Travel Destinations in Belgium — City Guides | Trevio

Belgium is often dismissed as a corridor between France and the Netherlands, which is one of travel's great oversights. The country packs more medieval architecture, more Flemish master paintings, and more variety into its compact territory than most countries three times its size. Bruges and Ghent are two of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe; Brussels has the Grand-Place (arguably the finest town square in the world) and the largest Art Nouveau heritage of any city; Antwerp is a diamond capital, fashion city, and home to Rubens.

Belgian food culture is exceptional — frites (the originals, not French), waffles (both varieties), mussels, carbonnade, and Liège-style anything. The beer culture is unmatched: Trappist ales, Lambic fermentation, gueuze, kriek — each region has its traditions. Belgium's smallness makes it easy to combine: Brussels to Ghent is 30 minutes by train; Bruges to Antwerp is under an hour.