Ghent, Bruges and Brussels

We enjoyed our time in the Netherlands this summer and were eager to visit their Southern neighbor, Belgium. We spent over three days enjoying the highlights in Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels, and I am sharing our kid-friendly three-day itinerary. I will go ahead and throw a disclaimer out there: after visiting Brussels, I would spend an extra day in Ghent or Bruges and skip Brussels altogether unless it’s the central city you are flying to or taking the train into. In our opinion, it was a dirty city with a lot of construction happening on many of the sites. That being said, if you are really into art and shopping, there are some fantastic stores and museums to visit that just weren’t on our itinerary this time around with our two young children with us. We traveled in mid-January 2025.

Day 1: Ghent

· Saint Bavo’s Cathedral

· Belfry of Ghent

· Korenmarkt

· Saint Nicholas’ Church

· Saint Michael’s Bridge

· Graslei

· Castle of the Counts

· Kraanlei

· Patershol

Since we drove from Germany, we based ourselves in Ghent for the first two days. Ghent has the most to see of the three cities on this itinerary. During the Middle Ages, Ghent was one of Europe's most influential and wealthiest cities due to its proximity to the port and production of high-end textiles. The city now prides itself on combining tourism with sustainability and boasts 400km of cycling paths and a car-free center. We appreciated the car-free center, which allowed our kids to run around without us worrying about cars near them.

We parked in a garage near Saint Michael’s Bridge, which is central to many sites. Saint Michael’s Bridge is an arched stone bridge with views of Saint Nicholas’ Church and other historical sights. It is also a popular photo spot among tourists. From here, we walked by the beautiful churches, including Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Saint Nicholas’ Church, and the Belfry of Ghent. Since it was pretty cold, we stopped to warm up and eat at Wally’s Tea Room. After a waffle for the kids and warm beverages for the adults, we walked over to tour the Castle of the Counts.

The Castle of the Counts

The Castle of the Counts’s origins lie in the 9th century when Arnulf I, son of Count Baldwin II, built a fortress in Ghent on the present site of the Castle of the Counts. It was a simple, square, wooden structure consisting of a main building with two floors and a few buildings outside, including a grain store. This location became the new hub for trade and industry in the region.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, the wooden structure was replaced by a Tournai limestone residence and then an imposing stone castle under the order of Philip of Alsace, when he returned home from his first crusade. The main building became a 30-meter-high tower, and a wall with 24 watchtowers was added around the garden. Though much was put into constructing this castle, it was never a permanent residence. It was only occupied when the count’s family was in Ghent.

From the 14th century, the Castle of the Counts became Flanders' judicial center, allowing them to judge serious crimes. By the 17th century, four different courts operated from this location. In addition to the courts, the Castle of the Counts was also a prison and home to inhumane torture and interrogation techniques. In the 18th century, the courts relocated, and the building was auctioned. Two plots were acquired and turned into cotton mills and a construction workshop until the end of the 19th century when, once again, the companies relocated, and the building was left in shambles.

*Views from the top of the Castle of the Counts*

The Ghent City Council and the Belgian government slowly purchased the plots and restored the castle to an interpretation of Philip of Alsace’s castle. In 1907, it was opened to the public and has remained a top tourist destination in Ghent. This was a fascinating castle, and we enjoyed the medieval architecture. The stairs were fun to navigate in the narrow circular patterns, and our son especially enjoyed seeing the outdoor stone bathroom along the wall, which we had to stress was not for use now. From the top of the castle walls, you can enjoy panoramic views of the city.

After spending a few hours at the castle, we walked around town for another hour, seeing areas like Graslei and Patershol. We grabbed one more waffle (when in Belgium) and then headed to our accommodations for the evening.

Day 2: Bruges (or Brugge, goes by a few spellings)

Beguinage "Ten Wijngaerde"

Waffle Bar
Rosary Quay
De Burg
Belfort
Market Square
Frietmuseum
Choco-Story Chocolate Museum
Chocolatier Dumon
Other options: Otto Waffle Atlier (vegan waffles next to a canal), Biermuseum, Ezelport, Boat Tour,Walking Tours, Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours

*Rosary Quay, Bruges on a very foggy day*

Since we were staying in Ghent, we hopped in the car and drove for forty minutes to Bruges from Ghent. It was a straightforward drive, and we arrived at 9:30, quickly found parking in a garage, and started our day. We walked through the Beguinage "Ten Wijngaerde” and stopped for a bit so the kids could watch the swans in the water. We continued walking to the Rosary Quay, the famous photo spot and location for boat tours. Due to the cold and grey during this trip, we skipped the boat tour, but it would be at the top of my list should we find ourselves back in Bruges during warmer weather. After a few photos, we popped into the Waffle Barn for our first waffle of the day. The kids both opted for a waffle with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Derik chose the Strawberrylicious (which I wanted), but I got the decadent Belgian Chocoholic Dream with a cappuccino since he went with that. It was phenomenal, truly. Can you go wrong with a Belgian waffle topped with chocolate? In this case, no, you cannot.

