The 5 most fun cities in Belgium for a weekend away

The sun is shining a bit more now (not counting the orange code from this week including blown-over trees), so we are starting to get into the holiday mood. I often feel like I have played out the Netherlands in terms of outings. Totally not true by the way, but I attribute that mainly to diva behavior. A bit spoiled. But well, sometimes crossing the border is just a lot more attractive. It helps that our little frog country is quite small and that border is easily reached. I have often visited our southern neighbors, and then mainly in Antwerp, Brussels or one of the other well-known destinations. It's still fun, that for sure, but for a weekend away they have much more to offer. Yes, even much more than Bruges – which is also quite overwhelmed by tourists these days. Are you reading along? These 5 cities you want to visit in Belgium. So gather those friends for a weekend getaway.

1. Hasselt

The capital of the Belgian province of Limburg (make sure to enter the correct province in your route planner). Do you love good food and drinks: look no further. This city is also known as the Capital of Taste and yes, that sounds pretty good. It owes that name to the many restaurants, most of which you will find around the Grote Markt. You might also know Hasselt from the Pukkelpop festival that takes place here every year. This year it is from August 15 to 18. I always thought that name sounded a bit silly, but the line-up is more than fine every year. This year you can see Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Anne-Marie, and De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig there, for example. I can tell you: that's a lot better than the line-up of Lowlands this year. So a week in Hasselt in mid-August seems like a great plan to me.

2. Leuven

Have you perhaps been there as an outing during your high school years (they did that at my school anyway). Back then because of the history, as the Groot Begijnhof district is a beautiful historical area that is still in good condition. Very nice to walk through. But besides that history, they also have many nice restaurants and it is a real student city. Lots of pubs, and lots of Belgian beer. Well, you don't need more for a weekend, right? Here too you will find the most famous pubs around a market, this time the Oude Markt.

3. Liège

This city is also known, just like Hasselt, for its culinary delights. And for the Belgian beer, but that goes without saying at all these destinations. There are many breweries and tasting rooms for that beer, so if you are more of a connoisseur (or want to become one – I myself am out of the game after two Belgian specialty beers, so I am extremely unsuitable for this) those are fun things to do. The city itself is located in a green environment, so if you love nature and walking, you can do that just outside the city.

4. Knokke, the Bloemendaal of Belgium

Located by the beach, so especially in the summer this is a nice place to go for a few days (if the weather is nice, of course). I call it the Bloemendaal of Belgium because it often is a bit about seeing and being seen. But you should just not care about that, it is great to hang out on the beach here and you can also eat well. They have more than twenty beach bars, so the choice is quite broad. But even if you go more into the village itself, you will find many restaurants, from fine dining to bistro, so you can go in all directions.

5. La Roche-en-Ardenne

If you prefer nature and some activities, then this is the place to be. A beautiful town with a castle as a landmark and a wooded area, because yes, as the name suggests, it is located in the Ardennes. The town itself is not large (only four thousand inhabitants), so don't expect a wide range of restaurants and pubs. However, it is nice if you go away for a few days with a large group of friends for a few days away. In the area, there are many villas to rent (with a pool) where you can relax and then you can occasionally go into town. I did that and I really recommend it.