visit Belgium?
Generally May–June and September, though it varies by region.