1 | Comic Murals

Comic books are a big part of Belgian culture. The country that brought us the Smurfs, Tintin, Marsupilami and many more. Belgian passports even have them officially emblazoned on their pages!

There are 68 murals in the city with a core of well-loved artworks. Many include famous characters such as Tintin, Ric Hochet as well as more modern protagonists such as Broussaille by Frank Pé or XIII from a popular video game adaptation. In recent years, some of the murals have been a source of controversy for having racist or misogynistic undertones. The city council has answered this by including a QR code plaque next to many of the murals linking to its historical context.

Check out my blog post on the Top 14 Comic Book Murals in Brussels and where to find them.

2 | Comic Book Museum

If you love the murals make sure to extend your walk to the Comic Strip Museum, just an 11 minute walk from the main square. The Art Nouveau warehouse turned comic museum has displays on artists’ process, their initial sketches and even life sized figurines of their characters. Some you will remember from childhood, others will be more modern artists. At the time of my visit, there was a Marsupilami collection and life sized figurines of Tintin, Captain Haddock and Snowy in their space suits.

Unfortunately, there was very little about Tintin and nothing about Asterix and Obelix. If you want to see a Tintin exhibit, take a short train ride out of the city to the Hergé Museum (creator of Tintin). I didn’t have time to do this, but I’ve heard great things about it.

Tip: Tickets are €12 per adult

3 | Manneken Pis & Family

Manneken Pis, the mascot of the city can be found on every street in some form, but the original is by far the show stopper. Manneken Pis means ‘little pissing man’ in Dutch. The statue is as much a symbol of the city as a red double decker bus is of London.

There are many legends surrounding the origin of the statue, all involve pissing on people in order to save the day. For example, the two most popular stories are that the boy peed on Brussels to put out a fire that had overtaken the city and became a hero. Another, tells of the son of a nobleman being hoisted into a tree in a basket to save him from attackers, which he then peed on and somehow defeated.

Needless to say, this little guy is a national legend. His family can be found around the city, including his sister, Jeanneke Pis, and their dog, Zinneke Pis. Manneken PIs also has his own personal collection of outfits for different events. During the 4 days I spent in Brussels I saw him dressed as Father Christmas, Elvis, a beekeeper and a fireman!

Tip: You can visit his costume museum just up the road from the fountain. Look out for Garde-Robe Manneken Pis.

4 | Grand Place

The Grand Place, which I kept confusing with Grand Palace, is the main square in Brussels. Known as perhaps the most beautiful city square in all of Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The extravagant guild houses and town hall lining the square are known for their gold accents and baroque/gothic facades.

The square is stunning all year round but is particularly special at Christmas and in August when over half a million begonias are laid out on the cobblestones to form a flower carpet covering the entire sqaure.

5 | Palace of Justice

Unusual to add a courthouse to a lit of places to visit on a trip, but this one is GRAND. To say it was built on a colossal scale is an understatement. The palace towers over the city on a plateau of a square. The construction had to involve the creation of eight separate courtyards just to let enough natural light in. Entry is free and you can easily walk into the entrance hall and walk around to the grand staircases before climbing up to the balcony.

Ironically this Babylonian Palace of Justice required 3,000 homes, belonging to the city’s poorest to be bulldozed. But damn that staircase!

6 | Hygge Cafes

Brussels has a great collection of cosy cafes and all make great hot chocolate! We tried a good handful of different cafes whilst in Brussels, each with very different aesthetics. The best for people watching and pastries was the first floor of Pan Quotidian in the Royal Hubert Shopping Gallery. Best for breakfast was Creme, who’s pancakes and blueberries are to die for, not to mention their botanical decorations. If you’re after a cosy workspace in the centre, park yourself at one of the tables on the ground floor of Hotel Aris.

7 | The Royal Shopping Galerie

The Royal Shopping Gallery has been an attraction of the city since the 1840s. The glass ceiling runs the length of the entire colonnade and makes for a beautifully symmetrical photo. This is also where you will find one of the cafes mentioned above, Pan Quotidian.

8 | Bortier Galerie

A smaller version of the Royal Shopping Galerie, Bortier Gallerie is dedicated to bookshops and is often lined with shelves and vintage books on every topic. Unfortunately, when I went, the shops were closed and I couldn’t find out the opening times. Hopefully you have more luck.

9 | Pretty Alleyways

Tired of the main attractions? Spend some time exploring the lesser known streets of the city, such as Rue de la Cigogne in the Dansaert Quarter. This quiet side street is one of those quintessentially European cobbled alleyways. The vines hanging above the doorways create a green canopy for the street all year long.

