Brussels.
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Overview

Brussels (French: Bruxelles, Dutch: Brussel) is the capital of Belgium and one of the three administrative regions within the country, together with Flanders and Wallonia. Apart from its role within its country, it is also an internationally important city, hosting numerous international institutions, and in particular the headquarters of NATO and the core institutions of the European Union. Due to that, it is sometimes referred to informally as the capital of the EU, and even used as a metonym for the EU institutions.

Brussels blends the heritage of a medieval Flemish town with the grandiose projects initiated after it became the capital of what was then a French-speaking country, as well as some impressive modern architecture erected in a large part to house the international institutions. Brussels is now bilingual, hosting and officially recognizing the Dutch- and French-speaking communities of Belgium, and has become increasingly international with the influx of people of various origin who came there to work, many of them for the European Union. This all makes Brussels a rather unique blend, sprinkled with a number of Belgian peculiarities, and for the inquisitive tourist a large treasure chest to discover.

Districts

Brussels is a large city. Wikivoyage has several articles on its districts: Brussels/East Brussels/European Quarter Brussels/North Brussels/Pentagon Brussels/South Brussels/Southeast Brussels/West -->

Understand

When Brussels became the capital city of a new country in the 19th century, large parts of the old town were destroyed to make way for brand new ministries, palaces, schools, army barracks and office blocks constructed between 1880 and 1980. The medieval city walls that once defended and surrounded the city were demolished. Only a small historic centre (one square and four adjacent streets) was preserved. The historic Flemish town centres are better preserved in cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen. This thoughtless treatment of historic buildings has earned past city planners near-universal scorn and even given rise to the term "Brusselization" for cities that similarly tear down old buildings, replacing them with faceless concrete monstrosities.

Brussels has an oceanic climate. Although Brussels' weather has historically been famous for being awful and damp, the city has become warmer in the last decades. It features moderately cold, wet winters and warm, variable summers. Rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year, with a slight peak in the period from November to January and May to June.

Day temperatures in winter revolve around 6°C and normally do not surpass 10°C. Sunshine hours are generally low, but higher than in many other Northern European locations. Snowfall is possible, although heavy snowfalls with significant accumulation are not frequent and only occur periodically. In March and April the weather generally turns milder, alternating sometimes warm, sunny days with cooler, overcast days. May is often the locals’ favourite month, as it features frequent sunny days accompanied by the first periods of truly warm weather. June shares similar characteristics, but day temperatures by then surpass 20°C almost every day, with the exception of periods of rainy weather in which they can revolve around 17-19°C. July and August are warm, and heat waves have become more and more frequent, with temperatures over 35°C being surpassed virtually every year. It is advisable to check the weather before your visit, as you are equally as likely to encounter a sunny week with day temperatures over 30°C every day as a more variable week with frequent rain and day temperatures below 24°C every day. September can either feature Indian summer conditions with warm, sunny days, or entire rainy periods with mildly cool weather. October is mild, although temperatures drop off quite quickly and sunny days start becoming rarer after October. In December 2017, Brussels shattered the European record for the least amount of sunshine in any given month.

Preparing your visit Brussels has as many indoor as outdoor activities to offer, so even if it turns out to rain every day of your visit, you'll find more than enough to do to make the visit worthwhile. The Buienradar (literally Shower Radar) shows the real time location of rain clouds and calculates predictions of their movements. The radar can tell when it will start to rain at your position with a 10-minute accuracy, and is a great tool for planning out your day.

Although Brussels is best explored by foot or by bike, the public transport network is the best option when it's raining. Museums and other attractions are rarely more than 10 minutes walking away from a metro station, so a map of the metro network in combination with the Buienradar can keep you dry through adequate planning. If you're caught by surprise, metro stations are excellent places to seek shelter from the rain, and the larger stations have facilities where you can purchase a hot beverage while waiting (, , , and so on). Chains like Starbucks, Panos, McDonalds and the likes don't care if you occupy a table without making a purchase, so these are good options to sit out longer showers.

