I used to think of my own Belgium as probably the ugliest place in the world. Mind you, I wouldn't really want to move somewhere else, but that doesn't mean it isn't ugly: too many buildings, bad architecture (not necessarily due to bad architects: everyone is just allowed to build their own house how they want), no nature, and the only nature you will find is agricultural...

However, since we have the dog we did discover quite some nice walks in the woods and along rivers even not so far from where we live. And just recently, since we have to spend our money on the refurbishment of the kitchen we decided to do a 4-day walking trip in the Ardennes during our vacation and not go abroad like we usually do. The Ardennes is an area in the South of Belgium with lots of woods, you may know it from the 'Battle of the Ardennes'.

Anyway, the hotels we stayed in and the food was crap. However we did do some great walks and see some great nature. One day we even did a 16 kilometer walk without seeing another soul! Here are some pictures to prove that Belgium CAN be beautiful.