Brussels is the perfect weekend getaway. It is definitely a city that grows on you though – so surely you will be back for more after only one weekend. I did not expect to like Brussels so much. I initially chose to go because an artist from Canada was on a European tour and Brussels was the cheapest flight from Rome (hahaha!) There is nothing insanely unique about the city if I’m being entirely honest, however, it has a way of making you feel welcome. In the centre of the city (especially around the Grand Palace area) the architecture is beautiful and around every corner there is a chocolate and waffle spot. Brussels offers everything that you could possibly desire from a weekend getaway in Europe!

Things to Do

1. Eat all the Belgian Foods

This is by far the number one thing to do in Brussels (or maybe I am just a major foodie and that’s why I think this). The traditional food/drinks of Brussels are to die for. From sweet to savoury, this city offers it all.

I think everybody knows that Belgium is known for their “Belgian waffles”. This was definitely the food that I was most excited to try and boy oh boy, did they not disappoint. The waffles that we tried (more than a couple times, whoops) were called Liege waffles. They are the waffles that aren’t in a perfect square (these are called ‘Brussels waffles’). They were delicious and you can get just about anything you want on them from Nutella, ice cream, whipped cream, different sauces and fruit. In addition, you obviously can’t forget about the Belgian chocolate. The world famous chocolate maker “Godiva” originated in Belgium. However, the smaller and more local chocolates were definitely our favourites. PS if you go into the chocolate shops they will give you free samples (even if you don’t buy anything😆)

Next up is the fries! Yum, the fries in Belgium are amazing. You can pick from so many different sauces and the sizes are massive. My favourite places that we got fries were Fritland (right in the city centre, huge portions and fairly priced). Be sure to try fries with peanut sauce, I know it sounds strange but it was actually delicious and I’m still dreaming about them a month later.

Lastly, can’t forget to try to Belgian beer. Not even being dramatic, these beers were amongst the best and most unique beers that I’ve ever tasted! Delirium is the best place to try many types of Belgian beer, they have over 2000 types of beer on tap! Meg and I tried a lime and cherry flavoured beer (among others) and these were our faves. Belgium is known for their Kriek lambic, which is the cherry flavoured one.

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2. Grand-Palace

The prettiest square in Brussels (and possibly that I’ve ever seen) is definitely the Grand-Palace, which is filled with gothic buildings (the city hall) and many cafés and restaurants. This is obviously a must-see in Brussels and the first place that Meg and I headed to once we got to the city. It was extremely windy and we didn’t have the best weather, but despite grey skies, it was still absolutely breathtaking.

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3. Manneken Pis

This little statue/fountain of a baby “pissing” is actually (believe it or not) one of the top tourist attractions in Brussels. Meg and I found it kind of funny, especially with the amount of people crowding around taking pics. We quickly went and stopped by (it is in the city centre so it is easy to reach) and then made our way to continue sightseeing for the rest of the day. There is many chocolate & waffle shops around after checking out this strange attraction so be sure to head there!

4. Palais de Justice

Not necessarily a “top tourist attraction”, but this Law Court of Brussels is such a stunning building. Even though it was partially under construction when we visited, the entrance of the courts is so grand and beautiful. In my (somewhat biased – I studied law in University) opinion, it is well worth a visit and it is very close to all the other main attractions!

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5. Wander Around & Get Lost

Sounds cliché but most of the time this is my favourite thing to do in a new city. Obviously there is the main attractions that every city has that everyone wants to check out, but beyond that, wandering around and “getting lost” is the best part of exploring a new city. Brussels is a great city to do this in as well. The streets in the city centre are adorable and filled with cute shops and restaurants – of literally every cuisine imaginable.

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A Great City

Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Brussels. It was a great city to explore for a couple of days & there is even towns close by that are accessible by train that are worthwhile checking out (which I will talk about in my next post!) So, don’t overlook Brussels when you’re planning a European trip, it should definitely be on your bucket list!

Anyways, I have lots of time to catch up on my blog posts now because I am currently under lockdown/quarantine in Italy because of the coronavirus. So you’ll be hearing from me a lot more and I will for sure be writing a post on my whole experience being LOCKED DOWN in Italy for an entire month. But as I said before, my next post will be on another Belgian town that I visited and adored, Brugge.

Until next time (and it’ll actually be quite soon considering my amount of free time now😂),

Wanderlust morg xx