24 hours in BRUSSELS

I was on the very early morning flight to Brussels which was actually my final destination. That’s why I was completely relaxed when they said we couldn’t take off because of fog. The only thing that annoyed me was the idea that I could have slept a good hour longer. Other than that, I didn’t care too much.

However, things looked completely different around me: passengers were nervously shifting back and forth in their seats, checking their phones, and pestering the stewardesses about what their connecting flights looked like.

This was how I discovered that I was pretty much the only one who didn’t have a connecting flight to Madrid or Nice, Kigali or Abuja. Hmm, Brussels seemed to be an important hub for international air traffic, interesting. Hence, I should definitely add it to my 24 hours in… series. No sooner said than done!
Of course, I hope that your layover is planned and not because of air traffic disruptions.
Whatever the reason for your extended layover might be, with this post, I have you covered.

Welcome to Brussels

Belgium is a really outstanding country. Although it only has a size of 30.528 km, they manage to squeeze almost 11,5 million Belgians in. This makes it Europe’s third most densely populated country.

With over 20 million passengers per year, its airport is one of the busier ones in Europe. After all, Brussels is not only Belgium’s capital. Strictly speaking, it is the capital of the entire continent and therefore a major hub.

Breathtakingly beautiful historic architecture, fantastic museums, powerful street art, substantial international organizations and institutions, and last but not least beer, fries, and chocolate: It’s head-spinning how much there is to enjoy in Brussels!

Local Currency

€uro / 1 €UR = 1.10 US$ as of September 2024 / current rate

Emergency Contacts

Police, Fire Department, Ambulance 112

National Airline

Brussels Airlines

Airport

Brussels Airport / IATA-Code: BRU

Tourist Info Online and Onsite

Visit Brussels
Grand-Place
1000 Brussels

They are open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Going Downtown and Back

Brussels’ airport is located about 12 km northeast of the city. You can get downtown by public bus #12 as well as #272 for as little as 2.50 €uros. Nevertheless, if you’re in Brussels for just one day, time is a valid factor, hence, you might want to opt for the fastest way which is taking one of the regional or suburban trains for 9 €uros. You can buy the ticket from one of the vending machines and the ride is an incredible 11 minutes!

There are various privately run luggage storage facilities around the main train station where you can leave your luggage.

Deals And Discounts

There is a tourist pass called Brussels Card which is actually pretty awesome if you have enough time to explore a couple of the 49 museums that are included free of charge.

Given that the pass costs 32 €uros for one day, and you need to pay an additional 8 €uros if you choose the option with free public transport, you really have to race from venue to venue to get your money’s worth.

On a sunny day, you can easily explore the city by walking. And even if it’s raining, I’d argue that paying for individual trips which are 2.20 €uros each is the better option, especially since the fare is capped at 8 €uros.

Morning Activities

Brussels Central Station is one of the city’s three main train stations, centrally located and therefore the perfect starting point for a tour of Brussels.

North of the train station stands the architectural jewel, the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. It is the main church of the city and the seat of the archbishop. The construction of the current structure was completed at the end of the 15th century in the Gothic style.

If you walk west from the cathedral you will reach the beautiful Place de l’Agora. It is surrounded by small specialty shops and many restaurants.

Most importantly, here you will find one of the entrances to the magnificent Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert.
The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a shopping arcade that opened in 1847, making it the oldest arcade in Europe. Not only are the buildings majestic, but also the prices in the shops. So stick to window shopping and pick up your souvenirs like chocolates or cartoon trinkets around the corner on Rue de la Colline.

This charming alley also leads to the Grand Place, Brussels’ main square and arguably the most beautiful courtyard in all of Europe, if not the world. Visiting the Grand Place is like diving into a fairy tale. The mix of Gothic, Baroque, and Louis XIV architecture makes for a visual feast, while the lively events and lively atmosphere make it the beating heart of Brussels.

The most impressive building is the town hall with its impressive Gothic architecture. The Brussels Tourist Information Office is located on the ground floor. Opposite is the so-called Maison du Roi, the royal house, which today houses the Museum of the City of Brussels.

Looking for Number One

Whether you’re into sculptures relieving themselves or not, a visit to Brussels wouldn’t be complete without paying a visit to the three urinators.

Let’s start with the most famous one, the Manneken Pis. He pees from a pedestal at a house corner just five minutes west of the Grand Place. Although he’s far shorter than you’d expect, you cannot miss him as there is always a bunch of giggling people standing in front of him.

