Brussels Brabant
5
Day Itinerary •
Belgium
Five days in Brussels and Brabant gives you the full extraordinary depth of the Belgian capital and its remarkable hinterland, from the finest medieval market square in Europe at the Grand Place to the extraordinary Magritte Museum, the finest Art Nouveau city in the world, the remarkable Antwerp day trip with Rubens and the diamond quarter, the fine Leuven university city and the extraordinary Foret de Soignes beech forest. This extended route covers Brussels and Brabant completely. Grand Place and Flemish Masters on Day 1, Atomium and Art Nouveau on Day 2, Mechelen and Waterloo on Day 3, the extraordinary Antwerp day trip with the Rubenshuis and cathedral on Day 4, and the remarkable Leuven university city and Foret de Soignes beech forest on Day 5.
Best Time To Visit
April to October, Christmas market in December extraordinary
Getting There
Eurostar from London 2 hours, excellent European rail connections
Getting Around
Metro, tram and walking in Brussels, excellent train connections
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 200 EUR per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, flat city walking
DAY 1
GRAND PLACE
MORNING
GRAND PLACE AND HISTORIC CENTRE
The most extraordinary medieval market square in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the remarkable 15th-century Gothic Town Hall and the extraordinary gilded guild houses that entirely surround the Grand Place create the finest architectural ensemble in northern Europe. Victor Hugo called it the finest theatre in the world. The extraordinary gold and black facade details of the guild houses are most remarkable in morning light. The fine Manneken Pis statue 200 metres away is the most famous bronze in Belgium. 10 min walk
MIDDAY
GALERIES ROYALES SAINT-HUBERT AND BELGIAN CHOCOLATE
The extraordinary Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, the first covered shopping arcade in Europe built in 1847 and the finest example of glass and iron arcade architecture in Belgium. The remarkable Galeries house the finest Belgian chocolate shops including the outstanding Neuhaus, the fine Galler and the remarkable Leonidas. The extraordinary praline, invented at Neuhaus in 1912, is the finest Belgian culinary invention. The remarkable arcade architecture is extraordinary at any time of day. 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
ROYAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS AND MAGRITTE MUSEUM
The extraordinary Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium housing the finest collection of Flemish and Belgian art in the world, including the remarkable Bruegel the Elder collection, the extraordinary Rubens and the fine Anthony van Dyck. The outstanding Magritte Museum in the same complex contains the world's largest collection of works by the extraordinary Belgian Surrealist with 200 remarkable paintings and drawings. Entry approx 15 EUR.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Place du Jeu de Balle in the Marolles quarter, Brussels' oldest daily flea market in continuous operation since 1873, is the finest and most overlooked market in Belgium, a remarkable sprawl of extraordinary antiques, fine Art Nouveau objects and the remarkable detritus of Brussels history spreading across the fine cobbled square every morning from 6am. The extraordinary finds and the remarkable Marolles atmosphere are unlike any market in Europe.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe du Vaudeville, Grand Place Outstanding breakfast in the extraordinary Galeries Saint-Hubert. Fine Belgian pastry and remarkable coffee. | Lunch: Le Marche des Grands Carmes Outstanding covered market lunch. Fine Belgian cheese, remarkable charcuterie and extraordinary bread. | Dinner: Chez Leon, Brussels The most famous moules-frites restaurant in Brussels since 1893. Extraordinary Belgian mussels and fries.
