I have heard Brussels called boring but I assure you it is not. The capital of the European Union, has a decidedly international feel, which is not surprising since almost a third of the population are from other countries around the world. The wide variety of architecture styles, from medieval to modern, make strolling the streets a pleasure. Michelin starred restaurants abound, feeding Brussels passion for food and it is a beer lover’s paradise just like the rest of Belgium. Add to that a fantastic assortment of museums and you have a city that is cosmopolitan, lively and anything but boring.
I would suggest 2-3 days in Brussels. We were there for 2 days but only well enough to sightsee for one of those days so there were many things we were not able to see but Brussels is easy to get around so we did see a lot in our short time.
We had the Brussels Card so we didn’t have to wait in line for tickets and we had added public transport so that sped things up too. The trams make getting around really convenient. It worked out to be a great deal for us but I don’t know if that is the case for everyone. My sister and I always visit a lot of museums so typically city cards work well for us. Always do the math. If it would save me money on the museums I already plan to see then I get it, if it doesn’t I don’t.
Sometimes it is tempting to look at the list of items it covers and add things to your itinerary- don’t figure those in your cost analysis. I like to know the minimum amount I need to see to get my money’s worth. For our one day pass, the magic number was three museums and we did that easily. Had we done a 2 or 3 day pass we probably would not have saved money unless we added a bunch of things that we didn’t originally intend to see. Sometimes those added attractions are fantastic and you discover an interesting place you would not have normally picked out but I am going to say most of the time there is a reason they were not part of your plan from the beginning.
Not into museums? Brussels is a really nice city to just walk around. I think if I had spent 3 days there, the third day would have just been wandering about, probably eating a lot of chocolate and fries (but not together- you have to draw a line somewhere!). My sister would have been seeking out all the different gardens and gluten free waffles.
I adapted this two day itinerary from our original itinerary and it is perfect for a fun weekend getaway or as part of a larger European vacation. It hits the top sites and leaves room for tasting plenty of waffles, frites and chocolate along the way. Oh and beer! Don’t forget about the beer. Belgian beer is amazing. I am not typically a beer drinker but every beer I had in Belgium was delicious and there are so many varieties. You could treat it the same as you would wine tasting, trying different types. Many places offer flights of beer for this purpose. We even found several gluten free beers for my sister.
Day One
9:00 Start your day with a stroll through Parc du Cinquantenaire. Enjoy the gardens, fountains and Arcade du Cinquantenaire. It’s a wonderful way to spend a morning.
10:00 Choose a Musuem (or two!)
Find your dream car at Autoworld. There are over 200 cars on display from Model Ts to Formula 1 racers. Car enthusiasts will want to spend hours checking out the Bentleys, vintage American cars and more. My brother in law could spend the whole day here.
Musée Royal d’Art & d’Histoire
The Art and History Museum has a vast collection from across the world with especially good Byzantine, Egyptian and Grecian exhibits. There are also exhibits on Belgian archaeology, antiquities and decorative arts from throughout Europe.
Musée Royale de l’Armée et de l’Histoire Militaire
The Royal Museum of the Army and Military History traces military techniques from the Middle Ages to present day. There are exhibits with uniforms, weapons, armor and even a tank. The attached hangar houses various aircraft- balloons, early planes and fifty fighter planes.
13:00 Try out some waffles for lunch (maybe some chocolate too!)
14:00 Walk through Parc de Bruxelles and check out the exterior of the Royal Palace next door. In Summer the Palace is open to tour but the rest of the year only the exterior can be viewed.
15:00 Stop by Cathédrale des Sts-Michel-et-Gudule. Construction of the double towered Roman Catholic church began in 1226. Featuring a Gothic choir, ornately carved pulpit and stunning stained glass it’s no surprise this church is the official church for weddings and funerals of the Belgian Royal Family.
16:00 Pop in at Centre Belge De la Bande Dessinée. Housed in an Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta, the Belgian Comic Strip Center showcases the history of comic strips. With thousands of cartoons, hundreds of original plates and everyone’s favorite investigative report, Tintin, this museum will help you take comics as seriously as the Belgians do. After developing a greater appreciation of the art stop by the gift shop which is stocked with an impressive collection of graphic novels and comic books.
Evening: Enjoy dinner and a stroll through the Grand Place to see it flood lit at night
Day 2
10:00 Check out Manneken Pis and then swing by his GardeRobe. The most famous legend is that the statue was erected in honor of a child that peed on an explosive and saved Brussels from disaster. The little peeing boy is a symbol of Brussels humor and rebellious spirit. Whether any of that is true or not, the statue has been drawing crowds for centuries. When French soldiers seized the statue, King Louis XV sent the Manneken Pis a gold embroidered suit to calm the upset locals, beginning a tradition of gifting outfits for ceremonies and special occasions. He now has over 1000 costumes. The costumes can be viewed at the nearby GardeRobe. It’s a little campy but so much fun!
11:00 Admire the stained glass and statuary at Eglise Notre-Dame du Sablon. The Church of Our Lady of the Sablon is great for a quick introduction to Belgian cathedrals.
11:30 Grab a cone of fries for a quick lunch (and a beer!)
12:00 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is made up of several different museums. I list the four main museums but there are also two other artist centric museums. They often change the layout of the spaces so many times one museum is closed while they rethink the space so be sure to check the website before visiting. I suggest you concentrate on just a couple based on your interests.
Museum of Old Masters– Spanning 15th to 18th century art especially Flemish artists such as Bosch, Memling and Bruegel the Elder.There are also works by Rubens and Rembrandt.
Fin-de-Siècle Museum Featuring art from the turn of the century (1868-1914) when Brussels was at the center of the Art Nouveau movement. Browse paintings, sculpture, jewelry and many other mediums that were influenced by this unique style.
Museum of Modern Art– Exploring art of the 19th century to the present, this collection is currently spread throughout the museum as they redesign galleries.
Magritte Museum– Discover the Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte with over 200 works of art, the largest collection in the world. Even if you are not a modern art fan you will be surprised at how many of the paintings you recognize from this famous artist.
14:00 Play around at Musée des Instruments de Musique. Housed in an impressive Art Nouveau building this fantastic museum has thousands of musical instruments. Displayed in themed rooms, you can inspect instruments through the ages and across the globe. Bonus: you can hear what many of them actually sound like. Music lovers may want to spend more time here. I’ve heard people say they could spend half a day here or more but two hours will give you a chance to see the highlights.
17:00 Journey to Atomium. How often do you get to stroll around inside a giant iron atom, blown up to 165 billion times its actual size? Built for the 1958 World’s Fair, it is 335 feet tall and offers impressive views from the top sphere. Probably not recommended for those afraid of heights but for everyone else it is an entertaining experience.
Evening: Savor another delicious dinner and check out a brewery or bar.
As you can see there is plenty to keep you busy in Brussels. This two day itinerary can easily be stretched into three, especially for museum lovers like me. Next time I visit I will have more time and feel better so I can explore further and indulge at the restaurants and bars. My brief visit definitely left me wanting more!