‘Where are you from? ‘

Those four words, that one seemingly simple question has been the start of many long conversations all over the world. From me giving a whole list of neighboring countries in an attempt to explaining where the hell that tiny country of mine is located as soon as I leave Europe, over trying to explain why on earth a 30.000 km² sized country with only 11 million inhabitants would need three languages, to convincing people that, no, French fries aren’t from France…

There’s a lot to say about my dear Belgium, and I’m sure you’d be surprised to hear how much there is to see and do. Curious? Good, ‘cause you’re getting a chance to win a €150 Weekendesk voucher to check it out for yourself – or any other place of your choice that can be found on their website!

Keep on reading, I’ll explain what you have to do to win in a second!

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But first, let me tell you about one of my favorite places in Belgium…

LET’S GO TO GHENT!

If you ended up in Ghent as a tourist 20 years ago, you’d probably taken a wrong turn somewhere halfway between Brussels and Bruges, or gotten off the train at the wrong station. I don’t even remember ever visiting it as a kid, and it wasn’t until 10 – 15 years ago, when I met some people who lived there, we decided to all take salsa lessons together and spent more time after-salsa-ing than actually going to the classes, that I really got to know it.

That first night out, I was bluffed. How on earth could a gem like this not attract more interest? How was this place not overwhelmed with tour buses and cameras? But I wasn’t complaining, ’cause you just don’t say no to some quality time with a beauty like this…

Ghent, we may have first met in the dark, but I knew right from the start this wasn’t gonna be a one-night kinda thing…

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Northern Europe’s second largest city back in the 13th century, Ghent has more listed buildings than any other Belgian city and strolling through its streets is a history lesson all by itself. I definitely also recommend a boat tour, to see it all from a different angle.

But Ghent isn’t just architecture. There’s museums, art galleries, flee markets and little streets full of graffiti. Exhibitions, concerts and festivals. Amazing restaurants that serve actual good typical Belgian food and tiny hidden bars that you’ll only find by accident.

[su_button url=”https://visit.gent.be/en/home” target=”blank” background=”#F75B68″ rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”]Click here to see all the must-sees, hidden gems, events, restaurants, … [/su_button]

Over those past 10 – 15 years, obviously a lot has changed. Ghent is now on every ‘10 best things to do in Belgium ‘ list, right next to Brussels and Bruges, french fries, chocolate and beer. The tour buses and cameras have arrived. But that awesome local vibe from back in the days is still there. You never get the feeling that it’s been transformed into a museum. People actually live here, and the city lives with them.

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YOU CAN WIN A € 150 WEEKENDESK VOUCHER FOR A WEEKEND OR SHORT TRIP OF YOUR CHOICE

Weekendesk is an online travel agent that specializes in weekend getaways and short thematic trips (wellness, food, adventure, …) at very interesting prices. Popular destinations you can find on their website are Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy but check it out for much more options. They have a huge offer and there’s always some kind of discount, often up to 30 or 40% of the normal price.

And today it gets even better, ’cause you can win a € 150 voucher to use on their website!

It’s very simple, you only have to do 2 things: leave a comment on this post saying ‘Let’s go!’ and share it as much as you possibly can.

Let me explain…

This article is part of a contest in which several other bloggers and myself pick their favorite city in their home country, and write about why they love it so much. The winner is determined by the number of likes on social media, and gets a € 150 Weekendesk voucher. But that’s not all! The winner also gets a second € 150 voucher, to give to one of their readers!

Yyyyyep, that could be you!!!!

 

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So, to sum it up, all you have to do, is:

1. Leave a comment on this post saying ‘Let’s go!’ between 1st and 14th of July. Don’t forget to fill out your email when you submit your comment, as I won’t be able to contact you without it. Don’t worry, nobody but me will get to see it! 
2. Share this post as much as you can. On Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, … Don’t hold back, hit that share button until you get arthritis in your finger and let’s win those vouchers together!

You can find the full terms and conditions here.

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THE BEST TIME TO GO? RIGHT NOW!

Obviously Ghent can be visited all year round, but summer is when the city comes to life the most. An absolute not-to-miss highlight are the ‘Gentse feesten’ or ‘Ghent Festivities’, which are a 10-day mix of concerts, activities for children, street performances, fairs and parades. ALL FOR FREE! This year they start on Friday 14th July and end on 23th July. Don’t miss the fireworks for Belgium’s National Day on 21th July!

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TIME TO START SHARING

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Google+, … I’m getting too old to follow it all – haha – but don’t hold back and share your ass off to increase your chances of winning that € 150 Weekendesk voucher!! Click on the share buttons below or on the images in this post to see all your sharing options!

Don’t forget to comment “Let’s go!” below to enter! I can’t see who’s sharing this post so commenting below is the only way to make sure you’ll get a chance to win!

Click the pin button below to see more pins!

 

Want to explore more of Belgium? Check out these cool things to do in Antwerp!

Disclaimer: this article was written in collaboration with Weekendesk.be, but all opinions are my own and straight from the heart, as always.