DAY 2
MODERN BRUSSELS
MORNING
ATOMIUM AND LAEKEN
The extraordinary Atomium, Belgium's most recognisable structure, built for the 1958 World Exposition as a remarkable 102-metre model of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. The fine interior with its extraordinary panoramic restaurant and the remarkable tube walkways between the spheres give the finest elevated view over Brussels. The remarkable Laeken Royal Greenhouses nearby, open for two weeks in April and May, are the finest royal gardens in Europe. Atomium entry approx 16 EUR. 20 min metro
MIDDAY
EUROPEAN QUARTER AND PARC DU CINQUANTENAIRE
The extraordinary Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels' finest formal park, with the remarkable Triumphal Arch built for the 1880 national exhibition and the fine Royal Museums of Art and History housing the most extraordinary collection of antiquities in Belgium. The remarkable Art Deco Cinquantenaire Museum building is the finest large-scale building in Brussels. 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
IXELLES AND ART NOUVEAU BRUSSELS WALKING TOUR
The extraordinary Art Nouveau architectural heritage of Brussels, the finest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, with the remarkable Victor Horta Museum in the extraordinary Horta house from 1898, the finest example of Art Nouveau domestic architecture on earth. The remarkable Hotel Tassel from 1893, the outstanding Hotel Solvay and the fine Hotel van Eetvelde are the finest Art Nouveau sequence in Europe. Horta Museum entry approx 12 EUR.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Comic Strip Museum housed in the remarkable Art Nouveau Waucquez warehouse by Victor Horta, a fine 1906 building with an extraordinary central hall of glass and iron, is the finest museum of Belgian comic art, home to the remarkable Tintin, Asterix and Lucky Luke collections. Belgium produces more comic books per capita than any country on earth. Entry approx 12 EUR.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast Good breakfast before the Atomium. Metro from the centre takes 20 minutes. | Lunch: Brasserie La Clef d'Or, Laeken Outstanding traditional Belgian brasserie near the Atomium. Extraordinary stoofvlees beef stew. | Dinner: Restaurant Sea Grill, Brussels Outstanding fine dining. Extraordinary Belgian seafood. One of the finest restaurants in Brussels.
DAY 3
BRABANT
MORNING
MECHELEN DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The extraordinary Mechelen, the finest small city in Belgium and entirely overlooked by visitors between Brussels and Antwerp, where the remarkable St Rumbold's Cathedral has the finest tower in Belgium and the extraordinary carillon school trains the finest bell-ringers in the world. The remarkable Grote Markt is the finest medieval square between Brussels and Ghent. The outstanding Royal Tapestry Manufactures produce the finest hand-woven tapestries in Europe. 25 min train back
MIDDAY
WATERLOO BATTLEFIELD
The extraordinary Waterloo battlefield 18km south of Brussels where the remarkable final defeat of Napoleon on 18 June 1815 ended the Napoleonic Wars. The fine Lion's Mound butte raised in 1820 gives the finest elevated view of the remarkable battlefield. The outstanding Waterloo 1815 Last Headquarters Museum in Napoleon's final command post and the remarkable Waterloo Memorial 1815 Visitor Centre tell the extraordinary story. Entry approx 18 EUR. 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
BRUSSELS BEER TOUR AND EVENING
The extraordinary Brussels craft beer scene, the finest in the world per capita, where the remarkable Delirium Tremens bar with its extraordinary 3,000 beer menu, the fine A la Morte Subite lambic brewery bar and the remarkable Cantillon Brewery tour give the finest Belgian beer experience in the capital. The extraordinary lambic and gueuze sour beers produced in Brussels are unlike any beer style in the world.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Tervuren and the Royal Museum for Central Africa 15km east of Brussels, housed in a remarkable 1910 Colonial palace in extraordinary parkland, contains the finest collection of Central African art and natural history in the world, with remarkable collections from the Belgian Congo period recontextualised with extraordinary frankness. The fine Tervuren park and the remarkable tree-lined royal avenue from Brussels are extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast before Mechelen Good breakfast before the Mechelen train. | Lunch: Het Anker Brewery, Mechelen Outstanding traditional Belgian lunch at the remarkable Mechelen brewery restaurant. Fine Gouden Carolus. | Dinner: Restobaires, Brussels Outstanding modern Belgian restaurant. Extraordinary seasonal Belgian cuisine and remarkable natural wine.
