tour guide brussels belgium

Guides Brussels Belgium

Guides Brussels Belgium is an association of 40 enthusiastic guides founded in 1969.

We offer guided tours in 11 different languages: English - French - Dutch - German - Italian - Spanish - Portuguese - Greek - Russian - Polish - Japanese.

You can book us for visits in the whole of Belgium: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Waterloo to name a few. We're the perfect partner to discover these beautiful cities during your stay in Belgium.

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A standard tour (up to a maximum of 3 hours) costs €187 per guide. A full day visiting 1 city (maximum 9 hours: 8 hours guided tour + 1 hour lunch time) costs €363. A full day visiting 2 cities (maximum 10 hours: 9 hours guided tour + 1 hour lunch time) costs €407.

Each group is limited to a maximum of 25 people, unless mentioned differently. If your party is larger then an additional guide will be booked, for the comfort of the group. In that case you can opt to have groups in different languages.

There are no extra charges for guided tours during the weekends.

Guided tours

Explore our standard guided tours on this website (navigation at the top of this page).

Or, if you want a personalized guided tour, ask for a quotation.

You may choose any meeting point if the city center, only the most-commonly used ones are listed. Please mention your choice when booking your tour (for example: your restaurant, your hotel, your office, …).

Feel free to contact us for more information.

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The beating heart of European politics is best explored in the company of a tourHQ guide, who can reveal regal treasures on the Grand Place, the best chocolatiers, tasty beer halls and pretty parks.

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Brussels Tour Guides

François Ghislain

Hey everybody, I'm François, a Brussels guide with a passion for his city. I started to be a guide ...

I’m a director of tours and activities agency . We offer unique experiences and original tours ...

Claude Verhaeghe

I am guiding on WW1 battlefields since 2005, I spent my life in Flanders and in the Somme on these ...

Daniel Van der Elst

 I started to work as a guide since I was 16. Nevertheless, at the beginning I was working as ...

SIMONA MARILENA

     My motto in life:"Quality in everything"!As for me, sporty air but ...

Gérard Houbrechts

If you're searching for a "Tape Recorder" guide, some one who will take you to the most crowned ...

Frank Baldwin

I am a historian and have led battlefield tours for over thirty years. After leaving the ...

Aleksandar Ristanovic

Hoi ! Salut ! . . . and welcome to my page!As a child and pupil even at primary school history and ...

Ariane Espina

Hello, I'm 29 years old. I lived in Munich for almost 3 years and I moved to the Netherlands. ...

Tour guide and driver at a Private Tour company I have a minibus for small groups (max 8 ...

Gurkan Cakil

Hi, everybody, I'm working as a tour guide since 2008 around Aegean Sea (Greek Islands),Balcanian ...

Dequéant Nicolas

Felice Belfiore

Paul V. Camal

I was born in Liège, Belgium. I have travelled extensively in my youth, buying handicraft between ...

Nevzat Copur

I am a Turkish speaking tour guide in Belgium. I look forward to hosting you ...

Ramananda Raya Das

I love people and I always find enthusiasm when I meet with new people. I like to learn from them ...

From the regal palatial façades of Brussels’ Flemish centre, to the sprawling parks and futuristic business complexes of its outer suburbs, the capital of Belgium is a metropolis highly diverse, undeniably lively and simply likeable. Since it first ascended as one of the premier metropolises of the Low Countries Brussels has attracted beer lovers, antique collectors, football fans, photographers, film makers, sightseers, culinary tourists and shopaholics to boot, not to mention some of the continent’s great political luminaries, as the powerhouse of modern European politics that it is.

Visitors will want to get their bearings on arrival, because Belgium’s capital can be hard to navigate, geographically, culturally and in terms of language. So, be sure to ask your Brussels tourist guide about whether it’s ‘merci’ or whether it’s ‘dank uwel’, where it’s okay to order French fries and where it’s better to say Belgian frites, because this is a town criss-crossed by divisions and multi-cultural in the extreme.

Of the absolute must see spots, it’s the Grand Place plaza that takes centre stage, while groups still flock curiously to the proudly underwhelming Manneken Pis statuette on the corner of Rue du Chene. Others will head further afield, to the trendy shopping spots in Louise, the cool jazz bars around the city centre outskirts, or the great conference complexes and colossal King Baudouin Stadium of Heysel in the north.

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Must-see attractions in Brussels

11 March 2022

Are you a first-timer in Brussels? Don’t worry, then: you're in good hands. We've put together a list of must-see attractions for you. This way, you can discover our capital through its best-known and most valuable treasures. An excellent introduction to the city!

An absolute must: the Grand Place, and the neighbouring galleries

Visiting Brussels without spending some time in the Grand Place is simply unthinkable. Here you’ll see the town hall (one of the most beautiful in the country), the Maison du Roi , which is home to the Brussels City Museum, and a series of private houses built at the end of the 17th century. The architectural richness of this square is simply overwhelming.

Just a stone's throw away from the Grand Place are the Royal Galleries , one of the oldest covered galleries in Europe, as beautiful by day as by night.

Manneken Pis: it’s not the size that matters

Since the 15th century, the  Manneken Pis  sculpture has adorned one of the public fountains that supply the city with drinking water. Over time, this wee little man became a kind of mascot, with the people of Brussels seeing him as a symbol of the local temperament, a unique combination of mischievous, irreverent and droll. A much coveted symbol, since the present statue is a copy. The original, which has been stolen several times, is now safely housed in the Brussels City Museum . Nearby, you can discover the vast wardrobe of Manneken Pis at the GardeRobe MannekenPis Museum.

Comic Strips in the streets: the Comic Strip trail

Brussels is the undisputed capital of the comic strip. The ninth art can be found everywhere, in shops, galleries, flea markets, festivals and more. And since 1991, the city's walls have been gradually covered with frescoes that pay tribute to the authors and their many heroes. You can turn down a street and come face to face with Tintin , Cubitus, Billy and Buddy , Blake and Mortimer or Corto Maltese . In all, there are more than 80 murals immersing locals, visitors and tourists alike in the wonderful world of comics.

An 18th century masterpiece: the Royal Quarter

The Place Royale, which was built on the ashes of the Coudenberg Palace , has retained its historical function as the “executive power district”. You’ll find the Royal Palace , the “office” of the Belgian King, at the Place des Palais, bordering the Place Royale. Opposite is the Parc de Bruxelles or Royal Park. The streets bordering the park are also part of the same neoclassical ensemble. For instance, on the other side of the park, you will see the  Palace of the Nation , the seat of the Belgian Parliament. At the Place Royale, with the statue of Godfrey of Bouillon at the centre, you’ll discover the Church of St. James on Coudenberg that resembles a Greco-Roman temple and a series of similar, harmonious mansions.

Culture with a view: the Mont des Arts

The Mont des Arts is the junction between uptown and downtown Brussels and offers a delightful view in all seasons. Below, you can sit in the sumptuous gardens that lead to the statue of Albert I. The “knightly king” faces his love, Queen Elizabeth, whose statue stands on the small Place de l'Albertine on the other side of the road.The Mont des Arts is home to the KBR , the country's main library, and the KBR Museum , which houses the library of the Dukes of Burgundy and the Archives & Museum of Literature (AML). On the other side of the Mont des Arts you’ll find the Brussels Congress Centre Square . Within walking distance you’ll also find major museums and cultural institutions such as Bozar , the BELvue museum and the Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM), to name but a few.

Spotlight on the masters: the Royal Museums of Fine Arts

As beautiful from the outside as it is from the inside, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is a treasure trove of art. In fact, it is the most visited museum in Brussels. Its pluralised name reflects the fact that it contains several sites, covering a variety of periods and themes. Near Place Royale, you can visit the Old Masters Museum , dedicated to European painters from the 15th to the 18th centuries, and the popular Magritte Museum . Not far away, in Ixelles, you can admire the Wiertz and Meunier museums.

The Marolles district: authentic and diverse

This district is arguably the most authentic part of Brussels. Here, you can often still hear the Brusseleir dialect being spoken. The Marolles have it all, from traditional cafés to trendy bars, family-run establishments to stylish new art galleries. Place du Jeu de Balle is the beating heart of this quarter, where the " Vieux Marché ", a gigantic flea market, is held every day.

When size does matter: the Palace of Justice

The colossal Palace of Justice was inaugurated in 1883. It was designed by the architect Joseph Poelaert, and towers over the working-class district of the Marolles at a location where, for centuries, death sentences were carried out. At the time of its construction, this monument of 40,000 m2 of usable space was the largest building ever built and it’s still one of the largest courthouses in the world today. However, restauration works have tarnished its visual spectacle since the 1980s, to the point that scaffolding had to be erected to ensure the renovation... of the scaffolding already in place! (currently not accessible)

The Atomium: the landmark

Created for the 1958 World Fair, the Atomium with its 9 balls represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times!  (It is often mistakenly thought to represent an atom, but in fact each ball represents an atom of iron). The significance of this construction is to celebrate scientific discoveries and breakthroughs. Inside, you will find exhibitions and, most importantly, a stunning view of the Brussels-Capital Region from the top ball. Only a short walk away, embark on a tour of all Europe’s wonders in miniature, thanks to  Mini-Europe . Design lovers won’t want to miss the  Design Museum Brussels  only a stone’s throw away, born following the Atomium’s acquisition of a private collection.

A cultural crossroads: the European Quarter

Far from being a neighbourhood of grey and austere offices, the European Quarter combines European institutions with community life, parks, museums and more. In this district, you can attend plenary sessions in the Parliament's hemicycle and learn more about the Union thanks to the Parlamentarium , the House of European History and Experience Europe . You can also stroll through Léopold Park , a green space that recalls the days when the bourgeoisie moved in en masse from the bustling heart of the city. The district is also a landmark for fans of contemporary and Art Nouveau architecture.

Triumphal splendour: the Cinquantenaire

Built in 1880 to celebrate Belgium's 50th birthday, the Cinquantenaire attracts locals who appreciate its formal garden , history buffs who visit the Art & History Museum , car fans who flock to Autoworld and curious minds who are amazed by the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History . The latter, an often underestimated attraction, also offers access to the arches for a 360° panoramic view of the city.

Once upon a time: the Institute of Natural Sciences

The Institute of Natural Sciences tops the list of the world's best dinosaur museums, which is hardly surprising given that it houses Europe's largest dinosaur gallery. With rooms covering all aspects of life on earth, the evolution of human beings, urban species and the creatures of the seabed, the Museum has something for visitors of all ages. You can even take a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific institute to which it belongs.

The Horta House: quintessential Art Nouveau

Between 1898 et 1901, the architect Victor Horta built Horta House , which consisted of two buildings: his office and his personal home. This prolific pioneer of the Art Nouveau style was responsible for many architectural gems in Brussels. In his own house, which has been converted to a museum, you’ll find all the hallmarks of the Art Nouveau style. The house, now a museum, is one of the many Art Nouveau gems dotted along the streets of the capital .

The Koekelberg Basilica: house of the holy

Legend has it that the idea of building a national basilica in Brussels came to King Leopold II after a visit to the construction site of the Sacré-Cœur in Paris. The construction of the basilica started in 1905, only to be completed in 1970. Some see it as the largest Art Deco church in the world, others as an excessive and ostentatious folly. We’ll let you decide for yourself.

Brussels’ culinary specialities

Brussels waffles, stoemp, waterzooi… the capital of Europe’s culinary specialities are a must when you visit the Brussels-Capital Region.

The best places to eat chips in Brussels

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The best places to buy chocolate in Brussels

As the capital of chocolate, Brussels is full of shops where you can buy this delicious speciality.

Top 10 best spots for prawn croquettes in Brussels: edition 2023

Shrimp croquettes are veritable icons of Belgian gastronomy, and are a real “must” when you visit Brussels.

Our itineraries

Are you done visiting the must-see attractions? The exploration continues. Visit our itineraries page for a more profound introduction to Brussels through its quarters or by various themes.

10 must-visit Art Nouveau houses and mansions in Brussels

Along the streets of Brussels, numerous houses and mansions bear witness to the emergence and blossoming of the iconic Art Nouveau style.

UNESCO heritage in Brussels

Qu’est-ce que le Taj Mahal et les Pyramides d’Egypte ont en commun avec la Grand-Place et d’autres lieux exceptionnels à Bruxelles ? Ils sont tous reconnus par l’Unesco. Bruxelles est admirée pour la richesse de son patrimoine, témoignage de son histoire quasi millénaire, ce qui n’a pas échappé à l’UNESCO, l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’éducation, la science et la culture.

Brussels' top 10 museums and attractions

Are you coming to Brussels and need some inspiration for your visits? Join us to discover the capital's unmissable museums and attractions, thanks to our list of the most popular, in terms of visitor numbers.

Top 10 masterpieces to discover with the Brussels Card

Discover our top 10 masterpieces to behold in Brussels with the Brussels Card.

Shutterstock / Koverninska Olga

Historic yet hip, bureaucratic yet bizarre, self-confident yet unshowy, Brussels is multicultural to its roots.

Best Time to Visit

Best things to do, attractions, must-see attractions.

Old England Building

This 1899 former department store is an art nouveau showpiece with a black facade aswirl with wrought iron and arched windows. The building contains the…

Grand Place

Brussels’ magnificent Grand Place is one of the world’s most unforgettable urban ensembles. Oddly hidden, the enclosed cobblestone square is only revealed…

Strap on a pair of headphones, then step on the automated floor panels in front of the precious instruments (including world instruments and Adolphe Sax’s…

Musée Horta

The typically austere exterior doesn’t give much away, but Victor Horta’s former home (designed and built 1898–1901) is an art nouveau jewel. The…

St-Gilles Town Hall

One of Brussels’ overlooked architectural wonders, this splendid Napoleon III–style palace

Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts

This prestigious museum incorporates the Musée d’Art Ancien (ancient art); the Musée d’Art Moderne (modern art), with works by surrealist Paul Delvaux and…

Parc du Cinquantenaire

Parc du Cinquantenaire was built during Léopold II's reign. It's best known for its cluster of museums – art, history, military and motor vehicles – which…

Institut des Sciences Naturelles

Thought-provoking and highly interactive, this museum has far more than the usual selection of stuffed animals. But the undoubted highlight is a unique …

Top picks from our travel experts

13 classic experiences to have in brussels.

