Before our Belgium trip, almost everyone told us to visit Bruges and Brussels.
Almost nobody mentioned Dinant or Durbuy.
And honestly? That feels criminal.
These two smaller towns ended up becoming some of the biggest surprises of our entire Belgium itinerary. Between dramatic cliffside views, medieval streets, river cruises, hidden alleyways, castles, and tiny fairytale vibes, this part of Belgium felt completely different from the larger cities in the best possible way.
If you’re looking for:
- hidden gems in Belgium
- fairytale towns
- scenic road trip stops
- places that feel slightly less touristy
…Dinant and Durbuy absolutely deserve a spot on your itinerary.
🌎 Where Are Dinant & Durbuy?
Both Dinant and Durbuy are located in the French-speaking Wallonia region of southern Belgium.
They work perfectly together as part of a road trip through Belgium because they’re relatively close together and offer completely different experiences from cities like Bruges and Brussels.
🚗 Distances
- Brussels to Dinant: ~1.5 hours driving
- Dinant to Durbuy: ~1 hour driving
- Bruges to Dinant: ~2.5 hours driving
- Ghent to Dinant: ~2 hours driving
While trains can get you to Dinant, we personally think renting a car gives you the best experience for exploring this part of Belgium.
⏳ How Much Time Do You Need?
🏰 Dinant
We spent 1 night in Dinant and thought that was a good amount of time to see most the sights; however, we wished we would have spent 2 nights.
There’s enough to do for:
- a relaxed overnight stay
- a scenic stop on a Belgium road trip
- or even a long day trip
🏡 Durbuy
Durbuy can be explored in just a few hours (we spent around 3 hours here) but we wished we had longer.
If you love tiny fairytale towns, this place is absolutely worth an overnight stay.
✨ Best Things to Do in Dinant Belgium
Dinant feels dramatically different from the rest of Belgium.
The colorful riverside buildings backed by steep cliffs almost make it feel more alpine than Belgian, and the entire town has this incredibly scenic atmosphere that feels straight out of a postcard.
🏰 Visit the Dinant Citadel
This is the main attraction in Dinant and honestly impossible to miss. The first thing you notice in Dinant is the massive citadel towering above the town.
We paid €14 per person to visit and honestly the views alone made it worth it.
From the top, you get panoramic views overlooking the Meuse River, colorful buildings, and the surrounding cliffs.
You can drive, take the cable car, or tackle the stairs if you’re feeling ambitious.
However, when we were there, the cable car was under maintenance and we were told it will be out of commission at least through 2027. And at that time, we didn't know you could drive up to the Citadel so we took the incredibly steep stairs up and down. It took us an agonizing 15-20 minutes to reach the top.
Towering high above the city on massive cliffs, the citadel overlooks the Meuse River and gives some of the best views in Belgium.
Inside the citadel you’ll find:
- historical & interactive exhibits
- war history
- viewpoints overlooking the town
- walking areas around the fortress
The panoramic views alone make this worth visiting.
🚤 Take a Meuse River Cruise
One of the best ways to experience Dinant is from the water.
We took a 45 minute sightseeing river cruise with Dinant Evasion (€13 per adult) which gives you amazing perspectives of:
- the citadel
- colorful riverside buildings
- dramatic cliffs
- bridges and churches along the river
It’s peaceful, scenic, and honestly one of the best ways to fully appreciate how dramatic Dinant’s setting really is.
🎷 Walk Across the Saxophone Bridge
Dinant is actually the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.
The bridge crossing the river is lined with colorful saxophone sculptures representing different countries and ended up being one of the coolest little details in the city.
It’s quirky, unique, and very photogenic.
⛪ Visit the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame
The dramatic cathedral sitting directly beneath the cliffs is one of Dinant’s most iconic landmarks.
The onion-shaped dome almost looks surreal against the cliffs behind it and creates one of the most recognizable views in Belgium.
Even if you don’t go inside, it’s worth seeing from across the river - but go inside. Trust us on this one.
🍺 Visit Maison Leffe
Beer lovers should absolutely stop here.
Maison Leffe dives into the history of the famous Belgian beer while also offering tastings and interactive exhibits.
Admission is €15 per person and includes an interactive tour of Maison Leffe, a Leffe beer, and a complimentary Leffe beer glass to take home.
Even as casual beer drinker, I thought this was a really fun and uniquely Belgian experience...and now I have a new favorite beer!
📸 Take a Photo at the Dinant Sign
Simple tourist stop? Yes.
Still worth taking a photo? Also yes.
The colorful Dinant letters located along the riverfront have become one of the city’s iconic photo spots and make a fun quick stop while exploring the waterfront.
🧭 Other Things to Do in Dinant
Even though we spent a night in Dinant, there were still a few places we didn’t get around to seeing that honestly looked really cool and would absolutely be worth adding if you have extra time.
Dinant feels like one of those places where every time you turn a corner there’s another scenic viewpoint, hidden cave, or quirky attraction nearby.
🪨 Visit the Dinant Caves
La Merveilleuse Cave was one thing we really wanted to do…and somehow failed twice.
We actually attempted to visit the caves on two separate occasions, but unfortunately they were closed both times during our trip.
The caves are known for:
- underground chambers
- dramatic rock formations
- stalactites and stalagmites
- guided tours
Honestly, they looked like they would’ve been a really unique addition to the trip, especially since Dinant already has such dramatic cliffside scenery above ground.
