Brussels itinerary — 2 days
Day 1 — Brussels
6 stops · ≈ 5 h 25 minA petite bronze fountain sculpture measuring 61 centimetres at the corner of Rue de l Étuve in central Brussels, recognized as the cheeky symbol of the city independent spirit. Cast in 1619 by sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder, the fountain has inspired numerous urban folklore tales. For special festivals, the boy is dressed in elaborate costumes, with a wardrobe of over 1,000 outfits in the City Museum.
Brussels' main square and a UNESCO site: the 15th-century town hall with its 96-metre tower topped by St Michael, guild houses in gilded baroque, and the Breadhouse. Every second August the square is carpeted with a giant flower carpet of begonias. Dumas called it the most beautiful square in Europe.
A legendary beer tavern tucked into a small alley off the Grand-Place, opposite the Jeanneke Pis fountain. Delirium earned a Guinness World Record for offering the largest commercial beer selection on Earth, pouring well over 2,000 varieties from authentic Belgian Trappist ales and fruit lambics to global craft rarities. Its labyrinth of cellar rooms is vibrantly decorated with vintage beer trays, bottle caps, and enamelled signs.
Jeanneke-Pis is a whimsical bronze fountain sculpture tucked away in the narrow Impasse de la Fidélité alley near Brussels' Grand Place. Created by sculptor Denis-Adrien Debouvrie in 1987, the half-meter-tall statue depicts a carefree young girl with pigtails squatting to urinate, designed as a playful sister counterpart to the iconic Manneken Pis. The fountain sits behind protective iron railings directly opposite the famous Delirium Café.
Standing atop Treurenberg Hill, this magnificent Brabantine Gothic cathedral serves as the national church of Belgium. Constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries, its majestic twin 64-meter facade towers strongly evoke Notre-Dame de Paris. Inside, soaring vaulted naves are lined with statues of the twelve apostles, a dramatic 17th-century carved Baroque wooden pulpit by Verbruggen, and stained-glass windows by Bernard van Orley.
A striking modernist monument in Brussels, built for the 1958 World Expo to the design of engineer André Waterkeyn. Representing an iron crystal cell enlarged 165 billion times, it consists of nine steel-clad spheres connected by tubes and escalators. Several spheres host permanent and temporary design exhibitions, while the top sphere offers a 360-degree panoramic view over Brussels.
Reserve
7If you have time left — worth it too.
The European Parliament in Brussels sits at the heart of the European Quarter in the Espace Léopold complex. Open to individual visitors free of charge, it offers access to the impressive debating chamber (the Hemicycle) equipped with handheld multimedia guides in all 24 official EU languages. Next door, the Parlamentarium—Europe's largest parliamentary visitor centre—presents immersive 360-degree cinema screens exploring EU lawmaking.
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels comprise six prestigious institutions showcasing over twenty thousand artworks across six centuries. The Old Masters Museum holds an incomparable collection of Flemish art, featuring masterpieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck. The adjacent Magritte Museum houses the world's largest collection of surrealist paintings by René Magritte.
Abbaye de La Cambre is a historic former Cistercian abbey founded in 1196, tucked in a green valley beside the Ixelles Ponds in Brussels. The architectural complex combines a 14th-century Gothic church with refined 18th-century cloister buildings. Its crowning glory is the terraced French formal garden, featuring clipped boxwood hedges, bubbling fountains, and sweeping staircases, providing a serene and free escape in the city.
Tour & Taxis is a magnificent early 20th-century customs and freight warehouse complex along the Brussels canal, transformed into a thriving cultural and eco-district. Its crown jewel is Gare Maritime, a former railway freight station sustainably converted into Europe's largest mass-timber covered hall, featuring indoor gardens, retail spaces, and a food market. The Royal Depot and public park host international art fairs and design events.
A working family brewery from 1900 and a lambic museum in one: Cantillon still brews spontaneously fermented lambic, gueuze and kriek in open vessels and oak barrels. A self-guided tour with a brochure leads through the brewhouse, the attic coolship and the cellars, ending with three tasting glasses — lambic, gueuze and a fruit beer. Damp walls and vinegar smells are all part of the authentic charm.
One of the largest churches in the world, crowning the Koekelberg plateau in north-west Brussels. Built in Art Deco style between 1905 and 1970, it is clad in dark brick with terracotta trim. An ascent to the gallery of the dome opens a panorama over the whole city, while below sit a museum of modern religious art and an exhibition tracing the basilica's six decades of construction.
Autoworld is located in the grand southern hall of the Palais du Cinquantenaire in Brussels. Beneath the soaring iron-and-glass roof of this historic late 19th-century pavilion sits one of Europe's finest automotive collections, featuring more than 250 vintage vehicles. The exhibits trace the history of motoring from horse-drawn carriages and rare Belgian marques like Minerva to royal limousines, sports cars, and racing icons.
- Purchase a Brussels Card for free access to public transport and discounts on attractions.
- Always validate your metro ticket before boarding.
- Try to learn a few basic phrases in French or Dutch, as locals appreciate the effort.