Not a sprout in sight!
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Chips, chocolate, waffles and beer! What more could you actually want from a city break? Brussels is a city full of absolutely stunning architecture, mouth-watering food, serene parks and fantastic people! We instantly fell in love with this city when we arrived, and if you’re in the UK it’s literally on your doorstep too. Brussels is perfect for a quick getaway, or even a week’s trip where you don’t have to spend hours on a plane. Make sure to check out our Brussels itinerary for a more detailed guide on things to do, and a carefully planned 2-day itinerary.
The heart of the city - If you’re in the city centre of Brussels, you’re absolutely not going to be bored. Aside from the fact that we could’ve just spent all of our time here trying every variation of the local foods, there’s so much to do and see in what initially feels like quite a small city. Whether you’re marvelling at the incredible grand palace, going for a stroll through the park to the Arc du Cinquantenaire, shopping ‘til you drop in Les Galeries, or searching for the famous "Pis" statues, there is absolutely something to entertain everybody in Brussels. Make sure to check out the stunning Gothic church: Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon. And if all else fails, go and get a real Belgian beer!
If it’s a city skyline view you’re after, make sure to head up to Mont des Arts, where you’ll find a gorgeous garden, a selection of bars and plenty of students relaxing on the steps and taking in the view. However, if you’d rather get away from the crowds, despite the arc being a popular attraction, you can always find some serenity in Parc du Cinquantenaire. We visited at sunset and it was surprisingly quiet to say the view was so breathtaking!
Exploring further - Brussels is a very walkable city, so if you want to just chill in the city centre for the whole of your trip, we absolutely wouldn’t blame you. When you have everything you need, why would you? However, we would say that it’s worth a trip out to Bruparck, especially if you’re on a family trip. This park has some of the main attractions in Brussels: The Atomium and Mini Europe. They aren’t particularly cheap to enter but we felt that it was worth it, especially the Atomium.
Mini Europe is self explanatory - a park where you wander around an extremely accurate, detailed, scaled-down model of many European cities. The Atomium is a huge sculpture in the same park which you can pay to enter and see exhibitions including an amazing light show! We'd recommend booking your tickets online beforehand to save you getting stuck in the queue when you arrive. You can book a combination ticket for both attractions, which works out a little cheaper, direct here.
Belgian flavours - If you want to experience Belgian food at its finest, Brussels certainly has plenty to offer. From street food waffle stalls with every topping you could think of, to enormous portions of fries and amazing beer tastings, there is something for every taste. Make sure to head to a chocolate shop in Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, the beautiful shopping centre in Brussels, and get yourself some handcrafted chocolates to take home. Although, we have to be honest, ours didn’t quite make it home with us. In fact, they barely made it back to the hotel!
Unfortunately neither of us are beer fans, so on our trip we didn’t go and try the amazing range of Belgian beers on offer. However, we spotted lots and lots of city centre bars offering beer tasting experiences, where you pay a set price and get a selection tray of all the different beers they offer. That means you can choose your favourite, and always know what to order when you sit down to relax after all the sightseeing!
One thing that we did try was Belgian fries, and these absolutely did live up to our expectations and more. We recommend heading to Maison Antoine, which is a takeaway that specialises in traditional Belgian fries and the biggest range of sauces we’d ever seen. The portions are huge though, so if you’re not hungry, definitely share!! This isn’t the only spot for fries though, there are so many options in the city centre to try, you only have to walk a few paces before you see Belgian fries advertised in a window!
We think Brussels is a gem of a city with amazing culture, architecture and food that you should definitely visit! You can even head there on the Eurostar, which is ideal if you live in or close to London. Whether you're visiting on a romantic trip, a quick city break with friends or with all the family, you should always be able to find something in this brilliant capital city!
Additional information:
Getting there: Brussels is easily accessible by air, with direct flights from many major cities around the UK. It's also accessible by Eurostar from London, and by train or coach from major cities in Belgium and surrounding countries.
Visas: Citizens of most countries do not need a visa to visit Belgium for a stay of up to 90 days.
Currency: The currency of Belgium is the Euro.
Language: Belgium has 3 official languages: Flemish (Dutch), French and German. We found that we heard more French spoken than the other languages in Brussels. However, English is widely spoken, especially in major cities such as Brussels.
Time zone: Belgium is in the Central European Summer Time, usually an hour ahead of the UK.
Ready to go?
- Find out more about Brussels in our weekend itinerary here
- Search for a hotel on Expedia here
- Look for things to do in Brussels on GetYourGuide here
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