🇧🇪 CITIES OF BELGIUM

Bruges is one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities, filled with canals, cobblestone streets, Gothic architecture, historic squares and ridiculously photogenic corners. Add Belgian chocolate, breweries, canal cruises and centuries of history, and it’s easy to understand why people fall hard for this place.

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⏰ GIVE IT: A full day minimum • 1–2 nights is even better

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⭐ TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO IN BRUGES

• 🏰 Climb the Belfry of Bruges — The climb is a workout, but the views across the medieval rooftops are worth it.

• 🛶 Take a canal cruise — One of the best ways to experience Bruges and see why it's called the Venice of the North.

• 🏘️ Explore Markt Square — Colorful historic buildings, cafés and the Belfry right in the heart of Bruges.

• ⛪ Visit Burg Square — See the magnificent Gothic Town Hall and Basilica of the Holy Blood.

• 🎨 See Michelangelo's Madonna and Child — Inside the Church of Our Lady.

• 📸 Walk along Rozenhoedkaai — One of those classic Bruges canal views you've probably seen in photographs. It's even better in person.  

• 🍫 Eat the damn chocolate — Find a good artisan chocolatier and consider a chocolate tasting or workshop if you want to make an experience out of it.

• 🍺 Drink the Belgian beer — Visit a brewery, take a beer-tasting tour or settle into a historic pub and start working your way through the menu.

• 🖼️ Visit the Groeninge Museum — Especially worthwhile if you're interested in Flemish art and history.

• 🌳 Walk through Minnewater & the Begijnhof — A beautiful, quieter part of Bruges when you need a break from the busiest streets.

• 🛍️ Browse the shops — Look for Belgian chocolate, lace and locally made products rather than generic souvenirs.

• 🐴 Take a horse-drawn carriage ride — Tourist attraction? Absolutely. But riding through a medieval city in a horse-drawn carriage is still pretty damn cool. 😂
   

💡 GINA'S TIP

Don't treat Bruges like a checklist. See the major sights, absolutely—but leave yourself time to wander. Duck down the little streets, stop for chocolate, sit beside a canal, have a Belgian beer and enjoy being somewhere ridiculously beautiful without needing to accomplish anything.

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📸 TAKE HOME SOMETHING BETTER THAN A SELFIE

​Hire a private photographer while you're here.

Bruges is basically one giant photo backdrop—canals, bridges, cobblestone streets and medieval buildings everywhere you turn. Book a local photographer for an hour and get actual photos of everyone together instead of coming home with 400 pictures where one person is always missing because they were holding the damn phone. 😂

Families, couples, friends, anniversaries, proposals—or knock out your Christmas card photos while you're traveling.

I do this with my own family when we travel, and those professional photos become some of my favorite keepsakes from the trip.

📸 BOOK A PRIVATE PHOTO SESSION IN BRUGES →

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Ghent has the medieval beauty you came to Belgium for, but with a younger, livelier and more local feel than Bruges. Canals, castles, Gothic churches, waterfront cafés, art, nightlife and Belgian beer all come together in a city that somehow feels both historic and very much alive.

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⏰ GIVE IT: A full day minimum • Stay overnight if you can

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⭐ TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO IN GHENT

• 🏰 Explore Gravensteen Castle — Walk through this remarkably preserved medieval fortress and climb up for fantastic views across Ghent.

• 🎨 See the Ghent Altarpiece — Visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral to see the Van Eyck brothers’ Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, one of Europe’s great artistic masterpieces.​

• 🌊 Walk Graslei & Korenlei — Ghent’s gorgeous historic waterfront, lined with old guild houses, cafés and some of the city's best views.

• 🛶 Take a canal cruise — See Ghent’s medieval architecture from the water. 

• 🔔 Climb the Belfry of Ghent — Head up for panoramic views over the historic center and Ghent’s famous skyline.-YOU NEED ADVANCED TICKETS FOR THIS!

• ⛪ Visit St. Nicholas’ Church — One of the landmarks that creates Ghent’s spectacular three-tower skyline.

• 🌉 Stop at St. Michael’s Bridge — One of the best spots to take in—and photograph—the historic heart of Ghent.

• 🍺 Eat and drink your way through the city — Belgian beer, chocolate, waffles, local specialties and cafés make Ghent perfect for a food or beer tour.

• 🏘️ Wander the historic center & Patershol — Put the phone away for a while and get lost among cobblestone streets, little squares, restaurants and medieval buildings.

