Belgium is a country I’ve already told you about many times on the blog, because it’s a tourist destination close to Paris that I really love and never tire of discovering, over and over again. Brussels, its capital, is also a city about which I’ve published quite a few articles (4 if I’ve counted correctly). Today I’m offering you a small selection of ideas for visits and things to do during a short weekend in the Belgian capital. If you happen to be passing through Brussels, don’t hesitate to check out my selection of hotels to stay in the Belgian capital, as well as my selection of great foodie spots in Brussels!
Practical Information
- Getting there by bus from Paris: if you are looking for an economical way to get to Brussels, you can take a look at the Omio website, a comparator site for plane, train, ferry, and bus tickets from several companies, particularly for taking a bus from Paris to Brussels.
- Getting there by train from Paris: you can also reach the Belgian capital in just 1h22 by Eurostar from Paris Nord station (it’s the fastest, most comfortable, and greenest option).
- Getting around Brussels: the STIB public transport network (metro, tram, bus) offers contactless payment directly with your bank card or smartphone on the grey validators (€2.40 per trip with connections included for 1h, automatically capped at €8.50 per day).
Table of Contents
The Brussels Card
This very easy-to-use card, which we tested during that famous weekend in Brussels, makes it easier to discover the city by offering:
- free admission to 48 Brussels museums, including the city’s must-sees
- discounts at tourist attractions, other museums, or for tours
- discounts in shops, bars, and clubs
- optional benefits: free access to Hop on Hop off buses and/or the city’s public transport (which is quite expensive, €2.70 per ticket when we went in October 2024)
The Brussels Card
Available for 24h, 48h, or 72h
Price: €41 (24h) / €51 (48h) / €57 (72h) (museums only, access to 49 museums included) or formula with unlimited STIB public transport from €49.50 (24h) / €67 (48h) / €78 (72h)
Ideas for visits to do in Brussels with the Brussels Card
Below you will find a few visits that I recommend doing in Brussels and which we tested with the Brussels Card that I presented in the previous paragraph.
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Take a Free tour of Brussels with Civitatis
To explore the Belgian capital without breaking the bank, the real good deal is to book a “Free tour” with Civitatis! The concept of this platform specialized in excursions is great: the guided tour has no fixed price to start with, you give whatever you want to the guide at the end, depending on your level of satisfaction. In Brussels, this 2.5-hour walking tour has the great advantage of being hosted in French. Your guide will unveil the city’s iconic monuments while sharing cool anecdotes about Art Nouveau, beer, and famous Belgian chocolate.
Free tour of Brussels by Civitatis
Duration: 2h30
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Visit the Belgian Beer World Experience
This place aims to be a museum about beer in general and Belgian beers in particular, but also a place that offers an interactive experience around this theme. Here, no museum objects, but a modern scenography (a bit too superficial in my opinion at the beginning of the visit, but which gets richer as you go through the tour). The museum is also housed in the very beautiful 19th-century Brussels Stock Exchange building. Moreover, the first part of the visit allows you, if you wish, to discover the archaeological remains that were discovered beneath this building during archaeological excavations. The visit ends on the top floor at the Beerlab, a rooftop with a breathtaking view of Brussels where you can quietly enjoy one of the beers of the moment (included in the museum entrance ticket).
Visited in 2024 - Invitation
Belgian Beer World Experience
Boulevard Anspach 80, 1000 Brussels
Price: €21.50 full fare (access to the interactive experience, the Bruxella 1238 archaeological site under the Stock Exchange, and a beer tasting at the Skybar with panoramic views over the rooftops)
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Visit the Museum of Belgian Brewers
A very small museum ideally located on the Grand Place, with a short explanatory film and a beer tasting (secret, you don’t exactly know which beers you’re drinking) at the end of the tour. I recommend this quick visit rather for the atmosphere of the place and the rather picturesque side of the decor of this museum, which is housed in an 18th-century former brewery (Hoegaarden).
