Hi travel lovers! Merel here, and I can't wait to tell you about our recent discovery tour through Belgium. Two weeks in this tiny country turned out to be MUCH too short, surprisingly! Michael and I initially thought "how busy could we be in a country where you can drive from one end to the other in 3 hours?" The answer? INCREDIBLY BUSY!
This is not a standard travel blog where I tell you how beautiful the Grand Place is or how delicious the waffles are (though they are HEAVENLY). No, this is the real story of two Dutch people marveling at medieval cities, getting lost in narrow streets, desperately trying to survive beer tastings sober, and discovering that Belgians might understand us better than we thought – even though some of them speak French.
Brussels: where we fell in love and got frustrated simultaneously
Our Belgian adventure began in the capital, and my first thought upon leaving Brussels Central Station? "This is CHAOTIC". It was a drizzly Tuesday afternoon and the mix of tourists, businesspeople, and locals all rushing somewhere at once gave me instant culture shock.
Michael, always the level-headed Dutchman, stood in the middle of the station square with a strange look on his face staring at Google Maps. "The hotel is only a 15-minute walk, but I see about 8 different routes?" Welcome to Brussels, where streets don't run in logical patterns but rather lie tangled like a plate of spaghetti.
From Manneken Pis to political drama
After a near-death experience crossing a roundabout (Brussels residents drive like MANIACS, I swear), we finally reached our hotel in the Sint-Katelijne district. A cute boutique hotel that used to be a brewery – a perfect start to our Belgian beer journey.
Of course, we had to fulfill the classic tourist duty: visiting Manneken Pis. Let's be honest, anyone who says they weren't disappointed when seeing this tiny peeing man is lying. Michael stood breathlessly staring at it before saying: "THIS is what everyone talks about? My three-year-old nephew is more impressive when he pees!"
A local guide who noticed our disappointment told us that Manneken Pis actually has more than 1,000 different costumes, and that he is regularly dressed up for special occasions. This information made it a LITTLE bit better, but not much.
We found the real magic of Brussels at the Grand Place. I know it sounds like a tourist trap, but WOW. Those decorated golden buildings glowing in the evening sun are literally fairy-tale-like. We accidentally ended up there during a political protest (something with farmers and tractors), which created a rather strange mix of medieval splendor and contemporary drama.
Michael, hunting for the perfect photo, practically climbed on a statue until a local police officer kindly (but firmly) told him that "this isn't an amusement park, monsieur." The embarrassed flush on his face was almost as golden as the buildings around us.
The night we spent a fortune on beer
In the evening, we discovered Delirium Café, with their world record number of beers (more than 2,000!). What started as "let's try a few beers" ended with Michael seriously considering getting a Belgian beer brand as a tattoo.
"This is what beer should be!" he exclaimed dramatically after his fifth different Trappist. The bartender, Jean, couldn't contain his laughter when Michael tried to explain how "Dutch pilsners were watery compared to this divine brew."
An important lesson that night: Belgian beers are STRONG. What happened after beer number seven remains hazy, but there are photos of us dancing with a group of Italian tourists at the Grand Place at 1 AM. The headache the next morning was legendary, but according to Michael "worth every second of pain."
Ghent: where we almost became citizens
After two days in Brussels, we took the train to Ghent, which immediately became our new favorite Belgian city. Seriously, if you're going to Belgium, GO TO GHENT!
Medieval magic without the crowds
The first thing I noticed about Ghent was how it preserves all the good parts of a medieval city without being suffocated by tourists. The three iconic towers that rise above the city (the Belfry, St. Nicholas Church, and St. Bavo's Cathedral) literally gave me goosebumps.
We quickly discovered that Ghent is best explored by boat. Our boat guide, a charismatic Ghent native named Filip with a mustache that deserves its own postal code, told us stories about former guilds, rebellious Ghent citizens, and why Ghent residents are called "noose bearers" (something about rebelling against Charles V and having to walk with a noose around their neck as punishment – these people knew how to make a statement!).
Michael, thinking he was being funny, asked Filip if Ghent citizens were still so rebellious. Filip's answer: "Of course, why do you think we still don't take Brussels residents seriously?" Even the American tourists who didn't understand a word of Dutch had to laugh.
The castle where Michael became a medieval knight
Gravensteen Castle, a real medieval castle RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY, was an absolute highlight. Not just because of the impressive architecture, but also because Michael completely lost himself in the role-playing possibilities.
For someone who is otherwise so level-headed, it was hilarious to see him running through the castle corridors, swinging an imaginary sword and shouting "For Flanders!" A school trip of French children started encouraging him, which only fueled him more. The 45-year-old father in me whispering: "The dragons have taken over my castle!" is something I will cherish on my phone forever.
