Best things to do in Brussels, Belgium
By Pres&go
Do you dream of walking beautiful streets and smelling the amazing smells of waffles and fries? Well, then It’s time to put Brussels, Belgium on your travel list! Brussels lands between France and The Netherlands making their national language both French and Dutch. When walking around you will see signs in both French and Dutch, but don’t worry a lot of people also speak English. Brussels is known for its amazing foods like chocolate, waffles, fries, and beer but that’s not all the city has to offer- Brussels has a lot of amazing history.
Brussels is a very walkable city but also has great public transportation for things do to outside the city center. This city is perfect to go for a long weekend because it can easily be seen in 3 days, or stay a week and indulge in all their amazing museums. Brussels is also a great place to stay and take some day trips around Belgium, but that’s another blog coming soon 😉
I have been to Brussels twice and fell in love each time. The most recent time I went was the weekend of New Year’s Eve. During this time Christmas lights were still up and some decorations. Unfortunately, we were too late for the Christmas markets but it would be an amazing place to go for them. Visiting Brussels during December/January was actually really great, coming from Berlin it was nice to see some sun! I would recommend coming to Brussels whenever you can because it will be amazing in all seasons.
Now let’s get into the Best Things to do in Brussels:
Grand Place
Grand Place is the best thing to do in Brussels, you will be amazed by the beauty! Here you will find a busy square full of people enjoying their surroundings. The buildings have so much detail be sure to take your time when looking at them. Here you can also eat at some of the restaurants and cafes but of course, they are going to be overpriced and not the best. I came the week after Christmas and they still and their decorations up! How lucky!!
Brussels City Museum
Since you are already in Grand Place I would go check out Brussels City Musem that is located in the gorgeous Gothic-style building. I really loved this museum! The General admission is €8 but on the first Sunday of the month, it’s free entry. This museum shows Brussels’ interesting history through beautiful art. Here you can also learn about the Mannekin Pis’ who also has an interesting history! You can see some of the costumes he has been dressed up in, so cute.
Mannekin Pis’
After you learn about this little guy’s history- go see him! He is so cute and sometimes dressed up in his little outfits. He probably has more outfits than me. Mannekin Pis’ is located at Rue de l’Etuve 1000 Bruxelles. Brussels is super walkable and really set up for pedestrians, so go get your steps in!
A little above the Garden
Mont des Arts Garden
Here is an amazing view of Brussels! Not only a great view of Brussels but also the beautifully kept garden. Come here for the view but stay for the museums, there are plenty in this area. Plus not too far from here there’s Brussels Park.
Rue du Marche aux Herbe/Grasmarkt
Another cute square you will most likely pass by on your way to Grand Place. I recommend it because the square is beautiful with a lot of great food around. On Sunday there was a small market held here with things to buy. Also, here is where you’ll find Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, a beautiful in-door shopping mall that is a must-see!!
Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries
Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries is a gorgeous in-door mall. You can shop (or window shop like me) and eat at some really cute cafes. Here you can also get some chocolate shopping done, or just stroll through to check out the beautiful space. 🙂
Atomium
If you have more than one day in Brussels I would definitely check out Atomium. It’s about a 30-40 minute ride by public transportation from Grand Place. You can take tram 3 Esplanade, ride 14 stops to Esplanade and then walk a little. It was €16.65 for the ticket, and the view was 100% worth it. We went close to sunset so we were able to go to the top and watch the sunset from there, and when we left the Atomium was all lit up which was so cool. Inside are exhibitions where you can learn more about the structure its self, there were also really cool light shows inside.
St. Michael and St Gudula Cathedral 
National Basilica of the Sacred heart
Churches
Brussels has a lot of beautiful churches
St. Michael and St Gudula Cathedral- close to the central station
National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg- Huge but out of the city center (if you have more than a day check it out!
Saint Jacques- Sur-Coudenberg (not pictured)
Sainte-Catherine Chruch- Located in a really great spot you should check out! (the one with me in it)
Check out all the cool art on the streets
Brussels has a lot of amazing street art all around the city, so don’t forget to look up or look behind you!!
These are the best things to do in Brussels! If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment! Also, tell me have you been to Brussels or are you thinking of putting it on your travel list? Leave me a comment. If you need some tips on apps to get for traveling check out my other blog!