*Belgian Chocoholic Dream at the Waffle Bar in Bruges*

Thoroughly satiated, we continued a slow walk around the city, and when the kids started to feel cold again, we popped into the Frietmuseum. There are lots of fun little interactive exhibits the kids can play with, and if you book the Frietmuseum with the Choco-Story Museum, it is discounted to 20 euros for both museums per adult. Children under three are free. You are provided a coupon for fries at the end, so we enjoyed some Belgian fries and ventured back out.

The next stop was Chocolatier Dumon, where the kids excitedly picked out chocolate for family gifts and then had to pick a few pieces for themselves. The lady working was extremely friendly and threw in some extra chocolate for the kids, which we have hidden in the cabinets until they have detoxed from this trip's waffles and chocolate.

Our final stop of the day was the Choco-Story Museum. Prepare to spend much more time here than at the Frietmuseum, as there is much to cover! By this point of the day, we saw the highlights, watched the short film on how cacao is brought from Mexico to Belgium, and finished by watching the live chocolate-making demonstration. As always, we took our cues from our kids and knew as they entered their zoomie stage it was time for a rest after several hours of non-stop activity. I grabbed a coffee to-go from Coffee Two Point Oh since it was near where we parked, and we returned to Ghent.

Day 3: Brussels

Waffle Making Workshop Brussels (offered 7 days a week)

Place du Jeu de Balle Flea Market (Daily 9-14:00, weekends until 15:00)
Grand-Place de Bruxelles
Royal Palace of Brussels
Other Things to Do: Comic Wall Murals (we saw a few), Mannequin Pis statue (didn’t appeal to me ha), Chocolate making class (children have to be 8 and older to participate), visit Bozar, Atomium, MIMA or a do beer tasting tour.

We packed up and hopped in the car for the hour’s drive to Brussels. We started our time in Brussels with a ninety-minute waffle-making workshop, which turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Leif is almost four and loved his time in the class so much. From donning his chef’s hat, adding ingredients, and whisking his waffle batter, he smiled the entire time. He enjoyed his waffle topped with Nutella. Emmy had the same, paired with strawberries and a side of dancing.

Brussels would have been a letdown if it were not for this class. As previously mentioned, a lot of construction is happening, and the city seems dirty in many areas. Paired with the extremely dark and dreary winter days, it just did not impress us, and that’s ok. We are not going to love every place we go. After our waffle class, we walked to the Place du Jeu Balle Flea Market and enjoyed pursuing the stalls.

I hoped to find a gold picture frame in decent condition but did not luck out on this trip. After people-watching a bit longer, we returned to our car and left to check into our accommodation. Later that afternoon, we walked by the Royal Palace (open for indoor tours July 21-September only) and around the Grand Place de Bruxelles. The Grand Place was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. It’s surrounded by guild houses, City Hall, and the Maison du Roi and is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world. It was stunning in person.

That evening, we decided on a highly rated Greek restaurant located near The Grand Place, Santorini, and enjoyed a fantastic dinner there. The restaurant epitomized a family restaurant, and we loved the friendly and homey atmosphere.

Overall, we enjoyed our time in Belgium, with Bruges being our favorite, followed by Ghent. If we were to do it again, we would skip Brussels and spend more time in Bruges, especially during the warmer months. The city's medieval charm and picturesque canals make it a standout destination, and it’s clear why so many people are drawn to it year after year.

What to Pack for Belgium in January

The temperatures stayed around 0 Celsius, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the entire time we were there. The days were quite dark and dreary, but that didn’t stop us from exploring. Come prepared with lots of warm clothes and layers, good walking shoes for the cobblestone streets, thick socks, hat and gloves. It did not rain when we were there, but I would have a rain jacket or weather-resistant jacket along for the trip just in case. We used a stroller for this trip and there were a few occasions where it was tough to navigate on the cobblestone but overall it was good.

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Kid-Friendly 3 Day Belgium Itinerary

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