Local gems in Brussels

Abbaye de Nizelles

Brussels

Nizelles Abbey in the Walloon municipality of Braine-l'Alleud operated as a Cistercian monastery from 1439 until its dissolution in 1784. Founded in the early 15th century near the village of Ophain, just south of Brussels, monks followed the Cistercian adaptation of the Benedictine rule here for more than three centuries. The French Revolution brought suppression and abandonment. Little survives beyond fragments of the original stonework. The site is a quiet remnant of monastic life in the Belgian countryside.

Antwerp Zoo

Brussels

Belfry of Ghent

Brussels

The Belfry of Ghent, at 91 metres, is the tallest belfry in Belgium and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the Belfries of Belgium and France. It stands in the heart of Ghent's old city centre, flanked by Saint Bavo's Cathedral and Saint Nicholas' Church — together forming the famous Ghent Three Towers, one of Belgium's most iconic skylines. Construction began in 1313 and continued over centuries; the dragon weathervane at its peak is a symbol of Ghent's civic freedoms. Inside, an exhibition tells the story of urban autonomy and the city's powerful guilds.

Bosuilstadion

Brussels

The Bosuilstadion in the Deurne district of Antwerp is one of the oldest continuously used football grounds in Belgium. Opened in 1923, it has been the home ground of Royal Antwerp FC ever since — the club itself being the oldest football club in Belgium, founded in 1880. The stadium holds around 21,000 spectators, including 800 covered VIP seats. Named after the nearby Bosuilplein, the ground has an old-school atmosphere that newer, purpose-built arenas rarely replicate. Despite modern alternatives, the club has stayed faithful to this historic site.

Boule et Bill - Bollie en Billie

Brussels

Brabo Fountain

Brussels

The Brabo Fountain stands on the Grote Markt in Antwerp, directly in front of City Hall. The bronze sculpture was created in 1887 by Antwerp sculptor Jef Lambeaux and depicts Silvius Brabo at the moment he throws the severed hand of the giant Druon Antigoon into the river Scheldt — the legend to which the city's name is traced. Stylistically the work draws on elements of Italian Mannerism. Today the fountain is one of the most photographed spots in Antwerp and an unavoidable part of daily life on the Grote Markt.

Brussels Expo (Heysel Exhibition Centre)

Brussels

Brussels Expo on the Heysel Plateau in the Brussels district of Laeken is the largest exhibition centre in the Benelux region. Twelve halls with a combined 115,000 m² of floor space host Belgium's most important national and international trade fairs and events. The site is closely linked to the 1958 World Expo, for which the adjacent Atomium was also built. The halls reflect the evolution of modern construction techniques through the 20th century – from Art Deco elements of the 1930s to functional post-war buildings.

Chapel Church Brussels

Brussels

The Chapel Church – formally Our Lady of the Chapel – is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Brussels. Its origins date to the early 13th century, with the Gothic nave added across the 14th and 15th centuries. The church stands in the heart of the Marolles, historically Brussels' poorest district and still its most characterful quarter, known for the flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle. That contrast – medieval Gothic architecture anchoring a working-class neighbourhood – gives the church significance beyond its religious function. In everyday speech it is more often called the Kapellekerk, after the Dutch name.

Château de Sombreffe

Brussels

The Château de Sombreffe is a lowland castle in the Belgian municipality of Sombreffe, Province of Namur, with history dating to the 13th century. Set in flat terrain south of Brussels, it differs from the rocky Ardennes castles — instead it speaks of feudal lordship over agricultural territory. The château is classified as a Patrimoine majeur de Wallonie. Sombreffe is also known as the site of a preliminary battle of the Waterloo campaign in June 1815. The castle itself is not generally open to the public but is visible as part of the Walloon cultural landscape.

Château de Trazegnies

Brussels

Château de Trazegnies is located in Trazegnies, part of the municipality of Courcelles in the Belgian province of Hainaut in Wallonia. It is one of the historic noble seats of the region and is listed as a Walloon cultural monument. The castle's history is closely tied to the House of Trazegnies, one of Belgium's oldest noble families. The current structure bears features from multiple architectural periods. As part of Wallonia's built heritage, it contributes to the historical character of the Hainaut region.

