Brussels is a vibrant, multi-cultural city, with an incredible mix of architectural styles. It is also a pretty compact city, as all major attractions are mostly in the same area. So, three or four days should give you plenty of time to visit some of the most interesting tourist attractions Brussels has to offer.
Since 1945, Brussels has gained a great political importance, housing major EU institutions, North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters and international organizations. In fact, Brussels is home to more than 40,000 EU employees.
Cultural events happen here all year around, the city bursts with nice art museums, but you will also find plenty of restaurants, clubs and taverns to spend your time. Do not forget that Brussels is one of the most secure cities in the world.
This is a city with a flamboyant air, Gothic cathedrals, Neo-classical buildings, Belgian chocolate stores and stylish cafes designed in Art Deco Style. The national dessert is, of course, the Belgium waffle, the delicacy sold in vans on the corners of streets, as well as in fancy Flemish restaurants.
Atomium
The Atomium (http://atomium.be) is one of the major attractions in Brussels. Erected for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58), first post-war universal world exhibition, and located on the Heysel Plateau, where the exhibition actually took place, the Atomium has been turned into a very interesting museum. The 102-meter-tall structure has 9 spheres, 6 of which display various exhibitions. The top sphere includes a restaurant which offers a panoramic view of the city.
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium ( https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/fr) contains more than 20,000 pieces of art, dating from the early 15th century to the present days.
The museums are situated in the heart of Brussels and consists in six museums connected with the Royal Museums; two of them are located in the main building (the Old Masters Museum and the Museum of Modern Art). The Magritte Museum and Fin-de-Siècle Museum are close to the main building. However, the Constantin Meunier Museum and the Antoine Wiertz Museum are located a few kilometers away.
After visiting all of the museum above, I must admit my favorite remains Museum Magritte (https://www.musee-magritte-museum.be/en), opened in 2009, dedicated to the work of the Belgian surrealist artist, René Magritte. Housed in the five-level building, this museum displays 200 original Magritte works of art.
Grand-Place/Grote Markt
Right at the heart of the city is one of the most spectacular squares in Europe, the Grand-Place/Grote Markt. This place is known worldwide for the decorative facades of the famous building located here. No wonder Grand-Place/Grote Markt was registered on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO in 1998.
Every two years, the Grand-Place in Brussels is covered with a flower carpet of begonias. The carpet of 77 m x 24 m is composed by about 120 volunteers, with nearly 1 million begonias in less than 4 hours.The 2018 theme of the flower carpet was Mexico. The next event will take place in 2020.
Manneken Pis
Manneken Pis is a famous little statue of only 61-cm, located in Rue de l’Étuve/Stoofstraat This statue of a peeing boy is the mascot of Brussels and changes costumes several times per week, in order to attract more and more tourists.
Parc du Cinquantenaire
Located close to Brussels’ European Quarter, Parc du Cinquantenaire is a 19th-century park commemorating 50 years of Belgian independence. It has an impressive classical arcade that houses very interesting museums, my favorite being the AutoWorld Museum.
In fact, if you are passionate about cars, the AutoWorld Museum (https://www.autoworld.be/onthaal) is the place to be. This vintage car museum explores the history of the automobile and is considered to be one of the best vintage car collections in the world.
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