Brussels for a weekend, or a weekend plus a workday
Brussels is compact, well connected by rail and easy to combine with a meeting. Knowing how the city fits together makes a short stay much easier.
Arriving: three main stations and an airport link
Most international trains arrive at Brussels-South (also signed Midi or Zuid), the station used by high-speed services. Brussels-Central sits next to the historic centre, and Brussels-North serves the business district around it. Trains link all three, and Brussels Airport has its own railway station. Choosing a base near the station you arrive at, or near Central, saves time on a short trip.
Getting around
The city is served by metro, trams and buses, and much of the centre is easy to walk. Distances are short, but the centre is hilly in places: the upper town and the lower town are separated by a noticeable slope. Bike sharing and electric scooters are available, and taxis and ride-hailing services cover the rest.
The historic centre
The Grand-Place, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, is the obvious starting point and worth seeing both by day and in the evening. From there, the streets around it, the covered royal galleries and the small squares of the lower town fill a first afternoon easily. The comic strip murals painted on walls across the centre are a good excuse to wander off the main streets.
The upper town and the museums
Up the hill, the Mont des Arts and the area around the Royal Palace concentrate several major museums, including the Royal Museums of Fine Arts and the Magritte Museum. Pick one for a morning rather than trying to see them all.
Beyond the centre
The Atomium, built for the 1958 World's Fair, sits in the north of the city. To the south-east, the Sonian Forest offers long walks within reach of public transport. Neighbourhoods such as Ixelles and Saint-Gilles are pleasant for an evening away from the busiest streets.
Combining a meeting with a weekend
Many work trips to Brussels lead to the European Quarter or the business district near the North station. If your meeting is on a Friday or a Monday, it is easy to extend the trip into a weekend: stay somewhere central, which works for both, and avoid staying in a purely business district where streets go quiet in the evening and at weekends.
Practical notes
Brussels is officially bilingual, so street and station names often appear in two languages; it helps to know both names of your station. Opening times of museums and restaurants change, so check them on their own websites before you go.