Surprisingly, there are lots of museums in Brussels. But the nice thing is that they’re not just art museums. There’s something for everyone. Here is everything we did in the four days we spent in Brussels:
1. Explore Grand Place, also known as Grote Markt, which is Dutch for Grand Market.
It’s the central square of Brussels. If you happen to be there in an even number year during the weekend of August 15, you’ll get to see the Flower Carpet in the square, which is a carpet-like tapestry made out of begonias or dahlias. We just so happened to be there the weekend of August 15 but unfortunately, it was 2023, so it wasn’t a year they had the carpet. If you’re around Brussels during Christmastime, they hold Christmas markets in this square. Tip – skip any of the restaurants in this square. They’re all tourist traps.
2. Try one of 2,004 beers at the Delirium Café.
This bar holds the Guinness World Record for the most beers offered. You’ll probably have a hard time deciding which beer to get, so you can always ask the staff. I tried a cactus beer, which was very delicious. It was refreshing, crisp, and not too sweet.
3. Go shopping at Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries.
You’ll find clothing shops, chocolate shops, cafés and restaurants. But like Grote Markt, you should probably skip the restaurants here too, as they’re all tourist traps. Ben and I ate at one because we were hungry and on a time crunch, and it was terrible. I ordered a cheese sandwich and it was like an airplane sandwich. Two pieces of white bread and a floppy piece of supermarket cheese in between. Oh, and a bug inside!
4. Check out the Mannekin Pis statue, which is Dutch for “Little Pissing Man”.
It is literally a statue of a little boy peeing into a fountain. It’s nothing magnificent but is still one of the best-known symbols of Brussels.
5. Don’t forget the Het Zinneke statue, which translates to, “the Mutt.”
It’s a statue of a dog being against a post, though unlike the boy, there is no actual water, and doesn’t seem as well known
6. Learn about the history of Belgian comics at the Comic Arts Museum.
This is also known as the Belgian Comic Strip Center. Did you know the the Smurfs were created by a Belgian artist?
Note: The Belgian Comic Strip Center participates in the Brussels Card.
7. Look at over 650 figurines from Belgian and American comics at the Museum of Figurines.
This is also known as the Brussels Comics Figurines Museum. If I had to choose between this museum and the Comics Arts Museums, I would definitely choose the figurines. It’s more fun and has more photo ops.
Note: The Brussels Comics Figurines Museum participates in the Brussels Card.
8. Learn about Belgian beer brewing at Belgian Brewers Museum.
Although it’s more like watching an old video of the history of brewing. There is also old equipment you can see but other than that, it’s pretty lackluster. At least you get a beer at the end.
Note: The Belgian Brewers Museum participates in the Brussels Card.
9. Discover over 8,000 musical instruments at the Museum of Musical Instruments.
I must say that this is probably one of the coolest museums I’ve ever visited. No you don’t get to play with them since a lot of them are hundreds of years old, but if you get the audio guide, you can hear what they sounded like. There were so many instruments from around the world that I had never even heard of.
Note: The Museum of Musical Instruments participates in the Brussels Card.
10. Learn about science at the Museum of Natural Sciences.
Apparently, the Dinosaur Hall of the museum is the world’s largest museum hall that is completely dedicated to dinosaurs. But I found it to be a bit underwhelming.
Note: The Museum of Natural Science participates in the Brussels Card.
11. Get a 360 view of Brussels at Sky Bar 58.
We stumbled upon this by accident. It was right around the corner from our hotel, and we always saw massive lines outside. Thanks to a quick Google search, we found out that it’s a rooftop space with free admission, that also has a bar. So you can bring your kids up and wander around, but you don’t have to order a drink if you don’t want to, since it’s not technically a bar/restaurant.
12. Admire the gothic architecture of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.
It was completed in 1519. Admission is FREE!
13. Walk around the gardens of Le Botanique.
But only if you have time/are in the area. If not, it’s nothing amazing. The building is primarily used as a music venue.
14. Bonus – Climb Atomium, a structure built to be the centerpiece of the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958.
It features steel spheres and the structure is 335 feet tall, which is one of the tallest structures in Belgium. This is a part of the Brussels Card, but we didn’t go because it was too far. I had also read that it gets super hot in there, since it’s made of steel, so going in the middle of August probably wouldn’t have been a good idea anyway.
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