Belgium
Brussels is the capital that hides its charms in plain sight.
Behind the glass towers of the European quarter lies one of the most theatrical squares on earth, the gilded Grand-Place, ringed by guildhalls and a Gothic town hall, and around it a compact old town of covered arcades, chocolate shops, comic-strip murals and wood-panelled beer cafés that pour hundreds of styles. This guide books Brussels properly — the Atomium and its view from the top sphere, the Belgian Beer World experience inside the old stock exchange, a chocolate museum with a tasting, the surreal rooms of the Magritte Museum, the Art Nouveau Musical Instruments Museum, the Horta-built Comics Art Museum and the locomotives of Train World — and adds the free classics, from Manneken-Pis to the evening glow of the Grand-Place, plus the easy day trip to the canals of Bruges. Then it matches you to the right hotel, from a grand address a few steps from the Town Hall to a boutique hideaway under the glass roof of the royal galleries and a converted brewery by the canal, because in a city this walkable, the right base means you rarely need a ticket for the metro.
Grand-Place
The gilded heart of Brussels: a cobbled square framed by a Gothic town hall and the baroque guildhalls of the old trades. Free, open at all hours, and at its best twice — early morning when it is empty, and after dark when the facades are lit.
Atomium
The giant steel molecule built for the 1958 World Fair and never taken down. Ride escalators through the connecting tubes, wander the exhibition spheres and take the lift to the top sphere for a view across the city. A must, and great fun with kids.
Bruges Day Trip from Brussels
Canals, cobbles and a medieval belfry about an hour away. A guided day trip takes care of the logistics, and the best options pair Bruges with Ghent. The most popular excursion from Brussels, and rightly so.
Belgian Beer World Experience
An interactive journey through the country's beer culture inside the restored Brussels stock exchange, ending with a beer up on the rooftop. The best primer before you tackle a Brussels beer menu.
The gilded heart of Brussels: a cobbled square framed by a Gothic town hall and the baroque guildhalls of the old trades. Free, open at all hours, and at its best twice — early morning when it is empty, and after dark when the facades are lit.
The giant steel molecule built for the 1958 World Fair and never taken down. Ride escalators through the connecting tubes, wander the exhibition spheres and take the lift to the top sphere for a view across the city. A must, and great fun with kids.
An interactive journey through the country's beer culture inside the restored Brussels stock exchange, ending with a beer up on the rooftop. The best primer before you tackle a Brussels beer menu.
A compact chocolate museum near the Grand-Place that traces cocoa from the Maya to the Belgian praline, with a live demonstration and a tasting. Short, sweet and very good with children.
Canals, cobbles and a medieval belfry about an hour away. A guided day trip takes care of the logistics, and the best options pair Bruges with Ghent. The most popular excursion from Brussels, and rightly so.
The world's largest collection of René Magritte, bowler hats, pipes and all, inside the Royal Museums of Fine Arts on Place Royale. Refreshed in 2023 and the essential art stop in Brussels.
Hundreds of instruments you can actually hear, in the Art Nouveau Old England building on the Mont des Arts. The headphone guide plays each instrument as you approach, and the rooftop café has one of the best views in town.
Tintin, the Smurfs and a century of Belgian comics in a Victor Horta building near the centre. The former Belgian Comic Strip Center, now renamed, is the perfect stop for families and nostalgics alike.
The tiny bronze boy who is the city's mascot, a few minutes from the Grand-Place. Smaller than you expect, often in costume, and part of the fun of Brussels. Free.
Belgium's railway museum in a grand old station in Schaerbeek, with historic locomotives in a theatrical setting designed by the comic artist François Schuiten. A big family favourite and a great rainy-day trip.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Grand-Place
The grand address of Brussels, a Rocco Forte hotel a few steps from the Grand-Place. Elegant rooms, Flemish tapestries, playful Tintin touches and an Italian restaurant. The city's classic splurge.
Check rates →La Monnaie
A stylish design hotel behind the opera house, built on the site of a former Dominican abbey. Calm rooms, a dramatic lounge and the Grand-Place a few minutes away. The best mid-to-upper choice in the centre.
Check rates →Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
A small boutique hotel under the glass roof of the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, with stylish rooms and a restaurant on the ground floor. Charming, central and quietly chic.
Check rates →Saint-Gilles
A creative, industrial-style hotel in a former art college in Saint-Gilles, with a rooftop plunge pool and bar. Young, relaxed and good value near the Louise and Saint-Gilles neighbourhoods.
Check rates →Canal (Molenbeek edge)
A budget hotel and hostel in a converted 1912 brewery on the canal, with private rooms, dorms, a guest kitchen and a bar. The best value base for families and groups.
Check rates →The practical primer for a first visit: the few things worth booking ahead, how to get around, how many days you need, and where the headline sights fit.
A neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to where to stay in Brussels, matched to our five hotel picks, from the Grand-Place to Saint-Gilles and the canal.
