Brussels

Two Days Exploring the Flemish Capital City of Brussels, Belgium

The city of Brussels is kinda a big deal. It is the capital of Belgium, as well as the administrative center of the European Union. As such, there are many principal EU institutions within the densely populated municipality. Politics aside, Brussels is also home to old world architecture, Flemish culture, an array of gastronomy specialties, and colorful animation art.

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If you are reading this, perhaps you have already singled-out Brussels as the next stop on your World Tour and are working out all the things you want to see and do while you are there. The good news is that there are a lot great attractions. The bad news is that the choices can be overwhelming, especially if your stay is limited (isn’t it always?) and you want to maximize your time. Hopefully, this article will help!

My husband and I recently visited Brussels in the shoulder season of early autumn. The summer crowds had thinned and the weather was perfect for walking around with a warm coffee. I imagine this city shines in every season. The best time to visit really comes down to your favorite vacation season and when you can get away from the office.

In this post, I will share the details of our visit and all the wonderful surprises we uncovered:

Where to stay in Brussels
Top 20 things to do in Brussels
Where to eat in Brussels

Where to stay in Brussels

Since Brussels is such a large city, it is important to have in mind the sites you want to visit and where you wish to spend most of your time before booking your accommodations. Most tourists are interested in seeing the Old Town and the walkable areas in central Brussels.

There are a lot of hotel chains in Brussels. So, if you happen to have loyalty status or membership points with a certain brand, you can probably find some options in Brussels. I always try to find historical hotel properties when I travel because it makes me feel more connected to the culture of an area. So, when I found The Dominican Hotel and read about its rich history as the former home of French painter Jacques-Louis David, I booked it posthaste.

Above photo: The Dominican Hotel

Besides the fascinating history of The Dominican, we also loved the boutique vibe and eclectic design. Hello, fluffy pillows and rain shower! Located within steps of all of the famous Brussels historical landmarks, metro stations, and the main train station — it was the perfect choice.

Above photos: The Dominican Hotel

Top 20 things to do in Brussels

Church of Saint Catherine

We arrived in Brussels in the early afternoon via train. After dropping our bags off at our hotel, we walked over to the Church of Saint Catherine. It is located in a less touristy part of city that fills up with locals on weekends and evenings due to the open-air markets that take place in the square in front of the church and the up-and-coming concept shopping scene in the surrounding Rue Antoine Dansaert neighborhood.

Above photo: Place Sainte-Catherine

The Church of Saint Catherine was built as recently as 1874, which makes it one of the newest churches inside the historic center of Brussels. It was built on the site of a dock in the old port adjacent to the former Saint Catherine’s that was plundered and destroyed by Calvanists in the 16th century. The old bell tower is the only remnant of the old church that remains.

Above photos: Exterior facades of the Church of Sainte-Catherine

The exterior of Saint Catherine’s has a gothic architectural style with impressive buttresses crowned with gargoyles. However, the interior is surprisingly simple with baroque decorative touches. It’s still a cathedral though and evokes the presence of the High and Mighty.

Above photos: Church of Saint Catherine

Brussels Stock Exchange

After walking around the Antoine Dansaertstraat neighborhood, our next stop was the former Brussels Stock Exchange building located in Place de la Bourse. We were there shortly after it had re-opened to the public after extensive renovation work and it was incredible to see. The Neo-Palladian building is grand, ornate, and gorgeous!

Above photos: Brussels Stock Exchange

There is a Belgian Beer World museum inside the Stock Exchange building, if that’s up your alley. We just soaked in the architecture and imagined what it must have been like to call this place “the office” back when it was the forecourt of Brussels’ financial center.

Above photos: Brussels Stock Exchange

Church of Saint Nicolas

As we were exiting the Stock Exchange building, we stumbled upon the Church of Saint Nicolas and decided to have a look inside. The church is easy to overlook because it is surrounded by little houses that mask the facade from the side. I would consider this place a hidden gem along the very busy Rue au Beurre.

Above photos: Church of Saint Nicolas

Turns out the Church of Saint Nicolas is a 1000-year old landmark church dating from the 12th century. It has been through numerous states of ruin and repair over the years, with the most recent restoration in the 1950s. The interior includes many relics and an impressive art collection, including a painting by the Flemish Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens and the Vladimir Icon of St Nicolas, painted by an artist from Constantinople.

Above photos: Church of Saint Nicolas Alter (left) and Vladimir Icon of St Nicholas (right)

Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert

The Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert is a lovely shopping arcade not far from La Grand-Place. Before we arrived in Brussels, I had seen many photos of this passageway that made it look rather secretive and quiet. In reality, this is not the case. It is a very popular three-section gallery with shops, cafes, and apartments.

