Choose from 89 Fun Things to Do in Belgium
ShowingFilter 81-89 of 89 listings.
Oceade
The water park of Oceade is in pole position, situated right next to a family day of fun at Mini-Europe and the Atomium, north of Brussels city center. The park contains some of Belgium's biggest and most extreme water slides and flumes, with much of the action taking place undercover in the Aqua Fun House. This is kept at a constant 30 degrees centigrade and is open all year around, offering a tropical-themed beach, wave pool and swimming pool as well as lots of gentle rides perfect for toddlers, such as a lazy river and bubbling geysers. Recent additions to the 14 water slides "“ which range from extreme speed on L'Ouragan to kiddie-friendly tumbles on the Tortuga "“ include two fearsome water slides; Barracuda is the longest water ride in Belgium, while Chameleon is 140 meters (460 feet) of loops and plunges down into the pool.
And if adults need a respite from the watery fun, there are saunas, steam baths, icy plunge pools and even a bar to relax in at Saunaland.
Practical Info
Oceade Water Park is at Bruparck in northwest Brussels. The metro stop is Heysel, outside the park. Opening hours are complicated: school holidays and Sat"“Sun 10am"“9pm; during school time Sept"“March, Wed"“Fri 10am"“6pm, Sat"“Sun 10am"“9pm; Apr"“June, Tue"“Fri 10am"“6pm; Sat"“Sun 10am"“9pm. Admission costs €20 for adults and €17 for children between 1.15m"“1.5m tall. Those under 1.15m tall enter for free.
Address: Avenue du Football et du Championnat 3, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Hours vary
Admission: Adults €20, children between 1.15m"“1.5m €17, under 1.15m free
From $ 30
Museum of the City of Brussels (Musee de la Ville de Bruxelles)
Behind the facade of a dark, grey Neogothic structure lays a collection of artifacts that tell the story of the city of Brussels. This intricate building is known as the Maison du Roi ("King's House") and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The structure is also known as Broodhuis (bread market), a nod to its use as such in the 13th century.
From its early development to medieval era to present day, learn about the city's history through its tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Altarpieces, porcelain and silverware round out the collection of historical objects on display. Exhibits cover everything from urban development to the social, political, and cultural life of the capital. Envision the past with 3D models to scale of the city in different time periods. Of particular note is the costume collection of the statue of Manneken-Pis, an emblem of Brussels said to have nearly 800 wardrobe choices.
Practical Info
The museum sits on the Grand Place square opposite the town hall of Brussels. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Guided tours take place the first week of the month at 12:30 pm. Admission costs €3.
Address: Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm
Admission: €3
From $ 30
Sablon District
Just a short stroll from Brussels' central sights, the Sablon district has long been one of the city's most affluent and atmospheric neighborhoods. Renowned for its elegant architecture and lively antiques market, the area is crammed with terrace cafes, hip restaurants, contemporary art galleries, and fine chocolatiers.
The Basics
Sablon is relatively compact, making it easy to tour on foot. At its heart is Place du Grand Sablon"”a stop on the Brussels hop on hop off bus tour"”lined with restaurants and cafes and host to a weekend antique market. From the square, it's a short walk to the Place du Petit Sablon, where you find the late-Gothic church of Notre-Dame du Sablon, the district's most notable historic landmark. Nearby, the Mont des Arts district is home to museums including Magritte Museum (Musee Magritte), Musical Instruments Museum, and Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Wear comfortable shoes"”the best way to explore the cobbled lanes of Sablon is on foot.
- Place du Grand Sablon has plenty of cafes and restaurants, but for a better value, venture down the side streets.
- There are free Wi-Fi hot spots dotted throughout Brussels, including at Place du Jeu de Balle in Sablon.
How to Get to There
The Sablon district is about a 10-minute walk from the Grand Place to the north and the Parc de Bruxelles to the east. The closest metro station to the Place du Grand Sablon is Louise (lines 2 and 6) and trams 92 and 93 also stop nearby. Hop-on hop-off bus tours of Brussels stop right on Place du Grand Sablon.
When to Get There
The busiest time to visit Sablon is during the peak summer season (July and August), but the crowds add to the atmosphere. Tour Sablon on a weekend and experience one of Brussels' most popular antique and book markets on the Place du Grand Sablon. If you visit at Easter or Christmas, check out area chocolate shops' window displays filled with festive-themed chocolates and elaborate gift boxes.
