One Perfect Day in Brussels

I felt a constant pull to discover each church and wander down each narrow street, always looking up at the magnificent architecture around me. With my camera clicking all day, I tried to preserve that feeling of wonder as we wandered farther from the historic center.

At the same time, Brussels has a quirky, almost childlike charm of its own, with comic book characters peppered throughout the city and a seeming penchant for peeing statues.

I didn’t step off the train in Brussels with the highest expectations, either. While researching the trip, I came across plenty of warnings that Brussels was boring, dirty and even dangerous in parts. But I’m American, so when I hear something like that, I tend to push forward undeterred—everywhere in Europe feels safer and more exciting to me than home!

Many travelers recommend using Brussels primarily as a hub for exploring other Belgian cities like Bruges and Ghent. I’m sure the rest of Belgium is magnificent, but Brussels deserves more credit than that. Its architecture, gardens and art are beautiful, its food is sophisticated and satisfying, and its people are diverse and friendly. Best of all, the city is wonderfully walkable, with fantastic views seemingly around every corner.

I visited Brussels as a day trip from Amsterdam and barely scratched the surface. I absolutely plan to return one day and do what so many others recommend, use Brussels as a base for trips to Bruges and Ghent. But when I do, I’ll also give myself a few extra days to soak up more of Brussels’ unique charm and beauty.

Until then, here’s exactly how I spent one perfect day in Brussels—and how I’d recommend you spend yours.

Arriving in Brussels

We arrived in Brussels on the Eurostar at Midi Station. Midi is about a 25-minute walk from the historic center, and the area immediately around the station isn’t the most interesting introduction to the city. Instead of walking from there, I recommend transferring directly to Brussels Central.

You can buy a ticket at one of the station kiosks and take a local SNCB train to Central Station. It’s quick and easy, and when you emerge from Brussels Central, you’ll be right in the heart of the historic district and just a short walk from the Grand Place.

First Things First: A Belgian Waffle

From the train station, we headed straight for our first Belgian delicacy, a Liege waffle from La Maison des Gaufres. The warm, chewy dough, studded with sweet sugar crystals, was everything it had been hyped up to be. It was love at first bite, and I was ready to see if the rest of Brussels could live up to those same expectations.

Waffle in hand, we walked toward the Grand Place.

The Grand Place

Wow.

My heart stood still for a moment when we first stepped into Brussels’ main square. It truly took my breath away. I’ll admit, I’m one of those people who gets emotional over certain kinds of scenic beauty and art, and I probably shed a tear when I first laid eyes on the Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. I hope you have the same reaction.

Standing in the square, you’re surrounded by spectacular, ornate buildings dating back centuries, each seemingly more beautiful than the last. The gothic Town Hall dominates one side, with the King’s House opposite and elaborate guild houses lining the rest of the square. Everywhere you look, there’s another intricate facade, gilded detail or architectural flourish demanding your attention.

This is one of those places where you need to stop trying to get somewhere and simply look around. I could have stood there with my camera clicking all day.

If you’re lucky, your visit might coincide with one of the events held in the Grand Place, like the famous Flower Carpet in August or the enormous Christmas tree during the holidays. But honestly, the square doesn’t need an event to be spectacular. Give yourself at least 30 minutes just to admire the architecture and take it all in. If you decide to tour the Town Hall or Brussels City Museum—or simply sit at one of the cafes and people-watch—you could easily stay much longer.

Brussels Gets Weird: Manneken Pis

Next, we headed over to Manneken Pis, which is where Brussels’ wonderfully quirky personality really starts to show itself.

It’s a tiny statue. Of a boy peeing.

That’s pretty much it.

And yet Brussels has somehow turned this little peeing boy into one of its most beloved icons. Tour groups crowd around to take his picture, and throughout the year he’s dressed in an ever-changing assortment of elaborate, and sometimes ridiculous, costumes.

The tradition is taken surprisingly seriously. Manneken Pis has his own dedicated wardrobe museum, and an official organization, The Order of the Friends of Mannekin Pis, reviews proposals for new costumes. Even the statue you see on the street isn’t the original. After centuries of theft and vandalism, the original 1619 statue was moved to the Brussels City Museum in the Grand Place for safekeeping.

There are all kinds of legends explaining why Brussels has spent centuries celebrating a urinating little boy, and I’m not sure anyone really knows the truth anymore. That’s part of the fun. Believe whichever story you like, but definitely stop for a quick look.

In Search of Another Peeing Statue

We found Manneken Pis so delightfully strange that we decided we might as well go find Zinneke Pis, Brussels’ peeing dog statue, too. Truthfully, the statue itself wasn’t really the point. We used the walk as an excuse to explore more of Brussels’ streets, and continue our adventure.

Along the way, we passed enormous murals featuring some of Belgium’s most famous comic book characters. We spotted Tintin and the Smurfs, but there are dozens more scattered throughout the city as part of Brussels’ Comic Strip Trail. Even if you aren’t particularly interested in comics, unexpectedly turning a corner and finding a giant, colorful character painted across the side of a building adds to the city’s playful personality.

We eventually snapped our obligatory picture of the peeing dog and continued through Place Sainte-Catherine, which was just waking up for the day. Restaurateurs were setting up tables and preparing for lunch, and the neighborhood had that wonderful feeling of a European city slowly coming to life.

We also popped inside Sainte-Catherine Church. If you love wandering into old churches as much as I do, it’s worth a quick visit.

Frites for Lunch

By then, we were getting hungry and happened to be near one of social media’s favorite spots for another Belgian specialty—Frites Atelier.

We ordered two portions. One was topped with basil mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, the other covered in beef stew and grainy mustard.

Sometimes social media gets it right.

