One of the nicest places to go in Brussels for shoppers is Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. The public was first allowed to enter this opulent shopping arcade in 1847, thanks to Belgian architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer. The enormous 213-meter-long arcade, which was constructed in the fashionable, extravagant Italianate style with a glass-panel roof and arched shopfronts, revolutionized the retail design in Europe by replacing the previous market alleyways and turning it into the continent's first shopping centre.

One of Europe's first covered shopping arcades was built in Brussels, and it is to this city that the flâneur of the 19th century owes a great obligation. The King's Gallery, the Queen's Gallery, and the Prince's Gallery are the three halls. This is the ideal location to visit on a rainy day to window shop because all three are long and expansive with high ceilings. The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a distinctive shopping centre near the Grand Place where shoppers with a few extra euros may be enticed to spend them.

The Galerie de la Reine, which houses a broad variety of shops, restaurants, and chocolatiers, is the area's primary area. Six million individuals visit the shopping centre each year. With several chocolatiers residing along the length of the arcade, the Royal Gallery Saint-Hubert is now a popular destination for shopping, especially if you want to pick up and bring home some of Belgium's renowned speciality chocolates. The cafés inside the arcade are also a great option for a charming break between central Brussels sightseeing.

Location: Galerie du Roi 5, Brussels, Belgium
Website: https://www.grsh.be/
Tel: 32 2 545 09 90
Hour: Open all days
Google Rating: 4.7/5

Grand Place, the central square of Brussels, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful sights in the city. The imposing Town Hall, built in the early 15th century, is the most famous structure in the Grand Place. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its outstanding architecture and historical significance. The square's distinctive Gildehuizen architecture with its superb gables, shingles, balustrades, ornately carved tiles and rich gold ornamentation is what gives the square its appeal. The Grand Place is known for its consistent Baroque architecture with some Flemish elements.

The Grand Place is one of the best places to visit for free in Brussels during Christmas as the square is filled with charming markets when the square is crowded with quaint souks. You can go to the neighbouring flower market to enjoy its fragrance three times a week and marvel at its incredible beauty when lit up at night in the Grand Place. Among the most impressive is the Maximilian Room, draped with Brussels tapestries; The large Council Room with its splendid ceilings by Victor Janssens and rugs of his design; the large banquet hall and the Marriage Room, both beautifully clad in wood; and Escalier d'Honneur, with murals illustrating the history of Brussels.

Location: Grote Markt, Brussels, Belgium

Website: https://www.brussels.be/grand-place-brussels

Tel: 32 2 513 89 40

Hour: Open all days

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Saint-Michel Cathedral is dedicated to St. Michel and St. Gudula (the patron saints of Brussels), the patron saint of Brussels. It was founded in 1225 but it wasn’t completed until the 15th century and is an amazing example of Gothic architecture. The facade is impressive, rising majestically above a broad flight of steps and crowned with twin 69-meter-high towers designed by Jan van Ruysbroeck. The beautifully proportioned interior is lavishly furnished and is home to some outstanding stained glass windows created by Bernard van Orley.

The outside of the Saint-Michel Cathedral is stunning but it’s the inside that will take your breath away. Make sure that you spend some time examining the stained-glass windows. You can head to the transepts to see the finest examples depicting Charles V and Isabella of Portugal and the Hungarian royal pair Louis II and Mary, and you will see to the left of the choir. There’s also a chapel inside known as the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, and the stained glass in there depicts the Miracle of the Host, so make sure you see it.

Location: Pl. Sainte-Gudule, Brussels, Belgium
Website: https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/en/
Tel: 32 2 217 83 45
Hour: 7:30 AM - 18:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.6/5

A modest chapel first constructed on the sandy Sablon by the Crossbowmen's Guild in 1304 was replaced by the 15th- to 16th-century church of Notre-Dame du Sablon, which is usually regarded as one of Belgium's prettiest Late Gothic buildings. Although certain areas of the church are in the more contemporary Baroque style, the majority are in the Brabantine Gothic style. Notre-Dame du Sablon is typically mentioned as one of the three Gothic churches still existing in the heart of Brussels, together with the Cathedral of St. Michael, St. Gudula, and the Chapel Church.