Brussels is split into 19 communes or gemeenten (municipalities/boroughs): Anderlecht - A large municipality at the western end of the city. It is often best known for its association football team R.S.C. Anderlecht. City of Brussels - Brussels offers many charming and beautiful attractions, with deeply ornate buildings on the Grand-Place/Grote Markt, and a fish-and-crustacean overdose of St. Catherine's Square (Place Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijneplein). Stroll along, (and stop in for a drink) at one of the many bars on Place Saint-Géry/Sint-Goriksplein, or max out your credit card on the trendy Rue Antoine Dansaert/Antoine Dansaertstraat. Marolles/Marollen - A neighbourhood of Brussels close to the city's heart, one of the few places where the Brussels dialect of Dutch (Flemish) could still be heard. The area is best known for the flea market held daily on the Place du Jeu de Balle/Vossenplein and for a plethora of shops selling everything from old radios and bent wipers to fine china and expensive Art Nouveau trinkets. Visit on Saturdays or Sundays. Forest/Vorst - A southern municipality, home to the Wiels Contemporary Art Centre, several car factories, and Forest National/Vorst Nationaal, one of the most popular concert halls in Belgium. Ixelles/Elsene - A vibrant part of town with a high concentration of restaurants, bars and other services to satisfy the good-looking or the heavy-spending. Some wandering around will reveal small bookshops, affordable ethnic restaurants or independent record shops tucked away in side streets. The Matongé district just off Chaussée d'Ixelles/Elsenesteenweg is the city's main African neighbourhood. It is a large district in the South of Brussels spreading from newly gentrified immigrant neighbourhoods off the Chaussée d'Ixelles/Elsenesteenweg near the town centre to leafy suburbs close to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos. The district is split in two by Avenue Louise/Louizalaan, which is part of the City of Brussels district. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean/Sint-Jans-Molenbeek - Commonly known as Molenbeek, it is a mostly residential municipality consisting of several historically and architecturally distinct districts. The population has been described as "mainly Muslim" in the media; however, actual figures range between 25% and 40%, depending on the catchment area. As of 2016, there is one main minority group in Molenbeek, Belgian Moroccans. Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis - The city's bohemian epicentre with thriving French, Portuguese, Spanish, Maghrebi and Polish communities. The area around the Parvis de Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillisvoorplein is the arty part, with the area around the Chatelain/Kastelein and the Church of the Holy Trinity being decidedly more yuppified. Like Schaerbeek, Saint-Gilles boasts several Art Nouveau and Haussmann-style buildings. It is also home to the major railway station Gare du Midi/Zuidstation (Eurostar terminal). Saint-Josse-ten-Noode/Sint-Joost-ten-Noode - The smallest and poorest municipality not only of Brussels, but of all Belgium, this municipality might not always be too pleasing on the eye but does have a few small, welcoming streets. The mid-part of the Chaussée de Louvain/Leuvensesteenweg is also home to a relatively small Indo-Pakistani community, so this is the place to head to for a tikka masala. The Turkish community which was the largest community only a few years ago has declined rapidly, as they moved to relatively wealthier municipalities by Saint-Josse/Sint-Joost standards. Uccle/Ukkel - Brussels' southernmost municipality. Green, bourgeois and starched like all posh municipalities should be, Uccle has retained many of its charming medieval cul-de-sacs, tiny squares and small townhouses as has nearby Watermael-Boitsfort/Watermaal-Bosvoorde. Woluwé-Saint-Pierre/Sint-Pieters-Woluwe and Woluwé-Saint-Lambert/Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe - Two eastern municipalities, mainly residential, with a mixture of housing blocks, quaint neighbourhoods and green areas. These places are well-loved by Eurocrats and other professional types. The enormous Wolubilis cultural complex is well worth a visit.

Visit Brussels. Tourist information website.

Brussels International. It's inside the town hall and usually crammed. Sells a couple of discount booklets or cards, such as the Brussels Card and public transport one-day passes

Talk

The two official languages of Brussels are French and Dutch.

Language in Brussels can be a confusing matter to visitors. The common language is French, with around 90% of the population in Brussels speaking it passably to fluently. You can easily get by with English, especially in the tourist areas. Dutch is also an official language: within Brussels, the population that speaks Dutch passably to fluently is limited to around 20%.

When it comes to official matters, French and Dutch have equal status in Brussels, with sometimes complicated rules to ensure a balance between the two. Streets, railway stations, bus stops and other places have names in the two languages. The two names don’t always sound or look similar.

For example, the Brussels-South railway station is Bruxelles-Midi in French and Brussel-Zuid in Dutch; Hôpital Militaire and Militair Hospitaal (Military Hospital). And for municipalities, many of them have 2 names, like Ixelles in French and Elsene in Dutch. If you are confused on using which name, it is suggested to use the French one.

In many informal texts in Brussels, such as commercial advertisement or menu, only French is written, or you will see the same ad which has 2 versions of languages (this is often seen in ads of government or large companies).

Many stations of bus or metro has 2 names in 2 languages. but usually one will be written in italics (the one in italics is always Dutch): e.g. Roi Baudouin Koning Boudewijn or Porte de Namur Naamsepoort. The French name is more commonly used on other places like Google Maps.

Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels became more and more French-speaking during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, most inhabitants speak French in daily life. The Brussels dialect, a Brabantian dialect of Dutch, can be heard, especially in the outer districts of Brussels-Capital Region. The French spoken is standard French. Dutch speakers speak standard Dutch but many also speak a different variety when talking to people from their region.

English has become a common spoken language because of the international institutions based in Brussels, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament and NATO. It is still relatively rare to find written tourist or general information in English, although the situation is changing. Public announcements in train stations are given in at least French and Dutch, while larger train stations (such as Zuidstation/Gare du Midi) typically include English and German. English is also used on metros, trams and buses, announced last for information such as line transfers and terminal stops. Do not hesitate to ask someone if you do not understand what has been said.

Considering the city's location and that it markets itself as the capital of Europe, spoken English is less prevalent in Belgium than in its Dutch neighbour. However, even if it is not as widely spoken as one may expect, it is nonetheless widely understood. As is often the case elsewhere, success in finding someone who speaks English depends on several factors such as age (14- to 35-year-olds are most likely to speak English), education and previous experience abroad.

German is also an official language in Belgium spoken as a mother tongue by about 70,000 people in the east of the country bordering Germany, but the only German you're likely to hear in Brussels would be overheard on the streets around the European institutions or by German tourists, even if there is a large German population residing there. German can be seen in some signs in major stations or information of products.

In Brussels, large segments of the population have neither French nor Dutch as their mother tongue, and many other languages can be heard on the street, with Arabic being particularly common. Other languages that are increasingly heard in Brussels include Arabic (at least 25% of Brussels' population is of Arab descent, chiefly from Morocco), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, and Russian.

Get in

Belgium's flag carrier Brussels Airlines, which operates an extensive network of flights within Europe, also offers long-haul flights from North America and, quite uniquely for a European airline, many African destinations - especially in the former Belgian colony DR Congo. Major North American carriers also offer flights to Brussels, as do a few Asian ones. Direct connections from Asia are decent, while those from Latin America are almost non-existent, so you most likely have to change at an intermediate airport, and may want to consider using one of the Middle Eastern carriers (Emirates, Etihad and Qatar all serve Brussels) or change in one of Europe's major hubs like London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle or Schiphol. The latter two have a direct train to Brussels. Turkish Airways (via Istanbul) and Finnair (via Helsinki) also have particularly developed networks of connections from the Far East, while Madrid is the best option to fly from Latin America.

