Best time to visit Belgium

Belgium

19 THINGS TO DO IN BELGIUM (JULY 14 - JULY 23)

Tomorrowland — Tomorrowland
July 17–19, 2020 | July 24–26, 2020 • event
On the eve of the first-time Tomorrowland, its organisers handed out tickets for free to ensure that people would come. A few years later the tickets were sold out in a second!

Horseback Shrimp Fishing — Horseback Shrimp Fishing
late June–early September • activity
A unique fishing tradition is still preserved in Oostduinkerke

Gent Jazz Festival — Gent Jazz Festival
July 09–19, 2020 • event
Every year, Ghent brings together jazz artists and fans

Caving — Caving
April–October (all year round) • activity
Belgium boasts several cave systems and underground waterways

The Labyrinth of Durbuy — The Labyrinth of Durbuy
July 01–October 01 • nature
Find your way out of a giant maze

Belgian National Day — Belgian National Day
July 21 • event
Free museums entry, a parade and fireworks are part of the celebration

Atomium — Atomium
all year round • activity
A landmark of Brussels, once called Europe's most bizzare building

Sonian Forest (Zoniënwoud) — Sonian Forest (Zoniënwoud)
all year round • nature
“Brussels’ Lungs” is a habitat for hundreds of species

Belgian Waffles — Belgian Waffles
all year round • food
One of the most famous Belgian products in the world

Speculoos (Speculaas) — Speculoos (Speculaas)
December 6 (all year round) • food
Thin and crispy Belgian cookies for St. Nickolas’ Day

Hiking — Hiking
April–October • activity
Deep forests, picturesque valleys, mountain rivers and heaths in blossom await hikers in Belgium

Cuberdon — Cuberdon
all year round • food
A cone-shaped candy is a specialty of Belgium

Moules Frites (Mosselen met Friet) — Moules Frites (Mosselen met Friet)
late July–early April • food
Mussels and fries is one of the most popular dishes in Belgian cuisine

Jenever — Jenever
December (all year round) • food
A typical liquor for Christmas celebrations

Kayaking & Canoeing — Kayaking & Canoeing
April–October • activity
Discover Wallonia from the water. The whole region is crisscrossed by smaller rivers

Sea Lavender (Lamsoor) in the Zwin — Sea Lavender (Lamsoor) in the Zwin
early July–early August • nature
This plant makes the North Sea coastline and salt marshes of Belgium look alive

Shrimp Season — Shrimp Season
late June–early September • food
One of the key specialties of Belgium and a favourite among locals

Marches of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse — Marches of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse
early May–late October • event
A series of traditional marches take place in the small towns of Wallonia

Dour Festival — Dour Festival
July 15–19, 2020 • event
The biggest and most popular music event in the French-speaking part of Belgium

60 THINGS TO DO OUT OF SELECTED DATE RANGE

Rock Werchter — Rock Werchter
July 02–05, 2020 • event
One of the oldest rock festivals in the world is listed in European top five and boasts incredible crowds

Carnaval de Binche — Carnaval de Binche
February 23–25, 2020 • event
One of the oldest and merriest shrove traditions of Wallonie

Pukkelpop — Pukkelpop
August 20–23, 2020 • event
The second biggest music festival in Belgium offers four days of trendy beats

Ostend Beach Festival — Ostend Beach Festival
July 10–12, 2020 • event
The biggest beach party in Belgium

Rampage — Rampage
March 13–14, 2020 • event
The biggest drum&bass and dubstep party in the world

Aalst Carnaval — Aalst Carnaval
February 23–25, 2020 • event
Satirical and colourful celebrations for Mardi Gras

Dinant International Bathtub Regatta — Dinant International Bathtub Regatta
August 15 • event
The unusual Belgian water race attracts participants from all over the world

Royal Greenhouses of Laeken — Royal Greenhouses of Laeken
April 17–May 08, 2020 • nature
The private garden of the King welcomes visitors for three weeks only

Ommegang — Ommegang
July 01–03, 2020 • event
The city gets occupied by thousands of medieval characters

Beer Lovers' Marathon — Beer Lovers' Marathon
May 17, 2020 • event
Run and sip Belgium's finest brews

Ghent Festival of Flanders — Ghent Festival of Flanders
September 02–October 03, 2020 • event
From organ music to jazz, this festival is all about diversity and creativity

Krakelingen & Tonnekensbrand — Krakelingen & Tonnekensbrand
February 23, 2020 • event
This fire and bread feast marks the end of winter

Birdwatching — Birdwatching
October–April • nature
In winter, parts of Belgium serve as a shelter for flocks of migratory birds

Zythos Beer Festival — Zythos Beer Festival
April 25–26, 2020 • event
Over one hundred beer producers come to the city of Leuven every April

Owl Breeding Season — Owl Breeding Season
March–May • nature
Birdwatchers flock to Belgium every spring to observe Tengmalm’s Owl and the Eagle Owl

White Asparagus — White Asparagus
late April–late June • food
The “white gold” of Belgium is a favorite spring vegetable

Endive & Ham Gratin — Endive & Ham Gratin
September–May • food
A traditional dish from the rural regions of Belgium

Heather Blooming — Heather Blooming
late August • nature
Observe the vast Belgian moorlands covered with a violet carpet of Calluna vulgaris

Cherry Blossoms in Hasselt — Cherry Blossoms in Hasselt
early April • nature
Over two hundred cherry trees bloom in Europe's largest Japanese garden

Barrio Cantina — Barrio Cantina
May 20–24, 2020 | June 05–07, 2020 | June 12–14, 2020 • event
A Belgian Food Truck Festival travels across the Flanders region