The medieval torture chamber in the castle was both fascinating and disturbing. Michael looked so interested in a particular torture device that a guard told him: "We don't rent it out, sir." His face was priceless!
Holy foodgasm in Ghent
What nobody tells you about Ghent is that it's a PARADISE for foodies. We discovered a small restaurant called 'Chez Léontine' where we ate beef stew with Gentse Strop (a local beer) that was so good I almost called my mother to tell her that her recipe had been beaten (sorry mom!).
Then there was the Friday Market, where we found freshly baked cinnamon buns that were so heavenly that Michael literally closed his eyes while eating them and mumbled to himself for a few seconds. A local woman next to us laughed and said in perfect Dutch: "The first time is always special, yes?"
Also got addicted to: neuzekes (cone-shaped candies that only exist in Ghent), Tierenteyn mustard (so strong your nose hairs spontaneously curl), and of course more specialty beer. By the end of day three in Ghent, we'd both developed a "beer belly," but it was EVERY. EXTRA. CALORIE. WORTH IT.
Antwerp: fashion, diamonds, and that time Michael was almost arrested
After Ghent, we headed to Antwerp, the diamond and fashion capital of Belgium. We took the train (Belgian trains are both a blessing and a curse, by the way – they go everywhere but are never on time).
The station that's actually worth the visit itself
Antwerp Central is perhaps the most beautiful train station in the world. No joke. It's so majestic that we literally wandered around with our mouths open for half an hour before even going into the city. A local businessman noticed us and dryly said: "It's just a station, you know?" Belgians are clearly spoiled with their architecture!
We stayed in the hip 't Zuid, a neighborhood full of art galleries, vintage shops, and trendy cafés. Our Airbnb host, Eva, was a fashion designer who immediately told us we were "dressed too Dutch" (ouch!). When we asked what that meant, she pointed to Michael's practical hiking shoes and my rain jacket and said: "You're clearly prepared for a natural disaster, not a city trip." Touché, Eva.
That time we dined royally (and Michael wanted to steal a mannequin)
Antwerp's fashion museum (MoMu) was at the top of my list, and when we heard there was a special exhibition about Belgian designers, I couldn't believe my luck. Michael, who normally considers fashion to be "a shirt without holes," became surprisingly fascinated by the story of the Antwerp Six.
So fascinated, in fact, that he seriously considered buying a designer coat worth thousands of euros until I reminded him that our mortgage also needed to be paid. His alternative plan was to "borrow" a mannequin with a trendy outfit for a photo, which almost ended in a conversation with security. "But I just wanted to touch it!" is apparently not a valid excuse in a fashion museum.
In the evening, we ate at a restaurant called 'Het Pomphuis,' a former pumping station on the Scheldt River that has been converted into an elegant restaurant. The waitress told us that the royal family occasionally dines there, which prompted Michael to sit up straight and try to "chew royally" – whatever that means. His attempts to order with a non-existent Belgian accent ("I would laaik ze filet de bøøf, please") made the waitress have to hold back her laughter.
Diamond District: where Michael suddenly wanted to become a jeweler
A visit to Antwerp is not complete without visiting the Diamond District. As we walked through the streets where billions in diamonds are traded daily, I noticed Michael becoming increasingly quiet.
"Do you think I'd make a good diamond trader?" he suddenly asked.
"You? The man who can't even tell when I've had my hair cut?" I replied laughing.
A local jeweler who overheard this invited us in for a "quick lesson in diamond knowledge." What followed was a fascinating 30 minutes in which Michael learned about the 4 C's of diamonds. By the end, he was trying to use terms like "excellent brilliant" and "VS1 clarity" as if he'd known them all his life. The jeweler winked at me and played along perfectly.
The amazement on Michael's face when the jeweler casually mentioned that the small diamond he was holding "was worth about 15,000 euros" was priceless. He returned it as if it had suddenly caught fire.
Bruges: where it felt like we stepped into a living fairy tale
After hip Antwerp, we traveled to Bruges, and WHAT A CONTRAST! From modern fashion to a city literally stuck in the Middle Ages – in the best possible way.
Did we accidentally end up on a movie set?
My first thought upon entering Bruges' old center: "Is this real? Or have we landed on a movie set?" The answer is yes, it's real, and yes, it's also been used as a movie set (In Bruges, anyone?).
The combination of canals, medieval buildings, and horse carriages clattering over the cobblestones creates an atmosphere so surreal that you constantly have to pinch yourself. Michael did this literally and now has a bruise on his arm.
We quickly discovered that Bruges is best experienced by aimlessly wandering around. Every turn brings a new postcard moment. The local guide we spoke to, Maaike, told us that Bruges' beauty is actually due to its economic downfall in the Middle Ages – when the harbor silted up, development stopped, leaving everything perfectly preserved.
