If you’re staying in Brussels this summer and you need inspiration for some fresh air in the sunshine, here’s a round-up of some of the best summer days out just outside the Belgian capital.
1. Coloma Rose Garden, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
Less than 15 km southwest of Brussels and completely free to visit, the Coloma Rose Garden sits in the vast estate of 16th-century Coloma Castle, a Sint-Pieters-Leeuw gem. It boasts 3,000 varieties of rose from all over the world, planted in five themes including the Red and White Garden, the Flemish Garden, and the Vintage Rose Garden. There is also a Rose Museum, with an interactive rose encyclopedia. The superb collection of roses and graceful surroundings promise a fragrant, elegant summer day out.
Opening hours: all year from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 -20:00 (April – September) and 9:00 – 17:00 (October – March). Also open on public holidays. For guided tours, reserve ahead here.
2. Canoe the Zenne River
Though Brussels is a city shaped by water and possesses many lakes, there are few opportunities to get out on the water. But another summer outing on the southwestern edges of the city offers just that. Where the Zenne River winds between Drogenbos and Lot, visitors can enjoy a one-hour-and-15-minute canoe trip along the Zenne Valley, famous for the natural yeasts that are used in the region’s sour lambic and gueuze beers, as well as the artists who have settled in the area over the years.
The canoes depart at 10 am and 1 pm on 14/07, 28/07, 11/08, 25/08, 08/09, 22/09 and the activity costs 21 euros per person. No children under six.
3. Bike rides, beer and tasty bites
If you prefer to follow the Zenne River along its banks and hop in and out of breweries on the way, the Lambic discovery bike trail will see you right from morning coffee at Falco Bike & Coffee Shop in Halle, where you can hire your chosen two-wheeled steed for the ride if you need. From there, you can go on to discover the Boon Brewery, if you like, pause for lunch at the Oud Beersel Alehouse, and why not round the outing off with a lambic tasting at Den Herberg Brewery Café.
4. Gaasbeek Castle and the Pajottenland
The Pajottenland is a distinct area of countryside southwest of Brussels, known for its gently rolling hills and the fertile farms that once fed the capital. Here, in what has been called one of Belgium’s prettiest villages, you can discover 800-year-old Gaasbeek Castle, its sweeping 50-hectare parklands and its glorious walled fruit orchards.
As well as hosting exhibitions and events, the castle is full of its own artworks and history and can be visited for 12 euros. Entry to the Museum Garden is seven euros, and the parklands – complete with lakes, follies, and hunting lodges – are free to access.
5. Forest bathing in Belgium’s newest National Park
The Sonian Forest is an extraordinary ancient woodland that pokes a green finger right into the heart of the Belgian capital. Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage and part of the Brabantse Wouden National Park since 2023, Flanders’ largest woodland contains some trees that have stood their ground here for over 2,000 years. A short train ride to Groenendaael Station on a hot, sunny day will deliver you deep into this dappled primaeval habitat, where paths meander, picnic tables appear as if by magic in shady dells, and deer dart among the trees. For a fun family walk, follow the 4.5 km (or less if you take a shortcut) Hippodrome trail.
6. Tervuren
Home to the AfricaMuseum, the epicentre of Belgium’s dialogue with its past as a colonial power in Congo, Tervuren offers sharp cultural and political history, set in stunning neo-classical architecture, amid the serene beauty of the Warande Park. And even better, nearby Slagerij Breugel will do you a picnic basket to collect.
7. Meise Botanic Garden
On the northern edges of the capital now, more than two centuries old, Meise Botanic Garden will refresh your overheated senses when the mercury is soaring. One of the world’s most significant botany collections of around 4 million specimens, it is filled with flora from every continent and habitat, from wetlands and savannahs to the tropics and the boreal forests, and carries around 6% of all the world’s plant species.
Entry is 11 euros. Guided tours and various workshops are available. Why not try a cooking class in the culinary garden?
8. Grimbergen Abbey Brewery
In this beer-loving nation, no list of beautiful Belgian summer days out would be complete without a brewery visit. Why not discover one of the country’s oldest, yet newest beer-making and tasting experiences? Just 10km north of Brussels, the abbey of Grimbergen has provided a place of worship and refuge for its monks, or “fathers” since its establishment in the early 12th century. Rebuilt after a fire three times, the abbey, with its Phoenix logo, is accustomed to reinventing itself out of the ashes of war and destruction. In 2021, brewing returned to the abbey too, and now new limited edition beers are being made inside the abbey again for the first time in two centuries.
Self-guided tours start at 12 euros, with an extra four euros for tastings.
9. Vilvoorde by boat
This summer Vilvoorde awaits, just north of Brussels and reachable by a bus with a difference, a waterbus on the Zenne Canal. Relax for a trip along the water, avoiding traffic jams and sweaty car cockpits, while you take in views of bridges, former industrial heritage and incomparable panoramas of the two cities seen from the water. Vilvoorde itself is bursting with new urban cool, such as Asiat Park’s old military and NATO training ground, becoming a trendy community hub. At just seven euros for a round trip, and with the possibility to connect to metro stations or even take your bike on board, this is an adventure there is no excuse to miss.
10. Back to nature (and beer!) in Doode Bemde
Doode Bemde is a little-known nature reserve, not that easily reachable by public transport from the capital, but certainly worth the journey. Wander among the poplar stands, wetlands, small fields and reed beds. Look out for beavers, reintroduced to Belgium in 2000, and see if you can spot the butterbur plant, whose gigantic leaves were once used for wrapping butter. While you’re out in the Neerijse neck of the woods, be sure to drop in on the De Kroon Brewery, the brainchild of one of Belgium’s foremost brewers and “the best nose in Belgium”, Dr Freddy Delvaux, Professor Emeritus of beer, and his two sons.
