Hidden Gems Places To Visit in Flanders, Belgium

1. 5.0 CityCycling.Gent (99 reviews)
   - Team Building in Ghent
   Bike Tours
   
   
   I have been to Ghent a few times and have seen the historic/touristic part of the city. Experiencing Ghent via bike was so much fun. I went with colleagues as a team building activity and saw that there is so much more of Ghent during the 3 hour tour. Tim the owner and guide is super knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. I highly recommend a city cycle tour. See more..
   
2. 5.0 Teseum (92 reviews)
   - Must visit and see
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • History Museums
   
   
   Treasures of the Teseum - Archaeological site: Buried treasures. Go down to see hidden treasures under the ground. Three meters below surface, age-old stones tell the story of the city, its inhabitants and the church. This story began 2000 years ago with the Roman rulers and is still being written today. - Treasury: Magnificant art treasures. Discover all the splendours of the Tongeren church treasure. One of the richest ecclesiastical treasures of the Low Countries. Unique, with items among the finest that Flanders has to offer. See more..
   
3. 5.0 Sup Ghent (72 reviews)
   - Amazing private tours
   Stand Up Paddleboarding
   
   
   Whenever I met Bart I knew straight away SUP was gonna be great! The difference that he offers is that he will always book you in on a private tour, unless you like it to be different. He is very flexible to work out the route you will like plus time and date is also when ever he is available. Once we even went on a sunrise tour where his partner made us the best boyfriend/girlfriend pictures ever! In the morning he will bring coffee and during the day other refreshments. Even if you're very new, he will do everything he can to make you have an incredible time! See more..
   
4. 5.0 Brouwerij Bosteels (58 reviews)
   - Best brewery tour ever
   Spent 1-2 hours Breweries
   
   
   In the hands of the Bosteels family for over 200 years, the brewery relies today on the craftmanship of seven generations. In 1791, Jean-Baptist Bosteels established the brewery, and has been followed by generations who took over the brewery and never stop brewing, even during the world wars. At that time, the brewery played such an important role in the town, the family Bosteels were such influential people that we are not surprised that 3 of the 7 generations have been Town Mayors. In the year 1930’s Antoine Bosteels, 5th generation, carried on the brewing dynasty and played an important role expanding the sales of the Bosteels Pils into other regions such as Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. His son Ivo Bosteels honored the iconic beer of Pauwel Kwak by bringing it back to the market in 1980; this is the beginning of the strong beers for Brewery Bosteels. In the year 1990, Ivo’s son, Antoine Bosteels, the 7th generation, understood the potential of strong speciality beers and especially See more..
   
5. 5.0 Brouwerij Oud Beersel (brewery & taproom) (45 reviews)
   - Awesome tour. Great tour guide.
   Wednesday: Spent 1-2 hours Breweries
   
   
   Brewery Oud Beersel, an authentic and independent lambic brewery which started in 1882 is located near Brussels. It is well-known for its lambic beer, brewed according to traditional brewing methods. Brewery visits are possible individually or in a group, each Saturday, with online reservation. Groups are limited to 25 people per guide. The tour itself takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, followed by a tasting session in the tasting room "Het Bierhuis" next door. For the ones who would just like to taste one of the many delicious beers, Het Bierhuis is open from Thursday till Sunday. Locally produced dishes made with beer are also available. See more..
   
6. 5.0 Huyghe Brewery (40 reviews)
   - Epic
   Breweries
   
   
   9 of us visited on a Saturday - thanks to rail engineering works we were 30 minutes late to the tour but they waited for us. Jan the guide was excellent and the tasting session was great - unlike the big brewery tours which limit the number of samples the tasters kept flowing until we left. See more..
   
7. 5.0 Huis Nagels (37 reviews)
   - Ode to the couple with the Midas- touch!
   Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   Discover a variety of magnificent building styles in this impressive notary house. It was built in 1892 by Louis Nagels. The visitor enters an overwhelming entrancehall with huge staircase and all the entrances to the notary's chambers. On the first floor you can admire some unique interiors as Gothic, Louis XV & Egyptian style. A splendid example of the in that era so popular Egyptomania. The curious who would like to find out where and how the 'Staff' in the 19th century functioned can visit the completely renovated 'Downstairs staff kitchen rooms' & the amazing 'Octopus' room. These Downstairs room are finally ready to be rented for any family occasion or business meeting. See more..
   
8. 4.5 Town Hall and Belfry (97 reviews)
   - Visiting the city of Oudenaarde.
   Government Buildings
   
   
   In the city of Oudenaarde we also have visited “the Town Hall” who was built by architect Hendrik van Pede in between 1526–1537 this to replace the medieval “Aldermen's House” that occupied the same site. Another older structure, the 14th century Cloth Hall, was retained and now forms a sort of extension at the back of the Town Hall proper. In 1999, the town hall was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, because of its representation of the civic influence of the town and its architecture, and on the moment of our visit there was a fancy fair ongoing, nice to see.. See more..
   
9. 4.5 Mechelse Heide (95 reviews)
   - Great place for cycling
   Spent More than 3 hours National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
   
   
   Extremely nice park, the cycle tracks are very well kept and the signalling is just perfect (best in Belgium), very nice surroundings See more..
   
10. 4.5 Rozentuin Coloma (87 reviews)
    - Superb
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Gardens
    
    
    Very nice garden with a lot of roses from all over the world It s the city where I m actually living so I can't do something else than recommend you to go to There is also a beautiful castle just nearby and a bar / brasserie to eat drink See more..
    
11. 4.5 Arboretum Tervuren (87 reviews)
    - The most beautiful walk you could take
    Nature & Wildlife Areas
    
    
    Fabulous nature (trees) in a well maintained surrounding wood. Clean, quiet, lovely. Recommended for all! See more..
    
