Great day trips Belgium -
Just across the border
Belgium is so small that it's fine to go abroad just for a day trip.
16 awesome places to visit close to Belgium. Visit one of the other category pages for more great destinations in Belgium for activities and day trips.
NL: [16 leuke plekken op te bezoeken net over de grens. Alle inhoud is voorlopig in het Engels. Binnenkort zal de website ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar zijn.]
NL: [16 leuke plekken op te bezoeken net over de grens. Alle inhoud is voorlopig in het Engels. Binnenkort zal de website ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar zijn.]
1. lISSE [the netherlands] - TULIPS
Tulips! You love them or hate them. Anyway, I think everyone would enjoy the colours of endless tulip fields. Every year from march through May, peaking in April, the flowers bloom and the fields become a colourful painting from Bob Ross. it's a perfect setting for a romantic trip or for awesome drone photography.
Try to stay away from the crowds around Keukenhof, and of course, don't enter the fields where you are not allowed to. The most famous place to discover the tulip fields is around Lisse. The reason for this is because Keukenhof is located there, a flower themed park. I haven't been in the park itself, but I am quite sure that it's better do discover the fields around (for free) than to enter the park and pay €€. It is far too crowded and it just isn't the same experience. Discover the fields a bit further away from Lisse, to enjoy the scenery relaxed away from the crowd.
Lisse is located close to Amsterdam, and close to the Dutch beach. It's about a 2 hours drive from Brussels, which makes it perfect for a day trip.
Tip: end the day by hunting the sunset at the beach close by.
=> You can also visit flower fields in Belgium. There are several spots within the province of Antwerp and Limburg. But for the real experience, just go to the Netherlands.
Try to stay away from the crowds around Keukenhof, and of course, don't enter the fields where you are not allowed to. The most famous place to discover the tulip fields is around Lisse. The reason for this is because Keukenhof is located there, a flower themed park. I haven't been in the park itself, but I am quite sure that it's better do discover the fields around (for free) than to enter the park and pay €€. It is far too crowded and it just isn't the same experience. Discover the fields a bit further away from Lisse, to enjoy the scenery relaxed away from the crowd.
Lisse is located close to Amsterdam, and close to the Dutch beach. It's about a 2 hours drive from Brussels, which makes it perfect for a day trip.
Tip: end the day by hunting the sunset at the beach close by.
=> You can also visit flower fields in Belgium. There are several spots within the province of Antwerp and Limburg. But for the real experience, just go to the Netherlands.
Tulip fields close to Lisse - Traveltower
|
Holland has countless waterways - Traveltower
|
2. Mullerthal trail [Luxembourg] - NATURE
The Mullerthal trail is a 112 km long trail in the central-eastern part of Luxembourg. It's located in a stunning setting, also called Luxembourg's Little Switzerland.
We've walked just a small part of it: the B2 trail, which starts in Bergdorf. The trail goes through forests and rocky formations. Walk of the main path to explore the rocky formations, you can use stairs, ladders or navigate through small rifts.
Practical information:
- Location and start point of the B2 trail: drive to the fire brigade department in Bergdorf, there is a free parking where you can start your trail. The trail starts at the right side of the fire brigade department building.
- Public transport in Luxembourg is free, but don't forget to download the app.
- For the trails: download the GPX map and of course a GPX map viewer.
Other places around the area worth a mention:
- Schiessentümpel waterfall (located in Mullerthal)
- Turelbaach castle (located around Grosbous, about)
We've walked just a small part of it: the B2 trail, which starts in Bergdorf. The trail goes through forests and rocky formations. Walk of the main path to explore the rocky formations, you can use stairs, ladders or navigate through small rifts.
Practical information:
- Location and start point of the B2 trail: drive to the fire brigade department in Bergdorf, there is a free parking where you can start your trail. The trail starts at the right side of the fire brigade department building.
- Public transport in Luxembourg is free, but don't forget to download the app.
- For the trails: download the GPX map and of course a GPX map viewer.
Other places around the area worth a mention:
- Schiessentümpel waterfall (located in Mullerthal)
- Turelbaach castle (located around Grosbous, about)
Cool tree at the B2 trail - Traveltower
|
Turelbaach castle - Traveltower
|
3. mONScHAU [germany] - ARCHITECTURE/NATUREMonschau is located in Germany, literally just across the border with Belgium and not far away from the High Frens / Hoge Venen.
