# Brussels

The Grand-Place, the Atomium, Magritte, comics, gueuze and chocolate, and the best base for day trips by train to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Dinant.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/brussels · Revisado: 2026-11-12

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.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Beers of Belgium, Christmas markets of Europe
- Cerca: Waterloo (a 19.0 km), Mechelen (a 22.1 km), Leuven (a 24.7 km), Villers-la-Ville Abbey (a 31.2 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The Grand-Place and the Gothic town hall** (45 min · All ages, also with a pushchair · Free): Brussels's main square is the starting point of any visit: the Gothic town hall, with its 96-metre tower, and opposite it the Maison du Roi, surrounded by the guildhalls, rebuilt in stone after the French bombardment of 1695. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1998.
When to see it
Come back twice: in the morning, when the groups have not yet arrived, and at night, with the facades lit up. In August of even-numbered years it is covered with a carpet of flowers for a few days, and in December the tree and a light and sound show are set up. Five minutes away is the Manneken Pis, along the rue de l'Étuve.
- **The Atomium, the giant atom of Expo 58** (1 h 30 · All ages; with small children, for the escalators and tubes · €17 adults · €15 over-65s · €9 from 1.15 m to age 17 and students · free up to 1.15 m): The Atomium is an iron molecule magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World's Fair: nine steel spheres joined by tubes with escalators. Inside there are exhibitions on Expo 58 and the design of the period, and at its feet is the Design Museum Brussels.
What you need to know before going
Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. Admission costs €17 for adults and €9 from 1.15 m to age 17; children under 1.15 m do not pay. In November 2026 the website warns of two things: the top sphere, the one with the viewpoint, is temporarily closed, and tickets are sold only at the ticket office, with waits that can exceed an hour. Check the website the day before. It closes for maintenance from 18 January to 5 February 2027.
Getting there
Metro line 6 to Heysel/Heizel, about 25 minutes from the centre, and a five-minute walk. Next to it is Mini-Europe, with a combined ticket of €35 for adults.
- **Magritte Museum and the Old Masters at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts** (2 h 30 · Adults and teenagers with an interest in art · €20 combined ticket · €15 over-65s · €8 ages 18 to 25 · free up to age 17 · free on the first Wednesday of the month from 13:00): On the Mont des Arts, next to the Place Royale, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts bring two visits together in a single building: the Magritte Museum, with the largest collection of the Belgian Surrealist painter, and the Old Masters Museum, with the Flemish Primitives, Bruegel and Rubens.
Opening hours and tickets
Open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and at weekends from 11:00 to 18:00; the ticket offices close at 16:30 on weekdays and at 17:30 at weekends. Closed on Mondays. The combined ticket to both museums costs €20; under-18s go in free and on the first Wednesday of each month admission is free for everyone from 13:00, except for temporary exhibitions.
Where to enter
If you buy online, you go straight in through the Magritte Museum, at 2 Place Royale. Otherwise, the ticket office is at the main entrance, at 3 rue de la Régence.
