Brussels is the capital of Belgium, and it is an amazing city that is well known for their beer, waffles and chocolate. But Brussels is much more than that – it is the capital of the European Union, home to NATO and houses many EU institutions. You can find these institutions in Leopold Quarter/European Quarter. Fun fact: Brussels is also known for their comic strip – Tin Tin and the Smurfs in particular.
Without further ado, I am going to recommend you some great things to do in Brussels. Spoiler alert, most of the things are either free or cheap. Shopping is one exception to this.
Explore the Grand Place
The Grand Place is the place in Brussels that you absolutely do not want to miss. It is located right in the center of Brussels. It is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, if not the world. It is a perfect spot for photography and is a great place for your Instagram photos. Additionally, the Grand Place boasts a decent number of restaurants, many of which serve local Belgian cuisine. There is a town hall there as well, which you can take a self guided tour of. This is a pay to enter, however it is well worth it and inside, it is beautiful and decorated.
Also, the Grand Place is only a couple of minutes walk away from Gare Centraal – and is also great if you want to go on a day’s trip to other cities, like Antwerp, Leuven, or Bruges. It is also close by several famous statues as well, including the Manneqin Pis and the Jeanneke Pis.
Go shopping at St Hubert gallery or Louise Avenue
Calling all fashion, art or chocolate lovers here! Both the St Hubert gallery and place Louise Avenue are great for shopping – but because they are slightly different in terms of what they mostly sell here, I will break it down into two.
Louise Avenue
Louise Avenue is a great place to do your luxury shopping. This area features a row of designer stores which you can shop from – from boutique stores such as Mayfair (which offers a range of brands), to international designer stores such as Versace, Louis Vuitton and Hermes. While it is not the best place to do your shopping in Europe, it is still on your to do list if you want to shop. Unfortunately I didn’t buy anything from here during on my past visits to Brussels. The downside is that there isn’t a lot of restaurants here from my own experience.
Verdict: I still prefer London, Paris and other major cities for shopping compared to Brussels, but coming from New Zealand, Brussels has got more shopping options than Auckland.
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
The Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert is a charming and Instagram-worthy alleyway that features a wide range of chocolate stores, a couple of high-end brands, and also local Belgian artists and designers, along with a couple of restaurants. The shopping here is great, whether you are looking for a chocolate treat, some fashion retail therapy, or some art to buy to take home. If you are looking for local fashion, Rosaline D’oreye and Delavaux are among the local brands that can be found along there. If you are staying nearby, for example Place Rogier, this is also a great route if you are walking towards the Grand place, or to monuments like the Mannequin Pis.
Do a tour of the Parlamentarium
As someone who is deeply interested in history politics, including global politics, this was a must do on my list. Unfortunately, I did not end up going on the hemicycle tour, as I have always wanted to view a plenary session. But I went to the parlamentarium to learn about the history of the EU. The EU parliament is a fantastic choice for anyone who is interested in politics.
The EU parliament is located in the Leopold Quarter area and offers parliament tours or visits, all of which are free. The Parlamentarium visit, which takes you on the tour of the history of the European Union and Parliament, is pretty fascinating. At the end of the tour, there are EU themed souvenirs which you can buy.
Note: The parlamentarium tour is not the same as the hemicycle visit, so if you want to do the hemicycle visit, you will need to book this in advance – and can only be done on certain days of the week. And both the parliament and the hemicycle visits are closed in the days leading to Christmas.
For more information about the European Parliament and related activities, please visit the official website here. Additionally, for further reading on the history of the European Union, you can explore their official site here.
Visit the Atomium
Even though it is a well known icon, unlike Paris’s Eiffel Tower, people tend to bypass this one – they stop briefly just to take photos for social media just to show they were outside this iconic monument. Did you know you can actually go inside the Atomium and visit five of the nine spheres up there? While it is not free, it is reasonably priced at around 16 Euros, and the ticket also includes the Design museum of Brussels. Inside the Atomium, at the top, you have great views of Brussels and there are also sensory lighting experiences. Additionally, you learn about the history of the Atomium, which is some pretty cool stuff.
The Design museum of Brussels is also another great museum to visit and it features modern art and sculptures. I found the experience fascinating. It was enjoyable. It featured different types of modern artwork and designs. There was also some history about women in art.
Belgian Beer experience
Beer lovers, and food and beverage bloggers, this one is for you! If you love beer, great – this experience is all about beer, with a self guided tour, interactive and sensory experiences. Again, this is in the Grand Place area and tickets can be purchased at the entrance. You get two tastings during the tour, and at the end of the tour, you get a complimentary beer up in the bar. You also get breathtaking views of the city of Brussels as well.
