Belgium

Belgium Holidays - Tours & Adventure Travel Guide

PureTravel Says
“Belgium is more than just a chocolate lover’s paradise. The country has so many outdoor adventures and activities as well as an abundance of medieval architecture in its great cities of Brussels, Antwerp and of course the famous Bruges. Belgium has interconnecting long distance hiking and biking paths to fishing in the valleys and the picturesque Ardennes region. As well as chocolate, Belgium is also famous for its wonderful beer of which the Belgians imbibe 100liters annually per head.”
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Belgium Holiday Highlights

Chocoholics Touring - If you’re a chocoholic and want to taste and learn as much about chocolate as you can, then Belgium is perfect for you. In fact, Belgium is so famous for chocolate that it produces over 170,000 tons of chocolate annually. And in fact Belgians eat on average 16kg of the stuff each per year! If you want a challenge, you could literally visit two thousand chocolate shops in this small country, most in the capital city of Brussels. You can even book a chocolate walking tour and to really get a taste of the country, there’s no better way than a chocolate tasting tour. Visit the Musee du Cacao et du Chocolat for a memoir of this drug-like devotion.

Walking & Trekking – Walking and trekking in Belgium is a great way to really experience the country. If you have enough time, try the long distance trails and GR (Grande Randonne) trails that connect the whole country. There are some hikes that can be completed in a day in the flatter northernmost part of the country, with loops and out-and-backs. The southern part of the country is hilly, and weeklong hikes or more are possible. If you have a water filtration device, you can save yourself a lot of weight by filtering your drinking water. If you’ve got a couple of days in Brussels, then you can make a day trip to the Forest de Soignes. This forest is over 10,000 acres (4,400+ha) and expands over three Belgian regions.

Mountain Biking – Bikers are common in Belgium and drivers are used to seeing bikers on the roads and forest paths. The north mostly affords flat terrain and some fast riding and those of a good fitness level will be able to cover 60-80km a day. The south, on the other hand, is hillier and offers a great challenge. There are tons of long distant bike paths, where interconnecting back roads make for some scenic rides. Ardennes has many of these paths awaiting your two wheels. You’ll have no problem loading your bike in a taxi, bus or train to and from Belgium either. Most transportation services can accommodate your bike if you choose to bring one.

Fishing –Belgium has an abundance of water; there are watercourses, rivers, lakes, streams, ocean, coasts and ponds by the dozens. In fact, the Belgians love of fishing outweighs the act of eating it, so you’ll have no problem finding a place to land a big fish. However, nearly all the inland fishing areas require permits, while sea fishing can be done without a permit, day or night, from the coastline or jetties. There are specific fishing seasons for certain kinds of fish, trout and grayling are just one example. If you fish inshore, you’re most likely to hook some hotu, grayling, dace, trout, barbell, perch, pike, rainbow trout, bass, crayfish and brook trout. Get to the Ourthe or the Meuse Valley for some great fishing. The Ardennes area is stocked during certain times of the year.
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When To Go

Belgium’s temperature is always moderate although the country is known for being quite wet, with showers an almost foreseeable daily occurrence. The weather in warmer in the summer months and the peak tourist season is July and August. The temperatures in December and January drop to about 5C and summer can see highs of 25C.
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Top Tips

• Smoking is banned in the restaurants but not in cafes, bars and pubs.
• Belgium is a great place to inshore or offshore fish although be sure to get your fishing permits worked out beforehand. Never fish on private land without permission.
• It’s possible to get many bike parts while en route. If you have a specialty bike, however, (like a recumbent) then bring any extra parts you may need. If your wheel size differs, bring extra tubes for that as well.

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Classic Itineraries
• Capital city Brussels
• Stylish Antwerp
• Chocoholic Tour
• Medieval Bruges
• Forest de Soignes
• Ardennes Region
• Meuse Valley (fishing)
• Sample the Belgian beer at Leuven
• See Roman antiques at Tongeren
• Visit the WWI site of Ypres