Holiday home with a view in Belgium: the most beautiful locations
A holiday home with a view is more than a pretty photograph. It is a feeling: waking up in the morning to a wide panorama, drinking coffee on a terrace while mist rises from the valley, or watching the sun sink over the hills in the evening. Belgium has a surprising number of such places. Here are the finest.
The best views in Belgium are found in the Ardennes (valley views), on the coast (sea views) and in the High Fens (moorland). Houses on a hillside or ridge offer the best outlook. Always check the photos of the terrace or garden, not just the interior.
Ardennes: views over valleys and hills
The Ardennes have the finest views in inland Belgium. The river valleys of the Ourthe, the Semois and the Lesse are wedged between steep hillsides, and houses on those hillsides offer a panorama you will not quickly forget. The best areas for a house with valley views are around Bouillon, the Semois valley and the hills around La Roche-en-Ardenne.
A house high on a hillside offers not only a beautiful view but also more privacy. Neighbours are rarely seen and even less often heard. The downside is that the access road in winter may be difficult in snow or ice. When booking, check whether the driveway is surfaced and whether the owner has advice for wintry conditions.
In autumn and early spring the view from an Ardennes hillside is at its very finest. The leaves turn from green to yellow, orange and red, and the valleys are sometimes filled with morning mist that slowly clears. A terrace on such a hillside is then the best breakfast spot in the world.
Belgian coast: sea views and dune landscape
On the Belgian coast, sea views are one of the most sought-after features in holiday homes. The difference between a third-floor apartment with sea views and the same apartment at the back of the building is significant, both in experience and in price. True sea-view apartments in Knokke, Ostend or De Panne cost 30 to 50% more than comparable properties without a direct sea view.
Outside summer, a sea view is even more special: a wild North Sea coast with high waves and a broad deserted beach, seen from a warm apartment with a cup of tea. That is the Belgian coast at its best.
For the finest sea views, look specifically for homes in the front row or on a higher floor in a building directly on the sea wall. The coastline from De Panne to Knokke-Heist is 67 kilometres long, and the best sea views are found in De Haan, Knokke and Nieuport.
Regions with the finest views in Belgium
- Semois valley (Bouillon), steep hillsides, winding river, castle on the rock
- Ourthe valley (La Roche), wide view over the valley from the hills
- High Fens (Malmedy/Stavelot), vast moorland, horizon to horizon
- Belgian coast (Knokke/Ostend), sea views, dunes and beach
- Flemish Ardennes (Ronse/Kluisbergen), rolling hills to the horizon
- Rochefort area, limestone landscape and forests of the Famenne
High Fens: the most peaceful views
The High Fens offer a different kind of view from the Ardennes or the coast. It is not a dramatic landscape but a wide, silent plain with low vegetation, peat pools and distance. On a clear winter morning with frost on the dwarf birches, it is almost magical. Houses on the edge of the High Fens, around Malmedy and Stavelot, sometimes have a direct view of this remarkable landscape.
Flemish Ardennes and Hesbaye: views over the countryside
The Flemish Ardennes are lower than the Walloon Ardennes, but their rolling hills still offer impressive views. From a house on a ridge near Ronse or Kluisbergen you can see meadows and forests spread out for kilometres. It is a gentler, more intimate landscape than the Ardennes, less wild, but just as beautiful in its own way.
Hesbaye offers a different kind of outlook: the fruit orchards in blossom in spring and laden with apples and pears in summer. A holiday home in the middle of an orchard with views over the rolling countryside is an experience you will not find anywhere else in Belgium.
How to check the view before booking?
Always ask for photos of the terrace or garden, taken from the property. A view that looks impressive on a map may in practice be blocked by trees or other buildings. Also use Google Maps satellite view to check the location and surroundings of the property before booking.
Pay attention to the season as well. In summer the leaves sometimes hide a view that is magnificent in winter. If you are planning an autumn or winter stay and the view matters to you, ask explicitly for winter photos of the surroundings. Most hosts have these and are happy to send them.
Frequently asked questions
Where in Belgium are the most beautiful holiday homes with a view?
The Ardennes offer the most spectacular panoramas: valleys of the Ourthe, the Semois or the Lesse. The Flemish Ardennes have hills with vistas over the countryside. On the Belgian coast there are apartments with sea views. The High Fens offer wide, unspoilt panoramas.
What does a holiday home with a panoramic view cost?
Homes with a special view cost on average 15 to 25% more than comparable homes without a view. A chalet with valley views in the Ardennes starts at around €120 per night. More luxurious options with a private terrace and jacuzzi with a view can reach €300 or more per night.
How do you know the view is truly beautiful?
Check the photos on the property page carefully, including the exterior photos and the terrace. Also look at the location on Google Maps: is the surroundings really open and hilly? If in doubt, ask the host for a photo from the garden.
Are homes with a view available in winter too?
Certainly. Views are actually at their finest in winter and early spring, when the leaves have fallen and the valleys are fully visible. In summer the forests sometimes hide a view that is beautiful in winter.