The 10 most Instagrammable spots in Brussels
Brussels doesn’t shout about its looks the way Bruges does, but it’s quietly one of the most photogenic cities in Europe — if you know where to point your camera. Here are our ten favourite spots, with timing tips.
1. The Grand-Place
The obvious one, and it earns it. Shoot it early morning (empty, golden) or floodlit at night (guide). At Christmas, the light show; on even-year Augusts, the Flower Carpet.
2. The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
Europe’s oldest covered arcade — the glass roof, the symmetry, the warm light. Endlessly photogenic and weatherproof.
3. The Tintin mural
By Manneken-Pis: Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock on a fire escape — the star of the comic murals.
4. Mont des Arts viewpoint
The framed view down over the lower town from the Mont des Arts gardens — classic Brussels skyline, spires and rooftops.
5. The Sablon’s Notre-Dame
The Gothic church, beautifully lit at night, and the elegant square around it (Sablon guide).
6. Art Nouveau façades
The sgraffito and ironwork of Saint-Gilles and Ixelles — look up; the detail is the shot (walking route).
7. The Atomium
The giant chrome spheres against the sky — surreal and unmistakable (guide). Best with a clear sky behind it.
8. The MIM rooftop
The Musical Instruments Museum’s rooftop terrace gives one of the best (and least-known) city panoramas (guide).
9. The Ixelles ponds
Art Nouveau townhouses reflected in the water in leafy Ixelles — calm, local, lovely (guide).
10. A friterie cone
Not grand, but pure Brussels: a paper cone of golden frites in hand, the city behind it (best frites).
A few tips
- Mornings beat the crowds at the Grand-Place and Galeries.
- Look up for Art Nouveau — the best detail is above eye level.
- Night shots of the floodlit centre are underrated.
- The murals make a whole photo-walk on their own (murals map).
Brussels rewards photographers who look beyond the obvious — wander into the hidden gems and you’ll find plenty more.
