If you look for advice on visiting Belgium, you’ll likely find people discouraging you from visiting Brussels. Instead, they’ll recommend you spend your time in cities like Bruges, Ghent, or Antwerp. I’ll admit that I preferred all three of those cities to Brussels, but since Brussels is such a transportation hub, it’s easy to visit. While I agree with many other people that Brussels doesn’t have as much as some other cities, I would still encourage people to make a quick visit if they are passing through. With just one day in Brussels, you’ll find just enough things to do.
I hope I didn’t discourage you too much from visiting. There are a few cool things to do in Brussels, even if you only have one day in the city. So let’s talk about what you can do on your visit.
The Best of Brussels
Grote Markt
I found most of Brussels to be architecturally not that interesting. There’s one exception to that and that’s the Grote Markt (Great Market). You may also see this referred to as the Grand Palace. Every city in Belgium has a Grote Markt and that’s where you’re going to find the best architecture. It’s also where you’ll find the tourists, because it’s in the very pretty Old Town.
Brussels’s Grote Markt is a square, with alleys of shops going off in all directions. Before wandering off to explore more, stop and pause here. Stand in the square and do a full 360 turn. I don’t think there is a bad place to look here. You’ll see the Town Hall that was constructed in the 15th century. Directly across the square is the Brussels City Museum. You’ll also find cafes, chocolate shops, a tourist office, and so much more on this square.
My description may make it sound like you could spend hours sitting here, and while I guess that’s true, you really don’t need that long here. Although if you find a good spot to people watch, it’d likely be more interesting for longer. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, though, visit the Grote Market as it’s one of the best things to do with one day in Brussels.
Manneken Pis and Jeanneke-Pis
Mannekin Pis is the most famous symbol of Brussels. Directly translated, it’s the “Little Pissing Man”. That’s exactly what it is. It’s a small statue of a boy peeing. Well, I guess it’s technically a fountain since water does circulate through it.
Now here’s the thing, Manneken Pis is not large. It’s a very small statue and that seems to surprise some people. I knew it was small, so that didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was I walked right past it because it was so easy to miss. Yes, somehow I missed the group of tourists that huddled around it, as well. In my defense, there were numerous tour groups in this area and I was focused on avoiding them. In doing so, I walked right past the thing I was trying to see. Don’t make my mistake.
Often the statue is nude, but the day I visited, it had an outfit on. Manneken Pis has over 1000 outfits (and if you want to see them, check out the Manneken Pis Museum). For me, having the outfit on made the statue even more of a letdown (not that I had high hopes to begin with).
However, the highlight was when I happened to be walking nearby later in the day. I heard music from a band and turned to see what was going on. A band was playing and the stream of water from Manneken Pis was being shot out further than normal, in time with the music. It was utterly ridiculous and it somehow redeemed the fountain in my mind.
For a less crowded option, you can find Jeanneke-Pis, which is a female peeing statue. Crowds at this statue are non-existent compared to what you will likely find at Manneken Pis.
DIY Chocolate Tour
Let’s take a break from traditional sightseeing. I would like to focus on one of the most delicious things to do with your one day in Brussels.
You’ll find several options for chocolate tours throughout the city. These tours take you from chocolate shop to chocolate shop so you can sample different treats. Some of these tours even have a chocolate making class at the end.
As nice of an idea as this seemed, I opted not to take one of the tours for two reasons.
Reason #1. It was a bit more than I wanted to pay. I could afford it, but I figured I could probably do it cheaper on my own. Many tours are 40 to 50 euro (with some even going higher).
Reason #2. On these tours, you do not get to pick the chocolate sampled. As a semi-picky eater, this was a deal breaker. If I was sampling chocolate, I wanted it to be the pieces I wanted to try.
So I skipped an organized tour and did my own mini chocolate tour. I did a little research ahead of time and picked out six stores that I wanted to visit. At each store I picked out a few pieces of chocolate (that were flavors that I knew I would enjoy). My entire bill for my chocolate tasting was just over 15 euros (a savings of over 20 euros had I taken an organized tour).
I visited the following stores and recommend all of them.
Chocolatier Mary – There’s a location right near Manneken Pis. So if you’re feeling let down my Manneken Pis, why not get some chocolate to feel better?
Elisabeth – This is another delicious chocolatier that is right off the Grand Palace. Here, I sampled something other than truffles and pralines (opting for a chocolate covered marshmallow), but the chocolate was still great.
Neuhaus Chocolate – I expected to like this store more than I did, but I definitely recommend a visit here because the chocolates here were different than most stores. Many stores have pralines and truffles in all flavors, but here you’ll find several selections that you won’t find anywhere else. For that, it’s worth a visit.