Travel between Brussels Airport and Brussels City

Belgian Rail operates trains (2nd class: Single: (May 2026); Weekend single : ; 1st class: ; 1st class weekend: ) every 10-20 min from the airport (Level -1) to Brussels' three main train stations, with most trains continuing to other parts of Belgium (and some to the Netherlands). The journey to the and Central Station takes 15-20 minutes. Tickets can be bought from vending machines (coins or PIN cards only) or the train ticket office (notes accepted) in the airport train station at Level -1. Trains are accessed at Level -2, you need a Brussels Airport Supplement ticket to get in, that is almost always included in your train ticket. The list of exceptions can be found on the official website. The trains are clean and well-maintained. To enter or exit the train, push the green button on the door, as the doors are not automatically opened at the stations as they are in other systems. MIVB/STIB bus 12 runs every 10-40 minutes (does not run to or from Brussels Airport from Monday to Friday during Belgian school holidays) via metro station Schuman to the European district around Place du Luxembourg/Luxemburgplein (on the other side of the park from Gare Central) and to the Trône metro station. The journey takes 30 minutes. When going from the airport to the city center, a special "Go2City" ticket is needed (for the journey to the airport, a regular ticket is valid). The Go2City ticket is valid for a total of 60 minutes on the trains (by SNCB), metro (by STIB), buses (by STIB, De Lijn and TEC) or trams (by STIB) from the moment it is validated. The buses depart from airport level 0. Frequent travellers can buy a 10-trip ticket . When boarding the bus from the city to the airport, make sure that the destination is Brussels Airport, as some buses terminate at either Gare de Bordet or a stop even further from the airport. De Lijn bus R26 run every 15-30 minutes to Brussels' North Train Station (called Noordstation/Gare du Nord within the city or Brussel-Noord/Bruxelles-Nord in other places), north of Grand-Place. Bus R59 runs to the Roodebeek metro station every 15-30 minutes. Night bus N62 operates to/from the airport to the Rogier metro and premetro station (30 minute ride), north-east of Grand-Place. The buses depart from level 0 of the airport. In contrast to the tickets sold by MIVB/STIB, these tickets (sold by Flemish regional bus operator De Lijn) are not valid on other means of public transport within Brussels. Alternatively, Brussels can be reached by train much more cheaply via Zaventem village (dorp) station, within a walk from the airport. This is because the Brussels Airport Supplement on airport trains does not apply here. Zaventem Dorp station is served by frequent local trains to all Brussels stations, taking roughly the same amount of time as the airport trains (15-20 minutes to Central Station). Beware of "waiting" charges if your flight is delayed and you pre-ordered a cab, some companies charge you parking fees + /hour for waiting. Always confirm the final charge with your driver before getting in the car. It is not uncommon for drivers to rip you off and charge to go to the centre, especially if they realise that it is your first time in Brussels and don't know your way around.

Left luggage facilities Brussels Airport has a luggage locker service (Level 0) where you can leave luggage for a fixed duration. The lockers say that you will have to retrieve your bags within 72 hours or else they will be removed, but they are actually moved to the room next door and stored until you retrieve them. This is a useful facility for people wanting to stow away big suitcases somewhere safe.

To travel between the airport and the city Flibco, airport shuttle bus service operates buses every 20 minutes to Brussels Midi/Zuid station, with a journey time of 1 hour (less during weekends). Buying online is cheaper and faster. The bus stops at Midi/Zuid station, on the Rue de France/Frankrijkstraat, 156, to the west from the station. The metro and international trains (Eurostar) are on the west side of the station, so upon entering the station from the bus stop, head left rather than straight. When travelling to the airport, it would be better to arrive at the Brussels Midi/Zuid stop far in advance of the bus departure time as the queue to board the bus could be very long (there are no ticket machines and people buy tickets on board). Therefore you might miss the bus and wait another 20 minutes. The traffic on the way out of Brussels can be heavy in peak hours, so the journey may take longer than planned. TEC-bus A ( one way) operates service from the airport to the Charleroi South (Charleroi-Sud) train station, from where you can connect to an intercity train ( one way) to Brussels. A combined train+bus ticket to or from Brussels can be obtained for from the TEC vending machine at the airport. The bus journey takes 20 minutes and the train takes an additional hour. Trains depart every 30-60 minutes. For the return trip to Charleroi you can book in advance a Charleroi-based taxi .

Other airports High-speed rail and the central location of Brussels amid many major European cities make it entirely feasible to fly into several other airports and take the train from there. Depending on your itinerary, this may be both faster and cheaper, as connections may align better. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has a direct high-speed train (Eurostar/TGV) connection to Brussels. TGV trains departing every three hours from CDG arrive at Brussels-Midi within ~1.5 hours. Book tickets early for the best prices. Alternatively, it is possible to access Brussels from Paris-CDG with TGV trains from French cities like Nice and Lyon. Most of these trains call at the airport. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol also has a high-speed train connection to Brussels-Midi, provided by Eurostar. Alternatively, slower (2.5 hr) regular Intercity trains exist as well, sometimes direct, sometimes with a transfer in Rotterdam. Tickets for these trains start at and have the advantage of being valid for all regular trains on the booked day. To compare prices and departure times for all trains (including Eurostar), see NS International Cologne-Bonn Airport is a little less than 2 hours by a direct train, departing 3 times a day and costing around Antwerp Airport is quite close to Brussels, getting from there requires one to take a bus to Antwerpen-Berchem station (takes 10 minutes, buses depart approximately ever 12 minutes), from where a train to Brussels departs every 20 minutes and takes less than 40. A single ride bus ticket in Antwerp is and the train ticket to Brussels can be had for just , making the journey almost as cheap as getting to Brussels from Brussels Airport. Liège Airport can be reached by trains between Brussels and Liege (running every 30 minutes and taking about 1 hour), but you need to take a bus or a taxi between one of Liege's train stations and LGG, which extends the journey to over 1.5 hours.

