48 hours in Brussels: a cultural outing

Are you dreaming of a stay in Brussels but aren’t sure in which hotel to stay? Let us be your guide. Our selection of hotels covers the whole Brussels-Capital Region, and all of them have an artistic, funky, or quirky decor. They’re the perfect place to call home on a 48-hour stay in the capital. agenda.brussels also recommends a series of cultural treats to spice up your stay. Ready for the perfect fancy hotel – cultural discoveries combo? 

North, south, east, west: Brussels at its best!

The bright green façade of Hotel Indigo Brussels City contrasts with the surrounding shiny towers of glass and steel, a result of the Manhattan plan in Brussels’s North District. The hotel is located on the lively Place Rogier next to the Jardin Botanique, the former botanical gardens. With lush flowers, herbs, and tropical accents in the hotel’s interior, this urban oasis is carried through all the way to your room! Catch an exhibition or a concert at the Botanique, take a walk to KANAL – Centre Pompidou and the Kaaitheater with its beautiful Art Deco façade. The Comics Art Museum, the exhibition and concert centre Art Base and the National Bank Museum are close by, as are the theatres KVS and Théâtre National. Head north through the petting zoo in Maximilian Park towards Tour & Taxis and Parckfarm.

The funky Jam Hotel is located in a former art school. The industrial and artistic vibes of the original building have been beautifully preserved. The rough concrete ceilings and brick walls are softened with pine furniture and Moroccan blankets on the beds. As the hotel’s name indicates, a part of the building is reserved for artists in residence. The possibility that you witness one of their concerts is very real! For a dose of green and culture, there’s plenty of choice. Head towards Forest Park to get to Wiels, the Fondation A Stichting and Galila’s POC, and towards Brugmannpark to get to the Van Buuren Museum; you’ll also encounter the Horta Museum along this way. Go south towards La Cambre Abbey and forest (with its lovely Théâtre de Poche!) and you can’t miss the Maison (Hôtel) Solvay and Villa Empain. If you head north, you’ll reach the Halle Gate.

Follow in the steps of royal families, celebrities, and VIPs through this +500-year-old building. Walk on cobblestones that date back to 620 – and recovered from the surrounding streets – in Hotel Amigo’s foyer. The rooms are tastefully decorated with ceramics and works of art; and the Carrara marble and first-class toiletries in the bathrooms enhance feeling of luxury. Before entering the historic city centre, gaze out the window into the quiet courtyard and you’ll see that all is well. You are close to the Grand-Place with the Maison du Roi, Manneken Pis and His Wardrobe, and the Fashion & Lace Museum. The many museums on the Mont des Arts and the Place Royale are also nearby: the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), the Palais de la Dynastie, the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), the BELvue Museum, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Jewish Museum of Belgium, etc. After this avalanche of art and architecture you might be in the mood for some jazz at The Music Village, or for overwhelming emotions at the opera house La Monnaie.

The trendy, colourful Radisson RED Brussels is ideally located for exploring the European District. The comic book theme is omnipresent in the decoration of the rooms, and the artistic tiling in the bathrooms makes it even more fun to shower! It’s possible to book two interconnecting rooms, making the hotel ideal for families or groups of friends who want to stay together. The living area with a separate room for the children is an undeniable plus. You’ll be able to satisfy your thirst for nature and culture with the Leopold Park, the House of European History, the Parlamentarium, the Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Wiertz Museum with the Citizens' Garden, which are all within walking distance. The Parc du Cinquantenaire with the Art & History Museum, Autoworld, and the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History are also within easy reach.

The Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center is located in a former brewery dating back to 1912, along the Charleroi-Brussels Canal. Large families and culture lovers will also find this backpacker hotel 2.0 to their liking. The modern dormitories (mixed or for women only) are practical and contemporarily furnished, and the individual rooms have a private bathroom. Rough concrete ceilings, wooden floors, and bright colour accents: what more do you need? This lively hotel is the ideal base for the Canal Zone and the Dansaert and Sainte Catherine districts, and the city centre with the Bourse, the pedestrian zone, and the Grand-Place are within walking distance. Visit La Fonderie, La Raffinerie, the Brussels Museum of Industry and Labour, the MoMuse Molenbeek History Museum, iMAL and the MigratieMuseumMigration in the narrow streets of old Molenbeek. On the other side of the canal, you can visit the CENTRALE for Contemporary Art, the Beursschouwburg, Passa Porta, La Bellone and concert hall Ancienne Belgique.