Tour guides Belgium

5 ideas for guided tours in Belgium

• Bruges

  

  Bruges, a city in West Flanders, will captivate you with its splendor and remarkable charm. It’s impossible to tire of strolling through its old cobbled streets, where beautifully restored Flemish-style buildings still stand. You’ll come across the Begijnhof Monastery, the Church of Our Lady, and the Belfry.

  The latter is an 83-meter-high tower with 350 steps to climb, located on the Main Square. Your visit takes on a romantic touch as you admire the city’s canals, which have earned Bruges the nickname “Venice of the North.” They were created by a tidal wave in the 13th century that opened the city to the sea.

  If you stay a few days, you can explore several museums, including the Museum of Folk Life, where everyday objects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are displayed. Another, the Groeninge Museum, showcases paintings by Flemish artists.

• Bouillon Castle

  

  The imposing fortress of Bouillon stands on three rocky outcrops overlooking the Semois River in the southwest of Wallonia. It was here that the famous Godfrey of Bouillon once lived. He sold the stronghold to finance his first crusade to the Holy Land in 1099.

  The “Scriptura” museum is entirely dedicated to his pilgrimage. This thousand-year-old castle, with its ramparts, drawbridge (a work of the military architect Vauban in 1099), and enchanting natural surroundings, is a major attraction. Falconry shows are held from March 1 to November 11 in the charming village of Bouillon, just below the castle.

• The Lesse valley

  

  For a sporty getaway in Belgium, head to the Lesse Valley and paddle down the river that winds through the Ardennes. This kayak trip, accessible to everyone, can be done from the town of Houyet to Anseremme, covering a distance of 20 km. The region offers a landscape of stunning beauty.

  You’ll pass through forests, rustic meadows, and pebble beaches with striking viewpoints. Walzin is the first highlight, a small village near Dinant with a castle perched on a promontory overlooking the Lesse River.

  You’ll also discover the Furfooz Nature Reserve, which combines natural treasures like limestone plains and a wide variety of plants with historical remains, including caves inhabited in the Paleolithic, traces of Roman baths, and an ancient fortress.

• Brussels

  

  A weekend is enough. And sometimes, it isn’t. Brussels doesn’t hit you all at once. It seeps in. A city on a human scale, yet never static. Old suburbs. Modern angles. Nothing lines up neatly—and that’s the charm.

  The Pentagon holds the main monuments. But elsewhere, life stirs too. In Saint-Gilles, tiny galleries open quietly. In the Marolles, a market, treasures, and bric-a-brac. Heysel breathes—open air, wide lawns.

  Too much to say. Too much to miss. Better to walk with a guide. They won’t show everything, only what matters.

  A few stops, of course:

  – Manneken-Pis. A fountain barely knee-high. 1619. He often changes costumes. The people of Brussels laugh with him.

  – The Royal Palace. Not a home, a workplace. In summer, the doors open. You wander, observe, imagine.

  – The Grand Place. Square, framed, alive. The Town Hall stands guard. Gothic. Early 15th century. It hasn’t aged a bit.

  – The Atomium. Nine spheres, linked by tubes. A giant iron atom, born in 1958. You climb, you cross. At the top, 95 meters up, a restaurant turns slowly. You eat between sky and ground.

• The Hallerbos Forest

  

  Just outside Brussels, 15 kilometers away, lies the Hallerbos. In April, it turns blue. Literally. Hyacinths spread everywhere. Anemones join in too. Each year, thousands of footsteps return. Nothing moves, yet everything changes.

  They call it the Blue Forest, but every season gives it another name. Colors shift. Light changes too. Walking here isn’t an outing—it’s a pause.

  On foot, by bike, on horseback. All is possible. The 550 hectares welcome you freely. The Sequoia Route amazes with its towering giants. The Achtdreven walk is designed for those who move differently.

  One tip? Avoid weekends. Let others rush. Silence always waits one more day.