Hi,
We will visit Brussels June 1 - 3 by ourselves and after that we will go with tour.
We are planning one day spent in Brussels, one day travel to Leuven and Mechlen, and we are not sure about 3rd day. One option is travel to Lille but looks like it's long travel time (with inexpensive tickets) about 4 hours round trip. And we do not know is it worse? Another option one day side trip but what's nice place and not far from Brussels. And another option spent one more day in Brussels. We are welcome any recommendations, we are preferring more time outside than inside of some museums, but we do not reject them at all. THanks, Vadim.

What to see in Brussels, after the first four pictures:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...960216715/show

Bruges! Great for a day trip. Beautiful place to be outside and easy, short train trip from Brussels.

Ghent! It is lovely with a river lined with lots of cafes, also a great place for walking and easy short train ride from Brussels.

A vote for Bruges as well from me! Very cute town, easy to get to by train. Lots of chocolate shops - Rick Steves' write up on Bruges was very nice.

Please go to the Grand Place at night - it's so beautiful when it's lit up.

Here's my trip report about Belgium (and Amsterdam and South Africa). All the same trip.
http://fanofblank.blogspot.com/2014/...th-africa.html

Enjoy your trip!

Uhm, explore Brussels some more? It's a great city and there's more than the Grand Place, much much more. You seem to be there mostly to leave the city. That's unfortunate.

Bruxelles : from Colle, fodors
You could easily fill two days in Brussels. There are chocolate stores all over Brussels. I recommend going to the Grand Sablon--many of the well known places have shops there--Pierre Marcolini, Wittamer, Godiva, Neuhaus, Leonidas, Passion (and there are also some other neat art, antique, and home furnishing shops there, too). The hot chocolate at Wittamer is amazing and, on a nice day, it's lovely to sit outside and take in the scene. If you are in the Sablon on a Saturday or Sunday, the antiques market will be going on.
Don't buy the chocolate in the tourist shops where they are offering 10 boxes for a special price or things like that. Most of this is low quality chocolate and not worth it. For another delicious treat, be sure to get a warm Gaufre de Liege--a carmelized sugar waffle.
Besides chocolate (and waffles), there are lots of interesting things to do in Brussels. You definitely have to see the magnificent Grand Place. Even though he's overrated, you should also swing by the Manneken Pis statue/fountain. It's actually fun to see him if you happen to catch him on a day when he is dressed up. If you really enjoy this sort of thing, you can go find the female version (Janneken Pis) and the dog version (Zinneke Pis). The dog version is near the Halles St Gery, which is a beautiful old covered market building that has been converted to a tourist desk/coffee shop and exhibition space. There are usually at least two exhibits going on and they have always been free when I have been there. It is worth stopping by just to see the building. This is also a lively neighborhood for restaurants, especially Asian restaurants, with many outdoor cafes.
If you like Art Nouveau architecture, I suggest getting the map from the tourist office on the Grand Place and following the nice walking route marked for some fantastic examples. You could also go to the Victor Horta House museum. If you are into comics, the same map also has a walking tour of the comic strip murals painted on buildings around Brussels. There also is a comic strip museum.
If you like modern art/surrealism, the Magritte Museum is well worth a visit. This is not my favorite type of art, but I thoroughly enjoyed the museum. The audioguide is very well done and really enhanced my visit. I am not sure I would have appreciated it as much without it.
If you like military history, the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military history is great. I liked it a lot, even though I am not a huge military history buff. It is located in one of the buildings by the arch in the Parc Cinquantenaire. The collection is very impressive--all sorts of military uniforms, weapons, armor, artifacts, and even all sorts of vehicles like tanks, airplanes, helicopters, etc. There is a whole hangar of them. The museum is free, including the visit to the top of the arch where you can have a nice view over Brussels. The park itself is nice for a stroll or a run if you are looking to get some exercise in.
Don't miss walking through the covered shopping arcades of the Galeries St Hubert. These are really beautiful and near the Grand Place. You can also walk through the Parc de Bruxelles and walk by the Palace.
There are many more things to do in Brussels, but this should get you started. Enjoy your trip!

Add-on from myself :
You can go and see Autoworld if you like cars : an impressive collection just in front of the Musée de l'Armée, Cinquantenaire
The Atomium for some is great - and there is a view. Next to it you have mini-Europe, reproductions of Europe main 'attractions' in smaller size.
Le musée de la BD is also great to visit.
Don't forget to drink some beers, my favourites places were close to le cimetière d'Ixelles (L'Atelier has over 800 beers ?)
Le musée des instruments de musique, close to Grand-place is housed in an old Horta building - you get 2 visits in one !

Thanks WO. Great ideas for my 3-day visit next month. Have you ever been to La Maison d'Érasme and the Van Buuren Museum?

Spend some more time in Brussels! Brussels doesn't get a lot off love here, but we spent a week there a number of years ago and had a great time. There is plenty to see and do - and great food.

None of them I am afraid.

I work - am right now there - at 2,7 kms from la maison d'Erasme.

I think I could go and visit relatively easily...
It is closed on monday, tomorrow and on wed I'm in Paris, so I'll visit it on thursday !

I thank you for the idea, and will give you a feed-back.

Van Buuren is actually 500 meters from where my wife works... My wife loves gardening so a visit could be organized...

(living like a local quite often means not knowing what is just next door...).

Thanks, you don't HAVE to, you know!
I'm going to Horta, that's for sure (remember well that on on of my visits on 98 or 99 I couldn't locate it somehow, and went back to where I came from, this time I will!), the other two I hope to be able to visit. I'll get the Art-Nouveau brochure and do the walk.

Other than that I feel like just revisiting lovely areas I remember from many years ago and maybe popping into the Musées royaux for a while, though I'll be coming from Paris and Gent (probably Brugge and its art too, provided it won't be two crowded) so I don't know if I'll have the stamina for a major museum visit this time. I'm also attending what promises to be a fantastic Baroque music concert at the Conservatoire.

It won't be the last of visit course: I need to go back to Leuven, never been to Mechelen or the Ardennes, must go back to Antwerp. In short, there will be other trips involving Brussels.

I know what you mean: I lived in The Netherlands for 4 years and travelled far less as I should have. Making amends this time since After my week in Belgium I'm going for 3-4 days to Overijssel, an area I don't know at all and one I'm looking forward to exploring.

Thanks to everyone for suggestions. But we will travel to Bruges and Ghent with tour. Big thanks for WoinParis for comprehensive article.

Keren THANK YOU !

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ht-belgium.cfm

And if you speak french, please revise your Brusseleir, they still speak it here !

I'm in a small café eating a spagar bolo, and a guy enters telling this friend 'salut tich, longtemps qu'on ne s'est vus dis !'.

Tich = dick = biloutte in northern France = mec/guy !