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Ultimate 2-Day Brussels Itinerary: A Guide to the Must-See Sites and Eats

Updated: Mar 13, 2024


Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert

I have a highly controversial opinion: A weekend in Brussels is better than a weekend in Paris.


Having caught your attention, let me explain further.


If you're looking for the icons (the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame), world class museums, and the WOW factor go to Paris.


However, if you're looking to avoid the chaos, prefer something a bit less overwhelming, seek a smaller, easier-to-navigate city, want to meet more welcoming locals, and have a penchant for chocolate, then Brussels is the city for you.


One of my best friends in the world lives in Brussels so much of this information has been borrowed (stolen) from her (but that's how you know it's good).


Here are my top tips for experiencing the city to its fullest.

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Table of Contents

👀  Must See

1. Mannekin Pis (and his friends Jeanneke-Pis and Zinneke Pis)


I don't know what it is about Brussels and statues of peeing, but I love it.


"Mannekin Pis" translates from Flemish to 'peeing boy’, and is literally a small bronze sculpture of a naked boy urinating into a fountain. When you visit, you'll be surprised at how small he actually is, especially compared to the crowd of people watching him. Mannekin Pis has a number of origin stories but the most popular is that that he helped save the city of Brussels during war times by peeing on gunpowder fuses or even peeing on the enemies themselves. Mannekin Pis is often dressed in special costumes depending on the time of the year.


Next is Jeanneke-Pis, the girl version. She was built in the 1980s is quite well hidden (and therefore much less chaotic than Mannekin).


Finally, my favourite - Het Zinneke (or Zinneke-Pis), the dog version. Built in the 1990s, this cute little dog can be found peeing against a bollard by the side of the road.



2. Grand Place (Grote Markt)

Grand Place is the heart and soul of Brussels. It's one of the most beautiful squares I've seen in Europe. It was rebuilt at the end of the 17th century and is a UNESCO listed site. When the golden architectural details glisten in the morning sun, it's magical. Grand Place contains neo-classical buildings including La Maison du Roi, the Town Hall (where you may even spot a wedding on the balcony), The Brussels Stock Exchange, and the Brussels City Museum.



3. Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert

The Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert claims to be the first covered shopping arcade in Europe. It's beautiful, architecturally perfect and very symmetrical (which I love)


4. Mont des Arts

A hilltop viewpoint from which you can see a number of famous Brussels landmarks. It's a lovely place to relax, take a break (maybe with some chocolate or a waffle - see below) and people watch.



5. Atomium

In retrospect, I have no idea why we bothered going here. It was cool, but since it's a while away from the city I recommend only visiting if you actually want to visit the museum. The Atomium was built for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair and has become a city icon.



6. Brussels cathedral

For a little bit of peace in the middle of your day. And because I know I can't say no to a gothic cathedral


7. Mini Europe

Mini Europe is exactly as it sounds on the box: a miniature park containing the main monuments of 80 different European cities including Gondolas and the Eiffel Tower. It's a great place to visit if you're with kids (and honestly I may give it a go next time)


8. Street Art

Brussels is also known as the birthplace of TinTin and the Smurfs. If you're into your comics I suggest exploring the city's Comic strip route and Art Street.


Palace of Justice
Place du Grand Sablon
Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenbeg
Grand Place during the winter light show

🥘  Must Eat

Brussels is home to three of my absolute favourite foods: Chocolate, Waffle and Fries


1. Chocolate

In my opinion, chocolate should be in its own food group. My review of Belgian chocolate follows:

  • Wittamer: Expensive but great quality and excellent for milk chocolate

  • Pierre Marcolini: The most expensive and famous. Excellent for dark chocolate and beautiful packaging (great for a gift)

  • Galler: More affordable and great value. For this reason, it's my favourite

  • Elisabeth: Offers a larger variety of options (including sweets)

  • Neuhaus: More globalised but worth trying

  • Leonidas: Probably the most international brand; you can buy this in most places so I'd deprioritise it

2. Waffles

There are a lot of waffles stores around the city (concentrated in tourist areas like Grand Place and near Mannekin Pis). These tend to have fake waffles in display and are quite beautiful to look at. But don't be fooled - the best waffles can be found in the yellow and white food trucks that dot the city. Waffles are around €2.50 without toppings.


There are two types of waffles: Gaufre de Bruxelles and Gaufre de Liege. The Gaufre de Bruxelles is larger and rectangular, lighter and sprinkled with icing sugar. The Gaufre de Liege is thicker, rounder and contains little clumps of sugar. It's also my favourite. It's crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.



3. Fries

According to the Belgians, Belgian fries (or les frites) were incorrectly named 'French fries' by American servicemen when they came to Belgium at the end of WWI.


Belgian fries are thicker than those you can find in fast food chains. For me, that's a huge plus (but it isn't for others). There are two places I would recommend for the best fries in Belgium (and there really isn'y anyway to distinguish between them.

  1. Frit Flagey – The most well known

  2. Maison Antoinne: Less well known, but growing in popularity


My favourite thing about Belgian fries are the ridiculously large range of sauce options. The typical way to eat fries is in queuing for them in the town square and taking them to a nearby sit down bar to eat (bars allow this as long as you purchase a drink).


I also recommend trying Fricadelle (a minced meat sausage) and Poylycroc (a long chicken nugget) when you buy your fries.




4. Typical Belgian food

I highly recommend Le Clan de Belges if you want to try typically Belgian food. It's not cheap but it's worth the experience. I recommend Carbonnade flamande (a beef stew) and Boulet à la Liégeoise (meatballs)


Boulet à la Liégeoise
Raclette at the Christmas market

🚋  Getting Around

Brussels has an excellent tram system (the STIB-MIVB) and primarily runs north - south. You can pay with your contactless bank card, however I recommend purchasing a ticket in advance to save a bit of money. Metro lines run east to west across the city and busses can take you to the airport. My favourite mode of transport in Brussels are electric scooters - the city is compact and easy to navigate so scooter can be a very economical, efficient way of getting around.


🛏️  Where to Stay

I recommend staying as close to the city centre as possible. There are plenty of affordable accommodation options in the area. Don't worry if you're a little bit away from the city, the Brussels tram system is amazing and will get you around easily (see getting around). We stayed in Moxy Brussels, a beautiful, quirky hotel that embraces its city.


📌 A Map


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Hey! I'm Diya, a globe-trotting 30-something. I've lived in five countries across three continents, and I'm here to share tips and guides to make your travel and expat life easier.

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