Brussels Travel Guide – My guide to this great city
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and I found it be wonderful city and really enjoyed my time here. However Brussels is not just the capital of Belgium its also the the administrative centre of the European Union. Brussels is not as popular with tourists as many of the other cities in Europe such as Amsterdam or Paris. With many travellers spending little time here or missing it out of their itinerary altogether. I find this to be a real shame as like I said I had wonderful time in Brussels.
The city is filled with history and is a really cool place to visit. Many of the cities museums are free entry on 1st Sunday of the month. It is full of great restaurants and bars. It really is a foodies paradise.
I mean two of the things this city is famous for are a fountain of Peeing boy and a Peeing dog statue you don’t get much more unusual than that.
I stayed here for a few nights I highly recommend that you do the same so that you can properly soak up the atmosphere of this unique city. Try out some Beligan beer, experience the famous Belgian fries or waffles or try out the famous Moules-frites which are basically mussels and French fries.
This European capital is often ignored and overlooked by tourists. I myself almost didn’t visit but Im so glad that I did as I was taken by surprise about just how great a place Brussels is.
Finally I hope you find this travel guide interesting and useful and it helps you plan your trip to Brussels.
THINGS TO DO – MY TOP 5
up for christmas
1 Grand Place
Grand place is Brussels most popular tourist spot. Its the heart of the city and its were the townhall is located. The breadhouse building is also located here and it currently houses the city of Brussels museum. This square is truly stunning its beauty is breath taking. It for me really has a wow factor.
2. St Michael and Gudula Cathedral
The cathedral was built in 1047 and is the official site for all weddings, funerals and coronations of the Belgian Royal family. However its not just a Royal connection that brings visitors here the cathedral is steeped in history with visitors being able too view artifacts from medieval times. There are beautiful stain glass windows and if you know me you know I love stain glass windows. The cathedral itself is free to enter but there is small charge to view the Romanesque crypt, the archaeological site and the treasury.
3. Brussels most famous boy and fountain
Brussels is home to what is probably the most famous peeing fountain in the world the Mannekin de Pis. A brass fountain of a peeing boy. Hes often dressed in various outfits. Near to this is Jeanneke Pis a fountain of a little girl peeing and its even weirder than it sounds. Im not sure what the obsession is with peeing that they have in Brussels but there is also the statue Het Zinneke which is basically a statue of a dog peeing. I liked the little dog statue and the boy. However the girl one as I’ve already said is just weird in my opinion.
4. Try the great food and drink
Belgium is famous for its chocolate and its beer. Im not a beer drinker but Im sure you wont be disappointed there are a few to chose from. Why not try out the Fries at Cafe Georgette or have yourself some of the great waffles.
5. Free walking tours
Free walking tours are just great. How it works is the tour is free but at the end you have the option tip based on your enjoyment and your budget. There are so many to chose I use this site Guru walks for most of my walks I have done the brussels free tour and it was fantastic.
OTHER GREAT THINGS TO SEE AND DO
1. Visit the city of Brussels museum
The city of Brussels museum is located inside the Breadhouse building in the Grand Place. This is a fantastic museum to visit and gives you a lot of information about the city. Also the original Manequen De Pis from 1609 is located here. The first mention of the fountain was in the mid 15th centurary. However this one was commisioned in 1609 to replace the earlier one. Due to the fact that the fountain has been stolen and damaged on several ocassions it was removed in 1965 and relocated inside the museum. Therefore the fountain you see out on the street today is actually a replica.
2. Toot bus
This is a bus that takes you around two different routes and you can see many of the sites. This might be a good option if your wanting to visit little Europe or the Atomium. I personally did this and didnt particularly like it felt it was a waste of money. However it was pouring with rain that day so was really hard to see out the windows. Therefore if you have limited time or you want to go to the above mentioned places this might be an option otherwise save your money there is much better things to do and you can get to most place easily on foot or using regular public transport. Please see the Toot bus website for more details
3. Mini Europe
This a good place to visit especially with children as the name suggests its Europe in minuture. Basically there are miniture version of the main sites of Europe such as the Eifle tower and Arc De Triomphe in Paris. THere is also mini replicas of Big Ben in London and so many other famous landmarks.
4. Visit other places from Brussels
Brussels is a great city with excellent transport links to lots of other great place. I visited Ghent using a local train it was super easy to do. Ghent is a great place to visit with so much to see and do I would have loved to have had more time here. However I had to leave for Luxenbourg so one day was all I had. Please see my Ghent guide here. You can also visit Antwerp and Brugges as well as many other towns and cities from Brussels so its a great place to base yourself to visit other areas.
For more great things to see and do have a read of my things to do in Brussels post here.
BUDGETING FOR BRUSSELS
Hostel prices
For a hostel dorm, prices range from 31-50 Euros per night for a bed in a dorm with 4-6 beds, while rooms with 8 beds or more cost 25-35 Euros. If you prefer a private room, expect to pay 95-165 Euros per night. Free Wi-Fi is standard and most hostels have self-catering facilities. Some also include breakfast for free or for around 5 Euros.
La troupe grand place was where I stayed and it was a fantastic hostel and one of the best I have stayed in. For more information on this hostel have a look at their website here.
Budget hotel prices
A room in a budget two-star hotel costs 70-130 EUR per night. Expect basic amenities like free Wi-Fi, coffee/tea makers, and TVs. I mostly use booking.com which has great selection of accommodations or book direct with the accommodation.
Booking.comFood and Drink – Belgian cuisine has been influenced heavily by its European neighbours especially France, Germany and the Netherlands. The traditional food and drinks being Chocolate, waffles, fries and of course beers are seen as cultural staples. Steak and Fries, moules-frites (mussels and fries), stews, sausages and smoked hams are some of the more common dishes that you will see on menus in Brussels. Portions are large, filling and delicious.
Brussels isn’t super affordable for eating out for those on a tight budget but the quality and quantity of the food are largely the reason why. Light meals in a cafe such as a Sandwich, salad or soup will cost around 7-10 Euros. Fast food such as McDonalds is around 10 Euros for a meals. A cone of fries at one of the famous Frite shops costs 3-5 Euros.
For a sit down meal in a casual restaurant selling traditional Belgian cuisine, expect to pay around 16-24 Euros for a main dish. If you want more than one course expect to pay around 40-60 Euros. You can get takeaway pizzas for around 9-10 Euros.
GETTING AROUND BRUSSELS
Walking – I found Brussels a very walkable city with most of the sights I wanted to visit within walking distance of each other.
Buses – I didn’t use buses during my visit other than the toot bus they are available to take you further afield to places such as Europe in miniature.
Trains- Brussels has excellent train links with the rest of Europe as well as to places within Belgium such as Brugge and Ghent. Read all about Ghent day trip here.
Trams – Brussels also has an extensive tram network that can take you to even the furthest parts of the city. tickets can be bought at any metro station, or city news stands or from the drivers onboard although there is small sub-charge for buying on the tram and only single tickets are available.
If you enjoyed my Brussels guide check out my London guide.
For more information on Belgium check out my Belgium and ghent guides
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