- **Saint-Hubert Galleries, rue des Bouchers and Manneken Pis** (1 h · All ages; the galleries are a good refuge if it rains · Free): Two minutes from the Grand-Place begin the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, covered arcades with a glass vault opened in 1847: chocolate shops, bookshops, a theatre and cafés. They come out onto the rue des Bouchers, the street of the mussel restaurants, and from the square the rue de l'Étuve leads down to the Manneken Pis.
The route
Enter the galleries from the rue du Marché aux Herbes, walk through all of them (Galerie du Roi, de la Reine and des Princes) and return to the Grand-Place. From the corner of the town hall, the rue Charles Buls and the rue de l'Étuve lead in five minutes to the statue. On the rue Charles Buls is the tea room of Maison Dandoy, the place for the mid-afternoon waffle.
- **Belgian Comic Strip Center, from Tintin to the Smurfs** (1 h 30 · Families with children from age 6 and teenagers · €14 adults · €11 for ages 12 to 25 and over-65s · €6 for ages 6 to 11 · free up to age 5): Belgium is the country of Franco-Belgian comics: Tintin, Spirou, Lucky Luke, the Smurfs. The museum that tells their story occupies a former textile warehouse designed by Victor Horta, the Art Nouveau architect, with an iron and glass hall that alone justifies the ticket.
The visit
Originals, sketches and rooms devoted to Hergé and the great Belgian authors, with a tour that works with children who already read comics. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:00); on Mondays only in July and August. It costs €14 for adults, €6 for ages 6 to 11 and nothing for under-6s.
Getting there
At 20 rue des Sables, ten minutes' walk north of the Grand-Place. In the centre there are also walls painted with comic panels: the comic strip route.
- **The Cantillon brewery and Brussels lambic** (1 h · Adults; under-16s enter free but do not taste · Self-guided tour with tasting €9 (€8 depending on age) · guided Saturday tour €13 · free under 16): Cantillon is the last traditional lambic brewery within Brussels, in the Anderlecht district, and has worked as a living museum of gueuze since 1900. Lambic ferments spontaneously with yeasts from the air and rests for years in oak barrels.
What the tour is like
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 10:00 to 16:00, it is self-guided with a leaflet, takes an hour, and ends with three tastings: lambic, gueuze and a fruit beer. It costs €9 (€8 depending on age) and cannot be booked. On Saturdays there is a guided tour of an hour and a half for €13, booked online. It is closed on Wednesdays, Sundays and public holidays; the shop is open until 17:00. Dogs may not enter.
Getting there
It is at 56 rue Gheude, ten minutes' walk from Bruxelles-Midi station, where the Charleroi bus arrives.
- **Belgian Beer World, Belgian beer in the Stock Exchange building** (2 h · Adults; children pay less and have a non-alcoholic drink · €21.50 adults · €19.50 over-60s · €15.50 students aged 16 to 25 · €12 ages 12 to 15 · €8 ages 4 to 11 · free up to 3): The old Stock Exchange building, five minutes from the Grand-Place, houses Belgian Beer World on its upper floors: a tour about Belgian beer, from malt and yeast to styles, abbeys and family breweries. It is the best introduction before you launch into the bars, because it puts names to what you will drink afterwards: lambic, gueuze, dubbel, tripel, saison.
What the visit is like
You go at your own pace, with an audioguide on your phone, and there is a tasting halfway round. At the end you go up to the Beerlab Rooftop, where the ticket includes a 33 cl beer of your choice from many. Allow about two hours including the beer upstairs; the website gives no duration.
Prices and opening hours