Poechenellekelder

Despite facing Brussels’ kitsch central, this is a surprisingly appealing café full of genuine old puppets. It offers a great selection of fairly priced…

Place du Jeu-de-Balle Flea Market

The quintessential Marolles experience is haggling at this chaotic flea market, established in 1919. Weekends see it at its liveliest, but for the best…

Jeanneke Pis

Squatting just off Rue des Bouchers, this pigtailed female counterpart of Manneken Pis is the work of sculptor Denis Adrien Debouvrie, who installed her…

Cantillon Brewery

Beer lovers shouldn’t miss this unique living brewery-museum. Atmospheric and family run, it’s Brussels’ last operating lambic brewery and still uses much…

Manneken Pis

Rue Charles Buls – Brussels’ most unashamedly touristy shopping street, lined with chocolate and trinket shops – leads the hordes three blocks from the…

Délirium Café

This café's barrel tables, beer-tray ceilings and over 2000 world beers were already impressive. Now they’ve added a rum garden, a tap house and the…

In the old Bruxellois dialect, zinneke means ‘a person of mixed origins’, which sums up the city’s inhabitants to this day. Hence Flemish sculptor Tom…

Africa Museum

Due to reopen in late 2018 after five years of restoration, the revived Africa Museum looks set to be a big draw, and a world away from its earlier dusty…

The best of Brussels on a budget

Palais de Justice

Larger than St Peter’s in Rome, this 2.6-hectare complex of law courts was the world’s biggest building when it was constructed (1866–83). While the…

Church of St-Pierre & St-Guidon

The church has some original murals and was once a major pilgrimage site: right up until WWI, cart drivers and those suffering fits would arrive here to…

Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée

This centre offers a definitive and enjoyable overview of the country’s vibrant comic-strip culture. Even if you’re not excited by the ‘ninth art’, do…

Erasmus House Museum

Anderlecht was still a country village when world-famous humanist Erasmus came to ‘play at farming’ in 1521. The lovely brick home where he stayed for…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip.

Things to Know

Brussels is an incredible city and we've got some excellent tips to help your first visit go smoothly. Here's what you need to know before you go.

Best Neighborhoods

To get a good feel for this underrated European capital, base yourself in one of these five neighborhoods.

Here are our favorite storybook castles, oh-so-cool cities, and cross-border curios all within easy reach of Brussels.

Transportation

Navigating Brussels' multiple languages and complex public transport system will be no problem with these tips for getting around the Belgian capital.

Free Things to Do

Put these free things to do on your Belgium itinerary and see more for less.

Latest stories from Brussels

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A Local’s Complete Guide to Brussels, Belgium (2024)

If you’re looking for a local guide to Brussels that includes everything you should know if you’re planning on visiting this city, you have come to the right place!

Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium and the unofficial capital of the European Union. It’s also the capital of comic books, French fries (which are actually Belgian), waffles, beer and Belgian chocolate !

This is a city like no other, with two native languages (French and Dutch) and some pretty unique landmarks like Manneken Pis and the Atomium . So if you’re asking me, Brussels is definitely worth adding to your itinerary for Belgium .

As I was born in Brussels and have lived there for more than 10 years , I know this city quite well. That’s why I decided to write a complete guide with everything that you need to know if you want to visit Brussels like a local.

It all depends on what you want to see and do, but I recommend staying here for a minimum of 2 days. This being said, spending 1 day in Brussels will still allow you to see the city’s highlights.

A local guide to Brussels: Everything you should know

Top things to see in brussels.

First things first, you will find the best places to visit in Brussels below. This includes some of Brussels’ most important landmarks .

Grand Place

Located right in the centre of the city, the beautiful Grand Place is a place that keeps amazing me, even after having visited it numerous times. The architecture here is stunning!

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you will find guild halls, the City Hall and a lot of (rather expensive) cafes.

Note how the tower of the City Hall (located on the left side of the picture above) isn’t exactly in the middle. Legend says that the architect jumped off of the tower and fell on the spot marked with a star after discovering this.

Manneke Pis, Jeanneke Pis and Zinneke Pis

Manneken Pis  is a must-see if you’re visiting Brussels for the first time. Keep in mind that this is a fountain of a little boy, though, and don’t expect to see a 3-meter-high statue of a peeing man or you will be disappointed.

This statue might not be very large, but it’s always a surprise to see what Manneken Piss will look like. This little guy has more than 1,000 costumes and he is often dressed up.

There are a lot of legends associated with Manneken Pis. One of them is that this little boy saved Brussels from burning down by urinating on the fire.

After you’ve seen Manneken Pis, make sure to look for the statue of the little girl, Jeanneke Pis and the dog, Zinneke Pis too. They’re all within walking distance of each other.

>> Read: Is Brussels Worth Visiting? Top Reasons to Visit Brussels

Comic book walls

With characters like Tintin, Lucky Luke and the Smurfs, comic books are one of the things Belgium is known for and as you wander through the city centre, you will inevitably come across comic book street art .

It is possible to follow the comic strip walk (you can find the route on the Brussels website ), which will take you along the city’s most famous comic book murals.

Besides street art, you will also find the  Belgian Comic Strip Center , the Comics Figurines Museums and comic book shops in the centre of the city.

Place Sainte Catherine neighbourhood

The Place Sainte Catherine neighbourhood is a lively area in the centre of Brussels, and it is home to the beautiful Saint Catherine Church .

There’s a big square next to this church that used to be the central fish market. Today, this square is full of seafood restaurants , so if you like seafood, this is the place to be.

Another must-see next to the Sainte Catherine Church is La Tour Noire , which is French for “The Black Tower”. This tower was once part of the 13th-century city walls.

If you’re visiting Brussels around the holidays, it is good to know that the city’s famous Christmas Market is held in the Place Sainte Catherine area.

Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert

The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a historic shopping arcade that consists of three parts: the Galerie de la Reine, the Galerie du Roi and the Galerie des Princes.

This is one of Europe’s oldest shopping arcades and you will find plenty of shops selling luxury items here.

All in all, the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a beautiful place to go (window) shopping or drink something while people-watching in one of its cafes.

Tip: There are plenty of shopping malls in Brussels if you would like to go shopping.

The Marolles and Place du Jeu de Balle

The Marolles is a hip district full of antique shops, modern galleries and pubs. The Palace of Justice overlooks this neighbourhood and there’s a daily flea market at the Place du Jeu de Balle.

This is the most famous flea market in the city and the only one that’s open every day of the year. You will find everything here, from junk to extraordinary antiques.

Saint Michael and Gudula Cathedral

If you’re a fan of Gothic architecture, you will be charmed by the beautiful St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral and its colourful stained glass windows.

This cathedral dates back to the 13th century, but it took more than 300 years to complete it and this is the  main Catholic church of Belgium .

European Quarter

This area of Brussels is dominated by business and politics. It is possible to visit the European Parliament on a self-guided tour that runs at set times. Check out the parliament’s website for more information.

If you want to learn more about the EU, European history and the European Parliament you can head to the Parliamentarium and the House of European History .

Although you can’t go inside, do make sure to check out the Berlaymont Building while you’re there. These are the headquarters of the European Commission, and the building’s architecture is impressive.

The Parc du Cinquantenaire is just a 10-minute walk from the European Quarter. This is one of Brussels’ best parks and it is a nice place for a walk or a picnic. There are also some museums here, and the park has a triumphal arch.

The Atomium is a pretty strange construction. This is a giant molecule that was built for the Brussels World’s Fair (Expo 58) in 1958. It was designed to last for only 6 months but it became so popular that the authorities decided to keep it.

Its interior was made into a gallery and exhibition space where you can learn about the Atomium’s history. There’s also a viewing platform on top, where you can overlook the city.

Mont des Arts

The Mont des Arts is a hill that offers a beautiful view over its garden and the lower town.

Make sure to check out the stunning architecture of the  Old England building by the Belgian architect Paul Saintenoy, while you’re here. This is one of Brussels’ most famous Art Deco buildings.

Mont des Arts is also one of the museum districts of Brussels, which brings me to my next point.

Brussels has a la rge collection of museums , including some pretty quirky ones. This city is a paradise for lovers of history and art.

Here are some of the city’s must-see museums, depending on your interests.

• Brussels City Museum : Located on the Grand Place, this museum will teach you more about the history and folklore of Brussels. It includes the gigantic wardrobe of Manneken Pis.
• Magritte Museum: I really like the Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte and this is one of my favourite museums in Brussels. As you might have guessed, the museum is dedicated to his work.
• Royal Museum of Fine Arts: This museum contains more than 20,000 drawings, sculptures and paintings dating from the 15th century to the present. It features works of the Flemish Primitives, Peter Paul Rubens, James Ensor, Paul Delvaux and many other artists.
• Bozar : This museum is also known as the Centre for Fine Arts. Its program is very diverse, with many exhibitions, shows, concerts and other cultural events.
• Art and History Museum : This is one of the largest museums in Europe . It offers an overview of human activity from the prehistory until now.
• Halle Gate Museum : The Halle Gate is a medieval fortified city gate. There’s a museum inside that exhibits artefacts from the Middle Ages.
• Horta Museum : This museum is great for architecture buffs. It is located in the former house of the Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and it is dedicated to this architect’s life and work.
• Musical Instrument Museum : This museum is located in the Old England building. It displays a collection of over 7,000 musical instruments from every epoch.
• Comic Art Museum : As its name predicts, the Comic Art Museum celebrates the most important Belgian comic strip heroes and their illustrators.
• Museum of Original Figurines : Here, you will find thousands of figurines from your favourite comic book characters like The Smurfs, Tintin, Asterix & Obelix and many more.

Try waffles, French fries, chocolate and beer

A visit to Brussels wouldn’t be complete without trying some Belgian delicacies!

You will find stands selling French fries , Brussels waffles or Liege waffles on the corner of nearly every street in this city. And I’ve honestly never tasted better ones than in Belgium.

Besides that, Belgian chocolate is THE BEST! You won’t be disappointed. Try  Godiva ,  Guylian , Côte d’Or ,  Neuhaus ,  Mary ,  Marcolini or one of the many other chocolate boutiques. One box is just not enough.

If you’re more of a biscuit kind of person, you might find what you’re looking for at  Maison Dandoy . Belgian has got some delicious biscuits and pastries too.

Last but not least, with some of the best beers in the world, Belgium is a dream destination for beer lovers. From Pilsner to Lambic and Gueuze, beer is a serious business in Belgium. One of the best ways to learn more about Belgian beer and taste this delicious brew is by joining one of Brussels’ beer tours .

Dieweg Cemetery

This disused cemetery is located in the municipality of Uccle, a 20-minute ride from the centre of the city. This is probably one of the most unusual places in Brussels but it is also one of my favourites.

The tombs here are overgrown with plants and nature is slowly taking over again here.

So, if you’re looking for a more off-the-beaten-track adventure, the Dieweg Cemetery might be the place that you’re looking for.

Best time to visit Brussels

Brussels can be visited all year round, the time of the year that’s most suitable for you will like the most depends on your personal preferences:

• Winter (December to March):  It can get pretty cold during the winter and it might freeze, but this period of the year has its charm.
• Spring (March to June):  This time of the year is less touristy than the summer months and the weather starts getting warmer after winter.
• Summer (June to September):  The weather is at its best during the summer months (although it can be hot and rainy too). However, this is also the time of the year with the most tourists (especially in July and August as this is a school vacation in Belgium).
• Fall (September to December):  Temperatures are still nice in September. It might start to rain a little bit more from mid-October to December though. Check out my post featuring the best indoor activities in Brussels if this is the time of the year that you will visit this city.

How to get to Brussels

If you’re already in Europe, it will be easy to get to Brussels by train from cities like Amsterdam, London, Cologne, Paris and more.

Otherwise, the closest airports are Brussels Airport (Zaventem) and Charleroi Airport.

The city of Brussels is a 30-minute drive or 20-minute train ride from Brussels Airport. You can check out the train’s timetables on the Belgian Train website .

If you’re landing at Charleroi Airport, the easiest way to get to Brussels is by booking a shuttle bus . The shuttle takes about one hour and it will drop you off at the Brussels Midi train station.

Check out my guides about how to do a day trip from Paris to Brussels or a day trip from Amsterdam to Brussels if you would like to visit this city from the neighbouring country’s capitals.

How to get around in Brussels

Brussels is not that big, and the centre is easy to explore by walking. If you want to visit other areas of the city or don’t feel like walking, these are the options:

• Metro, tram and bus : Taking the metro is the easiest way to get around in Brussels. If you’re going to use it regularly, I recommend getting a Metro Pass to save money. Another option would be to take the tram. There are also many buses, but they can get stuck in traffic.
• Train : If you’re planning on travelling to another region or city, the train is the best way to get there.
• Taxi : These are very expensive in Brussels so I wouldn’t take them unless it is absolutely necessary.

I wouldn’t recommend renting a car, as there’s lots of traffic in Brussels and it can be difficult to find free parking spots. Renting a bicycle is possible, but due to the traffic, Brussels isn’t the nicest city to ride a bicycle in.

Cost of travel

The price for a  dorm bed  in a hostel ranges between €20 and €30 per bed, while prices for  private rooms  start at about €50.

Meals  can cost anything between €10 and €60, depending on where and what you’re eating. French fries and fast food are pretty cheap, but restaurants tend to be more expensive.

A week of  groceries  costs around €60 in Belgium.

Where to eat and drink

If you’re on a tight budget, avoid eating or drinking around the Grand Place, as it will be super expensive.

Restaurants

There are some nice restaurants on the Rue de Flandre near Place Sainte Catherine, in the Marolles neighbourhood and around the Grand Sablon.

Here are some of my favourite restaurants in Brussels. Note that you might have to book a table in advance for some of them.

• Friture René : Although Friture René is not in the centre of the city (metro station Aumale is near the restaurant), it’s really worth a visit if you want to go to a typical Brussels restaurant that serves Belgian food.
• Viva m’Bomma : Located near Place Sainte Catherine, this restaurant serves some of the best authentic Belgian dishes in the capital.
• Horia : I really, really love this organic Moroccan/Lebanese restaurant! It’s close to the Grand Place and its menu changes according to the season.
• Toukoul : An Ethiopian restaurant close to Place Sainte Catherine with delicious food and a stunning interior.
• Bavet : This restaurant, which is also close to Place Sainte Catherine has some delicious spaghetti!

If you’re vegan, you will find plenty of great vegan restaurants in Brussels as well.

Tip : Don’t eat at Rue des Bouchers, as this street is famous for its pushy vendors and inflated tourist prices.

You will find numerous cosy bars in the streets around the Halles de Saint-Géry, Place Sainte Catherine or Plattesteen (which is in the gay neighbourhood).

Here are some of my favourite bars in Brussels:

• Toone : I really love this bar! Toone is an authentic café near the Grand Place that stands out due to its famous puppet theatre. Its location is quite hidden, but it is a great place if you manage to find it!
• Delirium: The Delirium Café is close to the Grand Place, and this is a true paradise for beer lovers. With over 2,000 beers on its menu, this bar holds the Guinness World record for offering the largest amount of beer for tasting. It can be quite touristy, but it is a must-visit if you like beer.
• Bizon : This is a cosy bar with a great atmosphere in the heart of the city. Local and international blues artists perform here live regularly.
• Le Cerceuil : This is one of Brussels’ quirkiest bars, located right next to the Grand Place. In French, “Le Cerceuil” means “The coffin” and the inspiration behind the bar was the movie The Exorcist . This is a dark place decorated with coffins, skeletons and more. Unfortunately, this bar is on the more expensive side, so you will pay for the experience too.
• Bar Des Amis : This is a beautiful and popular bar near Place Sainte Catherine. It has a great atmosphere and offers a nice variety of beers and cocktails.

