Belgium is small and its rail network dense, so the country's best-known cities are a day trip from Brussels. Trains leave from Midi, Central and Nord. Train times below come from the SNCB timetable; car times are rough estimates from OpenStreetMap routing without traffic, and in Brussels traffic they are often longer.
Brugge: canals and medieval brick
Photo: Luc AVE / Pexels, Pexels License
1 h to 1 h 7 minSNCB train from Brussels-Midi, Central or Nord to Brugge, direct
about 1 h 17 min
Brugge, known in English as Bruges, was one of the great trading cities of medieval Europe. When its link to the sea silted up, it lost its trade, and its old centre survived largely intact. Today that centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage list: canals lined with brick houses, the Markt with its belfry, the quiet courtyard of the Beguinage and churches full of Flemish painting.
The centre is small enough to cross on foot in half an hour, and one day is enough to see the main sights. From the station, walk or take a bus to the Markt.
Tip: Go on a weekday if you can, and stay into the evening: the day-trippers leave in the late afternoon and the canals are much calmer at dusk. Climb the 366 steps of the Belfry for the view over the roofs, and see the canals from a boat on a dry day. Opening hours and events are on the Visit Bruges website.
35 to 38 minSNCB train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then tram 1 to the centre
about 52 min
A university city on the Leie and the Scheldt, known in English as Ghent, with a medieval castle in the middle of town and guildhouses lining the quays of the Graslei and Korenlei. St Bavo's Cathedral holds the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan and Hubert van Eyck, completed in 1432. From Gent-Sint-Pieters station, tram 1 takes you to the centre.
Tip: The Ghent Altarpiece has its own ticket; in busy months buy it online in advance. Gent is livelier and less polished than Brugge, and its students keep the bars full in the evening. See the Visit Gent website for opening hours.
Belgium's port city, Antwerp in English, starts at its station: Antwerpen-Centraal, completed in 1905, has a stone hall under a large dome. From there a pedestrian street leads to the Cathedral of Our Lady, which holds altarpieces by Rubens, and to the Grote Markt. Fashion boutiques and the MAS museum by the old docks round off the day.
Tip: Have a proper look at the station hall before you leave it. Walk from the cathedral to the MAS: the museum's rooftop gives a free view over the city and the port. Opening hours are on the Visit Antwerpen website.
A university town since 1425, with one of the most richly carved Gothic town halls in Belgium. The University Library, rebuilt after the First World War, has a tower you can climb. The Oude Markt, a square lined with cafés, fills with students in the evening.
Tip: The quickest trip on this page. Come on a weekday during term to see the town at its liveliest. See the Visit Leuven website.
In the early 16th century Mechelen was the capital of the Low Countries under Margaret of Austria, and its centre still has the palaces to show for it. St Rumbold's Tower rises above the Grote Markt; its 538 steps lead to a viewing platform. The town is home to the world's oldest carillon school, and you can hear the bells from the square.
Tip: Quieter and less visited than Brugge or Gent, so a good choice in high season. Climb the tower only on a clear day. The Visit Mechelen website has the opening hours of the tower.
26 to 33 minSNCB train to Waterloo, then TEC bus W to the battlefield
about 30 min
The battle that ended Napoleon's rule was fought here on 18 June 1815. The battlefield estate combines an underground museum, the Memorial 1815, with a panorama painting of the cavalry charge from 1912, the Hougoumont farm and the Lion's Mound, an artificial hill of 226 steps with a view over the fields.
Tip: The train time is to Waterloo station; the battlefield lies south of the town, so add the ride on bus W, which also stops at Braine-l'Alleud station. Tickets cost €25.50 from November to March and €29 in the high season. In winter the site opens daily from 10 am to 5.30 pm. Plan this trip for a dry day, as the mound and the farm are outdoors. Details are on the Waterloo 1815 website.