Adults, €21.50; over-60s, €19.50; students aged 16 to 25, €15.50; ages 12 to 15, €12; ages 4 to 11, €8; free up to 3. Open every day from 10:30 to 19:30, and on Friday and Saturday until 20:30; last entry is an hour before closing. Tickets are bought on its website, with a time slot.
Getting there
It is at boulevard Anspach 80, in the pedestrian zone of the centre. The Bourse - Grand-Place premetro stop is at the door, and Bruxelles-Central is ten minutes on foot.
- **Chocolate workshop with Laurent Gerbaud** (Adults and families; ask the minimum age when you book): Laurent Gerbaud is a Brussels chocolate maker with a shop and tea room on the rue Ravenstein, at the foot of the Mont des Arts. On Saturdays he runs an introductory workshop: tastings of different cocoa beans and chocolates that you make yourself and take home.
How to book
On the house's online shop, where the dates, time and price of each Saturday appear. If there is no place, the tea room on the rue Ravenstein (Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 to 18:00) serves 72% hot chocolate and coffee with a chocolate from the counter.
- **Parlamentarium, the European Parliament visitor centre** (1 h 30 · Teenagers and adults; interactive · Free): In the European Quarter, the Parlamentarium explains how the Union works with interactive rooms, a giant map and a 360-degree cinema. It is free and the multimedia guide is available in all 24 official languages, including Spanish.
Opening hours and booking
Open Monday from 13:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry half an hour before closing. It is best to book online: without a booking you can only enter if there is room. Closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 24, 25 and 31 December.
What is nearby
The Place du Luxembourg, next door, fills with civil servants at aperitif time on Thursdays. Fifteen minutes' walk away is the Cinquantenaire park, with its triumphal arch.
- **Plaisirs d'Hiver, the Brussels Christmas Market** (3 h · All ages · Free entry; rink and Ferris wheel paid): Plaisirs d'Hiver is the Brussels Christmas market and it spreads across the pedestrian centre: not a single square, but a trail of stalls between the Grand-Place and Place De Brouckère.
What it is and what you see
According to the published information, in 2026 it brings together more than 200 stalls spread across the Grand-Place, Place de la Monnaie, the Bourse, Place Sainte-Catherine, the Marché aux Poissons and Place De Brouckère. There is also an ice rink with curling lanes, a Ferris wheel, a big tree and a light and sound show on the Grand-Place. The novelty for 2026 is a Basque-Béarnais village on Place de la Bourse. The prices for the rink and the wheel are separate; walking around the squares and the stalls costs nothing.
When
From Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, every day from 12:00 to 22:00. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 18:00. The detailed programme is announced in November at plaisirsdhiver.be; confirm it before you go if you are after a particular show.
Getting there
Bruxelles-Central station is about ten minutes' walk from the Grand-Place. The centre is pedestrianised; if you come by car, use the car parks at the Grand-Place, Écuyer or De Brouckère, or the park-and-ride sites at the metro terminals. From Brussels you can easily make a day trip to Bruges or Ghent on another day, but the Brussels market deserves an afternoon and the evening.
What to eat and drink
You will find the Belgian market classics, from waffles to mulled wine, and the Grand-Place surrounded by breweries. To drink a good beer without so many people, go to Cantillon, which is not on the market trail.

