Are you headed to Brussels? Do you want to go beyond guidebook recommendations spend your weekend like a local in this beautiful Belgian city? You have come to the right place! Having lived only 10 kilometers from La Grand Place all my life, I can assure you that I am a trusted source to give advice about the best things to do in Brussels!
This article is part of my Wander Like a Local series, where guest writers reveal the best-kept secrets, must-see spots, and unique experiences that only locals know. Discover hidden gems and authentic tips from those who call it home.
In this post, I’ll detail what would be a perfect weekend for me based on my favorite things to do in Brussels. I’ll weave all of my favorite activities and spots to eat into a two-day itinerary to give you an authentic experience. And, I’ll also give you some practical information about how to get around the Belgian capital.
Ready to go? Read on to find out the best things to do in Brussels on a weekend trip, according to a local!
Have You Visited Belgium?
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Brussels, a Capital City
Brussels is a wonderful place to visit in Europe. It’s the capital of the European Union, and it has a certain international flair that you won’t find anywhere else.
According to most tourists, the best things to do in Brussels include visiting La Grand Place (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), taking a picture of Manneke Pis, and eating delicious waffles and Belgian chocolate. But I can assure you that Brussels is a beautiful city with so much more to offer than that. In this post, I’ll take you on a trip through Brussels, visiting my favorite places in the city!
Day One in Brussels
To get the most out of your weekend, I recommend arriving on Friday evening and booking yourself into a great hotel in the city. There are a lot of great places to stay, but my favorites are Jardin Secret for its heated outdoor pool, La Grand Cloche for its location in the Marollen, and Urban Walls for its stylish design!
When you wake up on Saturday morning, it’s time to kickstart your weekend!
Have Breakfast at Chicago Cafe
Start your weekend at the fabulous Chicago Cafe in the Rue de Flandre in Brussels. The Rue de Flandre is one of the most hip streets in Brussels, and it belongs to the broader Dansaertwijk, known to be the trendiest area of Brussels.
While there are many great eateries in the Rue the Flandre, like Vertige, Resto Henri, and Knees to Chin, Chicago stands out for me because of its laid-back atmosphere and friendly service.
At Chicago, you can choose between a variety of breakfast dishes. I recommend the €25 brunch plate, which contains a pancake, french toast, scrambled eggs, salmon, avocado, mushroom, and delicious sourdough toast! If you are a vegan, don’t worry! They also have vegan and vegetarian options. I love their fava bean puree with mushrooms and toast!
I’ll come back to this later in the post, but remember that this is also one of the best streets in Brussels to go out at night. There are some great bars here, like de Roskam, de Daringman, and Au Laboureur. If you are a beer fan, you’ll want to spend some time beer tasting Belgian beers and hanging out with the locals.
Hit One of Brussels' Amazing Museums
I absolutely adore immersing myself in a city or country’s local culture, and there is no better way to do this than to visit a museum on the weekend. While I love to go to small and temporary exhibitions, here are some museums with permanent collections that are absolutely worth your time and money.
One of the most wonderful museums in Brussels is the Magritte Museum. If you’re an art lover, you know that René Magritte is a prominent Belgian surrealist famous for his painting of a pipe with the byline “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (which translates to “This is not a pipe”). You can discover his best work here, and the museum is open every day of the year (aside from certain public holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Day).
If you’re not really a fan of traditional art, don’t worry. There are plenty more museums in Brussels that might suit you better. Some of the museums in Brussels can even be a bit weird and unusual, but that’s all part of a fun trip, right?
One of my personal favorites is the sewer museum dedicated to the underground sewer system of Brussels and the Senne River. It allows you to walk around these sewers, about 10 meters underground, and learn about how and why this infrastructure is so important.
If you’re a foodie, I suggest visiting the Beer Museum of Schaerbeek or Choco-Story Brussels. More unusual museums include the Museum of Erotics and Mythology, Garderobe Manneken Pis, The Clockarium, and the slightly creepy Theatre Peruchet Museum.
Buy Belgian Cheese
If the weather’s good, one of the best things to do for lunch in Brussels is have a picnic in one of the many beautiful parks. The Warandepark is one of my favorites because you have a great outdoor bar called Woodpecker that sells burgers.
But I truly love to purchase a bunch of cheeses at my favorite cheese shop and organize a picnic myself. The best place in Brussels to get cheese is Bij Catherine in de Zuidstraat. Catherine was born in this house, and it is the go-to place for artisan cheeses in Brussels.
Since I turned vegan, I don’t eat cheese anymore but I still love to have picnics. My go-to place now for a delicious picnic meal is The Vegan Butcher in Brussels. Here, you can find all kinds of vegan deliciousness like vegan mozzarella, vegan sausages, and even a vegan version of the classic black boudin, a typical Belgian sausage. You can order online and pick it up at their store in Schaerbeek.
For a cozy picnic, head to Parckfarm, a community-driven urban farming project located on the site of Tour & Taxis. It combines urban agriculture, community activities, and sustainable practices to create a green space that promotes social interaction, environmental awareness, and local food production. You can spend the afternoon here and learn about how local food is produced in the city and how the city is working towards becoming a more sustainable space.
