Besides being the capital of the European Union, being close to many European cities makes Brussels, where a million people live, very attractive. Unlike other European cities, Brussels has been able to preserve more of its historic fabric. As the area least damaged in wartime, it has easily carried its history into the present day. Now on to the places to visit in this charming city of ours that has preserved its history..
The Grand Place
The square that comes to mind the moment you say bustle in Brussels! We can also say it's the city's most touristy spot. Just as all roads lead to Rome, in Brussels all roads lead to this square. When you take a look around the square, the first building that catches your eye is the Hôtel de Ville, also known as the Town Hall. And within walking distance is the King's House, that is the Maison du Roi. Here the Brussels City Museum also greets you. These places will interest some people and not interest others much. But we love medieval architecture and buildings! 😊
On this big square, besides the buildings, there are also famous cafés and shopping centres. Its side streets are full of clues to the city. In summer a flower market is set up on this square, and in the evenings concerts are given. During the "Tapis de Fleurs", that is the Flower Carpet, celebrated between 15-18 August, the surroundings turn into a flower garden.
Note1: The buildings where Victor Hugo and Voltaire lived, even if only briefly, are around here.
Note2: The City Museum entry price is 4€, 3€ for students, and if you have the Brussels Pass, entry is free.
Getting there: If you're in the city centre you can reach the square on foot. Those using the tram can get there on lines 3, 4 and 32 by getting off at the "Beurs" stop.
Manneken Pis
Manneken Pis, also known as the Peeing Boy Statue, is a statue that's one of the symbols of Brussels. The statue, located close to the city's world-famous square, the Grand Place, depicts a little boy peeing. The statue, made at the start of the 17th century, is 61 cm tall.
There are many stories about who Manneken Pis, second on our list of places to visit in Brussels, is, or about how it was made. While many of these stories talk of the peeing boy being a spy, some say it was commissioned by his family in memory of a boy who went missing.
We can also see the Peeing Boy Statue in clothes, which is why it even has a wardrobe. A huge wardrobe of about 1000 outfits from different places around the world! The most interesting outfit in this wardrobe is the Santa Claus outfit. This outfit is generally put on the statue on special occasions. At New Year they dress it in the Father Christmas outfit.
Note: During the Beer Festival held in the city, beer flows from the fountain instead of water! 😬😋
Town Hall - Hôtel De Ville
The Gothic building, the most magnificent of the buildings on the Grand Place, is used as the Town Hall. Thanks to its tower, it keeps you from getting lost in the city. In the French bombardment of 1695 it was the only building left standing in the city.
There are a few museums to visit near the Grand Place. Without moving away from the square, let's tell you about these museums too, then we'll slowly move away from the centre.
For our Brussels Travel Guide post, let's take you here.
Belgian Beer Museum - Belgian Brewery Museum
When you say Belgium, chocolate always comes to mind, but the country is also very famous for its beer. Building on that, a museum was created in Brussels for those who are curious. There's a museum similar to the Heineken Beer Museum I'd been to before in Amsterdam.
For detailed information about the museum, I'm leaving the link here.
Note: You can visit the museum, open every day, between 10.00 - 17.00. On the second Sunday of every month, between 14.00-17.00, you can join a tour that explains beer making. The beer museum tour takes 2 hours 30 minutes. The adult and student price is 6€; if you have the Brussels Pass, entry is free. This price includes the right to drink a free beer inside.
Museum of Original Figures
We said there are quite a few museums near the square. Now we've come to one of the sweetest, the museum known as MOOF, where figures of cartoon characters are exhibited. You know, the Smurf Village we always dreamed of being in as children, Tintin whose adventures we always got lost in, Popeye who gets stronger with spinach, Olive Oyl and more! If you want to go back to childhood a little, you can't skip it. For detailed information about the museum, I'm leaving the link here.
Note: As in most places, the museum is closed on Mondays. You can visit the museum, open Tuesday-Sunday, between 10.00-18.00. The museum is closed from 25 December to 1 January. If you have the Brussels Pass, entry to the museum where cartoon figures are exhibited is free.
Getting there: You can reach the museum, very close to the central train station, using the Line1 or Line5 metro, tram 92 or 94, or one of buses 27, 29, 34, 38, 63, 65, 66, 71, 71N or 95.
Musée Du Costume et de la Dentelle
As with us, lace has a very special place in Belgium, and this museum displays Belgium's unique local heritage. This museum is also very close to the Grand Place, and temporary exhibitions on the themes of costume, accessories and lace are held in the museum.
Note: As in most places, the museum is closed on Mondays. You can visit the museum, open Tuesday-Sunday, between 10.00-17.00. The entry fee is 8€ for adults, 4€ for students, and if you have the Brussels Pass, entry is free.
Galeries Royales St. Hubert
We continue exploring around the Grand Place. This lovely gallery, one of the first examples in Europe of showy, glass-roofed shopping centres, is actually made up of three arcades.