If this is high on your list, we’d definitely recommend double checking seasonal hours ahead of time because availability seems to vary.
🚴 Explore the Meuse River by Bike
The riverfront area around Dinant is beautiful and apparently popular for cycling.
If you have extra time, renting bikes and exploring farther along the river could be a really scenic way to experience the area beyond the main tourist center.
🛶 Go Kayaking on the Lesse River
One of the most popular outdoor activities near Dinant is kayaking on the Lesse River.
This looked like such a fun way to experience the area, especially during warmer months. Routes typically take you through scenic valleys, forests, cliffs, and small villages before eventually connecting toward the Meuse River.
Depending on the route you choose, trips can range from a couple hours to most of the day.
If you’re visiting Dinant in summer and want to balance out all the castles, churches, and beer stops with something more active, this honestly seems like one of the best things to do in the area.
🧗 Visit Dinant Adventure Park
If you want something more adventurous, Dinant Adventure Park offers:
- ziplining
- climbing courses
- obstacle courses
- outdoor activities overlooking the valley
This would be especially fun if you’re traveling with kids or just want a break from churches and castles for a while.
🛏️ Where We Stayed in Dinant
Finding the right place to stay in Dinant can completely change the experience, especially if you want to enjoy the town after the day-trippers leave.
📍La Couque Cuivree
We stayed at La Couque Cuivree, which we booked through Booking.com for around $110 per night, including a free continental breakfast. This B&B is the host's childhood home which makes it extra special.
Our host, Dieder, was incredibly sweet and welcoming, and genuinely made the stay feel even more memorable. The hospitality here really stood out to us during our Belgium trip.
The location was also perfect - close enough to easily explore Dinant while still feeling quiet and relaxing at night.
If you’re looking for a cozy and affordable place to stay in Dinant with a more personal feel, we’d absolutely recommend it.
✨ Best Things to Do in Durbuy Belgium
Durbuy may honestly be one of the cutest towns we’ve ever visited.
Known as the “smallest city in the world,” Durbuy feels like someone shrunk an entire medieval fairytale town down into a tiny walkable maze of:
- cobblestone streets
- ivy-covered stone buildings
- hidden alleyways
- cozy cafés
- tiny shops
The second we arrived, we immediately understood why people fall in love with this place.
🚂 Ride the Durbuy Tourist Train
If you want an easy way to see the area, Durbuy has a small tourist train that loops around town and nearby viewpoints.
It’s especially nice if:
- you want scenic views without tons of walking
- you’re visiting with kids
- or you just fully want to embrace peak European tourist energy
🏡 Wander the Medieval Streets
Honestly, the best thing to do in Durbuy might just be wandering.
The tiny cobblestone streets, ivy-covered stone buildings, cozy cafés, and hidden alleyways make the whole town feel like a storybook.
This is one of those places where slowing down and exploring without a plan is half the experience.
Some highlights include:
- wandering the medieval center
- shopping small boutiques
- relaxing at cafés
- photographing ivy-covered buildings
- walking along the river
🌿 Visit Topiary Park
One of Durbuy’s most unique attractions is the Topiary Park filled with sculpted hedges shaped into animals, people, and whimsical figures.
It’s quirky, peaceful, and honestly fits perfectly with Durbuy’s fairytale atmosphere.
🛶 Go Kayaking
Kayaking along the river near Durbuy is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the area.
During warmer months, this looks like an amazing way to experience the Ardennes scenery beyond the medieval town center.
🌲 Explore Adventure Valley Durbuy
If you’re looking for something more adventurous, Adventure Valley has:
- ziplining
- climbing courses
- obstacle courses
- mountain biking
- outdoor activities
It’s one of the biggest adventure parks in Belgium and would be especially fun for families or active travelers.
🗺️ Map of Our Favorite Places
These maps include all the main spots we visited and/or would make great additions to your own Belgium itinerary planning.
📍 Dinant Google Map
📍 Durbuy Google Map
🍟 What to Eat & Drink
Belgium continues to aggressively win at comfort food.
Even in smaller towns like Dinant and Durbuy, we found:
- Belgian fries
- waffles
- beer bars
- cozy cafés
- comfort food everywhere
Honestly, Belgium may be one of Europe’s best snack countries.
🚆 Tips for Visiting Dinant & Durbuy
🚗 Rent a Car if Possible: Especially for Durbuy and exploring Wallonia.
🌅 Stay Overnight in Dinant: The city becomes much quieter and more atmospheric at night.
👟 Wear Comfortable Shoes: Cobblestones and hills everywhere.
📸 Bring a Camera: This part of Belgium is ridiculously photogenic.
🤍 Final Thoughts on Dinant & Durbuy
Dinant and Durbuy completely exceeded our expectations.
While Bruges and Ghent get most of the attention online, these smaller towns ended up feeling:
- more relaxed
- more scenic
- more hidden
- and honestly a little more magical at times
If you’re building a Belgium itinerary and want to experience something beyond the usual tourist route, we’d absolutely recommend adding both Dinant and Durbuy.
They ended up being some of our favorite memories from Belgium.
If you got this far, thanks for reading and remember to STAY CLASSLESS 😉
🔗 Read Next
Ghent Belgium Travel Guide: Europe’s Most Underrated Fairytale City
Ultimate Germany Road Trip Guide: Castles, Fairytale Towns & Rhine Valley Views
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