BRUSSELS IN ONE DAY

Known for beer and chocolate, Brussels It is one of the largest European capitals original and cosmopolitan. Business center par excellence, the Belgian capital has architecture and culture that leaves those who come to enjoy its charm speechless. Light, color and vitality They make Brussels a city full of different proposals to make the trip a unique experience. If you decide to visit it and you have little time, here we tell you what to do in one day in Brussels. Prepare your bags!

IN THE MORNING

Saint Hubert Galleries-Photo by Stephane Mignon

It dawns in Brussels and your first stop cannot be other than the Saint Hubert Royal Galleries. Built between 1820 and 1880, Saint Hubert were the first shopping arcades in Europe. Elegant and distinguished, they are covered by a huge glass window and are divided into three areas: The Queen's Gallery, the King's Gallery and the Princes' Gallery. Inside you will find endless shops of the best brands, restaurants, jewelry stores, chocolate shops and even a cinema and a theater. Luxury and elegance in the approximately 200 m. that measure these galleries to which It can be accessed from Rue du Marché aux Herbes, Rue des Bouchers or from Rue de l'Ecuyer.

The Saint Hubert galleries are located very close to the Grand Place, the symbol par excellence of the city, so practically without realizing it you will reach the heart of Brussels.

Throughout the square you can find different 17th century guild houses called Maisons des Ducs de Brabant, the Brussels City Hall, which is the oldest and most important construction in the square, Le Pigeon, where the French writer Victor Hugo stayed during his exile to Belgium or the Maison du Roi, residence for many years of the reigning monarchs and today the City Museum. To the left of the town hall is also the statue of Everad't Serclaes, citizen famous for liberating the city of Brussels in the 14th century. It is believed that touching the arm of the statue gives good luck or the possibility of returning to Brussels, so now you know, don't leave without trying your luck!

If you want to take a short break to rest, you can sit on one of its terraces and enjoy a beer while you contemplate the architectural wealth of the Grand Place. Or if you are more exquisite in the most famous bar on the Grand Place, the Le Roy d'Espagne with exceptional views of the entire square. It is certainly worth stopping to enjoy one of the busiest places in the city.

In case you didn't know, Brussels has more than 600 types of beer! so it won't be difficult for you to find one you like. Butter, chocolate, raspberry or cherry in Brussels there are beers for all tastes.

Leaving the grand place you will find another of the symbols of Brussels: the Manneken-Pis. Between L'Etuve and Chene streets is this 50 centimeter figurine with many legends around it. During the year the city council dresses up the Manneken-Pis on occasion and if you are curious to see some of the 650 costumes that the presidents of the government have given to this figure on their visits to Brussels, in the Musee de la Ville you can do it.

About 10 minutes from Manneken-Pis is the Place D´Espagne, where you will feel at home since as soon as you arrive you will find yourself in front of a curious statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. The Plaza de España doesn't have much else, but it's always exciting to see that people in other countries remember us, so if you have a few minutes during your visit, Don't hesitate to stop by this little Spanish piece in Brussels.

The tour continues and the next stop is Brussels Cathedral. Near the central station, the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula is a Gothic building whose construction ended in 1500. The Admission is free except to the Cathedral Treasury which costs 1 euro and to the Crypt which is 2.50.

TO EAT

Taking a walk to get hungry you will arrive at a place that is famous for serving best french fries in belgium. Maison Antoine is one of the fritkots (or French fry stalls) that spread throughout the city, a very cheap option to eat something typical Belgian.

In Brussels, potatoes are served in cones or trays and are eaten accompanied by a good sauce. Mayonnaise, mamouth, Brazil...and an endless number of sauces to choose from to accompany your potatoes.

If you don't want to waste a lot of time eating so that you have time to continue exploring the city These positions are the best solution to charge batteries and see almost the entire city. If you are not convinced by the idea, in the area you will always find typical restaurants where to eat a good plate of Moules Frites, mussels with potatoes, Hutsepot, a vegetable and meat stew or any other Belgian dish.

And for dessert you can't miss trying some of the bonbons or chocolates so typical of Brussels. As a tip, we inform you that the Godiva brand ones are very delicious.

IN THE AFTERNOON

About 10 minutes from Maison Antoine is the Fiftieth Anniversary Park. After having rested and regained strength with food, the trip continues through the second most important park in Brussels. In it is the Fiftieth Anniversary Palace whose most characteristic part is the Arch of Triumph. The Palace houses inside the Museum of Military History, the Fiftieth Anniversary Museum and the Autoworld car exhibition, in case in addition to seeing it you want to soak up its culture.

Nearby is a place full of charm where we recommend stopping to have a coffee or snack in one of its cafes with a waffle, crêpe, or typical sweet.

The Place du Grand Sablon It brings together numerous buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries and is considered a wonderful architectural complex in the Sablón neighborhood. On Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a antique and book market very visited by tourists. The square also has various high-class antique shops, typical food restaurants or chocolate shops and the wonderful gothic church Notre Dame du Sablon.

A little further away is the famous atomium. To get there you can take metro line 6 from Porte de Namur to Heysel and in about 40 minutes you will arrive at the most emblematic monument in Brussels. Built for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, the Atomium represents an iron atom enlarged 165 billion times. Inside there are usually permanent and temporary exhibitions, although with the queues that form it is not worth the wait. A few meters away is the park Mini Europe, a space inaugurated in 1989 that represents 80 cities of the European Union through 350 1/25 scale models. This can be the perfect ending to a day of pure and simple tourism. On this page you can get more information about schedules and prices in case you want to discover Europe in miniature.

AT NIGHT

In Brussels the night starts and ends very early so you can take the opportunity to have something to eat in the Grand Place area and have your first drinks or beers in a bar to try one of the 600 varieties of beer that Brussels has and thus warm up your engines. The neighborhoods with more parties from the Belgian capital are Bourse, with a wide range of live music; Saint Gery, for those looking for the quietest party; I did it, for a fun and stylish night; Saint Catherine, with “freakshow” style shows and Saint Gilles, to experience a different night with very interesting people in typical bars of the city.

As for clubs, on your night out in Brussels You can't miss your visit to Le Fuse, Le You or Havana Club. The first is perfect for lovers of electronic music, since it is the largest venue dedicated to this style of music in all of Europe and the most prestigious venue in Brussels! Le You offers theme nights dedicated to a specific musical genre so everyone likes it and Havana Club is a multicultural venue in the center of the capital which has two dance floors, several bars to avoid crowds and live music! In addition, it also has a menu for all tastes in which tapas stand out, making it the perfect place to combine afternoon beers with evening drinks.

If you are a party animal by nature and you want to go out and give it your all, at viajeronomada.com they tell you more about clubs, bars, pubs and everything you need to know to spend an incredible night at the Brussels festival.

Essentials

Fête de la Bière (Beer Festival)-Photo by Antonio Ponte

Route through the comic facades

If you are comics fan or you don't like getting to know cities in a conventional way, we propose a Alternative route to discover Brussels through its mural art. Touring the Brussels neighborhoods through 50 original frescoes on its walls, you will get to know every corner of the city.following the route of comic painted facades. Without a doubt this is the most colorful and cheerful way to get to know the Belgian capital.

Brussels Comic Strip Festival

Also in September the comic has its own festival in the Belgian capital. Exhibitions, conferences, animations... will make comic fans enjoy a festival exclusively for comics!

If you feel like taking a trip and don't know where, Brussels is your destination!