🇧🇪Flemish Art Cities

Explore the Flemish Art Cities with your family. Discover medieval streets, world-class art, canal cycling, and hearty Belgian food across Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp.

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Your family guide

Exploring the Flemish Art Cities with your family

“Every cobblestone street tells a story your kids will actually want to hear.”

— San & Jo

The Flemish Art Cities are where history stops being something you read about and starts being something you walk through. Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen sit at the very heart of the Northern Renaissance and Flemish Baroque traditions, and visiting them with your family feels genuinely different from any other cultural trip. These are not dusty relics. They are living, breathing cities packed with soaring Gothic spires, candlelit canal reflections, and world-class art that has been hanging in the same places for centuries.

What makes this region so good for families is how compact and walkable everything is. You can spend a morning in front of Michelangelo's Madonna and Child in Bruges, grab Belgian frites from a frietkot at lunchtime, and cycle along a medieval waterfront by the afternoon. The 342-km Art Cities cycling route connects the whole region, winding through canals, rivers, and historic quaysides, so even getting between cities becomes part of the adventure.

There is a real mix of pace here too. Bruges offers a quieter, almost dreamlike Golden Age atmosphere, while Antwerp pulses with fashion-forward energy and a buzzing food scene. Ghent sits somewhere in the middle, blending medieval monuments with trendy modern spots like the De Krook library. Whether your family loves art, food, cycling, or just wandering beautiful streets, the Flemish Art Cities deliver something for everyone.

6 citiesAntwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Leuven, Mechelen

342 kmArt Cities cycling route

5 to 7 daysIdeal trip length

Cities and places in Flemish Art Cities

5 places

Antwerp

Explore Antwerp with kids: from the Diamond District and DIVA Museum to the zoo, Grote Markt, and the best Belgian frites you'll ever eat.

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Bruges

Bruges is a UNESCO-listed medieval gem packed with canal boat rides, waffle shops, chocolate tastings, and a Belfry to climb. A perfect family city break.

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Ghent

Explore Ghent with kids: a real moated castle, UNESCO towers, canal boat tours, and iconic cuberdons in a compact, walkable medieval city.

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Leuven

Leuven blends Gothic architecture, a UNESCO beguinage, Belgium's oldest botanical garden, and a lively student atmosphere into one compact, walkable city perfect for families.

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Mechelen

Mechelen offers Gothic towers, a Toy Museum, interactive science, canal tours, and a nearby zoo — all without the tourist crowds of Bruges or Ghent.

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What makes it special

Why families love the Flemish Art Cities

Art your kids will actually remember

From the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece in St. Bavo's Cathedral to Rubens' masterpieces in Antwerp's Cathedral of Our Lady, the art here is not behind glass in a sterile gallery. It is part of the city itself, and that makes it hit differently for curious young minds.

A cycling adventure built for families

The flat Flemish landscape is a dream for family cycling. The 342-km Art Cities route connects the cities through canals, rivers, and historic waterfronts, making it easy to explore at your own pace without worrying about steep hills or heavy traffic.

Medieval streets that feel like a film set

Bruges' preserved Golden Age architecture, Ghent's iconic Graslei and Korenlei waterfronts, and Antwerp's Baroque grandeur create a backdrop that genuinely astonishes children and adults alike. You do not need to visit a theme park when the streets look like this.

Hidden gems beyond the big three

Leuven and Mechelen offer the same rich heritage as Bruges and Ghent but without the crowds. If your family prefers exploring at a relaxed pace, these two cities are brilliant additions to any Flemish Art Cities itinerary.

Food that the whole family will love

Belgian frites, crispy shrimp croquettes, creamy waterzooi stew, and slow-cooked beef carbonnade flamande give even the pickiest eaters something to get excited about. Flemish food is hearty, comforting, and deeply satisfying.

Your kind of holiday

Culture and art lovers

The Flemish Art Cities are one of the most concentrated cultural experiences in Europe. The MSK Gent Museum, Bruges' Groeninge Museum, Antwerp's Rubens House, and the Church of Our Lady together form an extraordinary trail through Western art history. Every visit feels like a genuine discovery.

Active explorers

With a 342-km cycling route linking the cities across flat Flemish countryside, riverside paths, and canal towpaths, this region is tailor-made for families who like to move. Hire bikes in one city, cycle to the next, and earn your frites at the end of the day.

Food-first families

Flemish cuisine blends French refinement with hearty, comforting flavours rooted in centuries of trading culture. From frietkots serving golden frites with every sauce imaginable to cosy brasseries ladling out waterzooi, eating your way through the Flemish Art Cities is a genuine pleasure.

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Fun facts

Things your kids will love knowing about the Flemish Art Cities

One painting took decades to complete

The Ghent Altarpiece in St. Bavo's Cathedral was painted by the Van Eyck brothers in the 15th century and is considered one of the most important paintings in Western art history. It has been stolen more times than any other artwork in history, including once by Napoleon.

Michelangelo sent a sculpture to Bruges

The Madonna and Child in Bruges' Church of Our Lady is one of the very few Michelangelo sculptures to have left Italy during his lifetime. It was sold to a Bruges merchant and has been in the city ever since. Your kids can stand right in front of it.

You can cycle between all the great art cities

A 342-km cycling route connects the Flemish Art Cities all the way from the coast through canals, rivers, and medieval waterfronts. The whole region sits on flat land, which means even younger cyclists can handle long stretches without too much complaining.

Taste the Flemish Art Cities

What to eat with kids in the Flemish Art Cities

Belgian frites

Thick, double-fried golden chips served in a paper cone from a frietkot with your choice of sauce. Mayonnaise is the local favourite, but there are dozens of options. This is the definitive Flemish street food and a guaranteed hit with children of every age.

kids love it

Waterzooi

A creamy, warming soup-stew from Ghent made with chicken or fish, vegetables, herbs, and cream. It is mild, comforting, and deeply satisfying, making it one of the most family-friendly dishes the region has to offer. Order the chicken version if your kids are cautious eaters.

safe choice

Shrimp croquettes (garnalenkroketten)

Crispy fried croquettes filled with creamy béchamel and tiny North Sea grey shrimp. They are a beloved Flemish speciality served as a starter or snack across every city on the route. Kids who love fish fingers will be very happy.

must try

Stoofvlees (carbonnade flamande)

Slow-cooked beef braised in dark Belgian beer with onions and mustard until it falls apart. Rich, deeply flavoured, and served with frites, this is the kind of meal that makes a cold Flemish evening feel very cosy indeed.

local favourite

Belgian waffles

Whether you choose the lighter Brussels waffle or the denser, sugar-pearl Liège waffle, these are the perfect mid-afternoon treat while exploring the city streets. Find them at market stalls and small bakeries rather than the tourist-facing chain stands for the best versions.

daily treat