Top 6 things to do in Brussels

This is it, you’re here! Welcome to the capital of Belgium, with its 183,287 inhabitants and stretching as far as the eye can see over 32.61 km². Brussels is an open, friendly place to live. If you enjoy walking or shopping in the city centre, strolling through the bistros and restaurants and enjoying a delicious waffle, you can also visit some of the legendary places that are the pride and joy of Brussels. Discover the must-sees in Brussels below.

What to do in Brussels, the 6 best activities to try!

1. The Royal Palace

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: The Palais Royal has been open to the public for 58 years, since 1965. But not at all times! The huge golden doors only open for 6 weeks during the summer holidays: from 23 July to 28 August. More specifically, you can book a visit from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.30am to 5.00pm. Although kings and queens no longer sit on their thrones, the palace is still the seat of the Belgian constitutional monarchy. Close to the Parc de Bruxelles, its architecture dates from the 19th century and it was first occupied by the King of the Netherlands, none other than William I. Different places to visit? You’d need more than a day to explore all the rooms in this immense palace. But among the most incredible rooms, where the atmosphere is both chic and mystical, we advise you to make haste to the “throne room”: with its sublime tiling and diamond-sparkling chandeliers. The two white salons and the Venetian staircase, featuring oil paintings by the famous painter Jean-Baptiste Van Moer, are also not to be missed.

2. The Atomium

Category: €€/Insolite

Description: It’s hard to come to Brussels and pass by the Atomium without being intrigued. Hardly anywhere else can you see such architecture and such a structure. Created 65 years ago, in 1958, this 102-metre-high atom, made up of 9 spheres with a diameter of 18 metres, is the emblem of the people of Brussels. What’s more, its particularly atypical structure is reminiscent of an extraterrestrial spaceship. We know what you’re thinking: “Whose idea was it to create this, and more importantly, why?” It looks nothing like the architecture you’d normally see on display in a city. The Atomium was designed by Belgian engineer André Waterkeyn for the World’s Fair in their respective cities. What’s inside the spheres? Permanent and temporary exhibitions… And in the highest sphere, there’s a restaurant. Fancy dining in the air?

3. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: The city of Brussels is beautiful, charming, grandiose and rich in cultural activities. If you haven’t already noticed, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels are sure to convince you. These four walls house the country’s most precious and important art collection. To give you an idea, there are more than 20,000 works and 6 museums telling the story from the 15th to the 21st century. If you are particularly sensitive to art, this is the place for you. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts are the temple of the plastic arts: paintings, sculptures, drawings, you’ll find works by artists from different eras, from the Middle Ages to the early Modern period. Mainly Belgian or from the southern Netherlands, you will discover the paintings of the painter and engraver Pieter Bruegel, as well as those of the French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin.

4. A ride on a reconditioned bike

Category: €€/Sporty

Description: Walking is good, cycling is better! Are you the eco-responsible type who avoids using public transport or cars, which tend to pollute our beautiful planet, as much as possible? Then you’re going to love the concept of “reconditioned bikes”. The aim is to give them a second life and a purpose with two recycled and refurbished wheels. Cyclists and sports enthusiasts of all kinds will appreciate the concept of touring the city, pedalling at their leisure and in complete safety. It has to be said that cycling is much more pleasant than driving: cars take up a lot of space, it’s sometimes difficult to find a good spot in the shade to park, they’re sometimes too big to fit into a narrow street, and they tend to disturb and stress pedestrians… Frankly, it’s all for cycling!

5. Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Cathedral

Category: €€/Cultural

Description: Gothic in style, it dates from at least the 12th century. According to historians, it actually started life as a Romanesque building and wasn’t completed until two centuries later! Today, following renovation work carried out between 1983 and 1993, it can be visited all year round. As you step inside, into the half-light of the sober walls illuminated as best you can by the few meticulously designed stained glass windows, you will discover the cathedral’s ‘treasure’: liturgical and religious objects, in particular crosses, ancient tunics, chalices that are still well preserved, reliquaries and other ancient objects and sculptures dating back several centuries before our era.

6. The Beer Museums

Category: €€/Gastronomic

Description: Let’s end on a slightly alcoholic, but delicious, cultural note. We all love beer (almost all of us), so what if we told you that the only beer museums in the world are in Belgium, and especially in Brussels, home of the brewers. Can you believe it? Go there now! The “Musée Bruxellois de la Geuze”, for example, is one of the best and most popular in the region. You’ll find lots of old recipes and exhibitions of a wide variety of beers. Dive headlong into a mix of flavours and aromas in shades of orange, yellow and gold, sprinkled with a creamy white head that tickles your palate. Drink in moderation, and don’t forget to reactivate the Navaway app afterwards for even more discoveries and adventures!