How to Spend a Perfect Day in Brussels with Itinerary Map

Brussels

Check Point

・Square surrounded by beautiful buildings

・Specialty dishes such as chocolate and beer

・Fashionable streetscape in the center of town

【City description】

It is the capital of Belgium and is full of attractions such as the Grand Press, which is surrounded on all sides by luxurious buildings, the bronze statue of Manneken Pis, and the Magritte Museum. There are many famous foods such as chocolate, waffles, beer, and potatoes. At Grand Press, a flower carpet event is held once every two years in August, where patterns are made of flowers all over the plaza. As you can see, the city has many attractions, but here we will introduce a plan that you can enjoy on a day trip.

【Overall rating】

　★★★★★

【Time required】

　7 h 30
（8 h 30 including the tour of the Royal Palace in summer）

【Budget】

　15 euros

【Fatigue】

　★★★★☆

Click here to find the information about Belgium !!

Access from France

Train

If you are going by train from France, there are two options: the TGV or the Thalys, which runs between France and Belgium. In either case, you basically go from Gare du Nord to Gare du Brussels Sud. However, TGV also has direct flights from other cities such as Lyon, albeit infrequently.

For more information, you can search for times and fares on the French railway company SNCF’s website.
https://en.oui.sncf/en/
You can also purchase tickets online. You can buy from the Thalys website, but SNCF allows you to search for both TGV and Thalys, so it is more convenient to use this comparison site.

【Click here for train/bus search and reservations】

Omio

Highway Bus

You can also search from SNCF, but you can also use other express buses such as Flixbus. Highway buses have the advantage of direct flights from other cities and low fares. However, it does take some time, so we recommend using night buses. I took an overnight bus from Lyon that arrived at Brussels Central Station in the morning.

Site for the Flixbus
https://global.flixbus.com/
If you use the app, you can also order QR code tickets online, which is convenient.

Plane

If you live far away, it is convenient to go by plane. If you’re traveling within Europe, it’s a good idea to use low-cost airlines such as EasyJet. The further away you are, the faster and more convenient it will be, but of course you have to be careful that the further you are from the city center, the more travel you will have to do.

Site for Easy Jet
https://www.easyjet.com/

Itinerary Map

Navigation

【Start】
①Brussels-Central Station

★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Exit the plaza in front of the station and turn right ⇒ Go down the hill ⇒ Once you enter the plaza, go straight ⇒ Turn left when you exit the plaza ⇒ You will arrive at another plaza

②Grand-Place

★From the square, head to the left passageway of the city hall.

③Everard t’Serclaes

★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Continue straight and exit the plaza ⇒ You will see the mural on your right.

④Tintin Comic Mural

★Route Time required: A few minutes
Turn back ⇒ At the first intersection, look at the bronze statue on the left corner

⑤Manneken Pis

★Route Time required: 20 minutes
From here, you can take a walk around the city center. Turn right at the Manneken Pis intersection ⇒ Turn right at the first intersection ⇒ Pass by the church and turn right at the second intersection ⇒ Go straight through the first intersection and enter the alley on the left ⇒ Go to the red fence on the right at the back of the alley I’ll pay attention

⑥Jeanneke Pis

★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Continue along the street ⇒ You will see the entrance to the arcade ⇒ Turn left and enter the arcade

⑦Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries

★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Exit the arcade and turn right ⇒ You will see the church at the back of the lawn square on your left.

⑧Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Exit the cathedral and proceed along Boulevard de l’Imperatrice at the back left of the plaza ⇒ Pass by the station square ⇒ Exit the plaza and go straight ⇒ You will see the plaza on your left

⑨Mount of the Arts

★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Exit the Art Hill and go straight up the hill ⇒ Turn left at the plaza ⇒ You will see the park on your right

⑩Brussels Park

★Route Time required: A few minutes
Exit the park ⇒ Go to the palace on the left

⑪Royal Palace

★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Exit the palace and turn left ⇒ Go back along the road ⇒ Go to the church in the first square

⑫ Church of St. James on Coudenberg

★Route Time required: A few minutes
Exit the church and enter the museum on the left across the square.

