Day trips from Ghent

15 hidden towns and nature spots within 150 km of Ghent, picked by Europe Revealed. Sorted from nearest to furthest.

See them on the map Ghent guide

25 km01 · Hidden townOudenaarde

A Flemish town with a lacy Gothic town hall, in the heart of cycling country.

Trains run from Ghent in about 30 minutes.

35 km02 · Hidden townDamme

A 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.

55 km03 · Hidden town · NetherlandsVeere

A tiny Zeeland harbour town with a huge unfinished church.

Buses run from Middelburg, about 15 minutes. Easiest by bike.

60 km04 · Hidden townLier

A canal town with a beguinage and an astronomical clock tower.

Trains run from Antwerp in about 15 minutes.

65 km05 · 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.

110 km06 · Nature spot · NetherlandsBiesbosch National Park

A maze of creeks and willow forests, home to beavers.

Buses run from Dordrecht. Easiest by car or bike.

110 km07 · Hidden town · NetherlandsDordrecht

The oldest city in Holland, with harbours and leaning merchant houses.

Trains from Rotterdam take about 15 minutes. Waterbuses also run from Rotterdam.

110 km08 · Nature spot · NetherlandsKinderdijk

Nineteen 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.

120 km09 · Nature spot · NetherlandsLoonse en Drunense Duinen

A small desert of drifting sand in the middle of the Netherlands.

Easiest by car or bike from 's-Hertogenbosch or Tilburg.

120 km10 · Hidden townDinant

An 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.

125 km11 · Hidden town · NetherlandsGouda

A Gothic town hall on a big market square, famous for its cheese.

Trains from Rotterdam and The Hague take about 20 minutes.

145 km12 · Hidden townDurbuy

A 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.

145 km13 · Nature spotHan-sur-Lesse Caves

Huge 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.

150 km14 · Hidden town · NetherlandsThorn

The 'white village', where every house was painted white.

Easiest by car or bike. Buses run from Roermond.

150 km15 · Hidden town · NetherlandsValkenburg

A hill town with a castle ruin, caves and the country's only cable car.

Trains from Maastricht take about 10 minutes.

Questions

Day trips from Ghent: good to know

What are the best day trips from Ghent?

Our favourite hidden places near Ghent are Oudenaarde (25 km), Damme (35 km), Veere (55 km) and Lier (60 km). All 15 are on this page, sorted by distance.

How far are these places from Ghent?

All of them are within about 150 km of Ghent 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.

Our Ghent guide: day plan & local tips