Our tour starts at Place Saint Gudule -1000 Brussels.
Get in a red open top double deck bus from City Sightseeing Brussels and take a ride with us.
Our red double-decker buses offer you history, culture, green spaces, Art Nouveau, design, shopping: discover Brussels!
- You will discover the Saints Michel and Gudule Cathedral, the St-Hubert Galleries, the Botanical Park...
- Admire the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken Castle, the Atomium and the Mini-Europe amusement park.
- Go to the Basilica of Koekelberg, cross the Saint-Géry and Dansaert districts, hotspots for Belgian designers and stylists.
- Discover the Manneken-Pis, the Mont des Arts, then the Sablon and its antique shops.
- Admire the elegant Louise district with its upscale boutiques.
- Go see the Victor Horta Museum, the Bois de la Cambre and its Abbey, the Flagey and Matongé districts.
- Discover the Cinquantenaire with its arcade and its museums, the European Quarter and its many institutions, ending with the Royal Palace and the Parc de Bruxelles.
Take advantage of City Sightseeing Brussels... and get an overview of all there is to do and visit in Brussels.
Enjoy your City Sightseeing Brussels tour with our buses!
Here you are really in the center of Brussels.
The Grand Place is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its construction began in the 15th Century. First of all, some market halls and trade guild houses were built, afterwards a town hall to establish the authority of this trading center was erected. Bombarded for 3 days by the French army in 1695, it was almost completely destroyed but, like a phoenix, it raised from the ashes in only 3 years. That's why four styles stand alongside each other or sometimes even overlap: it's a wonderful hotchpotch of Gothic, Baroque, Neo-classic and Neo-gothic.
In the Zandstraat/Rue de Sable 20, you can find the Belgian Comic Strip Centre. It is a former storage for textile, built in 1906 by Victor Horta. The CBBD benefits from volumes and light characteristic of Art Nouveau. Looking back at the 60 years of history of the Comic Strips in Belgium, the collection gives pride to Hergé, Tintin's father. There is even a reading room for devouring them on the spot.
The Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula is a Brabant Gothic-style cathedral that takes us back to the 13th century into the atmosphere of the great builders. Its two towers give it the French look of the period. It is the most important church in Brussels. Our Royal Family still holds its marriages in this church.
The MOOF or another Museum of Original Figurines shows the history of Comic Strips transposed into figurines along a themed trail (re)discovering the great heroesand myths of Comic Strips.
The Royal Fine Arts Museum of Belgium is dedicated to the paintings of the 15th to 18th century and contains hundreds of masterpieces of Memling, Jeroen Bosch, Breughel, Van Dyck and Rubens.
In the Magritte Museum more than 200 original works by René Magritte are exhibited spread over 2500m2. The Museum is the reference point in the world for this artist.
The BELvue Museum is housed in the prestigious Bellevue Hotel. This museum gives a chronological overview of our country's history: images of Belgian independence, the Belle Epoque, the two world wars, the golden sixties and the federalization of the country.
Coudenberg's archaeological site presents in beautiful scenography the remains of the palace of the Burgundian Duke and the Aula Magna of Charles V (Charles Quint): you can visit the chapel and Isabella Street which today is situated underground.
In the Musical Instruments Museum you can admire 1200 instruments with accompanying music fragments in an Art Nouveau building. In the building the Old England department store was located in the old days. On the upper floor there is a restaurant with a beautiful panorama over the city center.
The Palace of Fine Arts or Bozar was built in 1928 by the master architect of the Art Nouveau, Victor Horta. It was the first major polyvalent cultural center of this type in Europe.
On the Grote Zavel/Grand Sablon, the nice Zavel district or the distric of antique shops, luxury shops and master chocolate factories, an antique market is held every Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the atmosphere while drinking a glass on one of the many terraces.
The Kleine Zavel/Petit Sablon is a park surrounded by a beautiful iron balustrade with 48 bronze statues that represent the Brussels guilds. At the back there are 10 statues that illustrate the Belgian 16th century, impersonated by important humanists of that time. In the middle are the statues of the graves of Egmont and Hoorn, as a symbol of our struggle against the Spanish occupation in the 16th century.
