Things to do in  Flanders

Surrounded by a park that’s long been known as a romantic place for a stroll, Minnewater—also known as the Lake of Love—is a great place for anyone looking for some quiet time in nature. Swans are a common site on the lake, and the traditional Belgian brick houses around it make the park particularly photogenic.

Fronted by a Romanesque, baroque and Gothic facade, Ghent’s cavernous cathedral serves as a repository for a valuable collection of art treasures, including works by Rubens and Laurent Delvaux. Its showpiece attraction is the Van Eyck brothers’ world-renowned 24-panel altarpiece,The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

Bruges’ Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde is one of the most famous and best preserved of Belgium’s UNESCO-listed Beguinages. One of the town’s most-visited attractions, it offers a glimpse into the European Beguine movement of the Middle Ages.

The medieval quays of Graslei and Korenlei are boat tour departure points by day and a vibrant dining and drinks district by night. These quaysides in the heart of Ghent originally formed part of the city’s thriving harbor; today, they're home to some of Ghent’s most scenic gabled houses.

Burg Square sits on the former site of a castle, which was originally built to protect the area from invading Vikings and Normans (and remained the seat of the Counts of Flanders for more than 500 years). The castle is now gone, but the charming public square that replaced it, the Burg, has been the heart of Bruges ever since.

One of Belgium’s best-preserved medieval fortresses, Gravensteen Castle is a historical gem in the center of Ghent. Also known as the Castle of the Counts, this landmark has a history laced with both intrigue and torture. It has been used as a residence, a prison complete with torture chambers, and a courthouse. Today, visitors come here to see displays of armor and other historical objects while learning about the castle’s often dark history.

The brick spire of the Church of Our Lady is visible across the city. Home to several important artworks, including Michelangelo’s marble Madonna and Child, the restored interior of the church is a must-visit for fans of European architecture.

No tour of Ghent architectural landmarks is complete without stopping at St. Nicholas’ Church (Sint-Niklaaskerk). With spiky spires reaching over Ghent, it’s a hard-to-miss church, which is intentional as it was built to signal the city’s wealth to rival trading cities of Bruges and Antwerp. The inside is equally beautiful with its baroque high altar and stained-glass windows.

Bruges often tops the list of Europe’s most picturesque cities, and its Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, abounds with photo opportunities. A warren of cobbled lanes and scenic canals opens out onto grand medieval squares framed by colorful old buildings and dramatic Gothic facades.

Dominating the Bruges skyline at a height of 272 feet (83 meters, this striking Gothic belfry (known as the Belfort stands proud over Markt Square as one of the city’s most cherished landmarks. This 13th-century tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drawing tourists with its historic galleries and panoramic views from the top.

Standing next to city hall on Burg Square, the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) is a highlight of Bruges’ historical center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church dates back to the 12th century and houses one of the city’s most sacred relics: a vial believed to contain the blood of Jesus Christ.

The only brewery still working in Bruges’ city center, Brouwerij De Halve Maan has been operated by the same family since 1856. It’s believed, however, to have been in operation for much longer: The first recorded mention of the brewery dates from 1546, when Bruges was home to more than 30 breweries.

One of Europe’s major World War I landmarks, the Menin Gate Memorial (sometimes known as the Ypres Memorial) commemorates more than 54,000 British and Commonwealth troops who perished in the Flanders region. Many of these soldiers were never formally buried, and their names are inscribed on the historic gate in a lasting tribute.

Bruges City Hall (Stadhuis van Brugge) is Belgium’s oldest building and arguably Bruges’ most beautiful. Constructed between 1376 and 1420, the flamboyant, Gothic-style building was one of the first grand town halls in the Low Countries. The city has been governed from this building for more than 700 years.

Covering a hillside near Ypres, Tyne Cot Cemetery is the world’s biggest Commonwealth military cemetery. Home to the graves of 11,954 British Commonwealth servicemen lost in World War I, the site—with its white gravestones and Memorial Wall— is a key fixture on WWI battlefields tours.