It's small village where no cars are allowed. You have to leave your car on a huge parking outside of the town. € The village is full of traditional German buildings and little shops, which makes it perfect for a short romantic trip. It's also a cool location for photographers and you've probably seen some photo's of this city on Instagram before. The downside of this perfect mix for a short trip is that it's a very touristic town and in Dutch we have a saying called 'head-walking' [koppenlopen], which is very applicable here, depending on the time of the year and weather. Try to combine your trip to Monschau with a nature trail close by. This can be near the village itself, but you can also drive a little bit further or back to a national reserve closely. Some good spots are mentioned on the nature page of my website. For example the High Fens in Belgium, the Vennbahn,... |
4. lUXEMBoURG cITY [luxembourg] - citytrip
Luxembourg city - traveltower
|
Luxembourg City is the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Not really grand at all, if you ask me. Nevertheless, I thought Luxembourg city has a lot to offer and has an incredibly quiet and comfy atmosphere. Also in the surrounding area of the city, there are many possibilities for nature hikes.
This picture was taken from within the city walls. A must see when visiting Luxembourg. I was there in august 2017, with one of my best friends Jonathan. Who helped me choosing this profile name :). Luxembourg city is located about a 2 hours drive from Brussels. Or 15 minutes from the South-Eastern Belgian Border. |
5. NATURE PARK OF THE OPAL CAPES AND MARSHES [FRANCE] - NATURE
|
A hilly landscape where fields and forests alternate.
The national park is located in the Pas-De-Calais province, in the north of France. The region is about a one hour drive from the Belgian border. We just drove randomly around until we found a beautiful base point for our walk. It's a very relaxing and beautiful landscape. I wen't there in different seasons and every time I saw a different and beautiful landscape. - In spring: many fields in the region become yellow, since the rapeseed blooms. The landscape becomes very colorful and diverse. - In summer: the crops are big and ready to harvest. The landscape is busier and turns green. - In autumn: bales of hay everywhere, which i think looks incredible, especially in the hilly landscape! In later autumn, the trees become brown and colorful, which is always an incredible phenomenon, wherever you are. phenomenon - In winter: I haven't been there in winter. Feel free to send me some pictures if you have. |
Aerial photo of Bales of hay - Traveltower
|
6. HOGE VELUWE [the netherlands] - nature
The 'Hoge Veluwe' is a national park located in the middle of The Netherlands. The park is really gigantic. You can compare the vegetation of the park with The Kalmthoutse Heide in Belgium. There are forests, heath and sandy dunes. The longest side of the park is around 60 km. This is almost the same as the length of the Belgian coast. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of this place. I will go back this summer to take some photos.
7. ZEELAND [the netherlands]Zeeland is located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. The vegetation is a bit similar to West-Flanders, but the fields are wider, the population is lower and it is much more quiet. Zeeland has many beautiful beaches and cosy villages. Just take your bike, scooter or car and discover the authentic area by yourself.
Some places in Zeeland are quite touristic, with many bars and shops, but that also has a charm of course. - One of these places is Sluis, just one km from the Belgian border, and therefore, you'll find hundreds of Belgians enjoying their beers after biking there. Other places: - Nature reserve Oranjezon (see animal category page) - Cadzand: a beach-town, also located just a few kilometers away from the Belgian Border. - Middelburg: the capital city of Zeeland - Zoutelande: just a basic beach town, nevertheless super famous due to a Dutch song by BLØF and Geike Arnaert. |
8. SOUTH ENGLAND [united kingdom] -
You probably didn't expect England to be on this list. But yes. You can even go to England for just a day trip and you won't have to be sitting in the car for a whole day. Although it might depend on where you live.
