Things to do in Brussels

Belgium is rumored to be one of the "sleepiest cities" in Europe, but I found Belgium to be a great stop along the way. I would recommend spending 2-3 days exploring Brussels and taking a day trip to the nearby towns. If you have a moment, I think Brussels is worth exploring, and here is why!

1) Witness the iconic Mannekin Pis and his plentiful outfits

If there is one thing to see in Brussels, you have to visit the famous Mannekin Pis. The Mannekin Pis is a statue of a young boy nude urinating into a fountain basin. It is a symbol of the city where people used to rely on it for drinking water. After the mid 1800s, it became more of a cultural landmark. The one on display in the city center is actually a replica, but you can find the real Mannekin Pis inside the Brussels City Museum (free on Sundays). The Mannekin Pis is famous for his different outfits. He has about 1,000 outfits depicting different cultural moments and heritages. You can see all of his outfits at the Gardenrobe Mannekin Pis, which is a 1-minute walk from the statue. You can find more information on the little guy here.

There are multiple peeing statues, such as the lesser-known statue of a little girl peeing called Jeanneke Pis and the dog peeing statue called Zinneke. One of the locals told me about the other statues after I left. If I ever return, I hope to see both statues I missed!

2) Try some Belgian delicacies

The most famous foods to try in Belgium are the frites (fries), waffles, moules-frites, and chocolate.

Legend has it that French fries originated from American soldiers hearing Belgians speak French while eating frities. Frities is a popular street food where people can find traditional "large French fries" with mayo, ketchup, curry sauce, and many different topping varieties.

Waffles are another famous food to try. You can find waffles from famous places like Maison Dandoy or any other cafe in Belgium. Belgian waffles are characterized as larger and denser with deeper grid pockets. The deeper pockets allow for other toppings like chocolate or cream to be mixed in.

Moules-frites is a classic national dish, where you eat Mussels with a side of fries. The fries are meant to soak in the broth of the mussels and give it a different flavor. It is considered the national dish of the entire country. If you are going to eat this in Brussels, I would recommend trying them at Delirium Taphouse.

3) Go shopping for Belgium Chocolate inside the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert

If you are looking for the best souvenirs and chocolate tasting experience, I would recommend going over the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert. This shopping strip has a great variety of different chocolate shops, art galleries, cafes, a book shop, and many more. Here are the chocolate shops on the strip ranked from least expensive to most expensive:

• Chocolatier Leonidas - The ultimate chocolatier with high praline chocolates sold by weight. This is the most economical option among all options. If you are indecisive like me, you can choose to get a sample box to bring back to your loved ones. They had great ones shaped like hearts that were perfect souveniors for my friends and family.

• Corné Port-Royal - traditional chocolatier with classic butter creams. It is a mid-tier range. This chocolatier is not seen in the US markets that often and has no storefronts inside of the US.

• Neuhaus - the inventor of the stuffed praline. It is considered to be a high-tier price for their chocolates. This chocolate is found in boutique stores in New York.

• Mary Chocolatier - is known for its luxury packaging and high-tier pricing for its chocolate. If you are looking for the most exclusive chocolate, I would purchase this brand as it has no shops in the US and has limited availability in the US.

  
  

4) Learn about the history of the European Union

Brussels is the capital of the European Union. It contains one of the most educational museums to learn about the formation of the EU, called the Parlamentarium. This museum goes into the history of the reasons for different members joining or not joining. It touches on the United Kingdom leaving the EU. At the end, there are testimonials of different EU residents and how being a part of the EU has affected their lives. I got to hear from a woman from Poland who got to save an entire bird species from extinction by the protections made by the European Union. Additionally, you can occasionally catch a session of the EU in session (note that this is not available on weekends or public holidays). You can find more information about the museum and the EU here.

5) Comic Book Trips

If you are walking around in Brussels, you might discover the walls are decorated with different comic book characters that might look familiar to you, such as the Smurfs, Gaston Lagaffe, Tintin, and Victor Sackville. You can follow along the famous comic book route that can take approximately 3 hours. You can find more info here. If you'd rather learn more about the artists, you can also find the comic book museum called Comics Center. Comics were known as a form of escapism for Belgians from the realities of the aftermath of WWII.

6) Trek to see The Atomium

Besides the Mannekin Pis, the other most iconic landmark to see in Brussels would be The Atomium. The Atomium is located outside of the city and, depending on where you are staying, can take about 45 mins to an hour (on public transit) to get to this area of the city. The Atomium was designed temporarily for a World Fair. Due to its unique design, the residents decided to keep the structure. It is now considered one of the most famous places in Brussels. You can choose to take a picture in front of the famous sculpture or go inside to witness the panoramic viewpoints of the city as well as the digital installations with all the different lights.

7) Visit Mini Europe

If you are already planning to visit the Atomium and are a nerd like me, I would recommend visiting Mini Europe. You can purchase a conjunction ticket to visit both attractions. Mini Europe is a cute arrangement of mini larger-than-life European landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Brandeburg Tor, Buckingham Palace, the Grand Palace, and many more. It shows landmarks from most European Union countries that can take thousands of hours to make. The details are extremely intricate and worth admiring if you want to see and learn about different European landmarks all in one place.

8) Take a day trip to Bruges

For day trip options, I would highly recommend visiting the city of Bruges. The city of Bruges is a picturesque town full of fairytale-like architecture, endless amounts of Belgian beer, beautiful canals, and cobblestone streets. Everywhere you turn in Bruges is a camera-worthy moment. Keep in mind that they mostly speak German in this town and do not enjoy speaking French.

9) Beer Tasting

Belgium is known for its beers. It produces over 1,500 brands of beer amongst hundreds of different breweries. There are many places to enjoy beer in Brussels. One of the most famous places would be the Beer Lab. The Beer Lab has over 150 different varieties of beer and is free before 4:30 pm to watch the sunset. I would recommend getting there beforehand to avoid an entrance fee and to see the panoramic views of the city of Brussels.

10) Witness the flower carpet at the Grand Palace in Brussels

If you are up for crowds and want to witness the most famous events in Brussels, I would recommend visiting Brussels during the flower carpet. The flower carpet event happens every two years in Mid August. From all around the world, people come to see the flower carpet assemble to see the unique arrangement of flowers against the Gothic architecture. More than 100 volunteer gardeners assemble this flower carpet in six hours or less. You can find more information about the flower carpet here.

Stay tuned for another article detailing my day trip to Bruges!