Brussels has three main railway stations (French name at the left-hand side and Dutch at right-hand side):

All three major stations in Brussels are very busy and there are trains departing in many directions almost every minute. If you are on the platform, do check if the train you are boarding is the one you want, as it may be the one that departs just a few minutes earlier. Be vigilant for last-minute platform changes. As the announcements for many trains (except for major international services and trains to Brussels Airport) are made in French and Dutch only, it is worthwhile to pay attention to departure displays. Always memorize the name of your destination in both French and Dutch to easily recognize it – the name as you may know it in English might not be used at all. Some trains are short, so at stations with long curved platforms such as at Brussel-Centraal (Bruxelles-Central) you may not be able to see the train if you’re standing on the opposite end of the platform.

Apart from the three above, there are also stations of Brussels-Schuman, Brussels-Luxembourg, Brussels-Congress, Brussels-Chapel and Brussels-West, as well as stations in municipalities of the Brussels region that do not have "Brussels" in their name (e.g. Schaerbeek, Evere) which only see limited local service by RER trains.

International train services to Belgium include:

Intercity from Luxembourg. An hourly Intercity train from Luxembourg (2.5-3hr, via Arlon, Libramont, Namur) connects to Midi/Zuid, Central, Nord/Noord, Schuman and Luxembourg/Luxemburg stations. Reservations are not always needed, but it is wise to have a ticket, as train employees frequently check them.

Eurostar. Eurostar high-speed trains link Amsterdam Centraal (2 hr), Cologne Hauptbahnhof (1 hr 52 min), Lille Europe (39 min), London St. Pancras (1 hr 51 min), Paris Nord, and Rotterdam Centraal (1 hr 8 min) with Midi/Zuid. It is much cheaper to book further in advance. With your Eurostar ticket you can also take a local train to or from Central-Centraal, Nord-Noord, Schuman and Luxembourg/Luxemburg stations. When travelling from the United Kingdom, you should allow 90 minutes before your timetabled departure to clear the extra border controls (60 min when returning to the UK).

ICE. German ICE trains connect Brussels seven times a day to Cologne (2 hr) and Frankfurt (3 hr).

TGV. Connects Lyon, Marseille, Avignon, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and many other French destinations to Midi/Zuid.

Nightjet – OBB's (Austrian rail carrier) sleeper train, runs three times a week from Midi/Zuid to Vienna (via Munich) and Berlin. It calls at Brussels-North, Liège, Aachen, Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz, Mainz and Mannheim, where the train divides and combines with carriages from Paris: one portion runs via Munich, Salzburg and Linz to Vienna, the other via Erfurt and Halle to Berlin.

Trains from Belgium Belgium has one of the most dense and best developed railway networks in Europe. Besides simple one-way tickets there is a bewildering variety of tickets available depending on the exact route (returns are cheaper, there are also "all Belgium" tickets), frequency, your age and occupation (students get discounts) and departure time (travel after 09:00 and on weekends is usually cheaper).

Frequencies and approximate travel times from Brussels-Central station to selected cities in Belgium: Antwerp - 6x/hour, 40 min-1 hr 15 min Arlon - 1xhour, 2bhr 50 min Bruges - 2x/hour, below 1 hr 10 min (the service to Kortrijk also continues to Bruges, but it takes twice as much time) Charleroi - 2x/hour, 1 hour Dinant - 1x/hour from Brussels-Schuman (not Central), 1.5 hours (you can also go from Central to Namur and change to Dinant there, travel time is longer by 15 minutes that way) Gent - 6x/hour, 40 min-1 hr 10 min Kortrijk - 3x/hour 1 hr 20 min-1 hr 45 min (plus one extra connection per hour with a change Gent, 1hr 20min) Leuven - 5x/hour, 25 min Liege - 2x/hour, 1 hr -1 hr 30 min Mechelen - 7x/hour, 25-30 min Namur - 2x/hour, 1 hr 10 min (+1/hour from Brussels-Schuman, same travel time) Ostend - 2x/hour, 1 hr 20 min (or with a change in Gent - 2x/hour, 1 hr 40 min) Waterloo - 2x/hour direct local train, 30min (or via Braine-L'Alleud, with a change from Intercity to local train - 2x/hour, total travel time below 40 min)

There is also a fairly new suburban rail system (Brussels Regional Express Network, in French Réseau express régional (RER) and in Dutch Gewestelijk ExpresNet (GEN), or S train) that is like an S-Bahn, which serves nearby communities. It will show up with the other trains when looking for tickets on the website, so you can see if it is a good fit for your journey or not.

Several bus companies offer long-distance connections to Brussels. The stations are mainly at the North or South station.

Coming from Germany with the Deutschlandticket: Use the regional trains to either Düsseldorf, Aachen or Cologne and take a Flixbus from there to Brussels. The three stated cities have the most Flixbus departures from Germany to Brussels.

Flixbus. A German company with a network throughout most of Europe. Stops at Bruxelles-Nord (in the Business District), Brussels-Midi/Zuid, King Baudouin Stadium (in Heysel) , Brussels Airport and some other locations.

De Lijn. The Flemish region (Dutch speaking) public bus service, connecting Brussels to Flanders. There are specific "snelbuses" (fast buses), e.g. Brussels-North (Bruxelles-Nord/Brussel-Noord) to Ninove (snelbus 728).

TEC. The Walloon region (French speaking) public bus company.

RegioJet. A Czech company offering coach services from Czech Republic and Slovakia to a number of destinations around Europe. Their service from Prague to London stops each morning at Gare du Midi and each evening on the way back. The company also offers combined bus + train tickets to/from destinations not served by buses directly, which may be cheaper than getting a split ticket.

Twiliner. Twiliner buses take 9 hours from Zurich via Basel and Luxembourg, heading for Amsterdam.

