Travelling to Belgium presents pictures of lovely canals, tasty beer, medieval rooftops and even more indulgent chocolates. Nevertheless, there is so much for tourists to see in this wonderful European country, where everything seems to move at a slower speed and the population welcoming and friendly to visitors.
From contemporary cities boasting of stylish shops and alluring galleries to cobblestone streets dotted with museums and indigenous treats, the best areas to stay in Belgium have something for everybody to enjoy on holiday. If you are searching for where to stay in Brussels here are the best neighbourhoods near shops, parks, restaurants and public transportation.
As you will see, there are so many places to stay in Belgium that won’t break the bank. Book yourself in to one of its cheap hotels today.
If you are coming to stay in Belgium on a budget, you will be delighted to hear that there are plenty of wonderful places to enjoy a relaxing night’s sleep before you head out for some sight seeing the next day.
Here, we take a look at some of the amazing parts of this country where you might like to stay: all of them are known for having some great hotels, B&Bs and other types of budget accommodation for travellers like yourself.
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The Best Places to Visit in Belgium
Beautiful port city of Antwerp (Antwerpen)
Situated both on the river and close to the sea, Antwerp is one of the most scenic places you will ever visit. Cheap and the best luxury hotels in Antwerp will enable you to see some great attractions such as the Rubenshuis Museum in the mansion of the world famous painter and the Printing Museum, to name but a few.
There are some great restaurants and other budget places to eat here too.
> Best Areas to Stay in Antwerp
Bruges (Brugge)
Bruges is one of those places that has everything: a quaint fishing port, gorgeous cobbled streets, great food and wonderful museums. One example of such a museum for travellers on a budget here is the Groeningemuseum which houses some brilliant classical Flemish art.
Cheap and luxury accommodation is plentiful in Bruges, too. From Bruges you can easily reach the city of Ypres, famous for Flanders Field and the Menin Gate. Plenty of top quality Ypres hotels are located in the city centre.
> Best Areas to Stay in Bruges
Brussels (Brussel – Bruxelles)
Acknowledged for its variety of places and sites of interest, Brussels is the capital of Belgium and is possibly where tourists will start their tours. As the nerve centre of lots of European institutions, Brussels may also be considered as the capital of the European Union.
Most remarkably, the Grand Place is the Brussels’ centre and was founded in the 13th century. Luxury hotels, pubs and Terrace cafes are plentiful near this central square; akin to other places of interest like the spectacular Gothic-style Town Hall.
> Recommended Areas for Tourists in Brussels
Accommodation amid the cliffs in Dinant
Dinant was where the inventor of the saxophone was born, and so accordingly there are plenty of music themed museums and attractions for travellers staying in Dinant hotels to visit (such as the Maison de la Pataphonie).
Dinant is also the home of Leffe beer, and when you stay in this city it is highly recommended that you visit Maison Leffe for some beer and a tour of the old abbey – very easy to reach from any budget accommodation in the city.
Ghent (Gent)
Ghent is Belgium’s best-kept secret, and it is a city laden with history. At some point in the Middle Ages, it was amongst the most powerful and wealthiest cities in Europe. It was once, in fact, the second biggest city north of the Alps, after Paris.
The result of the prosperous past can be evidently seen when viewing the impressive architecture of the homes of wealthy merchants and churches. The city centre is renovated in this style, and still breathes the ambience of a flourishing late-medieval metropolis state. Plenty of first class hotels can be found in Ghent.
Mechelen
A lively city that does not draw the sightseeing that numerous other Belgium towns do, Mechelen is, in fact, one of the best areas to holiday in Belgium. From trips of riverboat tours to the Beguinage Brewery, there is much to do and see in this Flanders environment.
An excursion to the summit of the St. Rombout Cathedral’s enormous tower is the surest way to get a panoramic sight of the Antwerp Port and this attractive town.
Leuven
A bode to the oldest Catholic university in the planet, Leuven is the habitat of about 100,000 people with almost 30,000 of them being scholars that make the city dynamic when school is in session. Two apparently endless streets are loaded with appealing places like the Grand Beguinage and The Belfry on St. Peter’s Church.
The location of the city makes it a perfect option to Brussels as a tourist’s central hub to discover the rest of the country.
Stay beside the seaside at Ostend (Oostende)
Ostend is one of the most tourist friendly parts of the Belgian coast line, so why not book yourself in to one of the budget friendly seafront hotels here?
Soak up the healing waters of Spa
Spa is a very luxurious part of the Ardennes to stay in as it is home to deeply healing mineral waters. Nevertheless, you can do it all on a budget and stay in cheap accommodation in Spa!
Glorious countryside when visiting The Ardennes
From the Semois Valley to rambling farmhouses in villages further afield, The Ardennes are full of wonderful places to bunk up in budget accommodation.
Some top places to visit and find hotels in on the cheap include Bastogne, St Vith and Durbuy. The Ardennes is also the home to the world famous Belgian Grand Prix formula one.
Tournai (Doornik)
Bordering France, the gorgeous and old-fashioned community of Tournai is an outstanding place to hide away the hurly-burly of larger Belgium towns. Over 2000 years of rich cultural history can be discovered here, and this town is abode to what is alleged to be one of the most fine-looking churches in the globe – the five-towered Romanesque and Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral.
