I was on my Day 9 in Europe out of 21 planned-travelling-days and i had been in Netherland for 6 days and Belgium for 2 days. At first, I went to Brugges and Antwerpen on my first and second day in Belgium respectively. It was my last day on Belgium, and i was in Brussels. However, i did not plan to stay only in Brussels, but also to visit Dinant, before continuing my journey to Luxembourg. So, I only had about 6-8 hours to get the best of Brussels. If you find yourself in similar situation as mine, where you only have short amount of time to explore Brussels, this article is for you.
Table of Contents
Arriving at Brussels
If you come to Brussels by Train, it is important to note that there are three train stations in Brussels. They are Brussels South Railway Station (Bruxelles Midi or Zuidstation), Brussels Central, and Brusells North Stations (Bruxelles Nord or Gare du Nord).
Most international trains depart from South Stations (Bruxelles-Midi). International high speed train such as Thalys and Eurostar depart from here as well. Travellers need to ensure in which train station the train will pass and or terminate. Don’t get confused by “Midi”, because it can easily interpreted as “middle”. However, this is not the case, midi comes old French, which translated as “South”. If you enter through North or South Station, you need to make a transfer toward central stations, because the central Brussels is the most interesting part of Brussels.
However, if you are flying to Brussels, you need to take a train ride from Brussels Zaventem Airport to the Central Station. The train ride takes about 20 minutes and costs EUR 8.6 per ride on weekday and EUR 14,8 in the weekend. Train Station is located at basement level-1 of the Airport. You can also reach city center by bus, which takes about 30-40 minutes.
How to get around Brussels
The places that are suggested in this article are within short distance from the central station. I have tried the itinerary myself on most part, and it is doable if you only have less than a day to explore Brussels. The best way to go around is of course by walking. But, I will also detail other options to get around in Brussels.
Public transportation in Brussels is very good. To use public transport in Brussels that includes Bus, Tram, and metro, you can buy the transport card called MOBIB or the paper ticket for the occasional trip. For one day travel, I suggest using the paper ticket. MOBIB card has two types, the basic card and the personalized card.
Basic MOBIB is anonymous and can be used by other people, it costs EUR 5 and valid for 5 years. To use these cards, simply validate the card every time you enter a station or get on a tram or bus. The second type of MOBIB is the personalized card which also costs EUR 5 and valid for 5 years. With personalized card, one can load the card with all types of seasonal ticket. However, it cannot be used by other person than you.
MOBIB card can be purchased online here, or you can purchase it in stores as listed here. For metro map, you can access it here.
Places to Visit in Brussels less than a day
So, with your luggage safely stored in Train Station, or your accommodation. Good Stamina and Itinerary in mind, these are five top places to visit in Brussels should you have limited time to explore.
1. Brussels grote Markt/ Grand Place
When you arrive at brussel central, a walk in 5 minutes will bring you to Grote Markt. You can first store your luggage in Brussel Centraal Luggage Storage though.
While getting lost in the Grand Place, make sure to also check the beautiful building in the square. One of them is the famous Guidhall (City Hall). Built in the gothic style in 15th century. The building is asymmetrical, one of few many in the world. The other interesting building is the row of houses namely Le Roy d’Espagne, La Brouette, Le Sac, La Louve, Le Cornet and Le Renard. The King’s house is also beautiful building in the center of the Grand Place
2. Royal Gallery of St Hubert
This place is a one stop shopping center just a minute walk from Grand Palace. The Ground level of this mall has various store that sells Belgium mainly foods and fashion. It has numbers of chocolatier such as Leonidas, Marcolini 21, Maison Dandoy, and many more.
If the store has not given enough reason, try visiting this place simply to admire the architecture. This shopping arcade was built on 1846 and inaugurated by King Leopold and his two sons.
3. Mont des Arts Park
2 minutes from Central Station, lay this park that spread it greens with the background of the Brussels City Hall. While enjoying the park, visit the Fine Arts Museum, the very next to the park, if time permits.
To save your time, after hitting Brussels Central Station try to visit this park first on your way to Brussels Grand Place.
4. Eglise Notre-dame du Sablon (Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon)
This 15th centuries Roman Catholic Church has gothic nuance. It has two baroque Chapels dedicated to St Ursula and St Marcouf.
5. Royal Palace
Last but not least, pay a visit to the magnificent Brussels Royal Place. I personally did not have a chance to visit this palace, but it was on my list. This palace is located in front of Brussels Park. Though it is mostly closed to public, the Royal Palace welcome visitors during the summer (July to August).
I personally found that one day is not enough to explore Brussels. However, few hours was all I got. Should you find yourself in such predicament, those five wonderful places should satisfy your curiosity about Brussels in a day. Depends on how long do you have, you may decide to go inside or just roaming outside and chose to walk along the beautiful alley in Brussel Central. And whatever you decide, please make a stop to try Belgian waffle in one of those café, as well as try the Belgian Chocolate.
