Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by Goya
On the third day of our holiday, we finally put our Interrail tickets to use and take the train from Amsterdam to Brussels, where we spend a day. I have to admit: It is impossible to see everything and get the feel for a city like Brussels in less than 24 hours. But you (too) can sure give it a good go with our itinerary below!
Start with: Walking tour of Brussels
After checking into our hotel, considering that we’re only here for a day, we opt to go for one of Sandeman’s city tours. We meet our guide at the Grand Place (Grote Markt), Brussel’s central square and a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by beautiful guild houses, the City Hall and Maison du Roi. He is friendly and knowledgeable and offers us a great first glimpse of this beautiful city as our walk takes us through highlights such as Manneken Pis, Brussels Stock Exchange, St Nicolas Church, The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie, Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, The Royal Palace and many more…
….As well as a brief yet colourful introduction into Brussel’s comic art scene (which you can explore in detail by following this comic book route).
Always with tasty treats along the way:
The tour ends at the Mont des Arts (Kunstberg) where we are greeted by street performers and couples/families basking in the afternoon sun. We say goodbye to the group and our guide and join the happy crowds all around.
If you’d like to follow our “Brussels in a day” walking tour itinerary:
Next up: A delicious meal
Hungry and ready for an ice-cold beer, we take a seat at Fin De Siècle near our hotel. It seems to be a local favourite and it’s not hard to see why:
A night to remember: L’Ommegang
In the evening, we head back to the Grand Place only to find ourselves in the middle of what can only be described as a wonderfully elaborate fever dream: A procession with dozens dressed in big fluffy period costumes. We later find out that this was actually L’Ommegang, an annual medieval pageant celebrating, among other things, the “Joyous Entry” of Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II in Brussels back in 1549.
I love it when the cities you visit surprise you like this!
After the processions, we take one last stroll around the city, saying our goodbyes to this beautiful city full of surprises, the only way we know how:
Next stop: Bruges!
Beautiful photos and that beer and food look wonderful. Thanks for this great walkthrough.
Thank you for joining me on this journey – and for the kind words!
Your pictures are gorgeous!! Especially the nighttime ones. I’d love to visit Brussels one day, so much history and culture!
Awww, thank you so much! It really is a beautiful place with so much to offer.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for your visit to Brussels 🙂
What a fun day in Brussels! I always recommend taking a walking tour of a new place! I think I did the Sandeman’s tour of Brussels a few years ago too!
Oh, how lovely! Maybe we did the same one 🙂