How to spend 24 hours in Belleville, Ontario
I recently embarked on a weekend adventure to Belleville, Ontario. Known as “The Friendly City”, Belleville is located just off Hwy 401, almost equal distance between Toronto and Montreal. The city has a perfect mix of bustling city streets and rolling rural landscapes. Its location makes it a great central point in Ontario.
Many people also know Belleville as the city you drive through to get to Prince Edward County. I’ll admit, that’s all I knew of Belleville before my weekend trip there.
Having made several trips to the county over the years, I’ve passed through Belleville a lot, but never stuck around.
Let me tell you, I was missing out!
Belleville is a beautiful flourishing city. It has small-town charm, an incredible foodie scene, a sense of community, and an impressive cohort of young entrepreneurs.
After spending a weekend in Belleville, I know that this area is so much more than a drive-through city to get to the county. While the county may be the bigger tourist draw, Belleville has its own charm and unique adventures that are worth exploring for at least a day.
Here’s how I spent 24 hours in Belleville:
Belleville is about a 3-hour drive from Guelph. So, to make the most of my time in the region, I made the drive on Friday evening.
I arrived around dinner time and checked into this adorable converted carriage house Airbnb. I’ve stayed in my fair share of Airbnb’s over the year’s and this one is definitely one of the most charming places I’ve seen. The bright furniture and large windows made the place feel more welcoming than any hotel could.
This property is also perfectly located. You can walk to Belleville’s Downtown District in less than fifteen minutes. This made for the perfect evening stroll through the city to pick up takeout dinner from Capers. This is a favourite local dining option that serves seasonal dishes and local craft beer. After a long workday and a few hours of driving, I was stoked to devour their Capers Smash Burger and local beer from Wild Card Brewing Company.
After my dinner, it was time to hit the hay to get rested up for a full day of adventures in Belleville.
Morning
My morning started back in the Downtown District to grab breakfast from the famous L’auberge de France. This bakery is famous for its fresh croissants, so I had to get my hands on some! I grabbed a coffee and a couple of fresh croissants to go, so I could enjoy a picnic breakfast in one of the city’s parks.
Belleville has a great trail system that can be used by pedestrians or cyclists to easily navigate the city. Ideal Bike is a bike rental company right in the heart of downtown where you can rent a bike for a few hours to do some exploring.
I ended up taking the Riverfront Trail to Zwick’s Park, where I finally dug into my croissants, which did not disappoint! Flaky, warm, and eaten in a beautiful park – I could’ve been fooled into thinking I was in Paris!
Afternoon
After soaking up the sunshine in Zwick’s Park, I headed back to Belleville’s Downtown District to do some shopping. This area is home to tons of cute shops and boutiques that each have their own unique charm.
One of my favourite shops was Pure Honey Boutique, a small women’s clothing and accessory store. The shop has very earthy, feminine vibes and so many beautiful in-season pieces to choose from. I almost purchased a new wardrobe from here!
I also found myself shopping for apartment furniture that I do not need, but Funk & Grüven was so cute that I couldn’t help myself! Belleville also has another unique reclaimed furniture store called Attic Revival that will convert second-hand skeptics into professional thrifters.
After all that shopping I worked up an appetite, so I headed to Chilangos Mexican restaurant for lunch. It was so hard to decide what to order because their menu is full of delicious, authentic Mexican dishes. I ended up going with the “Tres Amigos” to start and ordered “Tacos Dorados” as my main dish. Of course, I washed down my nachos and tacos with a good ol’ Margarona.
Evening
My initial late afternoon/evening plan in Belleville was to enjoy the city’s annual Porchfest event. Porchfest is a neighbourhood celebration of music, where residents in East Hill perform on front porches to an audience that moves from house to house.
Unfortunately, this year’s event was cancelled due to COVID, but I’ve already ear marked it on my calendar for next year!
With Porchfest cancelled, I spent some more time exploring the Downtown District shops and galleries. I also popped by the Village Wings Mural, which is one of the most Instagram-worthy spots in the city!
The Village Wings Mural is also located across the street from The Lark, which was where I headed for dinner.
The Lark is a spirited neighbourhood restaurant, a bustling cultural hub, a stopping place in the downtown core. I had their gnocchi for dinner and it was amazing! I also tried their “Spill the Tea” cocktail, which was really nice gin drink made with aquafaba instead of egg whites, to make it vegan friendly!
The atmosphere inside The Lark is very warm and welcoming, even with all the COVID precautions in place. It’s the perfect spot for a date night or a girl’s night out in Belleville.
Night
For late night fun in Belleville, I suggest checking out The Pier Patio. The Pier Patio is Belleville’s only waterfront patio and features live music every Friday and Saturday night. It’s the perfect night cap to an adventure filled day in The Friendly City.
Before You Go
As you can tell, the heart of Belleville has no shortage of adventures for travellers looking to shop, eat, and experience Ontario’s unique offerings. More adventures lie just outside of the city, within the broader Bay of Quinte region. Before I headed home on Sunday, I stopped in at a few favourites that you should definitely add to your Belleville itinerary:
Prince Edward County Wineries
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Belleville tends to be the “drive thru” area to get to PEC wineries. Located only 20 minutes from wineries and vineyards, it’s worth the quick drive into the county to do a tasting or pick up a few bottles to go.
Signal Brewing Company
If beer is more your thing, be sure to check out Signal Brewing Company before you head out. Their massive riverfront patio is the perfect setting for drinking a cold, locally brewed beer on a hot summer day. They also have a great food menu with tons of fresh options!
Dahlia May Flower Farm
This flower farm is a favourite among both tourists and locals in the Bay of Quinte Region. Melanie Harrington has been growing romantic and fragrant varieties of flowers since 2014. Her roadside stand has since expanded into a large farm filled with stunning blooms and petals in every shape, size, and colour you can imagine.
I want to humbly thank Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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Kathryn Dickson
Belleville is definitely not the drive through city! Having grown up there, I can attest to the dining and outdoor trail experiences. Not to be missed.
Lisa
I’ve clearly been doing Belleville all wrong. Gotta check these places out!