Day trips from Brussels

As Belgium is such a small country and Brussels is situated right in the middle of it, you can easily visit the entire country from here.

I’ve written an entire post about the best day trips from Brussels if you would like to discover what places are worth visiting. Here’s a sneak peek:

Hallerbos (Blue Forest)

The Hallerbos is a magical forest located about 30 minutes from Brussels and it is argued to be one of the most beautiful places in Belgium .

Every year around mid-April, the Hallerbos turns completely blue. Millions of hyacinths start blooming and form a beautiful carpet of blossom.

Bruges is a beautiful medieval city with cobblestoned streets and charming canals. This city is a 1-hour train ride from the capital and definitely worth a visit if you’re into fairytale-like cities.

You might want to check out my comparison of Brussels and Bruges to find out which city is the best for you if you can only visit one.

Villers Abbey ruins

Located just 40 km (25 mi) from Brussels, the ruins of the Villers Abbey is a nice escape from the city. This place has a rich history and the site is quite big, so you could easily spend an afternoon here.

Do e l is Belgium’s ghost town, this is a more off-the-beaten-track destination, but it does attract some visitors. You will find plenty of abandoned houses full of graffiti art here.

Local guide to Brussels: Final thoughts

And that was it, a guide including everything that you should know if you would like to visit Brussels like a local. I hope that you have found exactly what you were looking for in this post and that you will have a great time exploring my home town!

Brussels is a nice city with plenty of interesting things to see and do. This is the self proclaimed comic book capital of the world and it is home to some pretty unique landmarks.

Let me know in the comments below if anything is missing from this guide or if you have more questions.

Belgium travel planning guide

🛫 Find the cheapest flights to Belgium on  Skyscanner . 🏨 Find the best accommodation via  Booking  or  Hostelworld . 🚃 Use Omnio to book public transportation in Belgium. 🚗 Rent a car with  Discover Cars   to get the best rates. 💰 Get travel insurance via  Visitors Coverage , one of the best-reviewed travel insurance companies. 📋 Don’t forget to  check if you need a visa  to visit Belgium

Read more about Belgium:

• The Best Hikes in Belgium
• The Most Beautiful Places in Belgium
• Reasons to Visit Belgium

Pin it for later: Did you find this post helpful? Save it on Pinterest and follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more travel tips and inspiration.

Laura Meyers

Laura Meyers is the founder of Laure Wanders. She was born in Belgium and has travelled to over 40 countries, many of them solo. She currently spends most of her time between Belgium and South Asia and loves helping other travellers plan their adventures abroad.

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Nice to read something related to our cultural heritage. For non Belgians I find this a quite valuable contribution. Thks for sharing.

Thank you! There’s a lot to see in Brussels. 😀

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Brussels Travel Guide

Last Updated: August 9, 2023

Brussels is a bit of an underdog city in Europe . Most travelers speed through on their way to Paris or Amsterdam. Or they skip the city altogether.

I think that’s a mistake.

As the administrative center of the European Union, Brussels can feel a bit “stuffy” — but don’t let that fool you. The city is hip, filled with history, (many museums have free entry on the first Sunday of the month), and boasts tons of cutting-edge restaurants. With its countless restaurants and bars devoted to beer, Brussels is a foodie’s dream.

Spend at least a couple of nights here. Enjoy the beer, devour some Belgian fries, and experience this often-overlooked European capital. It might just surprise you (it did me).

This travel guide to Brussels can help you plan your trip, save money, and make the most of your time in this underrated city!

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Brussels

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Brussels

1. Visit the European Parliament

Founded in 1952, the EU parliament is where all 705 members (from 27 countries) meet to debate the future of the EU. You can watch a parliamentary session in the debating chamber (known as the Hemicycle) or tour the building (with an audio guide) when parliament isn’t in session. Space is limited so book in advance (it’s free). On Mondays at 11am and 3pm, there are in-depth guided tours offered in both English and French.

2. Hang out at Grand Place

Brussels’ most popular tourist attraction is its Grand Place. This is the heart of the city and includes the Town Hall, the famous Breadhouse, and, every two years in August, displays a huge floral arrangement. The Grand Place is a bustling part of Brussels and a popular meeting spot for locals.

3. Visit St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral

Built in 1047, this cathedral is the official site of all royal Belgian weddings, funerals, and coronations. It houses a lot of medieval artifacts, including stained-glass windows donated by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Entrance is free but it’s 3 EUR to see the Romanesque crypt, 1 EUR for the church’s archaeological site, and 2 EUR for the Treasury.

4. See Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis is a bronze sculpture fountain of a young boy urinating. It was put in place to distribute drinking water in the 15th century and now it’s a local icon. Each day he wears a new costume (and all the old costumes are kept in a museum). Nearby you can also find Jeanneke Pis, which is of a little girl urinating (it’s as weird as it sounds), and Het Zinneke, a statue of a urinating dog.

5. Drink beer at Delirium Café

This is easily the most famous bar in Brussels, thanks to its selection of some 2,000 beers from around the world (it made the Guinness Book of World Records). They brew their own beer as well, and the enormity of the menu draws a fun-loving, talkative crowd.

Other Things to See and Do in Brussels

1. take a free walking tour.

One of the first things I do in a new city is to take a free walking tour. It’s the best way to get the lay of the land, see the main sights, and connect with a local guide who can answer all my questions. New Europe runs regular free tours that cover all the highlights. Just remember to tip your guide at the end!

2. Explore The Horta Museum

The Horta Museum was once the house of famous art nouveau architect, Victor Horta, who built the property in the late 1890s. It is an excellent example of the art nouveau style that made Horta one of the most acclaimed architects in Belgium. The unique orange-and-yellow glass ceiling and the detailed curlicues of the wrought iron railings are beautiful. Admission is 12 EUR.

3. See the Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower

Located at the end of the Royal Estate at Laeken, the Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower were constructed between 1901-1910 on the orders of King Leopold. The pavilion has a museum dedicated to Chinese porcelain and furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries. NOTE: The Chinese Pavilion and Japanese Tower are currently closed due to safety reasons until further notice.

4. Learn about beer at the Cantillon Brewery

Cantillon Brewery was founded in 1900 and is the last surviving lambic brewery (a Belgian beer brewed with raw wheat and wild yeast and fermented for at least a year) in Brussels. The brewery still makes use of its original 19th-century equipment, including its wooden barrels, where the beer matures for up to three years. Guided tours are offered on Saturdays only for 10 EUR, or you can take a self-guided tour throughout the week for 7 EUR. You’ll learn a lot about the production process and you’ll get a free beer at the end. If visiting one brewery isn’t enough for you, you can also take this beer tasting tour where you’ll visit a number of different breweries and enjoy some traditional Belgian snacks with your beers.

5. Gorge at the Gare du Midi market

If you are in Brussels on a Sunday morning, there is no better place to be than the Gare du Midi Market. This is the biggest market in the city and the third-largest food market in Europe, so you can expect to find tasty food like crepes from North Africa, Mediterranean spices, meats, cheese, and pretty much any type of food you desire. Bring an appetite!

6. Eat chocolate

Aside from beer, one of Belgium’s most famous exports is chocolate. Chocolatiers’ shops dot the city, each with its unique recipes (and price tags). My favorite chocolate shop is Maison Pierre Marcolini, as Pierre Marcolini is one of the only chocolatiers in the city to personally select the cocoa beans to roast himself. A close runner-up is Galler Chocolatier, where Jean Galler has perfected some interesting flavor combinations (including an apricot praline). If you want to dive even deeper into Belgian chocolate, visit Choco-Story, the chocolate museum where you can also take a chocolate-making workshop to design your very own chocolate.

7. Learn some history at Waterloo

Just south of the city is Waterloo, the site of Napoleon’s final battle against Europe in 1815. The battle pitted Napoleon against Wellington and the Prussians, marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Some 200,000 soldiers were involved and tens of thousands were killed over the course of the day. Although the fields are empty now, at the center of it all is a 40-meter-tall (131 feet) Lion’s Mound, which you can climb to look out across the whole battlefield. There’s also a visitor center where you can watch films that explain the battle and what it meant for world history. Admission to the museum is 17-19 EUR.

8. Admire the view from the Basilique de Koekelberg

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is the 5th largest church in the world, standing 89 meters tall (291 feet) and measuring 167 meters long (548 feet). It was built to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Belgium’s independence, and King Leopold II laid the first stone in 1905. The art deco style contrast of its green dome against red terracotta stones is a striking sight, but the best part is the view over the city from the church’s terrace. It costs 8 EUR to reach it.

9. Hang out at the Grand Salon

The Grand Salon is a square ringed by old mansion houses. The Gothic-style Church of Notre Dame du Sablon can also be found here, but one of the best things to do is sit at a sidewalk cafe, people-watch, and take in the local pace of life. There’s also a fun book and antique market during the weekend if you want to browse.

10. Visit AutoWorld

AutoWorld is a car museum that has over 250 vintage European and American automobiles from the late 19th century up to the 1970s. It has limousines used by the royal family, Belgian-produced Minervas (a defunct car manufacturer that went out of business in the 1950s), and all kinds of prototype vehicles. Admission is 13 EUR. You can buy tickets online in advance here .

11. Climb the Atomium

The Atomium is a giant iron crystal that stands 102 meters (335 feet) tall, magnified 165 billion times its normal size. The structure was originally built for the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 and was never meant to be permanent. But it quickly became so beloved by Belgians that it was kept standing. Today, you can go inside the six spheres for panoramic views over the city. There’s even a restaurant in the top sphere. Admission is 16 EUR. It’s recommended to buy tickets online in advance .

12. Explore Mini-Europe

While you’re visiting the Atomium, you can also explore the nearby Mini-Europe, a theme park featuring incredibly detailed miniature replicas of famous European monuments, including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and the Berlin Wall. There are over 350 monuments in the park, including live-action ones, such as an erupting Mt Vesuvius. Admission to Mini-Europe is 17.30 EUR , while joint tickets that also include entry to the Atomium are 29.40 EUR.

13. See some comic strip art

Located in an Art Nouveau home designed by Victor Horta, The Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art is a must for comic lovers or anyone who’s interested in seeing a different kind of art museum. There are permanent as well as temporary exhibitions with prints, drawings, books, and an entire exhibit dedicated to telling the history of the comic. There’s also a massive comic book shop and library with the biggest collection of comic books globally. Admission to the museum is 12 EUR.

  For information on other cities in Belgium, check out these guides:

• Bruges Travel Guide

Brussels Travel Costs

Hostel prices – For a hostel dorm, prices range from 31-39 EUR per night for a dorm with 4-6 beds, while rooms with 8 beds or more cost 27-30 EUR. For a private room, expect to pay 95-155 EUR per night. Free Wi-Fi is standard and most hostels have self-catering facilities. Some also include free breakfast.

For those traveling with a tent, camping is available outside the city. A basic plot costs around 13 EUR per night.

Budget hotel prices – A room in a budget two-star hotel costs 100-130 EUR per night. Expect basic amenities like free Wi-Fi, coffee/tea makers, and TVs.

Airbnb is available in the city with private rooms starting at 50-75 EUR per night. Entire apartments start around 115 EUR per night. Prices double when not booked in advance so be sure to book early.

Food – Belgian cuisine has been strongly influenced by its European neighbors over the centuries, specifically France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The food here is hearty with chocolate, waffles, fries, and beer being the most famous cultural staples. Steak and fries, mussels (often with fries), smoked ham, stew, and sausages are just some of the common dishes you’ll find here. Portions are large and filling too (the saying goes that Belgian food takes the portions of German cuisine but adds the quality and delicacy of French cuisine).

Generally speaking, eating out in Brussels isn’t super affordable. Light meals at cafes (like a sandwich, soups, salads, or crepes) cost around 7-11 EUR. Fast food (think McDonald’s) costs 9 EUR for a combo meal. Takeaway snacks, like a cone of fries at one of the ubiquitous frite shops, cost 3-4 EUR.

At a casual restaurant serving traditional cuisine, expect to pay around 15-22 EUR for a main dish. If you want to splash out, a three-course meal with a drink costs at least 40-60 EUR. Chinese food costs around 9-14 EUR for a dish while a takeaway pizza is around 8-10 EUR.

Beer or a glass of wine are both around 4-5 EUR, a cocktail is 9-12 EUR, and a latte/cappuccino is 3-4 EUR. Bottled water is 2 EUR.

Some of my favorite places to eat are Delirium Cafe, Wolf (which is a food hall with tons of different stalls), and Maison Antoine (for frites).

If you want to cook your meals, there are some great markets throughout the city. Expect to pay around 60 EUR for a week’s worth of groceries. This gets you basic staples like pasta, rice, bread, seasonal produce, and some meat or fish.

Backpacking Brussels Suggested Budgets

If you’re backpacking Brussels, expect to spend around 65 EUR per day. This budget covers a hostel dorm, cooking most of your meals, taking public transportation to get around, limiting your drinking, and doing mostly free activities like free walking tours, visiting the markets, and touring the EU parliament.

On a mid-range budget of 150 EUR per day, you can stay in a private Airbnb or private hostel, enjoy a few drinks, eat out for some meals, take the occasional taxi to get around, rent a bike, and do more paid activities like visiting museums and going to AutoWorld.

On a “luxury” budget of 270 EUR or more per day, you can stay in a hotel, eat out for all your meals, drink as much as you want, take more taxis, and do whatever activities you want. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get an idea of how much you need to budget daily. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in EUR.

Brussels Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Brussels is a city of diplomats and they have big expense accounts. That means the city is not a super budget-friendly place to visit. However, it’s not impossible to save money here. Here are some of my suggestions to help you keep costs down:

• Get the plat du jour – Many restaurants offer a dish of the day or a fixed menu at lower prices during lunch so this is the best time to eat out if you plan on doing so. That said, cooking your food is still the cheapest option here.
• Eat Belgian fries – For an inexpensive and quick snack, try Belgian fries, or frites (usually eaten with mayonnaise). A large cone of fries costs no more than 4-5 EUR and are available everywhere. It’s not healthy, but it’s filling and delicious!
• Rent a bicycle – As taxis are so expensive, consider renting a bike to get around. Companies like Villo! and Blue-bike have low rates starting from 3.50 EUR per 24 hours (with the first half-hour often being free).
• Use student discounts – Students can receive discounts into many attractions upon presentation of an ISIC card, including half-price entry to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.
• Stay with a local – Couchsurfing connects you with locals who can give you a free place to stay. Not only does it save you money but they can share their insider tips with you too. It’s the best way to connect with a local while saving money.
• Take a free walking tour – Free walking tours are the best way to see the city on a budget. Just remember to tip your guide at the end!
• Bring a water bottle – The tap water here is safe to drink so bring a reusable water bottle to save money and reduce your plastic use. LifeStraw is my go-to brand as their bottles have built-in filters to ensure your water is always clean and safe.

