Our Top 3 Things To Do In Brussels, Belgium

The vibe in Brussels was certainly… different than Brugge. It’s way more modern, diverse, and energetic. The arts & culture scene is big, and that includes this city’s claim-to-fame as the “comic strip capital.” 

3 HIGHLIGHTS IN BRUSSELS

See It

‘Manneken Pis’ is Brussels’ most famous statue. He has different costumes throughout the year. 

Walk It

Brussels has some pretty parks and gardens. The Jardin du Mont des Artes was right behind our hotel.

Visit It

It’s just… random. We didn’t climb it ($), but it was worth seeing since it’s such a unique structure. 

What You Need To Know About Brussels, Belgium

In a nutshell: Brussels was not my favorite, but maybe because I expected it to feel more like Brugge. It definitely did not. It felt more like New York City, to be honest. Lots of shopping, chain stores and restaurants. It’s incredibly diverse, not the cleanest, home to the EU, and also to the Smurfs.

Nights here: 2. It was enough for us. 

Where we stayed: The Hilton Brussels Grand Palace. Would definitely recommend.   

Highlights of what to do in Brussels, Belgium: Keep eating and drinking your way through this country, you won’t regret it! Brussels is an ‘arts & culture’ capital, so don’t miss out on that (if that’s what you’re in to). 

How to get around: We walked (even to the Atom). Not sure I’d do it again. They also have a tram, train, taxi or bus. 

Would we recommend? It depends what you’re looking for. I’d try Ghent next time. 

Resources: The city’s main website is a good resource. 

Wish we knew: We had a bit of an issue getting in to the city. Brussels is a “low emission zone” area, meaning vehicles that pollute are not allowed to drive in the city center. So, we parked at a park & ride and had a heck of a time figuring out which train to take in to the city. After a lot of messy-ness and confusion, we were told at our hotel that it’s only “old cars” that are prohibited. Because we were driving a new vehicle, we could have driven in and parked at the hotel. 

Notes From Brussels

Come for the murals, stay in a one-of-a-kind hotel room.

• Hilton Hotels currently has 14 very specific, one-of-a-kind themed hotel rooms throughout the world. One of them is right here in Brussels and, conveniently, where we stayed. Sadly we didn’t know ahead of time, so we didn’t get to stay in the actual room, but this gigantic ceiling mural is right outside the property. 
• Brussels is home to both the UN and NATO headquarters. 
• It definitely has more of a “New York” big city feel than some of it’s more quintessential European capital city neighbors. 

Harry Potter Fans

Don’t miss this “Gringotts” style building. It can be found near the intersection of Bd Adolphe Max & Rue Saint-Michel.

Walking Tour

Like any big city, you’ll find areas that… you might want to avoid. But you’ll also stumble on a Ferris wheel, cathedrals, gardens, and pretty art instillations with flowers.