Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is a must-visit city when traveling through Europe. It has stunning architecture and rich history. It is the perfect city to walk and bike through as each alleyway has something to find! Below are 5 things you shouldn’t miss when in this city:
Visit the Royal Palace
When in Brussels, the Royal Palace is a must visit. Be sure to check when the palace is open to visitors prior to going. The Brussels Palace is typically open to the public every summer after July 21st until September. We were able to walk through several rooms of the palace, all of which were magnificent. Each room is different from the next, each with its own beautiful architecture and decor.
Go to the Botanical Gardens
The botanical gardens are nestled within the city and is the perfect place to relax, eat lunch, or read a book. The gardens have a variety of different plants along with a mixture of French, English, and Italian styles throughout the gardens.
Search for statues
One fun way to explore Brussels is to go on the hunt for its well-known peeing statues. They are quite entertaining and you get to explore the city while searching, think of it as a scavenger hunt!
- Manneken Pis – this is one of the most well-known statues in Brussels and attracts tons of visitors each year. Did you know this statue is only 24 inches tall? Yet it is one of the most popular sites in the city. This little boy actually is a big part of the Brussels’ annual calendar and even has an outfit for every occasion!
- Jeanneke Pis – to give Manneken Pis a playmate, a girl peeing statue was built in an alleyway near the peeing boy.
- Het Zinneke – maybe the city figured the peeing children needed a pet? Nonetheless, you can go exploring to find this peeing dog.
Drink at Delirium Café
Take a break from exploring the city of Brussels and quench your thirst at the Delirium Café. This cafe holds the Guinness World Record for the most beers offered in 2004, so it attracts all beer lovers as there are so many options to choose from. The decor in and of itself is worth the visit as the bar is covered with thousands of beer souvenirs! The Delirium Café is part of Delirium Village which consists of 8 different bars, so if you really wanted to you can drink all day and visit each one!
Take a day trip to Luxembourg
If you want to easily check off another country then try taking a day trip to Luxembourg from Brussels! That’s the beauty of Europe’s awesome train system; you can easily visit another country, explore a city, then be back in your original country by dinner time. We took the train from Brussels to Luxembourg City. This city is well-known for its fortified medieval old town that sits atop cliffs. We had a great day creating our own walking tour of the city and exploring all of its beauty.
There is so much to see and do in Brussels that you will never get bored, but these 5 things should give you a great start when traveling through Brussels. Brussels is just one of many cities in the beautiful country of Belgium! Check out my other blogs for other cities to visit in Belgium:
