Brussels Travel Guide: Top Sights, What to See

A quick, easy guide to Brussels—Grand-Place, Atomium, EU Quarter, museums, food, best times to visit, and practical tips for first-timers. Brussels is Belgium’s capital and the de facto capital of the European Union. Here, within a compact, walkable city, you’ll find medieval squares, surrealist art, comic-strip murals, world-class chocolate—and the EU’s most powerful institutions.

WINTERTOUR GUIDEART

Zayera Khan

11/30/20242 min read

Quick facts (know before you go)

  • Language: Officially bilingual (French & Dutch). English is widely spoken in tourism and business.

  • Currency: Euro (€). Belgium adopted the euro in 2002.

  • Arrivals: From Brussels Airport (BRU), trains reach Brussels-Central in about 17 minutes; 8 trains/hour on weekdays.

  • Public transport: On STIB/MIVB metro, trams, and buses you can tap to pay with a contactless bank card or phone (€2.30/journey; daily cap applies).

  • Rail hub: Brussels-Midi/Zuid is the high-speed gateway for Eurostar, TGV, ICE and more. Direct Eurostar trains link London–Brussels in as little as 1h53.

Essential things to see

1) Grand-Place (Grote Markt)

Brussels’ breathtaking main square is UNESCO-listed and ringed by ornate guildhalls and the Gothic Town Hall. If you time it right, you might catch the Flower Carpet event that fills the square with thousands of begonias every two years in August. whc.unesco.orgvisit.brusselsReuters

2) The EU Quarter (Quartier Européen)

This is why Brussels matters globally.

  • European Commission (Berlaymont): the EU’s executive arm proposing and enforcing EU law.

  • Council of the EU / European Council (Europa building): where ministers and EU leaders meet.

  • European Parliament: committee work and many plenaries happen in Brussels; free visits to the Hemicycle and Parlamentarium (visitor center). Also nearby: the House of European History.

3) Atomium

The city’s space-age icon—built for Expo ’58—offers exhibitions plus a panoramic view from the top sphere.

4) Comic-Strip Capital

Follow the Comic Strip Trail of street murals (Tintin, the Smurfs & friends) and visit the Comic Art Museum housed in a Victor Horta Art Nouveau building.

5) Manneken-Pis (and his wardrobe)

This tiny statue has a huge local following—and an entire GardeRobe museum of costumes.

6) Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Glorious 19th-century glass-roofed arcades packed with cafés, chocolatiers and boutiques.

7) Mont des Arts & Royal Museums

Climb the gardens for a postcard skyline; then dip into the Magritte Museum and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts for Belgian masters.

8) Parc du Cinquantenaire

Grand green space crowned by a triumphal arch—perfect for a picnic between museum stops.

Great neighborhoods to wander

  • Sablon: antiques market on weekends and a cluster of top chocolatiers.

  • Marolles: vintage shops and the daily Jeu de Balle flea market (morning).

Eat & drink (the Brussels way)

  • Waffles, chocolate, frites, stoemp, mussels… Brussels has signature bites you’ll see everywhere.

  • Beer styles to know: lambic and gueuze (born around Brussels), plus tripels, saisons, and more.

Why Brussels matters in the EU

Brussels hosts the Commission, the Council, and a major seat of the Parliament—so many EU laws and standards are shaped here. Scholars often call the EU’s global rule-setting power the “Brussels Effect.” In short: rules born here frequently go worldwide.

Practical tips

  • Tap-to-ride on trams/metro/buses (no paper ticket needed). Daily caps keep costs predictable.

  • From BRU to the center: take the train to Brussels-Central (≈17 minutes).

  • Day trips by rail: from Brussels-Midi/Zuid you can reach Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Leuven—and London, Paris, Amsterdam—on fast trains.

Photos from my trip to Brussels in November 2024.

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