⑬Magritte Museum

★Route Time required: A few minutes
Go to the next museum through the passageway inside the museum.

⑭Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Exit the museum and turn left ⇒ Return to the square ⇒ Return to the station via the same road

【Goal】
Brussels-Central Station

Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).

【Start】

①Brussels-Central Station

Gare de Bruxelles-Central

When you go up to the ground floor, you will go to the floor where Starbucks is located, so from there you will pass in front of the ticket counter and exit.

There are three train stations in Brussels : Gare du Central, Gare du Nord and Gare du Nord. If you are coming from France, you will often stop at Gare du Midi, but since Central Station is closest to tourist spots, you will have to travel one stop from Gare du Midi (2.50 euros each way).

Site for Brussels Train
https://www.belgiantrain.be/en

★Route Time required: 15 minutes

Exit the plaza in front of the station and turn right ⇒ Go down the hill ⇒ Once you enter the plaza, go straight ⇒ Turn left when you exit the plaza ⇒ You will arrive at another plaza

②Grand-Place

Grand-Place

Time required: 20 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

It is the most famous square in Brussels and a popular tourist spot. It is surrounded on all sides by luxurious architecture, including the Gothic-style town hall built in the 15th century. The Flower Carpet, held here every two years in August, is a globally popular event. During the event, you can see a spectacle of lights and sounds at night. Even when there are no events, there are times when you can see the beautiful illuminations.

★From the square, head to the left passageway of the city hall.

③Everard t’Serclaes

Everard t’Serclaes

Time required: 5 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

This is a statue of Cerclas, who once created an opportunity for citizens to rise up from Flemish rule and lead to liberation. It is said that touching his arm will bring good luck, and many people have felt it become smooth after touching it.

★Route Time required: 5 minutes

Continue straight and exit the plaza ⇒ You will see the mural on your right.

④Tintin Comic Mural

Tintin Comic Mural

Time required: 5 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

This is a mural depicting characters from the Belgian-born comic “The Adventures of Tintin.” Murals like this can be seen not only here, but in many other places throughout Brussels. In addition, Cheverny Castle in France has a Tintin shop because it has appeared in this manga.

★Route Time required: A few minutes

Turn back ⇒ At the first intersection, look at the bronze statue on the left corner

⑤Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis

Time required: 5 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

The world-famous Manneken Pis is located in the heart of Brussels. The size is 62cm, which is surprisingly small. There are various theories about the model, and it is said that a boy named Julian extinguished the fuse of the bomb with urine. The one currently in place is a replica; the original was built in the 17th century, but it has been moved to the City Museum in Grand Press to prevent theft. They change their clothes for each event, and the collection is also on display at the city museum.

Enjoy Belgian waffles! !

Waffles are one of Belgium’s most famous dishes. There are two types of waffles: Brussels style and Liège style, and Brussels style is rectangular. You can buy waffles with various toppings in the downtown area.

Check out other Belgian specialties here! !

★Route Time required: 20 minutes

From here, you can take a walk around the city center.
Turn right at the Manneken Pis intersection ⇒ Turn right at the first intersection ⇒ Pass by the church and turn right at the second intersection ⇒ Go straight through the first intersection and enter the alley on the left ⇒ Go to the red fence on the right at the back of the alley I’ll pay attention

⑥Jeanneke Pis

Jeanneke Pis

Time required: 5 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

This statue was created by a restaurant owner as a parody of Manneken Pis to attract customers. At the end of the street, on the right, there is a red fence for security purposes.

★Route Time required: 5 minutes

Continue along the street ⇒ You will see the entrance to the arcade ⇒ Turn left and enter the arcade

⑦Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Time required: 15 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

This is an Art Nouveau style arcade built in the 19th century. The decoration is very beautiful and you can enjoy just walking around. There are many shops used by the royal family and famous chocolate shops such as Godiva.

