I never expected to visit not only Belgium’s capital but the European Capital, Brussels when I did. It was purely an accident. A beautiful, though somewhat stressful, accident. I was just travelling through, connecting in Brussels on my way home from Uganda, when I was denied re-entry into the US due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic (I was not positive, it was a visa thing).
But it was a great opportunity to visit a city and a country that I may not have had the chance to visit otherwise. And I am so glad I got that opportunity.
What to know before you go to Brussels
Language: Most speak French, though they also speak Flemish
Population: 2 million
Currency: Euros
It is also the location of the European Parliament
Best time to visit: Summer months when the weather is nice and the flowers are in bloom
Public transportation: though the city is extremely walkable, their public transportation is excellent as one would expect and if you are looking to take a day trip to Bruges or Ghent or any of the other Belgian cities, the train system is well connected and decently priced
Hotel Recommendation: Hotel Hubert ($85-100/night)
Address: Rue d’Arenberg 18, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
I stayed in this hotel, and they were extremely accommodating, particularly given my “stuck” situation and day to day agenda.
They have a lot of fun little quirks with their signage around the hotel. There is a healthy, organic café attached and it’s in the perfect location. Close to the main square, the Park du Bruxelles, I can’t say enough good things about this hotel.
Top “Things to Do” for your Brussels itinerary
This city is vibrant, beautiful and a bit eccentric. You can easily create your own main attractions walking tour. So, what are the best things to see for your first time tour of Brussels? Beer? Museums? Food culture? Historical sites?
These are my top choices.
Visit Parc du Bruxelles
Known for a long time as Royal Park, it is the largest park and the first park created in Brussels. It’s a beautiful green space with fountains, a variety of paths and it’s surrounded by the various country embassies and the royal palace of Brussels, which is no longer the home of the royal family. If you would like to also visit the Place Royale, you will need to book this in advance.
It is a great place if you need a break from the city and can’t get away, this is a lovely place to go to enjoy some greenery. And it’s right in the middle of things and a short walk to the action.
Go on a beer tour
This is Belgium after all. If you are a beer fan, Brussels is the perfect place to visit local breweries?
You could go on a tour of a different group of breweries every day if you were so inclined. There are just that many. A few must visit spots?
Delirium Café
Address: Imp. de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Hours: Sun-Fri – 12-11PM; Sat – 11AM-11PM
I feel like this is one of the best places to visit for beer and the pride and joy of Brussels. Signs for it were everywhere in this city. But to get the real feel for it make sure to check out Delirium Café, coincidentally next to Jeanneke pis, the peeing girl (see my comments below).
Head downstairs to the basement part of the bar. Bring your dog! This place is alive!
Cantillon
Address: rue Gheude 56, 1070 Brussels (Anderlecht)
Hours: M/Tu/Th/Fr/Sa: from 10AM to 4PM (shop open till 5PM)
Closed on Wednesday, Sunday and public holiday
This is for the history buffs out there. A family run brewery that opened in 1900, it is currently run by a fourth-generation brewer.
If organic matters to you, as it does to me, the one change they have made to their brewery in 1999 was to go completely organic.
It’s a challenge to get there when they are open, since they close at 4PM, and it’s not right in the thick of things in the city. But it’s a great place for the beer connoisseurs out there.
BrewDog
Address: Putterie 20, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Hours: Daily 12-11:30PM
A well-known brewery next to the train station, it’s big and what you would expect of a brewery. At lot of flash but aside from that just good beer.
Find the peeing statues
The Belgians, or at least the people of Brussels, have a weird obsession with statues of people children. With Manneken pis being the most famous. This little pisser has been stolen, damaged, dressed up, and on display for a very long time.
But there are more than just the one. You can find all 3! Manneken pis, the peeing boy, Jeanneke pis, the peeing girl, and Zinneke pis, the peeing dog.
It’s a fun little adventure to find all three and what’s even better is they are around great beer and waffle spots!
Visit the Grand Place in the city center
This is probably the most popular tourist attraction. Like any other major, historic square in Europe, except this one is a UNESCO world heritage site and it’s so damn pretty!
Known as the Grand Square, it consists of several restaurants, guild houses, and the City Hall. It has also been touted as one of the most beautiful places in the world (I am assuming they are considering only manmade locations, because, well, we all know there are natural places in this world that would put that square to shame).
It is a must visit for first-time visitors with its stunning architecture. Make sure to check it out during the day and come back to see it all lit up at night. It’s kind of mesmerizing.
Eat the local food
What do you eat in Belgium? What is their thing? According to everyone its things like French fries, Belgian waffles, Belgian chocolate, meatballs and seafood.
Not exactly what I would have expected but hey, it all goes great with beer, so it totally makes sense to me. The meatballs are amazing, and I highly recommend them.
One of their biggest seafood dishes are mussels. You can buy huge pots of mussels in a variety of ways from almost any restaurant. I had them with garlic butter and cheese, and it was amazing. There is some seriously delicious food in this melting pot of a city.
Go on a street art tour
I didn’t realize just how big of a thing street art was in Brussels until I started wandering around. I found myself just taking random streets all over the city and everywhere were huge murals on the buildings.
From cartoons depicting Manneken pis to trippy wall art and various comic strips that will make you feel like you had just taken some serious hallucinogens.
Concluding Thoughts
Brussels is a quintessential European city for good reason and definitely worth visiting. Filled with historic buildings, cobbled streets, waffles and the perfectly poured Belgian beer. You can wander the streets for days.
Into museums? This place is full of them and if you want to spend the money there are options for everyone. But if you want a more budget friendly version, you can’t go wrong walking the streets and popping into places that catch your eye or your stomach.
If Brussels becomes a bit overwhelming or you just want a change of scenery make sure to take one of those days to take a day trip to Bruges!