Belgian Chocolate
Belgium is famous for its chocolates, and Brussels is home to a number of world"“renowned chocolatiers, many of which have shops on and around the Place du Grand Sablon. Look out for Pierre Marcolini, famous for its pralines and macarons; sample indulgent handmade chocolates and truffles at Godiva; or tuck into decadent pastries, eclairs, and chocolates at Wittamer. Leonidas and Neuhaus chocolate shops are also located nearby.
Address: Brussels, Belgium
From $ 29
MOOF Museum
The MOOF Museum, or the Museum of Original Figurines, is a museum in Brussels dedicated to comic strips. The museum features comic strip figurines, collection items, original comic strips and drawings. More than 650 figurines and original objects are on display, but the museum's entire collection consists of around 3,500 pieces, making it one of the finest collections of comic book memorabilia in the world. The museum has items from Belgian comics, such as the famous Tintin and the Smurfs, as well as American collections, manga and more. The figurines are displayed next to the original comic plates from which they originated.
The MOOF Museum has something for everyone, whether you are a passionate comic book enthusiast or simply curious about the art form. At the museum, you can relive your childhood, learn about comics you might not be familiar with, and enjoy different pieces from various parts of the world. In addition to the figurines, there are large murals of your favorite characters. The museum often has special temporary exhibits as well as the permanent collection.
Practical Info
The MOOF Museum is located at Rue du marche-aux-Herbes 116 or Grasmarkt 116. Opening hours are 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is 10 euros per adult, 6 euros for seniors and children ages 10-18, and 3 euros for children under 10 years old.
Address: Rue du Marche aux Herbes 116, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Admission: Adults €10, Seniors/Children ages 10-18 €6, Children under 10 €3
From $ 30
Letters and Manuscripts Museum of Brussels
What did the world's greatest historical figures say to others and to themselves? What were they really thinking? Find out at this display of letters, manuscripts and other texts selected for their significance. Many times additional insight into an artist's life provides context, understanding, and deeper meaning for their works. Personal letters and documents provide a peek into the lives behind public personas. The museum has more than 140,000 from prominent figures such as kings, emperors, writers, painters, musicians, politicians, and inventors who altered the course of history.
The permanent collection is divided into in four sections: art, history, literature, and science. There's sheet music from Mozart and Beethoven, cards decorated by Picasso, informal sketches from Matisse, original manuscripts of Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway, and letters written by Charlemagne and Winston Churchill, among others. Temporary exhibitions delve deeply into the life and works of a single figure.
Practical Info
The museum is located in the Saint-Hubert Galleries, just steps away from the Grand Place in Brussels. It is open from 10 am to 7 pm Tuesday to Friday and from 11 am to 6 pm on weekends. Admission is 7€ for adults and 5€ for students. The closest metro stop is Gare Centrale.
Address: Galerie du Roi 1, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am-6pmSaturday-Sunday 11am-6pm
Admission: Adults 7€, Students 5€
From $ 30
Musical Instruments Museum
The Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels celebrates the making of music with thousands of instruments from around the world. In one section, visitors can explore different instruments throughout history, from antiquity to present day, while another section displays popular instruments from Belgium, other parts of Europe, and from other continents. Another part of the museum focuses on string and keyboard instruments. Here visitors can learn about pianos, harps, violins, and more. There's also a section of mechanical, electrical, and electronic instruments, plus clocks and bells. The star of this section is the componium, which is a 19th-century orchestrion that automatically composes an infinite variety of music.
Many of the museum's exhibits are designed to allow visitors to hear what the instruments sound like. Through wireless technology, the music is transmitted to your headphones when you stand on numbered spots on the floor. Headphones are included with the ticket price, or you can use your own. The museum often has temporary exhibits focusing on different topics, instruments, and instrument inventors. There's also has a concert hall and a workshop room. On the roof of the building is a restaurant with excellent views of the city.
Practical Info
The Musical Instruments Museum is located at Rue Montagne de la Cour 2 in Brussels. Opening hours are 9:30am to 5pm Tuesday through Friday and 10am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is 8 euros.
Address: Rue Montagne de la Cour 2, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
Admission: €8
From $ 12
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Brussels has several top-class museums and the Royal Fine Arts Museum is foremost among them. The four main galleries are adjacent to each other in the place Royale; these comprise the Musee Old Masters, Musee Modern and the Musee Fin-de-Siècle, connected underground to the Musee Magritte.