• 🖼️ Get your art fix — Check out the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) or Design Museum Gent when you want something beyond churches and castles.

• 🎉 Here during Ghent Festival? GO. — The annual summer Gentse Feesten turns the historic center into a massive celebration of music, performances and street entertainment.

• 🌙 Stay for Ghent after dark — The illuminated canals, bridges and historic buildings are beautiful at night. Have dinner, find a pub and don’t be in such a damn hurry to get back to Brussels.

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💡 GINA’S TIP

Spend the night if you can. Ghent works as a day trip, but staying overnight lets you experience a completely different side of the city once the daytime visitors disappear. Grab dinner, order a Belgian beer and wander the illuminated waterfront afterward. This is when Ghent gets really good. 🍺🌙

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📸 GET EVERYONE IN THE DAMN PICTURE

You came all the way to Ghent—come home with photos that actually prove everyone was there. 😂 Between the canals, medieval architecture, bridges and gorgeous waterfront, Ghent gives you an amazing backdrop for a private photo session.

Hire a local photographer for an hour and get professional photos of your family, partner or friends without handing your phone to some random stranger and hoping for the best.

Family vacation, anniversary, couples trip, friends getaway—or get your Christmas card photos done somewhere considerably cooler than the neighborhood park.

I do this with my own family when we travel, and those photos become some of my favorite keepsakes from the trip.

📸 BOOK A PRIVATE PHOTO SESSION IN GHENT →

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🚶 I’M STAYING IN GHENT.

Want someone to show you what the hell you’re looking at? 😂 This private historical walking tour covers many of Ghent’s major landmarks with a local guide, so you get the history and stories behind the city instead of simply walking past everything.

EXPLORE HISTORIC GHENT →

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🍺 TAKE ME SOMEWHERE COOL.

Want to get out of the city for the day? This is one hell of a Belgium countryside adventure. Head into Wallonia for caves, castle scenery and historic Dinant, then add Leffe, Chimay and a Trappist monastery to the mix. Meals, beer and transportation are handled—so you can enjoy the beer and let somebody else drive. 😂🍺🏰

EXPLORE DINANT, CASTLES + BELGIAN BEER →

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Antwerp feels completely different from Bruges and Ghent—and that’s exactly why it belongs on a Belgium trip. This is Belgium’s big, stylish port city, where centuries-old architecture and Flemish art collide with diamonds, fashion, shopping, great restaurants and a lively nightlife scene.

Come for Rubens and the historic center, stay for the food, beer and energy. Antwerp has some swagger to it.

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⏰ GIVE IT: A full day minimum • 1–2 nights if art, food, fashion or nightlife are your thing

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⭐ TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO IN ANTWERP

• ⛪ Visit the Cathedral of Our Lady — One of Antwerp’s great landmarks and home to several major works by Peter Paul Rubens.

• 🏘️ Explore Grote Markt — The historic heart of Antwerp, surrounded by ornate guild houses, City Hall and the famous Brabo Fountain.

• 💎 Explore the Diamond District — Antwerp has been at the center of the international diamond trade for centuries. Even if you’re not buying anything, it's a fascinating part of the city's identity.

• 🖼️ Visit MAS — Museum aan de Stroom — Come for the exhibitions exploring Antwerp and its connection to the wider world, but don't miss the views from the building either.

• 🎨 Step into the world of Rubens — Antwerp and Peter Paul Rubens are deeply connected. The Rubenshuis is the place to learn more about the artist, his life and his work.

• 🚉 Go see Antwerp Central Station—even if you didn't arrive by train — This place is spectacular. It's the kind of train station that makes you stop and say, “Holy shit, THIS is a train station?” 😂

• 🛍️ Shop the Meir & Fashion District — Antwerp has serious fashion credentials, from international brands to independent designers and boutiques.

• 🌊 Walk along the Scheldt River — Get away from the shopping streets and historic squares for a while and see the maritime side of Antwerp.

• 🍫 Eat your way around the city — Chocolate, waffles, fries, seafood, Belgian beer and a strong restaurant scene make Antwerp another city where arriving hungry is an excellent strategy.

• 🍺 Go have some Belgian beer during a pub crawl. 

• 🦁 Visit Antwerp Zoo — Right beside Central Station and an easy addition if you're traveling with kids—or you're simply someone who loves a good zoo.
   

💡 GINA'S TIP

Don't expect another Bruges. Antwerp is bigger, busier and more urban, and that's part of the appeal. Give it time beyond the historic center. Explore the art, fashion, neighborhoods, restaurants and nightlife and you'll see a completely different side of Belgium.