"You're actually admiring a 500-year-old economic drama," she said laughing. "But we're happy with our failed harbor now!"
The chocolate incident that almost bankrupted us
Bruges is known for its chocolate, and oh my GOD, it's as good as they say. We visited the Choco-Story museum, where Michael became so obsessed with the chocolate-making process that he spent three hours chatting with a chocolatier named Marc.
By the end of our visit, we had visited so many chocolate shops that we had developed a system to rate them. Criteria included "mouthfeel" (yes, we became THOSE people), "complexity," and "wow factor." Our favorite was a small, inconspicuous shop called 'The Chocolate Line,' where the chocolatier, Dominique Persoone, experiments with flavors like bacon, tobacco, and curry.
Michael literally bought so much chocolate that we had to check if our hotel had a refrigerator. The hotel owner saw our bags and dryly said: "Ah, you've done the Chocolate Tour. I'll send extra towels for the chocolate stains." Apparently, we weren't the first tourists to get overenthusiastic.
The Belfry challenge and the duckling rescue mission
Climbing the 366 steps of the Belfry seemed like a good idea... until we were halfway up. The narrow, spiral stone staircase felt endless, and Michael started openly fantasizing about a "medieval escalator startup."
But, oh how the view at the top was worth it! All of Bruges stretched out beneath us like a living miniature city. It was so perfect it seemed fake, like a model railroad built by an obsessive collector.
As we looked over the edge, Michael noticed a family of ducks in one of the canals below. "Look! Baby ducklings!" he cried so enthusiastically that three Japanese tourists next to us jumped aside startled.
Later that day, we went looking for those ducks and actually found them by a small canal in a quiet neighborhood. As we photographed them, a local woman passed by who gave us a bag of old bread. "For the ducks," she said smiling. "They're more famous than you think." Apparently, these ducks were a local attraction with their own Instagram account (@BrugesDuckFamily - not really, but it should be!).
Charleroi: where we discovered the REAL side of Belgium
Our last stop was Charleroi, a choice that made many Belgians we met frown. "Why on earth would you want to go to Charleroi?" was a common reaction. But I'm always curious about places with a bad reputation, and Michael is always game for an adventure.
From industrial decay to urban cool
Charleroi has the reputation of being Belgium's ugliest city, but what we found was a fascinating mix of post-industrial decay and emerging urban cool. Yes, there are abandoned factories and gray buildings, but there's also a raw authenticity that you don't find in tourist cities like Bruges.
We did an "Urban Safari" tour, led by a local photographer named Jules, who took us to abandoned industrial sites that are slowly being taken over by street artists and grassroots cultural projects.
"In Charleroi, we don't hide our scars, we make art from them," Jules told us as he showed us a huge mural on a former steel factory.
Michael, who normally likes tourist things like "beautiful churches and nice terraces," became completely fascinated by the industrial aesthetic. He took so many photos of rusty machines and peeling paint that I joked he was going through a phase as an "industrial artist."
The delicious food in the "ugliest city"
What surprised us most about Charleroi was the FOOD. We found a small bistro called 'Chez Raoul' that didn't look special from the outside, but inside served the best stoemp (mashed potatoes with vegetables) I've ever tasted.
The chef, a big man with tattoos and a friendly smile, came to our table when he heard we were speaking Dutch. "Ah, Dutchies! You know what good food is, right?" he said winking. Before we could answer, an extra plate of homemade pâté appeared "for tasting."
That evening, we discovered that Charleroi also has an emerging craft beer scene. In a microbrewery called 'La Manufacture Urbaine,' we tasted beers made with water from the local river (purified, the brewer assured us) and inspired by the industrial history.
Michael became so excited about a beer called "Le Pays Noir" (The Black Country - Charleroi's nickname due to its mining past) that he tried to get the recipe from the brewer. He laughed and said: "If I tell you that, I'll have to keep you here as a hostage, and you Dutch eat too much!" A joke about our Dutch frugality that we could actually appreciate.
What we've learned (about travel, Belgium, and ourselves)
Two weeks in Belgium taught us that this small country is SO much more than chocolate, beer, and EU bureaucracy (although the chocolate and beer are truly spectacular).
