A photograph of Belgium

Country guide

Belgium

Belgium covers 30,689 km² and holds more than 11.8 million people, a density of 383 per km² that ranks sixth in Europe. It is divided three ways — Flanders in...

Photograph · Naval S from Berlin · CC BY 2.0

3,688 Places
1Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Belgium covers 30,689 km² and holds more than 11.8 million people, a density of 383 per km² that ranks sixth in Europe.

It is divided three ways — Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the south, the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle — and the language divides with it: Dutch for about 60 per cent of the population, French for about 40, German for the one per cent in the East Cantons. The choice for a visitor is largely between Brussels, which carries the seats of the European Commission and Council and the headquarters of NATO, and the Flemish cities: Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Dutch, French and German
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+32
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and E · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
Public drinking water is regulated by Belgium's regional authorities

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Atomium Atomium
    02 2 hours

    Atomium

    The Atomium is a building in the shape of a cube standing on one corner, and it is a model of something: the unit cell of an iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  2. Manneken Pis Manneken Pis
    03 10 min

    Manneken Pis

    Manneken Pis is a bronze fountain figure of a small boy urinating, 55.5 centimetres tall, set in a stone niche on the corner where the Rue du Chêne meets the Rue de l'Étuve, a short walk downhill from the Grand-Place.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  3. Brussels Town Hall Brussels Town Hall
    04 1 hr 30 min

    Brussels Town Hall

    Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles - Stadhuis van Brussel

    The City Hall of Brussels is the working seat of the city's administration and the only building on the Grand-Place that a visitor can go inside on a ticket.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  4. Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries
    05 45 min

    Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries

    Galeries royales Saint-Hubert - Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen

    The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries are a prestigious ensemble of glazed shopping arcades in central Brussels. Designed by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer and inaugurated in 1847, they represent one of Europe's earliest covered shopping passages.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Brussels
  5. Horta Museum Horta Museum
    06 1 hr 15 min

    Horta Museum

    Musée Horta - Hortamuseum

    The Horta Museum is the house and architectural studio that Victor Horta built for himself in Saint-Gilles, and it is the only building on the Art Nouveau circuit in Brussels that a visitor can walk through room by room.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  6. Magritte Museum Magritte Museum
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Magritte Museum

    Musée Magritte Museum

    The Musée Magritte Museum is a museum devoted entirely to René Magritte (1898-1967), installed in the Hôtel Altenloh on the Place Royale and run by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  7. Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
    08 1 hour

    Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

    Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule - Sint-Michiels-en-Goedelekathedraal

    The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula stands on the Treurenberg slope in central Brussels, dedicated to the two patron saints of the city and built in Brabantine Gothic.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Brussels
  8. Belgian Comic Strip Center Belgian Comic Strip Center
    09 2 hours

    Belgian Comic Strip Center

    Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée - Belgisch Stripcentrum

    The Comic Art Museum, still widely signposted and registered under its founding name Belgian Comic Strip Center, occupies a department store that was never meant to hold pictures.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  9. Cinquantenaire Park Cinquantenaire Park
    10 1 hr 15 min

    Cinquantenaire Park

    Parc du Cinquantenaire - Jubelpark

    Cinquantenaire Park, also called Jubelpark, is the formal park and monumental complex in Brussels' European Quarter, made for Belgium's fiftieth anniversary in 1880. It began on the former Linthout drill ground and expanded after the 1880 national exhibition.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Brussels
  10. Mini-Europe Mini-Europe
    11 2 hours

    Mini-Europe

    Mini-Europe is a miniature park at the foot of the Atomium in Laeken, in the north of Brussels, where some 350 monuments from across the European Union are rebuilt at a scale of 1/25 and set into roughly 2.5 hectares…

    • Must see
    • Entertainment venue
    • Brussels
  11. Oldmasters Museum Oldmasters Museum
    12 1 hr 30 min

    Oldmasters Museum

    Musée Oldmasters - Oldmasters Museum

    The Old Masters Museum is one of the four sites that make up the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, a federal institution whose main entrance is at Rue de la Régence 3, on the slope below the Place…

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  12. Musical Instruments Museum Musical Instruments Museum
    13 2 hours

    Musical Instruments Museum

    Musée des instruments de musique - Muziekinstrumentenmuseum

    The Musical Instruments Museum, universally called the MIM, is a federal Belgian museum of roughly ten thousand instruments, of which about twelve hundred are on show.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  13. Royal Palace of Brussels Royal Palace of Brussels
    14 45 min