Where to Stay in Brussels

There are a lot of hostels in Brussels to help keep your budget intact. My recommended places to stay are:

• Sleep Well Youth Hostel
• easyHotel Brussels
• Meininger Brussels City Center
• Brussels 2GO4 Quality Hostel City Centre

How to Get Around Brussels

Public transportation – Brussels’ extensive public transportation system includes trams, buses, and subway (metro) lines. The city is pretty spread out so you’ll find yourself on public transportation often. It’s the best way to get around.

A single metro ticket costs 2.40 EUR when purchased inside the vehicle, or 2.10 EUR when using contactless payment methods. You can get a ten-journey pass for 15.60 EUR. A one-day ticket is 7.80 EUR (7.50 EUR daily cap when using contactless payment) and gives you unlimited travel across all public transportation.

Remember to validate your ticket every time you take public transportation. Failing to do so can result in a significant fine!

The airport bus is 7 EUR each way.

Bicycle – There are a handful of bicycle rideshare companies in Brussels, including Villo! and Blue-bike, with incredibly low rates starting from 3.50 EUR per 24 hours. Villo! Rentals are free for rides under 30 minutes.

Taxi – Taxis are very expensive. With the base rate starting at 4.98 EUR and then 1.94 EUR for each additional kilometer, they add up fast. With great public transportation, there’s few times you’ll need a taxi!

Ridesharing – After a brief ban, Uber is back in operation in Brussels. But, like taxis, it’s expensive, so skip the ridesharing if you’re on a budget.

Car rental – Car rentals are expensive here, costing at least 50 EUR per day. However, the city is easy to get around via public transportation so you definitely don’t need a car here unless you are leaving the city to explore the rest of the country/region. Divers need to be at least 21 years of age.

When to Go to Brussels

The best time to visit Brussels is during the shoulder seasons, between March-May and September-October. Room rates are much cheaper, and you won’t have to compete for space at all the city’s top attractions. The average daily high in March-May is about 16°C (62°F), while it’s around 18°C (66°F) from September-October.

The summer is the busiest and most popular time to visit. I would avoid visiting during this time, when average daily temperatures are about 23°C (73°F), as prices are inflated and the city’s attractions are very busy.

Winter can be frigid, averaging 6°C (43°F) during the day but often dropping lower. That said, Brussels is alive with Christmas markets and prices are much lower so it’s a fun time to visit if you’re going to be browsing markets and enjoying the museums.

If you come during February you can attend Brussels’ Carnival. It’s a bit of a booze fest and there are lots of costumes and parades, but if you’re in the mood to have fun, this is an ideal time to do it.

Brussels weather can also change on a dime all year round so make sure you pack a light sweater and rain jacket no matter what time of year you visit.

How to Stay Safe in Brussels

Brussels is very safe to visit. Violent crime is very rare here. However, pickpocketing and petty theft can occur so always keep your valuables secure and out of reach (especially in crowded areas and on public transportation).

In the evenings, avoid wandering through certain areas alone due to increased chances of crime, including Schaerbeek, Brussels North, Molenbeek, and Anderlecht.

Solo female travelers should feel safe here for all those reasons. However, the standard precautions you take anywhere apply here too (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone intoxicated, etc.). There are numerous solo female travel blogs that can provide more specific tips.

Scams in Brussels are rare, however, if you’re worried about getting ripped off you can read about common travel scams to avoid here.

If you experience an emergency, dial 112 for assistance.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary along to loved ones so they’ll know where you are.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Brussels Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!
• BlaBlaCar – BlaBlaCar is a ridesharing website that lets you share rides with vetted local drivers by pitching in for gas. You simply request a seat, they approve, and off you go! It’s a cheaper and more interesting way to travel than by bus or train!

Brussels Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on backpacking/traveling Belgium and continue planning your trip:

The Best Things to Do and See in Brussels

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Brussels   Travel Guide

Courtesy of Getty Images |

19 Best Things To Do in Brussels

Updated Feb. 2, 2023

Discover your inner child at the Belgian Comic Strip Museum , take a whirlwind tour of the continent at Mini-Europe or tickle your taste buds at a chocolate shop ( Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a good place to start). The Grand-Place is another

• All Things To Do

Grand-Place Grand-Place free

Whether you're just passing through Brussels or here for a week, you can't miss the Grand-Place. This square, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits in the heart of Brussels and is renowned for its many Gothic and Baroque-style buildings. The Grand-Place is close to many of the city's main attractions, including the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral and the beloved Manneken Pis . At Christmas, enjoy the Winter Wonders light show at night along with a massive Christmas tree, and every August, admire an enormous carpet made of flowers inside the Grand-Place.

Travelers love the Grand-Place for its stunning architecture. Recent reviewers suggested visiting during the day and night; during the day to see the details of the architecture, and at night to witness the vibrant life that takes over the square. However, a common complaint among tourists was the constant crowds (and higher prices), but that's to be expected at such a big attraction. 

St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral free

Built in the Brabantine Gothic style and so named for its chapel dedicated to St. Michael and for housing the relics of St. Gudula, this cathedral's current structure dates back to the 11th century and took some 300 years to build. Inside, you will find stained-glass windows, statues, paintings, a new Grenzing organ and a crypt that may contain the remains of St. Gudula with ancient Roman graffiti on it. Below the current church are the remains of a 10th-century Romanesque church. Outside the cathedral is a square where you can sit on benches under the shade of honey locust trees.

Past visitors appreciated the architecture of the church, with some noting the beauty of the stained-glass windows in particular and described it as "amazing" and "stunning."

Musical Instruments Museum Musical Instruments Museum

A former Old England department store built in the 19th century, the Musical Instruments Museum, also known as the "MIM," is housed in an Art Nouveau building located about a half-mile from the Grand-Place . Inside you'll find more than 1,200 instruments from around the globe displayed across four galleries. The museum gives visitors the opportunity to hear what these instruments sound like, as well. Inside, a restaurant touts fantastic views of the city.

Recent visitors were impressed with the variety of instruments inside the museum, as well as with the building itself. Some advised that there are few signs in English, so it can be a bit confusing. Many suggested parting with a few more euros to take advantage of the audio guide. Travelers also recommend taking a trip to the cafe, which offers great views of Brussels.

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Parc du Cinquantenaire Parc du Cinquantenaire free

Meaning "50th anniversary," Cinquantenaire Park was built in 1880 in honor of the 50th anniversary celebration of the independence of Belgium. It is a large French-style park inside the city surrounded by museums and filled with gardens with a large triumphal arch. The park also hosts a variety of festivities throughout the year, including concerts, fireworks and sporting events.

Past visitors said the park is a relaxing and peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Brussels. They also recommend checking out the car tunnel that runs underneath the park.

Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert free

Want to get in a little shopping while visiting Brussels? Make time for a visit to Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a Renaissance-style arcade built in the mid-1800s. With a glass roof once known as the "umbrella of Brussels," the building is worth seeing whether or not you want to indulge in any retail therapy. Around 6 million visitors come to the Galeries every year to enjoy stores selling everything from clothing to chocolate to diamonds. The Galeries Royales also house restaurants, art galleries, a cinema and theaters. Victor Hugo even once enjoyed hanging out here.

Past visitors said it makes a great place to see on a rainy day and described the building as stunning. Many also recommended checking out the extensive chocolate shops.

Horta Museum Horta Museum

Art lovers should not pass up the chance to see where Victor Horta – one of the founders of the art nouveau movement – lived and worked. The home, which was built between 1898 and 1901 features murals, stained glass and mosaics that are largely intact from its original construction. As you walk through, keep your eyes open for Horta's influences, from the wing-like skylights to the winding banisters to the overhead lights stemming down from the ceiling like vines.

Recent travelers said the museum is a must-see attraction for architecture aficionados, but warned that you cannot take photos inside the museum and that lines are sometimes long.

Cantillon Brewery Cantillon Brewery

When it comes down to it, a trip to Brussels isn't complete unless you've sampled the beer. Cantillon has been brewing traditional Belgian beers, including lambic, gueuze, faro and kriek, since 1900. During your tour, you may learn about brewing, bottling or even how barrels are cleaned, and if you plan ahead, you can even attend a public brewing session to see the action first-hand.

Recent visitors said they enjoyed exploring the brewery and learning how the beer is made. Others enjoyed sampling the unique taste of lambic beer. Reviewers recommended signing up for a guided tour to make the most of your visit.

Mini-Europe Mini-Europe

This theme park north of central Brussels features scale models of more than 350 of Europe's most famous landmarks, from Athens' Acropolis and the canals of Venice to London's Big Ben and Paris' Eiffel Tower. Each replica comes complete with visual and sound effects. Be sure to bring your kids: Many of the park's miniature attractions are interactive, such as Naples' Mount Vesuvius and the Berlin Wall. 

Many past visitors agreed that Mini-Europe is a great place to bring children. They described it as adorable, cute and informative and recommended adding it to your itinerary.

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Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, located in Brussels' historic center, is a group of six different art museums: the Oldmasters Museum, Modern Museum, Meunier Museum, Wiertz Museum, Magritte Museum and the Fin-de-Siècle Museum. Together, they offer a collection of 20,000 works, dating from the 15th century to modern day. Walking through the halls, travelers will be able to see works from Rubens, Rodin, Gauguin, Magritte and many more. There's also an impressive collection of works from the Flemish school, including Pieter Bruegel.

Past travelers were impressed with the museum's vast collection of art. Considering the size of the collection, many suggested allotting 2 1/2 or more hours to not just see the works, but to appreciate and enjoy them.

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

For those interested in military history, this museum makes for a great afternoon. Located within Cinquantenaire Park , the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History traces the world's military history over the last 10 centuries, displaying weaponry, uniforms and airplanes from various points in time. Spend a fair amount of time in the airplane hangar, which features some 130 aircraft, including zeppelins, F-16s and more. 

Recent visitors said this museum is well worth a visit and recommend seeking out the view of the city atop the terrace of the triumphal arch. Some warned that no cash is accepted and advised allotting several hours to spend in the museum.

Museum of Natural Sciences Museum of Natural Sciences

Set aside plenty of time to spend at this museum, which will delight the science and dinosaur lovers of all ages. With some 38 million specimens on hand (only a fraction of which are on display), this museum has the largest natural history collection in Europe behind those in Paris and London. Don't miss the dinosaur gallery, the largest room in Europe devoted to dinos, to see a replica of the largest and most complete male T. rex known today, along with 30 complete iguanodon skeletons that were discovered in Belgium 1878. 

Past visitors said the museum is a great activity for kids, with many praising the dinosaur collection. Some reviewers advised visiting a weekday to avoid crowds.

Atomium Atomium

The most popular tourist attraction in Brussels, the Atomium is a depiction of an iron crystal magnified more than 100 billion times that was originally built for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. Today, it houses multiple exhibitions, a panoramic view over the city and a restaurant with excellent views, and is considered to be a symbol of both Brussels and Belgium.

If there's one reason to head to the Atomium, it's the spectacular views of the city, according to many recent visitors. Travelers advised that it is far from other attractions, however, and that there can be long lines.

Église Notre-Dame du Sablon Église Notre-Dame du Sablon free

Just south of the Grand-Place , the impressive  Église Notre-Dame du Sablon – which dates back to the 14th century – is worth a visit, according to recent travelers. The church's interior features two chapels dedicated to saints and decorated with marble statues. There are also statues of St. Paul and St. Augustine inside.

Past visitors said they were impressed by the statues and stained-glass windows in the church and used words like "stunning" and "magnificent" to describe the interior.

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Belgian Comic Strip Center Belgian Comic Strip Center

Belgium is the birthplace of many legendary comic characters, including Tintin and the Smurfs, and is also home to more than 700 comic strip artists. So it's no wonder the city pays tribute to the comic art in the form of a museum. The Belgian Comic Strip Center tells the story of European comics from their beginnings to modern day through a variety of permanent and temporary collections and a Comic Strip Library boasting more than 60,000 works.

Recent visitors enjoyed their experience at the Belgian Comic Strip Center with many feeling nostalgic to learn about comics they recall growing up. Past travelers were also impressed with the beauty of the art nouveau building, which was designed by architect Victor Horta (you can learn more about him at the Horta Museum).

Manneken-Pis Manneken-Pis free

This little boy has become a renowned Brussels landmark. The Manneken Pis (which translates to "little man pee" in Dutch) is a bronze statue of a child relieving himself that also serves as a public fountain. Though the original statue dates back to the 17th century, the statue on display is actually a replica. Located just south of the Grand-Place , the statue has been the recipient of about 800 different costumes, many of which you can see at the Museum of the City of Brussels. He's even been kidnapped and returned multiple times. The statue's origin story is a bit disputed, but wherever it came from, its allure has endured.

Recent travelers were torn over Manneken Pis. Most agreed they were surprised by the boy's small size, and some maintain it's a must-see, while others say to skip it. Past visitors also warned that it is crowded at most times of the day.

Train World Train World

Train enthusiasts will enjoy a stop at Train World, which sits about 3 miles north of the Grand-Place . Inside you can see restored train stations, dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s, learn about the history of Belgium's railway, see the oldest remaining steam engine in Europe, explore the reasons people use trains from travel to commuting and more.

Past visitors said they loved the interactive exhibits and that their kids did not want to leave. They also recommended a visit to the on-site restaurant.

Parlamentarium Parlamentarium free

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BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts

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Wherever else you go in Belgium, allow at least a little time for BRUSSELS , which is undoubtedly one of Europe’s premier cities. Certainly, don’t let its unjustified reputation as a dull, faceless centre of EU bureaucracy deter you: in postwar years, the city has become a thriving, cosmopolitan metropolis, with top-flight museums and architecture (including a well-preserved late seventeenth-century centre), a superb restaurant scene and an energetic nightlife. Moreover, most of the key attractions are crowded into a centre that is small enough to be absorbed over a few long days, its boundaries largely defined by a ring of boulevards – the “petit ring”, or less colloquially, the “petite ceinture”.

Around Brussels: Waterloo

Bilingual brussels, the brussels card, east of the centre: the eu quarter and le cinquantenaire, eating and drinking, the grand-place, guided tours, the lower town, nightlife and entertainment, north of the centre: jette, laeken and heysel, south of the centre: st-gilles, avenue louise and ixelles, train station names, the upper town.

