![\"Royal](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI258144196-8660.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Royal Galleries in Brussels\u2019 historic centre (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tThe Royal Galleries in Brussels\u2019 historic centre (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
When the sugar cravings hit, there\u2019s no better place to be than Brussels<\/a>. Belgium<\/a>\u2019s historic yet hip capital knows how to do chocolate.<\/p>\n Colonial ties to the Congo<\/a> gave it access to the cocoa bean before most, and the invention of the decadent Belgian praline in 1912 cemented its reputation as one of the world\u2019s top destinations for chocolate creations.<\/p>\n Today, the tiny European country is home to some 2,000 sweet shops. <\/p>\n And Brussels, often nicknamed the \u2018chocolate capital of the world\u2019, has something for every palate.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s all the things you can do to satisfy your sweet tooth.<\/p>\n Chocolate Experiences<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/p>\n Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Belgium and Switzerland share a reputation for top quality choc, but with more chocolatiers per square foot than any other city in the world, Brussels just about clinches the crown.<\/p>\n And with over 80 artisans to learn from, there\u2019s no better way to start a trip than with a hands-on workshop.<\/p>\n Become a chocolatier for the day with Brussels\u2019 award-winning artisan Laurent Gerbaud. His Jamaican pepper ganache is as spicy as it sounds, and is one of many quirky flavours to try at the end of his Saturday sessions.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got room for more, wander around Brussels\u2019 hundreds of chocolatiers. From Pierre Marcolini\u2019s Iranian pistachio to Wittamer\u2019s nutty Tarragona, there\u2019s a story behind them all.<\/p>\n For something more active, book on to a food tour of the best chocolatiers. Top-rated walking tours include Groovy Brussels (\u00a334\/\u20ac39) and Hungry Mary (\u00a385\/\u20ac99).<\/p>\n Alternatively head for a chocolate museum such as The Choco Story (\u00a312\/\u20ac14) or the Belgian Chocolate Village (\u00a37\/\u20ac8). Live demonstrations and historic exhibitions will keep you entertained until you find room for more.<\/p>\n Other things to do in Brussels<\/p>\n To work up an appetite, the UNESCO-listed Grand-Place is worth a visit. Standouts are the 15th-Century Town Hall and the Brussels City Museum (\u00a39\/\u20ac10).\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re lucky, you might catch the Brussels Flower Carpet. Every other August, some one million begonias and dahlias blanket the square in a bright tapestry.<\/p>\n Less than 10 minutes\u2019 walk from there is the Museum of Illusions (\u00a315\/\u20ac17.50), a world of optical illusions and sensory exhibitions. Only eight minutes by foot from the Grand-Place, it\u2019s worth squeezing into your itinerary.<\/p>\n From there, an afternoon at the Cantillon Brewery is one well spent. Take a self-guided tour of one of the last traditional lambic (fermented) breweries in Belgium still operating with its original, centuries-old equipment.<\/p>\n \t\t If cartoons are your thing, Brussels\u2019 Comic Strip trail has more than 80 murals to admire. Keep your eyes peeled for famous characters like The Smurfs and Tintin painted on the streets.<\/p>\n Make for the Place du Jeu-de-Balle and you\u2019ll find Brussels\u2019 most popular flea market, where you\u2019ll find a trove of second-hand treasures including antiques, comic books and vintage vinyl.<\/p>\n For something kooky, Brussels is famous for its peeing statues: there\u2019s Manneken Pis, the 400-year-old peeing boy, Jeanneke Pis, his squatting sister, and Het Zinneke, a urinating dog. Scattered around the city, the quirky statues are always a hit with tourists.<\/p>\n Twin-city breaks from Brussels<\/p>\n Adding a side-trip to your holiday now has a name: \u2018detour destinations\u2019.<\/p>\n And as a growing number of people seek out authentic experiences that challenge the typical tourist route, it\u2019s already been hailed as one of the hottest travel trends of 2025.<\/p>\n From Brussels you can reach iconic cities such as Amsterdam<\/a> by train or coach. A two-hour train journey costs \u00a328. By coach, you can get there for \u00a37.50 in under three hours.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to dive into the unknown, underrated gems such as Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges are all around one hour away.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tHow to get to Brussels\t\t\t<\/p>\n From the UK, Brussels is easily accessible by plane, coach and train.<\/p>\n Direct flights from London Heathrow Airport<\/a> cost \u00a343, and will get you to the \u2018chocolate capital\u2019 in roughly one hour.<\/p>\n For a cheaper and more sustainable journey, coach services such as Flixbus will get you from London Victoria to Brussels for as little as \u00a332.99 one-way, with luggage included.<\/p>\n With no security queues and no expensive airport transfers, you can go to sleep at London Victoria and wake up in Brussels.<\/p>\n Eurostar<\/a> trains depart from St Pancras International, arriving in Brussels within 2 hours and costing you \u00a351.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI258144230-d240.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Brussels Flower Carpet is placed by around 100 volunteers (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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