Completed in the mid-19th century, this gallery, with its 200-metre glass roof, really is an impressive building. With this feature it has long made the lists as the most elegant arcade in Europe. So much so that famous French writers like Baudelaire, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo used to hang out and chat in this arcade.
Note: The arcade has no set closing time; each shop has its own closing time. Of course, on Sundays it's very hard to find an open shop in this arcade.
Getting there: You can reach it, very close to the central train station, using tram 3, 4, 51, 92 or 94, or one of buses 48, 71 or 95. There are also entrances to the arcade from Rue de l'Ecuyer, Rue d'Arenberg, Rue des Bouchers and Rue du Marché aux Herbes.
Cathédrale Des St. Michel et Gudule
It's one of the churches in Brussels. This huge building, dating from the 1100s, became a cathedral in 1962.
In the building, restored with its Gothic architectural features brought to the fore, it's known that the Royal family's ceremonies are held here. Victor Hugo also described the building as the plainest of the examples of Gothic architecture.
Note: You can visit the cathedral Monday-Friday 07.00-18.00, on Saturdays 08.30-15.30 and on Sundays 14.00-18.00. Entry to the church is free; entry to the treasury and the crypt is paid.
Getting there: You can get here from the Parc or Gare Centrale metro stations.
Parc de Bruxelles - Warandepark
After intense sightseeing in the city centre you can rest here as much as you like. You don't need to go far from the centre to find the park. The Parc de Bruxelles is right in the middle of the city. You can get your food and drinks and enjoy the quiet and peace here. As in Moscow, here too we couldn't help thinking "Why isn't there a park like this in Istanbul?!"
Getting there: You can get here from the Parc or Gare Centrale metro stations. The park, within walking distance of the cathedral, is also within walking distance of the Place Royale.
Place Royale
The official palace of the Royal Family appeared before us as a magnificent, splendid building. Although this magnificent building belongs to the Royal Family, today it's not used for that purpose. "Why?" you ask; the answer is below..
Construction of the palace began in the 1700s. Although the building we see today isn't the first building, it's claimed to be quite similar to the old one.
The Place Royale is made up of two separate parts. After the part built as the Coudenberg Abbey, the two parts were joined and the Place Royale was formed. At the start of the 20th century, because the palace was found too plain for the royal family, the palace was extended, its facade was architecturally enriched and front gardens were added.
Note: You can visit in July-September between 10.00-16.30. Entry is free.
Getting there: You can get here from the Parc or Gare Centrale metro stations.
Cinquantenaire Park
It's the park with the triumphal arch built to mark the 50th anniversary of Belgium's independence. In fact "Cinquantenaire" means "Fiftieth anniversary". The park was founded in 1880 on 30 dönüms of land. Inside there are wonderful gardens, small ponds, waterfalls and valuable works. Passing through the arch mentioned above, you can reach Autoworld and the Military Museum inside the park.
Note: Entry to both museums is free with the Brussels Pass. Normal entry to Autoworld is €9, and entry to the Military Museum is free.
Getting there: You'll reach the park by metro; you can get here from Schuman or Merode station. Since this park isn't very close to the centre, public transport may be preferred. 👌
Horta Museum
It appears before us as the museum dedicated to the architect Victor Horta. The museum, quite far out of the city, was converted into a museum from the architect's own house. Brussels is considered the capital of the new art movement of the early 20th century. The city's rapid development, its architecture, the decorative objects and ornaments used let you feel the period lived in the museum one-to-one.
Note: You can visit the museum Tuesday-Sunday between 14.00-17.30. There's an entry fee of 8€ for adults and 4€ for students.
Getting there: You can reach the museum by bus 54 or by one of tram lines 81, 9191, 92 or 97.
Mini Europe
We're faced with a place that has a very similar counterpart in Istanbul 😄 Mini Europe, which won't seem at all unfamiliar to us but will interest us just as much, opened in 1989. Here 350 miniature buildings from 80 European cities are displayed at 1/25 scale. We'd have liked there to be 1-2 buildings from Turkey too, but unfortunately not.
Note: Entry to Mini Europe is 14€. If you get the Mini Europe + Atomium package it's 23.6€, 21.5€ for students. With the Brussels Pass you get tickets at a 2€ discount.
Getting there: The Atomium, very close to Mini Europe, is quite far out of the centre. So they're not really within walking distance. You can get there by metro, getting off at the Heysel stop.
The Atomium
Let me start with some photos from my first time here in 2012!
It wouldn't be wrong to say this is the first building that comes to mind when you say Brussels. So what's it about?
An iron crystal enlarged on a 1:165 billion scale, it was designed by the architect André Waterkeyn in 1958 for the Brussels World's Fair. It definitely needs to be on the list of places to visit!
Note: You can visit every day of the week between 10.00-18.00. The Atomium entry fee is 11€, 8€ for students.
Getting there: As we mentioned above, it's not within walking distance. You can get there by metro, getting off at the Heysel stop.
Our Brussels trip ends here. You can find the rest here.
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