Feel like traveling? Whether it’s an arid desert that resembles the Sahara, large Canadian lakes, an Indian castle or a village with a soft Provencal feel, there are plenty of places in Belgium that invite you to travel, without (almost) having to leave your home!
A touch of Canada at Lake Nisramont
Do Canada’s great lakes and majestic forests give you a thirst for adventure? No need to head across the Atlantic! Just 2 hours from Brussels, the magnificent Lac de Nisramont offers a magnificent walk at the confluence of the two Ourthes rivers. Get out the camera!
📍 Lac de Nisramont, 6660 Houffalize (1h50 by car from Brussels)
Like an arid desert at Lommel Sahara
Covering an area of 193 hectares, the vast sandy expanse of the Lommel Sahara is a nature reserve with a breathtaking landscape. What’s more, at its center, a magnificent lake surrounded by pine trees projects visitors into an almost cinematic setting (the film “Frits et Freddy” was shot here in 2010). Finally, climb the observation tower to enjoy the view!
📍 Sahara de Lommel, 3920 Lommel (1h40 by car from Brussels)
In the land of the Rising Sun with Hasselt’s Japanese garden
Wooden pavilion, “Tea House”, waterfall, cherry trees (in bloom in spring): the 2.5-hectare Hasselt Japanese Garden, located in the heart of the Kapermolen Park, is the largest Japanese garden in Europe. Observe the koi fish swimming happily in the water, then sit back and relax under the cherry blossom trees… it’s incredibly peaceful!
A hidden Indian castle in the Belgian Ardennes
Hidden away in the Durbuy countryside, Château de Petite-Somme is a former 19th-century building offering an interesting blend of European neo-Gothic style and ancestral Oriental culture. Also known as Radhadesh, the château houses part of the spiritual community of the same name. Petite-Somme also includes a museum of sacred art, with exhibits focusing on traditional Indian arts, a retreat center, a vegetarian restaurant, a boutique and even a bakery!
📍 Château de Petite Somme, Petite Somme 5, 6940 Durbuy (1h30 drive from Brussels)
Giant’s Tomb: a spectacular panorama worthy of the Ardèche gorges
This is one of the Ardennes’ finest jewels, and the panorama from Botassart will take your breath away. The Tombeau du Géant (Giant’s Tomb), carved into the curve of the Semois river, is undoubtedly one of Belgium’s most beautiful landscapes, and will take you on a journey reminiscent of some of Switzerland’s great forests, but also of the south of France (how could we fail to think of the Ardèche gorges). One of the most exotic places in Belgium, and we’re all for it!
📍 Le Tombeau du Géant, Botassart, Moulin du Rivage, 6833 Bouillon (2h drive from Brussels)
Scandinavian landscapes in the Kikbeekbron valley
Hiking loops winding through the magnificent forests and lakes of the Kikbeekbron Valley and Mechelse Heide offer visitors incredible Scandinavian landscapes. A Finnish mountain, a Swedish lake? Not at all! We’re just 1h20 from Brussels, in the heart of the Maasmechelen nature reserves!
📍 Vallei van de Kikbeekbron, Weg naar Zutendaal, 3630 Maasmechelen (1h20 by car from Brussels)
Along the rivers and clearings of an Irish forest
Legend has it that Tolkien drew inspiration for his work “The Lord of the Rings” from a forest in Northern Ireland, Tollymore Forest. We, on the other hand, believe it was the forest of Ninglinspo, named after the stream that meanders through the Ardennes landscape. In Aywaille, not far from Liège, this hike is widely acclaimed as one of the most beautiful in Belgium. Take a look at its waterfalls!
📍 Ninglinspo hike, departure on N633, 4920 Aywaille (1h30 from Brussels)
Namibian waterfalls on the border of the Hautes-Fagnes region
“Namibia-style”… well, perhaps we’re going a bit too far. Nevertheless, the Bayehon waterfall, located at the beginning of the Hautes-Fagnes and Eifel nature park, is the second largest waterfall in Belgium! Just 45 minutes away by car, take the opportunity to stop off in the Ninglinspo forest, our number 6 in this top list of places to visit in Belgium.
📍 Torgny, 6767 Rouvroy (2h20 by car from Brussels)
An American-style micro-canyon at Fondry des Chiens
If, like us, you don’t currently have the means to travel to the States to see the Grand Canyon, you can always count on the impressive Fondry des Chiens chasm, located in the Viroin-Hermeton nature reserve. This spectacular natural site was formed by thousands of years of rainfall erosion, in very chalky soil. Impressive!
📍 Fondry des chiens, 5670 Viroinval (1h50 by car from Brussels)
Under the sun of a Provencal village in Torgny
A member of the Association des Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie, Torgny is a magnificent country village with a flourishing winegrowing past, whose current production represents one of Belgium’s most important dry white wines. It’s hardly surprising, then, that the village has been dubbed the “Belgian Provence”! You can almost hear the cicadas…
📍 Torgny, 6767 Rouvroy (2h20 by car from Brussels)