The Gobertange quarry, which is about 45 km southeast of the church's location in modern-day Walloon Brabant, provided the stone for its construction. The building's inside and exterior is both stunning and appears the same in pictures. The Notre-Dame du Sablon also contains the Thurn und Taxis family's burial chapel and a replica Virgin Mary statue that was allegedly donated to the chapel by a woman to whom the Virgin appeared in 1348. When you visit this church, you'll be astounded by the architectural skill and the artwork. You should take your time studying the scenes that are depicted in the stained-glass images that are prominently displayed inside the Notre-Dame du Sablon.

Location: Rue des Sablons, Brussels, Belgium
Website: https://www.fondsamiseglisesablon.be/
Tel: 32 2 213 00 65
Hour: 9:00 AM - 18:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.6/5

Mont des Arts, or "Mountain of Arts," is among the top free attractions in Brussels. Leopold II gave the orders for the construction of this location in the heart of Brussels. This king undoubtedly had a significant impact on the city because he built numerous monuments that may still be seen in Brussels today. The raised area between the Place Royale and the Place de l'Albertine became the Mont des Arts between 1956 and 1958. The Mont des Arts is a fantastic location for taking pictures and serving as the hub for exploring Brussels.

In Mont des Arts, you can find landscaped gardens, statues, fountains, and other displays of public art, stairs leading up to a spectacular view, lots of museums, the Royal Library of Belgium and the National Archives of Belgium. If you’re looking for Brussels vacation ideas, this is a great place to start because it’s close to most of the best tourist attractions. You will see the Grand Palace, the Atomium from the elevated structures. The Royal Square and the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques on the Coudenberg are visible from the opposite end of the structure.

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Website: https://www.kunstberg.com/

Hour: Open all days

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Cinquantenaire Park, also known as Jubelpark, was created in 1880 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgium's independence. It is both a historical location with monuments, sculptures, and museums, as well as a collection of French-style gardens. King Leopold II created the park to commemorate 50 years of Belgian independence. It is dominated by a triumphal arch with three arches and a bronze quadriga at the top, which provides an incredible panoramic view of the city.

All the locals in Brussels gather in Cinquantenaire Park to take advantage of the sunshine when the weather is nice. It's necessary to occasionally get outside in a contemporary city, and this is the simplest and quickest way to accomplish it. Autoworld, the Royal Military Museum, and the Cinquantenaire Museum of Art are the three museums in the park. You can participate in events here all year long, including sporting competitions, festivals, concerts, and fireworks displays.

Also, you can take a quick break at the Guinguette Maurice pop-up bar during the summer. In the midst of the city, Cinquantenaire Park is the ideal location for a picnic, some cycling, or simply taking in the sights and sounds of nature. So, during weekends in Brussels, let's bring a picnic and eat it on the grass or simply relax by the fountain. Come to Cinquantenaire Park and enjoy many excellent experiences!

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Website: https://cinquantenaire.brussels/en/

Hour: Open all days

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Every music enthusiast should visit the Musical Instruments Museum. The museum, which is housed in the Old England Building in Brussels, has more than 10,000 musical instruments from all over the world in its collection. Dominique Serruys founded this musical instrument museum, which debuted in 1987. He wanted Musical Instruments Museum to be a "museum for all persons with an interest in music," as opposed to merely specialists or professionals like those at other musical instrument museums throughout Europe.

The fact that your headphones will actually play the music for you so you can hear the instrument better while you are staring at a strange instrument from the middle ages is really cool. The museum's tenth floor offers a breathtaking perspective of the city. Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 5 pm are the museum's hours of operation. You can enter the Museum of Musical Instruments and go on a time-travelling adventure for just €6.

Everything is on display, including harps from ancient Egypt, sitars from India, and vintage French horns. There is always something fresh and fascinating to learn about at the Museum of Musical Instruments, which also includes special exhibits on various subjects and themes. This should unquestionably be one of your top choices if you're seeking some excellent education in the history of either art or music while you're travelling through Europe.

