Season guide · Brussels · Belgium
Brussels in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer), CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
Mild September with heritage events, then cooler, wetter months with autumn colour in the city's forests. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 34 rainy days across September–November. September is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 4°C (39°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 34
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 19°C (66°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 10 | 12.5 h | 3/5 |
| October | 15°C (59°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 11 | 10.6 h | 3/5 |
| November | 10°C (50°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 13 | 8.8 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 15°C (59°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 34 of the year's roughly 134 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: Heritage Days — free entry to normally closed buildings (usually a September weekend)
- September: Car-free Sunday — central Brussels closed to traffic (usually mid to late September)
- September: Comic Strip Festival (usually September)
- November: Winter Wonders Christmas market and Grand-Place light show (usually from late November)
Good choices for autumn
Museum · European Quarter
Parlamentarium
The European Parliament's free visitor centre uses multimedia guides, a 360-degree room and interactive displays to explain how the EU and its Parliament work.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · European Quarter
House of European History
Start at the top floor and work down; the chronology begins with early ideas of Europe.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · Lower Town
Belgian Comic Strip Center
Set in a former textile warehouse designed by Victor Horta, the museum traces Belgian comics from Tintin and the Smurfs to contemporary graphic novels, with original drawings and a reading library.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Art
- Architecture
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Museum · European Quarter
Museum of Natural Sciences
Head straight to the Dinosaur Gallery on arrival, before school groups fill it.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Historic site · Sablon and Mont des Arts
Coudenberg Palace remains
Under the Place Royale lie the excavated cellars, chapel foundations and a cobbled street of the palace where Emperor Charles V once lived, destroyed by fire in 1731.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Day trips in autumn
- Antwerp (About 40–50 minutes by train) — Belgium's port city has Rubens altarpieces in the Cathedral of Our Lady, the MAS museum's rooftop views, a renowned fashion scene and one of the world's grandest railway stations.
- Leuven (About 20–30 minutes by train) — Home to one of Europe's oldest universities, Leuven has an extraordinarily ornate Gothic town hall, the University Library tower and the Oude Markt, a square lined almost entirely with student bars.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Brussels?
Yes: September is among the best months. Mild September with heritage events, then cooler, wetter months with autumn colour in the city's forests.
+What is the weather like in Brussels in autumn?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 34 rainy days over the season.