The floral carpet is one of those things that most visitors to Belgium see on every single…read morepostcard, but rarely get to experience live. It takes a certain degree of planning - first of all, you have to go in an even year (there was one this year, the next is in 2010), then there are the exact dates of the carpet as it only lasts for two weeks. And just when you've cracked all that, turning up to Grand Place and looking at a sea of petals from ground level isn't particularly impressive, so you need to go the final mile and pay EUR3 or so to get into the Town Hall, queue up patiently, climb the steps to the tower and view it from above on the balconies (though to be fair, you pass some excellent and interesting rooms in the Town Hall as you wait to get to a balcony). It's worth it though. The 2006 carpet had rotating flowerbeds on, and when you consider just how many thousands of flowerheads have been diligently pressed into moss, it makes Derbyshire well dressing look like child's play.

É lindo da mais !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!read more

Another large and beautiful church we saw on our visit to Brussels…read more The church was massive and magnificent! The stained glass windows were beautiful. We came at the perfect time to see some light peeking through the glass into the pews. It was an amazing part of our journey. This is why we stop into churches and take a moment to look around.

Just a gorgeous well kept church that must visit while in town. They also have a small section of…read moreart exhibition that cost 3 euro.

If one wants to visit a UNESCO heritage site and be surrounded by historical buildings (town hall,…read moreguild halls to name a couple), museum (inside the King's House), restaurants and lots of Belgian chocolate shops (Neuhaus was my fav) then this is the place. Of course the Grand Place offers more than what I've listed as it's the heart of Brussels and the bee hive of visitors and activity was constant all day. The Grand Place most popular photo backdrop was the Hotel De Ville, town hall, as it dominated the square. In summer one had to wait until late (after 10pm) before the sunlight faded from the sky and the lights in the Grand Place started to turn on (versus 6pm during my first winter visit in February). As one spins around 360 from the town hall, the different styles of the surrounding guild houses added a lot of character with their elaborate, unique facades and statues and even the darker King's House. It was nice to just stand around and not be bothered by any random person coming up to beg or sell something. From here it was an easy stroll to the Manneken Pis statue, the TinTin shop and mural, Royal Gallery of St Hubert and more.

This historic central square is probably one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. What an amazing…read moreplace to feel what it must have been like centuries ago, eat lunch, or people watch. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's pedestrian only. We've hung out and strolled through in the early morning, afternoon, late evening, and even after dark well after midnight. Every two years in August, a floral carpet is installed in the middle of the centre. It's a ginormous arrangement of breathtaking flowers. A Christmas tree and lights go up every year. The neo-gothic architecture is outstanding from the kings's house to the town hall. Such an amazing piece of history that should be on everyone's sightseeing list.

Ornate city hall that offers hour long tour's during the week. Inside city hall the Mayor's…read moreoffice, City Council Room, All ceremonial offices, Maximilian Board Room, Wedding Hall, Gothic Hall, Portrait & Grange Gallery can be found. City hall was built in the early 1400's and is the only remaining medieval building of the Grand Place. The Grand-Place was damaged during the bombardment of Brussels in 1695. The 315 ft tall in Brabantine Gothic style tower was completed in 1455. Above the roof is pinnacled octagonal openwork. At the summit is a 16 ft tall gilt metal statue of Saint Michael, the patron saint of the City of Brussels, slaying a dragon.

My BFF's civil wedding was held here in May, and I was positively delighted to enjoy the…read moreopportunity to step inside for an enchanted European-style wedding. It was absolutely stunning inside, and beyond my wildest expectations!

If you love comics then Brussels is the city to see them. You will see characters like Tintin,…read moreSpirou, Smurfs and so many more. They are all over the city and there is a comic strip route you can take and discover them all. Places I saw them in my trip were buildings, walls, museums, galleries, comic book shops etc. We actually found the history behind the comics in our walking tour. The tour guide highlighted them and stopped to discuss some of them. If you do not want to do a walking group tour related to comic books etc...You can discover them on your own or check out all the locations with their visiting Brussels website - https://www.brussels.be/comic-book-route It's definitely a fun visual way to see this city. Side Note- Don't forget to buy classic comic books. Ton of book stores sell them throughout the city.

The people of Brussels really love their toilet humor!…read more This is the "pissing dog". One of the trio of peeing statues around the city. In typical dog fashion, he has a leg high ready to go. Going to all of the statues is a pretty common tourist attraction. It's good for a laugh!

Brussels has a sculpture of a pissing boy and a sculpture of a pissing girl, so it's no surprise…read morethere's a sculpture of a pissing dog! Erected in 1999, Zinneke Pis, by artist Tom Frantzen, is the third pissing sculpture in Brussels. (Per Wikipedia, Zinneke means "mutt" or "bastard".) Even though I don't like dogs, this is my favourite of the pissing sculptures -- it's whimsical but not gross. The bronze sculpture depicts a dog with its leg held up against a bollard and it was not far from the laundromat and my hotel. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Brussels, Belgium; Public Art]

The peeing boy fountain sculpture is meant to promote fun and humor of the city that is Brussels…read more He's been around since 1619 when he was created by Jerome Duquesnoy, and he still stands and pees proudly today. Manneken is absolutely worth seeing whilst in Brussels. His counterpart, Jeanneke Pis is also worth visiting. Manneken has different ensembles for holidays and celebrations throughout the year.

I stayed across the street at La Vielle Lanterne and so was able to see the constant stream of…read moretourists trying to get a good picture of this statue which was kind of funny. The only time it wasn't swarmed was in the early morning.

Royal palace in Brussels. About a 10 walk from the grand place plaza and gare centrale. Very well…read moremaintained Royal residence. The self guided tour is free and takes about 45 minutes. Well worth the stop and also diversion from the summer heat for some air conditioning if needed.

The outside was really pretty and well manicured. Sadly I came in April so I wasn't able to go…read moreinside because it's only open July 3 to August 16. I'm sure it's beautiful inside!