Why you should visit Brussels in 2022!
20 Must-Visit Attractions in Brussels
Have you ever been to Brussels? If you're like me, you may
have dismissed or thought there wasn't a whole lot to do in Brussels as an
exciting place to stay in a European city. But I'm here today to change your
mind and show you that there are so many things to do in Brussels!
Brussels is a beautiful, exciting, and affordable city with
plenty to see and do. Not only that, but it's also a great base to explore
other cities in Belgium.
So prepare your hand luggage, let's go for a spontaneous
weekend in Brussels!
I had crossed Brussels four or five times before leaving the
station to visit the city.
I had always thought of Brussels more as a hub than a real
destination. I have stopped here several times before traveling elsewhere in
Belgium. It hadn't occurred to me to stay in town.
I've always seen Brussels as a city of business and the seat
of many European Union institutions, so it didn't seem particularly exciting or
glamorous for a weekend!
And it might not be the most interesting city in all of
Europe, but here's why I think you should make Brussels your next weekend
destination…
Why visit Brussels in 2022
Four cities in one: base yourself in Brussels and day trip
to Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp
The advantage of being based in Brussels is that you can
easily catch a train to the surrounding cities of Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp.
These charming towns are beautiful, but they're small enough that you can
easily see the highlights of each in a day.
If you managed to spend a day in each city, you would have a
beautiful, varied, and interesting four-day break!
Belgian trains are amazing
To make it even better, Belgium trains are fast, simple, and
reliable, making it so easy to get from Brussels to Bruges, Ghent, or Antwerp
and back in a day.
The journey times are also quite short:
Brussels to Bruges: 1h15
Brussels to Ghent: less than an hour
Brussels to Antwerp: 50 minutes
All rides are reliable and cheap too!
It's not very often that you can take a long weekend and
visit four unique cities during your stay!
During my last trip to Brussels, I stayed from Friday to
Monday. We spent Friday afternoon exploring Brussels, Saturday in Bruges,
Sunday in Ghent, and Monday morning in Antwerp before returning to Brussels to
return home on Monday evening. Sounds like a lot, but I didn't feel rushed and
it was one of my favorite weekends of the year!
If you'd rather not negotiate the trains and everything
yourself, you can easily join an organized tour to nearby towns.
Traveling to Brussels is cheap
Brussels is a travel hub, so you'll find flights from most
of Pakistan’s airports. It is not uncommon to find return flights to Brussels
for around PKR 74,882.
I just checked YUGO.pk and found weekend flights in May to Brussels from Pakistan for PKR 20,000 return! It's tempting...
If you're traveling on a budget, I recommend traveling with
hand luggage only, as the cost of checked baggage can often be more than your
tickets!
Business Hotels in Brussels are great value for the weekend
There are many business hotels in Brussels. OK, this may not
be the boutique hotel of your dreams, but they are stylish, comfortable, and in
a great location. And to make them even better, you can usually find great
deals on weekends when they have fewer business travelers and hotels need to
fill their rooms!
We have established that Brussels is a great city to visit
as it is cheap and easy to travel to elsewhere. But what are you going to do
during your stay in Brussels?
Here are some of my favorite things to do in Brussels…
20 of the Best things to do in Brussels
The Grand Place
Brussels' Grand Place, or Grote Market, is certainly the
most impressive part of the city and is the first port of call for most
visitors.
The Grand Place is the central square of Brussels with
decorative Baroque guild houses lining it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and is such a beautiful first impression of the city where grand buildings
sparkle in gold.
I recommend visiting the Grand Place in the afternoon. There
are some lovely little restaurants along the side streets of the main square
where you will find traditional dishes and lots of Belgian beer!
Take your time to take lots of photos as this is truly the
best photo spot in Brussels.
If you visit in the winter, there are winter and Christmas-themed
light shows and festivals, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
The Grand Place Flowers
So we've established that the Grand Place is a great reason
to visit Brussels, but it's even better. Every two years, the Grand Place is
adorned with around a million begonias! A new theme and a different decoration
each time the flowers are displayed… which makes it a perfect excuse to go back
every two years!
It is the most beautiful carpet of colorful flowers and
brings this historic square to life with so much joy!
The Atomium
The Atomium was built in 1958 for Expo 58, a major
exhibition dedicated to culture and innovation. It is an enlargement of an
elemental iron crystal cell and the beautiful sculpture can be appreciated for
its impressive scientific scale (it is magnified 165 billion times) but also
from an artistic point of view.
Expo 58 was the first to be held after World War II, so it
has major significance and represents human progress and how scientific
innovations will help us grow. The Atomium would have been built as a temporary
structure for the exhibition, but it became such a popular symbol that it
stuck.
Notre Dame du Sablon
This huge Gothic church dominates the Place du Sablon and is
equally impressive inside and out.
There's plenty to see inside the church, so be sure to pick
up a flyer on the way for more information on the statues, decor, and colorful
stained glass.
Place du Sablon is a lively hub in the center of Brussels. A
30-minute visit to Notre Dame du Sablon offers a peaceful escape. It's cool,
calm, and quiet here, so if you're visiting on a hot summer day, it's a
wonderful retreat. Be respectful of worshipers inside the church, but it's a
lovely place to sit and watch the world.
Visit the Parlamentarium
The Parlamentarium Visitor Center is an interactive
experience to learn more about the European Parliament and how it works.
I know, it sounds dry as toast, but they made it as engaging
and exciting as possible with the subject matter! There is a 360-degree cinema,
role-playing games, and a huge interactive floor. The visit is free, so the
Parlamentarium could be a good activity for rainy days with the children!