The fries were fresh-cut and crispy, and the rich toppings turned what could have been a quick snack into one of my favorite food stops of the day. We ate outside, listening to the mix of French, Flemish and countless other languages being spoken by groups of passersby.

We lingered there for a bit, eating our ridiculously indulgent fries and enjoying the kind of casual European cafe culture that always seems to elude us back home.

Belgian Chocolate at the Royal Galleries

After one Belgian indulgence, we headed straight for another. Our next stop was the Royal Galleries of Saint Hubert, an elegant glass-roofed shopping arcade filled with cafes, boutiques, art galleries and, most importantly for our purposes, Belgian chocolate shops.

The Galleries themselves are beautiful—light, bright and grand, with an ornate glass ceiling stretching overhead. But it was the chocolate that really had our attention. We popped into shop after shop, admiring, sampling and buying gorgeous Belgian chocolates along the way. We made purchases from both Neuhaus and Pierre Marcolini, and found time to browse the art galleries and bring home some Belgian art.

Eventually, we tore ourselves away and continued toward Mont des Arts.

Chocolate With a View at Mont des Arts

At Mont des Arts, we found a bench overlooking the gardens and gave our feet a rest. More importantly, we opened some of the chocolates we had just bought.

Each praline felt like a tiny work of art. These weren’t the chocolates you mindlessly grab from a grocery store checkout aisle. They were beautiful and delicate, and I admired the care and craftsmanship that went into each one. We sampled our way through several and genuinely couldn’t choose a favorite.

Even if you aren’t a sworn chocoholic, you have to try some Belgian chocolate while you’re in Brussels. When in Rome—or Brussels, as the case may be.

Mont des Arts is also one of the city’s most popular viewpoints, and it’s easy to see why. From the elevated gardens, you can look out over the rooftops and Brussels’ skyline below. Expect plenty of other people stopping for the same photo.

The area is also surrounded by museums, including the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Magritte Museum and the Musical Instruments Museum. Since we only had one day in Brussels, we skipped the museums and kept moving. They’re already on my list for a return trip.

A Royal Palace and a Park

From Mont des Arts, we continued uphill toward the Royal Palace.

Even if you can’t go inside during your visit, the palace is worth walking by simply to admire its grand facade and gardens. The Belgian royal family doesn’t use the palace as its primary residence, but it remains an important working palace used for official functions, ceremonies and receptions.

We snapped a few photos before crossing the street into Brussels Park.

I’m a sucker for an urban park in the middle of a big city.

Some of my favorite travel memories are surprisingly simple ones: an early morning walk through the National Gardens in Athens, riding bikes through the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome, or just finding a shady bench somewhere peaceful and watching a city go by.

Brussels Park gave us exactly that kind of break.

After hours of walking on city streets, it was a clean, inviting stretch of green where we could slow down for a little while. People were dining al fresco at the park’s cafes, buskers were playing music, and a large fountain surrounded by benches gave us another excuse to stop and get some shade.

Brussels Park isn’t the biggest or most spectacular park you’ll ever visit, and I wouldn’t build an itinerary around it. But that’s not really the point. It was a lovely little respite from the surrounding city and exactly what we needed in the middle of a busy day.

Sometimes those unremarkable-on-paper stops end up being part of what makes a day of travel feel so good.

An Afternoon in the Sablon

By now it was mid-afternoon, so we headed back past the Royal Palace and into the Sablon for the rest of our time in Brussels.

The Sablon feels different from the busy historic center. It’s a little quieter, more residential and decidedly upscale, with antique shops, art galleries, restaurants and—because apparently Brussels doesn’t think you’ve had enough yet—even more chocolate shops.

We took our time wandering through the neighborhood and stumbled upon a pretty little sculpture garden before stopping to admire the incredibly intricate stonework of the Church of Our Lady of the Sablon. I couldn’t get over the detail carved into the church. This is exactly why I spend so much of my time in European cities looking up.

Nearby, we found another little pocket of green at Petit Sablon. The garden was filled with vibrant red flowers when we visited, and after walking most of the day, we were more than happy to sit for a few minutes and enjoy them.

From there, we continued uphill toward the Palace of Justice, where you’ll find another great view over Brussels. We could see all the way out to the Atomium. It was one more reminder of just how much of the city we weren’t going to manage to see in a single day.

And by this point, we were ready to stop walking.

One Last Belgian Meal

We headed back down the hill into the Sablon, where the streets are lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. If you follow this route, this is where I’d recommend ending your day.

Find a table, order some mussels, and maybe a Belgian beer, and give yourself time for a leisurely late lunch before heading back to the train station. Browse a few shops, pick up any last souvenirs and enjoy being in Brussels without another sight you need to rush off to see.

After spending most of the day on our feet, it felt good to simply sit and enjoy the city for a while.

Until Next Time, Brussels

It’s impossible to do much more than scratch the surface of Brussels on a day trip. We certainly didn’t see everything—not even close.

But that’s also why I loved this day so much.

In just a few hours, Brussels surprised me over and over again. I found breathtaking architecture and beautiful gardens, tiny streets I wanted to wander down just to see where they went, fantastic food, incredible chocolate, comic book murals, grand palaces and, inexplicably, more than one statue of something peeing.

It was elegant without taking itself too seriously.

When I return, I want to slow down. I’ll finally make it inside some of those museums we passed. I’ll visit Cinquantenaire Park and see its magnificent triple arch. I’ll venture out to the Atomium. I’ll use Brussels as a base to explore Bruges and Ghent.

And obviously, I’ll eat more frites and chocolate.

Until then, I’ll admire the art we brought home, remember how the city completely exceeded my expectations, and savor the memories of my one perfect day in Brussels.