By tram Brussels is connected to Tervuren by tram , following the trajectory of the Tervuren Avenue (Tervurenlaan) between and . The scenic long journey through the Sonian Forest takes about 20 minutes, with a frequency of 5 trams per hour. A single ticket is , and allows you to get off at any station along the way and back on the next tram within the ticket validity of an hour. Tickets can be purchased in Tervuren station or from the tram driver at an additional fee.

Brussels can also be reached from Kraainem by tram , which connects metro station to the and traverses Kraainem halfway. Get on at stop , on a walking distance of Kraainem's tourist attractions, and take tram direction . Travel time is approx. 15 minutes.

By metro Brussels metro line extends to , and to . Travel time to the Grand-Place from Kraainem station is about 25 minutes. Tickets can be paid for by card or be purchased from a GO vending machine in either Kraainem or Stokkel metro station, and can only be paid with euro coins or Maestro compatible cards. Bills are not accepted.

By bicycle Brussels is the third capital on Eurovelo Route 5, which starts in London, through Brussels and Switzerland and ends in southern Italy. A number of other international and national cycle routes converge on Brussels, see this overview.

Get around

By car In short: try to use your car as little as possible. As with most European capitals, Brussels has taken great strides in eliminating cars, and with mostly good measures. Until the mid-2000s, Brussels had some of the worst (if not the worst) traffic jams in the western world, even rivalling cities like Los Angeles and New York City. Though locals mostly approve of those measures, out-of-towners and people working in certain sectors have been more critical of the measures.

Broadly speaking, it is strongly suggested not to drive near or within the R0. Most streets near the Grand-Place have been pedestrianised, and only taxi and delivery drivers can access that area. However, the outskirts of Brussels (especially the southern region like Ukkel) are not always served by buses or trams, so having a car might be useful there.

On foot Most sights in Brussels are fairly close together, within reasonable walking distance of each other. The oldest part of town can have uneven cobblestone roads, but the rest of the city is fairly easy to walk. A zone of in the city centre is reserved for pedestrians, the second largest in Europe after Venice. Brussels has many wet days, and in winter small amounts of snow can make the ground slushy, so water-resistant footwear is a must if you will be out walking all day. Most of the old town is a pedestrian-only zone. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes suitable for uneven cobblestone paths

By bicycle Bicycles are an excellent way to get from the city center to attractions outside the 'pentagone'. Although the Brussels weather isn't always equally favorable for cycling, bikes are often faster than public transport, particularly for short distances. The cycling infrastructure is fairly poorly developed in comparison to cities of similar size like Amsterdam and Bristol, and the elevation of Brussels might be challenging to inexperienced cyclists. Brussels' most valuable transport asset is, arguably, the Villo bicycle-sharing system.

To encourage cycling through the city, cyclists are granted some privileges in Brussels traffic. Most notably, cyclists are allowed to drive either way in one-way streets. They are allowed to drive through the car-free zone in the city center, the largest in Europe after Venice. At intersections marked with a triangular sign with a cycle icon and a right arrow, cyclists are allowed to turn right at any time, ignoring red traffic lights.

Villo (a portmanteau of the French words ville - city - and vélo - bike) is Brussels' public bicycle sharing system. It consists of 5000 bicycles in the Brussels-Capital Region, making it one of the largest in the world, with an infrastructure of 360 stations. Cycles can be rented out in any station and returned to the same or any other station, making it a convenient solution for point-to-point travel (as opposed to the NMBS BlueBike scheme which requires return to the same station, making it only suitable for round trip journeys).

Villo bicycles are well equipped to deal with the poor Belgian roads: they have puncture-resistant tires, a covered chain drive, and are also equipped with a basket for cargo transport and automatic lights. Each bike has 7 gears and dual disc brakes to tackle hills around the city and reach destinations with higher elevation. The frame is rather heavy, though, weighing 22 kg. A decent level of fitness is recommended!

Subscriptions You can create an account online to sign up for a Villo subscription. The batteries have a 10-km range and can be picked up from the Villo office immediately after subscribing. To checkout bikes with a subscription you can use the Villo app, link your mobib vard, or get a Villo card.

Non-subscription As of September 2022, not clear if this information is still up to date. To rent a Villo, a ticket can be purchased at a station. Not all stations issue tickets, which can be confusing. Tickets are available for 1 or 3 days, and permit an unlimited number of rides. Week passes are also available at . As Villo is intended for short trips, you will be billed per half hour after the first half hour (the first half hour being free). This is of course easily avoided by returning your bike to a station before the first half hour expires, and immediately renting another bike from the same station, resetting the counter.

Purchasing a ticket goes as follows: Find a station that issues tickets, press the 5 button to change the language to English. Initiate the procedure to buy a ticket, and press 0 to get to the end of the EULA text. The response time is long, so give it a few seconds between every button push. Choose a 4-digit PIN code and repeat it. This will be your 'password'. A deposit fee must be paid by card. You can only buy one ticket per card, and only if you have at least available on the account. The ticket will be issued, after which you can rent a bike directly. When choosing a bike, look at the orientation of the saddles. The convention among users is that, if a bike is defective, the saddle is lowered and its direction reversed. So don't try to rent out bikes with a reversed saddle. Likewise, if you notice your bike has a defect, then return it to the station and reverse its saddle to notify other users. Unless there is obvious evidence of vandalism, minor damage (flat tires, broken chains, etc.) will not be billed to your account.

When returning your bike to a station, always wait for the double beep and green light on the post you returned the bike to. Long beeps indicate that the bike is not placed incorrectly. After the double beep, the bike should be locked again. If you don't return it correctly and the bike is stolen, will be billed to your account!

After purchasing a ticket, bikes can be rented out from any station by typing the 6-digit subscriber number on the ticket into the station's kiosk, followed by the 4-digit 'password'.

