Planning a weekend in Brussels and wondering how to make the most of 48 hours in Brussels? You are in the right place. As hosts at Alma and Aris Grand-Place, both a two-minute walk from the Grand-Place, we know this city on foot, by neighbourhood, by season. Here is the itinerary we would give a friend.
Day 1: the historic heart, entirely on foot
Morning: Grand-Place, Galeries Saint-Hubert and Manneken Pis
Start where Brussels starts. The Grand-Place, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998 is at its best before 9am, when the cobblestones are quiet and the light catches the gilded guild house facades. Walk the perimeter unhurriedly. The Town Hall dates to 1402. The King’s House opposite houses the Brussels City Museum, including over 900 costumes made for Manneken Pis over the centuries.
From the Grand-Place, step into the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, one minute from Aris Grand-Place, two from Alma hotel for breakfast and the city’s finest pralines at Neuhaus. The covered arcade, built in 1847, predates Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It rewards a slow morning walk.
Continue south to the Manneken Pis: five minutes on foot, smaller than expected, more charming than any photograph. Our guide to the best chocolate shops in Brussels covers the other stops worth making along this morning route.
Afternoon: Mont des Arts and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts
Walk ten minutes south to the Mont des Arts, a formal terraced garden offering one of the finest views of the Brussels skyline. It is a natural pause before the afternoon’s museums.
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium on rue de la Régence bring together the Old Masters Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and, separately ticketed within the same complex, the Magritte Museum, the world’s largest collection of the Belgian surrealist’s work. Allow two hours minimum. Book online, weekends sell out.
Evening: The Sablon and dinner
End Day 1 at the Place du Grand Sablon, ten minutes from the hotel. The antiques shops, the church, the new boutiques that have recently arrived as part of the neighbourhood’s transformation. Dinner at Au Vieux Saint Martin at number 38 on the square: Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025, open seven days a week. Reserve ahead for weekends.
Day 2: Art Nouveau and Brussels beyond the centre
Morning: Atomium and Mini-Europe
Day two requires a tram. The Atomium, nine connected steel spheres built for the 1958 World’s Fair, is 30 minutes from the city centre on tram lines 7 or 51. The panoramic view from the top sphere and the permanent exhibition on the 1958 Expo are the highlights. Mini-Europe next door offers a genuinely enjoyable hour, scaled-down landmarks from across the continent, including a working model of the Channel Tunnel. Arrive early: both sites fill up on weekend mornings.
Afternoon: The Horta Museum and Art Nouveau Brussels
Return to the city for lunch, then head to Saint-Gilles for the Horta Museum, the former home and studio of Victor Horta, the architect who defined Art Nouveau. The building is a masterpiece of light, ironwork and organic detail. Book in advance; visitor numbers are strictly limited.
The walk back towards the city centre passes through rue Defacqz, rue Faider and rue Paul Emile Janson, some of Brussels’ finest residential Art Nouveau streets. No guide needed: the facades speak for themselves.
Evening: Belgian beer, the right way
A Brussels weekend is not complete without time in a genuine beer café. Delirium Café near the Grand-Place holds the Guinness World Record for the largest beer menu. For something quieter and more local, À la Mort Subite on rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères is the address our front desk team recommends most often.
Where to stay for your weekend in Brussels
Both Alma Grand-Place and Aris Grand-Place place you at the starting point of Day 1 from the moment you arrive. For booking questions, breakfast times and transport tips, our FAQs page has the answers.
