A weekend in Brussels

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is famous for its stunning architecture, world-class museums, diverse neighbourhoods, and delicious Belgian cuisine. A perfect blend of attractions and interests, along with its easy accessibility through train and flight, makes it a must-visit destination.

My visit to Brussels was not a long drawn plan. It was the middle of the week when the sudden urge to get away took control of me, and I began looking for a low-fare travel destination that wasn't far and offered a change from my usual Indian-Italian-Thai circle of cuisine.

Lo and behold! Brussels seemed like a perfect destination - train tickets were cheap, travel time was under 2 hours, and the food (moreover the cheat-food) is mouth-watering.

Another big perk was Tintin. I simply adore the comics, so Brussels has always been something I had wished to visit, but hadn't got to it yet.

And so I asked myself - "what can I do in Brussels in 48 hours?"

First things first. You can't see all of Brussels in a weekend. But then, is Brussels suitable for a short city break? Yes, indeed! The idea is to prioritize. To balance some famous sights and some activities that interest you.

A well-paced enjoyable weekend itinerary is easily achievable in Brussels. Mainly because most of the attractions are in walking distance of one another. For example, I have made a google map of our Day-1 in Brussels and it was an hour-long walk, originating and finishing around Grand Place.

Day-1

Grand Place
Manneken Pis
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
Parc de Bruxelles
Mont Des Arts
Musical Instruments Museum OR Magritte Museum

Eve -1

Sainte-Catherine District
Jeanneke Pis
Delirium Café

DAY 1 - Start at the Grand Place

When you walk into the square you realise it really is grand, and surrounded by impressive buildings on all sides.. Lined with cafes and restaurants, the lively square has impressive gothic and baroque architecture dating back to 15th Century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you can also spot the plaque on houses here where Karl Marx and Victor Hugo resided.

A free walking tour is highly recommended to know more about the history of Brussels. It starts here in the square itself - it is very informative, you can pay what you see fit and it kind of covers the same itinerary as we had planned for Day 1, minus the museums and evening shenanigans.

Mannekin Pis

Brussels’ quirky, iconic and most beloved fountain statue - if you are lucky he might be in costume. Don't build him up too much in your head though, he's tiny!

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Beautiful shopping arcade packed with luxury boutiques, cafes, and chocolate shops. This is where we grabbed our waffles and chocolates.

Parc De Bruxelles

Biggest park in Brussels, perfect for a peaceful walk, located between the Royal Palace and the Belgian Parliament. We strolled through it to reach Mont Des Arts.

Mont Des Arts

A stunning cultural complex offering a panoramic view of the city. Visit for the landscaped garden that also holds the statue of King Albert 1, a Belgian hero.

Try Liege waffles with chocolate or 'speculoos'. Took a few tries to realise the simpler the better.

Go for an assortment of chocolates, and do try their 1919 and Marie Henriette chocolates.

When at Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

This is the prefect time to grab a midday snack AKA Belgian waffle. There are just so many waffle shops that it gets confusing to find the right one. Not many places make them fresh. (Most make them early in the morning and keep warming and serving all day). also it is a good idea to choose a place where you can sit and try these, rather than struggling with your takeaway plate. We had ours at Maison Dandoy, and they were unforgettable.

We also picked up an assortment of delectable chocolates from Mary Chocolatier located in the Galeries, and recommended by a local friend. They are just divine. Also when in shop, find out Mary's entrepreneurial spirit and how she became a Belgian Royal Warrant Holder.

Musical Instruments Museum (MIM)

Housed in a stunning Art Nouveau building, this museum showcases over 8,000 instruments from different cultures and eras, making it one of the most comprehensive collections of musical instruments in the world. It offers a unique interactive experience because you can use an audio guide to hear the sounds of most instruments while looking at them. It has 3 floors so if you are interested in music, prepare to spend 2-3 hours easily.

TOP TIP - The MIM also has a panoramic rooftop restaurant with free breath-taking views of Brussels to enjoy with a drink or light bite.