## Dónde comer
- **Chez Léon** (Restaurant, Brussels · rue des Bouchers, €€). Qué pedir: the pot of Zeeland mussels with chips, or the meatballs in tomato sauce
- **À la Mort Subite** (Bar, Brussels · next to the Saint-Hubert Galleries, €). Qué pedir: a gueuze or a kriek with a board of Belgian cheeses and charcuterie
- **Comme chez Soi** (Restaurant, Brussels · Place Rouppe, €€€€). Qué pedir: the lunch menu from Wednesday to Saturday, or the à la carte with the house's classic dishes
- **Maison Dandoy, tea room on the rue Charles Buls** (Café, Brussels · next to the Grand-Place, €). Qué pedir: a Brussels or Liège waffle and a bag of speculoos to take away
- **Brussels Beer Project, Dansaert** (Bar, Brussels · Dansaert, €€). Qué pedir: a flight of four or five small draught beers, and one of the DANSAERT lambics made in the same building
- **Le Poechenellekelder** (Bar, Brussels · Manneken Pis, €). Qué pedir: a Trappist or a gueuze from the beer list, with some cheese to go with it

## By plane: Direct flight to Brussels and train to the centre
Brussels has two airports with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, taking about two hours from the two big ones. Zaventem, the main one, is about 17 minutes by train from the centre; Charleroi, where many low-cost airlines land, is about 48 km to the south and is linked by bus. In the city you do not need a car, and day trips to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp or Leuven are made by train from Central station.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Le Dixseptième** (Small hotel): A four-star boutique hotel hidden behind a discreet facade on the rue de la Madeleine, the slope that links the Grand-Place with Bruxelles-Central station. It occupies three buildings: the main historic house, which keeps its air of another era, and two brighter wings around a courtyard and a garden.
The rooms
There are classic rooms in the main house, and garden and courtyard rooms in the other wings, as well as junior suites. All have wifi and air conditioning; the hotel has a gym and 24-hour reception. Breakfast is served every day from 7:00 to 10:30.
Getting there and parking
From Central station, where the airport trains stop, it is about five minutes' walk, downhill. The hotel has no parking of its own: the nearest are the Parking Grand Place and the Albertine-Square. For a trip without a car it is in the best place: the trains to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven leave from the same station.
- **Hôtel des Galeries** (Small hotel): A small hotel under the glass vault of the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, with the entrance at 38 rue des Bouchers. The facade is listed and cannot carry a large sign: look carefully.
The rooms
Twenty-three rooms and suites, all different, with parquet floors, wooden shutters, made-to-measure furniture and pieces by Belgian designers, and a geometric-patterned ceramic that repeats throughout the house. There are classic, superior, duplex with kitchen and suites, some with a terrace. Breakfast is a buffet paid separately.
How arrival works
Check-in is at a self-check-in terminal; reception is staffed from 7:00 to 23:00, and outside those hours self-check-in is compulsory with the code that arrives in the booking email. Check-out is until 12:00.
Getting there and parking
From Zaventem airport, direct train to Bruxelles-Central in about 17 minutes; the station is 400 metres away. From Charleroi, shuttle bus to Bruxelles-Midi. It has no parking: the Interparking Grand Place is 240 metres away.
- **MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles City Center** (Hostel): A hotel-hostel in a former brewery from 1912 on the canal bank, on the boundary between Molenbeek and the centre, a quarter of an hour's walk from the Grand-Place through the Sainte-Catherine district. It mixes private rooms, family rooms and shared dormitories.
The rooms
One hundred and fifty rooms with 727 beds on four floors with two lifts: doubles, family rooms with bunk beds and dormitories of six or more beds. All have a bathroom with shower, sheets and towels, lockers and soundproofed windows. There is a guest kitchen, a bar, a games room, a terrace and 24-hour reception. Breakfast, from 6:30 to 10:30, costs €13.90 (€13.50 booking directly).
What adds to the price
The tourist tax, €5.60 per room per night, or €1.15 per bed in a dormitory. The garage costs €20 per night, subject to availability. Animals are accepted in private rooms for €15 a night.
Getting there
From the airport, train to Bruxelles-Central and then the metro or a twenty-minute walk. From Charleroi, the bus to Bruxelles-Midi and metro to Comte de Flandre.
### Servicios
- **Train from Brussels-Zaventem airport (BRU) to the centre**: Station under the terminal · about 17–18 minutes to Bruxelles-Central · ticket with airport supplement
- **Shuttle bus from Charleroi (CRL) to Brussels**: Brussels South Charleroi, about 48 km away · Flibco shuttle to Bruxelles-Midi · there are also routes to Bruges and Ghent
- **Bruxelles-Central station, for day trips by train**: Five minutes from the Grand-Place · direct trains to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Mechelen, Namur and the airport
- **STIB metro, tram and bus**: Pay with a contactless card or phone at the validators, with a daily cap