Blue Bike Bikes that are complementary to Villo. Then to checkout the bike for a day. You can link Blue Bike with your MOBIB card or get a separate Blue Bike card.

Billy Bike Billy Bike is an electric bike option with an unlock fee of and /min. They have several subscription plans for frequent users.

Swapfiets Rent bikes from Swapfiets for /month. They'll repair the bikes if they get broken.

Uber JUMP Uber has a fleet of free floating electric bikes in Brussels. The operating area is mostly limited to the eastern part of the city.

By metro, tram, or bus The dominant operator is the Brussels regional public transport operator STIB/MIVB. Public transport in Brussels can be confusing because different transport companies are active in the city. Some buses from Flemish regional transport operator De Lijn connect Brussels to surrounding Flemish cities, but their tickets are not compatible with MIVB tickets. Occasionally even buses from the Walloon regional operator TEC venture into the city, and again, their tickets are incompatible. However, there are Brupass tickets that can be used for all the operators (MIVB, TEC, De Lijn and NMBS (2nd class)) inside the Brupass validity area. When using a Brupass ticket on a NMBS train, it needs to be validated at a vending machine.

As long as you stay on the MIVB network — which roughly spans the entire Brussels-Capital Region — a single ticket gives you access to all metro, tram and bus lines for the duration of 1 hour with as many transfers as needed to reach your destination. Since Brussels is a fairly small city, in practice, you can get anywhere in under an hour so the time limit will rarely be an issue.

You can board any MIVB metro, tram or bus by tapping a contactless credit/debit card, including through Apple Pay/Google Pay. You are charged per journey, capped at a maximum of per day. See STIB-MIVB for details.

Tickets are also available via the MoBIB smart card. Should you stay longer than a few days in Belgium, it may be worth investing in a MoBIB card. A MoBIB card is required to purchase 10 journey Brupass tickets .

Alternatively, paper MIVB-only tickets can also be purchased from GO vending machines and are available for a single journey or a day pass with unlimited journeys . Since 2020, it is no longer possible to purchase tickets directly from drivers, so do purchase your tickets in advance at a GO machine. Blue GO machines only accept debit and credit cards, and coins, but no paper currency. The interface is available in English, Dutch, French and German.

To validate either a MoBIB card or paper ticket, touch it against the red card readers until it beeps, and the screen lights up green. You must validate your ticket on the first vehicle you enter and at each transfer afterwards. On buses and trams, the card readers are in the vehicles, whereas metro and premetro (underground tram) stations have card readers with electronic gates at their entrances. If the card reader lights up red, it means there is no valid ticket on your card, possibly because the 1-hour time window has expired. At some stations you need to validate again to leave. Groups of travelers can share a single MoBIB card if it has multiple tickets available, like 5- or 10-journey tickets. If you're with a group of 3, for example, simply touch the MoBIB card against the card reader 3 times to validate 3 journeys at once. At each transfer, you must again validate it 3 times. Groups must stay together during travel, since ticket checks are carried out routinely, and you must be able to present a validated ticket at any time. Failure to do so will result in a fine of .

Since buses and trams tend to get stuck in traffic, metro and premetro (underground tram) lines are the fastest form of public transport. Most attractions can be reached by metro and a short walk. Metro entrances are marked by big signs with the station name underneath. All announcements are made in Dutch, French and English. There are 4 metro lines, and running roughly east-west, and connecting the inner city with the European Quarter, Woluwe, and at the end of line , Kraainem. Metro line connects the inner city to the Heizel, and is the most convenient way to reach the Atomium. Ring line shares its trajectory with line until station, and can be taken in both directions with a possible transfer at being necessary to complete your journey.

In addition to the 4 metro lines there are also 4 premetro lines. Lines and roughly running north-south, and connecting the North and South railway stations with the Grand-Place and most of the city center attractions, while lines and go on the Greater Ring.

Metro and premetro stations are often a warm and dry refuge from the wet and cold weather in Brussels, and typically offer small convenience shops or coffee shops like Starbucks and the likes to sit out heavy showers. On the flip side, the metro in Brussels's cleanliness and safety are quite hit-and-miss compared to most metro systems; some stations are squeaky clean and modern, while others are dirty and in need of repair.

You may be able to get a paper-made folding map (title: plan de réseau / netplan) with red cover when you buy a ticket from a staff. The official dynamic STIB/MIVB network plan includes construction sites and replacement service (more network plans are also available).

The whole rules of passengers taking STIB/MIVB is written there.

By train The S-train can also be used for travel in the city. It is best for taking journeys from the center or a major train station to the outer edges, or the other way around. Some areas, especially in the north east, are easier to get to this way.

Interrail passes can also be used on the S-train. However, if you do not have a continuous pass, it is often not worth using up a travel day just for the S-train (unless it's in conjunction with a longer journey somewhere).

By scooter If you have a driver's license, then scooters may be a less physically exhausting alternative to bicycles to get around the city. is a network of electric scooters available for rental throughout the city. Following a free-roaming model, scooters can be found on public places in the city, and unlocked remotely by subscribers. After use, the scooter may be left at any public place. Although convenient considering Brussels' elevation, scooter rental is more expensive than Villo at /minute.

See

Brussels' rich history left it dotted with countless landmarks, some of architectural beauty, others of monumental proportions. In the medieval centre, nearly every building has its own story worth exploring! The surrounding Pentagon, roughly corresponding to the outline of Brussels in the Renaissance, adds many more attractions to the list of must-see attractions. When the weather gets unpredictable, over 80 museums in the Brussels-Capital Region offer indoor excitement when rain prevents outdoor activities.