Location: Rue Montagne de la Cour 2, Brussels, Belgium
Website: https://www.mim.be/en
Tel: 32 2 545 01 30
Hour: 9:30 AM - 17:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.4/5

Along with Manneken Pis, Atomium is one of the best places to visit in Brussels. The Atomium, along with Manneken Pis, is one of the top attractions in Brussels. The Atomium is a strange monument that seems like nine steel balls balanced on a pile of sticks, but it actually shows the structure of an iron crystal 165 billion times larger. The 102-meter-tall giant was created by engineer André Waterkeyn for the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels as a symbol of his steadfast faith in science. The building-sculpture hybrid gained so much acclaim that it has now become an indelible part of the capital's skyline. In 2013, CNN recognized Atomium as the weirdest building in the world.

The Atomium consists of nine spheres, only six of which are open to the public. To enter Atomium, it costs €12 and you can visit all but three of the spheres. Inside is an exhibition that changes from year to year. The top sphere has a nice restaurant, and there are also event spaces inside for various happenings in Brussels. Atomium is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. An elevator takes people to the top of the structure, but otherwise, visitors travel between the spheres on escalators. Today, visitors can enter the building to explore its sci-fi-style interiors as there is a current display of the building's history placed in the lower spheres.

Location: Pl. de l'Atomium 1, Brussels, Belgium
Website: https://atomium.be/home/Index
Tel: 32 2 475 47 75
Hour: 10:00 AM - 18:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.4/5

The ancient film "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium," in which travellers complete the Grand Tour of Europe in a matter of days, may come to mind for many people after visiting Mini Europe. However, they can spend a few hours at Mini Europe and see the best of the continent. Visitors can enjoy a tour of Mini Europe, which will take them from the Venice gondolas to Big Ben in London. Additionally, they may witness the eruption of Vesuvius in Italy and the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany.

Mini Europe opened in 1989 and features 350 monuments from all around Europe. The attention to detail in each of the park's 80 European cities' most iconic structures is truly astounding. You have to respect the meticulous attention to detail in this park. Theme park Mini Europe and its endearing turtle mascot bring to you the "best of the best," a pantheon of Europe's most iconic landmarks that have been scaled down to 1/25th of their original size. You should visit the brand-new interactive exhibit in the park as well for a multimedia game-based introduction to European history.

Location: Av. du Football 1, Brussels, Belgium

Website: https://www.minieurope.com/

Tel: 32 2 474 13 13

Hour: 10:00 AM - 17:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.3/5

Belgian Comic Strip Center is devoted to Belgian-born animation and comics. The amazing Comic Strip Center, which is devoted to the history of cartoons and comic strips in the nation that gave the world The Smurfs and Tintin, is housed in this stunning 1906 structure designed by Victor Horta. A brilliantly organized collection of original manuscripts, draft sketches, and ingeniously recreated settings, such as Lucky Luke's bar and Tim, Struppi, and Captain Haddock's moon rocket, is also used by the museum to show the development in popularity of Belgian and French comic strips.

Every time you visit, you'll see something new because the exhibits here are continually changing. The show features 200 original comic strip illustrations, and you can find out more about how comic books are becoming more and more popular. Check out the manuscripts, sets, and sketches that explore this history as well. The museum's bottom floor houses a café, a Victor Horta-themed room, a comic book shop called "Slumberland" after Little Nemo in Slumberland, and a library with a reading room and a study area.

An auditorium, a room filled with original comic book pages created by various artists, and a space devoted to animation, specifically the Belgian animation sector, including Belvision, are all located on the first level. The "Museum of Imagination" is a permanent display on the second level that chronicles the chronological development of the form in Belgium. The show, which spans the pioneers of Belgian comics between 1929 and 1958 and places a particular emphasis on the magazines Spirou and Tintin, begins with Hergé and finishes with Peyo. The last floor is reserved for comic book merchandise and is open for temporary exhibits.

Location: Rue des Sables 20, Brussels, Belgium

Website: https://www.comicscenter.net/en/home

Tel: 32 2 219 19 80

Hour: 7:30 AM - 22:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.0/5