Brussels
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Brussels - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Coudenberg/Musée BELvue
Upper TownUnder the place Royale lie the remains of the palace of Charles V. Known as Coudenberg, it was first constructed in the 11th century and upgraded over hundreds of years in line with the power and prestige of Brussels's successive rulers. However, it was destroyed by a great fire in 1731 and was never rebuilt. Parts of it, and one or two of the streets that surrounded the original building, have since been excavated. Access is through the Musée BELvue, which is worth seeing in its own right and unpicks Belgium’s history of democracy and its royal family.
Pl. des Palais 7, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-500–4554Sight Details
Rate Includes: €18 combo ticket, Coudenberg closed Mon. -
2. Musée des Instruments de Musique (MIM)
Upper TownThis four-story building is almost as impressive as the museum it houses. Built in 1899, architect Paul Saintenoy didn't hold back. Its elaborate facade twists its glass and iron into a symphony of Art Nouveau. Inside, it's no less fascinating. If you've ever wanted to know what a gamelan or Tibetan temple bell sounds like, here's your chance. In addition to seeing more than 2,000 instruments, you can listen to most of them via headphones. Head to the rooftop café for fantastic views of the city; also look out for MIM's regular lunchtime concerts—some are even free.
Rue Montagne de la Cour 2, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-545–0130Sight Details
Rate Includes: €15, Closed Mon., Tickets for concerts can\'t be booked -
3. Musée Fin-de-Siècle
Upper TownThe collection focuses on an era (1868–1914) when European art stopped gazing all moist-eyed at history and instead turned its attention to the world around it. The museum charts this changing of the guard, beginning with the rebellion against academic tradition and the dominant themes of Romanticism that gave rise to the birth of Realism, through to the freer style of the Impressionists, and all the way up to World War I. Belgian painters featured include Guillaume Vogel and the powerful imagery of Symbolist Léon Spillaert, who runs the gamut from Impressionist-style beaches to brooding self-portraits and Gothic-infused horror. Elsewhere, work by masters such as Paul Gauguin, Auguste Rodin, and Emile Galle place the collection and the art scene of the period at the center of a burgeoning international movement. A powerful reminder of a time when Brussels was one of the great creative capitals.
Rue de la Régence 3, Brussels, Brussels Capital, Belgium02-508–3211Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, combo ticket €15 (includes entry to Magritte and Oldmasters museums), Closed Mon. -
4. Musée Magritte
Upper TownAfter years of sharing display space in the neighboring museum complex on rue de la Régence, Surrealist genius René Magritte (1898–1967) finally got his own, much-deserved space. The collection starts on level three, tracing Magritte's life and work chronologically. The artist's mother committed suicide when he was 13; certainly, her profession as a milliner is difficult to separate from his later obsession with hats. The museum expands key moments through letters, sculptures, films, and, of course, some 200 paintings, including the haunting The Domain of Arnheim.
View Tours and ActivitiesEntrance at pl. Royale 1; buy tickets at rue de la Régence 3, Brussels, Brussels Capital, B1000, Belgium02-508–3211Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, combo ticket €15 (includes entry to Oldmasters and Fin-de-Siècle museums), Closed Mon. -
5. Palais Royal
Upper TownThe Belgium Royal Family vacations in the Chateau de Laeken, so it's become a tradition during the summer months (late July--early September) to open up the official residence, otherwise known as the Palais Royal, to visitors. The palace was erected on the site of the former Palace of the Dukes of Brabant (aka Coudenburg), which was burned down in 1731, and the underground excavation of which you can still tour. The existing building was begun in 1820, but redesigned in the early 19th century by the extravagant Leopold II to fit a more glamorous Louis XII style. Today, it holds a remarkable collection of tapestries, art, and antiques from all over the world; pay special attention to the Congo-inspired mirror room, the ceiling of which is encrusted with more than a million jewel beetle carapaces. And best of all, it's free.
