24 HOURS IN BRUSSELS – WHAT TO SEE
Maybe you had a connecting flight in Brussels and you didn’t make it. Maybe you planned this stop-over on purpose. Maybe you’re traveling across Europe and spend just a short time in each place. Whatever reason you have to stay only 24 hours in such an interesting city as Brussels, you have landed on the right page. Let’s discover, what Brussels can offer you in 24 hours.
MORNING
Breakfast in the park
You can go for breakfast to some local restaurant, but I recommend starting your day with something sweet that you can’t miss when visiting Brussels – waffles. There are dozens of toppings you can explore and they taste perfect when sipping takeaway coffee sitting on the bench in one of the picturesque places – park in front of St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral or in Brussels Park.
After your breakfast, head to St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral, as there are fewer people in the mornings so you can soak in the atmosphere. From there take a metro and visit one of the icons of Europe.
Atomium
It is located on the outskirt of the city and it takes around 30 minutes to get there by metro from the city center. The signs showing the way to get there from the metro station are everywhere. But obviously, you can’t miss it as it is 102 meters high.
The Atomium is a very impressive building from the outside, very different from anything I have ever seen before. After paying the entrance fee, the elevator will take you to the highest point of the Atomium, where you can see pretty surroundings. Take a picture of the floating balls and Brussels in the distance. After you walk around, you go back to the elevator. At that point I got really disappointed, I even said aloud something like “paying 16 euros for this, seriously?”. But… I was so wrong. It wasn’t the end of our visit at all.
(At this point, skip the next paragraph if you want to be surprised by the visit and experience the unexpected. Ahead of my traveling, I haven’t done my research properly and I didn’t know what is inside the rest of the balls. For travelers, who want to know everything beforehand and maybe don’t like surprises, keep reading…)
After leaving the elevator, the staff will point you in the direction of your visit. The first stop is the room uncovering the story of this building. Then you go up the elevator and find yourself in the museum of modern art. There are lights and music everywhere around you in the dark rooms, even above your head on the next elevator! There are chairs to sit down and enjoy the laser and lights show which is going nonstop, changing from slow melodies to a dynamic party.
After this experience, you go back down to the base and leave through the souvenir shop. Don’t forget to take a picture in front of the Atomium.
AFTERNOON
The peeing boy, girl and the dog
Manneken Pis
The statue of the peeing boy is one of the attractions, you can’t miss when visiting Brussels. It is a small bronze statue of the boy urinating into the fountain, designed in 1388. Currently, there are a thousand outfits for this little boy and he is regularly dressed up.
Read more about it here.
Jeanneke-Pis
The less known female version of a peeing boy. It is more difficult to find, it is located on a narrow street in an area full of great restaurants and bars.
Het Zinneke
The statue of the peeing dog. Nothing so special, but if you’ve seen the peeing boy and peeing girl, why not to see this one as well?
City center
Have a walk in the city center. The streets look old and lovely, the architecture is a mix of old traditional buildings with modern, glass and steel taller buildings.
What not to miss in the city center:
- Royal Palace of Brussels
- Monts des Arts
- main square Grand-Place
Shopping and souvenirs
The main shopping street is Rue Nueve. You can find all kinds of shops here: Primark, Hema, Flying Tiger but also Pandora, Nike, and many more.
There are numerous souvenir shops in the city. Their offer is very similar, the prices are comparable as well. The original souvenir from Brussels is definitely a statue of peeing boy or Atomium. You can also buy some Belgian chocolate.
NIGHT
Have dinner in one of the numerous restaurants. What to eat in Brussels? National dish mussels and chips (Moules Frites) is a must. The mussels are served in the pot with a side of fries. I ate the best ones in the restaurant Chez Léon.
After dinner, head to the bar nearby called Delirium Cafe. This place holds the Guinness World Records for the number of beers available for tasting. 2004 of them! The drink menu is never-ending. The atmosphere is great. Be ready for a busy noisy bar, especially on weekend nights.
PLANNING IS THE KEY
All this depends on the time you arrive and leave the place. I arrived around 2 pm and was leaving around the same time the next day, therefore I had all afternoon, night, and then the following morning to explore the places.
It is important to check for any changes in opening hours before you plan your day. There can be a renovation in the Cathedral so it is going to be closed. There can be strikes, roads blocked because of someone important coming to the city, and another hundred reasons why things can go wrong.
If this happens, don’t worry. I included extra 5 places to add to your backup plan. I have not visited any of these places but I had them on my plan B list and now they are on my list for the next visit to this city.
- Botanical Garden
- Choc-story Brussels – Museum of Chocolate
- Mini Europe – next to the Atomium, a park full of mini versions of European monuments
- Musical Instruments Museum
- Day trip from Brussels = Bruges – about 90 km away from Brussels, this picturesque town is also called Venice of North
ONE MORE USEFUL SOURCE
The general information about Brussels, including places to see, where to stay, and where to eat. HERE!
