Brussels holidays

Popular holidays

A-star architecture, museums galore and world-class beers are all certainties on Brussels city breaks.

An enclosed capital

Belgium’s capital has a fairly distinctive layout, which makes moving around the city centre a breeze. The heart of the city’s known as the ‘Pentagon’, thanks to the five-sided border that encircles it, which was once a perimeter wall. Most of Brussels’ top sights are housed inside the boundary, like palaces, museums and a UNESCO-ticked central square.

Awesome architecture

From Baroque to neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau, Brussels’ architecture is a real mixed bag. At the heart of it all is Grand Place – the city centre’s UNESCO-protected square where a Medieval town hall still stands. Every other August, a giant carpet made of around a million flowers is laid in the square to mark Assumption Day. As you edge away from the centre, more sights come into play, like Art Nouveau townhouses and the Royal Palace of Brussels – not to mention the cheeky Mannekin Pis statue. It’s a fountain of a little boy urinating, and it’s a big crowd puller.

Bites and beers

Belgium has got beer-making down to a fine art, and Brussels is arguably on another level. The capital’s full of cosy cafés, called estaminets. Here, the focus is on having a snack and a small beer or two, rather than a heavy session. The best-known of these places is the Delirium Café, which has more than 2,000 beers on its menu, as well as a food offering that covers local delicacies, like sweet Belgian waffles, moules frites and bitterballen croquettes.

Countless museums

Museums are in plentiful supply here, ranging from quirky to conventional. The Belgian Comic Strip Center is devoted to the history of cartoons, including the country’s own Tintin, while the Musical Instruments Museum has 700 items on show, dating back to the Middle Ages. Of the more typical spots, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium houses more than 20,000 paintings and sculptures, and the Museum of the City of Brussels looks back on the city’s history.

Popular hotels in Brussels

Top things to see and do in Brussels

Shopping

Bargain buys

The Jeu de Balle Flea Market, also known as the Old Market, is one of the best places to bag a bargain in the city, especially as haggling’s practically encouraged here. The market’s been around since the 17th century and it’s open every day of the week.

Mid-range buys

The Dansaert neighbourhood’s just 10 minutes’ walk away from Grand Place, and it’s a real treasure trove of independent fashion brands, studios and boutiques from lesser-known names.

Designer buys

Boulevard de Waterloo is the go-to road for designer labels. The likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Cartier all have stores on this street, which is right around the corner from the Palace of Justice.

Nightlife

Laid-back evenings

Head to Grand Place in the city centre and you’ll find a whole cluster of cafés and bars dotted around the square and its surrounding streets – mostly with a low-key vibe.

Lively evenings

The Saint Jacques area of the city’s well known for its energetic clubs and late-night bars. It’s a popular spot with Brussels’ LGBTQ+ community, too.

Food & drink

Trappist beer

Belgium and beer go hand-in-hand, and Trappist beers are some of the most iconic ones out there. These strong tipples can only call themselves ‘Trappist’ if they’ve been brewed at one of 13 particular Trappist monasteries around the world, and six of them happen to be in Belgium. Some of the best-known include Orval, Chimay and Westmalle, and you’ll find them in bars across the capital.

Pralines

Belgium’s made a name for itself on the world stage when it comes to chocolate, and these signature sweet treats are said to have their roots in the capital. Not to be confused with nutty praline, these hard chocolate shells with a fondant centre come with a variety of fillings that includes caramel, coffee, cherry and liqueurs.

Moules frites

Moules frites – AKA mussels and fries – has been a Brussels staple for generations, ever since North Sea fishermen used the country’s waterways to bring fresh seafood to the city. This simple dish takes a pot of steaming mussels, smothers it with a creamy mustardy broth, and serves it with a side of chips.

Kriek lambic

Lambic is a niche style of beer that’s been brewed in Brussels since the 13th century. It’s made by blending a couple of different beer types into one unique brew, and the kriek version’s made using sour cherries for a fresh and fruity taste with a sharp twist.

Mitraillete

This bursting-at-the-seams baguette is a fixture on café menus around the city, and it’s a bit of a post-night-out favourite, too. The fillings can vary massively, but a mix of meats – from steak and sausages to meatballs and burgers – are the usual go-tos, as well as fries, salad and lashings of sauce.

Facts about Brussels

Currency

Euro

(EUR)

Language

Flemish Dutch, French, German

Time zone

GMT +1

Flight duration

1 hour 45 minutes from Dublin