Houtem Jaarmarkt — Houtem Jaarmarkt
November 11–November 12 • event
One of the biggest and oldest open-air livestock fairs in Europe

Hanswijk Procession — Hanswijk Procession
May 17, 2020 • event
One of the oldest religious processions in Belgium

Deep in the Woods — Deep in the Woods
September 04–06, 2020 • event
A one-weekend party to escape from city life and daily routines

Meyboom — Meyboom
August 09 • event
Every year, a tree is erected in the city to commemorate the victory of Brussels over the city of Leuven

Horst Arts & Music Festival — Horst Arts & Music Festival
September 11–14, 2020 • event
A three-day art and music festival in a former military site

Fire is Gold — Fire is Gold
August 29, 2020 • event
One of the biggest electronic music events in Belgium

Kattenstoet — Kattenstoet
May 09, 2021 • event
The Cat Parade takes place in Ypres every three years

BRAFA Art Fair — BRAFA Art Fair
January 26–February 02, 2020 • event
One of the oldest and most prestigious fairs in Europe

Ducasse de Mons (Doudou) — Ducasse de Mons (Doudou)
June 07, 2020 • event
The traditional village fair celebrates the victory of Saint George over the dragon

Gentse Waterzooi — Gentse Waterzooi
November–March • food
A soup-like stew will warm you during the coldest of days

Bruges Beer Festival — Bruges Beer Festival
February 01–02, 2020 • event
For the first weekend of February, Bruges becomes a pilgrimage site for beer-lovers

Ducasse d'Ath — Ducasse d'Ath
August 21–23, 2020 • event
For more than 500 years, seven giants have walked through the town of Ath on the fourth Sunday of August

Brussels Jazz Weekend — Brussels Jazz Weekend
May 29–31, 2020 • event
For one weekend, the heart of Brussels beats to the rhythm of jazz, which is played in every nook of the city

Giant Omelette in Malmedy — Giant Omelette in Malmedy
August 15 • event
Every year, the citizens of Malmedy gather to cook a huge omelette

Game Season — Game Season
October–January • food
Belgian cuisine offers plenty of dishes featuring game

Couleur Café Festival — Couleur Café Festival
June 26–28, 2020 • event
The most exotic and colourful festival of Belgium is a mixture of urban music and contemporary art

Stoemp — Stoemp
December–February • food
A typical Belgian dish made of mashed vegetables

Magnolias in Botanic Garden Meise — Magnolias in Botanic Garden Meise
late March–April • nature
Dozens of magnolia trees burst into blossoms and mark the beginning of spring

Jazzuary — Jazzuary
mid- to late January • event
In January, jazz music sets the rhythm of life in Brussels

Lambic Beer — Lambic Beer
October–April • food
A unique type of beer is being brewed in a small region southwest of Brussels

Brussels Summer Festival — Brussels Summer Festival
August 19–23, 2020 • event
Discover Belgian music with dozens of artists playing rock, pop, hip-hop and jazz

European Circus Festival — European Circus Festival
December 12 2019–January 05 2020 • event
World-class artists show us what the real circus is

Village de Noël de Liège — Village de Noël de Liège
November 29–December 30, 2019 • event
Liege's Christmas Village is the biggest and oldest Christmas market in Belgium

Medieval Festival of Bouillon — Medieval Festival of Bouillon
August 10–11, 2019 • event
Visitors plunge into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages

Blossom Season in Haspengouw — Blossom Season in Haspengouw
April • nature
Pear, apple, and cherry orchards burst into blossoms for one month

Esperanzah! World Music Festival — Esperanzah! World Music Festival
August 02–04, 2019 • event
Three days of dancing at the abbey on the picturesque banks of the Sambre River

Brussels Comic Strip Festival — Brussels Comic Strip Festival
September 13–15, 2019 • event
Cartoons come to life on the streets of the city

Hallerbos — Hallerbos
mid-April • nature
Every spring, millions of bluebells bloom in the Blue Forest

Floralia Brussels — Floralia Brussels
April 04–May 03, 2020 • event
Over one million flowers bloom in the park and greenhouses of the 12th-century castle

Brussels Chocolate Fair (Salon du Chocolat) — Brussels Chocolate Fair (Salon du Chocolat)
February 14–16, 2020 • event
A three-day event for chocolate lovers

Procession of the Holy Blood (Bruges) — Procession of the Holy Blood (Bruges)
May 21, 2020 • event
The colourful pageant unites the city through its history and beliefs

Flower Carpet & Flowertime — Flower Carpet & Flowertime
August 13–16, 2020 • event
Every year, the centre of Brussels gets covered with flowers

Les Ardentes — Les Ardentes
July 09–12, 2020 • event
Rap, rock and hip-hop flows above the Meuse River

Ghent Light Festival — Ghent Light Festival
January 27–31, 2021 • event
When the sun goes down, thousands of lights illuminate Ghent

Pageant of the Golden Tree — Pageant of the Golden Tree
August 2022 (TBA) • event
Every five years, a colourful festival takes over the streets of Bruges

AG Antwerp 10 Miles & Marathon — AG Antwerp 10 Miles & Marathon
April 26, 2020 • event
Every year, sportsmen and enthusiasts gather to run 5, 16 or 42 kilometres

Meakusma Festival — Meakusma Festival
September 04–06, 2020 • event
A festival of electronic music and video installations

Winter / Christmas Beers — Winter / Christmas Beers
December–February • food
Seasonal beers are brewed for the cold winters of Belgium

Beer Festivals — Beer Festivals
early September–late October • event
Autumn is the best time to discover the beer culture of Belgium

Skiing and Snowboarding — Skiing and Snowboarding
December–February • activity
Belgium satisfies both experienced riders and beginners

Nearby destinations

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Best time to visit The Netherlands

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