★Route Time required: 5 minutes

Exit the arcade and turn right ⇒ You will see the church at the back of the lawn square on your left.

⑧Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

Cathédrale des Sts Michel et Gudule

Time required: 20 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

Opening hour: 8 am – 8 pm

Close: No

Originally, the cathedral was dedicated only to St. Michel, but in 1047, St. Gudeur was also transferred and it became a cathedral dedicated to two saints. Construction of this Gothic cathedral began in the 11th century, but was finished in the 16th century. The interior decoration is simple, but the stained glass is very delicately made.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Exit the cathedral and proceed along Boulevard de l’Imperatrice at the back left of the plaza ⇒ Pass by the station square ⇒ Exit the plaza and go straight ⇒ You will see the plaza on your left

⑨Mount of the Arts

Mont des Arts

Time required: 15 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

It is a French-style garden that extends from the square where the bronze statue of Albert I stands. It got its name because of the number of art facilities surrounding it. You can enjoy just walking around during the flower blooming season. When you go up the hill and look back, you can see the roof of the Grand Press building.

★Route Time required: 10 minutes

Exit the Art Hill and go straight up the hill ⇒ Turn left at the plaza ⇒ You will see the park on your right

⑩Brussels Park

Parc de Bruxelles

Time required: 20 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

It is the largest park in Brussels. Although it is often used as an event venue, it is more of a place for locals to relax than a tourist spot. There isn’t much to see, but it’s nice to take a walk on a sunny day.

★Route Time required: A few minutes

Exit the park ⇒ Go to the palace on the left

⑪Royal Palace

Palais de Bruxelles

Time required: 60 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

Opening hour: 10h30 am – 5 pm in summer

Close: Monday

This royal palace is still used by the King of Belgium and is mainly used for office work and reception. Free tours are available during the summer. Inside the many luxurious rooms, we also hold events every year where hands-on exhibits are displayed.

Click here for information on visiting the Royal Palace.

★Route Time required: 5 minutes

Exit the palace and turn left ⇒ Go back along the road ⇒ Go to the church in the first square

⑫ Church of St. James on Coudenberg

Eglise Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg

Time required: 15 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

Opening hour: 1 pm – 5h45 pm
open from 8h30 am on Sunday

Close: Monday, Tuesday

It is a neoclassical church completed in the 19th century. It has a strong presence because it is located on the hill of art. The interior is simple, with white as the base color, and the ceiling above the altar is dome-shaped.

★Route Time required: A few minutes

Exit the church and enter the museum on the left across the square.

⑬Magritte Museum

Musée Magritte Museum

Time required: 1h30

Admission fee: 10 euros
(15 euros with ⑭ )

Opening hour: 10 am – 5 pm
11 am – 6 pm on weekend

Close: Monday, 1/1, 5/1, 11/1, 11/11, 12/25

This museum exhibits works by the surrealist painter Magritte. Many of his works with a mysterious worldview are on display and the more you look at them, the more you feel like you’ve wandered into a mysterious world. His famous works include “Return” where the sky appears in the shape of a bird and “Empire of Light” a mysterious scene in which the sky is bright and the ground is night.

★Route Time required: A few minutes

Go to the next museum through the passageway inside the museum.

⑭Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique

Time required: 2h

Admission fee: 10 euros
(15 euros with ⑬)

Opening hour: 10 am – 5 pm
11 am – 6 pm on weekend

Close: Monday, 1/1, 5/1, 11/1, 11/11, 12/25

This museum consists of two parts: the Museum of the End of the Century and the Museum of Classical Art. The Museum of the End of the Century mainly deals with works from the end of the 19th century, such as those by Van Gogh and Gauguin, while the Museum of Classical Art displays a wide variety of works, including religious paintings and landscape paintings, with a focus on Flemish paintings from the 15th to 18th centuries. The Fall of Icarus, one of Belgium’s seven treasures, is on display at this museum.

★Route Time required: 15 minutes

Exit the museum and turn left ⇒ Return to the square ⇒ Return to the station via the same road

【Goal】

Brussels-Central Station

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