Hidden Gems in Belgium_ unexpected unusual places you should explore besides Brussels

Belgium, my home country is probably one of the most underrated countries in Europe. It is often skipped by travelers and when they do visit, it often remains with a quick visit to Brussels, Bruges or Ghent and a quick taste of the Belgian chocolate, beer and waffles. But beyond those lies a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. From quaint medieval castles, fairytale locations and natural splendor, let's embark on a journey to uncover the hidden wonders of this fascinating little country. So buckle up and get ready to explore the unexpected beauty of Belgium. In this episode, I'm going to take you to 10 unexpected and unusual places in Belgium. Hidden gems you don't expect finding in this small country. So if you are interested in going off the beaten path, keep watching. If you think you can only find tulip fields in the Netherlands, think again. Also in the province of East Flanders in Belgium, in the polders of Meerdonk near the border with the Netherlands, several tulip fields have been planted. Dutch farmers rent fields here to grow tulip bulbs. Since tulips are very sensitive to diseases, growers can only plant tulips on the same plot every 6 to 7 years, which is why they come here to lease fields. It's a nice area to rent a bike and cycle along the fields. Please do not enter the fields without permission of the farmer. Somewhere deep in the woods of Rouillet, along the rails you can find the ruins of train station Royal Dardenne. This abandoned train station was built by King Leopold II in the 19th century. He had opened a luxurious hotel and wanted to welcome his guests in all gondor, so he built his train station looking like a castle. The guests arriving here by train were taken to the hotel by carriage through the woods. After the First World War, the station remained closed. Since it is old and not secured, a visit is at your own risk. About 45 kilometers south from Brussels, the ruins of the impressive old abbey of Villers-la-Ville can be explored. It was built in the 13th century by Cistercian monks. It's incredible to walk between the ancient walls and explore every corner of these ruins. The church is the most remarkable building, but you can also explore places like the kitchens, the dormitories, the guesthouse, the pharmacy with its incredible herb garden, and even a vineyard. La Maison de Harico is situated in a small town called Véry. It used to be a restaurant, but ever since the pandemic I honestly don't know what happened to its use. All I know is that it looks like a house coming straight out of a fairy tale. The house is built by Dominique Noël, it took him 7 years and he tried to do it as ecological as possible. He used local wood and stones from a nearby quarry. A lot of elements come from recovery. Not too far from it you can find dolmen and manures. They are over 5000 years old, but what's even more mystical and mysterious is that the stones are perfectly aligned in a region of 8 kilometers. I tried to time travel to find me a gorgeous man like in the series Outlander, but unfortunately I forgot my gemstones so it didn't work. In the most southern part of Belgium there is an extremely gorgeous town that looks similar to the Provence called Tourny. The little village looks like a fairy tale with its soft yellow houses decorated with flowers and the lavender growing in the tiny front yards. Beautiful vineyards cover the hills surrounding the town and you can go wine tasting. Somewhere high on the granite cliffs along the river Amblev, once stood a big castle. Now all that is left of the Chateau d'Amblev are its ruins. The castle dates back from the 11th century but got destroyed in 1578 when it was occupied by a garrison of William of Orange and got attacked by the Catholic troops on order of the Spaniards. It was never restored and now it is an overgrown castle ruin that makes you feel like Indiana Jones when you are exploring it. Even though there are private signs everywhere, a lot of locals are visiting this place as if it is their daily walk with their dog. Just be aware these are ruins and there are a lot of loose rocks. Also in Belgium we have a little hobbit hut which is situated in a recreational park called Domaine de Chevetogne. Off season this park is free to visit. The hobbit hut comes from an event called Salon Passion Robinson where architects and builders come to build all sorts of cabins, yurts, tree tents and so on. Normally these creations are taken down but the park kept its hobbit house. This hidden gem is located in the forest near a pond with a wooden bridge. Deep in the forest near Obie-sur-Seumois hides a cave carved in limestone rock overhanging the Seumois river, containing an altar dedicated to Saint Remakle. The relief on the altar represents the saint and a wolf. According to the legend, Saint Remakle used to live here with his donkey thanks to gifts from the nearby village inhabitants. When Satan discovered this, he turned into a wolf to attack the donkey, but during the attack, Saint Remakle's rosary fell around his neck and Saint Remakle was able to dominate the wolf. One of the most secretive places of Belgium is the Wizard's Cabin. This is the best kept hidden gem of Belgium. It is a rule among its discoverers to never share its location. It is hidden somewhere at the borders of a forest in the Namur, Provence, and it comes with an interesting story. One day an American traveler visited a very large estate with all its meadows. He liked it, so he asked the owner to build a small house, so he could return whenever he wanted. The property would be of the owner, so he agreed, and the cabin was built with recovered material. Strangely, the American never returned. True adventure seekers will enjoy the quest to look for this hidden gem. Another place you will never believe it is in Belgium is this quarry. Belgium has a fair amount of them, and some are filled with water like this one. This makes them look like emerald green lakes surrounded by beautiful grey canyons somewhere in Canada. But never ever go swimming in them. It is dangerous. Most of them are private property and it is not allowed to enter their grounds. But for those who are a little more adventurous than the average person can give it a try to explore these hidden places in Belgium. This one I found in the woods in the Provence of Namur. How I find these locations? I have to admit I have a special talent for finding hidden gems all over the world. So if you want to become an expert in finding off the beaten path locations as well, I advise you to get my Hidden Gems Expert Guide in which I share all my tips and tricks to find those secret places. All details of the hikes and places mentioned in this video can be found on my blog. I'll link it in the video description down below. I hope you enjoyed this video, don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe so you don't miss out on any future videos. More videos about hidden gems in Belgium are coming up. Thanks for watching!