First of all, you have to drive to Calais, in the north of France. This trip by car takes for me about 1 hours from Ostend, from Ghent and Brussels it is respectively a 1,5 hours and 2 hours drive. The cheapest way to reach England is by ferry, which takes about 1,5 hours. You can also drive your car on a train, then the crossing is only around 30 minutes, but it will make the trip definitely more expensive. 1,5 hours on the boat might seem long, but I can guarantee that it is actually a great experience. When you arrive in England, you are good to go, don't forget that you have to drive left. You don't have to drive to find beautiful locations, such as (in parentheses, the drive-time from the Ferry) - National Trust, The White Cliffs of Dover (5 minutes) - Cliffs between Dover and Folkestone (5-10 minutes) - The historical city of Canterbury. (About a 20 minutes) - Botany bay, Kent. (About 30 minutes) What places would you recommend yourself? If you have multiple days, follow the English coast further to the West. The further you go, the more beautiful it gets. This picture was taken in Capel-Le-Ferne. |
9. ROTTERDAM [the netherlands] - citytrip
Rotterdam is a quite modern city, just a one hour drive from Antwerp. The city is a perfect location for urban and modern photography. Sometimes people are a bit critical for the lack of charm. What is your opinion about this city? Write it in the comments below. I don't know the city very well myself.
The top locations for visiting and photography are:
- Delfshaven
- Cube houses [kubuswoningen]
- White house
- Erasmus Bridge
- Skyscrapers at the Wilhelmina Pier
Rotterdam is certainly on my to do list for this summer.
The top locations for visiting and photography are:
- Delfshaven
- Cube houses [kubuswoningen]
- White house
- Erasmus Bridge
- Skyscrapers at the Wilhelmina Pier
Rotterdam is certainly on my to do list for this summer.
10. étretat [france] - nature
Maybe a bit too far away from Belgium for a one day trip. So this should be in a 'top weekend list'. But it should definitely not be excluded from this list as well. Étretat is definitely one of my favourite places on this list. It can be slightly compared with Cap blanc Nez and gris nez. The only difference is that the cliffs are more impressive. The towns around are more impressive. The hikes are more impressive. The variety is more impressive. There is definitely much more to do and see. But this all comes with a cost. It's more touristic and also pricier, but a budget traveler can solve this easily.
Click on the pictures below to enlarge.
Click on the pictures below to enlarge.
11. INteresting places in northern france - in proGRESS
To be honest, I have only been a few times to Northern France, even though it is super close to where I live. I am quite sure there are many things to discover. Many people love the city of Lille, personally, I didn't find it that special. Nevertheless, not far away from Lille, there are some places that caught my attention. Visiting each place separately, is not enough to fill a whole day. The trip is only worth it when you combine some places.
1. First stop: Spoil Hills close to Lens [Terril De Loos En Gohelle]. A short but intense hike leads you to the top of the hills, offering a wonderful panorama over the city of Lens and nearby agricultural fields. Don't leave the marked paths, since the fauna is very fragile. I walked the trail during the 2020 heatwave and had to bear 36°C temperatures. At the surface of the spoil hills, it's definitely much hotter.
2. Second stop: Abbaye du mont Saint-Éloi. Just a 15 minutes drive from the spoil hills. You'll find the remains of the Abbaye du mont Saint-Éloi. The abbey was built in the 11th century, but was heavily damaged and destroyed during the French revolution in 1793. The remains are impressive.
3. More places to be added soon.
1. First stop: Spoil Hills close to Lens [Terril De Loos En Gohelle]. A short but intense hike leads you to the top of the hills, offering a wonderful panorama over the city of Lens and nearby agricultural fields. Don't leave the marked paths, since the fauna is very fragile. I walked the trail during the 2020 heatwave and had to bear 36°C temperatures. At the surface of the spoil hills, it's definitely much hotter.
2. Second stop: Abbaye du mont Saint-Éloi. Just a 15 minutes drive from the spoil hills. You'll find the remains of the Abbaye du mont Saint-Éloi. The abbey was built in the 11th century, but was heavily damaged and destroyed during the French revolution in 1793. The remains are impressive.
3. More places to be added soon.
Terril De Loos En Gohelle
|
Abbaye du mont Saint-Éloi
|
12. mont saint-MICHEL - [FRANCE] - nature and culture
|
A bit too far for a day trip, but definitely a must see, not too far away from Belgium!
