Free Things to Do in Brussels
Places with no entry charge
The Grand-Place, Manneken-Pis, the parks, the markets and the churches in this list cost nothing to see. The places here are listed without an entry charge, so check each page for current rules.
89 places
All year When
The places
Museum · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire House of European History A museum on Rue Belliard, in Parc Léopold, about the history of Europe. Entry is free.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Grand-Place The central square of Brussels, ringed by guild houses and the Town Hall. Its decoration was largely rebuilt after the bombardment of 1695.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Manneken-Pis A small bronze fountain statue of a boy on Rue de l'Étuve, one of the best known sights of the city.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Jeanneke-Pis A small fountain statue of a girl in an alley off Rue des Bouchers.
Landmark · Place Saint-Géry Bourse de Bruxelles The former stock exchange, a 19th-century building on Boulevard Anspach, now home to Belgian Beer World.
Landmark · Place Saint-Géry Halles Saint-Géry A 19th-century covered market hall on Place Saint-Géry, now used for exhibitions and events.
Landmark · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Place de Brouckère A busy square on the central boulevards, on the route between the Grand-Place and the Rue Neuve.
Landmark · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Mont des Arts A terraced garden and stairway between the Royal Library and Place Royale, with a view of the Town Hall tower.
Landmark · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Place Royale A neoclassical square on the Coudenberg hill, with the church of Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg.
Landmark · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Congress Column A column on Place du Congrès that commemorates the National Congress of 1830, with the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at its foot.
Landmark · Sablon and Marolles Palais de Justice The vast Law Courts building on Place Poelaert, among the largest buildings of the 19th century.
Landmark · Sablon and Marolles Place du Grand Sablon A sloping square in the upper town known for antique dealers, chocolatiers and cafes.
Landmark · Sablon and Marolles Place du Jeu de Balle The square in the Marolles where a daily flea market is held.
Landmark · Sablon and Marolles Poelaert Elevator A public lift that links Place Poelaert in the upper town with the Marolles below.
Landmark · Dansaert and Canal Tour Anneessens A surviving tower of the first medieval city wall, on Boulevard de l'Empereur.
Landmark · Dansaert and Canal Tour Noire A tower of the first city wall, rediscovered beside Place Sainte-Catherine.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Cinquantenaire Arcade The triple triumphal arch built for the 1880 celebrations of fifty years of Belgian independence, at the head of Cinquantenaire Park.
Landmark · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Place Meiser A large square in Schaerbeek, officially Place Général Meiser.
Landmark · Saint-Gilles and Forest Parvis de Saint-Gilles The main square of Saint-Gilles, with cafes, a market and the church of Saint-Gilles.
Landmark · Matongé and Flagey Place Flagey The square in Ixelles beside the Étangs d'Ixelles, dominated by the Flagey building.
Landmark · Matongé and Flagey Étangs d'Ixelles A pair of ponds in Ixelles, between Place Flagey and the Abbaye de la Cambre.
Landmark · Tour & Taxis and Molenbeek Parc de Tour & Taxis A public park on the canal side of the former Tour & Taxis site.
Church · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula The Gothic cathedral of Brussels, on the slope between the Central Station and the upper town.
Church · Sablon and Marolles Church of Notre-Dame du Sablon A late Gothic church on Rue de la Régence overlooking the Sablon, with large stained glass windows.
Church · Sablon and Marolles Notre-Dame de la Chapelle A church in the Marolles with a Gothic nave, where Pieter Bruegel the Elder was buried.
Church · Sablon and Marolles Église Notre-Dame-aux-Riches-Claires A Baroque church on Rue des Riches Claires in the centre of Brussels.
Church · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg The neoclassical church on Place Royale, built in the 18th century.
Church · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Church of Sainte-Catherine A church by Joseph Poelaert on Place Sainte-Catherine, built between 1854 and 1874, close to the Tour Noire.
Church · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Saint John the Baptist at the Beguinage A Baroque church on Place du Béguinage, with a facade of Flemish Baroque detail.
Church · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Church of the Minimes A Baroque church on Rue des Minimes, in the Marolles.
Church · Place Saint-Géry Saint-Nicolas Church One of the oldest churches in Brussels, behind the Bourse on Rue au Beurre.
Church · Laeken and Heysel Notre-Dame de Laeken The neo-Gothic church of Laeken, with the royal crypt behind it.
Church · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Sainte-Marie Church A Byzantine-style church in Schaerbeek on Place de la Reine.
Church · Louise and Châtelain Saint-Boniface Church A church in the Ixelles quarter around Rue de la Paix.
Church · Saint-Gilles and Forest Saint-Gilles Church The church on the Parvis de Saint-Gilles in the commune of the same name.
Church · Matongé and Flagey Église de la Sainte-Trinité A Neo-Baroque church on the Parvis de la Trinité in Ixelles, on the border with Saint-Gilles.
Church · Tour & Taxis and Molenbeek Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Molenbeek A church on the Parvis Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Molenbeek.
Church · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Saint-Pierre Church of Uccle The main church of Uccle, a neoclassical building of 1778 to 1782 on the Parvis Saint-Pierre.
Park · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Cinquantenaire Park A formal park in the east of the city, framed by the Cinquantenaire Arcade and three museums.
