The weather’s turned milder, the vacations are starting… and our cravings for escapades are arriving! There’s no need to go far from Brussels, when you know that Belgium boasts no less than 16 remarkable Unesco-listed sites! A godsend for the small – and flat – country!
The Grand-Place, the Palais Stoclet, the works of Victor Horta… in Brussels alone, there are 3 (actually 7) Unesco-listed sites. On a national scale, the flat country boasts 16! As a reminder, Unesco (or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is responsible for drawing up a list of the world’s most precious cultural and natural assets, with the aim of safeguarding their condition and maintaining their continuity. What are the 16 Unesco-listed sites in Belgium?
1. The Grand-Place in Brussels
And let’s start with the most magnificent of them all: our beloved Grand-Place in Brussels! Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1998 (only!), it dates back mainly to the late 17th century. Its cobblestones, splendid Town Hall and tower, and shimmering houses make it a must-see for visitors.
📍 Grand-Place, 1000 Brussels.
2. Bruges Historic Center
As we said in this article listing the 5 cities (other than Brussels) to see in Belgium, the historic center of Bruges is clearly a must-see. It’s quite simple: you’ll feel like you’re strolling through an open-air fairytale village! The site has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2000.
📍8000 Brugge.
3. The Belfries of Belgium
In 1999, Unesco decided to include 32 belfries located throughout Belgium on its list. By adding a 33rd belfry to its list in 2005 (Gembloux), as well as 23 other belfries in northern France, the list was renamed “Belfries of Belgium and France”. The most notable of these are Bruges, Ghent, Aalst, Antwerp, Namur and Charleroi.
4. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tournai
Listed in 2000, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Tournai “stands out for its exceptionally wide Romanesque nave, the sculptural richness of its capitals and a transept with five towers heralding the arrival of Gothic art”, according to whc.unesco.org. The cathedral dates from the 12th century.
📍Pl. de l’Evêché 1, 7500 Tournai.
5. The Flemish Beguinages
When they founded the beguinages in the 13th century, the beguines, women devoted to the worship of God, may not yet have known that they would be creating one of the greatest heritage treasures in all of Western medieval Europe. The 13 beguinages are located in Bruges, Ghent, Mechelen, Lier and Leuven.
Click here for a list of addresses.
6. Spa (and Europe’s great spa towns)
Inscribed in 2021, this list of international properties features eleven European “great water cities” that have contributed to the development of spa culture. All with a view to the development of medicine and science! Belgium’s Spa is one of them!
📍4900 Spa.
7. The Great Works of Victor Horta
What would Brussels be without Victor Horta? This Art Nouveau specialist and pioneer put our capital on the international map with his creations. In 2000, five of his best-known works were inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List: Hôtel Tassel, Hôtel Solvay, Hôtel van Eetvelde and the Horta house-workshop.
8. Palais Stoclet
Let’s stay in Brussels. In 2009, Unesco decided to add the Palais Stoclet in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre to its list. Completed in 1911, the Palais and its garden represent an innovation in the Brussels architectural landscape. A symbol of artistic renewal and the centerpiece of the Viennese Secession, it houses works by Klimt and Moser.
📍Avenue de Tervueren 279, 1150 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.
9. Maison Guiette (and works by Le Corbusier)
By adding a list of 17 works by the genius of Swiss urban architect Le Corbusier to its heritage list in 2016, Unesco is also including a work on Belgian territory: his Maison Guiette, located in Antwerp, imagined by Le Corbusier and built by René Guiette in 1927. It is an example of the “International Style”.
📍Populierenlaan 32, 2020 Antwerpen.
10. The Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp
Located in Antwerp, the Plantin-Moretus Museum has a history closely linked to that of typography: and for good reason, this splendid printing works dates back to the Renaissance! Christophe Plantin was the greatest printer of the second half of the 16th century, and the museum is packed with rare and collectible items relating to printing (including a painting by Rubens!).
📍Vrijdagmarkt 22, 2000 Antwerpen.
11. The Spiennes Neolithic Flint Mines in Mons
Covering more than 100 hectares, they are the largest and oldest mining centers in Europe: the Spiennes Neolithic flint mines in Mons are real gems for archaeology enthusiasts. They were listed in 2000 and are open to the public from April to October.
📍Rue de Nouvelles, 7032 Mons.
12. The Wortel Benevolent Colony
To combat misery and reduce poverty, the former United Kingdom of the Netherlands (to which Belgium belonged) set up agricultural colonies (known as “colonies de bienfaisance”) in remote areas as early as 1818. In 1910, Wortel was home to up to 6,000 residents. It has been listed since 2021, along with two other Dutch colonies.
📍Wortel, 2320 Hoogstraten.
13. The Canal du Centre elevators in Hainaut
Surprising as it may seem, the four hydraulic elevators on the Canal du Centre (in Hainaut) have also been on Belgium’s list of UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1998. They bear witness to the industrial landscape of the 19th century, and are still in working order!
📍 7110 La Louvière / 7070 Le Roeulx.
14. The Great Mines of Wallonia
There are four of them, in Boussu, La Louvière, Charleroi and Blegny! More commonly known as Grand-Hornu, Bois du Luc, Bois du Cazier and Blegny-Mine, they are the best-preserved coal-mining sites of the 19th-20th centuries. They have been listed since 2012.
15. Grippensdelle beech forest in the Forêt de Soignes
In 2007, the “Primary and ancient beech forests of the Carpathians and other parts of Europe” were added to this list! This includes the Grippensdelle Forest Reserve, located in the Forêt de Soignes near Brussels! This is Belgium’s only Nature Reserve.
📍1170 Watermael-Boitsfort.
16. First World War funerary and memorial sites (Western Front)
The Western Front of the First World War stretches over 700 km, from the North Sea to the Franco-Swiss border. It is home to 139 funerary and memorial sites dedicated to fallen soldiers. These sites, varied in size and design, offer individual graves and memorials, designed with noble materials and by renowned architects. They have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since
Click here for more information.