I truly enjoyed my experience, as I’ve always been a passionate fan of Belgian beer. Additionally, being a food and drink blogger, I find this to be an ideal place to create content that showcases my love for Belgian beverages.
Parc du Cinquantenaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire (or Cinquantenaire Park in English) is a leisure park featuring a historical monument. Asides from its history that it is famous for, the park is beautiful, and is picturesque. It is also a great place for photographers as well, so don’t forget to spend some time in this park.
Fun fact: Cinqunantenaire is French for Fiftieth anniversary, which references the 50th anniversary of the Belgian independence.
Also, don’t forget to take a walk around the European Commission area (which includes the Berlaymont/European Commission building and several other EU institutions), which is near to one of the ends of the park and is located on the street of Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat.
Explore the comic strip
Belgium is also famous for its comics – two of the most notable ones are Tintin and the Smurfs. There is a trail, with colorful artworks scattered around the city, and there is a Tintin store located near the Grand Place as well. Do take your time to explore the strip; it is well worth it, and don’t forget to check out the merchandise and souvenirs in this shop here in Brussels.
Explore the museums at the royal museums of fine arts
There are several museums at the Royal museums of fine arts, including the Oldmasters museum and the Magritte museum. The Oldmasters museum focuses more on historical paintings from famous and local artists, as well as historical sculptures. This focuses mainly on one floor only.
The Magriette museum is a more contemporary museum, with the artworks being more modern. I loved this one too, as the artwork was intriguing and modern. I had to climb up at least a few flights of stairs. This is quite a way up, spanning three floors, however, it was worth it.
Once you have explored both of the museums, do not forget to take a walk around the Mons Des Arts area, which is a beautiful historical square in Brussels. There is various places of interests too, in addition to the museums that I have mentioned above, including the the royal library of Belgium along with the cathedrals of St Michael and St Gudula.
Visit Saint-Catherine
Saint Catherine is a picturesque square in Brussels. It is great for dining. It is also ideal for those who are interested in history. They have a historical church which is free to enter to explore. My favorite seafood place in the square is Noordzee. They serve a wide range of seafood, including various white fish, clams, and mussels. They also offer beverages, including wine.
Take a walk around the royal palace’s gardens
The gardens surrounding and adjacent to the Royal Palace is beautiful and is well worth the walk. The palace on one end of the gardens is also a must visit. Unfortunately, the Palace is only open during the summer season. Also, the Palace was closed for renovations this year as well. We went once to Brussels last year in December and the second time just last month. Please note, the palace isn’t actually where the royals live. On the other end is the Belgian federal parliament, which is a perfect spot for some photography.
Tips
- Be aware of pickpockets in crowded areas. This includes the Grand Place, Atomium, Molenbeek area and the Brussels Metro (especially Gare Du Nord, Gare Centraal and Bruxelles – Midi/Brussel -Zuidstation). Keep your bags with you at all times, and never leave your phone, wallet or passport lying around.
- The places of interest can be crowded during the day, especially with tourists, so plan carefully.
- A lot of the points of interests are within walking distance of each other in Brussels (unlike Paris!) except for the European Parliament, commission and surrounding area, Avenue Louise, and the Atomium, so you really only need to walk. Taking the metro is very easy, if you are planning on visiting multiple places in one day, get a day pass. Information about metro tickets or passes can be found on their official STIB/MVIB site here.
- Avoid the hop-on and hop-off buses, as it is much better to walk to enjoy the scenery (comparable to much of Europe!) along with the same reason mentioned above.
- Not everyone will speak English, so be patient with them. In Brussels, French is mostly spoken out of their three official languages. A simple “bonjour”, “merci beaucoup”, or a “sil vous plaît” would go a long way.
- It is tempting to go to almost every chocolate store in Brussels, and greater Belgium, but do not do this, and especially not in one day. You would be wasting your time on just eating chocolates and spending less on sightseeing and shopping.
- Christmas time is an excellent time to go to Brussels (and Belgium as a whole). The Christmas market in Brussels is particularly huge. It spans Place De Brouckère, Saint Catherine, Grand Place, and surrounding areas.
Conclusion
Personally, I really enjoyed the grand place area, along with Mons Des Arts the most. What I also really loved about Brussels is the fact there is a never ending supply of chocolate stores, and waffle cafes! Many attractions are reasonably priced, and also, some are free and most are well within walking distance of each other. Also, don’t forget to try their local cuisine, their beer and waffles and of course, their chocolate. Whatever you plan, Brussels is a great place for a holiday, and there are plenty of fun and interesting activities for everyone.
NATALIE DUNN 
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