What's up guys! We're here in Brussels and in this video we're going to show
you the best things to do here. So I used to live and study in the city
for about a year. And also my hometown is only a 20 minute drive from here,
so I explored Brussels actually quite a lot. So we hope you enjoyed this video!
We are Zac and Ine, full-time digital nomads from the United States and Belgium.
We met while studying abroad in 2018 and have been traveling the world together ever since.
We're here to inspire your next adventure, whether it's hiking in the Canadian Rockies,
a road trip through the US, or backpacking across Africa. On our channel you'll find
unfiltered videos of hiking guides and the best things to do in destinations around the world.
Located in the heart of Belgium, Brussels is the capital and largest city in the country.
Not only is it the administrative, commercial, and financial hub, it's also considered the "Capital
of Europe". This is because the headquarters of the European Union can be found here.
The city itself is bilingual which means that both Flemish and French are widely spoken here.
And although Brussels may not have the star tourist attractions of other Belgian towns,
the capital has many things to do to keep travelers occupied for a couple of days.
From world-class museums and art galleries to wonderful remnants of old architecture,
in this video we show the 10 highlights in Brussels.
Located right in the heart of Brussels near the central train station,
the main plaza known as Grand Place is probably the first place that you'll visit.
The square is one of the best-preserved in all of Europe, with unique architecture
and rich gold decorations. Most buildings date back to the end of the 17th century
and were former guild halls. Today, the square is also home to several restaurants and cafes
as well as the beautiful city hall. Combine a visit to the square with the nearby Royal
Galleries, where you can find chocolate shops and cafes covered by a spectacular glass roof.
Manneken Pis might be one of the most famous landmarks in Brussels.
The fountain sculpture of a little boy urinating can be traced back to the 15th century. However,
little is known about its origins. It's 55.5 centimeters tall which is a lot smaller than most
people expect. During celebrations, events, and festivals, the statue is dressed up in a costume.
A collection of the costumes can be seen at the museum just down the road. What most people don't
know, is that there's also a female and a dog version of the statue hidden around the city.
The Royal Palace is located in the Royal Quarter and known as the workplace of the Belgian King.
The palace interior can only be visited from the end of July until the end of August. However,
it's beautiful from the outside as well and makes for a great photo-op. A ceremonial
changing of the guards takes place here every day at about 2:30 pm. But besides the palace,
you can also visit the Brussels Park or the Coudenberg Palace Archaeological Site.
Belgium is the land of fries, chocolate, and waffles. But in Brussels specifically,
you should try the Brussels waffle, which is a crispy waffle sprinkled with icing sugar and
often dressed with various toppings. There's actually no such thing as a Belgian waffle,
because there are two distinctive types: the Brussels and the Liège waffle. However, you can
find both types all around the city. But besides waffles, you should also try fries in Brussels.
There are many great frituur (friteries) around, but we recommend Frit Flagey or Maison Antoine.
We just stopped by Maison Antoine and it's known to have some of the best fries in all of Brussels
and the sauce we got on top here is Andalouse,
it's from Anda Sauces, the best sauce in all of Belgium.
If Brussels is the only place you visit in Belgium, we highly recommend going on a day
trip to Bruges and Ghent from there. Located an hour or more to the northwest of Brussels,
these are Belgium's most beautiful cities in our opinion. You can book a day tour
via the link in the description below, which includes a professional guide
and transportation. But if you'd rather visit at your own pace,
that's also possible. Both cities can be easily reached via train from Brussels. We have separate
videos about Bruges and Ghent so you can learn more about each city and things to do there.
Another thing you can't miss in Brussels is the Cinquantenaire Park. This park was established
in 1880 at its center is the beautiful triumphal arch, which connects two of
Brussels most interesting museums: the Royal Art and History Museum and the Belgian Army Museum.
We're here in Jubelpark and this is a very nice place to just relax, have a drink,
or have a picnic. But there's also this really beautiful monuments right behind me,
and this is actually a monument that was erected in honor of the Belgian Independence.
Belgian beers taste unique and are often referred to as the best beer in the world.
This is thanks to a wide range of flavors, brands, brewing processes, and ingredients.
Since the time of the first Trappist and Abbey beers brewed by monks, the country has had a solid
heritage to build upon. In Brussels, you can find a wide selection of beers. We recommend going to
the Delirium Cafe, which offers more than 2,000 beers from around the world. But you can also
decide to go on a guided tasting tour, during which you visit a few top bars while learning
about the beers and the history. Book your guided tour via the link in the description below.
As mentioned before, Brussels plays an important role in the EU, as it hosts the official seat
of the European Institutions. The Parlamentarium is the visitor center of the European Parliament
and can be visited for free. With an audio guide, you can walk around the interactive display
while learning everything there is to know about the EU. From the initial path towards European
cooperation, to how the European Parliament works, and what members of the European Parliament are
doing to tackle Europe's biggest challenges. Book your free visit via the link in the description.
Belgium doesn't have many hills so views are often hard to find. Luckily, Brussels has a few:
the Mont des Arts is a small hill with a lovely view of downtown Brussels and the city hall tower
at its center. But this area is also more than that. It's the official art district,
with some major museums and cultural institutions being only a short walk away. These include
the Magritte Museum, the Museum of Musical Instruments, and the Bozar cultural venue.
Finally, a trip to Brussels isn't complete without a visit to the national icon:
the Atomium. Built for the 1958 World Fair, this 102 meter high steel and aluminum structure
represents a molecule of iron, magnified 165 billion times. It's actually a reference to
the progress in research in the field of science, matter, and nuclear energy - in its peaceful use.
Today, you can enter the building, with a permanent exhibition on the
history of the structure and an incredible panoramic view. Get
your skip-the-line entry ticket via the link in the description.
A visit to the Atomium can easily be combined with a nearby Mini Europe or a walk through
the Laeken Park, where you can see the official Royal Family Residence and beautiful monuments.
And that's it for our video on Brussels, Belgium. There are also many other things to do in Brussels
that we didn't mention. You can find videos about other Belgian cities in our full Belgium playlist.
For more information; such as the best time to visit and to download the actual maps used in this
video, check out our blog link in the description. We'll catch you on the next adventure.