City: Brussels
Top Things to do in Brussels
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The 10 Best Architectural Buildings in Brussels, Belgium
Unassuming Brussels is the capital of Belgium, Flanders and Europe. Medieval Grand-Place, is indeed grand, with many 17th-century buildings and daily flower markets. Reopened in 2006, the Atomium, Brussels' Eiffel Tower, provides great views, inside and out. Architecture fans should visit Musee Horta, home of Belgian master architect Victor Horta. St. Gery's clubs and bars are packed year-round. Seafood eateries abound in Ste. Catherine. Walk, rather than get snarled up in traffic, in the narrow streets.
Restaurants in Brussels
1. Eglise Saint-Augustin
2. Parc du Cinquantenaire
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,335 reviews
Planned by King Leopold in the late 19th century, this park holds imposing monuments including the Triumphal Arch, Exposition Halls and the Bordiau Halls, which house the prestigious Museum of Art and History.
Reviewed By HR00917 - Miami, United States
Big park located close to the EU buildings. The park is quiet, peaceful, and plenty of benches and grass for a picnic. It is a little far from the city center so you may want to take the bus or taxi if you do not want to walk an hour to and from the city center.
3. Town Hall (Hotel de Ville)
4. St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral (Cathedrale St-Michel et Ste-Gudule)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,051 reviews
Reviewed By RicardoBowie - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The church of St Michael is a masterpiece sitting in the centre of Brussels, 2 minutes walk away from the nearby station. Old European churches are always worth a visit for their stunning architecture and priceless works of art. A nice example which is well worth a visit.
5. Guild Houses
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 973 reviews
Reviewed By mauriziomA1039RG
Famous and superb square surrounded by beautiful buildings finely worked in Gothic style. Guild houses with their golden symbols as well as the fox ( merchants ), the gold tree (brewers) , the swan (butchers) , wolf ( builders), etc. Many shops where delicious chocolate is sold, bars and restaurants. During the evening buildings are cleverly lit, giving to the entire square an unforgettable charm.
6. Notre Dame du Sablon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,993 reviews
Dominating the Sablon Square in the center of Brussels, this church was transformed from a chapel into a major gothic church starting in 1436 through the beginning of the 16th century, and truly exemplifies the Brabantine gothic style of architecture.
Reviewed By jordanalexanderh - Aylesbury, United Kingdom
This is a magnificent cathedral in a beautiful part of the city centre. The building itself is amazing inside and out, and close by to some attractive public gardens and the palace.
7. Maison Autrique
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 44 reviews
The Autrique house in Brussels was designed by Victor Horta in 1893 in the Art Nouveau style. This building, which represents an essential step in the evolution of this Belgian architect, helping to better understand the birth of Art Nouveau. In his Memoirs, Horta recalls the joy he felt when Eugene Autrique entrusted him with the construction of his house. The two men knew each other because of their membership in the Masonic lodge of the Friends Philanthropists. The program set by Autrique was simple: "no luxury, no extravagance". This building, now resurrected, is for us a moving work. Open to the public', the Maison Autrique has been the subject of an original scenographic design designed by François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters' the authors of the Cités Obscures... Much more than a museum visit, the discovery of the Maison Autrique is conceived as a true story, an almost initiatory journey through time.
Reviewed By Trainbleu - Brussels, Belgium
We have visited several temporary exhibitions at Maison Autrique (the Autrique House) and have always adored the set up. The museum is housed in a beautifully restored Art Nouveau townhouse dating from 1893. It has been designed by Belgian architect Victor Horta for his friend Eugène Autrique. Visitors are allowed to roam freely in the house, which is fully furnished, gazing at wonderful Art Nouveau details, having a peek behind doors or in the attic full of weird and wonderful stuff. It feels almost as if the inhabitants might come home any time. And here and there one may find items relating to a themed temporary exhibition. Unfortunately people with mobility issues will have trouble visiting because, for obvious reasons, there is no lift and there are quite a lot of stairs to climb. The staff of this museum deserves a special mention for its kindness and helpfulness. The latest exhibition is a tribute to Edgar P. Jacobs, a Belgian comic-book author who created the British detective duo ‘Blake and Mortimer’ in the late 1940s. It presents some of the original drawings for the one-off album ‘The Last Pharaoh’ by François Schuiten, film-maker Jaco Van Dormael and writer Thomas Gunzig, partly set in the Brussels Palais de Justice. When we arrived at the museum we were told entrance was free because it was the first Sunday of the month. So we bought the album (in French) instead. Contrary to what some travellers seem to think, Maison Autrique is easily accessible by public transportation. There are several possibilities but the easiest is to jump on Tram 92 (direction Schaerbeek), which runs along Rue de la Régence, Place du Petit Sablon and Place Royale. It takes you straight to the 19th century church prettily closing off the north perspective of Rue Royale (Église Royale Sainte-Marie ), turns around the church and continues along Chaussée de Haacht. Get off at Eglise St-Servais. You’ll see the church to the left and the beautiful sloping Avenue Louis Bertrand to the right. You’ll only have to walk some 50 metres in the direction your tram came from to reach the Museum. The whole trip takes less than a quarter of an hour. You will be amazed at how quickly the social landscape of Brussels changes
8. Maison Saint Cyr
9. Villa Empain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 166 reviews
Reviewed By moniquek695 - Luxembourg District, Luxembourg
We had dinner in restaurant Tero in Brussels, and found out that they also have a restaurant in Villa Empain... this is how we discovered this amazing Art Nouveau house in one of the fanciest neighbourhoods of Brussels. Entirely restored it is a must for anyone who loves 1930s architecture. But the exhibition (art about the written word) was also fascinating, boasting several world famous artists. If you have time you can have lunch in the museum - also worth your while.
10. Bloemenwerf
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