It’s raining. Now what?

Brussels may not be the most obvious open-air museum, but if you hop on the sightseeing train (not necessarily literally!), you’re in for a surprising ride. Try Tootbus, a hop-on-hop-off tour in an electric bus, to discover the city without getting wet in the rain. From the Atomium to the Grand-Place or from the Mont des Arts to the European Quarter: sit on the edge of your seat and treat your eyes to a real feast. Do churches, cathedrals and basilicas make your heart skip a beat? Then you’re in for a treat in Brussels. The Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula, the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon, the Church of Our Lady of Laeken and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart are some fine examples. Inside, the sun is always shining and you can completely relax surrounded by all the historical splendour.

The list of heritage treasures that you can visit seems endless. A few gems you should definitely put on your list are the Palace of Justice, the City of Brussels town hall and the Saint-Gilles town hall. Yep, that’s right, the commune of Saint-Gilles has its very own town hall! And did you know that, with the Art Nouveau Pass, you can access the most beautiful Art Nouveau houses at an unbeatable price?

At times the simplest of things are the most enjoyable. Sometimes you just feel like a good old ‘shop-till-you-drop’ day. And once again, Brussels is the place to be, even when it rains. Head to indoor shopping centres such as City 2, Docks Bruxsel, the Royal Saint Hubert Galleries, Galeria Inno and Westland Shopping Centre to get lost in shopping heaven for hours until you find that one item that was missing in your wardrobe or interior.
Exhausted but satisfied? Then it’s time to relax in a tearoom or recharge your batteries at an indoor food market. We recommend two: Wolf and the brand-new Gare Maritime Food Market.

Now that you’ve treated yourself to a healthy dose of art, culture and shopping, what can you do to make the day even more fun? How about games? And guess what? Brussels has plenty of fun places to choose from. Luna parks, arcades, indoor amusement parks, virtual-reality hotspots, escape rooms and board-game cafes... there’s something for everyone, including a museum dedicated to pinball, Instagram and video games! Pop and geek culture is everywhere in the Belgian capital: Are you in for some games?

You will stay dry but we can’t guarantee you won’t cry... That depends on your taste in movies. There’s nothing more enjoyable than sinking into plush velvet seats with a bag of popcorn on your lap. Besides mainstream cinemas firing blockbusters at you, Brussels has a lot of independent cinemas, real gems showcasing the very best of the seventh art. From author’s films to art house films, B movies or cutting-edge documentaries... there’s something for everyone! Tip: get your last-minute tickets for film screenings at half price.

We can already guess your next question: “Yes, but how do I get from one location to the next without getting soaked?” Brussels has an excellent public transport network. Download the STIB/MIVB app to find out the quickest route. Safe and dry!