Visited in 2017
Museum of Belgian Brewers
Grand-Place 10, 1000 Brussels
Closed on Tuesdays; open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 AM to 5 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 12 PM to 5 PMPrice: €5 (with a Belgian beer tasting included) / Free admission with the Brussels Card
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Visit the BELvue Museum
This new exhibition on modern Belgium is extremely well done and traces the history of the country around major themes: solidarity, migration, languages, democracy, Europe,… I recommend this visit to better understand today’s Belgium and the Belgians as well.
Visited in 2017
The BELvue Museum
Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels
Open Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM (closed on Mondays)Prices: €10 full fare / €8 seniors (65+) / €5 youths (18-25 years old) / free for under 18s. BELvue + Coudenberg Palace combined ticket: €18. Free admission with the Brussels Card
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Visit the former Coudenberg Palace
I loved visiting this archaeological site (yes, I love old stones!) which allows you to wander through the underground remains of the former Palace of Brussels beneath the current Place des Palais, which was also one of the main residences of Charles V. A definite must-do in my opinion if you’ve never done it, and besides, it doesn’t attract crowds so there will be very few people with you.
Visited in 2017
Coudenberg Palace
Mont des Arts, Place des Palais 7 – 1000 BrusselsOpen Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (closed on Mondays)
Entrance via the BELvue MuseumPrices: €10 standard / €8 seniors (+65 years) / €5 youths (18-25 years) / free for under 18s. Coudenberg + BELvue combined ticket: €18. Included for free with the Brussels Card
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Visiting the Magritte Museum
This museum located right in the heart of the city houses the largest collection of Magritte works in the world (over 200 multidisciplinary works). If you are a fan of this surrealist painter, it’s an absolute must-visit!
Visited in 2017
Magritte Museum
Rue de la Régence 3, 1000 Brussels
Open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (closed on Mondays)Prices: €13 standard / €10 seniors (+65 years) / €5 youths (19-25 years) / free for under 19s. Royal Museums combined ticket (Magritte + Old Masters + Fin-de-Siècle): €20. Included for free with the Brussels Card
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Visiting the Choco-Story Museum
This is the cocoa and chocolate museum, the twin of our Parisian Choco-Story. In fact, the same family, the Van Bens, is behind these 2 establishments. On the agenda: exhibition rooms explaining the history of brown gold and a demonstration/tasting session hosted by a master chocolatier with a particularly delightful Belgian accent. Naturally, this little visit strongly reminded us of our trip to Mexico, as the Native American populations were the first to consume cocoa, though in a way quite far removed from our current tastes.
Visited in 2017
Choco-Story Museum
Rue de la Tête d’Or 9-11, 1000 Brussels
Open every day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:00 PM)Prices: €16 adult / €14 students and seniors (+65 years) / €10 children (3-11 years) / free for under 3s. Discount or access included with the Brussels Card
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Visiting the Charlier Museum
This 19th-century master’s townhouse (an early work by Horta) has remained completely untouched and plunges us straight back into the city’s Belle Epoque period, even if the place is now in major need of a little restoration…
Visited in 2017
Charlier Museum
Avenue des Arts 16, 1210 Brussels
Open Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Sunday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed on Mondays and Saturdays)Prices: €9 standard / €6 seniors (+65 years) / €5 students / free for under 18s. Included for free with the Brussels Card
Ideas of things to see and do in Brussels
In addition to the sights accessible with the Brussels Card, below, as is my habit, I’ve put together a small selection of things to do and see if you come spend a getaway in Brussels.
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Going to the movies in Brussels
The good deal: For holders of an unlimited UGC card, we tested it for you and you can use it in the 2 UGC cinemas in Brussels at no extra charge! Which is really great. The only minor drawback is that the cards don’t work at the ticket kiosks and you have to go to the ticket counters to collect your tickets, so plan to arrive a little early.