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🇧🇪 HOW DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE ANTWERP?

I’m already in Antwerp. Just show me around.
Private Customizable Antwerp Tour →

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🚶 I’m in Antwerp tonight. What the hell should I do? 😂🍺
Antwerp Pub Crawl →​​

Ypres is beautiful, but this is also one of the most moving and historically significant places in Belgium. Much of the city was devastated during World War I and painstakingly rebuilt, while the surrounding countryside became the final resting place for hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Today you can walk through the restored medieval center, visit some of Europe’s most important WWI museums and memorials, and then travel just outside the city to the battlefields, trenches and cemeteries of the Ypres Salient.

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⏰ GIVE IT: A full day minimum • Stay overnight if WWI history is a major reason you're coming

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⭐ TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO IN YPRES

• 🎺 Attend the Last Post at Menin Gate — Every evening, buglers perform the Last Post beneath the Menin Gate in remembrance of those who died in the Ypres Salient. If you're in Ypres, make time for this.

• 🏛️ Visit the In Flanders Fields Museum — An excellent place to begin understanding the battles, soldiers and civilians whose lives were forever changed by the war.

• 🌺 See the Menin Gate Memorial — One of the city's most powerful landmarks, bearing the names of tens of thousands of Commonwealth servicemen who died in the Ypres Salient and have no known grave.

• 🏘️ Walk the Grote Markt — It's hard to believe how extensively Ypres was destroyed when you see its beautifully reconstructed historic center today.

• 🏰 Explore the Cloth Hall — The enormous medieval-style building dominating the square houses the In Flanders Fields Museum and is itself part of the story of Ypres's destruction and reconstruction.

• 🌹 Visit Tyne Cot Cemetery — The largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world and one of the most sobering places you'll visit in Belgium.

• 🪖 Explore the battlefields and trenches — Hill 60, Sanctuary Wood and the Passchendaele area help put the scale of the fighting into perspective in a way a museum simply can't.

• 🔔 Climb the Belfry — Head up for views across Ypres and the surrounding countryside that once formed part of the battlefield landscape.

• ⛪ Visit St. Martin's Cathedral — Another extraordinary example of the reconstruction of Ypres following World War I.

• 🍺 Have dinner and a Belgian beer afterward — After a day this heavy, give yourself some time to decompress. Find a café or pub around the historic center, order something good and just sit for a while.

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💡 GINA’S TIP

This is one place where I strongly recommend exploring with a knowledgeable battlefield guide. You can visit the cemeteries and memorials yourself, but standing in the actual landscape with someone who can explain what happened where, why it mattered and the individual stories behind it changes the entire experience.

And if your family has a personal connection to World War I, tell me. If you know where your grandfather or great-grandfather served, his regiment, where he fought—or even just have a few pieces of the story—we can look at building a trip around that history.

This doesn't have to be just a battlefield tour. It can become your trip to Belgium.

🪖 HELP ME BUILD MY FAMILY HISTORY TRIP →

Squeezed between towering limestone cliffs and the Meuse River, Dinant looks completely different from Belgium’s bigger cities. This colorful little Walloon town is known for its dramatic hilltop citadel, onion-domed church, river scenery and its most famous hometown invention—the saxophone. 🎷

Dinant is small enough to explore in a day, but between the history, river, caves, castles and outdoor adventures of the Meuse Valley, there’s plenty here to make the trip worthwhile.

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⏰ GIVE IT: A full day • Longer if you want to explore the surrounding Meuse Valley

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⭐ TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO IN DINANT

• 🏰 Head up to the Citadel of Dinant — Sitting high above town, the citadel delivers some of the best views over Dinant, the Meuse River and surrounding valley.

• 🚠 Ride the cable car—or tackle the 408 steps — Either way, you're going up. 😂 The reward is that spectacular view from the citadel.

• ⛪ Visit the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame — Dinant's striking Gothic church and distinctive onion-shaped bell tower are practically inseparable from the town's skyline.

• 🎷 Meet Adolphe Sax — Dinant was the birthplace of the inventor of the saxophone. Visit Maison de Monsieur Sax and look for the colorful saxophone sculptures scattered around town.

• 🌊 Walk along the Meuse — One of the simplest and best things to do here. Wander the waterfront, grab something to eat and enjoy that incredible cliff-and-river setting.

