Traveladvice Brussels, 3 day vacation

Brussels is the capital and largest city of Belgium, with a population of 1.1 million people. It is also the capital of the European Union. The city is hosting many international organizations, including the headquarters of NATO.

Brussels has grown from a 10^th century fortress to a beautiful modern city, with many landmarks and attractions. A 3 day tour of Brussels should give you enough time to discover most of its charm and beauty.

DAY 1

• Start your visit of Brussels in the Grand Place, the oldest and most beautiful market of the city. The Grand Place or Grote Markt in Dutch is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from 3 different eras (Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV) making their marks on the square giving it an eclectic flavour. This eclectic quality earned the Grand Place a listing as one of the Sites of World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998. Nowadays you will see grand old buildings standing in the place of market shelters. The Maison du Roi, in French means King’s House but the lesser used name of Broodhuis in Dutch, means Bread House. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or restored after the bombardment of Brussels by France in 1695.
• Right in the Grand Place, visit the Museum of the Brussels City. There are three floors, each dedicated to several aspects of the city from economic development, social development, and city development to the history of Brussels’ favourite mascot the Peeing Boy. For only €3, there is a great deal to see – just to see the 100 costumes for the Mannekin Pis is already worth it.
• Just a few narrow alleyways from the Grand Place, the Peeing Boy, or Mannekin Pis, as it is normally called by locals, is a fascinating little statue. Not only does it attract thousands of curious tourists every year to Brussels, local Brussels people celebrate many festivities with this bronze fountain. On last count there are over 700 costumes for this fellow for all events of the year and from countries around the world.
• Next to the Grand Place, you can admire a beautiful building of the Bourse. Formerly the home of the Brussels Stock Exchange, it is now the Brussels office of the Euronext Exchange, a pan-European Stock Exchange that replaced the Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam stock exchanges in 2000. Its historical significance dates back to 1868 when the Senne River was covered for health and sanitary purposes and a new building was erected at the Place de la Bourse in a city beatification project. The Bourse building was crafted in the neo-Renaissance and Second Empire styles.
• After lunch, visit the Nicholas Church, a delightful little church behind the Bourse in Brussels. It is surrounded by fine old houses that seem to huddle under it. This small church is almost 1,000 years old, but little remains of the original structure.  Its 11th-century Romanesque lines are hidden by a 14th-century Gothic facade and the repairs made after the French bombardment of 1695. A cannonball fired by the French in 1695 is still lodged in one of the pillars.
• Next, visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Magritte Museum) stands right in the centre of Brussels, on Place Royale, and exhibits for public viewing the surrealist artist’s creations belonging to Belgium’s Royal Museums of Fine Arts. This multidisciplinary collection is the richest in the world. It comprises more than 200 works consisting of oils on canvas, gouaches, drawings, sculptures and painted objects as well as advertising posters, music scores, vintage photographs and films directed by Magritte himself.
• Have dinner in the Place Royal and then take a quick visit of the Royal Palace, admiring its beautiful architecture. It was built on the site of the former Palace of the Dukes of Brabant which was destroyed by fire in 1731. Started in 1820 under the reign of King William, it was modified in 1904 under Leopold II, who had it rebuilt in Louis XVI style. The side wings date from the 18th century and at the end of each wing there is a pavilion.

