Brussels, the Grand-Place, the Atomium and half of Belgium an hour away by train.

Brussels is Belgium's gateway for almost everyone who arrives by air from Spain, and it deserves more than a night in passing. It has one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, the Atomium, the Magritte and comic strip museums, the city's last lambic brewery and chocolate shops on every corner. And above all it has trains: in under an hour you are in Ghent, Antwerp or Leuven, and in little more in Bruges or Dinant. That is why it is the best base for a four- or five-day trip without a car.

How do you get there from Spain?

By air, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, taking about two hours from the two big ones. There are two airports. Brussels-Zaventem (BRU), the main one, has a railway station under the terminal and puts you at Bruxelles-Central in about 17 minutes. Charleroi (CRL), about 48 km to the south, receives many low-cost airlines: from there, the bus shuttle goes to Bruxelles-Midi, and there are direct routes to Bruges and Ghent.

Belgium is in the European Union and the Schengen area: an ID card is enough. The currency is the euro. In the centre people speak French and Dutch, and in tourist places they understand you in English.

What to see in two days?

On the first day, on foot around the centre. Start at the Grand-Place in the morning, before the groups, and continue along the Saint-Hubert Galleries to the Manneken Pis. Go up to the Mont des Arts for the Magritte Museum and the Old Masters, with Bruegel and the Flemish Primitives; closed on Mondays. In the afternoon, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, in an Art Nouveau building by Victor Horta, and in the evening return to the illuminated Grand-Place.

On the second day, outside the centre. Take metro line 6 to the Atomium, the giant atom from Expo 58, and then the European Quarter with the Parlamentarium, free and available in Spanish. If you are interested in beer, on weekdays the Cantillon brewery, in Anderlecht, shows how lambic is made and ends with a tasting of three. On a Saturday you can sign up for the Laurent Gerbaud chocolate workshop.

What day trips can you make from Brussels?

Almost all by train, without a car, from Central station:

• Bruges, about an hour: canals, the belfry and the beguinage. It is the most famous and the one that receives the most people; if you can, stay a night there.
• Ghent, a little over half an hour: the Castle of the Counts, the Mystic Lamb altarpiece and the Graslei quays. It has more of a life of its own than Bruges.
• Antwerp, about 40 minutes: the most beautiful station in the country, Rubens in the cathedral and the Plantin-Moretus Museum.
• Leuven, about 25 minutes: the Gothic town hall, the university town and the longest square of bars in Europe.
• Dinant, an hour and a half via Namur: the citadel above the Meuse, kayaking on the Lesse and the house of Adolphe Sax.
• Waterloo, half an hour to the south: the 1815 battlefield, the Memorial and the Lion's Mound.

With four nights you can sleep two in Brussels and two in Bruges or Ghent, or do everything from here with day trips.

Where to eat?

Brussels comes down to four things: mussels with chips, waffles, chocolate and beer. For mussels, Chez Léon, on the rue des Bouchers since 1893, is open every day. For a waffle, the tea room of Maison Dandoy, next to the Grand-Place. For a gueuze with cheese, the café À la Mort Subite, where Jacques Brel used to drink; closed on Sundays. And for the special meal of the trip, Comme chez Soi, haute cuisine from the same family since 1926, Wednesday to Saturday.

Where to stay?

In the centre, near Central station, so you can walk to everything and have the trains at hand. The Hotel Le Dixseptième is a four-star in a historic house five minutes from the station. The Hôtel des Galeries is inside the Saint-Hubert Galleries, with self check-in if you arrive on a late flight. On a tight budget or with the family, the MEININGER, in a former brewery by the canal, has family rooms and a kitchen.

When to go?

From April to June and in September, with long days and fewer people than in summer. In August of even-numbered years the Grand-Place is covered with a carpet of flowers. In December there is a Christmas market and lights, and it is cold. It rains at any time of year, almost always briefly: bring a waterproof jacket, not a big umbrella.

Since 30 June 2026 the city has had no tourist office open to the public: information is on the visit.brussels website.