It's important to know opening hours and public holiday schedules if you don't want to be stuck in the middle of a Brussels operating at a slower speed.
Public holidays and usual opening hours
Imagine arriving in a city for a city trip and finding the city completely or almost at a standstill? Museums, shops and restaurants closed, and public transport running less frequently? To avoid this, here's everything you need to know about public holidays in Belgium and the usual opening hours in Brussels.
Usual opening hours:
Shops are usually open from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00. On the main shopping streets and in the shopping centres, some shops open until 19:00 and, more rarely, until 20:00. On Sundays, the centre of Brussels is quieter, but some independent shops in certain districts are still open. This is the case, for example, in the Marolles.
Restaurants and bars have variable opening hours. On Mondays and Tuesdays, they are often closed or have reduced hours.
Museums usually open from 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry). Please note! Most museums are closed on Mondays. Others close on Tuesdays. To find out which, visit Brussels Museums website.
Public holidays in Belgium
These are Belgium's official public holidays. This typically gives Belgian workers 10 extra days off!
- New Year’s Day: 1 January
- Easter Monday: 18 April 2022
- Labour Day: 1 May
- Ascension (40 jours after Easter): 26 May 2022
- Whit Monday (the seventh Monday after Easter): 6 June 2022
- Belgian National Day: 21 July
- Assumption of Mary: 15 August
- All Saints’ Day: 1 November
- Armistice Day: 11 November
- Christmas Day: 25 December
Regional public holidays
There is also a regional holiday in Belgium for each of the different language regions. So, if you are planning a trip outside the Brussels-Capital Region, please note the following dates:
- Day of the Flemish Community of Belgium: 11 July
- Day of the French Community of Belgium: 27 September
- Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium: 15 November
