The 7 Best Walking Tours To Take in Brussels

This one’s a must for foodies. Belgium has a stellar reputation for turning cocoa beans into chocolatey goodness and now you can try your hand. This most indulgent of walks starts in front of the first Godiva store, built in 1926. Next, it’s onto many a chocolate legend, such as Neuhaus, inventor of the soft-centred praline. For three hours, you’ll make your way from one chocolate temple to the next, passing landmarks and sampling authentic and exotic creations as you go. At the end, you get to make your own pralines. For those who consider themselves avid snackers but terrible cooks, this tour is a great half-day out.

Backpackers and penniless students will be delighted to hear of this tour, organised three times a day come rain or shine – because you get to pay whatever you can afford. Besides hallmarks such as Manneken Pis, La Bourse and the Royal Palace, a young team of guides will share with you the capital’s urban legends and lesser-known mysteries. They’ll also give you the local scoop on where to get the best fries, cheapest waffles, free museums and beers at democratic prices. In the end, you simply pay what you thought the tour was worth or what’s within the limits of your pocket book. Just remember to look out for the orange umbrella.

Beer culture runs deep in Belgium’s identity. In three of the capital’s specialised beer bars, you’ll get to enjoy one of the famous Trappist beers, brewed in monasteries under the strict supervision of the monks, and the Lambic, a Brussels specialty made exclusively in the Pajottenland region. It’s the perfect occasion to ask questions, and your guides are overflowing with beer knowledge so they’ll love to offer personalised beer advice tailor-made to your taste buds. Don’t forget your ID for this adults-only tour.

Belgium is one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to gay legal rights. In 2003, it became the second country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriages. There are a few very famous parties, like La Demence (men only), well-known for being an event of excess and debauchery. Velvet 69, on the other hand, is an all-girls party that also happens periodically and has met with huge success. If, however, you are not really into clubbing, a walk in the city center could take you on a tour to a generous amount of very decent gay bars. Most of these establishments are located around Rue Marché au Charbon, which is quite useful because it allows the visitor to pick and choose a number of places to visit. A few suggestions: Chez Maman and Belgica. Recommended by Teresa Lopes Vieira

Belgian-born comic strip heroes Tintin, Marsupilami and Spirou are everywhere in Brussels, but you need to know where to look. Going in search of the icons painted on walls throughout the city centre and Laeken during a tour is the best way to discover the nooks and crannies of the capital. Some of the frescoes play into the architectural qualities of the location they’ve been assigned, such as the Ric Hochet wall, where the adventurous reporter is dangling from a rooftop to swing into a girl’s bedroom. The project was launched by the City of Brussels in 1993 and has come to count more than 50 murals, and this number increases every year.

He is one of the most famous francophone singers of all time, and although he lived most of his adult life in France, it was in Brussels, his hometown, that he spent his youth. Editions Jacques Brel offers an exhibition dedicated to the singer, and also a walking tour with the aim of seeing the city from his perspective. Brel had a very emotional relation with his home country, as can be heard in his songs. His daughter, France, gathered interviews of Jacques and some of his most intimate relations, like his wife, and his friends. Here, the visitor can have access to some of the concrete spots that were sources of inspiration. Recommended by Teresa Lopes Vieira

Brussels played a pioneering role in the development of the Art Nouveau style, with its rounded lines, oceans of glass and fanciful iron flourishes, thanks to the visionary Victor Horta. On this tour, you’ll get a chance to see Horta’s famed Brussels mansions, along with the private home of another Art Nouveau pioneer, Paul Hankar. First up is the impressive Musical Instruments Museum by Paul Saintenoy, and closing the tour is the atelier and house of Horta himself, now a museum. The price of the tour is whatever you’re willing or able to pay.