Above photo: Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert

Even though it is no secret spot, the arcade is a beautiful place to pass through. I did a little more than window shop here. We popped in and out of many boutiques and chocolate shops. My favorite was Roseline d’Oreye‘s colourful boutique of hand painted silk scarves and accessories. I bought a nastrito, which is a ribbon of silk you can wear or use to accessorize. It was my favorite purchase from Brussels:)

Above photos: Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert

St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral

The next morning, we turned out of our hotel in the opposite direction as the previous day and headed towards St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral. If you only have time for one church during your visit, this is the one.

Above photos: St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral

This grandiose monument is one of the most important places in Brussels due to its status as the main church in Belgium and because of the magnificent art and architecture. Wood carvings, statues, 16th century stained glass windows, and a treasury of tunics, crosses, relics, chalices, several sculptures and altarpieces can finally be seen after spending hundreds of years locked away.

Above photos: St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral

The new nave pipe organ is also incredibly impressive. It was designed by Gerhard Grenzing and has over 4,000 pipes and 4 keyboards.

Above photo: Pipe organ at St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral

Mont des Arts

A very special place nestled in the middle of Brussels is the landscaped garden at Mont des Art. The pattern and symmetry of the plantings is reminiscent of large French gardens, only on a much smaller scale. Above the garden there is a viewing platform that offers really nice views of garden and the surrounding architecture.

Above photo: Mont des Art

When we arrived, there were some street musicians entertaining the tourists. It wasn’t as busy as I thought it might be (although I’m sure it is at times). The garden is flanked by a slew of historical monuments including the Royal Library of Belgium, the National Archives of Belgium, and the Brussels Convention Center.

Above photo: Mont des Art

Once you reach the upper part of the complex, the Musical Instruments Museum, Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg Church, Royal Palace of Brussels, and more historical buildings await.

Above photos: Buildings near Mont des Arts (left) and the Musical Instruments Museum (right)

Above photo: Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg Church

Royal Palace of Brussels

Sadly, the Royal Palace of Brussels was closed to visitors during our stay due to renovation works. I was so disappointed we didn’t get to tour the Salons and State Rooms. Although we didn’t get to see the palace, it still belongs on a Brussels itinerary when it re-opens. In the meantime, a virtual tour of the palace is available here.

Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

From Mont des Arts and Place Royal, we walked down Rue de la Régence. We could have easily spent our entire day visiting the places along this street, but we didn’t have time to stop at all of them. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts was another place we regrettably missed. I’ve seen the photos, read the reviews, and know that this is a place I need to go back to see.

Above photos: Entrance to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon

Our next stop was the Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon. This Brabantine Gothic church is tied to several royal families such as the Habsburgs, Thurn and Taxis, and Arenburg. The arts are prevalent and include a 15th century organ, along with many sculptures by Grupello, Duquesnoy, and Van Beveren, and paintings by Michel Coxcie, Quellin the Elder, and Abraham Janssens.

Above photos: Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon

Square of Petit Sablon

Directly across the street from the Church of Our Lady of Victories is a small public park called the Square of Petit Sablon. It was one of my favorite little finds in Brussels. The Neo-Renaissance garden was perfectly manicured with bright flowers, lush grass, and greenery — and we practically had it to ourselves. There is a wonderful fountain here featuring the Statue of Counts Egmont and Hoorn. The water feature is surrounded by an arch of other historical statues and a few benches that we made use of for a few minutes as we enjoyed the space.

Above photos: Square of Petit Sablon

Palais de Justice

About a 10-minute walk from the Square of Petit Sablon the sidewalk ends at the Palais de Justice. It was under renovation while we were there, but still open to visitors. After a little research, we learned that this building has been under constant renovation since 1984 – sheesh! Don’t let the scaffolding deter you though. It is amazing inside!

The Palais de Justice is huge. I can’t articulate the scale and the photos don’t do it justice (no pun intended). It was once the largest building in the world. And, with any luck, the renovation of the exterior will be complete by 2030, in time for Belgium’s bicentennial celebration.

Above photos: Palais de Justice

The Palais de Justice is a fully functioning court of law. While tourists mingle around and take photos, there are real trials and judicial work ongoing. We cautiously opened a couple doors to have a look at the courtrooms, which were quite stunning.

Above photos: Palais de Justice

The View Grande Roue Bruxelles

Right outside the Palais de Justice, there is a rather scenic plaza known as Le Belvédère de la place Polaert. There are several memorials and monuments here including a war memorial called Monument à la Gloire de l’Infanterie Belge.

