Free Things to Do in Belgium

Belgium has a reputation for being expensive. Yes, a round of craft beers in a Grand Place café will set you back more than you'd expect, but the country is quietly generous to visitors who know where to look. A surprising number of its finest museums are either free outright or offer free entry on the first Wednesday or Sunday of the month. The medieval town centers of Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels are essentially open-air museums you can wander without spending a cent. The architecture alone, Flemish guild houses, Gothic belfries, Art Nouveau façades tucked down side streets, rewards slow, aimless walking. No ticket improves this. There's something about Belgian culture that suits the budget traveler. Belgians tend to socialize in public squares rather than behind closed doors. The best people-watching in the country costs nothing. Markets are a way of life here, not a tourist attraction. The Sunday morning flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle in Brussels has been running for over a century. It's as much about the theatre of it as any bargain you might find. Throw in free city beaches along the North Sea coast, forest trails in the Ardennes, and a network of well-maintained cycling paths that connect virtually every interesting corner of the country. Belgium starts to look like very good value indeed.