## Car-free: Brussels without a car, on foot and by train
Brussels is best seen without a car. The historic centre is small and can be walked, the metro reaches the Atomium and the European Quarter, and the Belgian rail network puts the Flemish cities, Waterloo or Dinant within an hour and a half. A car here is only trouble: low-emission zone, traffic and expensive car parks.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Le Dixseptième** (Small hotel): A four-star boutique hotel hidden behind a discreet facade on the rue de la Madeleine, the slope that links the Grand-Place with Bruxelles-Central station. It occupies three buildings: the main historic house, which keeps its air of another era, and two brighter wings around a courtyard and a garden.
The rooms
There are classic rooms in the main house, and garden and courtyard rooms in the other wings, as well as junior suites. All have wifi and air conditioning; the hotel has a gym and 24-hour reception. Breakfast is served every day from 7:00 to 10:30.
Getting there and parking
From Central station, where the airport trains stop, it is about five minutes' walk, downhill. The hotel has no parking of its own: the nearest are the Parking Grand Place and the Albertine-Square. For a trip without a car it is in the best place: the trains to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven leave from the same station.
- **Hôtel des Galeries** (Small hotel): A small hotel under the glass vault of the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, with the entrance at 38 rue des Bouchers. The facade is listed and cannot carry a large sign: look carefully.
The rooms
Twenty-three rooms and suites, all different, with parquet floors, wooden shutters, made-to-measure furniture and pieces by Belgian designers, and a geometric-patterned ceramic that repeats throughout the house. There are classic, superior, duplex with kitchen and suites, some with a terrace. Breakfast is a buffet paid separately.
How arrival works
Check-in is at a self-check-in terminal; reception is staffed from 7:00 to 23:00, and outside those hours self-check-in is compulsory with the code that arrives in the booking email. Check-out is until 12:00.
Getting there and parking
From Zaventem airport, direct train to Bruxelles-Central in about 17 minutes; the station is 400 metres away. From Charleroi, shuttle bus to Bruxelles-Midi. It has no parking: the Interparking Grand Place is 240 metres away.
- **MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles City Center** (Hostel): A hotel-hostel in a former brewery from 1912 on the canal bank, on the boundary between Molenbeek and the centre, a quarter of an hour's walk from the Grand-Place through the Sainte-Catherine district. It mixes private rooms, family rooms and shared dormitories.
The rooms
One hundred and fifty rooms with 727 beds on four floors with two lifts: doubles, family rooms with bunk beds and dormitories of six or more beds. All have a bathroom with shower, sheets and towels, lockers and soundproofed windows. There is a guest kitchen, a bar, a games room, a terrace and 24-hour reception. Breakfast, from 6:30 to 10:30, costs €13.90 (€13.50 booking directly).
What adds to the price
The tourist tax, €5.60 per room per night, or €1.15 per bed in a dormitory. The garage costs €20 per night, subject to availability. Animals are accepted in private rooms for €15 a night.
Getting there
From the airport, train to Bruxelles-Central and then the metro or a twenty-minute walk. From Charleroi, the bus to Bruxelles-Midi and metro to Comte de Flandre.
### Servicios
- **Train from Brussels-Zaventem airport (BRU) to the centre**: Station under the terminal · about 17–18 minutes to Bruxelles-Central · ticket with airport supplement
- **Shuttle bus from Charleroi (CRL) to Brussels**: Brussels South Charleroi, about 48 km away · Flibco shuttle to Bruxelles-Midi · there are also routes to Bruges and Ghent
- **Bruxelles-Central station, for day trips by train**: Five minutes from the Grand-Place · direct trains to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Mechelen, Namur and the airport
- **STIB metro, tram and bus**: Pay with a contactless card or phone at the validators, with a daily cap

## As a family: Brussels with children

Brussels works well with children if you alternate a museum with some street time. What they remember most is the Atomium, the comics and the chocolate; the Old Masters are better left for another occasion. Distances in the centre are short and waffles solve any mid-afternoon.

### What works best
The Atomium, free under 1.15 m, with Mini-Europe next door

The Belgian Comic Strip Center, with Tintin and the Smurfs

The Grand-Place at night and the Manneken Pis

The Saturday chocolate workshop

### Where to sleep
Family rooms at the MEININGER, with a guest kitchen

Duplex with kitchen at the Hôtel des Galeries

### Where to eat
Chez Léon, with lots of space and simple dishes

Waffles at Maison Dandoy

### Bear in mind
The Atomium sells tickets only at the ticket office in November 2026: there may be a long wait

The cobbles in the centre make a pushchair heavy going

The fine arts museums are free for under-18s

### Qué hacer as a family
- The Grand-Place and the Gothic town hall
- The Atomium, the giant atom of Expo 58
- Saint-Hubert Galleries, rue des Bouchers and Manneken Pis
- Belgian Comic Strip Center, from Tintin to the Smurfs
- Chocolate workshop with Laurent Gerbaud
- Parlamentarium, the European Parliament visitor centre

## With teenagers: Brussels with teenagers

With teenagers, Brussels makes a weekend with some independence: the centre is small and safe, the metro is paid for with a phone and there are museums that do not bore. Let them choose between comics, Europe and Surrealism.

