Brussels beyond the big stuff
Brussels, despite feeling more compact than many European cities, has no shortage of big and famous attractions. There's the Grand Place, Manneken Pis, the Atomium, the European Parliament and a Smurf or Tintin around every corner. They are all amazing and you should see them on your visit.
We’ve travelled to Brussels together a few times now, and the reason we keep going back is because there's another Brussels to explore. One involving very old beer, tiny streets, comics, libraries and neighbourhoods that are much more interesting when you're not trying to see them all in an afternoon.
So, whether you are visiting Brussels for the first time or are looking for something new on a return trip, here’s our picks for some of our favourite places to wander, eat and drink in the Belgian capital.
Looking for things to do in Brussels beyond the main tourist sights?
Our picks include the Cantillon brewery, the Comic Art Museum, A La Mort Subite, the Dansaert neighbourhood, Rue de la Cigogne, In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst, and Muntpunt Library. For a trip outside the city, take the train to Mechelen.
Willy Vandersteen's Bob et Bobette mural at at Rue de Laeken 116 (Lakensestraat 116) in Brussels, Belgium
Cantillon: Drink at Brussels' legendary lambic brewery
You may be tempted to go to Delirium Café or one of the big beer bars along the Rue Grétry. Definitely check them out if you are new to Belgian beer. But also know that they are massive international tourist hubs, often with overwhelming crowds, high prices and right in the middle of high-traffic areas.
Our pick is always Brasserie Cantillon, the historic family-owned brewery famous for crafting world-renowned, spontaneously fermented lambic and gueuze beers using wild airborne yeasts. You can do a self-guided tour of Cantillon, or take the guided one that includes tastings. For us, it’s straight upstairs to the cosy bar where you can try a fresh glass, something from the cellar or share a bottle (or three). If Berto is working the bar, the music will be excellent as well.
📍 Rue Gheude 56, 1070 Brussels | Website
Want to know more about lambics and gueuze? Check out our handy guide to the style.
A wee small corner of Cantillon Brewery and museum
Brussels Comic Art Museum: Explore comic book history
You might know that the Peyo's Smurfs and Hergé's Tintin call Belgium their home. But as you can probably tell from the massive artistic murals that distinguish the city’s walls, comics (or bandes dessinées) are a part of the culture in Belgium. Accepted as another form of art, this museum has a permanent exhibition on a century of Belgian comics, along with temporary exhibits highlighting individual artists.
With original artwork, engaging exhibits and colourful backdrops and props, you’ll not only learn about the icons but also the history of the medium and some of the surprising influences. Plus, the building is gorgeous: a former textile warehouse designed in 1906 by the renowned Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.
📍 Rue des Sables 20, 1000 Brussels | Website
Comics come to life at the Brussels Comic Art Museum
Eat and drink at the historic A La Mort Subite
One of the oldest cafés in central Brussels, it is named “Sudden Death” for the dice game that patrons used to play there. While the beer they serve has since been acquired by the Heineken groups, the historic cafe is still run by Bernard and Olivier Vossen, the great-grandsons of the founder, Théophile Vossen.
Found in the historic heart of Brussels, just a short walk from the Grand Place, the Art Nouveau interiors have stood intact for almost a century. Take a seat near the door downstairs, order up a plate of bread and cheese, grab a glass of Witte Lambic and watch the world go by outside.
📍 Rue Montagne-aux-Herbes Potagères 7 (Warmoesberg 7), 1000 Brussels | Website
A La Mort Subite is one of the oldest cafes in Brussels
Rue de la Cigogne: The 17th-century alleyway
At just 70m long, this is the antithesis of the “big stuff.” It’s hard to avoid cobblestones in Europe, but here you’ll intentionally go and look for them. Passing through 18th-century gate with a tiny chapel on top, you may feel as though you’ve stepped back even further into a Baroque Flanders.
Nestled between the the trendy Dansaert and Sainte-Catherine districts, where you will find icons like the Church of Saint Catherine and the 13th-century Black Tower, the collection of overlapping house fronts, wall gardens, art and gorgeous flowers seems like it has been on its own untouched trajectory since the 1600s.
📍 Rue de la Cigogne, 1000 Bruxelles
Step back in time and into Rue de la Cigogne
Muntpunt Library: Flemish hub in Brussels
We have visited some of the world’s most beautiful libraries, but there’s something special about this public city library. The largely Dutch-language space is equal parts library and meeting space. Sitting right next to the famous La Monnaie opera house, we often found ourselves using it as a touchpoint when in transit on foot.
The big, light-filled space is actually three different buildings all from different eras. B-architecten pulled the 1970s office building, 19th century property and adjoining house into a unified, multi-floor place that feels organic. You can just have a sit, browse through the collections or hop onto the free Wi-Fi.
📍 Munt 6 (Place de la Monnaie 6), 1000 Brussels | Website
Muntpunt Library brings three eras of architecture into one community hub
In the Insurance Against Great Thirst: Beer just beyond Brussels
Ok, you got us. In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst (to use the full Dutch name) is technically just outside of Brussels in the municipality of Lennik. I did say “beyond” after all. But it’s only a 30-minute bus ride and completely worth the effort for a true Belgian experience. This bar is unique for two reasons: it has the best selection of lambics, gueuze and kriek beers on the planet; and it is only open on Sundays, Church holidays, and sometimes after local funerals. It’s the bar with the longest name and the shortest hours.
Picture this: you’re sitting in what looks like any other corner building on a tree-lined street. Locals walk by and nod. Cyclists emerge from the nearby wooded paths. A bird builds a nest across the road. You have a lambic in hand and all is calm. You’ve found one of the best bars in Belgium — and probably the world.
📍 Frans Baetensstraat 45, 1750 Lennik | Website
In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst: In the Insurance Against Great Thirst is the bar with the longest name and the shortest hours
BONUS: A day trip to Mechelen
While we have you travelling, you are going to want to go to Bruges and Ghent for a day trip. By all means, they are both beautiful and lovely towns with lots of attractions. But if you want to go somewhere a little quieter, but keep the history and Flemish culture, may we present Mechelen.
In fact we have a whole guide on how to plan a day trip to Mechelen, see some Flemish masters, drink Belgian beer and meet the local legends (some of whom may be cats).
See art in situ, like Rubens’ The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, during your visit to Mechelen
Summary: Getting beyond Brussels
Brussels is a city that rewards looking beyond the main tourist sights. One of our favourite Brussels memories is finding ourselves in a car park in Saint-Gilles drinking fresh beer for a charity raffle in aid of girls in sport. We’ve struck up conversations with fellow travellers at Cantillon, discovered favourite pastries while avoiding a main street, and sat quietly and awestruck inside of a medieval church.
Which is why we keep coming back to Brussels and its surroundings. None of the places on this list need a whole day, but together they pepper your travel with a few unique cultural experiences. Getting around Brussels is a breeze, too: we always found that the main metro and train lines got us to where we wanted to be quickly.
So, if you need to step away from the crowds, or explore a little further beyond the Brussels city limits, try something from this list. It’s only a bus or train ride away!
