There’s something uniquely enchanting about the Belgian countryside, with its sprawling meadows and timeless landscapes that seem to whisk you away from the clamour of daily life. Last summer, as we embarked on our much-anticipated European road trip to Prague, Belgium was a highlight on our itinerary. Our adventure was particularly special this year, as it included not only our family of five but also our two beloved fur-babies. Excited to create new memories, we planned a journey that promised the charm of Europe’s storied cities and the tranquil embrace of its less-travelled paths.
As I mentioned above and also in my previous post, we decided to travel to Prague not just as a family of five, but as a family of five plus two dogs. Like many pet lovers traveling from the UK to spend a nice summer holiday in Europe, we usually take the car through the Eurotunnel from Calais. It was our second time traveling as a family with dogs, but our first with our new baby twins, making it a particularly big adventure in terms of preparation. (For more on traveling with kids, check out my “Traveling with Kids: Top 10 Tips for Europe road trip“). Whenever we plan such a large family trip to Prague, we typically arrange for two stops in beautiful European cities. Last time, we spent a wonderful time in the famous Belgian city of Bruges, but this time, we wanted to visit Ghent.
However, as often happens, things did not go according to plan. We spent more than five hours stuck in traffic in Calais. By the time we actually arrived in Ghent, it was too late, and the kids were too tired for a night of exploring. Fortunately, we had booked a one-night stay at Hotel Torenhof in Sint-Martens-Latem, just a 15-minute drive from Ghent. Nestled at the edge of a nature area, this charming hotel, once the house of the painter Albert Servaes, offered us a tranquil retreat.
I remember the moment when we just reached the Hotel´s carpark area and I was over the moon from the peaceful location surrounded lush meadows and trees and serene Belgian countryside, it was the perfect spot for our exhausted troop. While I waited with the kids for Jacob, who was checking in, all three of our kids finally had the opportunity to stretch their legs, observing the new place and, most importantly, exploring the little pebbles that covered the car park. (Haha, I remember how I followed every movement of our one-year-old twins, just to make sure they didn’t want to taste these pebbles!). When Jacob returned with the electronic key, we also took our dogs, Tony and Charlie, from the car and they joined us for a tour through our new place.
We had booked an entire family home for ourselves, and it was absolutely stunning! I can imagine us staying longer, especially during the sunny summer days—yes, we had a rainy day—and sitting in the garden of the family house. The house had two floors and two bathrooms, so it would also be a great place for a larger family meet-up; even we didn´t use every room, and it was definitely the biggest accommodation of our entire European road trip.
In the evening, we enjoyed a family dinner, and the next morning we took a lovely walk through the village before checking out and hurrying to our next destination, which we had also booked for the following night.
Hotel Torenhof not only provided spacious rooms adorned with elegant fabrics and furnishings but also offered a terrace with stunning landscape views. Each room featured free Wi-Fi, ensuring we could still answer emails and check if everything was fine during and after our stay. In the morning, you can enjoy a delightful breakfast for an additional cost. The hotel is also offering bicycle rentals, inviting you to explore the natural surroundings through numerous hiking and biking routes.
With Flanders Expo just 7 km away, and major cities like Brussels, Antwerp, and the North Sea Beach within a 50 km radius, Hotel Torenhof was ideally located for more exploration. Yet, its quiet location provided a much-needed pause from the hustle and bustle of big European metropolises, making it not only family-friendly but also perfect for travelers with pets—which was the main reason we chose this beautiful and peaceful accommodation. And if you want to relax even more, there are also outdoor saunas! We were so happy to have this lovely countryside stop in Belgium before our next journey to Germany, which I will update you on next week!
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Very nice
Thank you, Juraj!