First-time visitors to Brussels are often surprised by the raw vitality of the city centre. It isn’t neat and tidy, and many of the old tenement houses are shabby and ill-used, but there’s a buzz about the place that’s hard to resist. The city centre is divided into two main areas. The larger westerly portion comprises the Lower Town , fanning out from the marvellous Grand-Place , with its exquisite guildhouses and town hall, while up above, on a ridge to the east, lies the much smaller Upper Town , home to the finest art collection in the country in the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts.

Since the eleventh century, the ruling elite has lived in the Upper Town, keeping a beady eye on the workers and shopkeepers down below – a state of affairs that still – in part – remains. In recent times, this fundamental class division, so obvious in the layout of the centre, has been further complicated by discord between Belgium’s two main linguistic groups, the Walloons (the French-speakers) and the Flemings (the Dutch- or Flemish-speakers), and to add to the communal stew, these two groups now share their city with many others, including EU civil servants and immigrants from North and Central Africa, Turkey and the Mediterranean. Each of these communities tends to live a very separate, distinct existence, and Brussels’ compact nature heightens the contrasts: in five minutes you can walk from a chichi shopping mall into an African bazaar, or from a depressed slum quarter to a resplendent square of antique shops and exclusive cafés. This is something that increases the city’s allure, not least by way of the sheer variety of affordable cafés and restaurants – Brussels is a wonderful place to eat, its gastronomic reputation rivalling that of Paris. It’s also a great place to drink, with bars ranging from designer chic to rough and ready with everything in between.

The city’s specialist shops are another pleasure. Everyone knows about Belgian chocolates, but here in the capital there are also huge open-air markets, contemporary art galleries and establishments devoted to anything from comic books to costume jewellery and clubland fashion. Furthermore, Belgium is such a small country, and the rail network so fast and efficient, that Brussels also makes the perfect base for a wide range of day-trips. An obvious target is the battlefield of Waterloo , one of the region’s most visited attractions.

Brief history

Brussels takes its name from Broekzele, or “village of the marsh”, the community which grew up beside the wide and shallow River Senne in the sixth century, allegedly around a chapel built here by St Géry, a French bishop turned missionary. A tiny and insignificant part of Charlemagne’s empire at the end of the eighth century, it was subsequently inherited by the dukes of Lower Lorraine (or Lotharingia – roughly Wallonia and northeast France), who constructed a fortress here in 979. Protected, the village benefited from its position on the trade route between Cologne and the burgeoning towns of Bruges and Ghent to become a significant trading centre in its own right. The surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion, and in 1229 the city was granted its first charter by the dukes of Brabant , the new feudal overlords who controlled things here, on and off, for around two hundred years. In the early fifteenth century, marriage merged the interests of the Duchy of Brabant with that of Burgundy, whose territories passed to the Habsburgs in 1482 when Mary, the last of the Burgundian line, died; she was succeeded by her husband, Maximilian I, who was anointed Holy Roman Emperor in 1494.

The first Habsburg rulers had close ties with Brussels, and the Emperor Charles V (1519–55) ran his vast kingdom from the city for over a decade, making it wealthy and politically important in equal measure. By contrast, his successor Philip II (1527–98) lived in Spain and ruled through a governor (for the whole of the Low Countries) resident in Brussels. It could have been a perfectly reasonable arrangement, but Philip’s fanatical Catholicism soon unpicked the equilibrium. Horrified by the Protestant leanings of many of his Low Country subjects, the king imposed a series of anti-Protestant edicts, and when these provoked extensive rioting , he dispatched an army of ten thousand men – led by a hardline reactionary, the Duke of Albe – to crush his opponents in Brussels absolutely. Albe quickly restored order and then, with the help of the Inquisition, set about the rioters with gusto, his Commission of Civil Unrest soon nicknamed the “ Council of Blood ” after its habit of executing those it examined. Goaded into rebellion by Albe’s brutality, Brussels, along with much of the Low Countries, exploded in revolt, and in 1577, the one-time protégé of the Habsburgs, William the Silent , made a triumphant entry into the city and installed a Calvinist government. Protestant control lasted for just eight years, before Philip’s armies recaptured Brussels – and the king wasn’t a man to forgive and forget. Seeing which way the religious wind was blowing, hundreds of Protestants left the city and the economy slumped, though complete catastrophe was averted by the conspicuous consumption of the (Brussels-based) Habsburg elite, whose high spending kept hundreds of workers in employment. Brussels also benefited from the digging of the Willebroek Canal, which linked it to the sea for the first time in its history in 1561.

By the 1580s, the Habsburgs had lost control of the northern part of the Low Countries (now the Netherlands) and Brussels was confirmed as the capital of the remainder, the Spanish Netherlands (broadly modern Belgium). Brussels prospered more than the rest of the country, but it was always prey to the dynastic squabbling between France and Spain: in 1695, for example, Louis XIV bombarded Brussels for 36 hours merely to teach his rivals a lesson, though the guilds , those associations of skilled merchants and workers who were crucial to the economy of Brussels, rebuilt their devastated city in double time, and it’s this version of the Grand-Place that survives today.

In 1700 Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs, died without issue. The ensuing War of the Spanish Succession dragged on for over a decade, but eventually the Spanish Netherlands were passed to the Austrian Habsburgs, who ruled – as had their predecessors – through a governor based in Brussels. It was during this period as capital of the Austrian Netherlands (1713–94) that most of the monumental buildings of the Upper Town were constructed and its Neoclassical avenues and boulevards laid out – grand extravagance in the context of an increasingly industrialized city crammed with a desperately poor working class.

The French Revolutionary army brushed the Austrians aside at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794, and the Austrian Netherlands promptly became a département of France. This lasted until the defeat of Napoleon when, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna which ended hostilities, the great powers decided to absorb the country into the new Kingdom of the Netherlands , ruled by the Dutch King William I. Brussels took turns with The Hague as the capital, but the experiment was short-lived, and in 1830 a Brussels-led rebellion removed the Dutch and led to the creation of an independent Belgium with Brussels as capital.

The nineteenth century was a period of modernization and expansion, during which the city achieved all the attributes of a modern European capital under the guidance of Burgomaster Anspach and King Léopold II . New boulevards were built; the free university was founded; the Senne – which by then had become an open sewer – was covered over in the city centre; many slum areas were cleared; and a series of grand buildings were erected. The whole enterprise culminated in the golden jubilee exhibition celebrating the founding of the Belgium state in the newly inaugurated Parc du Cinquantenaire.

Following the German occupation of Belgium in World War II, the modernization of Brussels has proceeded inexorably, with many major development projects – not least the new métro system – refashioning the city and reflecting its elevated status as the headquarters of both NATO and the EU.

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Taste of Three - Belgium, France and Switzerland

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With over seventy hotels dotted within its central ring of boulevards, Brussels has no shortage of convenient places to stay, but even so finding hotel accommodation can still prove difficult, particularly in the spring and autumn when the capital enjoys what amounts to its high seasons – July and August are much slacker as the business trade dips when the EU (pretty much) closes down for its summer recess. The same cautions apply to the city’s B&Bs , though these are thin on the ground. If you do opt for a B&B, don’t expect UK-style hospitality – in effect you get a self-contained room in a private house – but do expect to be on the peripheries of town, a good way from the action. The city has half a dozen hostels , of which we have listed the best options.

At peak times, it’s prudent to reserve a bed at least for your first night, but if you do arrive with nowhere to stay, the city’s two main tourist offices operate a free same-night hotel booking service . Hotel prices vary hugely. Many have both deluxe and more standard rooms, with charges adjusted accordingly, and regular special and weekend discounts bring prices down by about fifteen percent, with some places occasionally halving their rates.

Brussels lies at the centre of Brabant , one of Belgium’s nine provinces. The Flemings claim the lion’s share of the province with their Vlaams Brabant (Flemish Brabant) actually encircling the capital – a noticeably narrow corridor of Flemish-speaking communities runs round the southern edge of Brussels. WATERLOO is easily the most popular attraction in Brabant Wallon (French-speaking Brabant) and is best seen on a day-trip from the capital. A run-of-the-mill suburb about 18km south of the centre of Brussels, the town has a resonance far beyond its size. On June 18, 1815, at this small crossroads town on what was once the main route to Brussels from France, Wellington masterminded the battle that put an end to the imperial ambitions of Napoleon. The battle turned out to have far more significance than even its generals realized, for not only was this the last throw of the dice for the formidable army born of the French Revolution, but it also marked the end of France’s prolonged attempts to dominate Europe militarily.

Nevertheless, the historic importance of Waterloo has not saved the battlefield from interference – a motorway cuts right across it – and if you do visit you’ll need a lively imagination to picture what happened and where – unless, that is, you’re around to see the large-scale re-enactment which takes place every five years in June; the next one is scheduled for 2015. Scattered round the battlefield are several monuments and memorials, the most satisfying of which is the Butte de Lion , a huge earth mound that’s part viewpoint and part commemoration. The battlefield is 3km south of the centre of Waterloo, where the Musée Wellington is easily the pick of several Waterloo museums.

The battlefield – Le Hameau de Lion

Some 4km south of town, the Waterloo battlefield is a landscape of rolling farmland, interrupted by a couple of main roads and more pleasingly punctuated by the odd copse and farmstead. The ridge where Wellington once marshalled his army now holds a motley assortment of attractions collectively known as Le Hameau du Lion (Lion’s Hamlet). This comprises four separate sites all within a few metres of each other, with the added offering of a 45-minute battlefield tour in a four-wheel-drive. Of the four sites, the worst are the Centre du Visiteur , which features a dire audiovisual display on the battle, and the Musée de Cires (same hours), a dusty wax museum. The best is the 100m-high Butte de Lion (same hours), built by local women with soil from the battlefield. The Butte marks the spot where Holland’s Prince William of Orange – one of Wellington’s commanders and later King William II of the Netherlands – was wounded. It was only a nick, so goodness knows how high it would have been if William had been seriously injured, but even so the mound is a commanding monument, surmounted by a regal 28-tonne lion atop a stout column. From the viewing platform, there’s a panoramic view over the battlefield, and a plan identifies which army was where. Also enjoyable is the Panorama de la Bataille (same hours), where a circular, naturalistic painting of the battle, on a canvas no less than 110m in circumference, is displayed in a purpose-built, rotunda-like gallery – to a thundering soundtrack of bugles, snorting horses and cannon fire. Panorama painting is extremely difficult – controlling perspective is always a real problem – but it was very much in vogue when the Parisian artist Louis Dumoulin began this effort in 1912. Precious few panoramas have survived and this one is a bit past its best, but it does at least give a sense of the battle. You can also venture out onto the battlefield under your own steam by following the old track that cuts south across the fields from beside the Panorama.

The Battle of Waterloo

Napoleon escaped from imprisonment on the Italian island of Elba on February 26, 1815. He landed in Cannes three days later and moved swiftly north, entering Paris on March 20 just as his unpopular replacement – the slothful King Louis XVIII – high-tailed it to Ghent. Thousands of Frenchmen rallied to Napoleon’s colours and, with little delay, Napoleon marched northeast to fight the two armies that threatened his future. Both were in Belgium. One, an assortment of British, Dutch and German soldiers, was commanded by the Duke of Wellington , the other was a Prussian army led by Marshal Blücher . At the start of the campaign, Napoleon’s army was about 130,000 strong, larger than each of the opposing armies but not big enough to fight them both at the same time. Napoleon’s strategy was, therefore, quite straightforward: he had to stop Wellington and Blücher from joining together – and to this end he crossed the Belgian frontier near Charleroi to launch a quick attack. On June 16, the French hit the Prussians hard, forcing them to retreat and giving Napoleon the opportunity he was looking for. Napoleon detached a force of 30,000 soldiers to harry the retreating Prussians, while he concentrated his main army against Wellington, hoping to deliver a knockout blow. Meanwhile, Wellington had assembled his troops at Waterloo , on the main road to Brussels.

At dawn on Sunday June 18 , the two armies faced each other. Wellington had some 68,000 men, about one third of whom were British, and Napoleon around five thousand more. The armies were deployed just 1500m apart with Wellington on the ridge north of – and uphill from – the enemy. It had rained heavily during the night, so Napoleon delayed his first attack to give the ground a chance to dry. At 11.30am , the battle began when the French assaulted the fortified farm of Hougoumont, which was crucial for the defence of Wellington’s right. The assault failed and at approximately 1pm there was more bad news for Napoleon when he heard that the Prussians had eluded their pursuers and were closing fast. To gain time he sent 14,000 troops off to impede their progress and at 2pm he tried to regain the initiative by launching a large-scale infantry attack against Wellington’s left. This second French attack also proved inconclusive and so at 4pm Napoleon’s cavalry charged Wellington’s centre, where the British infantry formed into squares and just managed to keep the French at bay – a desperate engagement that cost hundreds of lives. By 5.30pm , the Prussians had begun to reach the battlefield in numbers to the right of the French lines and, at 7.30pm , with the odds getting longer and longer, Napoleon made a final bid to break Wellington’s centre, sending in his Imperial Guard. These were the best soldiers Napoleon had, but slowed down by the mud churned up by their own cavalry, the veterans proved easy targets for the British infantry, and they were beaten back with great loss of life. At 8.15pm , Wellington, who knew victory was within his grasp, rode down the ranks to encourage his soldiers before ordering the large-scale counterattack that proved decisive.

The French were vanquished and Napoleon subsequently abdicated , ending his days in exile on St Helena, where he died in 1821. Popular memory, however, refused to vilify Napoleon as the aggressor – and not just in France, but right across Europe, where the Emperor’s bust was a common feature of the nineteenth-century drawing room. In part, this was to do with Napoleon’s obvious all-round brilliance, but more crucially, he soon became a symbol of opportunity: in him the emergent middle classes of western Europe saw a common man becoming greater than the crowned heads of Europe, an almost unique event at the time.

The Musée Wellington

The Musée Wellington , chaussée de Bruxelles 147 ( w www.museewellington.com ), occupies the old inn where Wellington slept the nights before and after the battle. It’s an enjoyable affair, whose displays detail the build-up to – and the course of – the battle via plans and models, alongside an engaging hotchpotch of personal effects. Room 4 holds the bed where Alexander Gordon, Wellington’s principal aide-de-camp, was brought to die, and here also is the artificial leg of Lord Uxbridge, another British commander: “I say, I’ve lost my leg,” Uxbridge is reported to have said during the battle, to which Wellington replied, “By God, sir, so you have!” After the battle, Uxbridge’s leg was buried here in Waterloo, but it was returned to London when he died to join the rest of his body; as a consolation, his artificial leg was donated to the museum. Such insouciance was not uncommon among the British ruling class and neither were the bodies of the dead soldiers considered sacrosanct: tooth dealers roamed the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars pulling out teeth, which were then stuck on two pieces of board with a spring at the back – primitive dentures known in England as “Waterloos”.

