Belgium is a country I have told you about many times on the blog, because it is a tourist destination close to Paris that I am very fond of and that I never tire of discovering, again and again. Brussels, its capital, is also a city around which I have published quite a few articles (4 if I counted correctly). Today, I’m sharing a small selection of ideas for visits and things to do during a short weekend in the Belgian capital. If you are 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 tasty Brussels dining spots!
Practical Information
- Getting there by bus from Paris: if you are looking for an economical way to travel to Brussels, you can take a look at the Omio website, a comparator for plane, train, ferry, and bus tickets from various companies, especially for traveling by bus from Paris to Brussels.
- Getting there by train from Paris: you can also reach the Belgian capital in just 1 hour and 22 minutes via Eurostar from Paris Nord station.
Table of Contents
The Brussels Card
This very easy-to-use card, which we tested during our famous weekend in Brussels, allows you to discover the city more easily by offering:
- free access to 48 Brussels museums, including the city’s must-sees
- discounts on tourist attractions, in 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 are quite expensive, €2.70 per ticket when we visited in October 2024)
The Brussels Card
Available for 24 / 48 / 72 hours
Price: €33 / €45 / €51 (without optional benefits)
Visit ideas in Brussels with the Brussels Card
Below you will find some visits that I recommend doing in Brussels, which we actually tested with the Brussels Card that I introduced to you in the previous paragraph.
Take a Free Tour in Brussels with Civitatis
To explore the Belgian capital without breaking the bank, the real pro tip is to book a “Free tour” with Civitatis! The concept of this platform specializing in excursions is great: the guided tour has no fixed price at the start, you give what 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 conducted in French. Your guide will show you the city’s iconic monuments while sharing cool anecdotes about Art Nouveau, beer, and famous Belgian chocolate.
Free tour in 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, there are no museum objects, but a modern scenography (a little too superficial for my taste at the beginning of the visit, but which deepens as you progress through the tour). The museum is also located in the 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 under this building during excavations. The tour ends on the top floor, at the Beerlab, a rooftop with a stunning view of Brussels where you can enjoy one of the beers of the moment (included in the museum’s entrance ticket).
Visited in 2024 - Invitation
Belgian Beer World Experience
Bd Anspach 80, 1000 Brussels
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Visit the Belgian Brewers Museum
A very small museum ideally located on the Grand-Place, with a short explanatory film and a beer tasting (secret, we don’t know exactly what beers we are drinking) at the end of the tour. I recommend this little visit more for the atmosphere of the place and the slightly picturesque side of this museum’s decor, which is housed in an old brewery from the 18th century (de Hoegaarden).
Visited in 2017
Belgian Brewers Museum
Grand-Place 10, 1000 Brussels
open every day from 10 am to 5 pm
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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 through 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 Sunday from 9:30 am to 5 pm (6 pm on weekends)
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Visit the former Coudenberg Palace
I loved visiting this archaeological site (yes, I like old stones!) which allows you to walk through the underground remains of the former Brussels Palace under the current Place des Palais, which was also one of the main residences of Charles V. A must-do in my opinion if you have never done it, and besides, it doesn’t attract crowds so there will be 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 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm
Entrance via the BELvue Museum
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Visit the Magritte Museum
This museum located 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 is a must-visit!
Visited in 2017
Magritte Museum
3 Rue de la Régence 1000 Brussels
open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (6 pm on weekends)
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Visit the Choco-Story Museum
It is the museum of cocoa and chocolate, the twin of our Parisian Choco-Story; it is actually the same family, the Van Belles, who are at the origin of these 2 establishments. On the agenda, exhibition rooms explaining the history of brown gold and a demonstration/tasting orchestrated by a master chocolatier with a particularly tasty Belgian accent. This little visit naturally strongly reminded us of our trip to Mexico, as the Amerindian populations were the first to consume cocoa, but in a way quite far from our current tastes.
Visited in 2017
Choco-Story Museum
9-11 Rue de la Tête d’Or 1000 Brussels
Open every day from 10 am to 5 pm
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Visit the Charlier Museum
This 19th-century mansion (an early work of Horta) has been completely preserved and transports us back to the Belle Epoque period of the city, even if the place could really use a little restoration…
Visited in 2017
Charlier Museum
Avenue des Arts 16, 1210 Brussels
open Monday to Thursday from 12 pm to 5 pm and Friday from 10 am to 1 pm
Ideas for things to see and do in Brussels
In addition to visits accessible with the Brussels Card, below, as usual, I offer you a small selection of things to do and see if you come for a stay in Brussels.
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Go to the cinema in Brussels
The pro tip: For holders of an UGC unlimited card, we tested it for you and you can use it in the 2 UGC cinemas in Brussels at no extra cost! Which is really great. Only slight drawback: the cards do not work at the machines, and you have to go to the ticket counters to collect the tickets, so plan to go a little in advance.
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Take a tour of the Grand-Place in Brussels
Day and night, it’s a magnificent and always very lively place, the Grand-Place of Brussels! Plus, there are plenty of shops nearby to bring back some gifts and treats home… And below, you will also find another small photo to show you that at night there is also very beautiful lighting on the facades of the monuments.
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Stroll through the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
This magnificent complex of 3 covered arcades is a superb example of these shopping galleries that flourished in the 19th century and of which we also have very beautiful examples in Paris. Plus, these galleries are packed with beautiful gourmet addresses that I never tire of discovering…
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Relax at the Brussels Botanical Garden
This botanical garden is located not far from the Bloom Hotel that I mentioned 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 Botanical Garden in Brussels created in 1826 and whose listed buildings house a cultural center, the Botanique, known as the “Bota,” which we unfortunately did not have time to visit (but which is also accessible with the Brussels Card).
Brussels Botanical Garden
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode
at the corner of Rue Royale and Boulevard du Jardin Botanique
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My selection of guides on Brussels
When I go to a city that I don’t know or know little about, I like to leave with a few guides on hand (it reassures me!). This time I was more reasonable than for London and I left with only 2 guides in my suitcase:
- The Brussels GeoGuide first edition, which was very practical (price €9.90).
- The Cartoville Brussels, very practical with all its little maps of the different neighborhoods of the city (price €10.90).
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Practical questions
Yes, we tested it and it is very convenient. The Brussels Card offers free access to 49 museums and discounts. It exists in 24h, 48h or 72h and can include public transport (which is quite expensive individually).
Located in the superb Stock Exchange building, the Belgian Beer World offers a modern interactive experience on Belgian beer. The tour also allows you to see 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 cost! Just remember to collect your tickets at the counters (the machines don’t work).
Besides the Magritte Museum (the largest collection in the world), I recommend the Coudenberg Palace for its underground remains, or Choco-Story for gourmets (with chocolatier demonstration).
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I hope that with all this I will have made you want to visit (or revisit) Brussels, and if you also have your own favorite addresses and tips for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) below:
⇒ All my articles on Belgium
⇒ All my articles on Flanders
GENERAL INFO ON BELGIUM
⇒ Brussels the capital
⇒ Belgian gastronomy
⇒ Bed and Breakfast in Belgium
MY ARTICLES ON FLANDERS
⇒ Bruges
⇒ Ghent
⇒ Louvain /Leuven
⇒ The Belgian Coast and Ostend
MY ARTICLES ON WALLONIA
⇒ The Province of Gaume
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer authorization mandatory before any use
