Where to stay

Brussels is an excellent place to stay to sample the flavors of Belgium, from craft beers to fine dining restaurants. Hotels near Sainte-Catherine offer great choices for visiting chocolatier landmarks, such as the Frederic Blondeel, which offers a factory tour. Craft beer fans can book rooms near the Midi Train Station or Anderlecht to be within walking distance of the artisan L'Ermitage and Cantillon breweries. Stay in the chic Dansaert neighborhood to enjoy cool bars at Place St-Gery, while hotels near Place Ste-Catherine and Ixelles are perfect for fabulous food markets including Place Flagey.

Antique shoppers focus on the city's gorgeous Place du Grand Sablon near the city center. Choose hotels in the Marolles district for plenty of antique shops and the daily Jeu de Balle flea market that rivals the Clignancourt of Paris. Hotels in Dansaert in downtown Brussels are at the center of boutique shopping. Stay in Halles Saint-Géry for the monthly fair, with plenty of vintage fashion bargains. Boutique hotel fans should consider a stay south of the city in Saint-Gilles or Ixelles, full of shops and bars. Avenue Louise is a luxury landmark on any shopping list.

Brussels is famous for its comic culture. Find plenty of hotels on the Comic Book Route featuring 60 mural paintings. Schaerbeek is a neighborhood with stylish appeal for fans of art nouveau and art deco architecture, while hotels in the city center put museum culture on your doorstep. MIMA is one of the newest additions. For more historic buildings, accommodations along the cobbled lanes of the Marolles and Sablon neighborhoods are close to the impressive gothic church of Notre-Dame du Sablon. For those who prefer jazz music, rooms in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode are ideal. The area's botanical garden dates back to the French Revolution and is a breath of fresh air in the city.