The Church of Our Lady-of-the-Sablon is the glorious highlight of the flamboyant Gothic in Brabant, which we owe to the city's archers who built the church in the 15th century.
The Egmont park is accessible via a gate on the Waterloo Avenue, via a path in the Grote Hertstraat or via the Wolstraat/rue Aux Laines. In the park you will find the “Pollepel” (the ladle), a beautiful medieval well. In addition, there is an orangery and a beautiful image of Peter Pan.
The Waterloo Avenue and the Avenue of Louise are the lanes where you can find the greatest names in fashion in a luxurious and well-framed atmosphere. Although prices are quite high, they remain a lot lower than in many other capitals or big cities of the world.
The Justice Palace was the masterpiece of architect Joseph Poelaert, and is an example of the eclectic style. This important building was intended to symbolize the superiority of Belgian laws and judges. The building dominates the district of the “Marollen/Marolles”, the historical district of lower classes. This is of course not a coincidence.
At the Horta Museum, the genius and mastery of Victor Horta reach their height. The way he designed the building in 1898, as his own home and studio, is magical.
High-level shopping can be found in a "Parisian" atmosphere in the Kastelijnstraat/rue du Chatelain, a wide avenue with beautiful mansions. You can enjoy restaurants, cafés, terraces and an excellent pastry shop.
The P. Hankar House was built in 1893. The special design of the facade is Paul Hankar's first and foremost achievement, which is a break with the architecture of that time.
The Solvay House is a luxurious mansion built in 1894 by Victor Horta for the Solvay family. The architect got carte blanche and was able to design interior and furniture to the smallest details himself.
The beautiful Wielemans House, was built in 1925 by the boss of the Wielemans-Ceuppens Brewery, who constructed it for his wife. Mrs Wielemans had a weakness for Spain and asked the architect to imitate the style of the Alhambra in Granada.
Flagey, the sound factory ... a unique piece of heritage that is synonymous with cultural and technological innovation. The Flagey building, nicknamed the “Packet Boat”, was the building where the national radio and television broadcasted in the 1950s and 1960s. It received a second life at the beginning of the 21st century. Nowadays Flagey is the meeting place for musical and visual cultural creation and performance. It is an open house for dialogue and meeting, indispensable for cultural life in Brussels. A must for anyone who loves bustling culture!
A visit to the Hemicycle is a great way to get to grips with the workings of the largest transnational parliament of the world. Individual visitors can enter free of charge and visit the European Parliament with a multimedia guide (Mon.-Thu. 9:00-16:00; Fri. 9:00-12:00) or they can be welcomed by a speaker at 11:00 and 15:00 (weekdays in July and August (Fri. only 11:00), only on Mon. the rest of the year).The address of the visitors entrance to the Parliament is Rue Wiertz 60.
The Parlamentarium is the high-tech visitors centre of the European Parliament. Step inside to discover more about the impact of the European Union on your daily life thanks to dynamic multimedia displays such as a giant interactive map of Europe and a 360° cinema. It is free of charge and open every day (Mon. 13:00-18:00, Tue.-Fri. 9:00-18:00, Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00). It's located at the Esplanade Solidarnosc.
In the Museum of Natural Sciences you can’t miss the beautiful staged iguanodons forming a parade that is unique in the world. The Evolution Gallery is a real journey through the history of all living creatures.
The Leopold Park offers an oasis of calm in the shadow of the European District. The Leopold Park is a hilly landscaped park in which, besides the Museum of the Institute of Natural Sciences, other scientific institutions are housed, such as the Solvay library.
Brush up on your history at the House of European History at Rue Belliard 135. From its entry into modernity and the descent into destruction, through to searching for a better life by working together, the museum uses a unique transnational perspective to show you how Europe has evolved. It is free of charge and open every day (Mon. 13:00-21:00, Tue.-Fri. 9:00-18:00, Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00).