Pl. des Palais, Brussels, Brussels Capital, B1000, Belgium02-551–2020Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon., Late July–early Sept., Tues.–Sun. 10:30–4:30 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Palais Royale
LaekenThe Belgium Royal Family lives in the Château de Laeken these days, and it's become a tradition to open up their inner-city residence to visitors during summer. The building was erected on the site of the former Palace of the Dukes of Brabant (aka Coudenburg), which burned down in 1731—you can still tour its underground excavation next door. Work on the existing palace was begun in 1820 but redesigned in a more garish neoclassical style in the early 19th century by Leopold II. Today, it holds a remarkable collection of tapestries, art, and antiques from all over the world.
Rue Brederode 16, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-551–2020Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Oct.–June -
7. Sint-Pieterskerk
This magnificent Gothic church was originally built in AD 986, though the current version dates to the 15th century. It has survived countless wars, most notably in 1914 when fire collapsed its roof, and then again in 1944 when the northern transept was bombed. Inside, the church is filled with art of the late medieval era. Among the finest pieces is the 15th-century Last Supper triptych by Leuven-based Flemish Primitive artist Dirk Bouts, still hanging in its original place in the chapel.
Grote Markt 1, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, Belgium016-272--959-tourSight Details
Rate Includes: €12 HoloLens tour; €5 tablet tour, Closed Wed. Oct.–Mar. -
8. Stadhuis
There is no grander Town Hall in Belgium than Leuven's 15th-century folly. Built to dazzle, the profits from its cloth trade were sunk into letting everyone know just how wealthy its merchants were. Some 235 individually carved stone figures decorate the outside, cut into small alcoves and giving the building a strange texture from afar. These figures were added after 1850, and each tells a different folk tale, bible parable, or story of the city; you'll also find grotesques of local nobles and dignitaries.
Grote Markt, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, Belgium016-203--020Sight Details
Rate Includes: €4 guided tour; €2 booklet -
9. Universiteitsbibliotheek
The original Flemish-Renaissance library was set up in the old Cloth Hall on Naamsestraat in 1636. But after the university was disbanded during the French Revolutionary Wars, its collection was ushered away to Paris. Though destroyed in 1940 by British-German artillery fire, postwar it was rebuilt to the same design and today, visitors can climb the 300 steps to the top of the tower where a carillon of 63 bells, weighing 35 tons, rings out across the square.
Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein 21, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, BelgiumSight Details
Rate Includes: €7 tower and audio guide, Reservations required -
10. Cathédrale St-Michel et Ste-Gudula
Upper TownAll royal weddings take place in this fine cathedral, with its twin Gothic towers and stained-glass windows. One namesake, St-Michel, is recognized as the patron saint of Brussels, typically pictured slaying a dragon (Satan) but mention Ste-Gudule and most people will draw a blank. Very little is known about this daughter of a 7th-century Carolingian nobleman, but her relics have been preserved here for the past 1,000 years. Construction of the cathedral began in 1226 and continued through the 15th century; chapels were added in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Pl. Sainte-Gudule, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-229--2490Sight Details
Rate Includes: Crypt: €3; archaeological site: €1, Treasury closed Sun., Mon., and Fri., Booking required for tours -
11. Groot Begijnhof
Beguinages were where unmarried women could dedicate themselves to God without taking the orders of a nun (poverty, chastity). This is one of the larger examples in the country, home to some 700 beguines at its peak. Its foundation dates back to 1232, but most of its 72 redbrick houses were built in the 17th century. The last beguine left here in the 1980s; by then, it had already been bought by the university, who set about restoring its houses.
Groot Begijnhof, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, BelgiumSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
12. Grote Markt
At the bustling center of the city is the triangular wedge of the Grote Markt, home to the magnificent St. Peter's Church and Town Hall. On one side are the old guild houses, now café-bars. Gaze up to the tips of their gabled roofs and you'll spy elaborate decorations, from dancing girls to sailing ships, that lend a clue to their former masters. On the other side is the Tafelrond, formerly a theater that was destroyed in 1817. This was rebuilt in the Gothic style as a bank; now it's a very expensive (€400 a night) boutique stay.
