Think of Belgium and you might think of beer, chocolate and beautiful medieval cities like Bruges, Brussels or Ghent. Nature rarely springs to mind. Many people – both visitors and residents – have the idea that Belgium is flat, grey and densely built-up.
But put on your hiking boots and you’ll quickly discover a very different side of the country. Behind the busy cities and well-known tourist spots lies a surprisingly diverse landscape: dense forests, winding rivers, deep valleys and vast nature reserves. And the best part? Many of these places are less than a two-hour drive from Brussels.
When the pandemic suddenly made travelling impossible, I started hiking simply to escape the endless days spent at home. My expectations were low. I assumed there wasn’t much to discover in Belgium anyway. But the more I explored the country on foot, the more challenging trails, breathtaking viewpoints and hidden places I discovered that I had never even heard of before.
Over the past six years, that curiosity has led me to discover countless natural gems across Belgium. This journey eventually inspired my book Belgium’s Hidden Gems, in which I bring together some of the most beautiful and surprising places in the country.
For anyone who wants to experience Belgium differently, hiking is the perfect place to start. Here are five of my favourite routes in Belgium: hikes that perfectly show just how diverse and unexpectedly beautiful the Belgian landscape can be.
Trôs Marets – A wild valley in the Ardennes
Anyone who thinks Belgian hiking trails are flat and boring has clearly never been to the Trôs Marets valley. This small river flows down from the High Fens towards Malmedy, carving out a dramatic canyon along the way.
Thanks to the deep gorge, wooden bridges and adventurous paths winding along the river, the hike almost feels mountainous at times. In some places the gorge is so deep that you’ll instinctively pause before looking down.
The route is surprisingly adventurous by Belgian standards, but also incredibly picturesque. For about five kilometres, you could almost believe you are hiking somewhere in the Alps.
Distance: 4.8km
Duration: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: moderate
Starting point: Ferme Libert, Malmedy
Signposting: blue rectangles
The Hoëgne Valley – One of Belgium’s most beautiful river hikes
Vallée de la Hogne. Credit: Emma's Roadmap
In the small village of Solwaster, near the High Fens nature reserve, you’ll find some of the most beautiful hiking routes in Belgium. The most impressive one? Without a doubt, the route through the Hoëgne Valley.
Here, the Hoëgne river winds its way through dense forest, while the hiking path follows the water for much of the route. Along the way you cross the river several times via wooden bridges and scramble over rocks along the bank.
Even reaching the starting point is an experience in itself: to get to the parking area, you actually have to drive your car through the river. Depending on the season, that can be quite spectacular. Spring is perhaps the best time to visit, when fast-flowing water rushes through the valley and the forest feels especially alive.
Distance: 10km
Duration: Three hours
Difficulty: moderate
Starting point: Roquez 49, 4845 Jalhay
Signposting: blue crosses
The Ladder Walk – A classic with spectacular views
Ladder walk. Credit: Emma's Roadmap
The Ladder Walk in Rochehaut is one of the most famous hikes in the Ardennes, and with good reason. It is also one of the most challenging and exciting hiking trails to discover in Belgium. Even for children!
Starting at the church in Rochehaut, the trail descends into the Semois Valley, where the river winds through a spectacular landscape of forested hills. Before the hike truly begins, you’ll pass a warning sign that reads: “Not for sensitive people.” But don’t let that scare you off. As long as you can overcome your fear of heights, the hike is perfectly doable.
The most memorable moment, of course, comes when you climb a steep rock face via a series of metal ladders. Hence the name “Ladder Walk”. It may sound intimidating, but it’s a lot of fun. Afterwards, reward yourself with a drink on one of the terraces in Rochehaut while enjoying the stunning view over the hills surrounding the village of Frahan.
Distance: 7km
Duration: 2h30
Difficulty: difficult
Starting point: Rochehaut Church, Rue des Moissons, 6830 Bouillon
Signposting: red rectangle - No. 43
Terhills – Spectacular landscape in Hoge Kempen National Park
Terhills in Hoge Kempen National Park. Credit: Emma's Roadmap
Great hiking isn’t limited to the Ardennes. Flanders has plenty to offer too. Notably, the Hoge Kempen National Park, Belgium's first national park and a true hiking paradise.
My favourite route here? That would be the red hiking trail starting from the Terhills entrance in Maasmechelen. The hike takes you across former mining terrils (slag heaps) that have been transformed into a unique natural landscape.
Along the way, you pass lakes, forests and hilltops with panoramic views over the park. You can even see across the water from the new cycling and walking bridge that winds its way across the Grote Plas between two terrils. It's a route that will keep surprising you at every turn!
Distance: 9.5km
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: moderate
Start: Zetellaan 54, 3630 Maasmechelen
Signposting: red triangle
Brakelbos – An enchanted forest in the Flemish Ardennes
Brakelbos in the Flemish Ardennes
Not every beautiful hike requires a long drive south. In the Flemish Ardennes, less than an hour from Brussels, lies Brakelbos: an old beech forest with rolling hills and winding forest paths.
It’s a beautiful place to hike all year round, but especially in spring. That’s when the forest transforms into something truly dreamlike, as the ground becomes covered in blooming bluebells that turn the entire woodland purple-blue.
The bluebell bloom is one of Belgium’s most magical natural spectacles and attracts hikers and photographers every year. But not in the Brakelbos, where the flowering period remains relatively undiscovered. Here you can still stroll through the sea of purple flowers at your leisure. Plan your visit between mid-April and early May to see the flowers in all their glory.
Distance: 12km
Duration: 2.5 hours
Difficulty: easy
Start: La Houppe, 7880 Flobecq
Signposting: junctions 6–51–34–31–30–29–85–87–35–27–26–43–38–14–5–6
Discovering Belgium, without a car
You might already be thinking, “But I don't have a car, I'll never get there!” However, many hiking routes are perfectly accessible by public transport. Trains take you to places such as Spa, Dinant or Kalmthout, where several trails begin within walking distance of the station.
And even when a nature reserve is a little further away, there are often simple solutions: a short bus ride, a slightly longer walk for the final stretch, or simply using a shared car. Belgium is small and relatively well-connected, which means a beautiful hike is often closer than you think.
There are even dedicated “train hikes”, hiking routes that start and end at a train station - all perfectly mapped out for you. For many people, that journey itself becomes part of the adventure: getting on a train in the city in the morning and just a few hours later walking through a quiet valley or a vast forest.
Of course, these are just a few examples. Belgium is full of hiking routes that take you through forests, valleys and hills. But often it’s the unexpected discoveries along the way that make a hike truly memorable: an abandoned building hidden between the trees, a viewpoint you didn’t expect, an old castle tucked away in the landscape or a unique place where you can spend the night.
Belgium may be small, but it’s full of surprises for anyone willing to explore. In my book, Belgium's Hidden Gems, I bring together more than 100 of these special places across the country, from unique hikes to remarkable locations that even many Belgians have never heard of.
Prefer to keep all that inspiration in your pocket? Then check out RoadmApp, the app that helps you discover new places in Belgium and plan your next adventures. Whether you explore with a book or with your smartphone, there’s always another side of Belgium waiting to be discovered every weekend.
Think you already know Belgium?
Think again.
Put on your hiking boots, step outside, and let yourself be surprised by how much there still is to discover.