THE ADRESS : Rue des Nerviens 135
The Museum of the “Cinquantenaire” is divided into 4 departments: National Archeology, Antiquity, Non-European Civilizations and European Ornamental Arts.
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History shows medieval armor, souvenirs from Napoleon's field trips as well as more than hundred aircrafts and armored vehicles from the two world wars. Above on the triumphal arch, you will be delighted by a breathtaking panorama.
Under some metal overhangs dating 1880, Autoworld will surprise you with Belgian Minervas, Imperias and the Ford T, ... A total of 400 cars, all ready to start the engines immediately. They tell us the rich history of the automotive industry and the car. There are some rare models that belong to very famous people. Presenting a Hop On Hop Off ticket for adults at the entrance gives you 2 € discount.
The Triumphal Arch of the Jubilee Park was planned to be fully completed in 1880 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence, but the arch was only fully completed in 1905.
The Hortapavilion or Pavilion of human drift is the first realization of Victor Horta.
Architect Paul Cauchie built his own house in 1905. Admire the remarkable Art Nouveau facade.
On the Schuman square, it is the Europe politics that rule. The Berlaymont building is an icon in Europe and headquarters of the European Commission. It was fully renovated a few years ago and made asbestos-free.
Admire the new Europa building in the post-modern Art-Deco style housing the European Council and the Council of the European Union.
Nearby you will find the Ambiorix square. Some very intresting buildings of Art Nouveau are located there. Take some time to Hop Off here too ...
The large, tree-lined quadrilateral park is the “Warande Park”. It is sliced in the middle by wide walking lanes that provide surprisingly beautiful faces. The symmetrical plan of the park is a set of rights and diagonals, which shows the hand of the freemasons. Between the lanes, you can find green enclaves, water basins and fountains. In this park, the first fights took place between the Belgian patriots and the Dutch troops in 1830: the beginning of Belgian independence.
At one of the sides of the Warande , the Royal Palace is situated. A fluttering Belgian tricolor on the roof means that the king is in Belgium. The palace can be visited in summer, after the national holiday (from July 21st) to mid-September. If you are in Brussels during that period, make sure to visit the majestic rooms such as the throne room and the mirror room. The ceiling of the last room is covered with the cover shields of a thousand scarab beetles.
On the other side of the Warande, you can find our national Parliament.
The Rogier square is a junction of several access roads to the city center. Several hotels are located in the vicinity.
In the neighborhood of the Rogier square you can visit "le Botanique", the City 2 shopping center and the Nieuwstraat/rue Neuve with numerous shops. All major brands are represented: stores and brand boutiques contain everything you can dream of as a fervent fashionista or as a more moderate shopper.
"Le Botanique" is a large garden / park with an impressive orangery. The cultural center attached welcomes exhibitions, concerts and festivals.
The Atomium, inaugurated on the occasion of the 1958 World Fair and fully renovated in 2005, it was built on the model of an iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times. It offers the most spectacular views of Brussels and Brabant from the top sphere, where there is also a restaurant. Each sphere refers to a Belgian personality.
Mini-Europe gives you the opportunity to travel in a few minutes from the Big Ben in London to the gondolas in Venice. With its 350 high quality scale models, it shows Europe's leading cities at the foot of the Atomium. With your ticket you have a reduction at the entrance or you can buy a combi-ticket online.
The Planetarium gives you a fascinating and entertaining time gazing the stars. The sky will hold no more secrets for you.
The King Baudouin Stadium is the place for sports- or other manifestations.
The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, an impressive complex of greenhouses, was built on demand of King Leopold II by architect Alphonse Balat and his assistant Victor Horat in the park next to the royal palace of Laeken. The greenhouses date from 1873. They can be visited from mid-April to early May.
The nearby Church of Our Lady of Laeken was built in the early 19th century in early-Gothic style and is dedicated to Marie-Louise, the first queen of Belgium. In this church the royal crypt was installed. The members of the Belgian royal house are buried here.
The Laeken Cemetery is sometimes called the 'Belgian Père-Lachaise' due to the number of beautiful grave monuments and resting places of well-known Belgians. One of the most famous works of art of the cemetery is a bronze cast of the Rodin Thinker.
