In Brussels, like most of the European cities, all official taxis are metered. They cannot be hailed on the street, but there are taxi stands on many principal streets, particularly in the center city, and at rail stations. Or you can always request a cab by calling them.
The captivating Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the political hub of EU. But behind these very official words, sits a city that receives millions of tourists every single year. A city that fascinates crowds with its mind-blowing architecture, enchanting history, lovely parks, and distinctive art. And when that is all said and done, the world-class beer, waffles, and chocolate take over.
With its compact size, you are bound to experience it all, here, in the beautiful capital of Belgium. if you are reading this, you’re probably thinking of joining millions of travellers and curious tourists and wondering what there’s to see, to do and experience. Let us help you to steer the wheel of the journey in this beautiful and picturesque city with this article. Let’s go!
Take Brussels by storm with these top attractions
When we arrive at any destination, whether it’s a city or a national park, we always seek to get the best out of it. In this case, one of the best ways to experience the beautiful city of Brussels is to take on its best attractions.
The capital of Belgium has quite a lot to offer, and you will never find yourself bored here. Therefore, let’s break it down to some of the best attractions one can experience, and with them, take Brussels by a storm!
The Iconic Grand Place
Listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site and situated right in the centre of the city, this cobblestoned medieval square will make you fall in love with it at first sight. Led by the massive 15th century City Hall in the middle and surrounded by impressive guild halls that screams elegance, grandeur, and architecture beyond beauty. Whether its day or night, or both, this historic and enchanting square is simply a must visit in Brussels!
And it is always recommended to protect your breath here because once you step foot in here, it’s striking beauty just might take it away!
Explore Comic Book History & Art
Did you know that Brussels is the birthplace of some of the most well-known comics like Smurfs and Tintin? The Belgian Comic Strip Centre is an entire museum dedicated to comics and its history, while comic strip murals can be found all over the city, to honour and appreciate this. This only shows that this is a quite important part of Brussels culture.
Go around the streets and try to catch these vibrant and colourful paintings that shine on the entire walls of Brussels, to spice up and make your experience more unique here, in Brussels.
Be Inspired by The Architecture Beyond the Grand Place
Our previous mentioned Grand Place is certainly not the only place in Brussels where you can marvel at the impressive buildings and their outstanding architecture. These are some of the most notable buildings outside the iconic square.
- Palais Royal – Inside and outside, this incredible Royal Palace breathes royalty with inspiring exteriors and the splendid artwork with mosaics makes it worth it to take a step inside too.
- Notre Dame Du Sablon – A spectacular gothic cathedral dating back to the 14th century which later expanded due to supposed healing powers of the Madonna statue.
- Atomium – Something different and refreshing from the historical sites. Marvel at this breathtaking model of the atom that reaches the heights of 100 meters.
- Old England Building – Step back in time, to a different direction. This former department store attracts visitors for its fascinating old school façade, but also for a museum with more than 2000 musical instruments.
Learn & Discover with Brussel’s Museums
If you love history, or simply being a bit curious, in Brussels, it is more than easy to turn the travel experience into an educative one.
Filled with various museums and art galleries, if you’re keen and ready to go, Brussels is wide open for those wanting to learn more about the city and more.
Take a peek at some epic vintage cars in Autoworld museum, learn everything about the city in the Museum of the City of Brussels or visit our previous mentioned museums like Comic Strip Center. But wait, there’s more!
There’s so much more in Brussels. How about the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium with more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, and sculptures? And all of this is just the tip of an iceberg, as there are so many more museums waiting for you in the city!
Top ten hotels in Brussels
Chill in the Parc Du Cinquantenaire
In a busy city like Brussels, it is more than important to take a step back and relax for a moment to refresh and Parc Du Cinquantenaire is a perfect place for that.
Chill out on the grass, have a picnic or take an easy stroll to absorb your experience in Brussels. Noise and hassle might leave you for a moment, but stunning architecture just won’t as you will be surrounded by beautiful walls and Triumphal Arch.
Simply a gorgeous place to relax in. It is also worth mentioning that museums here are housing more than 35,000 thousand artefacts! Brussel’s museums are simply everywhere you go.
Let’s Get Tasty in Brussels!
It’s time for food! Because we all get hungry and we all adore food. And right of the bat, there’s wonderful news for foodies because Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium, it is also a capital of fries, yummy waffles, and delicious chocolate. Let’s keep the main focus on these treats! Are you ready?
The Delicious Chocolate
Chocolate is one of the Brussel‘s most precious jewels, and once you are here, you will quickly notice it. Countless shops will surround you, stuffed with mouth-melting mendiants, manons, muffins, and other chocolate delights.
If you want to take the next step and go deeper into this sweet journey, there‘s always plenty of workshops in Brussels where you can try your hand at the art of making chocolate.
