Best time to visit Belgium

Belgium

Dec16 - Dec26:

Experiences

Weather

Popularity

11 days

Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov

Mon Dec 16–Dec 26 Thu

19 THINGS TO DO IN BELGIUM (JULY 19 - JULY 28)

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
June 26–29, 2019 • 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
June 14–16, 2019 • 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

Best time to visit Brussels

Best time to visit Amsterdam

Best time to visit The Netherlands

The Netherlands

Best time to visit France

Best time to visit Paris

Best time to visit London

Best time to visit England

Best time to visit The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom

Best time to visit Switzerland

Best time to visit Wales