18 interesting activities to do in Belgium. Click on one of the other category pages for more great day trips in Belgium
​NL: [Binnenkort zal de website ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar zijn.]

1. Flowercarpet - BRUSSELs

​This event takes place every 2 years in August at the Grand Place in Brussels. Almost 1 million flowers are required to complete the massive flower carpet. Every time, the carpet has a different theme, the last one featured cultural elements of a state in Mexico, Guanajuato. 

The carpet is usually 70 meters long and 24 meters wide. The flowers being used are mostly begonia's, dahlia's, grass and bark. More than a hundred volunteers place the flowers in less than 8 hours.

2. ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN - Brussels

In the gardens of the royal palace of the Belgian King in Laeken, one can find the royal greenhouses. These greenhouses are filled with a huge amount of (sub)tropical plants and very rare flowers and trees from all over the world. Normally the gardens and greenhouses are not open for public, but every year around mid- april, the greenhouses are accessible for public for 3 weeks. This is because King Leopold the second wanted to give the public a glimpse of paradise.
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The greenhouses themselves are incredible pieces of architecture, they were build at the end of the 19th century.

Combine this visit with another place around Brussels, to get the most of your day.

For example:
- Brussels city tour 
- Hallerbos (forest)
-  ...

3. THE Crystal Ship - STREET ART TOUR - OSTEND

The Crystal ship is a street art event in Ostend that can be visited any day of the year. You just can't visit Ostend, without seeing one of the artworks, even without paying attention. Since 2016, every year new murals and interventions are created. I love the big mural drawings, but also small and hard to find art pieces can be found through the city. I didn't even know there were several locations within 250 meters of my house.

For more information: visit the official website: 'The Crystal Ship'
Or use the street art tour with a chatbot. 

When on desktop: click on the pictures below to enlarge.

4. C-MINE GENK

C - mine used to be a coal mine site named 'Winterslag'. The mine closed in 1988. Now the site is a place where startups can work and educational missions can take place. It's also a perfect place for families and photographers to do expeditions and photography or enjoy a tour around the site. You can also climb one of the mine towers.
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In the courtyard of the site, there is a giant maze called the 'Labyrint'. It's actually an art piece by 'Gijs Van Vaerenbergh'. I found it very creative and it's a wonderfull place for kids to have fun or for photographers to search for great angles.
The labyrinth - traveltower
The labyrinth - Traveltower
C-mine tower - Traveltower
C-mine tower - Traveltower

You can park for free a the C-mine parking. The courtyard and Labyrinth are free to enter. To enter the buildings themselves, having tours, educational sessions and for climbing the tower, you have to pay.

5. canoeing on the ghentian canals

Picture
Explore the medieval city center of Ghent in an original way. In Ghent, the Leie debouches into the Schelde and both rivers are connected with multiple canals. The name Ghent is derived from the latin word Gandavum, which means river mouth.
The Leie flows straight through the historical city center. So rent a kayak or canoe and explore the city in an epic way. One of the places where you can rent a kayak/canoe, is at the Uppelink Hostel. You can also take a boat tour or rent your own mini yacht.

On the picture you can see 2 of my friends having a great time close to the Graslei. © Gilliansweetlove

6. TROLL forest - BOOM

On the grounds of the famous festival Tomorrowland, and the forest next to it, you can find seven giant wooden troll sculptures. 
The sculptures are created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo.
Can you find them all? ​:)

Also recommended for people who want to visit the 'holy grounds' of tomorrowland.

Location: De Schorre - Boom.
wooden troll scuplture in Boom, Belgium.
One of the seven troll sculptures - Traveltower

7. Take a chairlift to reach the highest peaks of ... West-Flanders

Come on, this is one of the funniest things to do! The chairlift was featured in the famous Belgian soap: 'Eigen Kweek'. 
Enjoy your trip and the great views on 'Heuvelland'

TIP: The name of the chairlift is 'Kabelbaan Cordoba' which is located in Westouter. A return ticket for the chairlift costs 6 euros per person (dd. 2023).

8. VISIT ONE OF THE MANY GREAT FESTIVALS IN BELGIUM

Belgium is the capital of beer, chocolate and waffles. But we also have hundreds of festivals.
The most known ones:

- Tomorrowland (Dance)
- Rock Werchter (Pop & Rock)
- Pukkelpop (Pop)
- Graspop (Rock & Metal)
- Dour (Hiphop, Rock, Dance)
- TW Classic (Rock)
- Suikerrock (Rock)
- Les Ardentes (Hiphop)
- Lokerse Feesten (Pop)
- Rampage open air (drum&bass & dubstep)
- Alcatraz (Metal & Hardrock)
- Couleur café  (Soul, Funk, Reggae)
- Reggae geel (Reggae)
- Many many more...

Every weekend and many weekdays in summer, different festivals take place in different music styles. So take a look at all of the festivals, and the smaller festivals in your region and enjoy.

9. Go skiing in walloniA

Aerial photo of pine trees in winter - traveltowerAerial photo of pine trees covered by snow - Traveltower
Skiing in Belgium.. you might laugh if you think about it, but it is actually possible. Of course, you can't compare it to skiing in the alps, but it's definitely better than indoors. The slopes are longer than indoors and it is always good to be outside. 
There are a few ski regions in Belgium. With most regions having about 1 or 2 km of slopes. One of the most known slopes in Belgium is the Baraque Fraiture in the province of Luxembourg. One other mentionable ski region is Ovivat, where there is even a red slope. The prices for renting and using the slopes are very affordable.

