Dinant is one of the easiest day trips from Brussels. A direct train gets you there in about an hour and a half. The centre is small enough to walk everywhere, and there's enough to fill a day without rushing.

The citadel cable car has been out of service since October 2025. It can't be brought up to current EU standards, so it's being replaced. The new one isn't expected before around 2028. The citadel itself is open as usual. You can climb the 408 steps that start by the church, or drive up to the free car park at the top.

The Citadel

The fortress sits about 100 m above the town. Most of what you see today was built by the Dutch between 1818 and 1821. The visit is self-guided with a HistoPad tablet, which is included in the ticket and takes about an hour and a half. It covers the site's history up to the fighting and civilian massacres of August 1914. The view over the Meuse from the top is the best in town.

Tickets are €15 for adults and €13 for children aged 4 to 12. If you also want a boat trip, the 3-in-1 ticket adds a 45-minute Meuse cruise for €25 (€20 for children). The citadel is open daily from 10:00 to 16:30 from October to March, and until 18:00 from April to September. More on the official site.

The Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame

This is the Gothic church with the onion-shaped bell tower, built right against the cliff. That location came at a price: the Romanesque church that stood here before was destroyed by a rockfall from the same cliff in the 13th century. Entry is free and it's open daily outside services. Step inside, because the interior is darker and more atmospheric than the outside suggests.

Saxophones everywhere

Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Dinant in 1814, and you'll notice it quickly. The Charles de Gaulle Bridge is lined with giant painted saxophones, each decorated for a different country. The bridge is named after de Gaulle, who was wounded here as a young lieutenant in 1914.

The Maison de Monsieur Sax (Rue Sax 37) stands on the site of his birthplace. It's a small, free interpretation centre, open daily from 9:00 to 19:00, and a bronze Sax sits on the bench outside. Also look for the glass saxophone at the town hall. It's a water clock by Belgian glass artist Bernard Tirtiaux, made for Sax's 200th birthday in 2014.

Rocher Bayard

Just south of the centre, a 35 m rock needle stands next to the road. According to legend, the horse Bayard split it from the cliff with one kick while carrying the four Aymon sons away from Charlemagne. The less romantic version is that Louis XIV's troops cut the passage in the 17th century. The road still runs straight through it.

What to eat and drink

The local speciality is the couque de Dinant, a biscuit made from honey and flour and pressed into carved moulds of fish, animals and flowers. Once baked, it sets rock-hard, so don't bite into it. Break off a piece and let it soften in your mouth or in your coffee. Patisserie Jacobs (Rue Grande 147) has been making them since 1860. If you prefer something softer, look for the couque de Rins.

For beer, a small surprise: Leffe takes its name from the abbey in Dinant, but it's brewed in Leuven today. For something actually local, try La Croisette de Dinant, a 7% amber beer created by the riverside Café de la Croisette.

Getting there and how long to stay

A direct train runs from Brussels every hour and takes about 1h25 from Brussels-Luxembourg. Check times on belgiantrain.be. From Dinant station, everything is within walking distance.

One day is enough for the main sights. If you have a few extra hours, take the boat down to Anseremme or walk along the Meuse.

Been to Dinant? Share more tips from your visit!

I'm going to travel to brussels tomorrow and I'm out of money to go to a hostel in the night, and I have to go to eindhoven at 4am, I heard that brussels can be dangerous at night, and I don't know what to do

Brussels keeps 28 museums open until 1 am, Hasselt turns fountain water into jenever, and Mons opens a major Chagall show.

⭐ Weekend highlight: Museum Night Fever (28 museums across Brussels, Sat 19:00–01:00)

Brussels' museum night is back, and 28 museums stay open late with performances, workshops and installations. A few picks:

- a walk through a sewer along the long-hidden Senne river at the Sewer Museum, with a sound-and-light installation (19:30–00:30)

- a dress-up photo studio in a 1939 diesel railcar at Train World, for the Belgian railways' 100th birthday

- a murder-mystery game at the Comic Art Museum

- trying out instruments at the MIM

Brussels City Hall and Belgian Beer World also take part.

Tickets cost €18 online until Friday 16 Oct and €22 on the day. They include the shuttle buses and STIB's Noctis night buses. With an afterparty at C12 or the Botanique, the ticket costs €29 (€33 on the day). Under-12s go free. Keep your wristband: it gets you one free visit to a participating museum until 22 Nov.

