Belgium's bilingual capital and the seat of the EU packs a Gothic Grand-Place, Art Nouveau houses, surrealist art and comic murals into a compact centre. Eating and drinking well means frites from a friterie kiosk, mussels, stoemp and beer-braised stews, and lambic and gueuze in wood-panelled cafes; residents go out in Saint-Gilles, Ixelles (Flagey, Chatelain, Matonge), Dansaert and the Marolles.
Must-see
The sights to fit in even on a short trip.
- 01Grand-Place
- 02Brussels Town Hall
- 03Manneken Pis
- 04Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert
- 05Old Masters Museum (Royal Museums of Fine Arts)
- 06Magritte Museum
- 07Mont des Arts
- 08Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
- 09Atomium
History & museums 34
- Brussels Town Hall
- Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
- Grand-Place
- Autoworld
- Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon
- Mont des Arts
- Old Masters Museum (Royal Museums of Fine Arts)
- Parc du Cinquantenaire and Arcade
- Train World
- Erasmus House and Beguinage of Anderlecht
- House of European History
- Museum of Natural Sciences
- National Basilica of the Sacred Heart
- Parlamentarium
- Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert
- Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History
- Royal Palace of Brussels
- Atomium
- Brussels City Museum
- Musical Instruments Museum (MIM)
- BELvue Museum
- Magritte Museum
- Palace of Justice
- Manneken Pis
- Comic Art Museum (Belgian Comic Strip Center)
- Art & History Museum
- Autrique House
- Bozar
- Church of St. John the Baptist at the Béguinage
- Coudenberg Palace
- Halle Gate
- Horta Museum
- Notre-Dame de la Chapelle
- Villa Empain
Where to eat 57
- Yummy Bowl
- Comme chez Soi
- Horia - Oriental Natural Eatery
- Jeblia Moroccan Street Food
- Pasta Divina
- Rambo Sainte-Catherine
- Tonton Garby
- 9 et Voisins
- Fin de Siecle
- Le Bistro - Porte de Hal
- Le Chou de Bruxelles
- Le Tournant
- Le Wine Bar des Marolles
- Liu Lin
- Mo Mo
- Noordzee / Mer du Nord
- Nuetnigenough
- Bia Mara
- Fernand Obb Delicatessen
- Il Colosseo
- L'Epicerie Nomad by Callens
- L'Express
- Les Brigittines
- Manhattn's Burgers (Louise)
- My Tannour (Ixelles)
- Pois Chiche
- Saint Boniface
- Selecto
- Banh Mi Express (Schuman)
- Cafe des Spores
- Chou Sando
- Cosi Com'e
- In 't Spinnekopke
- Ballekes
- Frit Flagey
- Knees to Chin
- La Pizza e Bella
- Le Zinneke
- Les Brassins
- Plaka
- Toukoul
- Belga Queen
- Houtsiplou
- IDEA Greek Restaurant
- Umamido
- Yamato
- Aux Armes de Bruxelles
- Cafe Georgette
- Maison Antoine
- Pistolet Original
- Yaki Sainte-Catherine
- Fritland
- Le Pre Sale
- Mamma Roma (Place Jourdan)
- Maison Dandoy
- Nightshop
- Strofilia
Night out 30
- Life Is Beautiful
- The Modern Alchemist
- Brasserie de l'Ermitage
- Theatre Royal de Toone
- Delirium Cafe
- Poechenellekelder
- A l'Imaige Nostre-Dame
- Au Bon Vieux Temps
- Brasserie de la Senne (taproom)
- La Porte Noire
- Moeder Lambic Fontainas
- Sounds Jazz Club
- Goupil le Fol
- Walvis
- A la Becasse
- A la Mort Subite
- Halles Saint-Gery
- L'Archiduc
- La Pharmacie Anglaise
- Le Cirio
- Cafe Belga
- Fuse
- Le Corbeau
- C12
- Ancienne Belgique
- Au Laboureur
- Jazz Station
- L'Amere a Boire
- Le Botanique
- Le Chaff
Locals only 29
- La Cambre Abbey
- Bois de la Cambre
- Petit Sablon Garden
- La Fleur en Papier Dore
- La Fonderie - Brussels Museum of Industry and Work
- Leopold Park
- Place du Chatelain market
- Gare Maritime food market
- Parvis de Saint-Gilles market
- Abattoir Market
- Brasserie Verschueren
- Cantillon Brewery
- Chalet Robinson
- Dieweg Cemetery
- Duden Park
- Egmont Park
- Galerie Bortier
- Ixelles Ponds
- Josaphat Park
- Maison Corica
- Marolles panoramic lift
- Matonge
- Midi Market
- Parckfarm
- Place du Jeu de Balle flea market
- Place Flagey and its market
- Rene Magritte Museum (Magritte's house)
- Sewer Museum
- Tenbosch Park
Walking routes 6
- 01Historic core: Grand-Place to the SablonThe lower town's guild houses and arcades, then up the hill past the Cathedral and Mont des Arts to the royal quarter and the Sablon.
- 02Marolles: view, flea market and old cafesFrom the Palace of Justice terrace down the free lift into Brussels' old working-class quarter, its daily flea market and Bruegel's church.
- 03Food-grazing walk: Midi Market to Flagey friesA neighbourhood graze through Saint-Gilles and Ixelles: market snacks, a Belgian deli, an Art Deco cafe, Art Nouveau streets, the Chatelain area and the city's favourite fries kiosk.
- 04Ixelles ponds, La Cambre Abbey and the BoisGreen south Brussels: the Flagey ponds, the hidden abbey gardens and the big park at the end of Avenue Louise.
- 05European Quarter to the CinquantenaireThe free EU museums, a hilly park between the Parliament buildings, the famous fries on Place Jourdan and the triumphal arcade.
- 06Old Brussels cafes crawlHidden alley taverns and historic cafes of the centre, ending at the city's best craft-beer bar; order gueuze, kriek and lambic along the way.