Above photo: Monument à la Gloire de l’Infanterie Belge

The main attraction on the plaza is The View Grande Roue Bruxells, a mega ferris wheel offering sweeping panoramic views of the city. I was content to watch the wheel go around as a spectator especially since we were hungry and ready to find some lunch. There is an elevator within a few steps of the ferris wheel that takes pedestrians back down to lower town on Rue de Minimes.

Above photo: The View Grande Roue Bruxells

Church of Our Lady of the Chapel

We walked along Rue Haute back towards the center of Old Town, stopping to grab a bite to eat at Berlin Fabrik at Place de la Chappelle, directly across from our next attraction – Church of Our Lady of the Chapel. It was a beautiful day to sit outside in the shadows of this imposing Gothic and Romanesque church. When we finished our lunch, we headed inside.

Above photos: Church of Our Lady of the Chapel; above the door: Throne of grace and two angels in adoration sculpted by Constantin Meunier in 1892

There isn’t a whole lot of information about this church available online. So, we went here a little uncertain of what we would find and learn. The first thing we learned is that the church is a chapel founded in 1134. It acquired its status as a parish church in 1210. So, it is compares in age the the Church of Saint Nicolas that we saw the day before. In other words, it’s reeaaallllly old.

Above photos: Church of Our Lady of the Chapel Pulpit of Truth sculpted by Pierre-Denis Plumier in 1720

The cathedral is completely stunning and holds many antiquities and works of fine art which reflect various artistic movements over the course of hundreds of years. The murals by Jean-Baptiste Van Eycken are breathtaking, even the ones that have deteriorated over the years.

Above photos: Mural of The Ascention of Christ painted by Jean-Baptiste Van Eycken (left) and a statue representing the mystery of the holy trinity (right)

Above photo: Lectern Eagle by François Alexandre Abeets (left); Our Lady Immaculate Conception sculpture (right)

Above photos: Side Altar from 1658 sculpted by Leo Van Heil (left); Major Altar from 1869 sculpted by Goyers based on architectural design of Pierre Victor Jamaer (right)

Manneken Pis

This fountain tho. It kind of cracks me up what a huge tourist draw this little guy is. Mannekin Pis is a 17th century fountain with a bronze statue of a little boy peeing into the fountain’s basin. During festivals, he is often dressed up in various outfits.

We stopped here because it seemed obligatory. There a numerous souvenir shops and street food vendors close by that cater to the foot traffic that walks down to see this legendary landmark.

Above photo: Manneken Pis

Just for grins, we also stopped by the girl version, Jeanneke-Pis, located at Imp. de la Fidélité. There is also a dog one, Zinneke Pis, located on Rue des Chartreux if you want to see all three!

Above photo: Jeanneke-Pis

La Grand-Place

The numero uno place to see and be seen in Brussels is La Grand-Place, a large plaza surrounded by the most opulent buildings, most of which date back to the 17th century. The buildings include the Baroque guildhalls of the former Guilds of Brussels, the City Hall, and the neo-Gothic King’s House or Bread House building, containing the Brussels City Museum.

Above photo: Guildhalls in La Grand-Place

Brussels City Museum Bread House Building

Above photo: The Bread House Building, containing the Brussels City Museum in La Grand-Place

La Grand-Place is often credited as the most beautiful square in the world, and I think I agree with that. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site not just because of the buildings, but also because of the historic (and grisly) events that have taken place here.

Standing in the center of La Grand-Place is like standing in the center of an architectural jewelry box. There is so much to look at, you really don’t know what to look at first. We walked the complete perimeter of the square to get close-up looks at each of the buildings in all of their bougie glory.

Above photos: Houses from left to right – La Rose, L’Arbre d’Or, Le Cygnen (left); Carving of Le Cygne (“the swan”) House of the Corporation of Butchers where Karl Marx wrote the Manifesto of the Communist Party.

Above photo: House of the Dukes of Brabant

During our visit, the square was a wide open plaza full of tourists and street artists. But, during other times of the year, La Grand-Place is the location of cultural events, concerts, the flower carpet, and the Christmas tree.

Above photos: Street artist in La Grand-Place

Brussels City Hall

Brussels City Hall is part of La Grand-Place. But, like some of the other buildings surrounding the square, City Hall deserves a call-out of its own. It is definitely the most famous landmark of La Grand-Place. We purchased our tour tickets online in advance. Tours occur throughout the day, but are language-specific. In other words, you need to purchase tickets for the time in which it is given in your preferred language.

Above photos: Brussels City Hall

The interior rooms of City Hall appeared more palatial than the seat of government. Each room was highly decorated with gilded trims, painted ceilings, tapestries, fine art and historical objects. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable in the history of the building, as well as the history and stories behind the works of art displayed in each room. I highly recommend this tour. It was one of the highlights of our time in Brussels.

