Top 10 Places to Visit in Belgium 2026 | Europe Travel Guide

Belgium may be small, but it's packed full of sights. UNESCO-acclaimed sites in the capital city of Brussels range from 14th-century guild halls surrounding the elegant Grand Place to the early 20th-century Art Nouveau townhouses of Victor Horta. Bruges is a major attraction for tourists, with its perfectly preserved medieval streets rimming tranquil canals that lure flocks of travellers each year. Although Bruges is by far Belgium's most popular place to visit, plenty of other towns in the country, particularly Ghent and Mechelen, retain excellent architectural examples from the Middle Ages as well. This small nation has been right at the forefront of Europe's history, with many of the continent's most important events played out across its countryside. In this video, we're going to be taking a look at the top 10 rated tourist attractions in Belgium. And just wait till you see what's at number 2 that we're going to be showing in this video, something you would never even have thought of, so make sure you watch till the end. Before we begin, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more awesome travel guides and make sure you hit the notification bell so that you know when we publish a new video. Let's cut to the chase. At 10, Waterloo. Yes, history fans, it is that Waterloo, the place where Napoleon was defeated in the famous battle and perhaps a little to do with the Eurovision Song Contest winner by ABBA. Today, the countryside where the battle once roared is a bucolic landscape of agricultural fields, but an artificial hill rises up from the surrounding flatlands with a memorial lion sculpture atop the summit to commemorate the day when Napoleon's army was finally stopped. From the top, there are excellent views across the countryside. For anyone interested in the history of Belgium and of greater Europe, Waterloo remains an important stop on the itinerary. Next up at 9, Ghent's canals. For easy sightseeing while in Ghent, simply take to the water. Several companies offer sightseeing trips, both public and private options, upon Ghent's waterways, which wind through the city's medieval old town district, passing by the famed guild-halled facades that line the canals, its medieval harbour, and some of Ghent's monasteries and churches. Most canal cruise options are either 40 minutes or one hour. Departures are regular throughout the day, from approximately March through November, with fewer departures during winter. As well as the sightseeing cruises, a couple of companies offer kayak rental, so you can explore the canals at your own speed. At 8, it's Mechelen Old Town. Its monuments may not be as famous as those in visitor-favourite Bruges, but Mechelen's Old Town area is a great place to capture a sense of medieval Belgium, with plenty of gabled architecture and fine old buildings still in situ. The central Grote Markt is bordered by some exceptionally fine buildings, including the Town Hall and Laken Hall, while the impressive Sint-Rambourg Cathedral, with its tall clock tower, rises up just behind. Away from the main square, a stroll through the centre will also reveal plenty of typical guildhouse architecture that history fans are sure to want to see. At 7, it's Meuse Valley. The Meuse Valley, south of Brussels, is one of the best places to get a feel for Belgium's rural heartland. The Meuse River offers Belgium's most scenic river trip opportunities, with dense forest countryside interspersed with hilltop craggy castle and fortress ruins, and little waterfront towns backed by limestone cliffs. Head to either the towns of Namur or Dinant to plan your river trip. Both these small centres act as gateways to this region. The Meuse Valley is also home to a host of hiking and cycling trails for travellers who want to add some activities into their holiday. At 6, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Bruges. If you're only going to visit one church in Bruges, make it this one. The Basilica of the Holy Blood is not only impressive for its blending of Romanesque and late Gothic architecture, but also for the sacred relic kept inside. The upper chapel is home to the famous Vial, for which the church takes its name, said to contain a drop of Jesus Christ's blood that was brought back to Belgium after the Second Crusade. The interior of the church is a dazzling riot of guild work that was completed in the 16th century and provides ample reason for a visit, even if you're not interested in holy relics. At 5, Ghent's Grevenstein and Old Town. This hugely impressive fort was once the grand home of the Counts of Flanders, who took their inspiration for castle building from the bulky castles the Crusaders built in Syria. Today, Grevenstein is one of Europe's best surviving examples of a moated fortress and has been incredibly well preserved. Its strong and impressively thick and high walls soar up from the waters of the River Lieve right in the middle of the Old Town of Ghent, rising above the rooftops of the surrounding streets. Inside, the vast arched halls and chambers contain exhibits of medieval life, but it's the castle's architecture itself that is the real star of the show. Climb up the staircase to the roof for panoramic views across town before strolling through Ghent's charming stone-paved streets. At 4, the Belfry of Bruges. Among the most recognizable sites in Belgium, this beautiful belfry, officially known as Belfort Med Bayard, dominates the main square of Bruges. Dating from the 13th century, this medieval-era tower is attached to a building that once functioned as the main town market hall and has been wonderfully preserved, allowing visitors a real taste of the architectural might of the Middle Ages. Climbing the 366 winding and narrow steps of the belfry to the observation deck, which sits at 83 metres high, is one of the most popular things to do for tourists in Belgium. No thanks, I'll just stay downstairs and have a coffee. Once at the top, the views of church spires and steeple roofs provide one of the country's best-known panoramas. Well, maybe I could take a walk then. At 3, the battlefields of Flanders. For many visitors, Belgium's role on the front line of World War I, and in particular the battlefields of Flanders around Ypres, are the main reasons for a journey here. Not only important historically, the battlefields are a major pilgrimage site. The preserved trenches run for kilometres around the town of Ypres, while this area is also scattered with vast cemeteries for the thousands of soldiers who died here. The Tijn Kot Cemetery, British, and Langemarck's German War Cemetery, are both solemn reminders of the brutal fighting that took place here during the Great War. At 2, the canals of Bruges. Bruges began on the banks of the river Rhea, and as it grew, so did a series of waterways connecting it to the Zwin estuary and the North Sea. Today, the canals are beautiful reminders of Bruges' history, and taking a sightseeing cruise along them is one of the most popular ways to explore the city. Sightseeing boat trips, departing from five docks, dotted along the main canal in the central city, run half-hourly from March to November, and less frequency in the depths of winter, with trips winding down the length of the main canal. This is one of the best opportunities to get photos of both Bruges' famous canal-side, terraced house architecture, and some of its finest buildings. Tours run rain or shine, and umbrellas are provided by the tour boat operator when it's raining. Good! No reservations are taken from the public sightseeing boat tours, you simply turn up at the dock and buy your ticket as you board. And finally, at number one, it's Grand Place, Brussels. La Grande Place, also known as De Groote Markt, is rimmed by finely preserved guildhalls and other grand buildings that showcase Belgium's vernacular architecture at its best. One side is dominated by the ornate medieval town hall, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Grand Place was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding representation of late 17th century architecture. The square is busy with tourists and locals at all times of year, but especially in August of alternate years, when the center is filled by the 75 by 24 meter flower carpet, made up of more than 700,000 cut begonias. 700,000! Tip! You'll get the best view of the beautiful designs from the balcony of the town hall. And there you have the top 10 rated tourist attractions in Belgium. Did you like what you saw? Let us know in the comments down below. Share this video with your friends and don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more fantastic travel guides. See you next time!