In the evening. we roamed around the St Catharine district and had our dinner at Noordzee Mer du Nord - A famous seafood spot offering fresh catches. It is a very casual joint and we had oysters, seaweed croquettes, and fish of the day on an outside counter but they also have a small restaurant space. Other great options would be -

Restaurant Vismet - A high-end seafood restaurant perfect for fresh fish dishes with a creative twist. The atmosphere is elegant yet relaxed, making it ideal for a memorable dinner.
La Belle Maraîchère - One of the oldest seafood restaurants in the area, known for its traditional Belgian fish dishes like moules-frites and seafood platters. A great choice for a classic Brussels dining experience.

We then made our way to Delirium Village, and you can also spot Jeanekke Pis in the delirium lane itself. Delirium cafe has an extensive beer menu with over 2,000 varieties! We tried the beer meter, very fun! I found it a perfect, lively spot to wind down our day, and we also strolled through the Grand Place before heading back to our hotel - and it was lit up in the night, looking very majestic.

DAY 2

We started our day with an early breakfast at Aux Merveilleux de Fred, which was just one minute walk from the hotel where we stayed for the trip. I had a coffee and fig jam sandwich which I loved. The croissant my husband had was scrumptious as well. We also tried the mini chocolate le merveilleux, and it was quite a unique dessert.

Then, we took a tram (two changes, 35 minutes) and reached our first stop of the day - the Atomium, by 10 AM.

The structure is magnificent, even from far away- it represents a crystal of iron magnified 165 billion times. There were exhibitions inside that we viewed and there was a separate elevator for reaching the top sphere from where we caught beautiful panoramic views of the city. We spent around 1.5 hrs here.

TOP TIP - Celebrate a special occasion in the lovely fine dining restaurant inside the top sphere perfect for dining with a view.

Around 11:45, we reached Mini-Europe, a unique miniature theme park which is located just next to the Atomium. It features more than 350 models of famous buildings and monuments from across the European Union, at a scale of 1:25.

Many of the displays had moving parts, sound effects, and small animations, such as trains running through villages, windmills turning, and Mount Vesuvius erupting. There was enough information to read up on, and a lot of sight-seeing to do, and a lot of pictures to click. You could easily spend over 2 hours here, (especially if you are in a bigger group). It's an ideal spot for people interested in European history, or in model villages . Plus, being walking distance to the Atomium, it makes for a great combined visit. There is also a free design museum nearby, and people sometimes club all three if they have time.

We however headed back, and reached the Grand Place around 2:30 PM, when we sat down for a late lunch (comprising of Paella and frites) at Brasserie Le Cerf, located on the square itself, and enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the place.

Around 4 PM we headed to the Tintin shop to buy some books and souvenirs, and then went to see the Tintin mural at Rue de l'Etuve, and visit Place du Jeu de Balle where we loitered about the flea market leisurely.

That's all we managed to do but if you are a die-hard Tintin fan, then this is the trail I'd recommend -

Start at Rue de l'Étuve for the Tintin mural.
Walk to the Belgian Comic Strip Center to explore the world of Tintin and other Belgian comic legends.
Take a metro to Stockel Station to see the frescoes.
Visit Place du Jeu de Balle, browsing through the flea market and reminiscing about Tintin’s The Secret of the Unicorn.
Return to the Tintin Boutique for some souvenirs.
If you have your own transport, and extra time, you can visit Herge museum (30 KMs from central Brussels)

Photo by João Goncalves

For dinner we went to The Blue restaurant, where we relished the famous Brussel-mussels along with some pasta, veggie burger and obviously frites. We also tried some fruit flavoured beers and added our names to their cool graffiti wall.

Then we strolled around the Grand Place on our last night in the city, and ended the day with some more beer at Delirium Village. There is also Hard Rock Café at the square itself, if you would like to visit a different venue.

Click to find this mural's location.

Lastly, where to stay?

I'd say for a short weekend trip, try to stay as close to the centre as possible. We stayed at OPO hotel in St Catherine district, can't find fault with it, just that they don't do breakfast - but we had lovely breakfasts just down below at Santos Palace Shop and Aux Merveilleux de Fred. Loved the former for coffee, and the latter for their sandwiches.