I had great expectations for my trip to the Mont Saint-Michel. My trip was very short, but exceeded my expectations by far! The nature around the Mont Saint-Michel is fantastic. The vast majority of people drive to one of the paying car parks around Mont Saint-Michel and then walk via the Bridge to the entrance of the town. There is also an option to take the bus. Since we didn't want to spend fortunes on parking, we thought of leaving the car at a free lot, a little bit further away from Mont saint-Michel and taking small bicycles with us. In the spontaneity of the trip we forgot to take the bicycles with us. It later turned out that they were not necessary at all! We parked in a small hamlet, a few kilometers before the car park, from there you can walk through the fields to Mont Saint-Michel. It's about the same distance than walking from the car parks! I wouldn't be surprised if it is even shorter! Unlike the road, where you have a less beautiful view and where you are surrounded by people, you pass sheep in the fields, where hardly any people walk. It's really a fantastic environment. From the fields you can also access the end of the bridge, from where you reach the Mont Saint-Michel. So forget about the expensive paying car parks and park your car for free in the hamlet called 'La Rive', where the fantastic walk starts. There is also a beautiful winding river, during my visit it was unfortunately dried out, but you have probably already seen it on social media. I will not release the location to keep it a secret, but you can search for yourself. The village itself is of course also a nice place to visit, many thin streets with small cozy shops lead you to the top of the hill, where you arrive at the large abbey. The village has a population of about 43 anno 2020. Take into account that there are thousands of visitors in the village, even in times of Corona. Because of this I only visited the town very shortly. This is one of the most touristic places in all of France, next to the Eiffel Tower and the palace of Versailles. I will not talk about the history of the Mont Saint-Michel here, you should look it up online. 😁 Och, one more tip. Don't cross these 'dry' rivers, as you can see on the pictures on the left. They look easy to cross, until you take one step and you start sinking away. Luckily my girlfriend was there to save me! |
Le Mont Saint-Michel
I almost sank away in the mudd.
|
13. THE DROWNED LAND OF SAEFTINGHE [THE NETHERLANDS]
An extraordinary place just across the border with The Netherlands in the province of Zeeland.
The nature reserve is around 3580 hectares and is located next to the Schelde river. There are some paths around and inside the nature reserve. You can also spot different kinds of birds and even sheep.
The colour of the vegetation depends on the season but it's mostly green. The colour of the pictures below are an artistic interpretation and might give a wrong image.
The nature reserve is around 3580 hectares and is located next to the Schelde river. There are some paths around and inside the nature reserve. You can also spot different kinds of birds and even sheep.
The colour of the vegetation depends on the season but it's mostly green. The colour of the pictures below are an artistic interpretation and might give a wrong image.
|
|
14. INteresting places around utrecht
|
1. De Utrechtse Heuvelrug [Utrecht Hill Ridge] A stunning nature reserve with heath landscape, hills and forests. You can also walk and bike between Scottish highlanders. A spectacular experience! 2. The pyramid of Austerlitz The 36-meter-high pyramid was built by Napoleon's army in 1804. It is located on one of the highest points of the Utrecht Hill Ridge, the pyramid is definitely an interesting sight. 3. The lonely Oak You need a drone to see this incredible pattern from above. I needed to stitch multiple shots together to get the whole circle in one image. Nevertheless, the nature around the lonely oak is definitely beautiful on its own. |
The pyramid of Austerlitz - Traveltower
The lonely oak - Traveltower
|
15. CAP BLANC NEZ - CAP GRIS NEZ [france] - nature
|
Less than an hour drive away from the westernmost border between Belgium and France, Cap Gris and Blanc Nez can be found. It's a stunning location to watch white chalk cliffs and you can even spot England. It's one of the trips I made the most during the past years. There is so much to do and the landscape is totally different than what we're used to in Flanders.
Other than hiking and falling in love with the nature, you can find fossils and ammonites on the beach, spot seals, try out the local dishes or enjoy the traditional architecture. Get back on the cliffs before high tide, or your shoes will drown. Also be aware, there is a high possibility of heavy wind when you reach the top. Best reachable by car, you don't have to pay road taxes to use the highway. Also parking is free. |
Cliffs at Cap Blanc Nez - Traveltower
|
16. Paris ma belle [France]
Paris is always a good idea, and the cool thing is that it's only about a 3 hours drive from Belgium.
With the train from Brussels, you can get there even faster.
I've met there back in 2022 with a few photographers from different nations, and in one day, we were able to see many great spots.
However, it's more convenient to stay there a weekend or multiple days, to be able to visit all the highlights without rushing.
With the train from Brussels, you can get there even faster.
I've met there back in 2022 with a few photographers from different nations, and in one day, we were able to see many great spots.
However, it's more convenient to stay there a weekend or multiple days, to be able to visit all the highlights without rushing.
