Belgium is a country I’ve already been to before. And quite many times, actually. I grew up in the Netherlands, so we often traveled through Belgium to get to other places, such as France or the UK. Seeing Belgium through a Dutch lens also raised me with some shitty attitudes about marginal differences. Moving to Maastricht in the south of the Netherlands within cycling distance of the Belgian border helped me get over that.
Around the time I was about to quit my studies in 2013, I was often in Belgium on short trips. It was also the first country I went to after I decided to drop out of uni and fuck off. I hitchhiked through Belgium, stayed a bit in Kortrijk/Courtrai, then went to Calais in France to hitchhike the Chunnel from France to England.
Because I have a personal rule to always be outside of the Netherlands on my birthday and on new year’s, I spent NYE 2017-2018 in Liège (Luik). When I returned to finish my studies in Maastricht in 2018, I would sometimes cycle to Veldwezelt in Belgium to drink a beer at the end of the semester. That’s because I had a rule during that year to not drink alcohol in the Netherlands. Also, beer in a bar is markedly cheaper in Belgium.
Things I’d Like to Do Next Time in Belgium
- Hitchhike more within the borders. I’ve so far mostly passed through Belgium on my way elsewhere
- Revisit Brussels and give it a 5th chance. I’d like to visit the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) because it’s the wonder of the Burgundians in AoE2
- Drink so much fucking beer while visiting breweries all across the country. Belgium is not repressed by self-imposed limitations such as the Rheinheitsgebot, which makes the brewers brew harder
- (Hitch)hike up the highest point of Belgium, Signal de Botrange (694masl)
- (Re)visit some towns and cities that actually have a lot of history or something else that’s special. I’m thinking places such as Brugge, Antwerp, Leuven, Voeren (exclave of Flanders), Ghent, Genk (Europlanetarium + C-Mine labyrinth), Spa, and Bastogne (WWII Tank Turrets)
- Ride the Kusttram (coastal tram) from start to finish. This is also a prime opportunity to visit or admire some Belgian lighthouses
- Enjoy Belgium’s nature. I’ve been to the Ardennes as a teenager with school, but I’m sure it’s better as an adult. It seems like a good place for some hiking and young river kayaking. Perhaps the Scheldt River? Also on my mind are the Hallerbos (nearby Halle), the Sonian Forest (nearby Brussels), and La Cascade de Coo
- Explore as many caves as possible. I have many good memories of my one and only time spelunking in the Ardennes
- Visit the wacky exclave-enclave complex at Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog. The same goes for some remoter parts, such as the German-speaking areas of Ouren and Eupen, the drielandenpunt, and the infamous Vennbahn (by bike!)
- Enjoy the immense diversity of quirky architecture we know Belgium for. You know I’ll mainly be chasing the brutalist (University Hospital Center in Liège) kind, but also artsy things such as the Vlooyberg Tower, and the Strépy-Thieu boat lift
If you know cool places and things to do in Belgium or if you are Belgian, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return!
So you are a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Belgium? Then drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Walking to Belgium from Maastricht for Cheap Beer
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Walk + Work Day 1: Vlissingen to Westkapelle
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