12. 4.5 Rock Werchter (75 reviews)
    - Unbelievable
    Music Festivals
    
    
    Often voted the best rock festival in the world, Rock Werchter is a four-day event that sees more than 150,000 people through the gates to listen to around 60 bands on three stages. If there’s one festival to attend over summer 2016, Rock Werchter is it. See more..
    
13. 4.5 Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen (74 reviews)
    - Beautiful estate - great atmosphere - excellent wines - warm welcome - well organized
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Wineries & Vineyards
    
    
    This is the only Belgian wine castle. The estate is beautifully maintained with manicured gardens, nice buildings and the lovely central castle in neo classical style. The estate can be entirely visited (guided tours - all common international languages possible) except the inside of the castle itself which is only for private use of the owners. The guides are well informed about every detail of this wine estate and the process of wine making and share this information in a for everyone understandable way. You learn why the surroundings are an ideal terroir for the wines they produce and why they produce that sort of wines. As well the historic cellars as the newly build cellars with lots of oak barrels are impressive. The wine tasting at the end is highly recommended, and yes the wine is excellent and worthwhile to buy a couple of boxes to take home. Don't forget to taste the distilled products and the bubbles they make too. Absolutely a super experience. See more..
    
14. 4.5 Bronnenwandeling (68 reviews)
    - Perfect summer day!
    Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
    
    
    Nice and beautiful walk (about 9 km). The landscapes are stunning and the environment is very quiet. Great to do on a sunny summer day. You can park your car at Kwinten 3 and start there. Write down the numbers of the 'knooppunten' and off you go. See more..
    
15. 4.5 Park van Tervuren (67 reviews)
    - Lovely park
    Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water • Parks
    
    
    We picked up a large map of the park at the Visit Tervuren visitors’ centre and took an enjoyable stroll along canals and ponds on a sunny October Sunday afternoon. The landscaped park offers lovely views on the neo-classical museum palace (1904-1909), modelled on the Petit Palais in Paris, and the smaller Palace of Colonies or Africa Palace (1897) modelled on the Petit Trianon. There is a smattering of old statues, most of them close to the Colonial Palace and the museum. To the east of the garden there is an interesting contemporary fountain entitled “The Congo, I presume”, by Belgian artist Tom Frantzen. In recent times it has been vandalised twice despite the fact that the ensemble is clearly critical of the colonial policy of Belgian King Leopold II in Africa. A clear case of misdirected iconoclasm. See more..
    
16. 4.5 Ghent University Botanical Garden (67 reviews)
    - Beautiful walk in the park..
    Gardens
    
    
    A nice discovery in Gent, have read alot about it but never was there so it was time for a visit. Very peaceful place, starts from beginning and a must be for plant- and flowerlovers.. So many different plants, flowers, herbs to see. They have 3 glasshouses which you have to visit because they all have a different climate and you can see special species of plants. Some are even on the list of endangered species. Was a nice hidden gem in the city. See more..
    
17. 4.5 St-Martin's Basilica (65 reviews)
    - Stupendous church
    Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM Spent 1-2 hours Churches & Cathedrals
    
    
    The Basilica of St Martin is the only reason why the small Flemish town of Halle has been graced with two stars in the Green Michelin Guide. As Halle is only ten minutes by train from Brussels, we really wonder why it took us so long to visit this stupendous church. There is so much to be seen the basilica is a whole museum of medieval religious art in itself. We picked up a brochure for sale at the back of the church, containing a floor plan, fifteen good-quality pictures and detailed descriptions of the interior. We regretted not having brought binoculars to examine the famous 14th century apostle statues because they are very high up and difficult to see with the naked eye. The crypt was closed, an extra reason to come back. See more..
    
18. 4.5 Grotten Van Kanne (59 reviews)
    - Very good guide
    Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Mysterious Sites
    
    
    Visited the place with small children (aged 5 and 7). Both had a great time. The guide was ably to keep the whole group attentive. Not an easy job for a tour that lasts almost 2h. Must visit when you're in the area. Prices are on the low side. Entry point is a bit hard to find, as it's a bit further from the road with just a gate. Only accept cash. See more..
    
19. 4.5 Abdij Grimbergen (46 reviews)
    - Abbey and Beer
    Spent < 1 hour Churches & Cathedrals
    
    
    A beautiful Large Abbey in a small town with a microbrewery and a restaurant attached - what’s not to like! The brewery tour was basic but the Grimbergen beers were excellent - the restaurant looked busy but we did not eat there on this occasion See more..
    
20. 4.5 Hotel d'Hane Steenhuyse (46 reviews)
    - Real gen of Gent!
    Wednesday: Architectural Buildings
    
    
    A real gem among museums. I rarely see such rooms with all details of epoch. It seems like inhabitants just went out for a minute and would be back. Amazing feeling! And it's free! One thing to check before visit - opening hours. They are very limited. See more..
    
21. 4.5 Chateau de Grand-Bigard (37 reviews)
    - Beautiful castle and surrounding gardens
    Spent 2-3 hours Gardens
    
    
    I visited here with some friends when the Florilia Brussels event was being held here in 2021. The millions of flowers were stunningly beautiful. With the castle as a backdrop the event was really spectacular. The castle grounds are larger than I expected. I'm not sure if the castle is open regularly to the public, but whenever it is open I recommend a visit. Great day our for family and friends. See more..
    

What's a Hidden gem?

We call places hidden gems that are new, extremely good, but are not that popular yet - you should check them out. The criteria is to have a rating of 4.5 or more and more than 20 reviews and less than 100 reviews.