9 Things to do in Brussels

I get mad when people say Brussels is boring! I visited in December 2009 and I had a great time in the Belgian capital.

1. Try some Belgian chocolate

The Grand Sablon district has several great chocolatiers including Wittamer, Nehaus and Godiva (that’s the one I tried and I managed to limit myself to 4 a day from the box).

2. Beer Sampling

The Delerium Cafe has more than 2000 different beers from which to choose.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/m500/2353028200/

3. Say hello to the Chien Pis

Never mind the Mannequin Pis, the famous peeing boy, there’s also a peeing dog in Brussels.

4. Tuck into a Belgian waffle

With so many different toppings it’s hard to choose which waffle to munch.

5. Christmas Markets and Lights Show

I’d recommend a visit in December so you can visit St Catherine’s Christmas Market complete with ice rink. The Sound and Light Show in Grand Place is amazing.  I was at there every evening (even although it was freezing  cold) as it was so beautiful.  My favourite was when the projected snowflakes cascaded down the buildings.

6. Visit the museums

Brussels has several great museums. I visited the Magritte Museum (surrealist art), the City Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. If you’re planning on visiting a lot of Brussels attractions, it may be cheaper to buy a Brussels Card.

7. Try some ethnic food

I had a delicious Brazilian buffet in Brussels.

8. Buy some local lace

Hand made needle lace woven from linen thread has been a Brussels speciality since the 15th century.

9. Hire a bicycle to explore the city

There are Villo bike rental pick up and drop off points throughout the city.

Image credits: londo, m500, europealacarte, [email protected], johnkarakatsanis

Karen Bryan is the founding editor of the UK based, multi author Europe a la Carte Blog which features Europe travel tips about the best places to visit in Europe.