In Wellington’s bedroom, Room 6 , there are copies of the messages Wellington sent to his commanders during the course of the battle, curiously formal epistles laced with phrases like “Could you be so kind as to …”. Finally, an extension at the back of the museum reprises what has gone before, albeit on a slightly larger scale, with more models, plans and military paraphernalia plus a lucid outline of the immediate historical background.

As a cumbersome compromise between Belgium’s French- and Flemish-speaking communities, Brussels is the country’s only officially bilingual region . This means that every instance of the written word, from road signs and street names to the Yellow Pages , has by law to appear in both languages. Visitors soon adjust – though on arrival the names of the main train stations can be confusing – but for simplicity we’ve used the French version of street names, sights etc.

The good-value Brussels Card ( w www.brusselscard.be ) provides free access to most of the city’s key museums, unlimited travel on the STIB public transport network, and discounts of up to 25 percent at specified restaurants and bars. There are three versions – 24hr (€24), 48hr (€34), and 72hr (€40) – and each is valid from the first time it is used, rather than the day of issue. The card is on sale online via the website and at both main tourist offices; there are no concessionary rates for seniors or children. It’s issued with a booklet detailing all the concessions and discounts.

Brussels by no means ends at the petit ring . King Léopold II pushed the city limits out beyond the course of the old walls, grabbing land from the surrounding communes to create the irregular boundaries that survive today. To the east , he sequestered a rough rectangle of land across which he ploughed two wide boulevards to link the city centre with Le Cinquantenaire , a self-glorifying and markedly grandiose monument erected to celebrate the golden jubilee of Belgian independence, and one that now houses three sprawling museums, two specialists and the more general Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire . There’s no disputing the grandness of Léopold’s design, but in recent decades it has been overlaid with the uncompromising office blocks of the EU. These high-rises coalesce hereabouts to form the loosely defined EU quarter , not a particularly enjoyable area to explore, though the strikingly flashy European Parliament building is of passing interest, especially as it is just footsteps from the fascinating – and fascinatingly eccentric – paintings of the Musée Antoine Wiertz . If, however, you’ve an insatiable appetite for the monuments of Léopold, then you should venture further east to Tervuren , where the king built the massive Musée Royal de L’Afrique Centrale on the edge of the woods of the Forêt de Soignes.

The EU in Brussels

The three main institutions of the European Union operate mainly, though not exclusively, from Brussels. The European Parliament carries out its committee work and the majority of its business in Brussels, heading off for Strasbourg for around twelve, three-day plenary sessions per year. It’s the only EU institution to meet and debate in public, and has been directly elected since 1979. There are currently 736 MEPs, and they sit in political blocks rather than national delegations; members are very restricted on speaking time, and debates tend to be well-mannered consensual affairs, controlled by the President , who is elected for a five-year period by Parliament itself – although this mandate is often split in two and shared by the two biggest political groups. The Conference of Presidents – the President of the Parliament and Leaders of all the political groups – meet to plan future parliamentary business. Supporting and advising this political edifice is a complex network of committees from agriculture to human rights.

The European Council consists of the heads of government of each of the member states and the President of the European Commission; they meet twice every six months in the much-publicized “European Summits”. However, in between these meetings, ministers responsible for different issues meet in the Council of the European Union , the main decision-making structure alongside the European Parliament. There are complex rules regarding decision-making: some subjects require only a simple majority, others need unanimous support, some can be decided by the Council alone, others need the agreement of Parliament. This political structure is underpinned by scores of Brussels-based committees and working parties, made up of both civil servants and political appointees.

The European Commission acts as the EU’s executive arm and board of control, managing funds and monitoring all manner of agreements. The 27 Commissioners are political appointees, nominated by their home countries, but their tenure has to be agreed by the European Parliament and they remain accountable to the MEPs. The president of the Commission is elected by the European Parliament for a five-year period of office. Over twenty thousand civil servants work for the Commission, whose headquarters are in Brussels, mainly in the Berlaymont and adjacent Charlemagne building on rue de la Loi as well as other buildings in the Schuman area.

Brussels can hold its own with any international city when it comes to eating out , and whatever your taste, price range or preferred type of cuisine there is almost always something that will suit. Look out particularly for traditional Bruxellois dishes, canny amalgamations of Walloon and Flemish ingredients and cooking styles, whether rabbit cooked in beer, steamed pigs’ feet or waterzooi (for more on Belgian specialities). As for where to eat, the distinction between the city’s cafés , café-bars and restaurants is fairly elastic, and there are great places over the city, with particular concentrations on place Ste-Catherine and rue du Flandre in the Lower Town and place Boniface and place du Châtelain in Ixelles.

Drinking in Brussels, as in the rest of the country, is a joy. The city boasts an enormous variety of café-bars and bars : sumptuous Art Nouveau establishments, traditional bars with ceilings stained brown by a century’s smoke, speciality beer bars with literally hundreds of different varieties of ale and, of course, more modern hangouts. Many of the more distinctive bars are handily located within a few minutes’ walk of the Grand-Place and also in Ixelles, but really you’ll be spoiled for choice.

There’s no smoking in any establishment that sells food, along with bars and clubs.

Restaurants

Restaurant opening times are pretty standard – a couple of hours at lunchtime, usually noon to 2pm or 2.30pm, and again in the evening from 7pm to around 10pm; precise hours are given with the reviews below. At all but the cheapest restaurants, advance reservations are recommended, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Bars and cafés

Belgians make little – or no – distinction between their bars and cafés : both serve alcohol, many stay open late (until 2am or even 3am) and most sell food as well. What you won’t find (thank goodness) are lots of the coffee house chains which beleaguer so many big cities.

The obvious place to begin any tour of Brussels is the Grand-Place , one of Europe’s most beautiful squares, which sits among a labyrinth of narrow, cobbled alleys and lanes at the heart of the Lower Town. Here, the Gothic extravagance of the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) presides over the gilded facades of a full set of late seventeenth-century guildhouses , whose columns, scrolled gables and dainty sculptures encapsulate Baroque ideals of balance and harmony. Inevitably, such an outstanding attraction draws tourists and expats in their droves, but there’s no better place to get a taste of Brussels’ past and Eurocapital present.

Originally marshland, the Grand-Place was drained in the twelfth century, and by 1350 covered markets for bread, meat and cloth had been erected, born of an economic boom that was underpinned by a flourishing cloth industry. Later, the Grand-Place’s role as the commercial hub of the emergent city was cemented when the city’s guilds built their headquarters on the square and, in the fifteenth century, it also assumed a civic and political function with the construction of the Hôtel de Ville. The ruling dukes visited the square to meet the people or show off in tournaments, and it was here that official decrees and pronouncements were proclaimed.

During the religious wars of the sixteenth century, the Grand-Place became as much a place of public execution as trade, but thereafter resumed its former role as a marketplace. Of the square’s medieval buildings, however, only parts of the Hôtel de Ville and one or two guildhouses have survived, the consequence of an early example of the precepts of total war, a 36-hour French artillery bombardment which pretty much razed Brussels to the ground in 1695; the commander of the French artillery gloated, “I have never yet seen such a great fire nor so much desolation”. After the French withdrew, the city’s guildsmen dusted themselves down and speedily had their headquarters rebuilt, adopting the distinctive and flamboyant Baroque style that characterizes the square today.

The health of Charles II

Philip IV of Spain (1605–65) had no fewer than fourteen children, but only one of his sons – Charles II (1661–1700) – reached his twenties. With women banned from the succession, the hapless, sickly Charles became king aged just four and, much to everyone’s surprise, survived to adulthood. After his first marriage in 1679, there were great hopes that he would sire an heir , but none arrived, allegedly because Charles suffered from premature ejaculation. A second marriage, twenty years later, was equally fruitless and, as it became increasingly clear that Charles was unable to procreate, Europe focused on what was to happen when Charles died and the Spanish royal line died out. Every ambassador to the Spanish court wrote long missives home about the health of Charles, none more so than the English representative, Stanhope , who painted an especially gloomy picture: “He (Charles) has a ravenous stomach and swallows all he eats whole, for his nether jaw stands out so much that his two rows of teeth cannot meet…His weak stomach not being able to digest the food, he voids it in the same (whole) manner.”

In the autumn of 1700, it was clear that Charles was dying and his doctors went to work in earnest, replacing his pillows with freshly killed pigeons and covering his chest with animal entrails. Not surprisingly, this didn’t work and Charles died on November 1, an event which triggered the War of the Spanish Succession .

The Hôtel de Ville

From the south side of the Grand-Place, the scrubbed and polished Hôtel de Ville (town hall) dominates proceedings, its 96m spire soaring high above two long series of robust windows, whose straight lines are mitigated by fancy tracery and an arcaded gallery. The edifice dates from the beginning of the fifteenth century, when the town council decided to build itself a mansion that adequately reflected its wealth and power. The first part to be completed was the east wing – the original entrance is marked by the twin lions of the Lion Staircase, though the animals were only added in 1770. Work started on the west wing in 1444 and continued until 1480. Despite the gap, the wings are of very similar style, and you have to look hard to notice that the later one is slightly shorter than its neighbour, allegedly at the insistence of Charles the Bold who – for some unknown reason – refused to have the adjacent rue de la Tête d’Or narrowed. The niches were left empty and the statues seen today, which represent leading figures from the city’s past, were added as part of a nineteenth-century refurbishment.

By any standard, the tower of the Hôtel de Ville is quite extraordinary, its remarkably slender appearance the work of Jan van Ruysbroeck , the leading spire specialist of the day, who also played a leading role in the building of the cathedral. Ruysbroeck had the lower section built square to support the weight above, choosing a design that blended seamlessly with the elaborately carved facade on either side – or almost: look carefully and you’ll see that the main entrance is slightly out of kilter. Ruysbroeck used the old belfry porch as the base for the new tower, hence the misalignment, a deliberate decision rather than the miscalculation which, according to popular legend, prompted the architect’s suicide. Above the cornice protrudes an octagonal extension where the basic design of narrow windows flanked by pencil-thin columns and pinnacles is repeated up as far as the pyramid-shaped spire , a delicate affair surmounted by a gilded figure of St Michael , protector of Christians in general and of soldiers in particular. The tower is off-limits, and guided tours in English are confined to a string of lavish official rooms used for receptions and town council meetings. Tours begin at the reception desk off the interior quadrangle; be prepared for the guides’ overly reverential script.

Guided tours are big business in Brussels; everything from a quick stroll or bus ride round the city centre to themed visits is on offer, and both Brussels International tourist offices have the details of – and take bookings for – about twenty operators. As a general rule, the more predictable tours can be booked on the day, while the more exotic need to be booked ahead of time, either direct with the company concerned or with the tourist office, who normally require at least two weeks’ advance notice. Among the many more straightforward options, Brussels City Tours , rue de la Colline 8 ( w www.brussels-city-tours.com ), operates the Visit Brussels Line, a hop-on, hop-off bus service which loops round the city, visiting twelve of its principal sights.

More promising is ARAU (Atelier de Recherche et d’Action Urbaines), blvd Adolphe Max 55 ( t 02 219 33 45, w www.arau.org ), a heritage action group which provides tours exploring the city’s architectural history – with particular emphasis on Art Nouveau – from April through to December; prices vary with the length of the tour and the itinerary, but average about €10 per person for walking tours, €15 if there’s some transport involved.

Cramped and populous, the Lower Town fans out from the Grand-Place in all directions, bisected by one major north–south boulevard, variously named Adolphe Max, Anspach and Lemonnier. Setting aside the boulevard – which was ploughed through in the nineteenth century – the layout of the Lower Town remains essentially medieval, a skein of narrow, cobbled lanes and alleys in which almost every street is crimped by tall and angular town houses. There’s nothing neat and tidy about all of this, but that’s what gives it its appeal – dilapidated terraces stand next to prestigious mansions and the whole district is dotted with superb buildings, everything from beautiful Baroque churches through to Art Nouveau department stores.

The Lower Town is at its most beguiling to the northwest of the Grand-Place, where the churches of Ste-Catherine and Ste-Jean-Baptiste au Béguinage stand amid a cobweb of quaint streets and tiny squares. The streets to the north of the Grand-Place are of less immediate appeal, with particularly dreary rue Neuve, a pedestrianized main drag that’s home to the city’s mainstream shops and stores, leading up to the clumping skyscrapers that surround the place Rogier and the Gare du Nord. This is an uninviting part of the city, but relief is at hand in the precise Habsburg symmetries of the place des Martyrs and at the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée. To the south of the Grand-Place, almost everyone makes a beeline for the city’s mascot, the Manneken Pis , but much more enjoyable is the museum dedicated to Belgium’s most celebrated chansonnier, Jacques Brel .

Éditions Jacques Brel

From the Manneken Pis, it’s a short stroll to place de la Vieille-Halle aux Blés, where the Éditions Jacques Brel ( www.jacquesbrel.be ) is a small but inventive museum celebrating the life and times of the Belgian singer Jacques Brel (1933–78), who was born and raised in Schaarbeek, a suburb of Brussels, though he lived most of his life in France. A legend in his own musical lifetime, Brel became famous in the 1960s as a gravelly voiced singer of mournful chansons about death, loss, desire and love, all of which he wrote himself. Inside the museum, a sequence of life-size tableaux give the impression that you have just missed Brel – a cigarette still burns in the replica bar – and you can watch films of the man in concert in the small and cosy theatre-cum-cinema. Brel’s performances were famous for their intensity and if you watch a show you can’t fail to be affected, though actually liking the music is another thing altogether.

Jacques Brel playlist

If you like what you hear at the Éditions Jacques Brel, you might want to check out some songs from the playlist below, which covers the very best of Brel’s work.

Brel’s deliberately repetitive, climactic tale of sailors in seedy ports is a fantastically evocative song, and was one of his most intense live numbers.

Les Bonbons

This is Brel at his wittiest and most unforgiving, poking fun at 1960s hippies.

Le chanson de Jackie

Brel in autobiographical mode, looking back in fantastically rumbustious fashion on his career and forward into his future.

One of Brel’s greatest love songs, brilliantly covered by Scott Walker.

Le Moribond

The tormented and yet curiously upbeat lament of a dying man that gave rise to the Terry Jacks hit of 1974.

Ne me quitte pas

Brel’s most anguished love song, and perhaps one of the most affecting ever written, memorably covered by Nina Simone.

Quand on n’a que l’amour

One of Brel’s earliest songs, When we have only Love was his first hit single.

The Impossible Dream has been covered by just about everyone and is quite rightly one of Brel’s best-known songs, but his version stands out.

Je suis un soir d’été

This late and very atmospheric study of summer ennui in small-town Belgium is one of Brel’s most beautiful songs.

Brel is typically satirical in this biting rant against war, militarism and middle-class bourgeois values.