About travel:
- The best experiences often come from random conversations with locals
- Smaller cities are just as fascinating (and often more authentic) than the major attractions
- Never trust a Belgian who says "this beer isn't that strong"
- A country can be geographically small but culturally enormously diverse
- The best restaurants don't have TripAdvisor stickers on the door
About Belgium:
- It's actually three countries in one (Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels)
- The language border is REAL - a "bonjour" in Flanders can lead to raised eyebrows
- Every city, no matter how small, has its own local specialties and pride
- Belgian "fries" are indeed better than Dutch "patat" (this hurts to admit)
- They take food SERIOUSLY - a meal is an event, not a necessary break
About ourselves:
- Michael gets emotional about good beer and can remember Belgian Trappist brand names better than my family members' names
- I'm willing to ignore any dietary restriction for a Liège waffle with fresh whipped cream
- Together, we're better at navigating medieval city centers than we thought
- My French is terrible, but Belgians appreciate the effort
- We can both eat surprisingly large amounts of chocolate before feeling sick (the limit is around 7 pralines, for future reference)
Our top 10 Belgian moments (that aren't in travel guides)
That time Michael imitated "Manneken Pis" in a square in Brussels, not knowing there was a school trip behind him. The teacher was not amused, the children all the more.
The perfectly poured beer in a small village outside Ghent, where the bartender carefully dipped the glass in a special rinsing basin before filling it. When Michael asked why, the man looked at him as if he'd asked why people breathe.
The morning we woke up in Bruges and discovered that a medieval market had been set up during the night. People in full historical costumes tried to sell us herbs and hand-sewn leather bags while we felt guilty in our modern clothes for not participating.
Discovering jenever in a small café in Antwerp. The bartender served us more than 10 flavors, from raspberry to vanilla to pepper. Michael's favorite was the chocolate jenever, of course.
The wonderful hospitality of our B&B owner in Ghent, who noticed I had a cold and without asking delivered a thermos of homemade chicken soup to our room with a note: "Flemish medicine, better than your Dutch licorice."
Our bike fail in Charleroi, when we thought it was a good idea to do the industrial route by bike. The bikes we rented were city bikes without gears, and the hills were MUCH steeper than they looked. When we finally returned, the rental guy laughed: "I wondered why you didn't want electric ones."
That one amazing sunset in Antwerp, when we walked along the Scheldt and the sky seemed to be on fire. We sat on a bench for two hours, watching the changing colors, while a local street musician played guitar. One of those perfect moments you can't plan.
The cookie factory tour in Brussels, where we actually ended up accidentally when we took shelter from the rain. The owner, a man in his 70s who made each cookie by hand, showed us his recipe book that was more than 100 years old.
That bizarre night in a jazz cellar in Brussels, where we ended up after following a group of hipster-looking locals. The music was great, the red wine was terrible, but the experience was unforgettable. Michael tried to join in with an improvisation session and was politely but firmly rejected by the saxophonist.
The moment we decided to spontaneously drive to Luxembourg (because it was "so close") and after an hour of driving discovered we were going the wrong way and were actually heading to France. In our defense: the signage was confusing and we were distracted by a discussion about whether chocolate mousse is better than tiramisu (the answer is of course chocolate mousse).
Our tips for your Belgium trip
If you're considering going to Belgium (and you ABSOLUTELY should), here are our main tips:
Travel slowly. Yes, you CAN see five cities in a week, but should you want to? We discovered that two full days per city is the minimum to really taste the atmosphere.
Learn a few basic words in both Dutch and French. Even if your accent is completely wrong (like mine), Belgians greatly appreciate the effort.
Eat locally. Forget international chains - Belgium has a rich culinary tradition that goes far beyond waffles and chocolate (although those are also amazing!).
Try the beer, even if you're not a beer drinker. Belgian beers are a world apart. There's a reason they're UNESCO heritage! Just be careful with the alcohol percentages...
Look beyond the tourist attractions. Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent are great, but don't forget the smaller towns and villages, or even the rougher edges like Charleroi.
Don't plan everything. Some of our best experiences came from wandering without purpose, taking a side street, or following a local's advice.
Talk to the people. Belgians are much more accessible than their stereotypes suggest, and they have amazing stories and tips.
Bring comfortable shoes. Those medieval cobblestones look picturesque in photos, but are murder on your feet after a day of walking around.
Limit your expectations for Manneken Pis. Seriously, it's REALLY small.
Bring an extra suitcase for chocolate. You think I'm exaggerating. I'm not.
Finally: why Belgium is a perfect short trip
Belgium may not be an obvious destination like Paris or Rome, but it has an incredible mix of culture, history, food, and charm in a small, easy-to-travel package.
The country has a kind of modest pride that we've come to greatly appreciate - Belgians know they have good things, but they're not arrogant. There's a reason they speak three official languages but can still communicate with everyone: adaptability is in their DNA.
We left with suitcases full of chocolate, heads full of memories, and a new respect for this small country that is so often overlooked. Oh, and Michael now has a tattoo appointment to get a Belgian beer bottle on his arm. I've managed to convince him to wait until we get home.
Until next time, adventurers!
Love, Merel and Michael
P.S. I wonder if we should explore southern Belgium next time? I hear the Ardennes are beautiful... and they have beer there too... hmm...
