Flanders is a region that Belgium shares with the neighbouring Netherlands. It occupies the north of the country and surrounds the autonomous region of the capital, Brussels. Belgium is not usually a popular tourist destination; in fact, it is (wrongly!) considered a « flat country, » meaning a boring place. But its northern part has an added magical aura that shakes up this image and surely intrigues. Visiting Flanders could prove to be an exciting and memorable journey.
Getting to and around Flanders
The main airports for a holiday in Belgian Flanders are Brussels Airport (BRU) or Ostend-Bruges Airport (OST), the latter located on the north coast of Belgium and therefore inside the Flanders themselves.
Travel in Flanders is provided by well-organized public transportation (buses, trains), as well as by private taxi and shuttle services, like the ones we provide – tailor-made and chauffeured. The benefit of a private transfer is the driver who is also a tour guide; he/she can accompany you and tell you, step by step, about the legendary north of Belgium!
Art Itinerary
Every city in Flanders is art. Magnificent, Gothic art, reaching for the sky, as light as the spirit it seeks to uplift. Classic itineraries naturally include Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, and Ostend. But Brussels is often included, due to its proximity.
And while Brussels deserves a full day dedicated to its beauty, it is worth splitting up the various stops in the northern cities so to admire the most iconic sights. Antwerp will captivate you with its Market Square, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Steen Castle and Fort Lillo, and its museums dedicated to the local genius, the painter Rubens. Bruges offers beautiful churches, charming palaces, romantic canals reminiscent of Amsterdam or Venice, and tranquil parks such as Begijnhof. The majestic Castle of the Counts will be the highlight of Ghent, along with the marvelous medieval guildhalls, the Belfry, and the eerie castle of the « Devil Gerard. » Ostend is a breezy seaside city, with a beautiful beach crowning its Gothic old quarters, which also house Napoleon’s Castle.
Also worth visiting on the Flanders art itinerary is Beersel, with its island-castle surrounded by a lake and enchanting woods; or Mechelen (Malines, in French), home to some of Belgium’s most spectacular churches.
Flanders’ Beer Itinerary
An interesting itinerary in Flanders could be dedicated to beer. This product, Belgium’s national pride, thrives in this region. To taste the country’s best beers, you could start visiting the Anderlecht quarter in central Brussels and then visit the village of Pajottenland, not far from the capital, where Bruegel beer is produced.
Important stops will be the breweries of Ghent and Oudenaarde, where the finest hops are produced. These hops are found in the vast plantations of Poperinge. Finally, discover the secrets of the Trappist monks’ beers in Ostend and Antwerp, home to Westmalle and Seef. In the city of Leuven, you can visit the Stella Artois breweries.
Tastings at historic breweries should always be booked well in advance, in order to prevent the influx of tourists from disrupting production.
Nature Itinerary
The Flemish coast is among the most beautiful in Europe, and includes places you simply cannot fail to admire. Nearly 70 km of coastline consists of vast beaches of fine golden sand, overlooked by towns and villages frozen in time. Visiting places like Zeebrugge, with its fishing spots, or the Warandeduinen nature reserve—32 hectares of biodiverse vegetation, or the Nieuwpoort heaths, where solitary lighthouses stand… all these are almost spiritual experiences.
If you want o better understand the characteristics of the North Sea, hiking the trails of the Zwin Nature Park is ideal. This immense plain of sand and wild grasses is subject to the tides and is submerged at least twice a day by meters of incoming seawater. If you love birdwatching, this is the perfect choice for your itinerary.
The Hoge Kempen National Park is another symbol of Flanders’s splendid wilderness. Located in Limburg, a province of hills and mines, it offers hiking and cycling trails immersed in greenery. Twelve thousand hectares of unspoiled nature to explore at your own pace and at your own pace.
