Unique Experiences and Sights in Brussels

Brussels is one of Europe’s most overlooked cities. However, the capital of Belgium is a treasure trove of grand historic landmarks as well as quirkier art activities. These are the most unique experiences and sights in Brussels.

Explore Grand Place and its surroundings

This landmark plaza and UNESCO World Heritage Site claims the heart of Brussels. This is where you’ll see the Gothic facade of Brussels Town Hall and other notable edifices. Brussels City Museum, the Lace Museum, and the Choco-Story Museum are located close by.

The Grand Place is the center of the festivities in Brussels when a tree and yuletide market is installed for Christmas. Every two years, the entire square is blanketed in a “flower carpet” of begonias and dahlias. The next exhibit is scheduled for August 2026.

From Grand Place, it’s a short walk to the covered shopping arcade, the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, where you can dine on waffles and pick up a box of chocolates. The country’s national church, the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, is also within walking distance.

Visit the Atomium

The Atomium headlined the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. This structure shows an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times with each particle being linked by an escalator. It’s an incredible sight from the ground but worth venturing inside to access the exhibition.

As the Atomium is on the city outskirts, you may wish to visit Mini-Europe at the same time. This theme park recreates such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, and Mount Vesuvius in painstaking detail.

See Manneken Pis – the mascot of Brussels

One of the most unique sights in Brussels is guaranteed to make you giggle! Manneken Pis is a bronze statue of a young boy urinating into a water fountain. This little fellow is believed to have saved Brussels from a fire in the 17th century when nature called and he, well, you can work out how he became an unlikely savior.

Carvings of Manneken Pis flood the city but the main one is located on Rue de l'Étuve, minutes from Grand Place. He is often spotted sporting a garment chosen by the public. The Brussels City Museum exhibits his closet and souvenir stores stock trinkets of the unexpected hero.

Also look out for a little girl (Jeanneke Pis) opposite Délirium Café on Imp. de la Fidélité and a dog (Het Zinneke) on Rue des Chartreux.

Walk the Comic Strip Route

A nation of cartoonists, Tintin, Gaston Lagaffe, and The Smurfs originate from Belgium. The Comic Strip Route in Brussels encompasses around 60 murals of famous and lesser-known comic characters, many of which dot the streets of Rue de l’Étuve, Place Sainte-Catherine, and Laeken Street.

Tourist offices and hotels supply printed maps for self-guided wanders while walking tours are available for a deeper understanding.

Experience Belgium cuisine

Belgian cuisine orbits around a healthy diet of fries, praline chocolates, and beer. While frites are known globally as French fries, any Belgian will tell you that they hail from Belgium. Pick up a pouch of double-fried golden potato fries from a fritkot (kiosk) to enjoy in a park or sit down at a restaurant such as Café Georgette.

Among the countless chocolate ateliers, Neuhaus and Pierre Marcolini are two of the most historic chocolatiers in the country. Stepping into Elisabeth is like stepping back in time whereas Mike & Becky specialize in innovative flavors.