Have you ever considered Brussels for a city break. A day in Brussels is adequate to cover the main sights, eat some local snacks and pick up souvenirs. Since Friday (29th November), the city is hosting their annual Christmas markets, another great reason to plan a visit. Of course, it really depends on your tastes and interests, as to where you spend your time, but there are a few things that you really shouldn’t miss.
Walking tour
As always, when in a city, I would recommend taking a free walking tour (which is tip based) first, as this will cover off the key sights as well as a little history. Spend the morning taking a tour and then pick something else for after lunch.
Museums
There’s a museum for almost everything. Check out the Brussels Museums site for the full list.
Brussels city museum is a good place to start…
The City Museum is a good place to start, although I would also recommend the Choco-story and even the Garderobe Manneken Pis for something unique.
Christmas Markets
Of course, the Christmas markets are a highlight towards the end of the year and a great way to end the day. More details can be found on the Visit Brussels site.
Shopping
Whether it’s chocolate, souvenirs or a shopping spree you fancy, Brussels has plenty to keep you fulfilled. There’s a good summary of the options available on the Brussels website.
If you are looking for chocolate, it can be overwhelming deciding which of the many chocolate shops to purchase from. Leonidas is a good choice at reasonable prices, but there’s plenty of other shops to suit every budget.
Street art
Brussels street art has a lot of images from comic books. There’s a self-guided tour map available from the tourist office that takes you to some of the best pieces including Tintin, the Smurfs, Blake and Mortimer, and many more. More details and a map.
Manneken Peace street art, Brussels
There’s is also plenty of other street art to explore – for a map see the Parcours Street Art site.
Food and drink
Brussels offers plenty of choices when it comes to food and drink. This is not a destination for those on a diet. Waffles for breakfast, frites for lunch and Moules (mussels) for dinner. There are many choices available to suit all palates but of course you should try some of the above, along with Belgium beer whilst there.
Waffle-based dishes are everywhere, and not just for breakfast.
If you don’t mind waiting for a table (the service is also a little slow) Maison Dandoy has a tea room upstairs which has some good choices. They also sell speculoos.
This low-key capital is also worth a brief stop if you’re nearby or want to combine it with another destination to break up a trip. So do consider spending a day in Brussels at another time of year as well.
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