• 🚤 See Dinant from the water — A scenic river cruise gives you a completely different view of the cliffs, architecture and Meuse Valley.

• 🪨 Go underground at La Merveilleuse — Explore Dinant's cave system with its underground chambers, stalactites and stalagmites.

• 🏰 Explore Château de Freÿr — Just outside Dinant, this beautiful château and its formal gardens sit directly along the Meuse.

• 🍺 Try the local flavors — Look for Couque de Dinant, the town's famously hard honey biscuit, along with Belgian chocolate, regional food and—because we're still in Belgium—beer.

• 🛶 Get out into the Meuse Valley — Kayaking, cycling and hiking give you a completely different way to experience this part of Wallonia.

💡 GINA'S TIP

Dinant is exactly the kind of place where getting outside Brussels pays off. The landscape changes, the pace slows down, and suddenly you're looking at cliffs, castles and tiny riverside villages instead of another major European city.

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🏰 I'M IN DINANT. SHOW ME AROUND.

Want to understand what you’re looking at instead of just taking pretty pictures of it? Explore Dinant with your own private guide on a customizable architecture tour that takes you through the town’s history from medieval to modern.

This is exactly the kind of experience I’d splurge on when you want local knowledge, a private guide and a day built around your interests instead of following a big group around.

EXPLORE DINANT WITH A PRIVATE GUIDE →​​

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Sitting between Brussels and Antwerp, Mechelen is one of those places that makes you wonder why the hell more people aren't talking about it. You get medieval architecture, canals, beautiful churches, historic squares, Belgian beer and excellent food—but generally with fewer tourists than Belgium's better-known cities.

It's compact, relaxed and easy to explore on foot, making Mechelen a great choice when you want the history and atmosphere without fighting your way through the crowds.

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⏰ GIVE IT: A full day • Stay overnight if you want a quieter Belgian city experience

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⭐ TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO IN MECHELEN

• 🔔 Climb St. Rumbold’s Tower — Make your way up the enormous tower for spectacular views over Mechelen and, on a clear day, far beyond the city.

• ⛪ Visit St. Rumbold’s Cathedral — Step inside Mechelen’s magnificent Gothic cathedral before tackling the tower above it.

• 🏘️ Wander the Grote Markt — The historic heart of Mechelen, surrounded by gorgeous architecture, cafés and restaurants. Grab a table and watch the city go by.

• 🚤 See Mechelen from the water — A boat trip along the Dijle gives you another perspective on the historic city and its waterfront.

• 🎨 Visit Museum Hof van Busleyden — Dive into Mechelen's Burgundian past, Renaissance culture and the history of the city.

• 🕯️ Visit Kazerne Dossin — An important Holocaust and human-rights memorial and museum housed near the former transit barracks from which Jews and Roma were deported during World War II.

• 🌊 Walk the Dijlepad — Follow the floating walkway along the Dijle through the heart of the city. It's an easy way to see Mechelen from a completely different angle.

• 🏡 Wander the Large Beguinage — Get lost among quiet lanes, historic houses and buildings dating back centuries in this UNESCO-listed beguinage.

• 🍺 Eat and drink your way through town — Belgian beer, chocolate and Flemish specialties absolutely belong on the agenda. And since you already found a Mechelen Food Tour, I'd link it right here.

• 🛍️ Leave time to wander — Browse the smaller shops and markets, duck down side streets and enjoy the fact that you don't have to race around checking things off a list.
   

💡 GINA’S TIP

Mechelen isn't the city I'd rush through trying to see twenty attractions. That's the whole damn point. Come here when you want to slow things down a little—wander the historic center, have lunch, drink a Belgian beer, walk along the river and enjoy a beautiful Belgian city that doesn't feel like everybody else had the exact same idea.

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🍴 TASTE YOUR WAY THROUGH MECHELEN

Sometimes the best way to understand a city is to eat your way through it. Explore Mechelen through its local flavors, Belgian specialties and food culture while discovering the city along the way.

Come hungry. That’s really the only rule. 😂

🍴 EXPLORE THE MECHELEN FOOD TOUR →

 

🚶 JUST SHOW ME AROUND MECHELEN

Want an easy introduction to the city without figuring everything out yourself? Spend a couple of hours exploring Mechelen with a local guide, learning the stories behind the historic center and getting your bearings along the way.

Perfect when you want somebody knowledgeable to basically say, “Come with me. I’ll show you around.”

🚶 EXPLORE MECHELEN WITH A LOCAL GUIDE →