The revamped, spacious galleries show off Belgian art from the 14th-century Flemish Primitives to the 20th-century Surrealists. Star turns in the Old Masters include Hans Memling, Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Lucas Cranach. Next door, the modern art galleries are currently being re-organized, so a tiny percentage of collection's treasures "“ such as Van Gogh or Delvaux "“ are on revolving display.
Musee Magritte opened in 2009 and holds the world's biggest collection of more than 200 works by the Belgian surrealist master Rene Magritte, including his seminal The Dominion of Light as well as sculptures, sketches, photos and musical scores. The Musee Fin-de-Siècle is the newest kid on the block and showcases elegant Art Nouveau furniture as well as the sublime still lives of late-19th-century Belgian Realist James Ensor.
Set aside at least an afternoon when visiting, while dedicated art lovers could loose themselves at the Royal Fine Arts Museums for days. The two outposts of the museum found elsewhere in Brussels are the Musee Meunier, dedicated to sculptor Constantin Meunier, at rue de l'Abbaye 59, and the Musee Wiertz at rue Vatier 62, celebrating the work of Belgian Romantic artist Antoine Joseph Wiertz.
Place Royale 1"“3. Admission per museum €8 adults, €6 seniors and students, €2 aged 6"“26. Combo tickets for entry to all four place Royale museums cost €13 for adults; €9 for seniors and students and €3 for those ages 6-26. The museums are free to all on the first Wednesday afternoon of the month. The site is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Address: Rue de la Regence 3, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Tues-Sun: 10am-5pm
Admission: €8 adults
From $ 29
Magritte Museum (Musee Magritte)
One of Belgium's Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Magritte Museum is devoted to the works of Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte, whose innovative creations are said to have influenced artists like Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns.
The Basics
Visitors can discover the works of the Belgian surrealist on a self-guided tour, opt for an audio guide to learn more about Magritte's life and artistic influences, or purchase a combination ticket including entrance to the neighboring Fin-de-Siècle Museum and the Old Masters Museum. Entrance to the museum is included with the Brussels Card, while Brussels hop-on hop-off tours stop right outside.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Visitors may be required to undergo a security check upon entrance, and large bags and backpacks should be checked in the cloakroom.
- On-site facilities include restrooms, a museum shop, and a museum cafe.
- The museum is wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
The Magritte Museum is located on Place Royale in central Brussels, just opposite the Palais Royal de Bruxelles and surrounded by some of the city's most prestigious art museums. The museum is well served by public transport, with the Gare Centrale train station a seven-minute walk away, the Palais and Royale tram stops nearby, and the Parc metro station a scenic 10-minute walk away, through the Parc de Bruxelles.
When to Get There
The museum is open daily, all year round. The quietest time to visit is on a weekday, but those wanting to take in the surrounding museums should be aware that many are closed on Mondays.
Highlights of the Magritte Museum
The museum's permanent collection includes more than 200 of Magritte's works, including oil paintings, sculptures, drawings, posters, photography, and short films. It's the largest archive of the artist's work in the world and features favorites such as The Return, Sky Bird, and Empire of Light, as well as numerous paintings featuring Magritte's trademark bowler hats and birds.
Address: 1 Place Royale, Brussels 1000, Belgium
Hours: Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm. Weekends: 11am - 6pm
Admission: Adults: € 8
From $ 29
Natural Sciences Museum of Belgium
The Natural Sciences Museum of Belgium in Brussels explores the natural evolution of our planet going all the way back to prehistoric times. It has Europe's largest dinosaur exhibitions with over 30 complete skeletons, both originals and reproductions, as well as bone fragments from dinosaurs. The museum also includes the Gallery of Evolution which has displays on the history of life on earth. The BiodiverCITY section teaches visitors about biodiversity. There is an animal kingdom section with displays on various groups of animals, such as mammals, whales, animals of the North and South Poles, insects, shells, and more. Another section of the museum has exhibits on minerals including 2,000 rocks from the earth and the moon.
Some sections of the museum have interactive touchscreens and audio guides to teach visitors more about the exhibits. Along with the permanent exhibitions, the museum has a rotation of temporary exhibits. The artifacts on display represent only a fraction of the museum's entire collection. The Natural Sciences Museum is also a research facility focused on studying and preserving animals, fossils, and bones in order to continue bringing us new information about the natural world.
Practical Info
The Natural Sciences Museum is located at Vautierstreet 29. Opening hours are 9:30am to 5pm Tuesday through Friday and 10am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday. Adult admission is 7 euros for permanent exhibitions and an additional 2.50 euros for temporary exhibitions.
Address: Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, Belgium
Hours: Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Admission: Adults €7
From $ 30