On my trip to Belgium, I based myself in the capital city, Brussels. I spent just about 2 days exploring Brussels out of the 4 days of my trip! (The other days I went to Antwerp and Bruges/Ghent.) There are lots of famous landmarks and well-known things to do in Brussels. But instead of a normal city guide, I wanted to share some of the unique things I loved in Brussels!

How did I find out about all of these things? Instagram. I shared on my Instagram that I was going to Belgium and asked for recommendations and tips. I was overwhelmed with how many people messaged and emailed me about it! One of my “Instagram friends” even sent me an email with an entire itinerary for Brussels, including several of these things!

If you’re headed to Brussels, here are 11 practical tips you need to know before you go. But more importantly: 8 unique things to do in Brussels!

1) Zinneke Pis

You’ve heard of Manneken Pis, the statue of a little boy peeing in Brussels. And you’ve probably have heard of Jeanneke Pis, the statue of the little girl peeing! But you might not have heard of Zinneke Pis—the statue of the dog peeing! It’s located on the corner of Rue Saint-Christophe and Rue des Chartreux.

2) Rue de la Cigogne

I’m hesitant to even mention this street, as very few people know about it—and I know it’ll become an Instagram sensation! But this is quite possibly the most charming and picturesque little street in Brussels. I think the photos speak for itself! Look it up on GoogleMaps, as it most likely won’t be marked an any regular map. It’s not far from Place Sainte-Catherine.

3) Rue de Rollebeek

Another one of my favorite, beautiful streets I discovered in Brussels is Rue de Rollebeek. This cute street is located close to the Notre-Dame Sablon Church. Full of shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants, you could spend a whole day just wandering through each of them!

4) MIM Restaurant (Old England Building)

This stunning Art Nouveau building is one place you simply must see on a visit to Brussels. But did you know that you can go to the top of the building for city views—for free?! While the building houses the Musical Instruments Museum, the very top floor offers panoramic views from a restaurant. Even if you don’t want to visit the museum or eat in the restaurant, you can still take the elevator up to the 10^th floor for free. Don’t worry about buying anything, they’re used to people coming up just for the view! The best shot of Brussels is from near the tables to the right as you exit the elevator.

5) Delirium Monasterium

When researching good bars in Brussels, you’ll undoubtedly come across Delirium Café. This bar is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most beers sold—2004 when recorded in 2004. The whole corner is essentially all Delirium run now—with the taphouse being the most popular. Definitely visit the taphouse and take your photos of all the beer taps! But save your time (and possibly more, as pickpockets frequent the establishment) and get your actual drinks from the Delirium Monasterium on the corner. Unlike at the taphouse, you won’t have to wait 15-20 minutes to order, and although it’s smaller, it has more of a low-key atmosphere. The Monasterium specializes in vodka, but serves a wide variety of beers and plenty of other booze to choose from.

6) Senne River

The Senne River, or Zenne in Dutch, used to flow through Brussels as the city’s main river. However, it was covered up in 1871 in an effort to stop the spreading of disease. Despite this, you can still see a bit of the river flowing through Brussels today! Visit the Lion d’Or restaurant’s courtyard, and you can see what’s left of the river. You don’t need to eat at the restaurant to see the river or gain access to the courtyard. The courtyard is open to the public from 9:30-6:00 every day. As it is a residential area, please be respectful of the neighbors.

7) The Peter Pan statue in Egmont Park

Ever visited Hyde Park in London and seen the wonderful, whimsical statue of Peter Pan? Well there’s one in Brussels as well! The small, hidden gem of Egmont Park is home to a copy of the Hyde Park statue: Peter Pan and numerous little friends. The park is cozy and well worth a stroll. It’s very popular with locals for walking their dogs!

8) Marolles (and Elevator)

If you’re admiring the view from the Palace of Justice, there’s no reason you should leave without exploring Marolles (in Dutch, Marollen)! Take the elevator (free, open until 11:00pm) down to the Marolles neighborhood and take yourself window shopping. The area is full of small boutiques, vintage and antique shops, galleries, and a daily flea market. I can imagine this is where hipster Brussels likes to spend their time! The flea market is on daily, 365 days a year, at Place du Jeu de Balle. It opens at 6am and runs until 2pm (weekdays) or 3pm (weekends).

The Basics

Brussels is the capital of Belgium. Belgium is both a member of the European Union and the Schengen Zone. It is, in fact, the headquarters of the EU! Because of this, Brussels is very business-centered and sees lots of business travelers, and school trips. The official currency is Euros, and the official languages are Dutch, French, and English. Everyone I encountered on my trip to Brussels spoke excellent English. Brussels is a very diverse city, and has large populations of people from North Africa (especially Morocco) and the Middle East. Brussels is a common stopping point for people traveling overland from Amsterdam to Paris (or vice versa).

Getting Around Brussels

Brussels has an underground Metro system with 4 main lines. It also has a good tram and bus system. Buy tram tickets beforehand and validate them once on board. I only used the public transportation system once, when I first arrived! Note that there are three main train stations in Brussels North, Central, and South), and most trains to popular destinations like Bruges and Antwerp will pass through all three.

Where I Stayed in Brussels

I stayed in a 6-bed female dorm room at Meininger Hotel for my 3 nights in Brussels. While it has dorm rooms so is very clearly a hostel, it does have a definite hotel vibe. If you’re not staying in a dorm, I can imagine it would be hard to meet people. That being said, the hotel has a massive, fully-equipped kitchen, a big bar, and good security—keycard access to the elevators and to rooms. My dorm room was ensuite, the bathroom was cleaned everyday, and there were decent-sized lockers. Each bed has an individual plug and a reading light. The location was decent as well—most everything was about a 20-minute walk away. The only annoying this was that you have to put your keycard in the lights, otherwise the power goes off for the entire room! Besides that, I would definitely stay here again. You can book your stay at Meininger Hotel here!

It is ridiculously easy to get around Belgium by train. I always use Trainline to find the best deals! I flew to Belgium and booked flights through Skyscanner, but you can also take the Eurostar from London and travel by rail. You can look for hostels in Brussels like the one I stayed at here, and if they’re not you’re thing, you can check out hotels in Brussels here.

Booking.com

 

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Wanting to do a tour? Check out these tours in Brussels!

I loved my trip to Belgium! Even in a big city like Brussels, there’s still the chance to discover something unique and unknown. I hope this helps planning a trip to Brussels!

Have you ever visited Brussels? Did you discover any unique things in the city?

Check out my other Belgium posts:

How Much Does It Cost To Spend 4 Days In Belgium?

11 Practical Tips For Visiting Brussels

 A Daytrip To Antwerp

Bruges And Ghent: A Busy Daytrip From Brussels

To Brussels On The Eurostar

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