Day trips from Brussels
17 hidden towns and nature spots within 150 km of Brussels, picked by Europe Revealed. Sorted from nearest to furthest.
35 km01 · Hidden townLierA canal town with a beguinage and an astronomical clock tower.
Trains run from Antwerp in about 15 minutes.
50 km02 · Hidden townOudenaardeA Flemish town with a lacy Gothic town hall, in the heart of cycling country.
Trains run from Ghent in about 30 minutes.
75 km03 · Hidden townDinantAn onion-domed church squeezed between the Meuse river and a cliff with a citadel.
Trains run from Namur, about 30 minutes. The centre is walkable.
85 km04 · Hidden townDammeA tiny medieval town on a canal lined with poplars, near Bruges.
Cycle or walk along the canal from Bruges, about 7 km. In summer a small boat also runs.
90 km05 · Hidden town · NetherlandsVeereA tiny Zeeland harbour town with a huge unfinished church.
Buses run from Middelburg, about 15 minutes. Easiest by bike.
95 km06 · Hidden townDurbuyA tiny cobbled town in the Ardennes, known for its topiary park.
Easiest by car. The nearest train station is in Barvaux, a few kilometres away.
100 km07 · Nature spotHan-sur-Lesse CavesHuge underground halls carved by a river in the Ardennes.
Easiest by car. An old-style tram takes visitors from the village to the cave entrance.
105 km08 · Hidden townYpres (Ieper)A rebuilt medieval town at the heart of the First World War battlefields.
Trains run from Kortrijk and Ghent. The centre is walkable.
105 km09 · Nature spot · NetherlandsLoonse en Drunense DuinenA small desert of drifting sand in the middle of the Netherlands.
Easiest by car or bike from 's-Hertogenbosch or Tilburg.
105 km10 · Hidden town · NetherlandsValkenburgA hill town with a castle ruin, caves and the country's only cable car.
Trains from Maastricht take about 10 minutes.
105 km11 · Nature spot · NetherlandsBiesbosch National ParkA maze of creeks and willow forests, home to beavers.
Buses run from Dordrecht. Easiest by car or bike.
110 km12 · Hidden town · NetherlandsDordrechtThe oldest city in Holland, with harbours and leaning merchant houses.
Trains from Rotterdam take about 15 minutes. Waterbuses also run from Rotterdam.
110 km13 · Hidden town · NetherlandsThornThe 'white village', where every house was painted white.
Easiest by car or bike. Buses run from Roermond.
115 km14 · Nature spot · NetherlandsKinderdijkNineteen historic windmills along the canals of a polder.
Waterbuses run from Rotterdam's Erasmus Bridge in about 30 minutes. Buses run from Rotterdam and Dordrecht.
130 km15 · Nature spotHautes FagnesHigh moorland crossed by wooden boardwalks, Belgium's highest point.
Easiest by car. Buses run from Eupen and Malmedy.
130 km16 · Hidden town · NetherlandsGoudaA Gothic town hall on a big market square, famous for its cheese.
Trains from Rotterdam and The Hague take about 20 minutes.
135 km17 · Hidden town · GermanyMonschauSlate-and-timber houses packed along a narrow river valley in the Eifel.
Buses run from Aachen in about an hour. Easiest by car.Questions
Day trips from Brussels: good to know
What are the best day trips from Brussels?
Our favourite hidden places near Brussels are Lier (35 km), Oudenaarde (50 km), Dinant (75 km) and Damme (85 km). All 17 are on this page, sorted by distance.
How far are these places from Brussels?
All of them are within about 150 km of Brussels in a straight line, close enough for a day trip by car, and many by train or bus too. Check each place for how to get there.