Seeing the best of Brussels – in 2 hours!

If you have a few hours to kill before catching the Eurostar, you might wonder if it’s worth bothering to go into Brussels.

The answer is yes, definitely! You might not see loads, but you can definitely hit at least a few of the tourist spots. Following my trip to Bruges I had just over two hours to kill before needing to check in to the Eurostar but I managed to see everything in range in about 90 minutes. Here’s how I managed it – and how you can too!

You can find a Google Map of my route here.

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First things first: storing luggage

This is the bit I was the most worried about as I was struggling to find information about where the lockers were and how to use them. The lockers are pretty much right next to the Eurostar waiting area, near the toilets. They’re near the stairs to platform 6, and are clearly signposted so they’re easy to find. Once you’ve worked out the locker size you’ll need, you pay and enter in a 6-digit code and a symbol of your choice from the options on offer. A locker will then pop open and you’re told what number it is.

The price depends on the size of your luggage. I paid €14 for the day for an XL space, which fit my medium size suitcase no problem.

(Note that if you come back and open the locker it effectively ends the rental, even if you’ve paid for the day, so make sure to take everything you need with you before you go!)

Head into Brussels

It’s a 25 minute walk into the centre, although I would recommend getting the metro instead. Not only does it shave off 10 minutes or so, but the area around the station can feel a bit sketchy – especially if you’re on your own. The metro line is close to the station and it cost me €2.60 one way.

 

See the Manneken Pis

The first thing I went to see was the Manneken Pis, one of the most iconic images of Brussels. I could immediately tell where it was because there was a gaggle of tourists taking pictures. This was a good thing as it’s a lot, lot smaller than I thought it would be and I would have missed it otherwise!

As you can see he was dressed rather handsomely. I found out later that his outfit often changes – you can view his wardrobe calendar here!

On the same street there are waffle houses and chocolate shops selling quality chocolate. There are also a few tourist tat shops too.

See the Tintin mural

If you’re a Tintin fan, there’s a mural painted on the side of one of the buildings on the same street as the Manneken Pis. However, it is not obvious at all and I missed it a few times despite using Google Maps. It’s basically hidden from view unless you’re walking away from the city rather than towards it!

 

 

Be awed at the Grand Place/ Grote Markt

Exploring Brussels had been a last-minute decision so I only really had Google Maps to tell me where the main tourist spots were. So, when I thought I would walk through the Grand Place I was not prepared for how impressive it would be! I felt very small surrounded by all the tall, rather imposing buildings. As well as the Town Hall, Grand Place is also home to the Brussels City Museum, where you can see the original Manneken Pis in all its glory if you have a little bit more time to spare. (I also found out later that there’s a museum dedicated to the Manneken Pis’ wardrobe, which is definitely on my list for another time!)

 

 

 

See more peeing statues!

There are actually three peeing statues in Brussels. The Manneken Pis is of course the most famous, but there is also a peeing girl, and peeing dog, too!

Jeanneke Pis is close by to the Grand Place and is down an alleyway, although it’s well signposted. The poor girl doesn’t get any fancy outfits like the Manneken Pis does, but when I was there she did at least have some visitors.

Zinneke Pis is a little way out of the centre (although not by much, it’s about a ten minute walk), and is at ground level so it’s easy to miss. Sadly no one was taking pictures of this sweet doggo when I was there but I made sure to give him a pat.

Head to the shops and then back to the station

I still had a little bit of time to kill, so, having seen the things on my list, I popped into a few of the shops and then headed back to Brussels Midi/Zuid via the metro at De Brouckère. As you can see there were a few rather lovely old churches and buildings en-route.

I even had enough time for a final Belgian waffle before travelling back to the UK!

For more travel inspiration, check out all my Travel Destination posts here.