Above photos: States of Brabant Room (top); ceiling decoration (left); tapestry (right)

Above photo: The Maximilian Room

Above photo: Brussels City Hall Gothic Room

Above photo: Brussels City Hall Staircase on Honour

Everard ‘T Serclaes

Everard t’Serclaes was a citizen of Brussels who is revered as a hero because of his recovery of the city from the Flemings after they invaded in 1356. He later rose to become an alderman of the city and led other successful oppositions. He was ambushed and killed in 1388.

A monument commemorating Everard, who is also known as Lord of Kruikenburg, is located on Charles Buls street, just off La Grand-Place. Locals says that the statue brings good luck to those who touch it. In particular, touching the arm will ensure one’s return to Brussels.

Above photo: Everard ‘T Serclaes Monument

Comic Strip Art

Brussels is world-famous for comic strip art and animation. The city is home to many comic strip illustrators, such as Peyo, creator of The Smurfs, and Hergé, creator of The Adventures of Tintin. All over the city, comic book stores, comic museums, and comic street art can be found without even really trying.

Above photos: Comic store and Comics Museum in Brussels

You can even delve in deeper and take a walking tour to all of the best spots around Brussels. Or, time your trip to coincide with the annual Comic Con festival. While we didn’t follow the Comic Book Route, we saw so many murals just walking around central Brussels.

Above photos: Olivier Rameau and the people of Dreamland mural painting. Location: Rue du chêne 9, Brussels (left); Cubitus mural painting, by Dupa. Location: rue de Flandre 109 (Vlaamsesteeenweg 109), Brussels (right)

Atomium

The Atomium is a landmark exhibition structure that was originally built for the World’s Fair in 1958, somewhat akin to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which was also not expected to survive past the Expo. Somehow it survived the test of time and receives on average 600,000 visitors per year, making it the most popular tourist attraction in Brussels. It is located a bit outside of central Brussels and requires a taxi or metro to get there. We took the metro, which was super easy and convenient.

Above photos: Atomium

The Atomium is a very modern-looking structure that looks like a giant cube tipped on its corner. Eight spheres are connected by 20 tubes, plus three braces that support it on the ground. Once inside the structure via an elevator from the ground level, visitors can travel from sphere to sphere through exhibitions that show the construction of the Atomium and cultural highlights of Brussels. Initially, I wasn’t super enthused about it, but after seeing and experiencing it, I must say, it’s pretty cool.

Above photos: Atomium

Osseghem Park

Adjacent to Atomium there is a wonderful park called Osseghem Park. It is a heavily wooded green space with several walking paths and a children’s playground. We decided to not rush back and instead spend a short while at the park. We didn’t have to walk very far in to feel completely removed from city life. We were a little early for the fall foliage color changes, but got some crunch underfoot from fallen leaves and acorns.

If you want to spend a little more time up in this area, Mini Europe, a park where all the wonders of Europe are exhibited in miniature, is also within walking distance. In fact, the same metro stop (Metro line 6 to Heysel) serves visitors to the Atomium, Osseghem Park, and Mini Europe.

Above photo: Osseghem Park

Where to eat in Brussels

Gramm

For our first evening in Brussels, we had dinner reservations at Gramm, just a few steps away from Place Sainte-Catherine where we had spent most the afternoon. The cuisine had a Japanese-flair and was really inventive. Every course featured something we had never tried before. It was more of a gastronomic experience than your typical dinner out. Be sure to allow enough time when you come here because this level of creativity and precision can’t be rushed.

Above photos: Gramm

Berlin Fabrik

We grabbed lunch at one of Brussels many cafes along our self-guided walking tour. We didn’t do much research aside from reading the posted menus outside the restaurants. When we found one that looked good, we had a seat:) Since Belgium is known for beer, I made a point to order a Straffe Hendrik, which is brewed at Brouwerij De Halve Maan in Bruges. You can actually visit and tour this brewery, but I was content to just order one with my lunch.

Above photos: Lunch at a classic Brussels cafe

Au Rubgyman

Mussels in Brussels!! The most classic place to enjoy the traditional dish of moules marinières is in the Belgium capital. If you are looking for the best, head over to foodie destination Place Sainte-Catherine, a square lined with seafood restaurants that serve up steamy pots of mussels in season from September through December (like oysters, the months that end in “r” are the best). We grabbed a table on the outdoor patio at Au Rugbyman. Note: If you happen to visit here when mussels aren’t in season, Au Rugbyman is known for some of the best lobster.