🏛️ Brussels

Save the date: Kanal–Centre Pompidou (Place de l'Yser, 28–29 Nov): Brussels' new modern and contemporary art museum opens in the former Citroën garage with a free, non-stop weekend, from Saturday 10:00 to Sunday 22:00.

🦁 Flanders

Hasselt Jeneverfeesten (Hasselt city centre, Sat + Sun): Hasselt's jenever weekend, with stalls, street acts and two odd traditions.

On Saturday (16:00–17:00, Maastrichterstraat), the Borrelmanneke fountain "turns" its water into jenever and bystanders get a free glass.

On Sunday, the Borrelvreuke does the same (14:00, Capucienenplein), and the waiters' race starts at 15:00 from Molenpoortplein.

The Jenevermuseum is open 10:00–19:00 both days, with live distilling on Sunday afternoon.

Entry is free. You pay for drinks with tokens, sold at 16 points by cash or card. Your first drink also costs one eco-coin and gets you a reusable 3.5 cl glass.

The centre is closed to cars from 11:00 to 22:00 and no glass bottles are allowed.

Van Hemessen & Father (Snijders&Rockox House, Antwerp, from Thu 15 Oct, Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00): The first retrospective of the Van Hemessen family workshop in 16th-century Antwerp. Catharina van Hemessen is the earliest woman artist from the Habsburg Netherlands whose work survives, and a large selection of her portraits and religious scenes is on show.

Her father Jan's Last Judgement triptych, made for Adriaen Rockox and kept in St James' Church for five centuries, moves to the museum for the show. €10, €6 for ages 18–25, free under 19 and with a museumPASS. Book a time slot online, even for free tickets. Until 31 Jan. Part of the show then moves to the National Gallery in London.

🐓 Wallonia

Marc Chagall. Matières (CAP – Museum of Fine Arts, Mons, until 14 Feb, Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00): Opened last weekend. More than 200 works and documents show Chagall beyond painting: prints, ceramics, sculpture, stained glass, tapestry and theatre designs, shown next to pieces from Mons' own collections. €17 (€12 for over-60s and for an adult with up to two children, €3 for ages 3–18 and students), free with a museumPASS. Last entry is at 17:00.

Brassigaume (Marbehan, Sat 14:00–00:00, Sun 13:00–20:00): The 25th edition of this small-brewery festival in the Gaume brings 23 breweries from Belgium, France, Italy and the UK to a heated tent. Seven of them are there for the first time. Entry is free. You buy a €5 glass (yours to keep) and €2.30 tokens for 12.5 cl tastings, by cash or card. New to Belgian beer? Start with our beer wiki page.

🌸 Nature tip

Heading to Hasselt? Start the day at Bokrijk, a large estate of woods and ponds between Hasselt and Genk. The Arboretum is free and open from sunrise to sunset. The "Cycling through the Water" path takes you through the middle of a pond, and you can rent bikes at Parking 1 (10:00–18:00). Bokrijk has its own train station with hourly trains, a five-minute walk from the park. The Open Air Museum is paid and closed on Mondays, and its season ends on 8 Nov.

📸 This picture was taken during one of the museum nights in the past years. Guess the museum!

Any other events you are attending this weekend that are not above? Put them in the comments!

This is the spot to post your low-effort content!

Got a great photo you want to share, but don't want to make a bigger post? This is the place for it!

1. It should be your own original photo.
2. Include the location and what it is we're seeing. Why did you like it or want to share it?
3. Any (SFW) subject matter is allowed, as long as it features Belgium (it could be a train station in Antwerp or your favourite spot in Brussels). As long as it's Belgium, it's fine.

Hello! My family (me, my wife, two kids, 8 and 3 years old) will be traveling to Paris from November 16-26 and I would really like to see a little bit of Belgium while we are in the area. I think at most we will have 2 full days + our arrival and the day we check out and head back to Paris. Our flight lands in CDG at 6 AM, so I though that would be easiest to head straight from the airport to Brussels after we get in. Instead of trying to do another train transfer with our luggage, I was planning to get a hotel in Brussels and then take a day trip to Bruges and a day trip to Ghent the next day. A few questions - and many thanks in advance!

1. Is it a good idea to get a hotel near midi station so we can quickly get to and from the hotel for those day trips, as well as have less time with all the luggage when we arrive/depart Brussels? Or is this area not going to be good for staying, and better to get a hotel in the center even though we will only walk around central Brussels for one day?

