Things to do in Brussels to enjoy the capital of Belgium like a local

1.Three touristic routes to do in Brussels

1. Grand Place tour: Simply stop in the lovely surroundings of Grand Place (Grote Markt in Flemish). It’s one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, the geographic, historical and commercial heart of the city, and forms part of the most elegant 17th century architectural complex in all of Belgium. Among its buildings stands the Hotel de Ville which dates from 1459 and has a 96 meter-high imposing tower.
   Also deserving a stop is the arcade of the characteristic Maison du Rot with neoclassical design and Flemish roots. There you’ll also find the Maison des Ducs of Brabant and le Pigeon – home to the French novelist Victor Hugo during his exile in Belgium in 1852. On the left of the Town Hall is the bronze statue of Everad’t Serclaes. It’s said that touching its arm brings good luck. In this another article, you'll see another famous statues of Brussels. You can't miss it!
2. Visit the Historic Brussels Center: Another route will take you to the main points of interest of the historic city center or what’s known as the petit ring. A three-minute walk from Grand Place, Rue Charles Buls and continuing along Rue de l’Etuve you’ll find the popular Manneken Pis, also known as Petit Julien, a tiny bronze statue less than 60 centimeters high, which was created by Jerome Duqesnoy ‘the Old’, in 1619. On Rue des Alexiens, 10 minutes away on foot, you‘ll reach the Notre Dame du Sablon Church, one of the city’s landmarks. And in another seven minutes, along the Rue de la Régence, you’ll find the Courthouse – one of the largest and most impressive buildings in Brussels. You can only visit its interior from Monday to Friday.
3. Go to the European Parlament area: We suggest you head to the European Parlament area. It begins at the Schuman metro stop (line 1 and 5), which you can reach in 10 minutes from the Gare Centrale, near Grand Place. The stroll around the big buildings of this complex will take you only half an hour. Then you can head to Cincuentenario Park to visit Autoworld, one of the best collections of cars in the world. This building is a 20-minute walk from the business district.
   Here you can stop or continue on the route towards the rear of the building, and take the metro in Merode to Parc, which in less than 10 minutes will take you to Brussels Park – the most lively in the city. The ends of the park are anchored by two important buildings. At the end closest to Place Royal is the Royal Palace, and on the opposite side is the Palace of the Nation – seat of the House of Representatives and Senate since 1830. You can check out the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula by leaving the park along the Rue des Colonies.
   If it rains or you prefer to fill free hours with museums , you’ll enjoy a stop at the Magritte Museum and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium on the Rue de la Régence in the western part of Brussels Park.

2. Find your bearings the cartoon way

Several of the streets in Brussels have amusing surprises hidden within them. There are 50 giant comic strip murals painted on walls that can bring a smile to those both young and old. It’s a little touristy – as in there are formal tours that take you around them all – it is certainly worth checking them out. It’s not every day you get to see a giant Tintin adorning a city wall.

3. Belgian chocolate, need we say more?

Every visitor to Brussels, it seems, wants to take home some of our famed product from the fruit of the cacao tree. And why wouldn’t they? It’s one of the most representative things to do in Brussels. Feel free to pop into any chocolatier that you come across in the city, try their wares, and ask them about their (very likely) family business. 

If time doesn’t allow for the accidental find, head towards the delights of Pierre Marcolini, on Place du Grand Sablon or Neuhaus on Rue de Namur, both less than 15 minutes by foot from our doors at the NH Collection Brussels Centre and just around the corner from our NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon. A dangerously close temptation!

4. Visit one of Brussel’s breweries

If chocolate is the Belgian sweet treat par excellence, beer is its drink equivalent. The Delirium Tremens brewery is the most well known in Brussels for its wide variety of beers. It’s not a fancy place, but it is representative as it has more than 2,000 kinds of beer, winning it a Guinness record. It’s two minutes from Grand Place and can be a good place to go before a typical mussels with fries or moules frites dinner

5. Continental dining

A place to try the moules frites Belgian specialty is on Rue des Bouchers. There are dozens of restaurants, all with similar menus that include this star dish for a casual dinner. One of the most popular is Le Marmiton, which is mid-range in price. Another is Taverne de Passage, in the mid to high price range. Those looking for a more exclusive venue should book a table at Le Rabassier, a Belgian and European restaurant where you can taste elaborate French and Belgian dishes.

Along similar lines, try Comme chez soi – with two Michelin stars – for a formal lunch or dinner. It’s on the Place Rouppe, mixes traditional and innovative dishes and has a large wine cellar. Les Petits Oignons serves brasserie-style dishes and has a welcoming environment that makes it one of our recommendations. We also love the local Belgian cuisine available at Au vieux Saint Martin, which is a great pick even if you just fancy a coffee.