Tintin was the creation of Brussels-born Georges Remi , aka Hergé (1907–83). Remi’s first efforts (pre-Tintin) were sponsored by a right-wing Catholic journal, Le XXième Siècle , and in 1929 when this same paper produced a kids’ supplement – Le Petit Vingtième – Remi was given his first major break. He was asked to produce a two-page comic strip and the result was Tintin in the Land of the Soviets , a didactic tale about the evils of Bolshevism. Tintin’s Soviet adventure lasted until May 1930, and to round it all off the director of Le XXième Siècle decided to stage a PR-stunt reception to celebrate Tintin’s return from the USSR. Remi – along with a Tintin lookalike – hopped on a train just east of Brussels and when they pulled into the capital they were mobbed by scores of excited children. Remi and Tintin never looked back. Remi decided on the famous quiff straight away, but other features – the mouth and expressive eyebrows – only came later. His popularity was – and remains – quite phenomenal: Tintin has been translated into sixty languages and over twenty million copies of the comic Le Journal de Tintin , Remi’s own independent creation first published in 1946, have been sold – and that’s not mentioning all the Tintin TV cartoon series. Remi’s life and work are also celebrated at the Musée Hergé in Louvain-la-Neuve.

As far as nightlife goes, it’s likely you’ll be happy to while away the evenings in one of the city’s bars or café-bars – there are plenty in which you can drink until sunrise. If that isn’t enough, Brussels also has a clutch of established clubs , though most of the action revolves around club nights with moveable locations. It’s a fast-moving scene, so the best bet is to check out local websites to see what’s on. Brussels is a good place to catch live bands , with a number of especially appealing smaller venues such as Ancienne Belgique and Botanique . Along with Antwerp, the city is also a regular stop on the European tours of major artists, the big venue being Forest Nationale . Jazz is well catered for too, with several bars playing host to local and international acts, as well as the internationally acclaimed Jazz Marathon held every May ( www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be ).

The classical musical scene is excellent. The Orchestre National de Belgique ( www.nob.be ) enjoys an international reputation and the city showcases a number of excellent classical music festivals. Cream of the crop are the Ars Musica festival of contemporary music held in March ( www.arsmusica.be ), and May’s prestigious Concours Musical Reine Elisabeth ( www.concours-reine-elisabeth.be ), a competition for piano, violin and voice. Opera lovers should make a beeline for the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, which is much praised for staging contemporary interpretations of classic operas, as well as offering a more eclectic repertoire of music and dance. Indeed, the city’s dance scene has been impressing visitors ever since Maurice Béjart brought his classical Twentieth Century Ballet here in 1959. Now the main dance venues are the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwberg and the Kaaitheatre, but the innovative legacy of Béjart lives on, with his old company (now called Rosas and led by Anne Theresa de Keersmaeker) regularly performing at Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie.

The big players in the Brussels theatre scene are the Francophone Théâtre National and the Flemish Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwberg, but the city also has an abundance of small theatres providing an eclectic programme from experimental theatre to political pieces and comedy. Most productions are performed in French and Flemish, but several American, Irish and British theatre groups put on high-quality amateur productions too.

The free, trilingual Agenda has the most comprehensive listings of concerts and events. Published every Thursday, it can be picked up in all main métro stations, plus some bars and cafés.

To the north of the city centre lies Jette , a well-heeled suburb that wouldn’t merit a second glance if it weren’t for the former home of René Magritte, now turned into the engaging Musée René Magritte , which pays detailed tribute to the artist, his family and friends. East of here is leafy Laeken , where the Belgian royal family hunker down, and next door again is Heysel , with its trademark Atomium , a hand-me-down from the 1958 World’s Fair.

Brussels has a supreme selection of small, independent shops , a smashing range of open-air markets and a number of charming galeries , covered shopping “streets” dating back to the nineteenth century. The main downtown shopping street is rue Neuve , but this is dominated by chain stores; the Galeries St-Hubert , near the Grand-Place, are much more distinctive, accommodating a smattering of upmarket shops and stores, while the nearby Galerie Agora peddles bargain-basement leather jackets, incense, jewellery and ethnic goods. Behind the Bourse, rue Antoine Dansaert caters for the young and fashionable, housing the stores of upcoming designers as well as big Belgian names like Strelli, and in neighbouring St-Géry , rue des Riches Claires and rue du Marché au Charbon are good for streetwear. More than anything else, however, Brussels is famous for three things: comic strips , beer and chocolate .

Generally speaking, shops and stores are open from 10am to 6pm or 7pm Monday through Saturday. On Fridays, most department stores stay open till 8pm, and some tourist-oriented shops open on Sundays too.

Cobwebbed by tiny squares and narrow streets, home to a plethora of local bars and many of the capital’s finest Art Nouveau houses, the neighbouring areas of St-Gilles and Ixelles, just south of the petit ring, make a great escape from the razzmatazz of the city centre. St-Gilles , the smaller of the two communes , does have patches of inner-city decay, but it gets more beautiful the further east it spreads, its run-down streets soon left behind for attractive avenues interspersed with dignified squares. Ixelles , for its part, is one of the capital’s most interesting and exciting outer areas, with a diverse street-life and café scene. Historically something of a cultural crossroads, Ixelles has long drawn artists, writers and intellectuals – Karl Marx, Auguste Rodin and Alexandre Dumas all lived here – and today it retains an arty, sometimes Bohemian feel. Ixelles is cut into two by avenue Louise , a prosperous corridor that is actually part of the city – a territorial anomaly inherited from Léopold II, who laid it out and named it after his eldest daughter in the 1840s. Some of Brussels’ premier hotels, shops and boutiques flank the northern reaches of the avenue and further along is the enjoyable Musée Constantin Meunier , sited in the sculptor’s old house.

More than anything else, however, it’s the superb range of Art Nouveau buildings clustering the streets of St-Gilles and Ixelles that really grab the attention. Many of the finest examples are concentrated on and around the boundary between the two communes – in between chaussée de Charleroi and avenue Louise – and it’s here you’ll find Horta’s own house and studio, now the glorious Musée Victor Horta , one of the few Art Nouveau buildings in the country fully open to the public. Access to most of the city’s Art Nouveau buildings is restricted, so you can either settle for the view from outside, or enrol on one of ARAU’s specialist Art Nouveau tours.

Musée Victor Horta

The best place to start a visit to St-Gilles is the delightful Musée Victor Horta ( w www.hortamuseum.be ), just off the chaussée de Charleroi at rue Américaine 25 and reachable by tram #92 from place Louise. The museum occupies the two houses Horta designed as his home and studio at the end of the nineteenth century, and was where he lived until 1919. The exterior sets the tone, a striking re-working and re-ordering of what was originally a modest terraced structure, the fluidity of the design incorporating almost casually knotted and twisted ironwork. Yet it is for his interiors that Horta is particularly famous. Inside is a sunny, sensuous dwelling exhibiting all the architect’s favourite flourishes – wrought iron, stained glass, ornate furniture and panelling made from several different types of timber. The main unifying feature is the staircase , a dainty spiralling affair, which runs through the centre of the house illuminated by a large skylight. Decorated with painted motifs and surrounded by mirrors, it remains one of Horta’s most magnificent and ingenious creations, giving access to a sequence of wide, bright rooms. Also of interest is the modest but enjoyable selection of paintings, many of which were given to Horta by friends and colleagues, including works by Félicien Rops and Joseph Heymans.

Horta’s progress

The son of a shoemaker, Victor Horta (1861–1947) was born in Ghent, where he failed in his first career, being unceremoniously expelled from the city’s music conservatory for indiscipline. He promptly moved to Paris to study architecture, returning to Belgium in 1880 to complete his internship in Brussels with Alphonse Balat, architect to King Léopold II. Balat was a traditionalist, partly responsible for the classical facades of the Palais Royal – among many other prestigious projects – and Horta looked elsewhere for inspiration. He found it in the work of William Morris, the leading figure of the English Arts and Crafts movement, whose designs were key to the development of Art Nouveau . Taking its name from the Maison de l’Art Nouveau, a Parisian shop which sold items of modern design, Art Nouveau rejected the imitative architectures which were popular at the time – Neoclassical and neo-Gothic – in favour of an innovatory style characterized by sinuous, flowing lines. In England, Morris and his colleagues had focused on book illustrations and furnishings, but in Belgium Horta extrapolated the new style into architecture, experimenting with new building materials – steel and concrete – as well as traditional stone, glass and wood.

In 1893, Horta completed the curvaceous Hôtel Tassel , Brussels’ first Art Nouveau building (“hôtel” meaning town house). Inevitably, there were howls of protest from the traditionalists, but no matter what his opponents said, Horta never lacked work again. The following years – roughly 1893 to 1905 – were Horta’s most inventive and prolific. He designed over forty buildings, including the Hôtel Solvay , the Hôtel Max Hallet , and his own beautifully decorated house and studio, now the Musée Victor Horta . The delight Horta took in his work is obvious, especially when employed on private houses, and his enthusiasm was all-encompassing – he almost always designed everything from the blueprints to the wallpaper and carpets. He never kept a straight line or sharp angle where he could deploy a curve, and his use of light was revolutionary, often filtering through from above, with skylights and as many windows as possible. Horta felt that the architect was as much an artist as the painter or sculptor, and so he insisted on complete stylistic freedom; curiously, he also believed that originality was born of frustration, so he deliberately created architectural difficulties, pushing himself to find harmonious solutions. It was part of a well-thought-out value system that allied him with the political Left; as he wrote, “My friends and I were reds, without however having thought about Marx or his theories”.

Completed in 1906, the Grand Magasin Waucquez department store was a transitional building signalling the end of Horta’s Art Nouveau period. His later works were more Modernist constructions, whose understated lines were a far cry from the ornateness of his earlier work. In Brussels, the best example of his later work is the Palais des Beaux Arts (BOZAR) of 1928.

When you first arrive, the city’s bilingual signage can be very confusing, especially with regard to the names of the three main train stations : Bruxelles-Nord (in Flemish Brussel-Noord), Bruxelles-Centrale (Brussel-Centraal) and, most bewildering of the lot, Bruxelles-Midi (Brussel-Zuid). To add to the puzzle, each of the three adjoins a métro station – respectively the Gare du Nord (Noordstation), Gare Centrale (Centraal Station) and Gare du Midi (Zuidstation).

From the heights of the Upper Town , the Francophile ruling class long kept a beady eye on the proletarians down below, and it was here they built their palaces and mansions, churches and parks. Political power is no longer concentrated hereabouts, but the wide avenues and grand architecture of this aristocratic quarter – the bulk of which dates from the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries – have survived pretty much intact, lending a stately, dignified feel that’s markedly different from the bustle of the Lower Town.

The Lower Town ends and the Upper Town begins at the foot of the sharp slope which runs north to south from one end of the city centre to the other, its course marked – in general terms at least – by a wide boulevard that’s variously named Berlaimont, L’Impératrice and L’Empereur. This slope is home to the city’s cathedral , but otherwise is little more than an obstacle to be climbed by a series of stairways. Among the latter, the most frequently used are the covered walkway running through the Galerie Ravenstein shopping arcade behind the Gare Centrale, and the open-air stairway that climbs up through the stodgy, modern buildings of the so-called Mont des Arts . Léopold II gave the area its name in anticipation of a fine art museum he intended to build, but the project was never completed, and the land was only properly built upon in the 1950s.

Above the rigorous layout of the Mont des Arts lie the rue Royale and rue de la Régence , which together make up the Upper Town’s spine, a suitably smart location for the outstanding Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts , the pick of Belgium’s many fine art collections, the surprisingly low-key Palais Royal , and the entertaining Musée des Instruments de Musique ( MIM ). Further south, rue de la Régence soon leads to the well-heeled Sablon neighbourhood, whose antique shops and chic bars and cafés fan out from the medieval church of Notre Dame du Sablon . Beyond this is the monstrous Palais de Justice , traditionally one of the city’s most disliked buildings.

Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts

On the edge of place Royale, the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts ( w www.fine-arts-museum.be ) holds Belgium’s most satisfying all-round collection of fine art, a vast hoard that is exhibited in three interconnected museums, one displaying modern art from the nineteenth century onwards, a second devoted to René Magritte, and a third to older works. Finding your way around is made easy by the English-language, colour-coded museum plan issued at the information desk behind the entrance. The museum also hosts a prestigious programme of temporary exhibitions (colour-coded red on the museum plan) for which a supplementary admission fee is usually required.

Musée d’Art Ancien

In the Musée d’Art Ancien , the blue area displays paintings of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, including the Flemish primitives and the Bruegels, and the brown area concentrates on paintings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with the collection of Rubens (for which the museum is internationally famous) as a particular highlight.

The museum owns several paintings by Rogier van der Weyden (1399–1464), who moved to Brussels from his home town of Tournai (in today’s southern Belgium) in the 1430s, becoming the city’s official painter shortly afterwards. When it came to portraiture, Weyden’s favourite technique was to highlight the features of his subject – and tokens of rank – against a black background. His Portrait of Antoine de Bourgogne is a case in point, with Anthony, the illegitimate son of Philip the Good, casting a haughty, tight-lipped stare to his right while wearing the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece and clasping an arrow, the emblem of the guild of archers.

Weyden’s contemporary, Leuven-based Dieric Bouts (1410–75) is well represented by the two panels of his Justice of the Emperor Otto . The story was well known: in revenge for refusing her advances, the empress accuses a nobleman of attempting to seduce her. He is executed, but the man’s wife remains convinced of his innocence and subsequently proves her point by means of an ordeal by fire – hence the red-hot iron bar she’s holding. The empress then receives her just desserts, being burnt on the hill in the background.

One of the museum’s most interesting paintings is a copy of Temptations of St Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516); the original is in Lisbon’s Museu Nacional. No one is quite sure who painted this triptych – it may or may not have been one of Bosch’s apprentices – but it was certainly produced in Holland in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. The painting refers to St Anthony, a third-century nobleman who withdrew into the desert, where he endured fifteen years of temptation before settling down into his long stint as a hermit. It was the temptations that interested Bosch – rather than the ascetic steeliness of Anthony – and the central panel has an inconspicuous saint sticking desperately to his prayers surrounded by all manner of fiendish phantoms. The side panels develop the theme – to the right Anthony is tempted by lust and greed, and on the left Anthony’s companions help him back to his shelter after he’s been transported through the skies by weird-looking demons.

Another leading Flemish artist, Quinten Matsys (1465–1530) is well represented by the Triptych of the Holy Kindred . Matsys’ work illustrates a turning point in the development of Low Country painting, and in this triptych, completed in 1509, he abandons the realistic interiors and landscapes of his Flemish predecessors in favour of the grand columns and porticoes of the Renaissance. Each scene is rigorously structured, its characters – all relations of Jesus – assuming lofty, idealized poses.