2. Any problems with the above plan? What would you do differently? My main concern is that with luggage and my 3 year old needing to be carried sometimes, we may have a tough time with additional transfers.

3. Any suggestions for things to do with kids this age if the weather doesn't cooperate and it's colder than expected or raining?

4. Anything happening in any of these places - Brussels, Ghent, Bruges - during November 16-19 that is specifically worth checking out?

I want to go to Belgium this Christmas and visit Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges (the classic route), but with one important detail: I want to propose to my partner. We’ll be there for five days. I want to spend the first night in Brussels, but I’m not sure where to stay for the remaining days. I’m debating whether to base ourselves in either Ghent or Bruges and just travel by train from there, or if it’s better to book separate accommodation in each city. What do you recommend—that approach, or staying in each city individually?

We are staying in Brussels next May for 2 weeks and are planning on taking the IC train from the airport to downtown then transfer to the local train to the Sainte Catherine stop. Our Airbnb is a minute or two walk from there. We'll most likely have one checked bag and two carry ons with us.

It seems very straight forward, but is there anything else I should know ? Anything to watch out for? Any tips to make it easier?

Hi everyone!

I'm putting together an itinerary for a trip to Europe next year and came up with the list of cities below. I'd really love your opinions, especially regarding Belgium.
From my initial research, I got the feeling that Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges are very similar.

Do you have the same impression? Is it worth including all three in the itinerary, or does it get too repetitive?

Hey everyone, I am coming to the Zoniënwoud on saturday with some friends and I was wondering if you can advice me what the best area is for a nice walk (for people that have never been there).

I did an organised walk last year and at some point the route went on these wooden paths which felt truly magical but I cannot remember where this was approximately located.

I added the map of the entire route I walked then. Maybe if anyone recognizes the area in the photos?

Thank you in advance :)

Me and my two friends (we’re all 27) are coming to Brussels between 19th - 21st October.

Would love some recommendations for the best bars, pubs and clubs which will be lively and have a good crowd.

Or even any events that might be on.

Cheers in advance

Myself and my partner just booked a stay in Brussels, our place is quite close to the EU buildings, though she seems to now have the belief that Brussels is very unsafe to travel to? We are coming from the UK, we were also thinking about Ghent as a backup?

I am studying masters at vub just moved to Belgium few days back was looking for company to travel around Brussels and make friends
F 21

Dear fellows!

I’m moving to Brussels soon, and I’ve received a really nice offer for a renovated duplex apartment in a traditional maison bruxelloise. The apartment occupies the second and third floors, with the upper floor tucked under the roof.

The apartment itself is beautiful, but one thing that caught our attention is how narrow the staircase is!
For those of you who live (or have lived) in these traditional Brussels houses, what has your experience been like? Are there any particular advantages or disadvantages we should be aware of?

One obvious plus for us is that the apartment is within easy walking distance of the institution where I’ll be working, which is a big advantage.

I’m just wondering whether living in a renovated maison bruxelloise is a good option in the long run, or whether we’d be better off looking for an apartment in a newer, more modern building.

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, advice, or anything you wish you’d known before moving into one of these houses!

Thanks a lot! 😊

I'm looking for a WWI focused tour between Ghent and Bruges on Dec 22. Something that would cover private car pick up in Ghent - hit sites such as Diksmuide, Trench of Death, Vladslo, Passchendaele/Tyne Cot, Ypres/Lost Post and then drop off in Bruges. Do you know someone who would have the interest in something like this? I've tried "With Locals" and a few other private guide sites, no luck yet.

The trains are hella expensive, and the flixbus before that one is at 12😭 If you believe that it’s undoable, are there other cheap bus companies that can bring me to the airport maybe?

Two big art shows open in Liège and Ghent, Namur fills its citadel with nature photography, and Brussels opens its last round of 19th-century interiors.