Château du Stuyvenberg

Brussels

The Château du Stuyvenberg is a Baroque estate in Laeken, northwest of Brussels, built in 1725. It came into Belgian state ownership in 1840 for 200,000 francs and has since served as a secondary residence for the royal family, used for diplomatic receptions and private stays. The château sits close to the Royal Palace of Laeken and the Villa Schönenberg, home of Princess Astrid — together forming a royal enclave at the northern edge of the capital. The property is not open to the public; its gardens and façades can only be glimpsed from the surrounding parkland.

Church of St. John Berchmans

Brussels

The Church of St. John Berchmans in Etterbeek, a municipality of Brussels, is the chapel of Saint Michel College and has belonged to the Society of Jesus since its construction between 1908 and 1912. It is dedicated to Saint John Berchmans, a 17th-century Belgian Jesuit saint. The building was designed in the Neo-Romanesque style and integrates quietly into the college grounds. Its restrained facade draws little attention — characteristic of Jesuit school architecture, which typically prioritizes function over display. Today the church is actively integrated into the daily life of Saint Michel College and is accessible to visitors outside school hours. Etterbeek is a well-connected Brussels municipality with several European institutions nearby.

Collégiale Sainte-Gertrude de Nivelles

Brussels

The Collegiate Church of Sainte-Gertrude in Nivelles is one of the most significant Romanesque churches in Belgium. Construction began shortly after the year 1000 — possibly from 1020 as a replacement for an earlier structure — and the church was consecrated in 1046. It is listed as a Walloon heritage monument and one of the defining landmarks of the Brabant Wallon region. The church is dedicated to Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats and travellers. Her tomb inside the church made Nivelles a pilgrimage destination for centuries. The building was badly damaged in the Second World War and painstakingly restored. Today the collegiate church is the focal point of Nivelles town centre, easily reachable from Brussels.

Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido

Brussels

The Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Guido is a Roman Catholic church in the historic centre of Anderlecht, a municipality southwest of Brussels. Built in the Brabantine Gothic style in the 14th century, it was originally the seat of a college of canons who celebrated its liturgy. The church is co-dedicated to Saint Guido of Anderlecht, an 11th-century saint venerated for his poverty and pilgrimages, and the patron saint of the municipality. Located directly above the Saint-Guidon metro station, it functions as the main parish church of Anderlecht.

deSingel

Brussels

deSingel is the international arts centre of the Flemish Community of Belgium, located on Desguinlei in Antwerp. The complex houses multiple stages, concert halls and exhibition spaces with programming spanning contemporary music, dance, theatre and architecture. Under one roof it hosts the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, the Flemish Architecture Institute and the Study Centre for Flemish Music. Opened in 1975, it has built a reputation as a laboratory for avant-garde work, rarely drifting toward mainstream repertoire. Anyone exploring Antwerp culturally beyond the old city centre will find it worth a visit.

Dulle Griet

Brussels

Het Steen (Burg Steen)

Brussels

Het Steen — the Stone or the Castle — is Antwerp's oldest surviving building, standing directly on the right bank of the Scheldt. The fortification was built between 1200 and 1225 as the gateway to a larger ducal castle; the rest was demolished in the 19th century, but Het Steen survived. Over the centuries it served as a prison, then a museum. The restored structure draws visitors who want to feel the oldest layer of Antwerp along the river.

Het Zinneke

Brussels

Het Zinneke is a bronze sculpture installed in 1999 in central Brussels, depicting a dog urinating against a street bollard. Created by sculptor Tom Frantzen, it was conceived as a deliberate companion to the world-famous Manneken Pis fountain figure (1619) and its female counterpart Jeanneke Pis (1985) — together forming a folk trilogy of Brussels humour. The word "Zinneke" is a mildly derogatory Brussels dialect term for a scruffy mongrel dog and symbolises the city's mixed, multilingual identity. The sculpture stands at the corner of Rue des Chartreux and Rue du Vieux-Marché aux Grains, and serves as a small, charming monument to the typical Belgian "zwanze" — the self-deprecating folk humour of the Bruxellois.

