If you had 3 days in Brussels - WWYD?

[SouthernComforts]

Just that really, 3 days in August, not a huge budget.

What would you do/best places to visit?

Thanks in advance

Hello! I would check on visit brussels to see if any festivals on, might be something fun to do. Eg at the moment there bruxelles les bains - beach stuff along the canal.

Am not sure I agree with Maison Antoine, depends where you are staying etc!

What are you into? Museums, going out, walking? There are some art nouveau walks, old Art Deco houses, the historical centre is great to walk around ( grand place is essential viewing, then around st Catherine, rue de Flandres) and the best bit is going from cafe to cafe and sampling the beers. I hear the royal palace is also open for free at the moment.

If you enjoy antiques / bric a brac there's the flea market on jeu de balles, if you are here on a Sunday, it's a nice Sunday morning activity and you can explore the weird and wonderful antiques stores on rue haute/ rue blaes.

On Thursday evenings there seems to be a few evening gourmet markets around...

Otherwise the atomium is famous and I quite like the castle museum by the Porte de Hal that shows all the city walls as they used to be...

Day trips to Bruges / Ghent also a lot if fun!

Anyways if you say what u like doing I can surely provide more tailored info, are you with kids?

The Atomium, avenue Louise, Marcolini for chocolates, Tintin museum.

Have lunch (or at least a drink) in the cafe at the top of the Musical Instrument Museum, you can go up for free (I wouldn't bother paying to see the museum to be honest) and the views are amazing, all over the city.

Wow thanks everyone.

I've heard about the beach, that's definitely on the list.

Me and a friend are going, mainly to relax so walks, nice cafes, nice food etc.

Will definitely check out the markets and if there's any music events on.

Oh yes, at least one day/night of drinking will be on the menu. I'm not a fan of lager as a rule but I'm willing to try and search for a beer I like, there must be one!

There are a million beers (maybe you'd like the fruit beers?) and lots of fun places for a night out.

Try archiduc for cocktails and total craziness after about 1am ( tho is v hit and miss), Madame moustache for some funny themed nights, Monsieur Wong for more clubby feel. All bars around st geri, some really cool Flemish pubs near st Catherine like monk, roskam. In the summer there's often stuff on the canal boats. I also like Maison du peuple in st Gilles ( Parvis is lovely for a beer it's a whole square thing, no cars, little cafes and market on Thursday eve on sat, sun mornings.) or potemkine.

Another thing on a Saturday morning is to go and get oysters, fried fish etc on place st Catherine - mer du nord cafe, everyone loiters outside and there's a stall with oysters.

For quick food and fun atmosphere recommend fin de siècle near st geri. For some amazing fish though not cheap, there's vismet and many other places near st Catherine. Basically there's loads of fun restaus...

Have alook at agenda.be, they also have some good restau reviews

I would work my way through the entire Leonidas selection and then top it off with a waffle.

There's supposed to be a good water park

You do need to visit marcolini chocolate shop in the sablon. It's like a jewellery shop!

Plus I've given you loads of central things but areas around place chatelain, flagey also have great bars and restaus.

Also, I'd go to the Musee Victor Horta if you even mildly like art nouveau architecture and design. I've been twice and would go again like a shot. It's just an ordinary (large) house, not a mansion, so it's not overwhelmingly big but so, so beautiful and so cleverly designed for a standard thin town centre plot.

Train to Bruges?

This is fantastic, thanks everyone, especially xpatmama. I will update and let you know how I get on!

Well hope it helps.. Just realised I gave you the wrong website for restaus... Though good for festivals! And it's mister Wong. Obv a bit confused tonight ...

I second everything the others have said.

Spend a day just wandering round looking at the architecture and eating/drinking. Visiting:

• Grand Place (day and night)
• Atomium
• Mannekin Pis
• Catherdral
• Le Galeries Saint Hubert
• Royal Palace
• the EU Commission buildings

Then a day in Bruge eating more chocolate and drinking more beer and wandering around.

Then a day at the seaside if the weather is nice.