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Things to do in Brussels

Brussels packs a lot into a compact centre. Here are all 33 sights in our planner, starting with the must-sees and then grouped by theme, each with opening hours, price and the time you need.

Last updated: 24 October 2026

Don't miss

Grand-Place, BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Grand-Place

UNESCO-listed central square with the Gothic Town Hall and ornate guildhalls.

Manneken Pis, BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Manneken Pis

Tiny bronze fountain and cheeky city mascot, often dressed in one of 1,000+ costumes.

Sightseeing: squares, landmarks and viewpoints

Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula

Gothic national cathedral with twin towers and Renaissance stained glass.

Mont des Arts Garden & Viewpoint, BrusselsMont des Arts

Mont des Arts Garden & Viewpoint

Terraced gardens with one of the best views over the old town.

Atomium, BrusselsAtomium/Heysel

Atomium

102 m Expo 58 iron-crystal model with exhibitions and a panoramic top sphere.

Parc du Cinquantenaire & Arcade, BrusselsEU quarter/Cinquantenaire

Parc du Cinquantenaire & Arcade

Grand park around a monumental triumphal arch built for Belgium's 50th anniversary.

Place Sainte-Catherine, BrusselsDansaert/Sainte-Catherine

Place Sainte-Catherine

The old fish-market quarter: a lively square with its church, seafood stalls and canal-basin terraces.

Museums and galleries

Magritte Museum, BrusselsMont des Arts

Magritte Museum

The world's largest collection of René Magritte's surrealist works.

Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), BrusselsMont des Arts

Musical Instruments Museum (MIM)

1,000+ instruments with audio guide in the Art Nouveau Old England building.

Parlamentarium, BrusselsEU quarter/Cinquantenaire

Parlamentarium

The European Parliament's interactive visitor centre, in all 24 EU languages.

House of European History, BrusselsEU quarter/Cinquantenaire

House of European History

Europe's modern history told through objects and multimedia, in Parc Léopold.

Art & History Museum, BrusselsEU quarter/Cinquantenaire

Art & History Museum

Huge encyclopaedic museum: antiquities, Art Deco and Easter Island.

Old Masters Museum, BrusselsMont des Arts

Old Masters Museum

Flemish masters from Van der Weyden to Bruegel and Rubens in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

Coudenberg Palace, BrusselsMont des Arts

Coudenberg Palace

Walk the underground ruins of Charles V's palace and a buried medieval street beneath Place Royale.

Museum of Natural Sciences, BrusselsEU quarter/Cinquantenaire

Museum of Natural Sciences

Europe's largest dinosaur gallery, with a herd of real Iguanodon skeletons found in a Belgian coal mine.

Train World, BrusselsSchaerbeek

Train World

Real steam locomotives and vintage carriages in and beside Schaerbeek's historic station.

Architecture

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Elegant 1847 glass-roofed arcades with chocolatiers, cafés and bookshops.

Palais de Justice & Place Poelaert, BrusselsSablon/Marolles

Palais de Justice & Place Poelaert

Colossal 19th-century law courts with a panorama over the Marolles (public lift down to the old town).

Notre-Dame du Sablon, BrusselsSablon/Marolles

Notre-Dame du Sablon

Flamboyant Gothic church on the chic Sablon square full of chocolatiers.

Horta Museum, BrusselsSaint-Gilles

Horta Museum

Victor Horta's own house and studio, a UNESCO-listed Art Nouveau gem full of light, iron and curves.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg), BrusselsKoekelberg

Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg)

Huge Art Deco basilica with a gallery under the dome, 53 m up, for the best view over Brussels.

Beer

Cantillon Brewery (Brussels Gueuze Museum)Anderlecht/Midi

Cantillon Brewery (Brussels Gueuze Museum)

Family lambic brewery since 1900; visits end with a lambic, gueuze and fruit beer tasting.

Belgian Beer World, BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Belgian Beer World

Interactive beer experience in the old Stock Exchange, with tastings and a drink on the rooftop.

Brussels Beer Project (Dansaert taproom)Dansaert/Sainte-Catherine

Brussels Beer Project (Dansaert taproom)

Lively craft-beer taproom where Brussels' boldest brewery began; tours with tastings Thu and Sat.

Chocolate

Choco-Story BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Choco-Story Brussels

From cocoa bean to praline, with a live chocolatier demonstration and a tasting at the end.

Pierre Marcolini (Sablon flagship), BrusselsSablon/Marolles

Pierre Marcolini (Sablon flagship)

The Sablon flagship of Brussels' star chocolatier: pralines, macarons and bean-to-bar chocolate.

Comics

Comics Art Museum (Belgian Comic Strip Center), BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Comics Art Museum (Belgian Comic Strip Center)

Tintin, the Smurfs and Spirou in a Victor Horta Art Nouveau department store.

Comic Strip Route (mural walk), BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Comic Strip Route (mural walk)

Tintin, Gaston, the Smurfs and Lucky Luke on house walls: a walk past the best-known comic murals, from Manneken Pis to Saint-Géry and the Marolles.

Shopping

Place du Jeu de Balle Flea Market, BrusselsSablon/Marolles

Place du Jeu de Balle Flea Market

Daily flea market in the Marolles, packed with antiques and curiosities.

Rue Neuve & City 2, BrusselsGrand-Place/Centre

Rue Neuve & City 2

Belgium's busiest pedestrian shopping street, with big brands, Galeria Inno and the City 2 mall.

Avenue Louise & Toison d'Or, BrusselsIxelles/Louise

Avenue Louise & Toison d'Or

Brussels' chic boulevard of luxury labels, designer boutiques and elegant cafés around Place Louise.

Rue Antoine Dansaert, BrusselsDansaert/Sainte-Catherine

Rue Antoine Dansaert

Brussels' fashion street: Belgian designers, concept stores, vintage shops and cocktail bars.

With kids

Mini-Europe, BrusselsAtomium/Heysel

Mini-Europe

1:25 scale models of Europe's landmarks at the foot of the Atomium.

Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.

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