Looking for a delightful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle? You’re in for a treat. In this guide, we’re about to reveal a truly enchanting destination that’s just a stone’s throw away from our beloved city – La Meuse, Belgium’s well-kept secret. Known for its serene landscapes, charming villages, and a rich tapestry of culture, La Meuse is the perfect weekend getaway you’ve been yearning for.
In between the smaller cities of Namur and Dinant is the N92, a road that I could easily spend an entire summer along. A real hidden gem of Belgium.
With the intention to visit the North Sea coast of Belgium, prices and lack of available accommodations quickly sent me on my way to finding other quaint places to visit in the country of Belgium.
If there’s one great tip to finding hidden gems close to Düsseldorf, I would recommend a simple Google search.
- Pick a country/region you’d like to visit
- Zoom in
- Find the greenest (or bluest) looking mountainous range on the map
- Zoom some more!
I have done this on numerous occasions when I’m in need of a small city escape and find that it’s worked. every. single. time.
So I jumped on booking.com, found a cute little bed and breakfast in Profondeville, and away I went for a 3-day adventure along La Meuse in Belgium.
Namur
Once an old trading settlement, Namur is now flourishing with live music, market squares, and of course is well known for the Namur Citadel and beautiful views of the La Meuse River.
Profondeville
Still located in the Namur province, is the stunning riverside town of Profondeville. If you’re planning on Googling the town, you’re likely not going to find much on what to do other than visit a couple of the local churches. Who said I was there to do much of anything? I actually ended up finding quite a delicious pizzeria for dinner, walking along the river during sunset, and hitting up a couple of awesome antique shops while I was there. Of course, you might not find yourself staying in one place for long, but there’s so much beauty to explore along the N92, This one is worth a stop over to (or perhaps a great central spot to stay overnight).
Durbuy
It’s funny, I would never have thought to visit Durbuy if it wasn’t for the kind women at our B&B who told us about the world’s smallest town – of course, I had to go after hearing that. It was a sunny day in January and the streets were crowded, I swore there was a weekend celebration that must have taken place, but it turns out that it’s quite a little tourist town for local travelers. It was a very neat stop along the way, though you’ll have to head a little off track to get to this magical little place.
Dinant
This beautiful town was actually the reason I chose to visit the La Meuse River in the first place. It is a beautiful little city on both sides of the river with wonderful restaurants and a great picturesque landscape. It’s also actually the birthplace of Adolphe Sax (the man who invented the saxophone).
… and everywhere in between the hidden gems of Belgium!
Instead of taking the N92 back towards Namur to start heading home, we took a new route without the help of a GPS. We ended up exploring tiny little fishing rivers, fields of fruit and vegetables, and some awesome medieval towns (with a couple of neat castles too).
I’m still on the hunt to explore some more beautiful hidden gems in Belgium, so if you’ve got other recommendations, be sure to let me know.
Until then, if you’re inspired by magical little places like this, perhaps you’ll find my post about the castles of the Middle Rhine Valley a neat read as well.
