History · Brussels · Belgium
7 historic sites to see in Brussels
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: EmDee, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Grand-Place, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 8–12 hours across 4 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 8–12 hours
- Areas
- Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré, Sablon and Mont des Arts and Upper Town
Historic sites in Brussels
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré
1.Grand-Place
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's stage for markets, concerts and the Christmas light show.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- After dark
- Photo spot
Museum · Sablon and Mont des Arts
2.Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Old Masters Museum and the Magritte Museum share the complex beside the Place Royale.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Religious site · Upper Town
3.Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
Royal weddings and state funerals take place here, and excavated Romanesque foundations can be seen below the nave.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Museum · European Quarter
4.Parlamentarium
Guides are available in all the EU's official languages.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · European Quarter
5.House of European History
It complements the nearby Parlamentarium well.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Park · European Quarter
6.Cinquantenaire Park and museums
The park lawns are a favourite picnic spot.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- History
- Kids
- Views
Historic site · Sablon and Mont des Arts
7.Coudenberg Palace remains
The entrance is through the BELvue museum, which covers Belgian history.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré | Grand-Place | 30 minutes to 1 hour |
| Sablon and Mont des Arts | Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and Coudenberg Palace remains | 2–3 hours + 1 hour |
| Upper Town | Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula | 45 minutes |
| European Quarter | Parlamentarium, House of European History and Cinquantenaire Park and museums | 1–1.5 hours + 1.5–2 hours + 1–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 5 free, 1 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré and Sablon and Mont des Arts): Grand-Place → Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium → Coudenberg Palace remains, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Upper Town and European Quarter): Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula → Parlamentarium → House of European History, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (European Quarter): Cinquantenaire Park and museums, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still cold and often wet; a good month for museums, beer cafés and low hotel prices.
- March: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. Changeable early spring weather with the first blossom in the parks; showers are frequent.
- January: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold, grey and damp with short days, but hotels are quiet and the winter sales usually start early in the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré — Guild houses, glass-roofed galleries and narrow restaurant lanes in the historic Lower Town
- Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert — Former fish-market quays, seafood restaurants and designer boutiques
- Sablon and Mont des Arts — Antique dealers, chocolatiers and the royal museums in the elegant Upper Town
- European Quarter — EU institutions, Parc Léopold and the Cinquantenaire arch on the eastern side
More of Brussels
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Brussels?
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.
+Which of these are free in Brussels?
Grand-Place, Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Parlamentarium, House of European History and Cinquantenaire Park and museums.