For Italian food visit Troisième Acte, which not only satisfies the hunger pangs with refined fare but also does so with the backdrop of delightful theatrical décor and an intimate ambience.

6. Shopping choices galore

Behind our NH Collection Brussels Centre hotel you’ll find Rue Neuve and this street is home to many of the world’s biggest and most popular brands including Nike, Springfield, Benetton and Zara. It is also home to the Galeria Inno, a mall for even more selection in wonderful surroundings. For something a little more exclusive, head to Rue Antoine Dansaert and the adjoining Rue Léon Lepage where you can browse the contemporary collections on show from local designers.

We suggest getting the subway there if going directly from the hotel; it’ll take around 20 minutes. Brussels is also the capital of the traditional comic book. Along with dozens of specialty shops in the city, at the Comic Museum you can buy books or figurines of the heroes of the page. 

Also, leaving Grand Place on Heuvelstraat, you’ll find the Saint-Hubert Galleries – the most beautiful and famous in Brussels. The interior includes several stores, boutique chocolate shops and also Mokafé, famous for its waffles. For more shopping tips click here.

7. Flea market and onion soup

One of the most picturesque things to do in Brussels is strolling through the neighborhood of Sablon. It’s a great neighborhood for bargains and some marvelously strange objects found at the Marolles flea market, on the lovely Place du Jeu de Balle. You can find it through the streets of Haute and Blaes and once you get there you must try some real onion soup from one of the stalls.

8. Things to do in Brussels with the family

The cartoon murals dotted around the city may bring some light relief to younger members of the family but they’ll also need some fun time devoted to them. And the good thing is that most adults also enjoy what Brussels has to offer in this department. We’ve already sweetened your tooth with talk of the world-renowned artisan Belgian chocolatier, so go further and discover the art behind it at the Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat. Keep an eye out for us! 

We may use our own time off to endulge our guilty pleasures there! Another ideal place to take young minds is the Muséum des Sciences Naturelles. Children can act like archaeologists and dig for dinosaur bones, which is just one of a multitude of interactive and learning activities. Lots of fun!

9. Brussels nightlife

In the evening the choices available cater for all types and moods, be that cinema (UCG De Brouckére or Toison d’Or), theater (Théâtre Des Galeries) or the vast number of alternative cafés and bars for a refreshing drink as you soak up the atmosphere at the end of the day. For the latter try the areas of Saint Géry and Saint Catherine and go see the rather quirky Madame Moustache for a unique experience. 

And for those that want to stay up and burn the last of the day’s energy, we recommend the Fuse nightclub for a late night dance. As one of the real hubs of Europe, with a rich history and cultural significance, you can imagine how much more there is to the city. 

And for a nightcap, one of the best areas to go is the Bourse quarter, two minutes from Grand Place. There you’ll find Celtica which also has live music.

10. What to do in Brussels for a midday excursion?

You can follow all of the aforementioned itineraries or use this time to visit two of the city’s icons: the Atomium and Mini Europe. Both spaces are very close to one another and can be reached in about 40 minutes by train from Brussels Central Station.

Another day trip that will occupy an entire afternoon is an excursion to Bruges, one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world. Also called the Venice of the North, it’s currently the most visited destination in the country. In 2000 it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The town is small enough to see in three hours before returning to the capital. You can get there in about an hour by train, leaving from any Brussels station.

Now that you have all the necessary information for your trip, what are you waiting for to book one of our hotels in Brussels?

About Andrea Casado Pérez

Hi. My name is Andrea. I came to Brussels from Spain six years ago to do my NH traineeship, and I stayed. A year and a half ago I started working as Guest Relations Manager in the NH Collection Brussels Centre. I am really happy doing this job as it gives the best opportunity to take care of all our guests and make them feel at home. Guest Relations means being the hostess of the hotel, managing the hotel as if it was your house, side-by-side with the General Manager. I have to know about everything that is going on in the city, every hidden secret that Brussels could offer our guests, to ensure they have a memorable stay. It’s a bit like having a Wikipedia mind!

About Isabel Fernandez

I am Isabel Fernandez and I’ve been working for NH hotels since 2008. I started as a receptionist in the hotel and then decided to take on a new challenge: creating the position of Guest Relations. Together with the front office and general manager at the time, we decided that our hotel needed something extra to make a difference for each guest and ever since, each day has been more exciting and rewarding in every single way. The refurbishment of our hotel, and the arrival of the Collection brand, helped me to grow personally and professionally. At work I can totally be as passionate as I am in my private life and, I must say, I love this feeling.