Table of Contents

1. Table of Contents
2. Things to do in Brussels
   1. The Grand Place
   2. Parc du Cinquantenaire
   3. Atomium
   4. Mannekin Pis
   5. Galeries Royales St Hubert
   6. Waffles, Chocolate & Frites
   7. Churches & Cathedrals
   8. House of European History
   9. Sensi Concept Store
   10. Royal Palace of Brussels

Things to do in Brussels

The Grand Place

The most famous square in Belgium – I recommend starting your visit to the city here. It really was grand. Trying to get photos without anyone in was almost impossible (it was heaving, even in February) but it was quite a sight. I particularly liked the gold detail on the buildings.

Within the Grand Place are multiple guildhalls, the city’s Town Hall and the Brussels City Museum. There are also a lot of restaurants, but I don’t recommend choosing them as a place to eat unless you’re willing to pay extortionate prices for sitting on the square.

Parc du Cinquantenaire

At this point of our visit, it was really snowing, and we didn’t have waterproof shoes with us. This park was beautiful and would have been a lot better if I didn’t have ice cold slush in between my toes (gross). The snow made for some pretty pictures though!

The buildings are home to the Royal Military Museum, The Art and History Museum and Autoworld Museum. I personally liked the first and thought it was well worth a visit.

Atomium

This crazy structure was built for the first post war world fair in Brussels, and proved so popular it was never taken down! It’s now the most popular tourist attraction in Brussels. You can go up for the views, and even also eat at the restaurant in one of the balls! The site is a bit far out from the main centre, but you can combine with a visit to Miniversum next door, or the park on the opposite side.

Mannekin Pis

The Mannekin Pis is a famous statue of a boy doing a week. It’s one of the most famous attractions in Brussels, and there is even a museum dedicated just to his various outfits. He’s a Brussels institution, but I have to admit he was so small that he totally underwhelmed me.

Galeries Royales St Hubert

This is a really swish shopping arcade with amazing chocolate shops. Perfect for an upmarket souvenir from your visit to Brussels. Brussels also has great shopping all over, so save up and spend half a day exploring the arcades and shopping streets.

Chocolate shop in the Galeries

Waffles, Chocolate & Frites

You can’t visit Belgium and not have a Belgian waffle or Belgian chocolate. Frites are also a Belgian speciality. There are so many places to try these, but we loved Waffle Factory, Movenpick and Fritland.

Churches & Cathedrals

Brussels has some really grand churches. My favourite was St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral, as well as Notre Dame du Sablon. The Cathedral is a tribute to the patron saints of Brussels, and is one of the finest examples of Brabantine Gothic architecture.

Notre Dame du Sablon (L) and The Cathedral (R)

House of European History

Probably in the top 3 museums I’ve ever been to (and we’ve been to a lot). It tells the story of a broken Europe, a Europe coming together post war, and a Europe again on the brink. It was a fascinating look through the history of how and why the EU came to be, and what it stands for now. With Brexit going on at home, it was an eye opener and made me think long and hard about what’s important to me.

Sensi Concept Store

The most bizarre meal I think I’ve ever had. This is a Sicilian restaurant which we stumbled upon whilst lost. We wanted a quick meal but ended up in there for 4 hours! We sat in what felt like someone’s dining room and were served about 10 courses from croissants to meat stew to lasagne to cooked peppers! All served with a lot of beer and a few complimentary limoncellos. We didn’t enjoy every course but had such a fun experience that we won’t forget, and I recommend it as a fun trip for anyone.

Royal Palace of Brussels

This Palace is the home of the King and Queen of Belgium, however it isn’t used as the royal residence. You can’t enter the palace, other than in the summer time when it officially opens, buy you can visit the BELvue Museum which tells the story of Belgium’s history. You can also see the Palace from the outside and go to the garden view point out over the Grand Place.

So there are my top 10 for 2 days in Brussels – to fit them all in will be 2 full on days, but it’s worth it to see all this city has to offer.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you’re planning to visit Brussels, have any questions, or what you thought of Brussels yourself in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!

If you are visiting at a more peak time, my advice would be to get there early or spend a night. This is because a lot of people come on day trips and arrive from about 10am-11am on the train. Those couple of hours first thing could make all the difference to you seeing the main sites in peace.

Our visit only just scratched the surface, but we had fun exploring the architecture, canals and history of Bruges. Here are my top 10 things to do in this beautiful city in the middle of winter.

Table of Contents

1. Table of Contents
2. Things to do in Bruges
   1. The Markt
   2. Historium
   3. Torture Museum
   4. The Belfry
   5. The Burg, City Hall & Basilica of the Holy Blood
   6. Rozenhoedkaai
   7. Belgian Chocolates & Waffles
   8. Bonifacius Bridge
   9. Church of our Lady Bruges
   10. Minnewater

Things to do in Bruges

The Markt

This is most famous area in Bruges and has to be the first stop on any itinerary for a few snaps of the beautifully coloured buildings

Historium

As it was raining we went in to Historium just off the Markt to learn about Bruges’ history. We were the only people in there so did the interactive tour just the two of us, which followed the story of a young boy working in medieval Bruges. It was actually quite good and well worth a visit, especially if you have kids with you.

Torture Museum

We also visited the Torture Museum just down the road, which although a bit gruesome was very interesting. The museum is based in one of Europe’s oldest prisons and exhibits over 800 torture items – I am so glad they aren’t still used today!

The Belfry

The Belfry of Bruges is a medieval bell tower in the town centre. One of the city’s most prominent symbols, the belfry formerly housed a treasury and was anobservation post for spotting fires.

The Burg, City Hall & Basilica of the Holy Blood

This area was already inhabited in the 2nd century AD, and in the 9th century it became the base of operations of the Count of Flanders. The Palace of the Liberty of Bruges was the place from which the surrounding countryside was governed from the Late Middle Ages until 1795. Then the buildings were occupied by law courts for nearly 200 years. You will also find the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where the relic of the Holy Blood is kept. I mainly just liked it for the buildings!

Rozenhoedkaai

This is one of the most famous areas of Bruges, being one of the most photographed views of the city. The Quay of the Rosary is definitely a lovely view of the classic canals and buildings. In the summer, you could take a boat trip on the canals, but in February none were running – on the plus side we had the view point to ourselves.

Belgian Chocolates & Waffles

Belgium is famous for its chocolate, its waffles and its Frites. It’s definitely worth sampling them on any trip – they are absolutely delicious!

Bonifacius Bridge

Another key tourist site in Bruges is the Bonifacius Bridge, which was built in 1910 and gives some of the most quaint views out across the canals. It actually reminded me of Cambridge.

At Bonifacius Bridge

Church of our Lady Bruges

The catholic church of our Lady was built in the 13th-15th centuries and sits right next to Bonifacius Bridge. It’s quite beautiful inside and out and it displays a valuable art collection, including Michelangelo’s Madonna & Child.

Minnewater

In the south of Bruges is the Minnewater, also known as ‘Love Lake’ – a small lake surrounded by trees and a park. The Belgian love story of Minna and her Stromberg resulted in a popular legend which says that eternal love will befall couples who cross the Minnewater Bridge! To be honest I just felt really cold.

At Minnewater (freezing cold)

And that was it for 12 hours in Bruges. I’d definitely like to go back to Bruges one day for a bit longer to explore more, and preferably with better weather as it really is a lovely city.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you’re planning to visit Bruges, have any questions, or what you thought of Bruges yourself in the comments below.