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Take a stroll on the Grand-Place in Brussels
By day or by night, the Brussels Grand-Place is a magnificent and always very lively spot! Plus, there are plenty of shops nearby to pick up a few gifts and treats to take home… And below, you’ll also find another little photo to show you that at night there is some wonderful lighting on the monument facades as well.
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Wandering through the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries
This magnificent complex of 3 covered arcades is a superb example of those shopping galleries that flourished in the 19th century, of which we also have very fine examples in Paris. Moreover, these galleries are packed with lovely gourmet spots that I never tire of discovering…
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Relaxing at the Brussels Botanic Garden
This botanical garden is located not far from the hotel Bloom (now nhow Brussels Bloom) which I told you about in another article, at the corner of Rue Royale and Boulevard du Jardin Botanique. This public park (and therefore free) is set on the site of the former State Botanic Garden in Brussels created in 1826, whose listed buildings house a Cultural Centre, Le Botanique, known as the “Bota”, which unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit (though it’s also accessible with the Brussels Card).
Brussels Botanic Garden
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode
At the corner of Rue Royale and Boulevard du Jardin BotaniqueFree and open access all year round
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My selection of guidebooks on Brussels
When I set off for a city I don’t know well or at all, I like to take a few guidebooks under my arm (it reassures me!). This time I was more reasonable than for London and I left with only 2 guidebooks in my suitcase:
- The GéoGuide Brussels first edition, which came in very handy (price €9.90).
- The Cartoville Brussels, very practical with all its little maps of the city’s different neighborhoods (price €10.90).
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Where to stay in Brussels?
For this stay in the Belgian capital, I particularly recommend these two addresses that we tested. To discover all my favorite spots and other neighborhoods, you can also check out my complete selection of hotels in Brussels.
My recommended accommodations for this stay
Other places
Booking through these links supports the blog, at no extra cost to you.
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Hotel Amigo
Located right next to the Grand-Place, Hotel Amigo is a renowned 5-star hotel. During our visit, we tested its Italian restaurant Bocconi as well as the Magritte Bar.
Hotel Amigo
Rue de l’Amigo 1, 1000 Brussels
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Le 9 Hôtel Sablon
We stayed at Le 9 Hôtel Sablon, a 4-star boutique hotel located in the Sablon district, surrounded by art galleries and chocolatiers. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and it’s a very convenient location for exploring the historic center on foot.
Le 9 Hôtel Sablon
Rue de la Paille 2-8, 1000 Brussels
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Practical Questions
Yes, we tested it and it’s very practical. The Brussels Card offers free access to 49 museums and discounts. It is available for 24h, 48h, or 72h and can include public transport (which is quite expensive individually).
Housed in the superb Stock Exchange building, the Belgian Beer World offers a modern interactive experience dedicated to Belgian beer. The tour also showcases archaeological remains and ends on the rooftop (Beerlab) for a tasting with a view.
If you have a French UGC Unlimited card, good news: it works in the 2 UGC cinemas in Brussels at no extra charge! Just remember to pick up your tickets at the ticket counters (the automated kiosks don’t work).
Aside from the Magritte Museum (home to the largest collection in the world), I recommend the Coudenberg Palace for its underground ruins, or Choco-Story for sweet-toothed visitors (complete with a chocolatier demonstration).
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I hope all of this makes you want to visit (or revisit) Brussels, and if you too have your favorite spots and great tips for this destination, feel free to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles about Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) below:
⇒ All my articles about Belgium
⇒ All my articles about Flanders
GENERAL INFO ABOUT BELGIUM
⇒ Brussels, the capital
⇒ Food Tour in Brussels
⇒ Belgian gastronomy
⇒ B&Bs in Belgium
MY ARTICLES ABOUT FLANDERS
⇒ A long weekend to visit Ghent
⇒ A long weekend to visit Antwerp
⇒ A day in Bruges
⇒ A weekend in Ostend on the Belgian coast
⇒ A getaway in Leuven
MY ARTICLES ABOUT WALLONIA
⇒ A weekend in the Gaume Province
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free, photographer authorization is required prior to any use
