Best of Belgium: How to Spend 1 Day in Brussels
When planning my weekend in Belgium, I knew that I had to spend at least one day in the country’s capital, Brussels. While this city is internationally recognized as the headquarters of the European Union, Brussels is not exactly filled with towering monumental structures or landmarks. In fact, the most famous symbol of the city is a small statue of a little boy peeing!
That being said, just because Brussels may lack some of those obvious monumental structures one typically thinks of when visiting a European capital (think Paris’s Eiffel Tower and London’s Big Ben), doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of things to do and see in this bustling city.
While it would be impossible to squeeze all that Brussels has to offer into one day, in this post I’ve created a one-day itinerary filled with Brussel’s most memorable sights and things to do.
The best part? Most of these itinerary suggestions are free!
If you happen to have more than one day in Brussels, then you’re in luck-I’ve included additional itinerary ideas for a more extended trip!
What are we waiting for? Let’s dive in!
1 Day Brussels Itinerary
The following itinerary is designed for quite a busy day in Brussels! To use the map, simply follow the pins in rainbow order, starting with the color red!
- Grey pins indicate museums you may like to visit during your day in Brussels
- Black pins indicate other points of interest you may like to work into your day, time permitting
As always, this itinerary is simply a suggestion, and I encourage you to rearrange it according to your travel style, interests, and schedule.
Grand Place
What better way to kick off a day in Brussels than with a visit to the Grand Place? This central square is one of the most ornate in all of Europe, and is surrounded by elaborately decorated guild houses, the towering City Hall, and the majestic Maison du Roi.
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If you are looking to get tourist-free photos of this UNESCO World Heritage site, I suggest arriving early before the crowds. During my Brussels visit, I was staying just next to the square and managed to get great shots both at night and during the day. If you can, try stopping by the square again later in the evening to see the Grand Place lit up in all its glory at night.
Comic Book Route
The next stop of the day isn’t exactly one stop, but an entire route of comic book murals which are sprinkled throughout the city. During your visit, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for these murals which pay homage to some of Belgium’s favorite characters and comics authors.
There are more than 55 murals along the official Comic Book Route, so with just one day, it would be impossible to see them all! On the map, I’ve marked one of the most famous stops along the route, the Tintin mural. However, you are sure to bump into more of these murals during your Brussels visit!
For a map of the entire Comic Book Route, click here, and to read about your favorite murals you passed, click here for detailed descriptions!
Manneken Pis
If you visited Brussels and didn’t see Manneken Pis, did you even go to Brussels? This iconic 24-inch bronze statue of a little boy peeing has been a symbol of the city since the 17th century. While there are many legends about the statue, the most popular is that a little boy saved the city by peeing on explosives. Many locals believe this curious statue reveals a lot about the people of Brussels, such as their rebellious spirit and ability to laugh at themselves.
While you’ll most often see photos of the statue naked, in reality, the statue has around 1,000 costumes, which often correspond to various events and occasions. When I visited, I even got to witness the changing of the Manneken Pis, which is a ceremony of its own! If you’d like to see more of Manneken Pis’ costumes, as well as the original statue, then you may also want to visit the Brussels City Museum.
Zinneke Pis
Just a 10-minute walk from Manneken Pis, you’ll find Zinneke Pis, another bronze statue, this time depicting a urinating dog. One can only assume he is the pet of Manneken and Jeanneke Pis…which brings us to our next stop…
Jeanneke Pis
While Manneken Pis is the oldest and most famous of Brussels’ peeing statues, you won’t want to miss this bronze family member. This statue of a urinating little girl came to Brussels in the 1980s, and is less than a 10-minute walk from Zinneke Pis or Manneken Pis.
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
This grand shopping gallery is 2 minutes from Jeanneke Pis. The 19th-century arcade is a beautiful place to stroll among shops, chocolatiers, cafes, and more. The gallery instantly reminded me of Milan‘s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, with its Italian Renaissance look and feel! After spending 1 year living in Italy, I love finding a piece of Italia anywhere I go!
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral
This 13th-century gothic cathedral is one of Brussel’s most impressive historic structures. Entrance to the cathedral is free, although there is an entrance fee if you’d like to see the treasury or crypt.
Mont des Arts
For a great view of Brussels and some lovely gardens, head on over to the Mont des Arts (Mountain of Arts). While I am sure the view is even more spectacular in spring or summer, when I visited in winter I was able to see my first snowfall of the year from this point on my last day in Belgium and it was quite impressive. Historically, this point of the city separated the aristocratic upper-class portion of the city from the working class portion.
Royal Palace of Brussels and Place Royale
Speaking of the aristocratic portion of the city, in less than 10 minutes walking you’ll find yourself at the Place Royale and the Royal Palace of Brussels. Today the Royal Palace still functions as the administrative seat of the Belgian monarchy. While the building is not open to the public during winter, it is worth passing by and taking a peek at.
