Brussels mixes EU-capital polish with surrealist humour — the Grand Place is one of Europe's finest squares, Art Nouveau facades line the Ixelles streets, and the comic-strip murals around the centre commemorate Tintin and the Smurfs. The beer, frites, waffles, and chocolate need no introduction, and Bruges and Ghent are both under an hour by train.
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Quick facts
Timezone
Brussels
Currency
€ EUR
Language
Dutch / French
City transfer
~20 min
Train / Bus / Taxi / Uber
Best time to visit
best weatherdeals available
Don't miss
Visit the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts on a Thursday evening when it stays open until 8pm and the crowds thin dramatically — the Magritte Museum section alone is worth the trip, and seeing his paintings in the city where he lived and worked reframes them entirely. Book tickets online (€10) to skip the queue.
Drink lambic beer at Cantillon Brewery (Rue Gheude 56, Anderlecht) on a Saturday when they run open brewery days — this is one of the last traditional Brussels gueuze producers and the sour, wild-fermented lambic aged in oak barrels is unlike anything you'll find elsewhere. Tours are self-guided and a tasting costs €7.
Walk through the Marolles neighbourhood on a Sunday morning when the Jeu de Balle flea market fills the square — it's Brussels at its most local, multilingual, and chaotic. Dealers spread antiques, comic books, old lace, and inexplicable junk across 500+ stalls from 7am. Arrive early for the serious finds, stay late for the price drops.
Follow the Brussels street art trail in the Dansaert and Saint-Gilles neighbourhoods — the city has over 60 official comic-strip murals (BD murals) painted on building facades, connected by a self-guided walking route. Pick up the free map from the tourist office or use the Brussels Comic Strip Route app. The Tintin staircase mural on Rue de l'Étuve is the most famous.
Weekend itinerary · 2 days
Day 1
Grand-Place and surrounding medieval quarter
Start at the Grand-Place (the UNESCO-listed central square) before 9am when the tour groups haven't yet arrived. The gilded guild houses date from the 1690s and the detail on each façade rewards close inspection. Walk from there through the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (Europe's oldest covered shopping arcade, 1847) and into the medieval street network around Rue des Bouchers.
Magritte Museum and Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
Walk 15 minutes from Grand-Place to the Musées Royaux complex on Rue de la Régence. The Magritte Museum occupies three floors dedicated entirely to the Brussels surrealist — seeing 200 works in the city where he lived reframes the familiar images. Book ahead online and allow 2 hours.
Jeu de Balle flea market (Saturday/Sunday morning only)
On Saturday or Sunday morning, divert to the Marolles neighbourhood first — the Jeu de Balle market runs 7am–2pm on Place du Jeu de Balle. Then walk uphill to the Palais de Justice overlook for the panorama over the lower city before heading to the museums.
Chez Léon
The classic Brussels moules-frites institution on Rue des Bouchers since 1893 — touristy, yes, but the moules marinières are genuinely excellent and the experience of eating a full pot of mussels in Brussels is non-negotiable for first-timers. Go for lunch to avoid the longest queues.
Day 2
Saint-Gilles Art Nouveau walk
The Saint-Gilles municipality has the highest concentration of Victor Horta's Art Nouveau architecture outside the Horta Museum itself. Walk Rue Faider, Rue Defacqz, and Avenue Brugmann to see the organic ironwork and flowing facades — most are residential so you view them from the street, which makes the neighbourhood feel lived-in rather than preserved.
Horta Museum
Victor Horta designed his own house (now a museum) on Rue Américaine as a total work of art — every surface, fixture, and piece of furniture was designed as a unified whole. Visits are timed, book online (€12), and arrive exactly on time. The stairwell alone justifies the admission.
Cantillon Brewery
End the afternoon at Cantillon (Rue Gheude 56, Anderlecht, 25 minutes' walk from the Horta Museum). Saturday open days are self-guided — walk through the 19th-century brewhouse, see the spontaneous fermentation vats and ageing barrels, then drink gueuze and kriek in the tasting room. The lambic beers here are living, unpasteurised wild ales unlike anything sold in supermarkets.
Café Verschueren
A perfectly preserved 1930s Art Deco brown café in the heart of Saint-Gilles — high ceilings, dark wood, marble-topped tables, and an excellent selection of Belgian beers on tap. The kitchen does simple but excellent croque monsieur and soups. Order a Duvel and stay longer than you planned.
Travel tips
- →Skip Manneken Pis — it's tiny, mobbed, and underwhelming; the Atomium and Horta Museum are far better
- →Drink at a proper estaminet like À la Mort Subite, not the tourist bars on Rue des Bouchers
- →Use the train to Bruges or Ghent rather than booking a coach tour — it's faster and cheaper
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