Brussels on a rainy day

Museums

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  Magritte Museum · Mont des Arts · Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00 (closed Mon) · €13
  The world's largest collection of René Magritte's surrealist works.

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  Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) · Mont des Arts · Tue–Fri 09:30–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00 (closed Mon) · €18
  1,000+ instruments with audio guide in the Art Nouveau Old England building.

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  Parlamentarium · EU quarter/Cinquantenaire · Mon 13:00–18:00, Tue–Fri 09:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00 · Free
  The European Parliament's interactive visitor centre, in all 24 EU languages.

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  House of European History · EU quarter/Cinquantenaire · Mon 13:00–18:00, Tue–Fri 09:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00 · Free
  Europe's modern history told through objects and multimedia, in Parc Léopold.

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  Art & History Museum · EU quarter/Cinquantenaire · Tue–Fri 09:30–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00 (closed Mon) · €10
  Huge encyclopaedic museum: antiquities, Art Deco and Easter Island.

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  Horta Museum · Saint-Gilles · Tue–Fri 14:00–17:30, Sat–Sun 11:00–17:30 (closed Mon; last entry 45 min before closing; book online) · €12
  Victor Horta's own house and studio, a UNESCO-listed Art Nouveau gem full of light, iron and curves.

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  Old Masters Museum · Mont des Arts · Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00 (closed Mon; ticket office closes 30 min earlier) · €13
  Flemish masters from Van der Weyden to Bruegel and Rubens in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

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  Coudenberg Palace · Mont des Arts · Tue–Fri 09:30–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00 (closed Mon; July–Aug 10:00–18:00) · €10
  Walk the underground ruins of Charles V's palace and a buried medieval street beneath Place Royale.

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  Museum of Natural Sciences · EU quarter/Cinquantenaire · Tue–Fri 09:30–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00 (closed Mon) · €15
  Europe's largest dinosaur gallery, with a herd of real Iguanodon skeletons found in a Belgian coal mine.

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  Comics Art Museum (Belgian Comic Strip Center) · Grand-Place/Centre · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last tickets 17:00 (closed Mon, except July–August) · €14
  Tintin, the Smurfs and Spirou in a Victor Horta Art Nouveau department store.
• Train World · Schaerbeek · Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00, last admission 15:30 (closed Mon) · €15
  Real steam locomotives and vintage carriages in and beside Schaerbeek's historic station.
• Choco-Story Brussels · Grand-Place/Centre · Daily 10:00–18:00, last admission 17:00 · €16
  From cocoa bean to praline, with a live chocolatier demonstration and a tasting at the end.

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  Belgian Beer World · Grand-Place/Centre · Sun–Thu 10:30–19:30 (last entry 18:30), Fri–Sat 10:30–20:30 (last entry 19:30) · €25
  Interactive beer experience in the old Stock Exchange, with tastings and a drink on the rooftop.

Careful on Mondays: 9 of these museums are closed. Which museums are open today? →

Churches

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  Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula · Grand-Place/Centre · Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00, Sat 08:00–17:00, Sun 13:00–18:00 · Free
  Gothic national cathedral with twin towers and Renaissance stained glass.

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  Notre-Dame du Sablon · Sablon/Marolles · Daily approx. 09:00–18:00 · Free
  Flamboyant Gothic church on the chic Sablon square full of chocolatiers.

Shopping under cover

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  Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert · Grand-Place/Centre · Always open (shops approx. 10:00–18:00) · Free
  Elegant 1847 glass-roofed arcades with chocolatiers, cafés and bookshops.

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  Pierre Marcolini (Sablon flagship) · Sablon/Marolles · Mon–Thu 10:00–19:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–19:30, Sun 10:00–19:00 · Free
  The Sablon flagship of Brussels' star chocolatier: pralines, macarons and bean-to-bar chocolate.

Beer and chocolate

• Cantillon Brewery (Brussels Gueuze Museum) · Anderlecht/Midi · Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00–16:00 (closed Wed, Sun and public holidays) · €9 (self-guided, Mon–Fri) / €13 (guided, Sat, book online)
  Family lambic brewery since 1900; visits end with a lambic, gueuze and fruit beer tasting.
• Brussels Beer Project (Dansaert taproom) · Dansaert/Sainte-Catherine · Tue–Thu 17:00–23:00, Fri 17:00–23:30, Sat 14:00–23:30 (closed Sun–Mon) · Free entry; brewery tour with 6-beer tasting €25–32
  Lively craft-beer taproom where Brussels' boldest brewery began; tours with tastings Thu and Sat.

More to see indoors

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  Atomium · Atomium/Heysel · Daily 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30) · €17
  102 m Expo 58 iron-crystal model with exhibitions and a panoramic top sphere.

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  Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg) · Koekelberg · Panorama daily 10:00–16:30, last ticket 16:00 (in summer 09:00–17:30); basilica itself free from 08:00 · €8 (panorama; basilica free)
  Huge Art Deco basilica with a gallery under the dome, 53 m up, for the best view over Brussels.