A Perfect Day Trip from Brussels

First of all, Belgium is a lovely country. We fell in love with Belgium while living in Brussels. Exploring the country on day trips from Brussels was incredibly enjoyable, and Sint-Truiden was one of our first excursions out of the busy city. In this case, the outing is an easy 1-hour train ride to this small historic city. Overall, we found Sint-Truiden to be a perfect day trip from Brussels. In detail you’ll find a great way to spend a day in Sint-Truiden, Belgium,

Where and What is Sint-Truiden?

Sint-Truiden is one of the largest cities in the province of Limberg. Sint-Truiden is east of Brussels, in the Flemish region of Belgium. In brief, you can get there by a one-hour train or a one-hour car ride. Evidently, we didn’t need a car to travel within Sint-Truiden. All our sites of interest were within walking distance from the city center.

Additionally, this area is famous for its fruit trees. As a matter of fact, they are known as one of the largest fruit-growing regions in Western Europe. Sint-Truiden is notably known for its pears, apples, and cherries. It would be fun to visit for one of their picking seasons! It’s unfortunate we were unaware of their beautiful orchards until our visit.

Helpful Tips:

• If you’re interested in checking out several sites, then the Trudo Pass is a ticket you want to look into. You can purchase the Trudo Pass at the visitor center upon arrival. The visitor center is open Monday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Altogether, we found the Trudo Pass was a good value and it’s good for 2 consecutive days. We saw everything we wanted in a day in Sint-Truiden. However, the multiple day option is nice to have the opportunity if you want to take a more casual pace. The Trudo Pass includes admission to

  • The Abbey Tower
  • The Crypt
  • Capuchin Chapel
  • Guvelingen Church
  • Festraets’ Astronomical Clock
  • Emperor’s Hall
  • Academy Hall

• Like most of Europe, several things are closed on Sundays. Before embarking on your trip, ensure that the places you intend to visit are open by checking ahead. 

• We spent a day at Sint-Truiden, getting there in the afternoon and staying long enough to see the evening light show. Sint-Truiden by Lights occurs at sunset. If you plan on visiting all the attractions on the Trudo Pass, check the closing times of the buildings beforehand.

• We were able to visit all of the buildings before they closed. Afterward, we had an early dinner and treated ourselves to ice cream. The timing was perfect to catch the sunset. 

How to Spend a Day in Sint-Truiden

Sites Using the Trudo Pass

• Abbey Tower

  • The tower dates back to the 11th century. You can purchase entry tickets at the nearby visitor center. Entry is also covered by the Trudo Pass. Once inside, climb up about 196 steps to the top and enjoy the beautiful view of the city. 
  • Open from April through September on Mondays-Sundays from 9am-5pm. 
  • October through March, the tower is open Mondays-Fridays from 10am-4pm and Saturdays from 9am-4pm.

• Crypt

  • The crypt is located by the entrance to the Abbey Tower. Upon entering, you will come across archeological artifacts and a video detailing the retrieval.
  • We were the only 2 people there, and the lights were operated by motion detection. I’m not going to lie- I was pretty spooked. Consequently, I didn’t stay in the crypt for very long before I had to leave. There wasn’t anything particularly spooky about it- it was just another dark crypt. Full disclosure, I scare easily. Sometimes, I have a wild imagination. Other dark crypts I visited had other tourists around, so this one was a little too lonely for me. 
  • The crypt is open from April through September on Mondays-Sundays from 9am-5pm.
  • October through March, the tower is open Mondays-Fridays from 10am-4pm and Saturdays from 9am-4pm.

• Capuchin Chapel

  • This beautiful and historic church dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Thus, it was exciting to walk around and admire it.
  • The chapel is open April through September from Mondays through Sundays from 9am-5pm. 
  • October through March, the chapel is open Mondays through Fridays from 10am-4pm, and on Saturdays from 9am-4pm.

• Festraets’ Museum

  • This museum is very near St. Agnes Beguinage. Festraets built an astronomical clock between 1937 and 1942. The clock is now on display at this museum. There is also a neat display of his planetarium and tidal simulator. The explanation is not in English, but it was still fun to watch!

• Guvelingen Church

  • This small church is located outside the city by the orchards. The walk to this church was lovely and inviting because of the tree-lined paths. Once inside, watch the heartfelt video about the fruit history of the city. The Guvelingen Church was one of my favorite spots to visit.

• Emperor’s Hall

  • This hall was the Abbot’s reception room for highly regarded guests. Take some time to look up and admire the beautiful ceiling. The paintings are spectacular. The hall is not a long stop, but worth the time.
  • Open April through October on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 2pm to 5pm. 

What We Didn’t Get To

• The Academy Hall

  • The Hall was closed for a private event the day we were there. It is included in the Trudo Pass, but unavailable that particular day.
  • From the little we could see, I thought the building looked lovely.

More Sites Around Sint-Truiden

• Sint-Truiden by Lights

  • Local artists participate to light up the historic buildings of Sint-Truiden. The event occurs at sunset from Fridays-Sundays. The exact days are on the website, but it’s typically from mid-September to the end of January. There’s a map on their website where you can see the recommended route to walk. The total walk is a little over 3 miles, but you can make it shorter. 
  • Sint-Truiden’s Website

• Brustem Air Base Museum
  • My husband is a trained pilot, so he’s quite the sucker for any aviation museum. Brustem was a small museum we stumbled upon after visiting the Emperor’s Hall. Most of the artifacts on display are from the occupation by the German Luftwaffe and the American USAAF.
  • The museum is not part of the Trudo Pass. It’s a free museum run by volunteers. Most of the signs were in Flemish, but we still loved seeing all the pictures. We used a translation app to read some of the displays. 

  • Open Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm-5pm. 

• The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

  • A partly Gothic and Neo-Gothic church. There is also the Treasure Room, which is free to enter. The church is practically in the center of town, making it hard to miss. 

• St. Agnes Beguinage/Begijnjof
  • This Beguinage has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. This was another of our main draws to visiting Sint-Truiden.

  • Their website is helpful and detailed in explaining all the highlights at St. Agnes. They do a much better job than I ever could. 
  • St. Agnes Beguinage Website

Snacks & Food

Since we were only here for a day trip, we didn’t stay long enough to try multiple meals. This trip only included an ice cream break and one dinner. 

• Ice Cream!

  • The ice cream at Vica Ijssalon was very yummy. We really enjoyed it! At this point of the day we were a little tired and not hungry enough to eat dinner. I got a single scoop on a cone- it was a generous size for dessert. 

• Dinner on the Square

  • We were pretty hungry by the end of the day. We decided we wanted dinner with a view of the beautiful square, so we ate dinner at a restaurant on Grote Markt. Unfortunately, the food was not memorable. There was nothing wrong with it, but it wasn’t fantastic either. As a result, I can’t recommend any specific spot to eat. We did love the view of the square while eating dinner and enjoying a Belgian beer. 

Hope You Enjoy a Day in Sint-Truiden!

Sint-Truiden was one of our initial day trips when we moved to Brussels. Obviously, I had a lovely time walking around and enjoying the historic city. It certainly was a welcome contrast from the bustling city of Brussels. All in all, the cozy town was perfect for a leisurely day trip. Furthermore, Sint-Truiden is a place I recommend to anybody who wants to spend some time outside of Brussels. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy a day in Sint-Truiden too.