The most iconic sight in Brussels is its central square, the , widely regarded as the most beautiful square in the world, and Brussels' most famous . The Grand-Place and its surrounding streets are the last remains of medieval Brussels, and offer a unique insight into the look and feel of the city a millennium ago. The city hall and its tower, seen on many post cards, is a landmark and orientation point from most of the centre. Manneken Pis, Brussels most famous statue, can be encountered in one of the side streets. As one of the most overrated attractions in Belgium, this insignificant statue is easily overlooked! The Mary Magdalene Chapel and St. Nicholas Church are among the oldest churches in Belgium, and attraction poles for enthusiasts of religious architecture. A free tour starts in front of the city hall on the Grand-Place every day at 10:00, 11:00, 13:30 and 14:00, and guides visitors along the most important sights in the centre.

Over time, a flourishing commerce developed outside the first city walls, of which the Black Tower is one of the last remnants. The former docks around the Church of St. Catherine have been converted into fountains, but have kept their reputation for best fish restaurants in the city. The nearby Beguinage and its church tell the story of the development of the city up to French occupation at the end of the 18th century. The dates from the same period, and as a nearly exact copy of the Notre-Dame of Paris, it is well worth a visit because, unlike its more famous Parisian counterpart, entrance here is free, and there are usually no waiting lines! The Coudenberg Museum and Bruxella 1238 take visitors underground to explore the archaeological remains of Brussels history, for those fascinated by Brussels early history. The Halle Gate, now a museum, is the last surviving gate of Brussels second city walls.

From Belgian independence in 1830 onward, Brussels quickly transformed into the modern capital it was envisioned to be. Under supervision of kings Leopold I and his son Leopold II, Brussels architect Joseph Poelaert initiated several monumental construction projects, most of which still stand today. Examples are the , the largest building in the world at the time of construction, overlooking the old city from Poelaert Square. The Church of Our Lady of Laeken to the north of the Pentagon and the Congress Column are also among his most famous work. The Royal Palace is just a short climb away and also dates from this period of architectural magnificence. The is one of the largest churches in the world, and a corner stone in Art Deco architecture.

The , a 102-m-tall sculpture of a 165 billion times magnified iron crystal, dominates the skyline of northern Brussels. It is the best known relic of the 1958 World's Fair, along with the Centenary Palace. Although only a few of the spheres are open to the public, the restaurant at the top offers an amazing view over Brussels. If you're lucky enough that the are open to the public, then don't hesitate to visit them.

To the east of the Pentagon is the European Quarter, the centre of political power in the European Union. Serving as the unofficial capital of the European Union, the second largest democracy in the world (after India), much of the legislation making processes take place in the and European Commission. Both can be visited, although tours tend to be rather formal. For a lighter experience, the Parlamentarium or House of European History are likely better tuned to younger audiences. The nearby is worth a detour for its monumental arc, but also when the weather doesn't allow outdoor activities, the district has a lot to offer. The Museum for Natural Sciences hosts a complete herd of iguanodon skeletons, and is a must-see for adults and children alike, whereas the aviary hall of the Museum of Military History in the shadow of the Cinquantenaire Arc has original aircraft on display, ranging from civilian planes to jet fighters.

To keep balance with political powers, Brussels also hosts the NATO headquarters, the most powerful military alliance in the world, in the north-east district of the city. The nearby cemetery is home to many silent witnesses of the so called military victories. The railway museum Train World and nearby Tram Museum in the Woluwe district are top attractions for rail enthusiasts. Woluwe also has a lot to offer to architecture lovers, with the and Solvay Residence recognized as s.

When strolling along architectural sights and museum display cases feels overwhelming, the Sonian Forest to the south of the city will offer a welcomed change of scenery. This vast section of nature, with lakes and century old beech trees, is protected as and a true heaven for fans of outdoor activities.

If you're planning on visiting many attractions and museums, consider the advance purchase of a Brussels Card, which offers discounts at many attractions and free entrance to 40 of the most popular museums. It is available in 24 hr , 48 hr and 72 hr versions, includes a free guidebook, free use of public transit (metro, bus, tram), and discounts at various shops and restaurants. It may not be worth it to those who already receive discounts (children, students, etc.). The card can be purchased on-line in advance for a discount, at the major tourist offices, and in some museums. Keep in mind however that many attractions have severely limited opening hours (usually from 09:00 until 17:00) when planning your visit, although sights like the Grand-Place or Atomium can be enjoyed around the clock.

Do

Brussels has a large variety of activities to offer, regardless of the weather. Strolling through the medieval centre and enjoying waffles or fries on the go is a favorite for locals and tourists. When passing the , sit down on the stairs along with the locals and have a chat. Keep an eye out for comic book murals, of which there are 43 different ones to discover around the city! Those fascinated by comic books may consider visiting the Museum of Figurines or the Marc Sleen Museum. Brussels can also be explored from underground through the , learning the history of the city while walking underneath its busy traffic.

When weather permits, a walk through the or even the Sonian Forest, a , is highly recommended. The is closer to the city centre, and climbing the countless steps towards the top of its arc (entrance through the Museum of Military History) is worth the effort for a fantastic view over the European Quarter of the city. A less physically intense alternative to exploring the monuments of Brussels is a visit to on the Heysel plateau to the north, a park with scale models of numerous iconic European buildings and features. In summer, a zip line ride down from the top of the Atomium is an unforgettable experience for die hard thrill seekers!

A confrontation with rain in Brussels humid climate is no reason for despair. If none of the 80 museums would be of interest then a visit to the or watching an action movie in 4D in the mega cinema complex can be indoor alternatives. For more adventurous water fans, Nemo 33 offers a diving challenge in the second deepest heated indoor swimming pool in the world at 34.5 metres (113 ft) and 30°C (86°F)

If you prefer to get submerged into local culture, try one of the Brussels themed room escape games of near the city centre, and puzzle your way out within the hour. For fans of Brussels many culinary delicacies, following a beer brewing or waffle baking workshop are tasty activities for an afternoon, alone or in a group. To keep up to date with what's going on, pick up a copy of local free city newspaper Zone 02. Another good free listings paper is Agenda, which is distributed together with the Dutch-language weekly Brussel Deze Week and has the notable advantage of being published in three languages (English, Dutch, French). You can find them in many cafés and restaurants around the city.