Park · Louise and Châtelain Bois de la Cambre A large wooded park in the south of the city at the end of Avenue Louise, with a lake and an island.
Park · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Brussels Park The formal park between the Royal Palace and the Parliament, laid out in the 18th century.
Park · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Egmont Park A small garden behind the Egmont Palace, close to Place du Petit Sablon.
Park · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Parc Léopold A park in the European Quarter, next to the European Parliament buildings.
Park · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Parc Josaphat A large landscaped park in Schaerbeek.
Park · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Botanique Garden The garden in front of Le Botanique, on Rue Royale in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode.
Park · Saint-Gilles and Forest Parc de Forest A large public park in Forest, in the south-west of the city.
Park · Saint-Gilles and Forest Parc Duden A hillside park in Forest.
Park · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Forêt de Soignes A large beech forest that begins at the southern edge of the city and runs into Flanders and Wallonia.
Park · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Parc de Wolvendael A park in Uccle with ponds, lawns and an avenue of trees.
Park · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Rouge-Cloître A former priory in the Forêt de Soignes in Auderghem, now a nature site with ponds.
Park · Woluwe Parc de Woluwe A large park in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre along the Avenue de Tervueren.
Park · Woluwe Parc Georges Henri A residential park in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
Park · Woluwe Parc Malou A park in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert beside Chaussée de Stockel.
Park · Woluwe Parc Parmentier A park in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.
Park · Laeken and Heysel Laeken Park A public park in Laeken beside the Royal Palace estate.
Park · Koekelberg and Jette Parc Élisabeth The public park at the foot of the Basilica of Koekelberg.
Park · Anderlecht Parc Astrid A park in Anderlecht, opened as the Parc du Meir and renamed Astrid in 1935, beside the stadium of RSC Anderlecht.
Park · Anderlecht Parc de Scherdemael A park in Anderlecht.
Park · Dansaert and Canal Parc Marie-José A park in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.
Park · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Jardin du Mont des Arts The formal garden on the terraces of the Mont des Arts.
Park · Koekelberg and Jette Parc Garcet A park in Jette.
Park · Koekelberg and Jette Parc de Dieleghem A wooded park with ponds in Jette, officially called the Bois de Dieleghem.
Viewpoint · Sablon and Marolles Place Poelaert A terrace at the edge of the upper town beside the Palais de Justice that looks over the Marolles and the city.
Market · Sablon and Marolles Jeu de Balle Flea Market The daily flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle in the Marolles.
Market · Anderlecht Marché du Midi A large Sunday market around Gare du Midi.
Market · Matongé and Flagey Flagey Market A weekend market on Place Flagey in Ixelles.
Market · Saint-Gilles and Forest Saint-Gilles Parvis Market A market on the Parvis de Saint-Gilles.
Market · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Plaisirs d'Hiver (Winter Wonders) The Christmas market and winter festival in the centre of Brussels.
Market · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Place Saint-Job market A weekly market in Uccle.
Market · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Marché de la Place Dailly A weekly market on Place Dailly in Schaerbeek.
Market · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Place Jourdan Fries The square in Etterbeek known for Maison Antoine and its fries.
Landmark · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Place des Martyrs A neoclassical square in the lower town with a monument to the victims of the 1830 revolution.
Landmark · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Place Sainte-Catherine A square on the site of the old inner harbour, with the Tour Noire and the church of Sainte-Catherine nearby.
Landmark · Sablon and Marolles Place du Petit Sablon A small neo-Renaissance garden square opposite the Church of Our Lady of the Sablon.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Zinneke Pis A bronze statue of a dog lifting its leg, at the corner of Rue des Chartreux and Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Statue of Everard 't Serclaes A 14th-century hero of the city is shown on a bronze relief in a wall of Rue Charles Buls beside the Grand-Place.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Place des Barricades A square in the centre of Brussels, renamed in 1831 in memory of the fighting for independence, with a statue of the anatomist Vesalius.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Square Ambiorix A garden square in the European Quarter that is known for the Art Nouveau houses around it.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Square Marie-Louise A garden square with a large pond, fountain and cascades, in the Squares quarter of north-east Brussels.
Church · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Notre-Dame du Finistère A Baroque church on Rue Neuve, in the main shopping street of the centre.
Church · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Église Saint-Servais A neo-Gothic church on the Parvis Saint-Servais, chaussée de Haecht, in Schaerbeek.
Church · Saint-Gilles and Forest Église Saint-Augustin An Art Deco church in Forest, on Place Altitude Cent, with a 54 metre tower.
Park · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Parc Tournay-Solvay A landscaped park in Watermael-Boitsfort with a rose garden.
Park · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Jardin Jean Massart A botanical garden in Auderghem created in 1922, run with the Université libre de Bruxelles, with nearly 2,000 plant species.
Park · Woluwe Étangs Mellaerts A pair of ponds in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre on the edge of the Parc de Woluwe.
Park · Anderlecht Parc de Neerpede A countryside park in Anderlecht on the edge of the Brussels region.
Park · Koekelberg and Jette Parc Roi Baudouin A park in Jette along the Molenbeek valley, a Natura 2000 site.
Park · Laeken and Heysel Parc Sobieski A public park in Laeken, north of the centre.
Park · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Square Marguerite A small square in the Squares quarter of north-east Brussels, with a pond and a play and sports area.
