I visited an overlooked European country 70 minutes from UK - it's criminally underrated

I visited a small European country that's a short flight from the UK, and it's criminally underrated. Many European hotspots are frequented by British tourists, namely Spain, Portugal, and Greece, during the summer months. When it comes to city breaks, places like Paris, Prague, and Barcelona are go-to spots for weekends away. But there are also towns, cities, and countries that Brits haven't been to, and they don't realise what they are missing out on.

During an interailing trip around Europe earlier this year, my first two cities were in a country that I didn't have many expectations for. In fact, the first country on my trip was more of a stopover. However, I left extremely impressed, and I will definitely visit again. I have been to quite a few European countries this year, and I was blown away by the likes of Austria, Greece and Germany. Out of all the places I've travelled to, Belgium is the one that surprised me the most.

I got the Eurostar to Belgium from London, going straight to Brussels. I had heard that Brussels is quite a let-down.

In fact, I had seen multiple posts online suggesting that Brussels is actually the most boring city in Europe. I have to disagree. Brussels was a lovely, chill city to be in, something I was thankful for before I moved on to the other countries on the trip.

Admittedly, Brussels isn't packed with tourist traps and hotspots as much as European cities like Amsterdam and Barcelona. However, I kind of like that. I wasn't pressured to run around to see everything.

Brussels was full of beautiful buildings, a nice nod to the fascinating history of this city. It is a gorgeous place to just walk around and soak in.

Plus, the Belgian waffles and the local French fry shops are to die for. I visited some gorgeous buildings, some lovely parks, and some stunning bars. However, my highlight of Belgium wasn't its capital city.

A day trip took me to the small city of Ghent, which was only about 30 minutes away from Brussels via train. When I say small, I mean small.

I walked around the highlights of Ghent in about an hour. There were some attractions I could pay to visit, but since I was about to spend another two weeks travelling around Europe, I was cautious of my budget.

But Ghent, even under a grey sky, was insanely charming, and it was just lovely to be among the old buildings and laid-back lifestyle.

Sitting in a cafe by the canals was an extremely relaxing experience. I simply soaked in my surroundings without trying to rush around to see everything. In addition to Ghent and Brussels, there are cities and towns like Antwerp, Liege, and Namur, all of which have been well-reviewed by those who have visited.

While I like a trip packed full of action, I also like one where I can take things slow and truly appreciate the place I'm in. That's exactly what a trip to Brussels is like.