10 | Trappist Bars

Trappist bars are the oldest bars in the city and sell beers made under the supervision of Trappist Monks. The bars may be old but the Trappist Monastery’s are still producing the beer. These old world taverns are a great place to go back in time and have a drink. Two of the oldest bars in Belgium selling these beers can be found down neighbouring alleyways behind the main square. A l’Imaige Nostre-Dame is a like a large wooden cupboard open since 1884. Its neighbour, Au Bon Vieux Temps is the oldest bar in the city and has been around since 1695.

Tip: Though only 50 years old, Delirium is also worth a visit. The beer hall has owns the Guinness World Record for selling over 2000 different beers, the labels of which cover the ceiling of the bar.

11 | Birthplace of Audrey Hepburn

Having thought that Audrey Hepburn was Dutch not Belgian, I was surprised to find out she had been born in Brussels. The house wasn’t special but it was still nice to see the plaque as one of the places we saw on our last morning in the city.

12 | Art Nouveau Facades

Something else to hunt for on your last day or if you have spare time is the city’s Art Nouveau Facades. One of the most dramatic can be found in the city centre. The Museum of Musical Instruments was originally the luxurious Old England shopping department, hence the name on the front of the building. Other Art Nouveau facades can be found in the older residential neighbourhoods of Ixelles and Nord-Est. Maison Saint-Cyr and no. 28 on Rue Luther are worth seeing, as is no. 6 on Rue de Lac.

If you really love Art Nouveau it’s worth buying a ticket to the Horta Museum, once the private house of Victor Horta a renowned Art Nouveau architect, responsible for many of the city’s masterpieces.

Tip: The Museum of Musical Instruments has a panoramic restaurant at the top, perfect for seeing the city from above.

If you want to find out more about the city’s Art Nouveau attractions and special passes head to the Brussels Art Nouveau Site

If you really enjoyed the Art Nouveau architecture check out my blog post on the best facades in Munich

13 | Waffles

If there are three things that Belgium excels at it’s fries, hot chocolate and waffles. Despite having every topping available I could imagine, I had milk chocolate every time. Strangely the Belgians call milk chocolate brown chocolate. Unless you’re really feeling the cold I would advise buying ‘street waffles’ as they will be almost the same as ones in a ‘waffle cafe’ and infinitely cheaper.

14 | Atomium

Built for the World Expo in 1958, this futuristic looking giant is a model of an iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times. Visitors can go inside five of the steel balls and even have dinner in the very highest one. A series of staircases and escalators take you from one ball to the next. I didn’t go while I was in Brussels, because it was just so cold I couldn’t bring myself to climb inside a metal structure without insulation. I wish I had now as I found out they have a light show inside!

Tip: If you do want to visit, tickets are €16 per adult

15 | Royal Greenhouses

One afternoon King Leopold II said “extend my orangery”, 31 years later he finds himself gliding through his 7 heated Art Nouveau greenhouses! Pleased, he added a 7 storey red Chinese pagoda as the cherry on top of his glass cake.

16 | Quirky Bars

The ‘weirdest bar in Brussels’, and that’s according to the locals who love it! We all know European cellar bars are fantastic, but this one has more underground tunnels than you’ll be able to down drinks. Another local favourite is Pharmacy Anglaise. Pharmacy Anglaise is a cocktail bar in a former pharmacy turned quirky upmarket bar.

Tip: Be warned there are only about 5 cocktails to choose from and each is at least €14

17 | Carillon du Mont des Arts Clock

This magical clock face near the Mont des Arts Garden was built in the 1960s and is comprised of 20 golden spears and 12 little alcoves fitted with painted figures. There’s also a larger figure standing atop the clock, poised to strike the bell. It’s worth waiting a few minutes as on every quarter, half and full hour the clock plays Flemish folk tunes with the bells.

18 | Mosaic House

If you’re not tired of searching for beautiful facades, check this one out in Dansaert District, at 147 Papenvest Street. I don’t know the backstory behind this mosaic house but it’s a brilliant idea to creativity to the neighbourhood.

19 | Weird Art

Just in case you thought all of Brussels’s art was based around comics, here’s an unusual art gallery to visit just Nextdoor to Cafe Creme. Anna, the owner of Anna 4 Art Gallery unsurprisingly lived in Berlin for a while and since 2010 has been making amusing sculptures and collages interpreting modern culture.

20 | Le Fou Chantant Treehouse

If you’re starting to feel you’re too much of a free spirit for Brussels, then you’re probably right… but why not give it a chance and spend your last night having supper in a treehouse restaurant?