Corné Port-Royal – I recommend visiting the location at Galeries Royales Saint Hubert because not only do you have awesome chocolates, you are also inside a beautiful building. The pralines that I had from this store were my favorite. Additionally, I picked up a bunch of Belgian chocolate as a birthday gift for a friend. She described the chocolates from this store were “divine”.
Le Comptoir de Mathilde – While the other stores on this list were better for pralines and samples to eat immediately, this store was perfect for souvenirs. You’ll find all kinds of goodies that are ideal for bringing back home. Everything that I brought back was delicious.
Bonus: Pierre Marcolini – I made a quick visit here, but didn’t purchase anything. If you’re looking for luxury chocolates though, this is a store you should check out.
As a final note, these are not the only chocolatiers you’ll pass. You’ll also pass Godiva (which is super easy for me to find back home) and Leonidas (which you’ll find all over Belgium), plus many others.
And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll pass loads of tourist stores advertising “Belgian Chocolate – 5 boxes for 10 euro”. I’ll let you decide if you think that’s going to be a good deal.
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral
It wouldn’t be a European city if I didn’t include some cathedral on my list of things to do. Just a short walk from the Grand Palace, you’ll find St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. As far as cathedrals go, it’s pretty average, but I think it’s always worth a quick visit.
Enjoy some other Belgian treats
Yes, Belgium is known for it’s chocolate, but there’s so much more here. Enjoy some frites (fries), that come served in a cone with your choice of sauce (Belgians—and me—prefer mayo). There’s more beer options than you could possibly sample (although my brother would take that as a challenge). Plus you’re in Belgium, why not get a waffle?
There’s plenty of good food options so you won’t go hungry. But make sure to sample some Belgian treats. While Brussels may not have as many exciting things to do as other European capitals, you’ll at least eat well on your one day here.
Bonus: Atomium
This is another symbol of Brussels. However, since it’s further away from everything else on this list, I’m not including it on the main list. If you visit, you’ll almost certainly want to use public transportation as it’s an hour and a half walk from the Grand Palace. If you’re on a short visit, you may not have time, but if you find yourself with extra time, here’s one more option. I didn’t make it out here, but I did want to include it on this list.
Getting Around Brussels
I found Brussels to be pretty walkable, but I still utilized the tram system since my hotel was a bit further out. The tram is quick and easy to use and a 24 hour pass costs only 8 euro (if you take at least three trips, you’ve paid for it).
How Long Do You Need In Brussels
I think Brussels is worth a short amount of time. If you’re passing through, you can get out and see a little bit of the city before moving on to more exciting places. I did everything on this list (minus Atomium) in an afternoon and never felt rushed. In fact, I’m glad I only gave Brussels an afternoon. While I’m sure I would have found enough things to do in Brussels to fill up one full day, a half day was enough.
Where to Stay in Brussels
I arrived in Brussels in the very early afternoon. I dropped my bags off at the hotel before taking the tram to the Grote Markt. From there, I spent a few hours exploring. The next day, I jumped on a train to go to Bruges and Ghent before returning to my hotel in Brussels. This worked out great for me, but if I could change one thing, I would try to stay closer to the Brussels-Midi train station. I had a 20 minute walk to the station, which wasn’t bad, but was annoying because I felt so far away from everything else. It will cost you more to stay near the train station, but I think that money would be well worth it.
Final Thoughts
Brussels is nice, but it feels like it has fewer wow factors than many other European cities. I’m glad I visited, but there are other cities in Belgium that I’ll prioritize returning to first. These other cities just had more things to do than Brussels (even though I didn’t spend more than one day in any city).
So do I recommend that others visit Brussels? It depends. If you’re passing through and have a few hours to spare, I think you can see the top sights. I wouldn’t recommend budgeting for three days exploring Brussels. You may end up bored. But if that’s the case, you can easily visit Bruges, Ghent, or Antwerp.
Continue Your Adventure
More in Belgium: Continue your travels in Belgium with a visit to Antwerp, Bruges, or Ghent. Combine all of these cities into one epic long weekend in Belgium.
Belgium Travel Guide: Start planning your trip to Belgium with my Belgium Travel Guide.
Paris, France: Brussels is an amazing transportation hub, providing connections to so many amazing cities. One of these connections is Paris, one of my favorite cities in the world.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Ride the train eastward and you’ll hit Amsterdam, with its world class museums and picturesque canals.
Europe in 10 Days: Starting in Paris, travel to Belgium before finishing in Amsterdam on this amazing 10 Days in Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam Itinerary.