Further down, you will find three buildings with a peculiar architecture. For centuries, these have been inseparably linked to the cityscape of Brussels: the stately red Japanese tower, the fairy-tale Chinese pavilion and the small Museum of Japanese Art. They were asked to be built by King Leopold II and designed by Alexandre Marcel. This architect asked Parisian artists and Belgian professionals to help for the decoration, but also imported decorative fragments from China and Japan. The Far Eastern Museums are must to visit because of their unique character. Inside, they you can admire art treasures from the Chinese and Japanese collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History.
HOUSE MAGRITTE ADDRESS: Esseghemstraat 135
The Magritte family rented the apartment on the ground floor, which was carefully reconstructed with the original furniture. At this address, René Magritte created almost half of his oeuvre. On the upper floors you will discover more than 30 original gouaches and drawings. About 400 documents, photographs, letters and objects illustrate the life and career of the painter. A visit is really recommended..
The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart or the Basilica of Koekelberg is the fourth largest church in the world and the largest Art Deco building ever built. The church building houses the Museum of the Black Sisters and the Museum of Modern Religious Art.
A little further you will find the Aquarium of Brussels. Here you will see a permanent exhibition of 47 aquariums from the five continents. They illustrate the fascinating world of fish, amphibians and invertebrates.
You must have seen the beautiful buildings of Tour & Taxis. Long ago it were the Royal warehouses for storage of all kind of goods . After the creation of the big European project and the disappearance of borders and customs, the City of Brussels wanted to give them a new function. The imposing complex was completely renovated and new buildings were erected. Large exhibitions, various companies, restaurants and even a 800m ² authentic hammam found there place in the buildings.
During the summer, from mid-July to mid-August you can visit the "Brussels-Bad/ Bruxelles-les-bains”. Sand is supplied with tons, bars are opened and there are many activities in a beach atmosphere.
The districts around the Dansaertstraat/rue Dansaert and Sint-Goriksplein/ place Saint-Géry are the fashion and design areas. The ideal place to purchase a stylish wardrobe and an original interior.
Founded in 2016 along the Brussels Canal, the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) is an atypical museum with an extensive collection of contemporary art and highlighting the talent of young artists.
The Brussels Stock Exchange is housed here in an impressive building.
The districts around the Dansaertstraat/rue Dansaert and Sint-Goriksplein/ place Saint-Géry are the fashion and design areas. The ideal place to purchase a stylish wardrobe and an original interior.
The “Vismet” with its many restaurants and inviting terraces is the place where you can taste fresh fish and seafood. Here, everything reminds us that in the old days Brussels used to operate a very active trading port. The streets still carry the names of the quays of those days.
The “Marollen” district, located between the Blaesstraat and the Hoogstraat, is a well-known, historical and tourist district of Brussels. This is the area of the true «Brusseleers *», of «Zwanzen *» and of the authentic Brussels way of living. Today, this district is inhabited by artists, craftsmen, gallery-holders ... and dealers in antiquities and curiosa who sell their "brol *" daily on the flea market at the Vossenplein/place du Jeu de balle. This is the popular neighborhood of second hand stuff, brocante, recycling and solidarity. You will find a night asylum, the Berg van Barmhartigheid /Monts-de-Piété (Mountain of Mercy) and a homeless house with free showers organised by the Order of Malta. In the cafés around the square you can hear the local dialect and the typical humor of the district inhabitants.
Planète Chocolat is the chocolate workshop where tradition and design come together. You can live a demonstration, get some explanation and .... enjoy a tasting. Guided tours during the weekend are free.
Manneken Pis is the bronze statue made in the 17th century by J. Duguesnoy. The little chap is the personification of the Brussels humoristic spirit. Once a public fountain, Manneken Pis, together with the Atomium, is today the most famous of Brussels. He has a wardrobe of about 846 costumes. The most beautiful costumes are being exhibited in the Broodhuis/ la Maison des Rois.