Taste the Best Belgian Fries at Patatak
After spending the afternoon at Parckfarm, it’s time for dinner. Saturday evenings are always crowded in restaurants, so I prefer to do something simple. Going out for Belgian fries is one of my top things to do in Brussels.
There are many friteries in Brussels, but the best one is Patatak, an artisan friterie where you can not only enjoy the best fries in town but also try other Belgian classics like Belgian carbonnades or Boulets Liegeoise. They cater to vegans, too, with mushroom tempura and vegan chicon kimchi, a typical Belgian vegetable with its origins in Brussels.
Go Out To a Bar With a Large Selection of Belgian Beers
To finish your first day, head to one of the best local bars in Brussels and try Belgian beers. My favorite beers are Geuze, Zinnebir, and Duvel but it’s worth experimenting. I already mentioned de Roskam, de Daringman, and Au Laboureur previously in the post as some of the best bars in Brussels. Other local bars that are definitely worth a visit are de Bizon, Booze and Blues, de Merlo, de Walvis, and Billie.
Day Two in Brussels
After spending another fabulous night at one of the previously mentioned hotels, it’s time for Day Two. We’ll start this day in Saint-Gilles. You can get there from the city center by taking the metro to Horta Station.
Have breakfast at the Wild Lab or Hinterland in Saint-Gilles
Start your day in Saint-Gilles, a residential area in Brussels with a great indie vibe. Have breakfast at the Wild Lab or Hinterland, two fabulous places with fresh food and a lot of vegan options on the menu.
My go-to breakfast dish at the Wild Lab is the Warrior Buddy toast. A cute detail about this place is that they have a “puppecino” on the menu, a drink created for dogs that consists of nut butter and pea milk.
As for Hinterland, the red berry and pistachio pancakes are top-notch!
Hit the Zuidmarkt
After savoring a healthy and delicious breakfast, it’s time to hit the best market in Brussels. It is located close to St.-Gilles, near the Brussels-South train station, and starts in the early morning until around 2 p.m.
At the Zuidmarkt, you can find delicious food and cheap fruit and vegetables, as well as household goods, clothes, textiles, and accessories. What I particularly love about the market is its multicultural atmosphere. There are various food stalls offering ethnic foods and products. One of my favorite things to do is have a mint tea at one of the Moroccan stalls.
Go Treasure Hunting at The Place de Jeu de Balle
After spending some time at the Zuidmarkt, go for a short stroll to the Place de Jeu de Balle in the Marollen neighborhood, a historic area of Brussels. Here, you can find the most famous flea market in Belgium.
You can find a large selection of vintage items here, like clothes, vinyl, lamps, and even guitars. The lively atmosphere truly captures the spirit of Brussels.
Have Lunch at La Rue Haute
De Marollen neighborhood offers some great restaurants. I advise picking one on Rue Haute, one of the most famous streets in Brussels, known for its antique shops and small art galleries. Liu Lin is an excellent choice for vegan travelers (it’s my all-time favorite vegan restaurant in Brussels), and Ploegmans is the perfect restaurant to try typical Belgian cuisine.
Liu Lin has a Taiwan-inspired street food menu, while you can try dishes like Tete Pressee, Stoemp Saucisse, or Boulettes Liegeoise at Ploegmans.
Walk Around The Marollen
After lunch, take a relaxed stroll through the Marollen to soak up the atmosphere of this authentic neighborhood. Visit some of the best thrift shops in Brussels that are open on Sunday. If you want to do something touristy, take the Ascenseur des Marolles up to Place Poelaert for panoramic view of Brussels.
Visit One of Brussels' Historical Pools
When your lunch is digested, it’s time to do something that is both a cultural as well as a sporty. Hit one of the historical pools of Brussels for a swim! These pools are beautiful, and their architecture makes them protected monuments in Brussels.
There is one pool that is located right in the Marollen neighborhood: the Bains du Centre. It’s located on the Rue de Chervreuil, right next to the Place de Jeu de Balle. Not only can you have a good swim here, but because of the gigantic windows on the roof, you have a great view here over Chapel Church.
Finish Off The Weekend With a Mindblowing Dinner at a Gastronomic Restaurant
Finish the weekend in style with a dinner at a gastronomic restaurant in Brussels. There’s a large selection of about 20 Michelin-star restaurants in Brussels, with the most famous and longstanding one being Comme Chez Soi, a true Brussels institute serving Belgian Haute Cuisine.
Comme Chez Soi is too classic for me, and I’d rather go to Humus x Hortense, a plant-based Michelin-star restaurant in Ixelles that offers botanical gastronomy. If plant-based dining is not your thing, I highly recommend visiting Kamo in Ixelles, another Michelin-star restaurant in Brussels that offers Japanese Gastronomic food in a typical open kitchen setting!
How to Get Around Brussels
Brussels is a big city with 19 different communities, so it’s impossible to discover all it offers on foot. The best way to get around via public transport is by metro. There are several lines in the city, and they can take you around the city center and to the outskirts. A day pass for the metro costs €8, and you can purchase one at any metro station.
Conclusion
There you go! I hope you enjoyed this guide, which included the best things to see and do in Brussels, according to my local knowledge! I hope you have a great time in Brussels and may the sun be on your side! Cheers!
Ready to Go?
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