Brussels City Guide

Old Town: Grand-Place, Manneken Pis & Sablon

Loop from Gare Centrale: cathedral, Galeries Royales and Grand-Place, then Manneken Pis, the Sablon and the Palais de Justice viewpoint, back via the Royal Palace, the park and the Mont des Arts - then a quick metro hop to the triumphal arch in Cinquantenaire Park to finish.

1. Kathedrale St. Michael und St. Gudula – The Gothic national cathedral with its mighty twin-towered façade hosts Belgium's royal weddings and funerals.
2. Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert – Europe's oldest shopping arcade (1847) with its glass roof, chocolatiers like Neuhaus and Mary and elegant cafés - the Belgian praline was invented here.
3. Grand-Place – One of the world's most beautiful squares (UNESCO): the Gothic town hall, the King's House and the gilded guild houses form one magnificent ensemble. Atmospherically lit at night; every two years in August it hosts the flower carpet.
4. Manneken Pis – The bronze figure of 1619, just 58 cm tall, is the city's cheeky mascot - often dressed in one of his 1,000-plus costumes. His wardrobe is on show at the GardeRobe museum next door.
5. Place du Grand Sablon – The elegant square of antique dealers and chocolatiers, overlooked by the late-Gothic Notre-Dame du Sablon church with its glowing stained glass. Antiques market at weekends.
6. Square du Petit Sablon – The small garden ringed by 48 bronze statues of the old guilds atop its fence columns - a quiet gem opposite the Grand Sablon.
7. Justizpalast & Place Poelaert – The gigantic Palace of Justice of 1883 was once the largest building in the world. From the Place Poelaert terrace the view sweeps across the lower town to the Atomium; a glass lift connects to the Marolles quarter.
8. Königlicher Palast – The Belgian king's official palace on the Place des Palais; in summer its state rooms, including the jewel-beetle ceiling 'Heaven of Delight', can be visited for free.
9. Parc de Bruxelles – The city's oldest public park between palace and parliament, with dead-straight avenues, fountains and sculptures - Brussels' green lung in the government quarter.
10. Mont des Arts – The garden terrace between upper and lower town offers THE postcard view across the town-hall spires to the Atomium - especially lovely at sunset.
11. Jubelpark (Parc du Cinquantenaire) – The sprawling Cinquantenaire park of 1880 with its monumental triumphal arch crowned by a quadriga. The surrounding halls house Autoworld, the Military Museum and the Art & History Museum.