3 days in Brussels

Day by day

1. Day 1: Grand-Place and Manneken Pis

   Grand-Place, Manneken Pis and Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, then Saint-Géry in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Grand-Place

      Brussels's central square is enclosed by gilded baroque guild houses rebuilt after the French bombardment of 1695, the 15th-century Gothic Town Hall with its 96-metre spire and the neo-Gothic Maison du Roi, home to the Brussels City Museum.

   2. Late morning

      Manneken Pis

      Check whether he is in costume on the day of your visit; the GardeRobe museum a few steps away explains the tradition.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Moules-frites

      Seafood restaurants around Place Sainte-Catherine and traditional brasseries in the centre; avoid touts on Rue des Bouchers.

   4. Afternoon

      Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries

      Opened in 1847, these elegant glass-roofed shopping arcades were among the first of their kind in Europe.

   5. Evening

      Saint-Géry

      Bars and terraces around the former market hall, busy with a young crowd on weekends.

2. Day 2: Atomium and Mini-Europe

   Atomium, Mini-Europe and Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, then Impasse de la Fidélité and the Lower Town in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Atomium

      Take metro line 6 to Heysel and combine it with Mini-Europe at the foot of the structure.

   2. Late morning

      Mini-Europe

      At the foot of the Atomium, this outdoor park displays scale models of famous European buildings, from Big Ben to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, with moving trains, boats and erupting Vesuvius.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Belgian frites

      Friteries (fritkots) such as the long-established stands at Place Jourdan in the European Quarter and near the Bourse.

   4. Afternoon

      Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

      Head first to the Bruegel rooms, then follow the chronological route through Rubens's large canvases.

   5. Evening

      Impasse de la Fidélité and the Lower Town

      Beer cafés near the Grand-Place, including the famous Delirium Café with its enormous beer list.

3. Day 3: Magritte Museum and Musical Instruments Museum

   Magritte Museum, Musical Instruments Museum and Mont des Arts, then Place Eugène Flagey and Châtelain in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Magritte Museum

      The largest collection of works by the Belgian surrealist René Magritte, from early advertising designs to bowler-hatted men, pipes and floating stones, is arranged over several floors with letters, photographs and films that explain his life in Brussels.

   2. Late morning

      Musical Instruments Museum

      Even if you skip the collection, the rooftop café is worth a visit for the panorama of the Lower Town.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Brussels and Liège waffles

      Street stands around the Grand-Place and tea rooms; Maison Dandoy serves both in sit-down tea rooms.

   4. Afternoon

      Mont des Arts

      A formal garden and stairway between the Upper and Lower Towns, framed by the Royal Library and conference buildings, with a view across the rooftops to the Town Hall spire.

   5. Evening

      Place Eugène Flagey and Châtelain

      Neighbourhood bars and wine bars in Ixelles with a local, international crowd.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Parlamentarium (European Quarter): On weekdays you can sometimes combine it with a visit to the Parliament's hemicycle; ask at the visitor desk.
• Swap in House of European History (European Quarter): Start at the top floor and work down; the chronology begins with early ideas of Europe.
• Swap in Belgian Comic Strip Center (Lower Town): Pick up a map of the comic murals and spot several on your walk between the Grand-Place and Sainte-Catherine.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert ($$$) suits food lovers, nightlife, shopping and couples. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–12 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8 hours in December to 16.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Brussels
• 2 days in Brussels

Questions travellers ask