Give yourself an ultimate chocolate experience by combining chocolate tasting, learning the process and attending a museum. You can never go wrong with chocolate in the capital of Belgium!
Yummy Waffles
Here, waffles happen to have two types. And that is certainly a good thing for food lovers!
The Brussels version of a waffle is a fluffier and lighter with deeper pockets made from yeast-leavened batter. The Liege waffle is more doughy, with chunks of sugar in the batter that caramelize as it cooks. Already sounds super delicious, or is it just me? I truly doubt it!
You will find a waffle place basically on every street, sometimes more than one.
These savoury waffles are everywhere, and whether you eat them plain, soaked in syrup or with ice cream, you simply can‘t miss when trying any type of waffle in Brussels. After visiting Brussels, eating waffles back home just might never be the same again. They are that spectacular. And yummy!
The Legendary Frites
Trying out some frites is also a must here in Brussels. Once again, they are pretty much everywhere, and one of the best ways to go for them is visiting one of many stands on the street or friteries.
Enjoy!
Take An Extra Step & Participate In Tours
Exploring on your own or with friends is fun, no doubt, but Brussels offer such a great variety of tours, that it is truly recommendable to take at least one, depending on your direction of interest. With so much to learn and discover in Brussels, it should come by no surprise that here there are dozens of tours for almost anything! Let‘s take a quick look at some of the main existing tours in general and what you can expect from them
- Beer Tasting Tours – Beer lovers rejoice! Belgium is renowned for its thousands of beers and their extensive taste. Go all in and discover them with beer tours in Brussels!
- Free Walking Tours – A beautiful option for budget-oriented travellers. Enthusiastic and knowledgable local guides will lead you through the city for tip-based commission.
- Chocolate & Waffle Tours – As we mentioned before, here you will find plenty of opportunities to participate in workshops, tasting and walking tours regarding chocolate and waffles. A blissful experience!
- Photo Tours – Instant camera, local guide and a crash course in photography. With all these incredible sites? It can‘t get any better than this.
- Bike Tours – Discover Brussels on two wheels, stay active and explore lesser known places and the famous landmarks.
- Classic Sightseeing Tours – Whether its hop-on-hop-off buses or a local informative guide, you will be able to witness the best of Brussels with a comfort.
These are the main tour directions you can take in Brussels, and each of them will be truly unique, entertaining and interesting, whichever tour operator you will choose. It is Brussels after all! Getting Around Let‘s shift our focus to navigating a city and getting around the capital.
For those who want to use public transport, a well-developed public transport system and rental opportunities will be at your disposal in Brussels. Let‘s find out a bit more!
Tram & Bus
An extensive network of tram lines provides the ideal way to get around the city. Both trams and urban buses are painted in grey-and-brown colours. Their stops are marked with red-and-white signs and often have a shelter.
It is important to remember that you will only stop a tram or bus by extending your arm as it approaches.
Metro
The Metro in Brussels is quick and efficient and covers many important centre-city locations, as well as the suburbs. Stations can be identified by signs with a white M on a blue background.
In addition, the metro stations are beautifully decorated with paintings, installations, and other artworks by contemporary Belgian artists.
Taxi
In Brussels, like most of the European cities, all official taxis are metered. They cannot be hailed on the street, but there are taxi stands on many principal streets, particularly in the centre of the city, and at rail stations. Or you can always request a cab by calling them.
Car Rental
Renting a car is a pretty good option, especially for those who want to make a few days trips outside Brussels. You will also have a chance to rent it out straight upon the arrival at the airport.
But have in mind, that great patience is needed because the driving culture in Brussels gets pretty hectic sometimes!
Best Time To Visit Brussels
When it comes to weather and timing, it all comes down to what you are after. More warm and dry months? Or maybe fewer crowds and a bit cheaper rooms to rent?
We hope that this will help you to steer in the right direction when considering the time to visit the capital.
Cheaper Rates & Fewer Crowds
If this is what you‘re after, then months between March to May & September to October are the best time to visit Brussels.
Top attractions will be a bit more pleasant as massive crowds won‘t clog the locations, and in the result, the possibility to find cheaper accommodation will greatly increase.
Weather in Brussels
With full four seasons and a possibility for rain all year round, the weather in Brussels vary greatly. One of the best and most pleasant times to visit is definitely Spring (March-May) when temperatures range from the mid-30s to mid-60s. Meanwhile, summer months like June and August will not only be the hottest, but most crowded as well.
The Fall stays mild and makes it attractive to visit when winter months can be a bit gloomy and grey with rare snow, but the holiday season will make crowds and higher prices make an appearance together with the moderate cold.
Find cheap flights and hotels with QuoteRadar