Check out the current snow height and snowfall predictions on the website of the Maasmechelen weather station.
In worst case, you can always ski indoor in one of the indoor ski regions:
- Snowvalley in Peer
- Ice Mountain in Komen/Comines
- Aspen in Wilrijk
- Snowworld in Terneuzen (NL)

10. BREWERY TOUR

A walk in the quiet Flemish farmlands combined with drinking the world's best beers. How much better can a day trip get?

The Sint-Bernardus Brewery close to Watou and the Sint-Sixtus abbey and brewery in West-Vleteren are both located quite close to each other in 'De Westhoek'. The breweries are surrounded by quiet fields, where it's perfect to walk or bike. Try one of the world's best beers at one of the breweries or enjoy an informative tour. 

The brewery of the Sint-Sixtusabdij in West-Vleteren brews the famous West-Vleteren beer, which was voted as the best beer in the world for multiple years. Currently, the Westvleteren 12 XII holds the third place in the ranking on Ratebeer.com. Try out multiple samples of Sint-Bernardus beers at the new rooftop bar above the brewery.

11. RUINS and historical places in HAINAUT

Ruins are always great to see, especially ruins from cathedrals and churches. I've visited Abbaye d'Aulne in Hainaut and it was truly above expectations. I won't tell to much about the site and won't post many pictures about it, since you really have to discover the site yourself. Also the nature around the site is beautiful. The entrance fee to the site is 5 euro for adults (2023).

There is also another similar site close by, the remains of the Abbay of Villers. I haven't been there myself yet, but I heard it is also a great place to see. The entrance fee to that site is € 9 for an adult (2023), but there are some discounts for students and seniors. Teachers can even enter for free. I'll add some pictures once I've been there.
Abbaye d'Aulne
Abbaye d'Aulne
Abbaye d'Aulne
Abbaye d'Aulne

12. URBAN EXPLORING around CHARLEROI

An unwritten rule in Urbex is to not share the locations of the sites, and therefore I will not mention the locations or how to get there, however, these places that I mention here are really easy to find anyway.
 
​- Abandoned cooling tower
- Abandoned coal mine
- Abandoned coal factory
- ...
There are many more cool spots to find!

13. ABANDONED STATION - DINANT

As you may have noticed, I truly love Dinant and its surroundings. There is plenty to do and it is actually not too for away from Flanders. Next to incredible nature, castles and cosy villages/cities, there are also multiple interesting urbex locations in the region.

One of the highlights is this old train station called "station Château d'Ardenne". It was built in 1874 and it's closed and abandoned since 1919. The station was built to reach a luxury hotel located in a castle on the hill, only rich and royal people were able to use it.

14. INTERESTING SPOTS AT THE BELGIAN COASTLINE

There are some interesting spots at the Belgian coastline that are easily overlooked. A few of these locations are mentioned below, in the near future, I'll add some more.

Nieuwpoort Rechteroever
- Dunes, beach, wooden paths and a fantastic lighthouse!

Oostende Oosteroever
- Dunes, beach, luxury 'skyscrapers' and a fantastic fortress (Fort Napoleon)

Blankenberge Pier

15. INTERNATIONAL FIREWORK FESTIVAL KNOKKE

Every year in August*, the international firework festival takes place in Knokke. I Live in Ostend, and we are used to fireworks, especially in summer, but I must say, the international firework festival is from another level. The fireworks and music create a special atmosphere. I saw firework shapes, that I've never seen before in my life. 

The event takes places on multiple days in August.

16. ASIAN architecture - BRUSSELS

Japanese Tower in Brussels
Japanese Tower
Close to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Brussels, you can find some stunning Asian-influenced architecture, like this Japanese tower and Chinese pavilion. These were built in order of King Leopold the second in the beginning of the 20th century. The buildings are in need of renovation, which will start soon. 

You can spot these buildings when you visit the Royal greenhouses of Laeken (see number 2 in this list), or when visiting the Atomium, which is closeby.
Chinese pavillion in Brussels
Chinese pavilion

17. WATERLOO PANORAMA

Also close to Brussels you can find the Waterloo memorial and Panorama. 
 
The Battle of Waterloo took place on June 18, 1815, Belgium was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands back then. The war resulted in Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat. The Allied forces, led by the Duke of Wellington and Prussian Field Marshal Blücher, emerged victorious, effectively ending the Napoleonic Wars with tens of thousands of soldiers losing their lives.
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Close to the old battlefield stands the Lion's Mound (Butte du Lion), a significant memorial. This man-made hill, crowned with a lion statue, was erected to honor the battle. Visitors can ascend the mound to enjoy a sweeping view of the battlefield, offering a unique vantage point of the historic site. There is also a memorial museum next to the hill. 

18. indoor activities - GAMES

There are multiple indoor activities you can do when there is rainy weather outside. Here is a list with a few possibilities you can do when you want to have fun and play games.
I'll add more of them to the list and information about where you can find the locations.

- Mario kart (or any other indoor kart): There are multiple in Belgium: see map
- Indoor paintball
- Indoor ski
- VR games
- Bubbleshoot
- Escape rooms
- ...
Day trips in Belgium. Leuke uitstapjes in België - © Traveltower 2024