From Belgium to Amsterdam | A Slow-Paced 7-Day European Getaway.
Our European trip this time covered Belgium, Luxembourg, and Amsterdam. We didn't really focus on hitting every single tourist spot. Instead, we took it easy, wandering around city centers, grabbing bites to eat, exploring a few nearby towns, and just soaking in the local vibes at a relaxed pace.
For the first half of the trip, we stayed in Brussels for four nights. It was super convenient to use Brussels as our home base for day trips. On our first day, we mostly explored the city center. The Grand-Place is truly spectacular and gives off that classic European plaza feel. Of course, since we were in Belgium, we had to get a pot of mussels and sip on some Belgian beer—basically checking off the must-do list.
Later on, we visited Bruges and Ghent. Bruges feels straight out of a fairytale with its charming streets, belfry, horse-drawn carriages, and canals, all giving it a rich historic atmosphere. We took a canal cruise there, taking our time to admire the old architecture along the banks, and then treated ourselves to a beer flight. It was such a lovely, laid-back day.
Ghent, on the other hand, felt a bit more lived-in. It has a stronger urban vibe compared to Bruges but is just as packed with stunning buildings and church towers. We found an outdoor bar in Ghent, ordered some cheese and ham, and paired it with white wine. After a long walk, sitting down to enjoy a slow meal was incredibly chill.
One day, we joined a guided day tour to Luxembourg and Dinant. We only spent about two hours in Luxembourg, and most of that time went to having lunch. So, we basically just took a quick stroll around the Upper City to get a feel for the place. The city itself is really clean and pleasant, but we definitely didn't get to explore it in depth this time.
Dinant, however, turned out to be a bigger surprise than I expected. The combination of the riverside, the church, and the citadel perched on the cliff creates such a layered, picturesque landscape. We had a great time taking a slow walk along the river. The whole vibe was super chill—no rushing from one attraction to the next, making it perfect for a leisurely stroll and snapping some photos.
After that, we hopped on a FlixBus to Amsterdam and stayed there for three nights. In Amsterdam, we mostly wandered around the city center, checked out the Royal Palace and Central Station, snacked on fries and Dutch pancakes, and visited the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. We also squeezed in a half-day trip to Zaandam to see the colorful suburban houses and windmills.
Overall, this itinerary wasn't overly packed at all. It felt more like basing ourselves in Brussels and then making a slow transition to Amsterdam. It's perfect for anyone who wants to visit multiple cities in one go without the stress of rushing through tourist spots every single day.