Brussels Park
If you are visiting in summer or the weather is good, from the palace you can continue your day in Brussels by visiting the park just across from the palace. This park is the largest in the Belgian capital, although I did skip a visit here as it was quite cold and snowy!
Consider a Beer and Chocolate tour with The Brussels Journey
During my visit to Belgium, one of my trip highlights was the Brussels beer and Chocolate tour I went on thanks to The Brussels Journey. While you can read all about the tour in detail here, suffice it to say I had an amazing time (I’ve even sent a few friends on it since!). During the tour, I sampled the most delicious chocolates I’ve ever tasted, visited some of the most historic bars in Brussels, and learned a ton about Belgian beer and chocolate.
If you decide that The Brussels Journey Beer and Chocolate tour is for you, then you may want to alter this itinerary to exclude points of interest (such as Mannekin Pis) which are covered during the tour.
Tours cost €80, are around 4.5 hours long, and run Tuesday to Sunday 3:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
If the tour doesn’t fit into your time frame or budget, you may still want to check out the post for some chocolate shop or historic bar recommendations!
Special thank you to The Brussels Journey for welcoming me on the tour! As always, my opinions are 100% my own, and I would never recommend a tour I didn’t love!
Delirium Café
After all that exploring, you deserve a beer (or two)! The Delirium Café is a tourist favorite-with over 2,000 beers available, this bar holds the Guinness World Record for the most beers offered in one establishment. The Delirium Café has such a fun and unique atmosphere-one could almost get lost wandering through the various rooms and corridors, decorated from floor to ceiling with beer-related objects. It’s also a great place to meet up with fellow travelers if you are flying solo, as I was!
If you have more time in Brussels…
Have more than just a day in Brussels? There is so much more to do and see!
Museums
- Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium-I visited this museum just before heading to the airport! This impressive collection features over 20,000 works from the 15th century to today.
- Musical Instruments Museum-this museum is home to over 6,000 musical instruments and was highly recommended by my beer and chocolate tour guide. Even if you don’t have time for a visit, you’re sure to notice the incredible facade while exploring the areas near the Royal Palace.
- Brussels Comic Book Museum-couldn’t get enough of Brussels’ Comic Book Route? Then this is the museum for you!
- Magritte Museum-Are you a fan of surrealism? If so, you’ll live this collection of Belgian artist René Magritte’s works. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit during my trip, but with another day in Brussels, I definitely would’ve visited!
- Horta Museum-Perfect for lovers of architecture and Art Nouveau, the Horta Museum is the home and studio of the Belgian Architect Victor Horta.
- Museum van de Stad Brussel-The Brussels City Museum is the perfect place to learn more about Belgium’s capital. You’ll also see the original Manneken Pis and his collection of costumes!
- Coudenberg-The Palace of Coudenberg was the original Palace in Brussels. Today, visitors can explore the remnants of this former palace.
Points of Interest
- Atomium-One of Brussels standout landmarks, Atomium is exactly what it sounds like-a giant scientific-looking magnified iron crystal which offers panoramic views of Brussels. This structure, originally erected for the 1958 World’s Fair, was only omitted from the itinerary as it is quite far from the other touristy sights within the city.
- Parlamentarium-fans of politics won’t want to leave Brussels without seeing the home of the European Union! A visit to this visitor’s center is a great way to learn more about the EU.
- Mini Europe-Ever wished you could see all of Europe in just one day? At Mini Europe, you’ll find miniatures of famous European landmarks and cities. Great for kids or miniature lovers!
- Autoworld-Car fanatics will love this Auto museum which is filled with over 250 vintage cars.
Take a Day Trip
Brussels isn’t the only city worth visiting in Belgium! Just a train ride away you’ll find romantic Bruges, the “Venice of the North,” charming Ghent, and Antwerp, Belgium’s second largest city. You can even reach Paris, Amsterdam, and London in 2-3 hours! Brussels really is such a well-connected city.
Have more time in Belgium? Check out my 3-day itinerary that includes visits to Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent here!
Here are the train times and prices to a few other Belgian cities from Brussels:
What are you most excited to see in Belgium? Do you have any tips for visiting? Let me know in the comments!
Don’t miss these other Belgium posts! You might also enjoy:
- How To Spend 3 Days In Belgium: The Ultimate Itinerary
- Best of Belgium: How to Spend 1 Day in Ghent
- Best of Belgium: The Brussels Journey Beer and Chocolate Tour
- Best of Belgium: The Ultimate 1 Day Bruges Itinerary
- Top 10 Things To Do To Ensure an Amster-dam Good Time
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