Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is a city full of history, culture and impressive architecture. It is home to the European Parliament and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). The city is known for its stunning and diverse architecture, for being the city of comics (walking around the city is a unique attraction) and for its special cuisine, with highlights including beer, Belgian fries and chocolate.
Grand Place (Grote Markt) : A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, known for its stunning architecture, including the town hall and several guild houses. The Grand Place is especially impressive at night when it is illuminated.
Atomium : This Brussels icon was built for the 1958 World's Fair. It is an atom-shaped structure, with magnificently large scales, offering panoramic views of the city.
Mini-Europe : Located next to the Atomium, it displays miniatures of Europe's top attractions, allowing you to take a quick trip around the continent's main sights.
Manneken Pis : One of the most famous statues in the world, representing a boy peeing. A symbol of the people of Brussels, their good humor and freedom of thought, despite its small size, it is a popular tourist attraction. It is often dressed in different costumes on various occasions. The inspiration for the famous statue remains unknown, and the mystery has given free rein to people's imagination, increasing the charm of this little boy. One version says that at the end of the 12th century, the son of a duke was found urinating under a tree in the middle of a battle and was therefore commemorated in a statue as a symbol of the country's military courage.
Jeanneke Pis: although it has less history and antiquity, the statue of the same size represents a girl urinating while squatting. It is a female version of Manneken Pis and is located in a very strategic location: right next to the Delirium Tremens bar, the most famous in Brussels for its wide variety of beers, with more than 2,000 types.
Breweries and Chocolate : Brussels is known for its craft beer and delicious chocolates. Take a tour of some of the local breweries to sample authentic Belgian beers and visit some of the city’s best chocolate shops.
Delirium Café : This is the perfect place to sample some of the country's best beers. The menu is at least 200 pages long, and the number of local and international beers has earned the establishment recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records .
Tips:
If you don't know what to taste, a good option is the beer ruler ("beer flight"), which gives you some of the countless options for you to taste!
Outside the Delirium is the statue of Jeanneke Pis.
Belgian Beer World: Belgium has more beer brands than any other country in the world. Belgian beer culture has UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status. Belgian beer is simply an extraordinary mix of influences, creativity and... "Belgitude". Belgian Beer World is more than just a beer museum, it's an interactive experience!
Street Art: Brussels has a vibrant and diverse street art scene. Some of the neighborhoods best known for their street art are the Marolles district, Saint-Gilles, and the city center. In the Marolles area, especially around Rue Haute, you’ll find a variety of colorful murals and artwork on building facades. The Saint-Gilles area is also known for its walls adorned with creative graffiti and unique artwork. Brussels is also home to several street art galleries, such as the “MIMA” (Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art) and the “Kool Koor.” These spaces host exhibitions and events related to street art, and contribute to the preservation and promotion of this type of artistic expression. As you explore the streets of Brussels, you’re sure to come across a rich street art scene that reflects the city’s cultural diversity and creativity.
Brussels Comics Figurines Museum: This museum will immerse you in a private collection of figures from the world of Belgian comics (Tintin, Spirou, The Smurfs...), American comics (Spider-Man, Batman...) and many others. This immersive experience with enhanced sound will please everyone and bring back many childhood memories (whether distant or not). Trip Advisor awarded Moof the Certificate of Excellence from 2014 to 2020.
It is located in Brussels, behind the big white Smurf statue, in the HORTA gallery, on LEVEL -1.
Parc du Cinquantenaire : A stunning urban park that is home to the Arc de Triomphe and several museums, including the Army Museum and Autoworld, a vintage car museum.
Royal Palace of Brussels : Although it is the official residence of the King of Belgium, the palace is open to the public during the summer, allowing visitors to admire its impressive rooms and gardens.
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula : A majestic Gothic church dating back to the 13th century, famous for its beautiful window panes and impressive architecture.
Its construction began at the beginning of the 13th century on an 11th century Romanesque building and was not completed until two centuries later.
The cathedral was known as the Church of Saint Michael until, in 1047, the remains of Saint Gudula, who had died in 712, were placed inside, and since then, the church has been called Saint Michael and Saint Gudula.
The interior of Brussels Cathedral has been looted several times by Protestant iconoclasts and French revolutionaries. Despite this, the cathedral retains an impressive appearance.
Located to the right of the central nave, there is a beautiful Baroque pulpit carved in wood from 1699, as well as the original oak confessionals from the 17th century , the enormous statues located on the columns and some perfectly preserved stained glass windows.
The cathedral's "treasure" is in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, carefully guarded by an 18th-century wrought-iron portico. Inside, various liturgical and religious objects, chalices, several altarpieces and sculptures are kept. The chapel is notable for its several stained-glass windows, larger than those in the rest of the cathedral, which date back to 1540.
A detail that does not go unnoticed in the cathedral is the imposing Grenzing organ with more than 4,000 pipes and 4 keyboards.
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium : This is a museum complex that houses a vast collection of Belgian and foreign works of art, including paintings by famous artists such as Rubens and Magritte.
Botanical Garden: on the outskirts of Brussels, you will find the Meise Botanical Garden, one of the largest in the world, with its 92 hectares and around 18,000 plants. It is a place to walk and discover nature and heritage, but also to study and preserve plant species. Learn more about the history of the site at the Bouchout Castle, discover exotic and tropical plants at the Plant Palace and explore the Wood Lab, where you can handle this precious natural resource. Not to mention the dozens of gardens where you can admire thousands of plants: the Flower Theatre, the Rose Garden, the Garden of Fragrances and Colours, which houses plants used to create perfumes and aromas, the Culinary Garden, where fruits, vegetables and edible herbs grow, the Garden of Medicinal Plants, the Orangery, where you can find citrus fruits and other Mediterranean and subtropical plants, the beehive in the Apiary, etc. All this to provide a wealth of information about nature! Activities and art exhibitions are organized throughout the year.
European Parliament : If you are interested in politics and European affairs, you can take a guided tour of the European Parliament and learn more about how the European Union works.
Marolles Neighborhood : This historic neighborhood is known for its antique shops, flea markets and bohemian atmosphere.
Gastronomy : Don't forget to try Brussels' culinary specialties, such as frites, Belgian waffles, chocolate and, of course, the famous moules-frites (mussels with fries).
Mont des Arts – from the top you will have one of the most beautiful and well-known views of Brussels. In addition to being a tourist attraction that will make your eyes pop and guarantee Instagrammable photos, the Mont is home to some of the capital’s most interesting museums.
BELEXPO : interactive exhibition on the climate and cities of the future, created by Brussels Environment. Experience alternative mobility options, grow vegetables on the move, learn how to consume more sustainably, discover jobs related to the environment or reduce energy consumption at home. In addition, Clim' Avatar, BELEXPO's artificial intelligence, helps visitors better understand climate change and the missions to be accomplished thanks to a new animation.
The René Magritte Museum : located in the house where the famous surrealist painter lived for twenty-four years, the space has been recreated with original furniture. In the dining room of this rented apartment, the artist painted almost half of his work. Rue Esseghem, 135, was also the headquarters of the Belgian Surrealists. The house was restored and transformed into a museum between 1993 and 1999, designed to be a permanent tribute to one of the most brilliant painters of all time.
Musée de la Médecine (ULB): The Museum of Medicine is open to all enthusiasts, specialists or simply anyone interested in medicine and medical thought as presented in art, history and literature, from antiquity to the present day. Its proximity to the Erasmus Hospital allows the museum to reconstruct its exhibits in fascinating X-rays, revealing the secrets of their composition, such as the museum's latest masterpiece, the "Ecorché" by Dr. Auzoux.
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