Atomium
The Atomium is a 102-meter structure of nine interconnected steel spheres representing an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World Expo. The exterior is free to photograph from the surrounding Heysel park.
Garden in Brussels
A terraced garden between the old town and the royal quarter with sweeping views over the Grand Place spires and the Brussels skyline. Free to visit, it is one of the best vantage points in the city and a natural rest stop between the lower and upper town.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Atomium is a 102-meter structure of nine interconnected steel spheres representing an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World Expo. The exterior is free to photograph from the surrounding Heysel park.
Brussels' primary cathedral combines Romanesque and Gothic architecture with impressive twin towers visible across the city center. Free to enter, it sits on a hill between the Grand Place and the European Quarter and is one of the most architecturally significant churches in Belgium.
Brussels is the capital of European comics (Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke), and over 50 large-scale comic murals are painted on building walls across the city center. Free.
One of the oldest covered shopping galleries in Europe, opened in 1847 and still lined with chocolate shops, bookstores, and cafes. Walking through the glass-vaulted arcade is free and offers shelter from Brussels' unpredictable weather.
The Grand Place is Brussels' central square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by ornate guild houses, the Gothic Town Hall, and the Maison du Roi. Free.
Manneken Pis is a small bronze fountain sculpture of a urinating boy, the unofficial symbol of Brussels. Free.
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