Belgium / The Meuse & the Ardennes / Durbuy

Durbuy

A Tiny Ardennes Town, and Radhadesh, a Krishna Temple in a Castle

2 daysIdeal stay₹9,590From / night₹2,980Food / day₹640Entry

A cobbled little town on the Ourthe in the Ardennes forest, which calls itself the smallest town in the world: a castle, a topiary park, river walks and kayaking on the Ourthe in summer (estimate). Four km away at Septon is Radhadesh, ISKCON's centre for the Benelux, in the 19th-century Château de Petite-Somme: a working Krishna temple that welcomes visitors (dress modestly) and Govinda's, a vegetarian restaurant open to everyone (check the days on radhadesh.com; it has been closed on Mondays). Getting there without a car is slow: a train to Barvaux, 2 h 30 to 3 h 30 from Brussels with a change at Liège or Namur, then an 8-minute taxi; a shuttle bus runs from Barvaux station only at summer weekends and daily in July and August. A hire car from Brussels takes about 1 h 30.

Highlights

Cobbled lanes of the smallest town
Radhadesh Krishna temple in a castle
Govinda's vegetarian lunch
Topiary park
Ourthe river walks
Ardennes forest hikes
Kayaking on the Ourthe

Things to do

Old town, castle and topiary parkMorning · 2h
Radhadesh temple visit and lunch at Govinda'sAfternoon · 3h
Ardennes forest hike above the OurtheMorning · 3h 30m
Kayaking on the OurtheApr–OctAfternoon · 3h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Durbuyvia GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Durbuyvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: May – October

Heads up

Winter: Quieter Durbuy, No Shuttle from Barvaux

The shuttle bus from Barvaux station runs only at summer weekends and daily in July and August, so in winter book a taxi for the last 4 km; kayaking on the Ourthe stops, and some restaurants shut on weekdays. Radhadesh's temple stays open, and Govinda's restaurant has been closed on Mondays.

Getting there

Fly into Brussels (BRU), 95 km away

Then: Transfer · 1h 36m (Hire car (a day's rental plus fuel), per vehicle)

Search flights to BRU from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹27,000
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹26,800
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹27,500
From Kochi (1 stop)from ₹28,000
From Pune (1 stop)from ₹28,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹28,500

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹11,840

Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a VFS Global Belgium centre in India, 4-8 weeks before you fly, and at least 6 weeks ahead for May to August, when appointments are scarce (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Belgium if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus the VFS service charge, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Your application goes to the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulate General in Mumbai, which handles the southern states since the Chennai consulate closed. At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). A decision usually takes about 15 days, and up to 45 if more checks are needed.
If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp. Allow extra time at Brussels Airport.

Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary; Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).

One Schengen visa covers Belgium and every other Schengen country (France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and more) for up to 90 days in any 180, but not the United Kingdom, which needs its own visa even for a day trip on the Eurostar. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. Appointment waits and VFS charges vary by centre and season: check visa.vfsglobal.com for your city before you book flights.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in The Meuse & the Ardennes

🎷 Dinant · A Citadel Cliff, Saxophones and the Meuse

Plan a trip to Durbuy

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Brussels (BRU)