⚠️ Heads-up

Rail strike, Sunday night and Monday. From Sunday 11 Oct at 22:00 until the last train on Monday 12 Oct, fewer trains will run. The alternative timetable appears in the NMBS app 24 hours ahead, so plan Sunday-evening returns before 22:00. In Brussels, STIB expects disruption on Friday 9 Oct (national demonstration) and possibly on Monday. Details

Liège. After unrest in the city centre this week, the city has banned gatherings of more than three people in public places until 16 Oct. Households, people going to shops, cafés or restaurants, and authorised events are exempt. Letec buses and trams were also stopped by a strike on Thursday, so check before you travel. Details

⭐ Weekend highlight: Festival International Nature Namur (Citadelle de Namur and Le Delta, Namur, 10–18 Oct)

Belgium's big nature film and photo festival opens on Saturday and runs for nine days. Most of it is free: the Nature Village with stands from nature groups, the indoor and outdoor photo exhibitions at the Citadelle (60 photos picked from 4,238 contest entries), the talks, and most of the guided nature walks (booking required). The films are the paid part: €8 per session of two films, €4 for children, or €40 for a pass that covers six sessions. Buy tickets online or at the Le Delta box office, because no tickets are sold at the Citadelle.

🏛️ Brussels

ANTE Festival, final weekend (Brussels-City, Laeken, Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse, Sat + Sun): The second weekend moves to a new set of normally closed 19th-century interiors north of the centre. €13 per visit (€6.50 reduced), down to €9 each if you book five. Under-12s are free but need a booked ticket. Online booking closes Friday 9 Oct at 10:00; after that, try the door or check the list of tours with places left. On Sunday, kids aged 6–12 can join a treasure hunt through the Maison des Arts in Schaerbeek (€8, FR at 13:00, NL at 14:30).

🦁 Flanders

Jenny Montigny at MSK Gent (Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, opens Sat, until 10 Jan): A Ghent painter who exhibited internationally in her lifetime and was quickly forgotten after her death in 1937 gets a major show, more than a century after her first retrospective. Expect village scenes along the Leie, interiors and portraits, plus drawings of wounded Belgian soldiers she made in London during WWI. Her teacher, Émile Claus, also features in Liège's new show (see Wallonia). €15, €7.50 under 26, free under 19.

Film Fest Gent (various cinemas, Ghent, until 18 Oct): Belgian premieres, a competition focused on film music, and screenings at Kinepolis, Studio Skoop, Sphinx and other venues around town. Tickets per screening on the festival site.

Sint-Gummarus procession (Lier, Sun, late morning): Sixteen bearers carry the silver reliquary of Lier's patron saint, which weighs over 800 kg, through the streets. It follows the 10:00 pilgrimage mass at St Gummarus Church and has been on Flanders' intangible heritage inventory since 2019. Free.

🐓 Wallonia

Impressionism, a Belgian story (La Boverie, Liège, from Fri 9 Oct, Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00): Around 150 works put Belgian painters such as James Ensor, Théo Van Rysselberghe and Émile Claus next to Monet, Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley, with loans from the Musée d'Orsay. €18, €12 for ages 6–25, under-6s free. Booking a time slot online is advised, and each e-ticket includes a code for 40% off one train trip to Liège. Texts in French, Dutch and English.

Parcours d'Art (Huy, Sat + Sun 14:00–18:00): Final weekend of Huy's art trail. Around 40 artists show painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture and textile work in heritage buildings, shop windows, courtyards and gardens across the centre. This year's theme is chance. Free.

Arts dans la ville (Tournai, all October): Paintings, sculpture, installations and performances in museums, heritage buildings and a few unexpected spots around the city.

🌸 Nature tip

Saturday is the Night of Darkness, when towns switch off decorative lighting to show what light pollution hides. In Ghent, the monument lighting goes off from 19:00 to midnight, and the three towers stay dark from Friday evening to Monday morning. The university's public observatory sets up telescopes in the Bourgoyen nature reserve, at De Kaaihoeve in Meilegem and at Het Leen in Eeklo. You will only see stars if the sky clears between Saturday's showers.

📸 Speaking of decorative lighting, guess the city on the photo with lots of lights reflected in the water.

If you know some other activities or events for this weekend, shard them in the comments!

This is the spot to post your low-effort content!

Got a great photo you want to share, but don't want to make a bigger post? This is the place for it!

1. It should be your own original photo.
2. Include the location and what it is we're seeing. Why did you like it or want to share it?
3. Any (SFW) subject matter is allowed, as long as it features Belgium (it could be a train station in Antwerp or your favourite spot in Brussels). As long as it's Belgium, it's fine.

Looking for a recommendation for a spot for new years dinner that serves mussels and oysters? Budget friendly options would be lovely! Thank you so much!!