Where to stay · Brussels · Belgium
Where to stay in Brussels
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: EmDee, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré. Guild houses, glass-roofed galleries and narrow restaurant lanes in the historic Lower Town. Best alternatives — families: Sablon and Mont des Arts; budget: Marolles; nightlife: Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert.
Key facts
- First visit
- Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré
- Families
- Sablon and Mont des Arts
- Budget
- Marolles
- Nightlife
- Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré | Guild houses, glass-roofed galleries and narrow restaurant lanes in the historic Lower Town |
| Families | Sablon and Mont des Arts | Antique dealers, chocolatiers and the royal museums in the elegant Upper Town |
| Couples | Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré | Guild houses, glass-roofed galleries and narrow restaurant lanes in the historic Lower Town |
| Budget | Marolles | Old working-class quarter with a daily flea market, antique shops and brown cafés |
| Luxury | Sablon and Mont des Arts | Antique dealers, chocolatiers and the royal museums in the elegant Upper Town |
| Nightlife | Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert | Former fish-market quays, seafood restaurants and designer boutiques |
| Food lovers | Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert | Former fish-market quays, seafood restaurants and designer boutiques |
| Solo travellers | Marolles | Old working-class quarter with a daily flea market, antique shops and brown cafés |
| Shopping | Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré | Guild houses, glass-roofed galleries and narrow restaurant lanes in the historic Lower Town |
| Quiet stays | European Quarter | EU institutions, Parc Léopold and the Cinquantenaire arch on the eastern side |
Brussels neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and shopping
Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré
The streets around the Grand-Place put you within a few minutes' walk of Manneken Pis, the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries and Brussels-Central station. The Îlot Sacré lanes, including Rue des Bouchers, are packed with restaurants aimed at visitors, so eat a few streets away. It is the easiest base for a short first visit.
- Good
- Walk to almost every central sight; Next to Brussels-Central station; The square lit up at night
- Watch out
- Tourist-trap restaurants with touts on Rue des Bouchers; Crowded at weekends and in summer
- Nearby
- Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, Brussels-Central station
$$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, shopping and couples
Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert
Around the long Marché aux Poissons square, where the old harbour basins were filled in, seafood restaurants and oyster bars serve fish and grey shrimp. Rue Antoine Dansaert has Belgian designer boutiques, and the bars of Saint-Géry are a few minutes away. It is central but feels more local than the Grand-Place.
- Good
- Some of the city's best seafood; Lively bars nearby; Ten minutes' walk to the Grand-Place
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights around Saint-Géry; Few big-name sights
- Nearby
- Place Sainte-Catherine, Saint-Géry, Grand-Place
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, culture and families
Sablon and Mont des Arts
The Upper Town spreads from the Place du Grand Sablon, with its Gothic church, antique shops and chocolatiers, to the Mont des Arts gardens, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Magritte Museum and the Royal Palace. Hotels are polished and the streets are calm in the evening, yet the Grand-Place is a 10-minute walk downhill.
- Good
- Major museums on the doorstep; Quiet, elegant streets; Excellent chocolate shops
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels and restaurants; Steep walk back up from the Lower Town
- Nearby
- Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Magritte Museum, Royal Palace, Brussels Park
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and shopping
Marolles
Below the vast Palace of Justice, the Marolles centres on the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market and Rue Haute and Rue Blaes, lined with antique and vintage shops and old-fashioned cafés. It keeps a rougher, more local character than the neighbouring Sablon, and accommodation is mainly apartments and small hotels.
- Good
- Daily flea market; Local cafés and good-value food; Walkable to the centre
- Watch out
- Some streets feel scruffy at night; Few hotels
- Nearby
- Place du Jeu de Balle, Sablon, Brussels-Chapelle station
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and culture
Ixelles
South-east of the centre, Ixelles combines the Art Deco Flagey building and the Ixelles ponds with the Châtelain area's restaurants and Wednesday market and the Matongé quarter, the heart of the city's Congolese community. Trams and buses reach the Grand-Place in about 15–20 minutes, and Avenue Louise's shops are close by.
- Good
- Local restaurants and cafés; Lively but residential; Art Nouveau and Art Deco streets
- Watch out
- A tram ride from the main sights; Fewer hotels than the centre
- Nearby
- Place Eugène Flagey, Ixelles Ponds, Matongé, Avenue Louise
$$ · Best for budget, culture and nightlife
Saint-Gilles
Saint-Gilles has some of the city's finest Art Nouveau streets, Victor Horta's house and studio, and the Parvis de Saint-Gilles, a square of cafés and bars with a market. Its northern edge meets Brussels-Midi, the Eurostar and TGV station, which makes it convenient for train travellers.
- Good
- Art Nouveau architecture; Good-value bars and restaurants; Close to Eurostar and TGV trains
- Watch out
- Streets around Brussels-Midi feel rough; A tram or metro ride to the Grand-Place
- Nearby
- Horta Museum, Parvis de Saint-Gilles, Brussels-Midi station
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, families and culture
European Quarter
Home to the European Parliament and Commission, this district has free visitor centres, the House of European History in Parc Léopold and the Cinquantenaire park and museums. Business hotels are plentiful and often discount at weekends, when the area is very quiet. The metro reaches the centre in about 10 minutes.
- Good
- Weekend hotel deals; Parks and free museums; Direct airport bus
- Watch out
- Empty and lifeless on weekend evenings; Office-district feel
- Nearby
- Parlamentarium, House of European History, Cinquantenaire
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré | $$$ | Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, Brussels-Central station |
| Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert | $$$ | Place Sainte-Catherine, Saint-Géry, Grand-Place |
| Sablon and Mont des Arts | $$$$ | Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Magritte Museum, Royal Palace, Brussels Park |
| Marolles | $$ | Place du Jeu de Balle, Sablon, Brussels-Chapelle station |
| Ixelles | $$ | Place Eugène Flagey, Ixelles Ponds, Matongé, Avenue Louise |
| Saint-Gilles | $$ | Horta Museum, Parvis de Saint-Gilles, Brussels-Midi station |
| European Quarter | $$$ | Parlamentarium, House of European History, Cinquantenaire |
Getting to your hotel
Brussels Airport (BRU) is at Zaventem, about 12 km north-east of the centre. Trains reach Brussels-Central in about 20 minutes (an airport supplement applies), and STIB express buses run to the European Quarter. Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), used by low-cost airlines, is about 55 km south; shuttle coaches reach Brussels-Midi in about an hour.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Brussels for first-time visitors?
Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré. The streets around the Grand-Place put you within a few minutes' walk of Manneken Pis, the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries and Brussels-Central station.
+Where should families stay in Brussels?
Sablon and Mont des Arts: Major museums on the doorstep.
+Which area of Brussels is best for a budget stay?
Marolles ($$): Old working-class quarter with a daily flea market, antique shops and brown cafés.