Some cities require weeks to get your bearings. Brussels gives you most of what you need within a few hours on foot. That compactness is deceptive, because behind the walkable centre sits a deep reservoir of history, institutions and cultural quirks, including, most famously, a bronze boy relieving himself into a fountain. More on him shortly.
Our own visit was brief, even so, it managed to offer a satisfying combination of old and new, from modern rail lines and smartphone routing to 19th-century cartography and a surprisingly diplomatic chocolate selection. Brussels may not be the largest European capital, but it plays far above its weight.
Friday: Arrival by Rail and First Impressions
The journey down was pleasantly uncomplicated. Yorkshire to London King’s Cross, a short walk across to St Pancras, and then the Eurostar gliding out beneath the Channel. It stopped once at Lille before continuing into Belgium, The fields and villages passed quickly as the train crossed the border. A beer on board completed the mood.
By the time we rolled into Brussels in late afternoon, daylight was slipping. We had already identified a bar on the map some weeks before, research is important when beer is involved, so that became our first point of interest.
Hotel check-in followed, along with a brisk attempt to expand our knowledge of the national brewing catalogue. Small plates of Belgian cheeses and cured meats kept things civil. Brussels produces many sophisticated exports, EU policy, world-class chocolate, aerospace engineering - and its snack culture should not be underestimated.
Saturday: Streets, Statues and Slightly Sore Heads
Saturday morning arrived with predictable symptoms, though nothing a walk couldn’t sort out. The first major landmark of the day was the one we had travelled to write about: Manneken Pis, spelt locally as Manneken-Pis, literally meaning “little man peeing.” For those unfamiliar, it is a bronze statue of a small boy in mid-stream, positioned at a street corner a short distance from the Grand-Place.
The Manneken Himself
If you have never seen Manneken Pis in person, two things may surprise you. The first is how small he is. The second is how many tourists are willing to form a semi-circle around him anyway. His fame is disproportionate to his size, and that is part of the charm.
The statue dates to the early 17th century and has been a fixture of the city ever since. Over the centuries, it evolved from a functional drinking fountain into a civic mascot. He has been dressed, celebrated, stolen, returned, and loaned out. Today he owns a wardrobe that could rival a minor royal, his outfits are changed regularly to correspond with holidays, visiting delegations and various international celebrations. They are catalogued and stored, and some are placed on display a short walk away.
We later found a replica of the little manequin in the bathroom of a bar, in which we had to wash our hands from the little stream he produced. Obviously that created conversation at the table and a queue of us at the toilet, to go look at it!
The Grand-Place and the Surrounding Streets
From Manneken Pis it is only a few minutes’ walk to the Grand-Place, the city’s central square and a justifiable point of pride. Surrounded by ornate guildhalls and anchored by the Town Hall, the square showcases some of the best-preserved architecture in the city. The mixture of Gothic and Baroque details reflects Brussels’ past as a centre of commerce and civic influence.
It is easy to imagine the scene centuries ago, merchants, officials and crowds, because the square has remained surprisingly intact despite wars, political upheavals and changing tastes. Tourists now occupy the space once reserved for traders, but the structure is recognisably the same.
History and Government: Brussels Beyond the Postcards
Brussels is often described as the “capital of Europe” an unofficial title referring to its role as host to major European Union institutions. These include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and a principal seat of the European Parliament. This concentration of political infrastructure has shaped modern Brussels more than any single architectural period, bringing diplomats, translators, civil servants and lobbyists into its orbit.
This European identity, however, sits atop a much older timeline. The city developed from a fortified settlement along the river Senne and grew through medieval trade routes. Power shifts between regional states and empires left their mark on Brussels’ language, governance and culture. The Belgian Revolution of 1830 produced the modern Belgian state, followed by a liberal constitution and the installation of a constitutional monarchy. Brussels became the capital of that new nation and later the site of major diplomatic institutions.
Landmarks Along the Walk
Our own exploration continued through layered geography. We passed the Congress Column, a tall 19th-century monument commemorating Belgium’s early constitutional period. Its neoclassical design and prominent placement speak to the confidence of a young nation asserting itself in the European order.
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula was next, a Gothic structure with twin towers and stained glass windows that attract anyone with even mild architectural curiosity. The cathedral has been expanded and modified over centuries, resulting in the kind of accumulated style common to major European churches: bits of medieval, bits of Gothic, bits of restoration.
We also crossed into the European Quarter, home to the familiar blue flags and contemporary office buildings associated with the EU. These buildings lack the ornamentation of Brussels’ older districts, but they contribute to the city’s present identity. Between the cathedral and the Commission, Brussels effectively displays its past and future within a short walk.
Chocolate, Beer and Moules-Frites
Brussels might be politically important, but it is equally committed to the culinary arts. Chocolate shops are abundant and operate with seriousness (and quite rightly). Truffles, pralines and chocolate sculptures fill display cases. We fulfilled our obligations to try a few samples and selected a chocolate Manneken Pis for the kids, a purchase met with giggles upon our return.
Lunch and dinner bring their own traditions. Moules-frites (mussels with fries) remains a signature Belgian dish, typically served in large steaming pots and accompanied by bread and sauces. The mussels vary by season and region, but the ritual remains consistent. We ate at a traditional restaurant we had seen some time back on a travel programme, and it definitely lived up to the hype.
Later, we found our way to Wolf, a food hall combining multiple vendors beneath a shared roof. The setup is modern, informal and international, the sort of place where families, office workers and weekend visitors share communal tables and end up leaving as mates. We divided our attention among several stalls and then finished the evening by continuing our research into Belgian beer. It was thorough work!
Sunday: Departure and Archive Work
Sunday morning arrived and it was back to the station to board the train home, taking some fantastic memories of our weekend with us.
Back at home, however, the trip found its second chapter. We located a vintage map of Belgium and the Netherlands, with Brussels printed as “BRUXELLES,” and then a more detailed 1851 city plan of Brussels by Tallis, J. & F. from the David Rumsey Collection. These old maps presented the city not as we had walked it, but as it had once been conceived, a network of streets and districts arranged with 19th-century priorities and aesthetics.
Comparing these maps with our modern digital route produced an unexpected satisfaction. The major axes of the city still exist; the Grand-Place and cathedral remain fixed points; the street pattern around Manneken Pis is recognisable even if the shops have changed.
It reminded us that while cities evolve, they rarely abandon their core structure. Instead, they accumulate layers, each leaving its mark on the map.
