How To Spend A Sustainable Weekend In Brussels

An increasing number of eco-friendly businesses are popping up in Brussels. Take a look at our tips for the best sustainable restaurants, initiatives and experiences in the Belgian capital.

Over the last 20 years, Brussels has been moving towards becoming a more eco-friendly city. With the establishment of Brussels Environment (the public service for the environment and energy), numerous peaceful climate marches and the success of its green party, Brussels is making eco-awareness a real priority.

Looking to be an eco-conscious visitor in Brussels? Here are Culture Trip’s tips and tricks on how to spend a sustainable weekend in the Belgian capital and discover some of the eco-gems the city has to offer.

Take a walking tour of the city

The fastest way to get to know the city’s eco-friendly treasures is by joining an eco-tour through the hippest neighbourhoods. Mixua organises these tours to discover the newest zero-waste shops, bars and restaurants in Brussels. You can even meet the entrepreneurs behind the curtains of the visited venues. There are tours for businesses as well, to help inspire a more environmentally friendly workspace. Hiring a guide costs €30 (£25) including food and drink, a gift and a map of other eco-friendly spaces to visit during your stay in Brussels.

Get your groceries from Färm…

If you’re on a budget but still want to eat well, you need to know where to grab your environmentally conscious groceries. A great zero-waste supermarket in the centre is Färm. Here, you can buy your food in bulk and without non-biodegradable containers. The warehouse provides biodegradable bags, but you can also bring your own container. You can find the shop at four locations throughout the city: Saint-Cathérine, Ixelles, Schaerbeek and Uccle.

… and discover the circular economy at a real rooftop farm

An interesting project to check out is the rooftop farm Ferme Abattoir in the Anderlecht district. Nicknamed ‘the belly of Brussels’, this huge rooftop farm has 4,000 square metres (43,055 square feet) of greenhouse, complete with a fish farm. BIGH (short for Building Integrated Greenhouses) started the project in 2018 and uses circular economy as their business model, making sure that waste is minimised and resources reused. The electricity is partially supplied through the farm’s solar panels, and relies on filtered rainwater rather than the mains supply for hydration.

Seek out Brussels’ bio-markets and sustainable cafés

Bio-markets are another great eco-friendly daytime activity and an alternative way to shop eco-consciously. There are a few artisanal markets in Brussels that are worth checking out and are not especially focussed on biological foods. One that does exclusively is the bio-market at the centre for sustainable economy, Be Here.

Fermenthings organise brunches on Sundays at Be Here, offering a completely organic brunch for €20 (£17). Make sure to book your space online in advance; the brunches are very popular and sell out quickly.

There are a few eco-friendly cafés around the city. A great zero-waste café is Boentje in Schaerbeek. They also organise workshops about living a more environmentally friendly life and arrange brunches.

Make smart use of public transport

Luckily, Brussels is a compact city, and most destinations in and around the centre are reachable on foot. If you want to go a little further afield, you can always take Villo bicycles. Villo is a rental-bike service offered by the city and costs around €5 (£4) per day, depending on how long you’re using the bike. Be careful on the streets of Brussels though, as the drivers tend to be a little more daredevil than in other Belgian cities.

Villo is a rental-bike service offered by the city

You can also minimise your emissions by using alternative transport in the city, which is well served by a number of bus, train and tram routes.

Dress to impress at Orybany

Interested in nature-friendly and sustainable fashion, or just looking to buy cute clothes? Pass by Orybany in the centre to get clothes with a clean ethical background. You will find all types of clothes here, from a selection of ethically conscious clothing, jewellery and craft brands. On every second Sunday of the month you’ll find Tomorrow’s Market here, where you can buy other artisanal products by local craftspeople.

Look to the future

For a great cultural experience you can visit the BelExpo in Thurn en Taxis. Held at the BEL centre, the interactive exhibition The City of Tomorrow gives an idea of how to live in the city with the smallest ecological footprint possible, and aims to inspire families to make their home as sustainable as possible. It’s a great educational experience for the whole family.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.