Brussels recently topped a survey of the “cosiest cities in the world”, beating Paris, Geneva and even Copenhagen, the home of hygge! The survey took into account the number of cafes, bookshops, cinemas, theatres and museums per square mile in each location, together with historical architecture – and annual rainfall. Because what could be nicer than snuggling up in a quaint bar or café with a mulled wine or mug of hot chocolate while the rain falls outside?
So in this season of peak cosiness, we’ve selected ten of the best things about Brussels that will give you a warm glow all year round, from outdoor activities to museums and hidden pubs.
1. The sweet stuff
Obviously no cosy list would be complete without chocolate – and Belgian chocolate is famous all over the world. But did you know that Brussels Airport is the biggest chocolate outlet in the world? An astonishing 1.5 kg of chocolate is sold there every minute! More than enough for even the biggest chocoholics this festive season, whether you’re flying into Brussels or setting off on your travels.
2. On the art trail
If you’d like to explore the city on foot but aren’t quite sure where to head first, why not allow your steps to be guided by art?
The Belgian capital has several different art trails and open-air galleries for you to investigate.
The Comic Strip Trail leads to more than 50 comic-book-inspired murals depicting favourites such as Tintin, Asterix and the Smurfs. The first of these murals were created in the early 1990s to humanise the urban environment, and soon becoming a celebration of the comic book heritage of Brussels, which claims to be the comic strip capital of the world. At the Belgian Comic Strip Center, the museum of comic art, you can even join a drawing session led by an established comic artist on the third Sunday of every month.
And if comic strips aren't your thing, you can find other artworks at the Chaussée de Boondael - an open-air art gallery on the wall of a tram depot - or in metro stations and underpasses, ans even in the form of mosaic space invaders than you can catch using an app.
3. The best of Art Nouveau
If you’re still thirsting for culture, there’s plenty to admire in the beautiful architecture of the old city. One of the most attractive buildings is the Horta Museum, the former home of famous Belgian architect Victor Horta. From balustrades to door hinges, furniture to utensils, every detail of this amazing construction was designed to be aesthetically appealing. And as one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement, Horta was keen to bring as much light into this narrow townhouse as possible, using mirrors, open floor plans, large windows and even skylights to maximise the bright, airy feeling.
Want to see more of Art Nouveau Brussels? A free 2-hour Art Nouveau walking tour is held every Saturday.
4. Quirky gifts
Whether you’re short of last minute present ideas or just love a bargain, you’ll find plenty of inspiration at the flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle in the Les Marolles quarter of the city. Known for the city's oldest bars, numerous antique shops and historic brasseries, this district offers vintage fashion as well as upcycled items. The flea market has been held here since 1873 and is open every day until 2 pm (3 pm on Saturday and Sunday), with more than 300 stalls selling all kinds of antiques and vintage items.
5. Perfection in plaster
And talking of antiques, if you’ve always wanted to own a famous sculpture, the Museum of Art & History’s Plaster Cast Workshop has been using traditional methods to create replicas of the great works for 130 years! But the workshop isn’t just a place to witness craftsmanship in action. It also holds a huge collection of plaster reproductions.
Workshops like this were once widespread in Europe, and from the 19th century onwards every major museum and art school had a display of plaster replicas of famous works. In the days before mass travel – or even photographic reproductions – this was often the only contact many people had with these masterpieces. The reproductions were also used as teaching aids, and sketching sculptures was considered to be one of the foundations of an artistic career. Even now you’ll still find art students copying objects from the plaster cast workshop’s collections. And you can visit them yourself and marvel at the eclectic range of beautiful objects, free of charge on Thursday afternoons. The Museum also organises monthly guided tours.
6. An island in the city
Despite being a city in a country with a high population density, Brussels has plenty of green spaces, with almost 8000 hectares of parks and woodland. The Bois de la Cambre, in the south of the city, is a huge area of green space that’s partly closed to motorised traffic at the weekends, allowing you to walk, cycle or skate in peace. From early summer to October, you can even hire a pedalo to explore the lake. And if you get peckish from your exertions there’s also a year-round ferry to transport you to the restaurant on the island.
7. Going underground
The River Senne has flowed through Brussels throughout the city’s history – but these days you can’t see it on the surface! The river was covered over as part of a massive reconstruction project in the late 1860s. Now it flows underground and the only way to encounter it is as part of a visit to the Sewer Museum.
This fascinating museum explains the history of Brussels’ astonishing 1900 km of sewers, but also the essential tasks carried out by sewer workers – and the role of the sewers in keeping the human and natural environment a safe and healthy place. Flood control, sewage treatment, the water cycle and rain! The museum offers guided tours to explain the myth and reality of this hidden world, including a walk along a 50 m stretch of an actual sewer.
8. Fashions of the world’s best-dressed statue
The 17th century urinating statue Manneken-Pis is an iconic Brussels landmark famous all over the world. But did you know that ever since 1616, this statue of a small boy has often been dressed in specially designed clothes? His outfits come from all over the world and are donated to commemorate occasions or organisations. And these hundreds of outfits now form the collection of a unique museum! The oldest outfit in the collection was offered by king Louis XV of France in 1747.
9. Looking to the future
Coincidentally, the 1000th outfit in Manneken-Pis’ wardrobe was donated by our next recommendation to mark its 60th anniversary. The Atomium is an amazing, huge and shiny steel structure in the form of an iron crystal – but one magnified to 165 billion times its normal size! It was originally built as a temporary structure for Expo 58, the Brussels World’s Fair, but Belgians loved it so much that after the fair they decided to keep it. And all this time later this futuristic building is still just as popular. It has recently been renovated, and now you can enter all but three of the steel spheres, which contain everything from an exhibition space to a restaurant. At 92 m high, the structure also offers an unparalleled panoramic view of Brussels.
10. Intimate impasses
In any great city there are always hidden corners and secret nooks – and when the city’s as old as Brussels you can expect some truly astonishing discoveries.
Impasse Saint-Nicolas and Impasse des Cadeaux are two absolute gems of urban architecture. Both are narrow alleyways that, from the street end, appear to be simply private entrances to the rear of the buildings on either side. But in fact both of these passages lead back in time, past ancient facades to charming old taverns. At the end of Impasse Saint-Nicolas, Aux Bon Vieux Temps occupies a building dating from 1695 and serves mostly Trappist beers in a traditional setting.
Meanwhile, in Impasse des Cadeaux, À l'Imaige Nostre-Dame is housed in an even earlier building, constructed in 1682. In the mid-18th century prisoners awaiting execution on the Grand Place were held in the basement here. By the early 1800s it was a barrel maker’s workshop, and during the Napoleonic Wars this enterprising individual spotted a commercial opportunity when he realised that the French troops marching through Brussels on their way to Russia were thirsty for cider rather than the local beer. Filling his wares with cider, his workshop became an instant success with the homesick soldiers. And thus À l'Imaige Nostre-Dame was born.
Bonus: Get your skates on!
No list of cosy pleasures would be complete without an ice skating rink – and fortunately one is created every year in Brussels as part of the Christmas market and Winter Wonders event. This festive season you can skate in the city at Place De Brouckère from 24 November 2024 to 7 January 2025. And there are many more fun and wintry activities, from a ferris wheel to a sound and light show and more than 200 chalet-style stalls!