Football: the men's national soccer team play at King Baudouin Stadium in Heysel. Three Brussels clubs play in First Division A, the top tier: RSC Anderlecht in Anderlecht district, Union SG in Forest, and R.W.D. Molenbeek in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.

Buy

Very few shops in Brussels open before 10:00, and most open 10:30–11:00. Many shops are closed on Sunday and Monday.

Beer Mania. Claims to have a stock of over 400 beers, but has been overrun by beer tourists. The stock is extensive, but quite pricey in comparison to Delhaize, or Carrefour. Beer Mania is a great place to find out of the ordinary beers.

Carrefour. Branches around the city carry a wide variety of beers, including almost all Trappist beer. Selection varies by store. The Carrefour near the Grand-Place has a large selection and offers prices that are approximately a third of the prices in tourist shops.

Delhaize. Similar to Carrefour, but a tad more expensive.

Match. Another store similar to Carrefour, but has more of the unusual Belgian beers including Delirium.

Leonidas. very popular with the locals.

Neuhaus. A bit more expensive than Leonidas and a bit higher quality. Very popular with the locals as well.

Mary. Excellent handmade chocolates, with this store originating from 1919.

Passion Chocolat. Delicious chocolates, and they often offer free samples of 1-2 chocolates from their collection.

Marcolini. Arguably the best Belgian chocolates and priced accordingly.

Wittamer. Another excellent chocolate maker, with also a selection of macarons and cakes. They may however insist on a minimum 100g purchase for the chocolates.

Chocopolis. Pick and choose your favorite type of chocolates, all at reasonable prices.

Maison Renardy. A great boutique shop with delicious chocolate and friendly service. Stop by for a cup of tea or coffee, and get one of their chocolates free with your tea. Still peckish? You're able to bring a whole box home.

Godiva. Not very popular and quite pricey.

Chocolate bars. For the frugal, you can buy 100-200 gram gourmet bars of chocolate in grocery stores for about each. Good brands to buy are Côte-d'Or and Jacques, both are Belgian.

Belgian Lace. Among the best in the world. Several shops are at the Grand' Place-Grote Markt. Beware of some shops that sell Belgian lace even though production was outsourced abroad. Ask for a country of origin if purchasing around Grand-Place.

Eat

There is plenty of good eating to be had in Brussels. Most people concentrate on the three classics: mussels (moules in French and mosselen in Dutch), fries (frites in French and frieten in Dutch) and chocolate. A few more adventurous Bruxellois/Brusselse dishes include anguilles au vert/paling in 't groen (river eels in green sauce), meat balls in tomato sauce, stoemp (mashed vegetables and potatoes) and turbot waterzooi (turbot fish in cream and egg sauce). For dessert, try a Belgian waffle (wafel in Dutch and gauffre in French), also available in a square Brussels version dusted with powdered sugar, and choices of bananas, whipped cream and many other toppings. Although many prefer the round, caramelized version from Liège. Many tourist shops will sell the Liège waffle (traditionally eaten plain, as it already contains pearl sugar in the dough) with toppings. Only the Brussels waffle (which has a lighter/airier dough) will have toppings such as whipped cream, fruits, etc.

The matter over which establishment serves up the best frites (locally known as fritkots in Dutch and "friterie" in French) remains a matter of heated debate. Some argue that the best frites in Brussels are served at the fritkot near the Barriere de Saint-Gilles, while others defend St-Josse's Martin (Place Saint-Josse/Sint-Joostplein) as the prime purveyor of the authentic Brussels frite just as others claim Antoine (Place Jourdan/Jourdanplein) remains the king of the local french fry. No matter which fritkot you're at, try to be adventurous and have something other than ketchup or mayonnaise on your fries. Of the selection of bizarre sauces you've never seen before, "andalouse" is probably the most popular with the locals.

Vegetarians can find at least one menu item at many, though not all, regular restaurants. Vegans will have a harder time, while the Veganizer BXL initiative is looking to widen their options, it’s best to head for the vegetarian-vegan restaurants.

Also beware of the 'Italian Restaurant Streets' in the tourist and shopping districts. These streets are lined with small Italian restaurants, some offering "3-course meals" for or . They are all run by just a few shop owners and serve unappetizing store purchased food. They will not 'include service' as most all restaurants in Brussels do, and many tourists have reported getting scammed here, especially when not paying with exact change. A common practice is to present you a menu where prices aren't anything near the ones advertised in the windows. If you were offered a drink and already sipped from your glass before receiving the menu (as is often the case) then just pay for the drink and leave.

Brussels' tourist restaurant gauntlet can be found in Rue des Bouchers/Beenhouwerstraat, just to the north of Grand-Place. The place has a bad reputation for waiters imposing themselves on passers-by, trying to lure customers into their restaurant. The authorities are aware of this, and are trying to take measures. Some restaurants may also tempt you with cheap prices for the menus, but when seated, the item on the menu happens to be unavailable, and you're forced to accept another, noticeably more expensive dish. Knowing this however, you may be able to negotiate a better deal before entering.

Drink

Belgium is to beer what France is to wine: it is home to one of the greatest beer traditions in the world, and Brussels is a great place to sample some of the vast variety on offer. Typical beers of Brussels are gueuze (rather sour) and kriek (rather sweet, cherry based).

Smoking is prohibited in all bars. It is allowed to smoke on the outdoor parts that many bars install on the street during the warmer months.

A special drink only found in Brussels is the "half-en-half" ("half and half"). It's a mixture of white wine and champagne.

Sleep

Good deals are often available on weekends and during the summer when the bureaucrats flee on vacation.