The neighbourhoods of Brussels

The medieval heart of Brussels, built around the Grand-Place and its guildhouses. It is compact, busy and best on foot: chocolate shops, waffle stands, glass arcades and Manneken Pis all sit within a few minutes of each other. Evenings are lively, but the main square is at its calmest early in the morning.

Sights: Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, Rue Neuve & City 2, Comics Art Museum (Belgian Comic Strip Center), Comic Strip Route (mural walk), Choco-Story Brussels, Belgian Beer World

🍽️ Restaurants: 36 · ☕ Breakfast: 5 · 🌙 Evening out: 12

A terraced garden and cultural quarter on the slope between the lower and upper town, home to several of the city's main museums. It is mostly a daytime area, ideal for a museum morning and a view over the rooftops. Check opening days first, as many museums close on Mondays.

Sights: Magritte Museum, Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), Mont des Arts Garden & Viewpoint, Old Masters Museum, Coudenberg Palace

🍽️ Restaurants: 9 · ☕ Breakfast: 2 · 🌙 Evening out: 3

Two neighbours with very different moods. The Sablon is polished, with antique dealers, chocolatiers and a Gothic church; the Marolles below is a working-class district of second-hand shops and the daily flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle. Both are an easy walk from the centre, and the Palais de Justice is a good viewpoint.

Sights: Place du Jeu de Balle Flea Market, Palais de Justice & Place Poelaert, Notre-Dame du Sablon, Pierre Marcolini (Sablon flagship)

🍽️ Restaurants: 21 · ☕ Breakfast: 5 · 🌙 Evening out: 3

The European institutions sit here, so weekdays are busy with officials and quiet at weekends. The reason to visit is the Cinquantenaire park with its triumphal arch and museums, plus the visitor-friendly EU attractions nearby. It is a short metro ride east of the centre, with plenty of green space between the visits.

Sights: Parlamentarium, House of European History, Art & History Museum, Parc du Cinquantenaire & Arcade, Museum of Natural Sciences

🍽️ Restaurants: 24 · ☕ Breakfast: 4 · 🌙 Evening out: 4

A planned exhibition site on the northern edge of the city, dominated by the Atomium, a giant model of an iron crystal from the 1958 World's Fair. Next to it is Mini-Europe, which is a hit with families. It is a metro ride from the centre, so count it as a half-day trip rather than a stop on the way.

Sights: Mini-Europe, Atomium

🍽️ Restaurants: 6

A short walk from the Grand-Place, this is where locals eat and drink. Rue Dansaert has design shops and cafes, while Place Sainte-Catherine and the old fish-market quays are lined with seafood restaurants. It is at its liveliest on evenings and in the weeks around Christmas, when the market takes over the square.

Sights: Rue Antoine Dansaert, Place Sainte-Catherine, Brussels Beer Project (Dansaert taproom)

🍽️ Restaurants: 2 · 🌙 Evening out: 3

Avenue Louise is the city's smart shopping boulevard, running south from the Toison d'Or towards the Bois de la Cambre. Beyond it, Ixelles is lively and student-friendly, with cafes and independent shops. It is a short tram or metro ride from the centre, or a pleasant walk from the Sablon.

Sights: Avenue Louise & Toison d'Or

A mixed, lived-in district south of the centre, known for its Art Nouveau townhouses and the Parvis de Saint-Gilles with its cafes and Sunday-morning market. The Horta Museum, in the architect's former home, is the main sight. It is a tram ride out of the centre, and quieter than the old town.

Sights: Horta Museum

🍽️ Restaurants: 2 · ☕ Breakfast: 2 · 🌙 Evening out: 1

A residential district on the western side of the city, best known for the huge Basilica of the Sacred Heart on its hill. The terrace near the top gives a wide view over Brussels. It is a trip out from the centre by tram or metro, and mostly worth it for the basilica itself.

Sights: Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg)

🍽️ Restaurants: 2

A large, diverse district north-east of the centre, with grand Art Nouveau and Art Deco facades and a lively Turkish and Moroccan food scene. Its best-known visit is Train World, set in the old Schaerbeek station. It is a trip out from the centre by train, tram or bus rather than a walk.

Sights: Train World

🍽️ Restaurants: 2

The area around Brussels-Midi station, a busy working neighbourhood with a big market on Sundays. It is also home to Cantillon, one of the last traditional lambic breweries in the city. It is a short metro or tram ride from the centre, and the streets around the station are best passed through rather than lingered in.

Sights: Cantillon Brewery (Brussels Gueuze Museum)

🍽️ Restaurants: 1