Are you looking for some hassle-free fun? We hear you! How about a three-day city trip with friends? There are no prizes for guessing what we think is the ideal destination: Brussels!
In Brussels, you can enjoy delicious food and drink, brush up on your cultural knowledge, soak up centuries of history and party until the early hours. Not to mention that typical Brussels charm. Come on, what's life without a healthy dose of self-mockery and buckets of joie de vivre?
So, enjoy it! And best of all, enjoy it with friends!
A city trip with friends in Brussels
04 February 2022
© Antoine Rassart
DAY 1: The centre and the Canal district
© visit.brussels
Let's get straight to it and head for Brussels' Grand-Place! This square never disappoints and it's the perfect place to start, while you still have enough storage space on your smartphone and in your own memory! Opposite the Town Hall, you'll find the King's House, which houses the Brussels City Museum. The capital's peeing icon is doing his business just a short stroll away.
Are you overwhelmed by all this beauty? There's nothing better than a chocolate pit stop in the Royal Saint-Hubert galleries, although even here you'll be dazzled by the architectural splendour. Catch a cool exhibition at Espace Vanderborght, located at the end of this covered shopping street.
Feeling peckish after the exhibition? A light lunch at Wolf Food Market will do the trick. You're bound to find something to your liking in this world cuisine mecca. The Sainte-Catherine neighbourhood also offers plenty of culinary options.
A stone’s throw from Saint Catherine's church, art aficionados will love the CENTRALE for contemporary art and fashion addicts will be in seventh heaven in the boutiques in and around rue Antoine Dansaert.
If you walk all the way to the end of rue Antoine Dansaert, you'll reach the Canal district: a fine example of urban development. Creative entrepreneurs are transforming this former industrial heart into a genuine new hotspot in the centre of the capital.
Street art fans will be spoilt for choice at the MIMA, along the banks of the canal, or at Ruby art gallery. The Pixel Museum at Tour & Taxis is an absolute must for video game fans.
Fancy a beer? In this neighbourhood you'll find some of the capital's most successful and popular (micro) breweries: Brussels Beer Project on rue Antoine Dansaert, Brasserie de la Senne and En Stoemelings on the stunning Tour & Taxis site and La Source in the Be-Here sustainable urban village.
© visit.brussels
You can also enjoy a drink in a friendly bar! Choose a typical Brussels café like Walvis, Barbeton, Roskam, Le Coq, Les Brasseurs and Archipel. Who knows, you might even bump into some local celebrities. And when the golden nectar starts to go to your head, you'll want a savoury bite to eat. Luckily, you have plenty of choice in the centre of Brussels.
Not ready for bed yet? At Boa Karaoke challenge your friends to see which of you can sing the highest note. Let loose in cafes like Bonnefooi, Archiduc, Café Central, or in nightclubs such as Fuse and C12.
The tone of the city trip has been set. Tomorrow, more of the same!
DAY 2: The Marolles, the Royal Quarter and Flagey
© visit.brussels
Ready for round two? Dive into the popular Marolles district with your favourite fun-loving friends. You can rummage endlessly through the neighbourhood's countless antique shops, vintage boutiques and trendy concept stores. Every morning, you can go treasure hunting on place du Jeu de Balles. This mythical flea market market offers objects and knick-knacks in all shapes, sizes, scents and colours: from Barbie dolls to African masks, from family snapshots to replicas.
Are you travelling with music fans? Browse vinyl record shops like Crevette Records and Sono Ventura Records. A little further on you can take the lift to place Poelaert and enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view on The View, the giant Ferris wheel.
This neighbourhood is dotted with great spots for lunch. By Chapel Church there's Pois Chiche, Beli and Al Jannah if you crave Middle-Eastern food, Liu Lin for vegan Taiwanese cuisine and Friture de la Chapelle for authentic Belgian chips.
The afternoon of day two is devoted to art and culture, because from the Marolles it takes just ten minutes to walk to the prestigious Royal Quarter. There's nowhere else in Brussels where you can find so many museums in such a small area: Bozar (also known as the Centre for Fine Arts), the Musical Instruments Museum, the KBR museum, the BELvue Museum, the Coudenberg Palace en de Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (including the Magritte Museum). We can’t make our minds up!
Prefer escape games? Around place de l'Albertine you can experience the capital's most exciting group activities in Enygma, Escape Room Brussels or Get Out Bruxelles! Let off some steam at Woodcutter with a round of axe throwing.
Meet the fun-loving hipster gang at Kiosk Radio in Brussels Park, then round off your day at Place Eugène Flagey in Ixelles, a multicultural neighbourhood that’s bursting with bars and restaurants.
DAY 3: Heysel and Saint-Gilles
From the centre, jump on the metro, line 6 and in just twenty minutes you’ll be at the Atomium, one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world. Take the lift to the top sphere and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of Brussels. A visit of the nearby Brussels Design Museum or Mini-Europe will round off your morning at the Heysel plateau brilliantly.
Hop back on the metro and head to Porte de Hal. You can't leave Brussels without visiting the vibrant commune of Saint-Gilles. The Parvis will charm you with its picturesque church and trendy bars and eateries. Brasserie Verschueren, Brasserie de l’Union and Café Maison du Peuple are this neighbourhood’s classics. And around the corner on rue de Moscou is the bar of nano-brewery L’Ermitage, another must!
Place Maurice Van Meenen is the perfect place for lunch. For an extensive beer menu and a decent bite to eat, Café La Biche. A special mention goes to Syrian restaurant My Tannour and seafood restaurant Les Bains.
Walk on a bit towards the Châtelain district, to discover more concept stores, Art Nouveau gems (the Horta Museum!) and some lovely bars.
After 72 hours, you've seen Brussels. Only joking! There's still so much to see! But now you've had a little taste, hopefully you'll be back again for more soon!
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