Things to Do in Belgium in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Belgium
Is March Right for You?
Advantages
- Hotel rates drop 30-40% from peak season - the same boutique rooms in Bruges that require three-month advance booking in summer often have same-week availability in March
- Museum crowds thin out dramatically - you'll walk straight into the Rubens House in Antwerp at 2 PM instead of queuing for 45 minutes like you would in July
- Seasonal specialties appear on menus - white asparagus starts arriving in Flemish restaurants, and the first lambic beers of the year hit Brussels bars
- Carnival celebrations happen across Flanders - spectacular in Aalst where locals parade in elaborate costumes through medieval streets
Considerations
- The damp cold cuts through clothing - 5°C (41°F) with 85% humidity feels colder than you'd expect, and that bone-chill lingers even in heated cafés
- Outdoor café culture hasn't started yet - those scenic Grand Place terraces sit empty under gray skies, and the whole city feels like it's waiting for spring
- Daylight hours are still short - sunset hits around 6:30 PM, so your sightseeing window is compressed compared to summer months
Best Activities in March
Indoor Museum Hopping
March is perfect for Belgium's extraordinary museums - the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels, the MAS in Antwerp, and the Groeningemuseum in Bruges. The damp weather outside makes the warm, dry galleries more appealing, and you'll share them with locals rather than tour groups. The Magritte Museum in particular feels intimate in March when you can stand nose-to-nose with 'The Treachery of Images' without a selfie stick in sight.
Trappist Abbey Tours
The monastery breweries at Westvleteren, Westmalle, and Orval are at their most atmospheric in March mist. These working abbeies don't feel touristy even in peak season, but March adds something special - the monks' chanting drifts through cold stone corridors while you taste beers that have been brewed here since the 1800s. The drive through Flemish countryside between abbeies is prettier under low clouds than harsh summer sun.
Chocolate Workshop Tours
Brussels' chocolatiers run hands-on workshops year-round, but March brings something extra - Easter chocolate production in full swing. At Pierre Marcolini's atelier, you'll watch master chocolatiers crafting elaborate Easter eggs while learning to temper chocolate yourself. The smell of warming cacao fills the air, and you'll leave with still-warm pralines that taste completely different from store-bought versions.
Antwerp Diamond District Walking
The world's diamond capital operates on its own schedule, and March weather doesn't affect the underground trading. The Diamond District's maze of secured buildings and Orthodox Jewish dealers feels like stepping into a different century. March is ideal - summer crowds of curious tourists get turned away, but in March you can observe the serious business of diamond trading through windows, and the district's famous kosher restaurants serve warming matzo ball soup to traders.
Medieval Bruges Canal Tours
Those scenic Bruges canals look better under March's moody skies than harsh summer sun. The boat tours run year-round with heated cabins, and you'll glide past Gothic facades without queuing for 40 minutes like in August. The reflections of stepped gables are sharper in still winter water, and when the boats pass under the Bonifacius Bridge, you'll get photos that look like paintings rather than crowded tourist shots.
March Events & Festivals
Aalst Carnival
Belgium's most famous carnival transforms this Flemish town into three days of satirical procession. Locals spend months crafting elaborate floats that mock politicians and celebrities, then parade them through medieval streets while throwing oranges into crowds. The Prince Carnival leads the procession in costume, and by evening the entire town is singing traditional songs in dialect that even Dutch speakers struggle to understand.
Brussels Film Festival
This emerging festival screens European premieres in art-house cinemas around the city. March weather drives film lovers indoors, and you can catch screenings of films that won't reach other countries for months. The festival hub at Flagey cultural center becomes a meeting point for Belgian cinephiles, with director Q&As often happening in the art deco building's legendary Studio 4.