### What works best
The Atomium, with its tubes and escalators

The Parlamentarium, free, interactive and in Spanish

The Belgian Comic Strip Center, with the mural route on the street

The Magritte Museum, free up to age 17

### Where to sleep
The MEININGER, with a games room and bar

### Where to eat
Chips, mussels and waffles without leaving the centre

### Bear in mind
The breweries are not for them: the Cantillon tasting is for adults

The rue des Bouchers is lively at night, but with insistent waiters

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- The Grand-Place and the Gothic town hall
- The Atomium, the giant atom of Expo 58
- Magritte Museum and the Old Masters at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts
- Belgian Comic Strip Center, from Tintin to the Smurfs
- Parlamentarium, the European Parliament visitor centre

## With friends: Brussels with Friends: Lambic, 1900s Cafés and a Night of Mussels

Brussels is the capital of Belgian beer, and a group of friends notices straight away: a brewery that still makes lambic as it did a century ago, a beer museum with a tasting on the roof terrace and mirrored cafés where you order a gueuze. The centre fits into one walk, so what decides the day is the order of your stops.

### What works best
Cantillon Brewery: self-guided visit with three beers for €9, or guided on Saturdays for €13; closed Wednesdays and Sundays.

Belgian Beer World: audio guide, tasting and a beer on the roof terrace from €21.50, every day from 10:30.

Grand-Place: 45 free minutes, by day and by night, with a flower carpet in August of even-numbered years.

Belgian Comic Strip Center: €14 in a Horta building, Tuesday to Sunday.

Saint-Hubert Galleries and Manneken Pis: one free hour.

Laurent Gerbaud chocolate workshop: on Saturdays, with tastings and chocolates you make yourself.

### Where to sleep
MEININGER Bruxelles City Center: hotel-hostel with 150 rooms in a former brewery from 1912, with bunk beds, private rooms and a shared kitchen.

### Where to eat
À la Mort Subite: mirrored café opposite the Galleries, with gueuze, kriek and cheese boards.

Brussels Beer Project Dansaert: 24 beers on tap, a tasting flight of four or five and pizzas, Tuesday to Saturday in the evening.

Le Poechenellekelder: tavern opposite the Manneken Pis, open Tuesday to Sunday.

Chez Léon: pots of mussels and chips since 1893.

### Keep in mind
Cantillon is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays, and in 2026 also from 27 July to 1 August.

The chocolate workshop only runs on Saturdays.

Brussels Beer Project Dansaert is not open on Sundays or Mondays.

### Qué hacer with friends
- The Grand-Place and the Gothic town hall
- Saint-Hubert Galleries, rue des Bouchers and Manneken Pis
- Belgian Comic Strip Center, from Tintin to the Smurfs
- The Cantillon brewery and Brussels lambic
- Belgian Beer World, Belgian beer in the Stock Exchange building
- Chocolate workshop with Laurent Gerbaud

## Consejos

### Two nights at least
One for the city and another so you are not rushed; with four, add Bruges and Ghent.

### Buy online whatever you can
Royal Museums, the Parlamentarium and the chocolate workshop. The Atomium, in November 2026, at the ticket office only.

### Monday, a slow day
The Royal Museums and the comic strip museum are closed. It is a good day for a day trip.

### Do not hire a car for the city
The whole region is a low-emission zone and parking is expensive.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do you need to see Brussels?
Two days for the city. With four or five you can also see Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp by train.

### How do I get from the airport to the centre?
From Zaventem, by train to Bruxelles-Central, about 17 minutes. From Charleroi, on the bus shuttle to Bruxelles-Midi.

### Which day trip is best from Brussels?
Bruges is the classic; Ghent has fewer people and is closer. If you like art, Antwerp.

### Is Brussels expensive?
Like an average European capital: accommodation costs the most. Eating mussels or chips is reasonable.

### What language is spoken in Brussels?
French and Dutch, the two official languages. In the centre almost everyone speaks English.

### Do you need a car?
No. The centre is done on foot, the metro reaches the Atomium and day trips are made by train.