Grote Markt, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, Belgium -
13. M Leuven
An art gallery that focuses on Leuven and Flemish Brabant artists from the Middle Ages until the 19th century. Its permanent collection includes the work of sculptor Jef Lambreaux, whose mildly erotic Temple of Human Passions caused such a scandal when it opened in Brussels in 1886, and George Minne, a leading figure from the Latem School of Impressionists who set up their base in the villages south of Ghent. Temporary exhibitions ranging from the Old Masters to more contemporary art mix things up a bit.
Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 2, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, Belgium016-272--929Sight Details
Rate Includes: €12, Closed Wed. -
14. Musée Juif de Belgique
Upper TownThis museum traces the history of the Jewish faith and the fate of its followers in Belgium. The extensive collection includes religious objects dating from the 16th century, including documents, religious items, and books. In addition, it has hosted some truly excellent temporary exhibitions, ranging from the Jewish influence on superheroes to the work of prominent Jewish artists.
Rue des Minimes 21, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-512--1963Sight Details
Rate Includes: €12, Closed Mon. -
15. Musée Oldmasters
Upper TownThe Oldmasters Museum pays special attention to the so-called Flemish Primitives of the 15th century, who revolutionized the art of painting with oil. The Spanish and the Austrians pilfered some of the finest works, but there's plenty left to savor, including works by Memling, Petrus Christus, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hieronymus Bosch. The collection of pieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is particularly eye-catching; it includes The Fall of Icarus, in which the figure of the mythological hero disappearing in the sea is but one detail of a scene where people continue to go about their business. There are English-language brochures and guided tours available.
Rue de la Régence 3, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-508–3211Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, combo ticket €15 (includes entry to Magritte and Fin-de-Siècle museums), Closed Mon. -
16. Place du Grand Sablon
Upper TownOnce nothing more than a sandy hill, "Sand Square" is now an elegant place, surrounded by numerous restaurants, cafés, and antiques shops, some in intriguing alleys and arcades. For a little tranquillity, pop into the beautiful Église Notre Dame du Sablon at the eastern end of the square, a flamboyant Gothic church founded in 1304. It's one of Brussels’s most beautiful churches, and at night its stained-glass windows are illuminated from within to magical effect. Opposite the Grand Sablon, you'll find the pretty garden place du Petit Sablon. It's surrounded by a magnificent wrought-iron fence, topped by 48 small bronze statues representing the city’s guilds.
Pl. du Grand Sablon, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium -
17. Place Royale
Upper TownThere's a strong dash of Vienna in this white, symmetrical square, built in the neoclassical style by Brussels's then Austrian overlords. Elegantly proportioned, it is the centerpiece of the Upper Town, which became the center of power during the 18th century. Place Royale was built on the ruins of the palace of the Dukes of Brabant, which had burned down. The site has been excavated, and it is possible to see the underground digs of Coudenberg and the main hall, Aula Magna, where Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, and where, 37 years later, he abdicated to retire to a monastery.
View Tours and ActivitiesPl. Royale, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium -
18. Stella Artois Brewery
Few realize "Stella," the pilsner of choice among European soccer fans, is even Belgian, but it traces its Leuven roots back to 1726. These days, it's part of the massive AB InBev company, which owns everything from Budweiser to Leffe. As you'd expect, the brewery is highly automated, making for an interesting gear change to the usual small brewers most beer tours frequent. Two-hour tours and tastings for individuals are held on Saturday from 3 pm (in English), with online booking in advance advised if you want to get a slot.
Aarschotsesteenweg 20, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, BelgiumSight Details
Rate Includes: €12, Booking required
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