DAY 4
ANTWERP
MORNING
ANTWERP DAY TRIP FROM BRUSSELS
The extraordinary Antwerp, the second finest medieval city in Belgium and the diamond capital of the world, where the remarkable Cathedral of Our Lady contains the finest Rubens altarpieces in existence and the extraordinary Grote Markt with its Renaissance guild houses is the finest market square in Flanders after Bruges. The remarkable diamond quarter of Antwerp around the Central Station processes 80 percent of the world's rough diamonds. Antwerp is 35 minutes from Brussels by train. 30 min walk
MIDDAY
RUBENS HOUSE MUSEUM
The extraordinary Rubenshuis in Antwerp, the remarkable house and studio of Peter Paul Rubens rebuilt after his death with the finest surviving 17th-century Baroque domestic interior in the Low Countries. The remarkable collection of Rubens paintings in his own house, the outstanding Italian Baroque garden and the fine studio where the extraordinary master produced over 1,500 paintings are the finest artist-house experience in Belgium. Entry approx 14 EUR. 35 min train back
AFTERNOON
BRUSSELS AFTERNOON AND SABLON QUARTER
The extraordinary Sablon quarter, the finest antiques and chocolate district in Brussels, where the remarkable Place du Grand Sablon with its extraordinary weekend antiques market, the fine Notre-Dame du Sablon flamboyant Gothic church and the outstanding Wittamer chocolate shop, the finest Belgian chocolatier in Brussels since 1910, create the finest afternoon neighbourhood in the capital.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Snijders and Rockox House in Antwerp, the remarkably preserved 17th-century town house of Nicolas Rockox with its fine collection of Flemish Masters paintings in original domestic settings, is the finest hidden museum in Antwerp and far less crowded than the Rubenshuis. The extraordinary domestic interior with the remarkable original Flemish Masters on the walls is unlike any museum experience in Belgium.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast before Antwerp Good breakfast before the Antwerp train. Arrive before 10am for the cathedral without crowds. | Lunch: Rubens House garden cafe Outstanding lunch at the extraordinary Rubenshuis garden in Antwerp. | Dinner: Comme Chez Soi, Brussels The finest restaurant in Brussels. Extraordinary two-Michelin-star Belgian cuisine. Book months ahead.
DAY 5
LEUVEN
MORNING
LEUVEN DAY TRIP
The extraordinary Leuven, the finest university city in Belgium with the remarkable Oude Markt, the longest bar in the world with 38 cafes in a single medieval square, and the extraordinary St Peter's Church containing the most remarkable late-Gothic rood screen in Belgium. The fine Town Hall from 1469 with its extraordinary carved stone tabernacle-like facade is the finest Gothic civic building in the Low Countries. Leuven is 25 minutes from Brussels by train. 25 min train back
MIDDAY
FORET DE SOIGNES AND TERVUREN
The extraordinary Foret de Soignes, the finest beech forest in Belgium and the remnant of the ancient Charbonniere forest that once covered all of Brabant, stretching 4,400 hectares from Brussels to Tervuren with remarkable hiking and cycling trails through extraordinary cathedral-like beech avenues. The fine Royal Museum for Central Africa at Tervuren is the finest museum in the Brussels suburban area. 30 min tram
AFTERNOON
BRUSSELS FAREWELL AND ART NOUVEAU
A final extraordinary afternoon in Brussels visiting the remarkable Museum of Natural Sciences with the finest dinosaur gallery in Europe and the extraordinary Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinee comic strip museum in the fine Victor Horta Waucquez warehouse. The remarkable Parvis de Saint-Gilles and the extraordinary Art Nouveau facades of the Ixelles neighbourhood make the finest farewell walk in Brussels.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Tervuren and the Royal Museum for Central Africa 15km east of Brussels, housed in a remarkable 1910 Colonial palace in extraordinary parkland, contains the finest collection of Central African art and natural history in the world, with remarkable collections from the Belgian Congo period recontextualised with extraordinary frankness. The fine Tervuren park and the remarkable tree-lined royal avenue from Brussels are extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast before Leuven Good breakfast before the Leuven train. | Lunch: Leuven student district Outstanding lunch in the remarkable Oude Markt or a fine Leuven student brasserie. | Dinner: Brasserie de la Roue d'Or Outstanding traditional Belgian brasserie near the Grand Place. Fine farewell moules and Belgian beer.
Where To Stay
Brussels Centre Hotel Amigo or Hotel des Galeries. Approx 150 to 350 EUR per night. Ixelles Area Hotel Manos or Stanhope Hotel. Approx 120 to 250 EUR per night. Budget Meininger Hotel or Sleep Well Hostel. Approx 30 to 80 EUR per night.
Top Tips
1. Comme Chez Soi requires booking months ahead. One of the finest tables in Belgium.
2. The Grand Place at sunrise is the finest sight in Brussels. Extraordinary golden light on the guild facades.
3. Book the Victor Horta Museum timed entry online. Strictly limited visitor numbers.
4. Antwerp Cathedral Rubens altarpieces are the finest paintings in Belgium outside the Groeningemuseum.
5. Cantillon Brewery lambic tour is by appointment only. Book ahead for this extraordinary experience.
6. The Leuven Oude Markt with 38 cafes is the longest continuous bar in the world. Extraordinary.
Total Budget
73 to 500 EUR/day