I visited Brussels for the first time a month ago*, had about 22 hours in the city and really tried to make the most of it. So here are the recommendations for Brussels when you’re short on time (in my case, VERY short on time!).

*Kind of the first time: I ended up in Brussels for an hour a few years ago on a train back from Sweden to the UK but decided not to count that. So in reality I’ve probably had 23 hours in the city.

Sightseeing Checklist

(This was written at a coffee shop as I was running off around 3 hours sleep because I decided a drink in the meadows with friends was more important than sleep the evening before I had to be up at 3am to fly. I have since slightly amended it but it remains largely the same).

  • Central Square (SO pretty)
  • Old town
  • Manneken Pis (it’s a tiny statue but finding it gives you a good walk around the old town)
  • Brussels Park
  • Main Tower
  • Kinsasha district (apparently amazing African streetfood)
  • European Parliament

Food Checklist

It’s me, of course there was always going to be a food section.,

  • Belgian chocolate waffle – it’s touristy but you can get them pretty cheap at Rue de L’etuve near Manneken Pis
  • Carbonade Flamande – beef, beer, stew. SO good. I got this at the WOLF food market in Brussels quite cheaply.
  • Beer – Delirium is a classic must-visit and their cherry beer is awesome, even if you don’t usually like beet!

Accomodation

Almost felt wrong not to have an accom section on a blog post. I slept in the airport as I had a plane SO early the next morning. Don’t know if I’d recommend it, but I did get some sleep so it wasn’t all bad. If you’re looking for accomodation, my general advice stands of check on HostelWorld to see best reviews and how many other people are staying, then price compare on Booking.com!

If you’re looking for other European cities with similar vibes that are also great for a weekend trip have a look at Vienna, Zagreb or Prague!