Brussels, and Belgium as a whole, may not be the first destination that appears on your wish list when planning a trip. But I assure you that it will surprise you a lot, at least that’s what happened to us, we fell in love with it from the first contact with the city.
We are going to leave here some ideas of what to do and see in Brussels, so that your visit will perhaps make you fall in love with the city as much as we did.
Indice:
Where to stay in Brussels?
The first recommendation: stay in the city centre. The location of the hotel often influences the contact you have with the city. You can fall in love with it, or the opposite if you stay in a place you don’t like.
We stayed at the Hotel Floris Arlequin Grand Place, the location is very good, it is very close to the Grand Place, the staff was friendly, and from the breakfast room you get beautiful views of the city.
We’ll tell you where we stayed because we always do, but you have many hotel options in the city. Search for hotels in Brussels
Booking.comWhat to see in Brussels?
We went on to detail everything we did in this fantastic city, which as we said, if it had not been that we were visiting Amsterdam we might not have gone. If your trip also includes the Netherlands, here is an article with what to see and do in Amsterdam.
The order of the following activities is random.
Free tour
The first thing we did, as we always do when we arrive in a new city, was a free tour of the city. The tour was pleasant, we learned a bit about the history of Belgium and Brussels, and we saw beautiful places like the Grand Place. Is it a good idea? Yes, I think that if it is your first time in Brussels it is a good option, for a price that you decide you have a first contact with the city and its history.
►Book your free tour of Brussels
Another option? You have several, private tours, hop on hop off bus, but this time we found a tuk tuk that takes you on a tour of the city. It was something different, you reserve the vehicle for yourself and it can take up to 6 people, you take a tour of the streets of the center, the driver tells you about the city (in English), and when you get to the attractions you see a short video with information about them in Spanish. It was a good option, but I don’t recommend doing both, although it was what we did, since the places you see overlap.
You have several and varied options for touring the city, as we said, free tours of the historic center, which is what we did, but also tours of the European Parliament, the legends tour, and several more. As well as tourist buses, private tours, think carefully about which of all of them suits you and your group. Here are several options:
Grand Place
Without a doubt, and although it is not the only thing the city has to offer, the main attraction of Brussels is the Grand Place.
Many say that it is the most beautiful square in Europe, but in reality, as we have not seen all the squares on the continent, we do not dare to say this, apart from the fact that I think that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and no one has a beauty meter, but it is undoubtedly beautiful.
It is surrounded by the Guild Houses, the Hotel de Ville (the town hall), the Maison du Roi (the king’s house), and the Maison des Ducs de Bravant.
In the Musée de la Ville in the Casa del Rey you can see all the costumes from our next visit, the Manneken Pis.
Visit it during the day but don’t miss it at night either.
If you are staying in the center, a short walk will take you to it, and you will find that you will want to return at all hours to observe it from different points.
Manneken Pis
The Manneken Pis, along with the Grand Place and the Atomium, are the symbols of Brussels.
It is a small statue measuring 65 centimetres, easily distinguishable by the number of people gathered around taking photos.
It has been located on this site since 1619. Below you can see its location on the map, as well as that of all the sites mentioned, including the hotel.
This child who is urinating is not always naked; to dress him there is a large collection of costumes that can be visited, as we said, in the museum of the King’s House in the Grand Place.
In reality this child is not alone, but has a sister and a dog spread throughout the city.
Jeanneken Pis
It has been located on Callejón de la Fidelidad since 1985, and is considered the sister of Manneken Pis.
Zinneke Pis
The brothers also have a pissing dog, this statue dates back to 1998 and, unlike the other two, does not spray water.
Comic Route
Comics are very important in Belgium, and in Brussels in particular. Authors of creations such as The Adventures of Tintin and The Smurfs were born in this city.
Speaking of Tintin, here is our visit to the Cheverny castle, Tintin’s castle, in the Loire Valley.
This is how we find the comics museum and the comics route in Brussels.
The comic strip route takes you through more than forty murals painted on building facades. It’s been more than twenty years since the facades and walls of Brussels began to fill with colour, in a way to beautify the city and recover deteriorated or very grey corners.
It is a route that I have particularly enjoyed doing, we leave you here the video with a part of the route and the link to the map to put together the route.
Or if you prefer to go more comfortably, do it with a guide, three hours walking among the murals! , This is a good option with a guide in Spanish who can explain more about each mural.
Royal Galleries Saint Hubert
The Galleries Royal St Hubert are 19th century shopping arcades. Designed in 1847, they were the first shopping arcades in Europe. The ones we remember best are probably those in Milan, which are brought back to mind by the fact that they are roofed.
As we said, they are covered by a glass dome that lets in light, and inside we find several luxury shops, among which the chocolate shops stand out.
Delirium Brewery
If you are a beer lover, you have to pay a visit to the brewery known for its pink elephant.
It is located in Callejón de la Fidelidad, just a few steps from Calle de los Carniceros, and very close to Janneken Pis. It holds the Guinness record for the number of varieties of beer, more than three thousand.
Brussels Cathedral
The Brussels Cathedral is located very close to the Central Station, and the entrance is free. It is worth going inside, it is very beautiful both inside and out.
Royal Palace
Located next to the Brussels Park, the Royal Palace, although no longer the residence of the kings, is the seat of the Belgian monarchy.
The Royal Palace is open for visits from July to September and admission is free, so if you are there around that time, it is a great opportunity to see its interior. Here is the link to its website for more information : monarchie.be
Palace of Justice Square
A visit to this square, from where you get some lovely views of the city, is a good place to end an afternoon tour.
Up to this point we have walked the whole way, since everything is very close and central. Now we take the metro and we go to……………..
The Atomium
They say that the Atomium is to Brussels what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris: it is the image of the Belgian capital.
It was designed as a symbol and pavilion for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. This enormous atom measures 102 metres high.
You can go up there, the entrance fee is €16, but you can get a combined ticket with Mini Europe for a total of €29.40.
The climb may be a bit disappointing as the views from the top are not that spectacular, but the experience is still attractive, although in my opinion it is essential to see it from the outside, not so much from the inside. ►Tickets for the Atomium
Mini Europe
Mini Europe is a park located at the foot of the Atomium, so it is a very good idea to do both visits on the same day, and also take advantage of getting the combined ticket.
This park has scaled representations of the most significant places in the countries of Europe. It is very well done and worth the visit, it has become a typical thing to do in Brussels.
The entrance fee is €17.30, but if you also visit the Atomium you can get both tickets for €29.40. Neither of them are cheap tickets, but you can save a bit this way.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
The basilica is located in the municipality of Koekelberg, on the hill of the same name. The huge brick and cement building has two twin towers and a green copper dome reaching 89 m in height, dominating the eastern skyline of Brussels.
Although we only saw it from the outside, it is a very interesting and outstanding building.
More places to visit.
As you can see, Brussels is not just its square, it has a lot to see, here are some more places and their photos.
There are several places in the city to visit, such as the Le Sabon district and its Notre Dame Du Sablon church, the European Parliament, the Cinquantenaire Palace, and don’t forget to try their waffles and fries.
Extras: map and video
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links.