DAY 2

• After breakfast, make your way to a one of the most interesting Brussels attractions. The Atomium is a replica of an iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times. Sounds interesting? Then journey up into the Heysel area of Brussels to explore the Atomium which yields a spectacular view of the city as well as art and science exhibitions and a restaurant in its 9 spheres. The top sphere has a restaurant and panoramic views; it is reachable by an elevator at the bottom of the structure. The other four spheres open to the public are reachable by escalators only, it could be difficult for persons with reduced mobility. Three of the upper spheres are reserved for events. There is also a kids sphere for school events, where children can sleep inside.
• Next, visit the Mini Europe of Brussels, which is home to about 350 monuments from across Europe. It is located within the entertainment park called Brupark alongside an amusement park, a water park and the Atomium. This all culminates into a day trip that’s worth building into your itinerary especially if you have children and you’re not able to take them to 80 cities in one trip; you can show them in about 4 hours the key highlights of Europe without stepping on another airplane.
• After lunch, visit the site of the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg Basilica). This is the fifth largest church in the world and the largest Art Deco edifice ever built. It houses the Musée des Sœurs Noires (museum of the black sisters) (open Wednesday 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. and by appointment) and the Musée d’Art moderne religieux (museum of religious modern art).
• A very charming view is that of the Brussels Town Hall, which is one of Belgium’s finest civic buildings. Not only because of the numerous sculptures adorning its walls, but also because of its perfect proportions and the incomparable beauty of its tower, the spire of which is topped by the archangel Saint-Michael. Brussels laid the foundation stone of the magnificent Gothic edifice in the spring of 1402. In 1695, when the city was bombarded by Marshal de Villeroy, the Town Hall was destroyed by fire.
• Next, visit the northern part of the city, where most of the modern buildings are located, including the famous headquarters of many institutions. Admire the European Commission Building, he first European building to be constructed in Brussels at the end of the 1960s, the Berlaymont is back on its feet after a long and arduous face lift. The new structure, now fully modular, is home to a part of the army of civil servants of the European Commission.
• Ending your day, visit the European Parliament It is the only supranational institution whose members are democratically elected by direct universal suffrage. It represents the people of the Member States. The European Parliament is elected every five years, and is involved in drafting numerous laws (directives, regulations etc.) that affect the daily life of every citizen.

DAY 3

• After breakfast, visit the Art and History Museum, house material and artefacts from various civilisations with the exception of Black Africa. They consist of the Cinquantenaire Museum, the Chinese Pavilion and the Japanese Tower, the Museum of Japanese Art, the Musical Instruments Museum, the Porte de Hal Museum, the Horta-Lambeaux Pavilion and the Palace of Charles of Lorraine. The Cinquantenaire Museum is divided into four main sections: national archeology, antiquity, non-European civilisations and European decorative arts.
• Next to this museum, you can also visit two other interesting museums. The Autoworld Brussels is a museum collection of old cars dating back to the late 1890s when the first cars rolled onto the roads. Based at theParc du Cinquantenaire, this warehouse holds over 400 vehicles and stocks mostly European or U.S. original models. It’s a great walk back into history for car buffs. The Royal Museum of Army and Military Hoistory houses around one hundred thousand items (weapons, uniforms, scale-models, documents), making it one of the world’s largest military museums.
• After lunch, visit the Museum of Natural Science – Step into a world of dinosaurs and evolution: the Museum of Natural Science in Brussels is a gigantic construction with over five different exhibitions to hold your interest and interest of children for an entire day. This natural history museum is a living institution with research facilities in the deepest floors preserving and studying animals, fossils and bones from all centuries to bring us new information and findings on the natural world.
• Next, visit the St. Michel and Gudule Cathedral. A veritable juxtaposition of Brabant Gothic styles takes us back to the 13th century and the atmosphere of the great builders. Its two towers give it a very French appearance. Building of the cathedral started in 1226, whilst the facade dates from the 15th century. The prodigious stained-glass windows of the transept and of La Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement (Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament) were inspired by the drawings of Bernard Van Orley and donated by Charles V and his family. The chancel is the final resting place of Jean II, Duke of Brabant, his wife Margaret of York and the Archduke Ernest. The Archduke Albert and his wife Isabelle and Archduke Charles de Lorraine lie in the chapel of Saint-Sacrement.
• Ending your visit of Brussels, make your way to the Palais de Justice (Justice Palace), a grand structure that stands at the top of Brussels looking down on the city; offering one of the best evening cityscapes of Brussels. This building still serves its original purpose as the high courts of Brussels. It has a distinctive golden dome and many columns decorating its façade, which faces onto the road, located at Place Poelaert near Avenue Louise shopping street.

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