Perhaps not as popular as Antwerp, but Brussels is also a great destination for a city trip or weekend away. In any case, there is plenty to do, because you have the special sights to choose from in Brussels. Of course you must have seen Manneken Pis and taste a real Brussels waffle, but we have collected many more great tips for a weekend in Brussels.
WHAT TO DO IN BRUSSELS?
THE BEST TIPS FOR A WEEKEND AWAY
What to do in Brussels during a weekend away or city trip? In this blog you will find an overview of the 8 best tips and sights.
MALE PIS
The main attraction of Brussels is of course Manneken Pis. The statue of the peeing boy can be found within walking distance of the Grote Markt and is the symbol of the city. Not very big and impressive, but if you’re in the area it’s nice to walk past it. He can look different every time, because the male is regularly put on a beautiful themed outfit.
LARGE MARKET
The beating heart of touristic Brussels is formed by the Grand-Place. This is the main square of the city and measures 111 by 56 meters. It is one of the most beautiful market squares in Europe and is even on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but really only flowers are sold. Anyway, the Grand Place is one of the main attractions of Brussels and just a really beautiful square. Be sure to stop by to admire the many special buildings. However, don’t be tempted to sit on the terrace here, because you are guaranteed to pay the top prize.
ROYAL SAINT HUBERT GALLERIES
The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert are three covered shopping arcades in the center of Brussels. Perfect to visit if it rains for a day, because you can shop here indoors or drink a cup of coffee on the terrace. Do you like chocolate? Then be sure to take a look at Chocolatier Neuhaus, the inventor of praline.
TASTING BELGIAN BEERS
If there is one thing they are good at in Belgium, it is brewing beer. In the center of Brussels you can take a break in many nice places with a nice specialty beer. For the beer, choose a well-known Belgian brewery or get to know microbrewers that you will not encounter everywhere. You can do a sort of pub crawl through the best beer bars in Brussels yourself (we’ll recommend a few in this article!), but it’s also fun to do it with an expert guide. Via Getyourguide you can easily book a 2.5-hour beer tasting with a guide.
EATING A BRUSSELS WAFFLE
Definitely do when you are in Brussels: eat a waffle. Together with fries, this is the most famous street food dish in the city. Everywhere in the center you will find small bakeries and cake shops where they bake fresh gaufres de Bruxelles, light waffles with a topping of powdered sugar, whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate. The Brussels waffle is slightly larger, lighter and less sweet than the Liège waffle.
WALK THE COMICS ROUTE
You will find cool street art in many places in Brussels, but one of the most beautiful projects is the so-called Strip Route. Tintin, Spirou, Astrix and many other Belgian-French comic book heroes are immortalized on high walls and together form a trail along almost sixty ‘comic strip walls’ . You will naturally encounter them during a walk along the various sights in Brussels or during an afternoon shopping, but you can also cross them off during one of the three special walking routes.
TREASURE HUNT AT THE VOSSEN SQUARE FLEA MARKET
Also fun to do in Brussels during a weekend trip: treasure hunting at the daily flea market on the Vossenplein. You can visit this market every (!) morning to stroll past dozens of stalls with trinkets and curiosities. Don’t forget to haggle!
VINTAGE SHOPPING IN THE MAROLLES
If you haven’t passed the Vossenplein yet, fortunately you can also satisfy your vintage need in the rest of the district. Walk through the Vossenstraat and the Hoogstraat to the center and you will pass dozens of nice vintage and second-hand shops. Here you can pick up vintage designer furniture, but also browse shops where second-hand clothes are sold by the kilo.
ALSO A WEEKEND TO BRUSSELS?
Would you also like to spend a weekend in Brussels? There are a lot of nice hotels where you can stay overnight. We ourselves sleep in the wonderful Sofitel Brussels Europe , where they prepare a very tasty breakfast for you every morning. This hotel is located in the European quarter, a few minutes by metro from the city center. Also an option: stay the night at Motel One Brussels . This hotel is very affordable and is also very central to the major sights in Brussels.
From Utrecht it is about a two hour drive to Brussels by car. You can also go by train. Take the Thalys or international intercity, and travel comfortably and without traffic jams to Brussels. The price for a weekend in Brussels with the Thalys starts at € 29 for a single journey .