Le Botanique
The Botanique was originally the orangery of the National
Botanical Garden of Belgium and now hosts cultural events. It's a wonderful mix
of past and present as this historic building comes alive with modern exhibits,
concerts, and activities. It is now a paradise for nature and music lovers.
Even if you can't see a concert inside, it's a beautiful
building to admire from the outside. Also, be sure to visit Café Bota at the
Botanique!
Mont des Arts
The Mont des Arts is a magnificent garden. The line of
colorful flowers leads your gaze to the spire of Brussels City Hall and creates
the most beautiful contrast between the bright, natural flowers and the
historic architecture of the city.
The best views of Brussels and photo opportunities can be
found at the top of the steps.
Travel Hack Tip: This is where you'll want to be for your
Instagram photos in Brussels!
The Musical Instrument Museum
The Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM) in Brussels houses
more than 8,000 instruments. And while the instruments are fascinating, it's
the building itself that's the biggest draw.
The exterior of the 'Old England' building will blow your
mind, the interior is stunning and the rooftop bar and restaurant are the
icings on the cake. You can enjoy a view of the whole city and I heard they
serve the best Sunday brunch in town!
At the time of this article's update, MIM's rooftop
restaurant was closed for renovations, so be sure to check it's open before you
visit.
Musee Royaux Beaux Arts
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, or Royal Museum of Fine Arts,
is a collection of six museums. They feature visual arts from the 15th to 21st
centuries with over 20,000 pieces spread across the six sites.
Mini Europe
You can see all of Europe in Brussels.
No, you can!
Mini-Europe is, as its name suggests, a Europe in miniature.
It's filled with 80 miniature cities from across Europe and includes 350 of the
most famous buildings such as Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, Brandenburg Gate, and
the Trevi Fountain. If nothing else, it's a great place to snap a few selfies
and is one of the best things to do in Brussels with kids.
Brussels’ jazz clubs
Brussels is famous for its jazz scene, and the Belgiums love
jazz! Throughout the city, you can find jazz bars featuring famous jazz
artists. Also check out smaller, intimate venues with up-and-coming artists, or
go to the Brussels Jazz Festival if you're a jazz fan.
Palais Royal
The Royal Palace of Brussels is the administrative residence
of the King. He doesn't live here, but the magnificent palace is a symbol of
the monarchy and is majestic, both inside and out.
The palace is open to the public in the summer and is just
as grand and impressive as expected. It's usually open from late July to
September, but if you're visiting outside of those months, it's still worth a
look if you're nearby. The well-kept gardens are very pretty and a nice place
for a photo stop.
The Parc Du Cinquantenaire
The outdoor spaces and parks of Brussels are beautiful, but
Parc du Cinquantenaire is a highlight and is often cited as the "best park
in Belgium". He had 74 acres of land planned by King Leopold in the
nineteenth century. You'll walk past the Cinquantenaire arch and the beautiful
museum buildings as you follow a U-shaped path.
Brussels Bread House
The Maison du Pain is one of the most spectacular buildings
on the Grand Place and now houses the Brussels Museum and houses an impressive
art collection.
The building is still called "the house of bread"
because there was originally a wooden bread room in this place. The bread shack
was supposed to be there as early as the 12th century and some names are hard
to shake off! The building is also known as the "King's House",
although no king has ever lived there.
Manneken Pis
One of the most unusual and lighthearted things to see in
Brussels is Manneken Pis, a 61cm bronze statue of a little boy urinating into a
fountain.
I know! When I first visited Brussels and a friend suggested
we go and visit the statue, I was a bit confused too. Why, oh why, is a statue
of a little peeing boy so famous!?
Little Pissing Man is said to be an icon of this cheeky,
rebellious town. It's a fun thing to visit when you're in the area, so if
you're nearby, check it out. The little boy also has over 900 outfits and he
often wears something new!
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
This Roman Catholic cathedral stands proudly in the center
of Brussels and is an incredible example of Brabant Gothic architecture.
It's a popular place to meet people and many tours will
start from here, so you might end up here if you join an organized tour.
Eat all the waffles
All! You cannot visit Belgium without having at least one
waffle. You'll find waffle carts and little shops all over Brussels and there
are so many suggestions for finding the best ones.
I would normally recommend heading away from the main
tourist centers for a local dish but I enjoyed buying my waffle from a busy
little shop near the Grand Place and enjoying it surrounded by so much history
and splendor.
If you love waffles and want to get authentic, you can even
take a waffle-making class!
Explore Brussel’s comic culture
Comic culture in Brussels is strong and Belgium is home to
comic book icons like Tintin and the Smurfs. You'll spot comic-style street art
all over the city and there are plenty of ways to find out more. Visit the
Belgian Comics Museum and take the Comics Route (there's a brilliant Kirstie
Will Travel article on the walking route!) Or take a Comics and Art Walking
Tour from the street to have a local expert explain it all to you!
Visit the Bourse
The Brussels Stock Exchange might not seem like the most
exciting place to visit, but look at this building! Wow, that's amazing. The
ornately decorated building was created in 1873 and is well worth stopping by
if you are passing by.
Visitors can't go inside, but be sure to plot this building
on your map so you can navigate it when you're in the area.
Palais de Justice
This impressive building is the most important courthouse in
Belgium. The monumental building has been surrounded by scaffolding for almost
40 years during reconstruction works, but the works should be finished soon, so
I hope you will see it without the scaffolding! Don't worry if construction is
still ongoing as you can still see the exterior of this magnificent building.
Belgium Visa from Pakistan you should apply for your visa in
person at the Belgian embassy or consulate which is competent for your country
of residence, where you will be requested to communicate your travel
destination as well as the circumstances of it.
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