    Royal Palace of Brussels

    Palais Royal - Koninklijk Paleis

    The Royal Palace of Brussels serves as the official palace of the Belgian King and houses the administrative services of the monarchy. Despite its name, it is not the royal residence; the King lives at the Palace of Laeken.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  14. Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium

    Muséum des sciences naturelles de Belgique - Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen van België

    The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium is a major natural history museum located in Brussels. Its local names are Muséum des sciences naturelles de Belgique in French and Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen van België in Dutch, reflecting Belgium's bilingual character.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  15. Autoworld Autoworld
    16 1 hr 30 min

    Autoworld

    Autoworld is a motor museum located in Brussels, Belgium. The institution occupies a historic building within the Parc du Cinquantenaire complex, a prominent architectural setting in the European capital.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  16. BELvue BELvue
    17 1 hr 30 min

    BELvue

    Musée BELvue - BELvue Museum

    BELvue is a museum located in Brussels, Belgium. It occupies a historic building and presents exhibitions related to Belgian history, democracy, and society. The museum is situated in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, near the Royal Palace.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  17. House of European History House of European History
    18 1 hr 30 min

    House of European History

    Maison de l'Histoire européenne - Huis van de Europese geschiedenis

    The House of European History is a museum in Brussels dedicated to the history of Europe and European integration. Located in the European Quarter near the European Parliament, it occupies the Eastman Building, a former dental institute.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  18. Parlamentarium Parlamentarium
    19 1 hr 30 min

    Parlamentarium

    The Parlamentarium is the visitors' centre of the European Parliament, located in Brussels. It serves as an exhibition space designed to inform the public about the European Parliament's role, history, and democratic processes.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels
  19. Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon
    20 30 min

    Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon

    Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon - Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Zavelkerk

    The Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon is a Roman Catholic church in Brussels, Belgium. Its local names are Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon in French and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Zavelkerk in Dutch.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Brussels
  20. Bourse Palace Bourse Palace
    21 45 min

    Bourse Palace

    Bourse - Beurs

    Bourse Palace, known locally as Bourse or Beurs, is a historic landmark on Boulevard Anspach 80 in central Brussels. The building stands in the pedestrian zone beside Grand-Place and combines public halls with visitor attractions, hospitality venues and services.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  21. Palace of Justice of Brussels Palace of Justice of Brussels
    22 45 min

    Palace of Justice of Brussels

    Palais de justice - Justitiepaleis

    The Palace of Justice of Brussels, known locally as Palais de justice or Justitiepaleis, stands as one of Belgium's most monumental law courts.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  22. Brussels Park Brussels Park
    23 45 min

    Brussels Park

    Parc de Bruxelles - Warandepark

    Brussels Park, known locally as Parc de Bruxelles and Warandepark, is a public park situated in the heart of Brussels. It lies adjacent to the Royal Square and the Belgian Parliament building.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Brussels
  23. Bois de la Cambre - Ter Kamerenbos Bois de la Cambre - Ter Kamerenbos
    24 1 hour

    Bois de la Cambre - Ter Kamerenbos

    Bois de la Cambre, known in Dutch as Ter Kamerenbos, is a public park situated in Brussels, Belgium. It occupies a significant green space within the urban environment of the Belgian capital.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Brussels
  24. Palace of Coudenberg Palace of Coudenberg
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Palace of Coudenberg

    Coudenberg

    The Palace of Coudenberg was a medieval royal and imperial palace located on Coudenberg hill in Brussels. It served as the seat of government for the Dukes of Brabant and later for the Habsburg rulers.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Brussels

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Belgium be?

Five to seven days covers Brussels plus two or three rail-linked cities such as Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven or Liège. Staying in one or two bases avoids losing time to repeated hotel changes in this compact network.

What entry documents are needed for Belgium?

Belgium’s foreign-affairs service publishes visa and short-stay requirements. Check the rule for the passport being used and the full Schengen itinerary, especially when Belgium is not the first external border crossed.

What is the best way to travel around Belgium?

Brussels Airport connects directly with Belgium’s national rail network, and intercity trains link the principal cities without compulsory reservations. Local buses, trams and metros belong to separate regional operators, so one urban ticket is not automatically valid nationwide.

When is a practical time to visit Belgium?

April through June offers long sightseeing days, while September usually retains workable conditions with fewer peak-summer pressures. Belgian weather remains changeable, making a waterproof layer useful in any of these months.

What money and payment basics apply in Belgium?

The euro (EUR) is Belgium’s currency. Card and cash acceptance can differ between a station machine, a market stall and a small business, so retain a second payment method rather than assuming one card will work everywhere.

What practical safety details should I save for Belgium?

Belgium uses 112 for emergencies and Type C or E plugs at 230 V. The recorded national guidance says mains tap water is safe.