Then there is Zinneke Pis. This is a dog lifting his leg on a post about ten minutes northwest of the famous Manneken. As a matter of fact, it’s not such an unusual let alone disturbing sight. Plus, the dog pees in a pretty cool neighborhood with lots of charming cafés and unique stores, hence a part of Brussels that’s definitely worth a visit.

To see the third one peeing, you have to go all the way back through the city center to the Grand Place and then dive into the charming maze of alleys behind the City Museum. There, in a side street – hidden but well signposted – mademoiselle Jeanneke Pis squats in the middle of Brussels’ lively nightlife district.

By visiting these three unusual landmarks, you have already seen large parts of Brussels city center.

Just around the corner from Jeanneke Pis is Chez Léon, a popular place to eat Belgium’s national dish moules et frites, hence mussels and French fries.

Morning Activities

Rain in Brussels? No problem since this gives you enough time to explore some of Brussels’ around 80 museums many of which are included in the Brussels Card. This being mentioned, I’d argue that this tourist pass is only worth the 32 €uros is you’re frantically racing from venue to venue. And when visiting the exhibitions presented here, you should give yourself more time to really enjoy them.

If you are only in Brussels for a day and want to visit a museum, it should definitely be the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Strictly speaking, it consists of six departments, four of which are housed in a building on Place Royale, including the Museum of the Old Masters, the Musée Fin-de-Siècle, and the Magritte Museum.

The Old Masters section alone houses some impressive works of European art from the 15th to 18th centuries. You can see paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Hans Memling, Lucas Cranach and most importantly by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. They are among the highlights of the collection and offer a deep insight into the society and culture of the time as well as Bruegel’s unique artistic perspective.

The Magritte Museum is housed in another wing of the same building. Born in 1898 in Lessine, Magritte studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Although his studies did not inspire him on an artistic level, this profound professional training allowed him to earn a living even during difficult times. In 1922, he married Georgette Berger, whom he had known since his teenage years.

To this day, Magritte remains the most famous Belgian modern painter, and his works are celebrated around the world for their on so many levels absolutely fantastic motifs.

The museum complex is open from Tuesday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The general entrance fee is 10 €uros.

Lunch With a View

Another spot you definitely shouldn’t miss is the Musée des Instruments de Musique at the northern corner of Place Royale. While their collection of instruments is not exactly overwhelming, I still urge you to pay the restaurant on the top level a visit.

From there, you have a grand panoramic view of Brussels. Also, riding the old elevator is fun – and at moments even a bit exciting. Going back down, however, you should take the stairs so that you get to see this remarkable building. If you only visit the café and not the exhibitions, entry is completely free. You just have to say at the entrance that you want to go to the restaurant. 

Obviously, once you’re there, you might as well order lunch. However, if you prefer enjoying Belgium’s national dish moules et frites, hence mussels and French fries, at a popular place, just hop on bus #71 which will take you from the stop Koning to the stop Arenberg in just five minutes.

Lunch

I’ve never heard anyone say, let’s order some Belgian food. I don’t know a single Belgian restaurant outside of Belgium either. And yet everyone goes crazy and raves about Belgian food as soon as they enter the country.

Nevertheless, one delicacy that I can totally relate to is mussels, which in Belgium are traditionally served with the best French fries in the world. And Léon is a true institution. Their headquarters is right behind the Maison du Roi.

Also, I have to correct myself at this point, because I actually do know a Belgian restaurant outside the country: Léon also has a few branches in Paris.

Chez Léon  
Rue des Bouchers 18
1000 Bruxelles
Open every day from noon to 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, they are closing only at 11.30 p.m.

Afternoon Activities

There is one attraction in almost every city that you definitely can’t miss, whether you want to or not. In Brussels, it is the Atomium.

The Atomium is one of the most famous modernist buildings in the world. Engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak created it as the centerpiece of the 1958 Brussels World Exhibition. It stands on the Heysel Plateau in the Laeken district and is a tribute to scientific progress. At 102 meters high, it is one of the tallest structures in Belgium.

Nine stainless steel balls with a diameter of 18 meters are connected in the form of a unit cell, which is intended to represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. There are stairs and escalators in the steel tubes that connect the spheres. There is even an elevator in the central, vertical tube. This means that six of the nine balls can be entered. They contain exhibition halls and other public spaces. In the top sphere, there is a restaurant with panoramic views of Brussels.

The general entrance fee is 16 €uros. There are combination tickets with the planetarium for 17 €uros and with the Mini-Europa Park for 32,20 €uros. The Atomium is open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. To avoid long queues, I recommend purchasing an entry ticket in advance*.

