The most beautiful balloon ride in Belgium: over the Heuvelland
What is the most beautiful balloon ride in Belgium? Our pick is a balloon ride over the Heuvelland in West Flanders. Nowhere else do you combine rolling hills with the Kemmelberg, the French Monts de Flandre, the city of Ypres and the traces of the First World War in a single flight.
That is of course our own choice, and a deliberate one: we have been flying over West Flanders and Hainaut since 1991. Bruges and Ghent have their medieval city centres, the Ardennes their forests and valleys. The Heuvelland has something the flat polders lack: relief, history and views that reach all the way to the sea in clear weather. You can read more about the area on our balloon ride Heuvelland page.
Why the Heuvelland is the most beautiful balloon ride
Relief in a flat country
The Kemmelberg (156 m) and its neighbours rise above the polder landscape. From the basket you see the land roll away, with woods, meadows and villages tucked between the hills.
Two countries, one landscape
On the French side the ridge continues as the Monts de Flandre, with Mont Noir and Mont des Cats. In the basket you see no border, just one continuous hill landscape.
History beneath you
Ypres with the Cloth Hall, the Palingbeek, war cemeteries and places where the front line once ran: from the air you can read the First World War in the landscape.
Views all the way to the sea
In clear weather you can see for miles. On our last flight of the 2026 season we saw beyond Ghent and far out to sea, with boats on the water.
Sunrise and sunset
We fly shortly after sunrise or just before sunset, when the light is low and the hills show off their relief.
A team that knows the area
Our pilots and ground crew have flown here for years. A passionate team that knows where to find the best light and views.
What do you see over the Heuvelland?
Our exact route always depends on the wind on the day, but these are the places we most often fly over or see in the distance. Want to know what you see above Ypres? Read balloon ride Ypres: what you see from the air.
- The Kemmelberg, known from the Gent-Wevelgem cycling classic
- The hills of the Heuvelland and the French Monts de Flandre with Mont Noir and Mont des Cats
- Ypres with the Cloth Hall and the Menin Gate
- The Palingbeek and other places with traces of the First World War
- In good visibility: the coast and the sea in the distance
You can read more about the war history in this landscape in WW1 from the balloon.
When is it most beautiful?
Our flying season runs from April to October, always shortly after sunrise or just before sunset and always weather permitting. A sunrise or sunset balloon ride gives the best light on the hills. Why we sometimes only decide on the morning itself is explained in when is the weather good enough.
Book your balloon ride over the Heuvelland
We take off near Ypres or Poperinge, fifteen to twenty minutes from the Kemmelberg. A shared balloon ride costs €170 per person for 1 to 2 people and €165 per person from 3 people (children under 12: €130), including insurance, taxes, VAT and champagne after the flight. A flight lasts at least 60 minutes. See all prices, plan a private flight or give a gift voucher, valid for 24 months.
That is a matter of taste, but our pick is a balloon ride over the Heuvelland in West Flanders. You fly over rolling hills with the Kemmelberg, the French Monts de Flandre, Ypres and the traces of the First World War, with views all the way to the sea in clear weather. Bruges, Ghent and the Ardennes are lovely places to fly too.
Because it is the only truly hilly area of the Westhoek. The hills rise above the flat polder landscape, continue as the Monts de Flandre on the French side, and are rich in woods, villages and history. From the basket you see it all at once.
A shared balloon ride costs €170 per person for 1 to 2 people (€165 per person from 3 people, children under 12: €130). Insurance, taxes, VAT and champagne after the flight are included, and the flight lasts at least 60 minutes.
That depends on the wind on the day. The Heuvelland is one of the areas we fly over most often from our take-off sites near Ypres and Poperinge. The exact route is decided by our pilot on site.
Our season runs from April to October, shortly after sunrise or just before sunset, weather and wind permitting.
