Centre (Grand-Place)
Ideal for: first visit
Everything on foot: Grand-Place, the Saint-Hubert galleries and Manneken Pis. Very lively.
Brussels
The Grand-Place, comic strips, chocolate and the Atomium, at the heart of Europe.
Plan your stay in Brussels
Best areas to stay in Brussels
Sablon and Marolles
Ideal for: couples, bargain hunters
Antique dealers and chocolatiers in the Sablon, a flea market and down-to-earth feel in the Marolles.
Ixelles
Ideal for: solo, nightlife
A lively area around Place Flagey and Châtelain: bars, restaurants and local life.
European quarter
Ideal for: business trips
Near the EU institutions and Cinquantenaire park, quieter at weekends.
Practical info about Brussels
Brussels is walkable in the centre, with the metro or tram for the rest. French and Dutch are both spoken. If you drive, mind the low emission zone: it covers the whole Brussels-Capital Region, and a vehicle registered abroad must be registered online (free of charge) before entering.
What to see in Brussels
- The Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its Town Hall;
- Manneken Pis and the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries;
- the Royal Museums of Fine Arts and the Magritte Museum;
- the Atomium, in the north of the city;
- the comic strip trail, murals on building façades;
- not forgetting chocolate, waffles and fries.
Getting to Brussels
Trains link Brussels Airport to Brussels-Central in about 15 to 20 minutes, several times an hour. From Paris, high-speed trains reach Brussels-Midi in about 1 hour 20 minutes.
All our tips for the country in Travel in Belgium.