Leopold Park

Brussels

Leopold Park is a 6.4-hectare urban park in Brussels' European Quarter, nestled in the Maelbeek valley. Laid out around 1880 and listed as a protected monument, it is directly adjacent to the Museum of Natural Sciences and the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament. With its pond, mature trees, and quiet paths, it is a popular retreat for EU institution staff and local residents alike.

M HKA – Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp

Brussels

M HKA is Antwerp museum of contemporary art and, since its founding in 1985, one of the most important venues for current art in Belgium. The museum is housed in an imposing former grain silo in Antwerp harbour — a successful example of industrial repurposing. The collection includes significant Belgian and international contemporary art positions. The museum sees itself as an open platform for experiment and discourse. Its location in the evolving harbour district gives visits a distinctive urban atmosphere.

M – Museum Leuven

Brussels

M – Museum Leuven is the city museum of the Belgian university city of Leuven and spans several floors tracing the art of the Brabant region from the Middle Ages to the present. The collection comprises around 46,000 works: from late-Gothic panel paintings and sculptures to 16th-century Flemish masters such as Jan Rombouts the Elder, through to 19th-century works by Constantin Meunier and Jef Lambeaux. The modern museum opened in 2009 and is tightly woven into Leuven historic city centre. Regular temporary exhibitions complement the permanent collection.

Oostakker Basilica

Brussels

René Magritte Museum (Jette, Brussels)

Brussels

The René Magritte Museum in Jette occupies the house where the Belgian surrealist lived and worked from 1930 to 1954 — a modest bourgeois townhouse in a quiet outer district of Brussels. Some of his most celebrated works were created here. The collection brings together paintings, gouaches, and drawings by Magritte alongside original furnishings, personal objects, and biographical photographs. It was assembled by art collector André Garitte, who purchased the house and opened it as a museum in 1999. An intimate counterpoint to the larger Magritte Museum in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

Royal Library of Belgium

Brussels

The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) in Brussels is the country's national library and home to some of Europe's most important historical collections. Its centrepiece is the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, one of the finest medieval illuminated manuscript collections in the world. Founded in 1837, the KBR serves as the legal deposit institution for all works published in Belgium. Beyond books, it holds maps, sheet music, coins, and archival manuscripts. Located on the Mont des Arts in the heart of Brussels, the library's reading rooms and exhibition spaces are open to researchers and the public alike.

Royal Museum of the Army and Military History

Brussels

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is housed in the northern halls of the historic Cinquantenaire complex in Brussels, opened in 1923. Its extensive collection includes weapons, uniforms, vehicles, and documents from Belgium's military history from the Middle Ages to the present — including aircraft from both World Wars. Free admission makes it one of the most visited museums in the Belgian capital.

Saint Mary's Royal Church Brussels

Brussels

Saint Mary's Royal Church stands on Place de la Reine in Schaerbeek, a municipality of Brussels, and is associated with Louise-Marie, the first Queen of the Belgians. The title Royal comes from this connection – both the square and the church were named in her honour. The building is Neo-Gothic and dates to the 19th century; its prominent tower is visible from much of Schaerbeek. Today Schaerbeek is one of Brussels' most ethnically diverse municipalities, which gives the church an interesting historical tension: a royal memorial church at the centre of one of Belgium's most changed urban communities.

Warandepark (Brussels Park)

Brussels

The Warandepark, also known as the Royal Park of Brussels, is at 13 ha the largest urban park in the centre of the Belgian capital. It was laid out between 1776 and 1783 in a neoclassical style – designed by French architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard together with Austrian landscape gardener Joachim Zinner. The park formed the centrepiece of an ambitious urban project by the Austrian Habsburgs, which also included the Place Royale. Today royal palaces and the Belgian Parliament surround the rectangular grounds, which were the city's first public park.

Bouchout Castle

Brussels

Oorlogsmuseum

Brussels