But not only the Atomium itself, but also the surrounding area is attractive to visitors for several reasons. The former Expo site, which is located directly behind the Atomium, is still the setting of many international exhibitions, concerts, and, of course, trade fairs.

Especially if you are traveling with children, you might not want to miss out on a visit to the Mini-Europe Park. Here you will find miniature models of famous European sights that have been recreated in great detail, allowing you to travel throughout the continent in just a few hours.

Phew, that was quite a lot to see, wasn’t it? Well, it’s a good thing that the Atomium is located right next to the Parc de Laeken, a spacious greenery that invites you to relax and take a walk. There’s even a lake and plenty of areas to hang out and enjoy nature.

Keep in mind that it takes around 45 minutes to get from the city center to the Heizel station where the Atomium is located.

Afternoon Activities

While other nations dismissed comics as trash, the French and Belgians recognized and recognized the cultural value of drawn storytelling very early on.

Already in the middle of the 20th century, Belgian cartoonists developed unique and charismatic characters and an entire cosmos around each of them.

Whether it’s the adventurous Tim, the jumpy Marsupilami, the cowboy Lucky Luke, or the Smurfs – these Belgians are known and loved all over the world.

And also the phenomenon of comic books for adults like detective and crime novels is a very Franco-Belgian thing.

Therefore, a visit to the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, Brussels Comic Art Museum, is a must when visiting the city.

Those already into comics will have the time of their lives – and probably spend a fortune in the very complete bookstore downstairs. Anyone who has not previously known what to do with comic books could have interesting encounters with a different area of ​​culture, namely a new form of literature.

Apart from the permanent exhibition, there are always a couple of special themed displays.

However, don’t expect Disney World. Although there are a couple of large figurines, it’s not an amusement park, it’s a book center.

The Comic Art Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. During the tourist high season in July and August, they open every day. The general entrance fee is 13 €uros.

Dinner

I would like to point out a very practical and pleasant way to eat out in Brussels. Several food courts in the city have crucial advantages not only for travelers. Like other food courts, there are stalls with foods from different countries in a large hall. From Asian to Mexican to – correct: Belgian. This means everyone can choose what they feel like, yet, you can still sit at the table together. Yes, you are of course familiar with the concept from many shopping malls. But the ambiance in the food courts that I present below is very different from the plastic decor of your local mall.

One of the most beautiful and centrally located food courts is the Wolf Sharing Food Market. Here you can embark on a culinary journey around the world. There are Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese, Italian, and much more. The whole thing is crowned by an on-site microbrewery that brews local craft beers.

Wolf Sharing Food Market is open every day from noon until 10.30 p.m.

Nightcap

There are tons of cool bars in Brussels. But once you’re at Wolf’s, why not just stay and enjoy their delicious housebrew? Also, from here, it’s just a ten-minute walk to the Place Charles Rogier where your comfy bed is waiting for you.

Accommodation

I’d argue that the perfect place for a short stay in Brussels is Place Charles Rogier.

It’s just north of the very city center, hence, comfortably walkable from the dinner spot but even from the Grand Place. Also, there is hardly a better location to get from the city center to the airport as bus #272 stops right on the square.

There are various hotels to choose from like for instance the very comfortable DoubleTree by Hilton Brussels City*. However, on the map below, you can choose suitable lodging options in Brussels according to the location – and your budget, obviously*:

Map

This map should help you to easily find all the wonderful places I’m introducing in this post. To switch between the itineraries for a sunny and a rainy day just open the legend at the left upper corner and you can hide or unhide the respective layer as you wish. This way, the map will show only the section you really need and be more clear.

If you have more time to spare in Brussels, make sure to check out my comprehensive post Best Things to Do in BRUSSELS, the Capital of Europe. There you’ll find lots of places and activities to choose from.

Pinnable Pictures

If you choose to pin this post for later, please use one of these pictures:

Did You Enjoy This Post? Then You Might Like Also These:

* Disclaimer: I appreciate that Visit Brussels supported both my blogger trips by supplying me with a 72 hours Brussels Card including a Travel Card. However, all opinions on these services are mine and weren’t by any means influenced by my cooperation partner. There are affiliate links in this article. By purchasing items through my affiliate links at no extra cost to you, I will receive a small commission. This helps me to run this site.

Icons: money bag by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com, police car, train, sun, glass, and bed by Freepik from www.flaticon.com, takeoff plane and board made by ultimatearm from www.flaticon.com, info made by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com, umbrella made by Kiranshastry from www.flaticon.com, food plate by Vectors Market from www.flaticon.com