For detailed information, see our Brussels weather by month guide. Brussels packs an outsized cultural punch for a city of 1.2 million. The Grand Place alone justifies the trip, but the city also holds world-class Art Nouveau architecture, six museums devoted to a single Belgian surrealist, and more chocolate shops per square kilometre than any city on earth. This guide covers the essential sights with practical details: opening hours, ticket prices, and which Metro to take.
Things to Do in Brussels: Iconic Landmarks
Grand Place
For detailed information, see our best time to visit Brussels guide. The Grand Place (Grote Markt) is Brussels’ central square and one of Europe’s finest. The 15th-century Gothic Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) dominates one side, while ornate guildhalls with gilded facades line the rest. It’s free to enter at any hour and is dramatically lit at night. The Town Hall offers guided tours in English on Wednesday afternoons and Sundays at 14:15 (7 euros, book at visit.brussels). The square hosts the Flower Carpet every two years (even-numbered years, mid-August) and a Christmas tree with nativity scene in December. Metro: Gare Centrale or Bourse.
Manneken Pis
For detailed information, see our Brussels events and festivals guide. This 61cm bronze statue of a urinating boy at the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue du Chene is Brussels’ most famous symbol, though its size underwhelms most first-time visitors. The statue wears costumes from a wardrobe of over 1,000 outfits, changed according to a published schedule (check mannekenpis.brussels). The statue itself is free and viewable 24/7. Don’t miss the lesser-known Jeanneke Pis (a squatting girl) on Impasse de la Fidelite and Het Zinneke (a urinating dog) on Rue des Chartreux.
Atomium
For detailed information, see our best neighbourhoods in Brussels guide. Built for the 1958 World’s Fair, this 102-metre-tall structure shaped like an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times is Brussels’ most distinctive landmark. Five of the nine spheres are open to the public, connected by escalators. The top sphere has a panoramic restaurant (reservations essential, mains 25 to 40 euros). Tickets: 16 euros for adults, 8.50 euros for children 6-17, free under 6. Open daily 10:00 to 18:00. Metro: Heysel (line 6), then a 5-minute walk. Combine with Mini-Europe next door (18.70 euros, or 30.60 euros combined ticket).
Things to Do in Brussels: Museums and Galleries
Magritte Museum
For detailed information, see our where to stay in Brussels guide. Part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, this museum holds the world’s largest collection of Rene Magritte’s works: over 230 pieces including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and advertising posters. The chronological layout traces his evolution from early experiments through his surrealist breakthrough to his late-career repetition. Tickets: 10 euros (8 euros reduced), free first Wednesday of each month from 13:00. Open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00, weekends 11:00 to 18:00, closed Monday. Place Royale 1. Metro: Gare Centrale or Parc.
Musical Instruments Museum (MIM)
For detailed information, see our Brussels travel tips guide. Housed in the stunning Old England Art Nouveau building, the MIM displays over 1,200 instruments from around the world. The infrared headphone system plays each instrument’s sound as you approach its display case. The rooftop restaurant on the 10th floor serves lunch (mains 15-22 euros) with panoramic views of the city. Tickets: 10 euros, free first Wednesday of the month from 13:00. Open Tuesday to Friday 9:30 to 17:00, weekends 10:00 to 17:00, closed Monday. Rue Montagne de la Cour 2. Metro: Gare Centrale.
Belgian Comic Strip Center
For detailed information, see our Brussels city guide guide. Belgium gave the world Tintin, The Smurfs, and Lucky Luke, and this museum inside a Victor Horta-designed Art Nouveau warehouse celebrates the ninth art. Exhibits trace Belgian comics from early newspaper strips to modern graphic novels, with original drawings by Herge, Peyo, and Franquin. Tickets: 12 euros adults, 9 euros seniors/students. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, closed Monday. Rue des Sables 20. Metro: Botanique or Rogier.
Things to Do in Brussels: Food and Neighbourhoods
Saint-Gery Area and Dansaert
The Halles Saint-Gery, a restored 19th-century covered market near the Bourse, is the epicentre of Brussels’ evening scene. Inside, a permanent exhibition on Brussels history sits alongside a cafe-bar; outside, Place Saint-Gery fills with terraces on warm evenings. Walk 5 minutes west to Rue Antoine Dansaert for the city’s best independent boutiques and Belgian fashion designers. The surrounding streets hold some of Brussels’ best casual restaurants: try Le Perroquet for affordable Lebanese wraps or Nuetnigenough for traditional Belgian dishes like stoemp and carbonnade.
Place du Jeu de Balle Flea Market
This daily flea market in the Marolles district runs 365 days a year from roughly 7:00 to 14:00 (weekends until 15:00). It’s the real thing, not a tourist setup: locals haggle over vintage furniture, second-hand clothing, vinyl records, and bric-a-brac. The surrounding streets are lined with affordable cafes and antique shops. Come early (before 9:00) for the best finds. Bus 48 to Place du Jeu de Balle, or a 15-minute walk downhill from Grand Place.
Things to Do in Brussels: Day Trips and Unique Experiences
Cantillon Brewery
This family-run lambic brewery in Anderlecht has been making spontaneously fermented beer since 1900 and now operates as a living museum. The self-guided tour (10 euros, includes two tastings) walks you through the copper coolships, barrel-aging cellars, and bottling line. The cobwebbed attic is where wild yeasts from the Senne Valley inoculate the cooling wort. Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00, closed Sundays and public holidays. Rue Gheude 56. Metro: Clemenceau, then walk 8 minutes.
Sonian Forest (Foret de Soignes)
This 4,400-hectare beech forest on Brussels’ southeastern edge is a UNESCO World Heritage site (part of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests listing). The cathedral-like beech groves, some trees over 200 years old, offer 30km of marked walking and cycling trails. Tram 44 from Montgomery to Tervuren places you at the forest’s edge; the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren Park (12 euros, recently renovated) makes a good combined visit. Free entry, open year-round, most accessible from late spring through autumn.