René Magritte

René Magritte (1898–1967) is easily the most famous of Belgium’s modern artists, his disconcerting, strangely haunting images a familiar part of popular culture. Born in a small town just outside Charleroi, he entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels in 1915, and was a student there until 1920. His appearances were, however, few and far between as he preferred the company of a group of artists and friends fascinated with the Surrealist movement of the 1920s. Their antics were supposed to incorporate a serious intent – the undermining of bourgeois convention – but the surviving home movies of Magritte and his chums fooling around don’t appear very revolutionary today.

Initially, Magritte worked in a broadly Cubist manner, but in 1925, influenced by the Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico, he switched over to Surrealism and almost immediately stumbled upon the themes and images that would preoccupy him for decades to come. His work incorporated startling comparisons between the ordinary and the extraordinary, with the occasional erotic element thrown in. Favourite images included men in bowler hats, metamorphic figures, enormous rocks floating in the sky, tubas, fishes with human legs, bilboquets (the cup and ball game), and juxtapositions of night and day – one part of the canvas lit by artificial light, the other basking in full sunlight. He also dabbled in word paintings, mislabelling familiar forms to illustrate (or expose) the arbitrariness of linguistic signs. His canvases were devoid of emotion, deadpan images that were easy to recognize but perplexing because of their setting – perhaps most famously, the man in the suit with a bowler hat and an apple for a face.

He broke with this characteristic style on two occasions, once during the war – in despair over the Nazi occupation – and again in 1948, to revenge long years of neglect by the French artistic establishment. Hundreds had turned up to see Magritte’s first Paris exhibition , but were confronted with crass and crude paintings of childlike simplicity. These so-called Vache paintings created a furore, and Magritte beat a hasty artistic retreat behind a smokescreen of self-justification. These two experiments alienated Magritte from most of the other Surrealists, but this was of little consequence as he was picked up and popularized by an American art dealer, Alexander Iolas, who made him very rich and very famous.

Magritte and his family lived in Jette, a suburb of Brussels, until the late 1950s, and the house is now the Musée René Magritte . He died in 1967, shortly after a major retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York confirmed his reputation as one of the great artists of the twentieth century.

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Plan Your Perfect Trip To Brussels In Just A Few Days

• Last updated Jun 11, 2024
• Difficulty Intemediate

• Category Travel

If you're a fan of beautiful architecture, delicious food, and friendly people, then Brussels should definitely be on your travel bucket list. This vibrant city in Belgium offers a mix of history, culture, and charm that is sure to captivate any traveler. In just a few days, you can explore iconic landmarks, indulge in decadent chocolates and waffles, and immerse yourself in the welcoming atmosphere that Brussels is known for. So grab your suitcase and get ready to plan your perfect trip to Brussels, because this city is waiting to be discovered.

What You'll Learn

Introduction to brussels: a brief overview of the city's highlights, ideal duration: determining the optimal length of stay in brussels, exploring brussels in 2-3 days: must-see attractions and itinerary, extended trips: discovering brussels and beyond in 4-7 days.

Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, is a vibrant and cosmopolitan destination that offers a wealth of cultural, historical, and gastronomic experiences. From stunning architecture to mouthwatering cuisine, there is something to captivate every traveler in this exciting city. Whether you're interested in exploring the charming medieval streets or immersing yourself in the vibrant arts and nightlife scene, Brussels has it all. In this article, we will provide you with a brief overview of the city's highlights, ensuring that you make the most of your time in Brussels.

Architecture and Landmarks

One of the most iconic landmarks in Brussels is the Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This magnificent square is surrounded by exquisite 17th-century buildings and is often described as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Be sure to admire the stunning architecture, including the impressive Gothic town hall and the opulent guildhalls.

Another must-visit architectural masterpiece is the Atomium. Built for the 1958 World Expo, this futuristic structure represents an iron crystal magnified to 165 billion times its original size. Climb to the top for breathtaking panoramic views of the city.

Art and Museums

Art enthusiasts will be delighted by the numerous museums and galleries scattered throughout Brussels. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium houses an impressive collection of European art, including works by renowned artists such as Bruegel, Van Dyck, and Magritte. Also, don't miss the Magritte Museum, dedicated to the famous Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte.

For a unique museum experience, visit the Horta Museum. This Art Nouveau townhouse was the former home and studio of the famous Belgian architect Victor Horta. Explore the fascinating interior and learn about the innovative design concepts that made Horta one of the pioneers of Art Nouveau.

Cuisine and Gastronomy

No visit to Brussels would be complete without indulging in its culinary delights. Brussels is famous for its chocolates, so be sure to visit some of the finest chocolatiers in the city. Sample pralines, truffles, and other mouthwatering sweets that will satisfy even the most discerning chocolate lovers.

Don't forget to try authentic Belgian waffles during your stay. These light and fluffy treats can be found in various cafes and food stalls throughout the city. Choose from an array of toppings such as fresh fruit, whipped cream, and decadent chocolate sauce.

Beer lovers will also be in paradise in Brussels, as it is home to a rich brewing tradition. Visit one of the many local breweries and taverns to taste a wide variety of Belgian beers, from refreshing blondes to rich and complex ales.

Brussels is a city that offers a blend of historical charm, artistic expression, and culinary delights. Whether you have a couple of days or a few weeks, there is always something new to discover in this vibrant city. From the stunning architecture of the Grand Place to the diverse collection of art in the city's museums, Brussels has something for everyone. So grab your passport and get ready to explore Brussels – a city that will leave you wanting more.

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Are you planning a trip to Brussels and wondering how many days you should spend in the city? Determining the optimal length of stay can greatly enhance your travel experience. Brussels is a vibrant city with numerous attractions, cultural sites, and culinary delights. To make the most of your visit, it is important to plan your stay well in advance. In this blog post, we will discuss the ideal duration for your visit to Brussels.

To begin with, it is important to understand that Brussels offers a wide range of activities and experiences, catering to every interest and preference. Whether you are interested in architecture, history, art, or gastronomy, Brussels has something to offer you. Additionally, the city is also well-connected to other major European cities, making it a convenient destination for a short getaway or a longer vacation.

For a comprehensive exploration of Brussels, we recommend spending at least three to four days in the city. This duration will allow you to visit all the major attractions, delve into the local culture, and savor the delicious Belgian cuisine. Brussels is known for its stunning architecture, and it would be remiss to miss the iconic Grand Place, the Atomium, and the Royal Palace during your visit. Exploring these sites at a leisurely pace will not only ensure that you do not miss any highlights but also allow you to appreciate the intricate details and history.

In addition to the architectural wonders, Brussels is also home to numerous museums and art galleries. If you are an art enthusiast, allocate sufficient time to visit the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, which house an extensive collection of Flemish and Belgian art. The Comic Strip Museum is also a must-visit, showcasing the history and impact of comic strips in Belgium. Exploring these cultural gems will provide you with insights into Belgium's rich artistic heritage.

For food lovers, Brussels is a paradise. Belgian cuisine is renowned for its chocolates, waffles, and beers. Indulge in a chocolate tasting tour or a visit to one of the local breweries to experience the city's gastronomic delights. Spending an afternoon in one of the cozy cafes or trying out the street food at the vibrant food markets will give you a taste of the local culinary scene.

If you have more time to spare, you can consider including day trips from Brussels in your itinerary. The nearby cities of Bruges and Ghent are easily accessible by train and offer a chance to explore the medieval architecture and picturesque canals. These cities can be visited as day trips or as overnight stays, depending on your preferences.

In conclusion, the ideal duration for your visit to Brussels largely depends on your interests and the time you have available. However, we recommend spending at least three to four days in the city to fully immerse yourself in its beauty and culture. This will allow you to explore the major attractions, delve into the local art scene, indulge in delicious Belgian cuisine, and even venture on day trips to nearby cities. By planning your stay well in advance, you can ensure a memorable and fulfilling experience in Brussels.

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Are you planning a trip to Brussels, Belgium, and wondering how many days you should allocate to explore this vibrant and historical city? While you can certainly spend weeks diving into all that Brussels has to offer, you can get a good taste of the city's highlights in just 2-3 days.

To help you make the most of your time in Brussels, we've put together a comprehensive itinerary of must-see attractions and activities. Whether you're interested in history, culture, or gastronomy, this guide has something for everyone.

Day 1: Exploring the Historic Center

Start your exploration of Brussels in the historic center, where you'll find some of the city's most iconic landmarks. Begin your day at the Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its stunning architecture and lively atmosphere. Take a moment to admire the beautiful guildhalls and the impressive Town Hall before heading towards the nearby Manneken Pis, the famous peeing boy statue.

From there, wander through the charming cobblestone streets to the Royal Palace of Brussels. While you can't enter the palace itself, you can explore the surrounding gardens and enjoy the beautiful views. Nearby, the Mont des Arts offers a panoramic view of the city and is perfect for a photo opportunity.

In the afternoon, visit the Belgian Comic Strip Center, located in a stunning Art Nouveau building. Here, you can learn about the history of Belgian comics, including popular characters like Tintin and the Smurfs. Afterward, head to the Museums of Fine Arts and explore the impressive collection, which includes works by famous painters like Rubens and Magritte.

Day 2: Art and Culture

On your second day in Brussels, focus on the city's art and cultural scene. Start your morning by visiting the Magritte Museum, dedicated to the famous Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. The museum houses the largest collection of his works, providing insight into his unique artistic style.

Next, head to the European Quarter, where you can visit the European Parliament and the European Commission. Take a guided tour to learn about the institutions and their role in shaping European politics.

In the afternoon, explore the vibrant neighborhood of Saint-Gilles, known for its street art and bohemian atmosphere. Wander through its colorful streets and discover unique boutiques, art galleries, and cozy cafes. Don't forget to visit the Horta Museum, which was the former home and studio of the renowned Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.

Day 3: Gastronomy and Delights

On your final day in Brussels, indulge in the city's famous gastronomy and delights. Start your day at the Place du Grand Sablon, known for its luxury boutiques and chocolatiers. Visit some of the renowned chocolate shops and treat yourself to delicious Belgian chocolates.

Afterward, head to the Sablon Antiques Market, which takes place on the weekends. Here, you can browse through a wide range of antiques, vintage items, and unique souvenirs.

For lunch, don't miss the opportunity to try Belgian specialties like moules-frites (mussels and fries) or waffles. Explore the lively neighborhoods of Marolles or Sainte-Catherine, where you can find traditional brasseries and cozy restaurants.

In the afternoon, visit the Atomium, an iconic modernist building and symbol of the 1958 Brussels World Expo. Take a tour of the structure and enjoy panoramic views of the city from its rooftop.

If you have some extra time, consider visiting Mini-Europe, located near the Atomium. This miniature park showcases famous European landmarks in small-scale replicas and offers a fun and educational experience.

With this 2-3 day itinerary, you can make the most of your time in Brussels and experience the city's highlights. From its stunning architecture and rich history to its delicious culinary offerings, Brussels has something to offer every traveler. So pack your bags and get ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Europe.

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Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, is a charming destination that offers a perfect blend of culture, history, and gastronomy. But how many days should you spend here to truly immerse yourself in all that this city has to offer? We recommend planning an extended trip of 4-7 days to explore Brussels and its surrounding areas. This will give you ample time to discover the city's top attractions, indulge in its famous cuisine, and even take day trips to nearby destinations.

Day 1: Arrival and Orientation

On your first day in Brussels, take some time to get acquainted with the city. Start by visiting the iconic Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. From there, explore the nearby neighborhoods such as the fashionable Dansaert district and the bohemian Marolles area. End your day with a delicious Belgian dinner, sampling some traditional dishes like moules frites (mussels and fries) and waffles.

Day 2: Immersing in Art and History

Dedicate your second day to exploring Brussels' rich art and history. Begin at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, which house an impressive collection of masterpieces by renowned artists such as Bruegel, Rubens, and Magritte. From there, make your way to the Mont des Arts, a beautiful garden offering panoramic views of the city. Continue your historical journey by visiting the captivating Belgian Comic Strip Center and the Horta Museum, dedicated to the works of the famous Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.

Day 3: Gastronomy and Chocolate

No trip to Brussels is complete without indulging in its culinary delights. Start your day with a visit to one of the city's famous chocolatiers, where you can learn about the art of chocolate making and indulge in some delectable pralines. Be sure to also take a break at a traditional Belgian brasserie to savor dishes like carbonade flamande (beef stew) and a selection of local beers. In the afternoon, brush up on your cooking skills by joining a Belgian chocolate or waffle workshop.

Day 4: Day Trip to Bruges

If you have an extra day to spare, we highly recommend taking a day trip to the charming medieval city of Bruges. Just a short train ride away from Brussels, Bruges is known for its picturesque canals, cobblestone streets, and historic architecture. Spend your day exploring the city's UNESCO-listed historic center, visiting landmarks such as the Belfry Tower, the Church of Our Lady, and the Beguinage. Don't forget to indulge in some famous Belgian fries and try the locally brewed beer.

Day 5: Exploring nearby Ghent

Another great option for a day trip from Brussels is Ghent, a vibrant and historic city that is often called the "hidden gem of Flanders." Ghent is known for its medieval architecture, beautiful canals, and lively atmosphere. Spend your day exploring the city's highlights, including the imposing Saint Bavo's Cathedral, the iconic Graslei and Korenlei waterfront, and the Castle of the Counts. Take a stroll along the picturesque canals and enjoy a delicious Ghentian meal at one of the local restaurants.

Day 6-7: Relaxation and Shopping

Use your remaining days to relax and explore Brussels at a leisurely pace. Take a walk in the serene Brussels Park or visit the green oasis of the Bois de la Cambre. Enjoy some retail therapy by exploring the luxury boutiques on Avenue Louise or browsing the eclectic shops in the Saint-Jacques neighborhood. End your trip on a high note by experiencing the vibrant nightlife of Brussels. Visit one of the trendy bars in the Saint-Géry district or dance the night away at one of the city's numerous clubs.

In conclusion, 4-7 days is the perfect length for an extended trip to Brussels and its surrounding areas. This itinerary allows you to immerse yourself in the city's culture and history, savor its gastronomy, and even explore nearby towns like Bruges and Ghent. So start planning your trip now and get ready to uncover the hidden treasures of Brussels and beyond!

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Frequently asked questions.

It is recommended to spend at least 2 to 3 days in Brussels to fully explore the city and its main attractions.

While it is possible to see some of the main sights in Brussels in one day, it would be quite rushed. It is best to allocate at least two or three days to have a more comprehensive experience.

Some of the must-see attractions in Brussels include the Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, Royal Palace of Brussels, and the European Parliament. Additionally, exploring the charming neighborhoods of Brussels, such as Saint-Géry and Sablon, is highly recommended.

• Karisa Garcia Author Reviewer Traveller

• Jose Ramos Author Editor Reviewer Traveller

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