Top things to do in Brussels
Attractions, tours and activities in Brussels
Recommended museums in Brussels
Where to discover culture and the arts in Brussels
Brussels: the city's best neighbourhoods
Find a great area to stay in Brussels
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Elsene / Ixelles
1.5 miles from city centre
Ixelles: hub for “bourgeois-boheme” (or bo-bo) types. Artists, intellectuals and students slink through these streets. The culturally inclined love to live here (careful – it comes with a posh price tag). Brunch at Belga in Place Flagey, then shop local from their weekend market. When the sun’s not-so shy, Abbey de la Cambre’ll be calling.
Places to stay from £34 per night
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Etterbeek
1.9 miles from city centre
Bordered by two Universities (VUB and ULB), impressionable minds and student-style ambition abound in this district. Cinquantenaire Park and Art Nouveau architecture pretty the streets. If you’ve been itching for some Brussels mussels, pair them with frites, local beer, and find it here. Then soothe sweet teeth at a typical Belgian ice cream parlour.
Places to stay from £41 per night
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Sint-Gillis / Saint-Gilles
1.1 miles from city centre
Wanna be an artist? You and everyone else in Sint-Gilles. Books and vintage wares can be obtained at the any of the (many) second hand shops. More bo-bo’s abound here. If its’ a summer month–the Midi Fair will find you on these streets (probably eating doughnut balls). Dine on a vegetable pie at La Maison du Peuple and feel like you live here.
Places to stay from £32 per night
About Brussels
Including tips for the best time to visit Brussels
Contemporary yet rich in tradition, Brussels is home to lively bars, cobblestone streets, historical buildings and a large cosmopolitan population.
Walking around the Belgian capital is like exploring a museum – each building, street corner and statue has a story to tell. The Grand Place – a UNESCO-listed plaza surrounded by magnificent architecture, cafés and chocolate shops – is a melting pot of history, culture and modernity. Manneken Pis, a statue of a urinating boy, is a nearby popular attraction that draws tourists regularly.
Belgium is renowned for its chocolates, waffles and beer. In Brussels, a journey to discover these specialities will take you to two elite chocolate stores, Mary Chocolaterie and Neuhaus Chocolates. Later, you can have Belgian waffles at Maison Dandoy. For a truly local experience, try your waffles plain and with powdered sugar. End your day with a glass of beer at the popular Delirium café. If you want to taste something beyond beer and waffles, try the crunchy Belgian fries and a bowl of Waterzooi, a classic chicken or fish stew.
No trip to Brussels is complete without a visit to the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. This architectural masterpiece is a shopping enthusiast’s paradise and houses numerous contemporary shops, cultural areas and delicious cafés. Another way to explore the city’s shopping scene is by visiting the Marolles Flea Market. From furniture and jewelry to old vinyl records and electronics, the market offers an extensive choice of antiques and is always abuzz with merchants and buyers.
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| Most popular time to visit | October–December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January–March |
| Local currency | € 10 = £8.41 |
| Language | French |
| Average weekend price | £117 per night |
| Average weekday price | £123 per night |
| Typical stay | 1 night |
Points of interest in Brussels
Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Brussels
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Grand Place
In the city centre
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Avenue Louise
1.6 miles from city centre
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Atomium
3.4 miles from city centre
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Rogier Square
0.7 miles from city centre
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Place du Grand Sablon
0.4 miles from city centre
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Manneken Pis
0.2 miles from city centre
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Place du Luxembourg
1.1 miles from city centre
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Place Royale
0.4 miles from city centre
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King Baudouin Stadium
3.5 miles from city centre
Brussels reviews
What other travellers say about Brussels
A lovely, clean city with a vibrant core!
15 May 2025
A lovely, clean city with a vibrant core! We enjoyed exploring it for two days but I would suggest a minimum 3 day stay. We really enjoyed eating at Wolf on Rue du Fosse aux Loops 48 directly across from the Raddison Collection where we stayed. We liked the “street food” atmosphere of this “grown up food court” and the food we had was great!
So much to see.
13 May 2025
So much to see. We stayed for 5 nights and took our time. The "old town" was very close by to our hotel. One day we did the Museum of Fine Arts and the Magritte Museum. The next day we walked up to the EU which happened to be the Open House day so we were able to actually sit in the Hemicycle and also enjoyed an EU travel show with lots of yummy treats from different parts of the EU. From there we carried on up to the Cinquantenaire and the AutoWorld. Both well worth the visit. We would go to the Grand Place every afternoon to enjoying a beer and people watching. So many great places to find dinner - wander and you will have no problem. Chocolate stores on every corner and some even gave free samples. Yes!!! Go to Brussels
Beautiful place, we were there for long weekend, nice...
12 May 2025
Beautiful place, we were there for long weekend, nice history and good monuments, really liked the place, good restaurants, Maharaja Indian restaurant does a great buffet everyday worth trying if you like Indian food.. some good Arabic food... Brussels caters everyone not expensive like Paris.
Largely work trip, but a good evening out with my colleagues.
10 May 2025
Largely work trip, but a good evening out with my colleagues. We ate at Wolf Food Market: https://wolf.be/bxl/: a great collection of 17 restaurants, where each person can order from a different restaurant, and indeed I had main from one and dessert from another (and coffee from the coffee bar).
Brussels is more peaceful and lots of beautiful places to...
9 May 2025
Brussels is more peaceful and lots of beautiful places to see. We enjoyed everything there including our trips to Ghent and Bruges. We highly recommend this country to our family. We enjoyed our dinners at the St. Catherine’s neighborhood too.
Brussels has some fabulous buildings and the metro makes it...
6 May 2025
Brussels has some fabulous buildings and the metro makes it easy to get around. But there is so much construction going on which spoils many views and this rebuilding never seems to get completed. I have been two years running now and there are still hoardings everywhere.
Popular places to stay in Brussels
Stay in some of the best accommodation Brussels has to offer
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Apartment Home Frit Home Vorst / Forest, Brussels
From £159 per night
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Sublime appartement Calme Cosy & Jacuzzi Koekelberg, Brussels
From £239 per night
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Apartment - Place Jourdan & EU institutions Etterbeek, Brussels
From £143 per night
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The Livorno Elsene / Ixelles, Brussels
From £331 per night
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Appartements Gustav Oudergem / Auderghem, Brussels
From £165 per night
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Other accommodation in Brussels
Choose from a wide variety of places to stay in Brussels
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Apartments
From £21 per night
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Villas
From per night
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Cottages
From £84 per night
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Serviced apartments
From £41 per night
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Holiday homes
From £84 per night
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Guest houses
From £45 per night
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Hostels
From £31 per night
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B&Bs
From £8 per night
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Homestays
From £25 per night
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Self catering accommodation
From £29 per night
