Country guide
Belgium covers 30,689 km² and holds more than 11.8 million people, a density of 383 per km² that ranks sixth in Europe. It is divided three ways — Flanders in...
Photograph · Naval S from Berlin · CC BY 2.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Belgium covers 30,689 km² and holds more than 11.8 million people, a density of 383 per km² that ranks sixth in Europe.
It is divided three ways — Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the south, the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle — and the language divides with it: Dutch for about 60 per cent of the population, French for about 40, German for the one per cent in the East Cantons. The choice for a visitor is largely between Brussels, which carries the seats of the European Commission and Council and the headquarters of NATO, and the Flemish cities: Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
34 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Manneken Pis is a bronze fountain figure of a small boy urinating, 55.5 centimetres tall, set in a stone niche on the corner where the Rue du Chêne meets the Rue de l'Étuve, a short walk downhill from the Grand-Place.
Galeries royales Saint-Hubert - Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen
The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries are a prestigious ensemble of glazed shopping arcades in central Brussels. Designed by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer and inaugurated in 1847, they represent one of Europe's earliest covered shopping passages.
Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule - Sint-Michiels-en-Goedelekathedraal
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula stands on the Treurenberg slope in central Brussels, dedicated to the two patron saints of the city and built in Brabantine Gothic.
Palais Royal - Koninklijk Paleis
The Royal Palace of Brussels serves as the official palace of the Belgian King and houses the administrative services of the monarchy. Despite its name, it is not the royal residence; the King lives at the Palace of Laeken.
Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon - Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Zavelkerk
The Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon is a Roman Catholic church in Brussels, Belgium. Its local names are Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon in French and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Zavelkerk in Dutch.
Bourse - Beurs
Bourse Palace, known locally as Bourse or Beurs, is a historic landmark on Boulevard Anspach 80 in central Brussels. The building stands in the pedestrian zone beside Grand-Place and combines public halls with visitor attractions, hospitality venues and services.
Palais de justice - Justitiepaleis
The Palace of Justice of Brussels, known locally as Palais de justice or Justitiepaleis, stands as one of Belgium's most monumental law courts.
Parc de Bruxelles - Warandepark
Brussels Park, known locally as Parc de Bruxelles and Warandepark, is a public park situated in the heart of Brussels. It lies adjacent to the Royal Square and the Belgian Parliament building.
Bois de la Cambre, known in Dutch as Ter Kamerenbos, is a public park situated in Brussels, Belgium. It occupies a significant green space within the urban environment of the Belgian capital.
Palais Stoclet - Stocletpaleis
The Stoclet Palace is a private residence in Brussels, Belgium, designed by architect Josef Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstätte between 1905 and 1911. It stands as one of the most refined achievements of the Vienna Secession movement.
Jardin du Mont des Arts - Tuin van de Kunstberg
The Garden of the Mont des Arts is a formal garden on an elevated site in central Brussels.
Château de Laeken - Kasteel Van Laken
The Royal Castle of Laeken serves as the official residence of the Belgian royal family. Located in the Laeken district north of central Brussels, this neoclassical palace complex stands within extensive private grounds.
Église Notre-Dame de Laeken - Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk van Laken
Church of Our Lady of Laeken is an active Catholic church and a prominent landmark in Brussels' Laeken district.
Square du Petit Sablon, called Kleine Zavelsquare in Dutch, is a compact formal garden in Brussels' Sablon district.
Jardins de l'Abbaye de la Cambre - Tuinen van de Ter Kamerenabdij
The Gardens of La Cambre Abbey are historic green grounds in Brussels, associated with the former Cistercian abbey founded in the medieval period. The site combines formal garden character, mature greenery, open lawns, and the presence of surviving abbey buildings.
Kasteel van Beersel
Beersel Castle, also called Kasteel van Beersel, is a medieval fortress in the municipality of Beersel, southwest of Brussels. Its preserved defensive form is defined by circular towers, heavy masonry and a moat surrounding the castle.
Château Charle-Albert — Charle-Albertkasteel
Charle-Albert Castle, also known as Château Charle-Albert or Charle-Albertkasteel, is a named historic castle structure in Brussels.
Kasteel Groot-Bijgaarden
Groot-Bijgaarden Castle, known locally as Kasteel Groot-Bijgaarden, is a historic castle situated in the municipality of Dilbeek, within the Brussels-Capital Region's broader metropolitan area. The structure represents Belgian feudal and Renaissance architectural heritage, with origins tracing to medieval fortifications.
Château du Karreveld - Kasteel Karreveld
Karreveld Castle, known as Château du Karreveld and Kasteel Karreveld, is a historic castle and cultural landmark in Brussels. The site is associated with Wikidata identifier Q2971719 and contributes to the heritage character of the Brussels region.
Castel de Lindthout
Linthout Castle, also known as Castel de Lindthout, is a documented historic structure in Brussels and is identified by Wikidata as Q2941363.
Château de Rivieren - Kasteel ter Rivieren
Rivieren Castle, also called Château de Rivieren and Kasteel ter Rivieren, is a heritage landmark in Brussels. Its French and Dutch names fit the bilingual character of the Belgian capital.
Gemeentehuis Wemmel
Wemmel Castle, also known locally as Gemeentehuis Wemmel, is a civic landmark in the municipality of Wemmel near Brussels. The second name means Wemmel Town Hall and explains the building’s present municipal role.
Château de La Fougeraie - Kasteel van Fougeraie
Wittouck Castle, also known as Château de La Fougeraie and Kasteel van Fougeraie, is a private estate in Uccle, in the southern part of Brussels.
Château de Wolvendael - Kasteel Wolvendael
Wolvendael Castle, also called Château de Wolvendael and Kasteel Wolvendael, is a historic landmark in Brussels. The French and Dutch names place it within the capital’s bilingual cultural landscape.
Jardin botanique - Kruidtuin
The Botanical Garden of Brussels, also called Jardin botanique or Kruidtuin, is a historic green space in the Belgian capital. Established in the nineteenth century, it combines urban parkland with the architectural heritage of botanical cultivation.
Five to seven days covers Brussels plus two or three rail-linked cities such as Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven or Liège. Staying in one or two bases avoids losing time to repeated hotel changes in this compact network.
Belgium’s foreign-affairs service publishes visa and short-stay requirements. Check the rule for the passport being used and the full Schengen itinerary, especially when Belgium is not the first external border crossed.
Brussels Airport connects directly with Belgium’s national rail network, and intercity trains link the principal cities without compulsory reservations. Local buses, trams and metros belong to separate regional operators, so one urban ticket is not automatically valid nationwide.
April through June offers long sightseeing days, while September usually retains workable conditions with fewer peak-summer pressures. Belgian weather remains changeable, making a waterproof layer useful in any of these months.
The euro (EUR) is Belgium’s currency. Card and cash acceptance can differ between a station machine, a market stall and a small business, so retain a second payment method rather than assuming one card will work everywhere.
Belgium uses 112 for emergencies and Type C or E plugs at 230 V. The recorded national guidance says mains tap water is safe.
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