Falling leaves, that final bit of orange sun, ... Autumn can be a magical season. Even more so in Belgium! One moment you're walking in the hills or exploring a lush forest, next you're enjoying a hot chocolate in one of our picturesque towns. Or one of the classic Belgian winter beers!
I share with you 5 of my favourite excursions and activities for autumn in Belgium. That way, you always have an option when you visit this country that special time of year.
Visit one of the historical towns, like Ghent! In autumn, most tourism in Belgium pretty much ends. That means it gets a lot more quiet, and you can enjoy the cobblestone streets and ancient alleyways more freely! Of course the weather's a tad colder, but in Belgium you might as well be looking at a great Indian summer! Regardless of the weather, visiting a town is a good way to make sure you have a place to hide. Being a town full of nerds, hipsters and students you can be sure the coffee and hot chocolate here is exceptional. Mokabon has been serving hot drinks since 1951, and still offers that old-time charm. Or try a butter beer! Any town will do, but Ghent holds a special place in my heart in autumn! The many parks in the town center and the hidden gardens take on beautiful colours. Especially the Coyendanspark with the old abbey ruins gets a mystical aura this time of year. If you want to find my favourite places and uncover the pleasure of Ghent - get your guided tour here!
Simply haunting! The wealth and knowledge of our land was once kept in these places. The old monastery ruins of Villes-La-Ville Not too far from Brussels and easily accesible by train, you find this sleeping giant. You can look around with AR on a tablet, showing you what these ruins used to look like. The old walls now house a lot of plantlife, like a fairytale. The old abbey now has its own craft brewery, so after your stroll you can enjoy a local beer. Not just local, but LOCAL-LOCAL. The abbey is surrounded by a hilly forest. Ideal for a post-beer (or pre-beer) hike. Nearby is also a cosy restaurant where you can enjoy some of the best "Luikse ballekes" (Meatballs from Liège) I've ever had. I'll soon drop my wife's recipe in the blog! Check the abbey info out here.
Buggenhout forest offers a level of free exploration most forests don't encourage. Walk in the forest: the flat one There's just so many forests to choose here. Depending on your fitness level and aesthetic preferences, there's really flat ones - but also a few with steep inclines. Buggenhout bos is close to Brussels, and is an example of a rather flat forest. This place used to be a medieval hunting forest, and still holds a baroque chapel from when the lord got killed in a hunting accident. In Belgium, it's known for the numerous winter oaks. These trees produce acorns that are used all over Europe to spread their beauty.What makes this forest so amazing? Well, there is an area completely dedicated to playing! Kids (and parents) just love to climb the old fallen trees. Crawl over stumps, jump over the brooks and creeks. And very easy to combine with a Brewery visit to the home of Tripel Karmeliet and Kwak.
It's in places like this you realise how old these lands are. Walk in the forest (2): the adventurous one If you like a more challenging hike, then Kluisbos will spark your joy! Being the largest forest of the Flemish Ardennes, you can have a full-day adventure here. Apart from natural beauty, it also is a place where history dwells. If you look well, you can find dolmen, ancient religious monuments. There's also a lover's source, with magical water. It's not too far away from Ghent, and close to Oudenaarde - a city well known for its mesmerising gothic town hall and brown sour ales!
Not a literal forest - but all those barrels... Visit brewery Boon If there's one brewery that really stands out this season, it's Boon! They produce lambic and geuze, beers that are part of a long-standing tradition of natural fermentation. These guys brought that tradition back from the brink of vanishing. To make their traditional style of beer, they need the perfect temperatures. This means their brewing season in limited, and it starts in autumn. The smell of the oak barrels in which their beer has to age for up to three years is soooo intense! Gives you the forest smell, without having to be in an actual forest. If you want to get your own personal tour, book here.
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