2 Best Sights in Brussels, Belgium

Founded in 1882, this is one of the last remaining original lambic breweries in Belgium. Lambic beers require a special kind of brewing that uses spontaneous fermentation. This relies on a certain kind of microflora found in only a few areas: the Pajottenland region, the Zenne Valley, and Brussels. Whether you have acquired the taste (and it is an acquired taste) for the gueuze and kriek beers it produces, it's still a fascinating process. This brewery sadly closed in 2002, when its classic tiled Beerhuis (bar) became a flower shop. A few years later, however, it was bought by new owners and reopened, with its old bar (Thursday–Sunday) starting up again in 2022. English-language tours of the brewery are organized on Saturday (noon and 5 pm), lasting around 45 minutes plus a tasting session.

Few realize "Stella," the pilsner of choice among European soccer fans, is even Belgian, but it traces its Leuven roots back to 1726. These days, it's part of the massive AB InBev company, which owns everything from Budweiser to Leffe. As you'd expect, the brewery is highly automated, making for an interesting gear change to the usual small brewers most beer tours frequent. Two-hour English-language tours and tastings for individuals are held on Saturday from 3 pm and 5 pm and on Sunday from 1 pm and 3 pm, with online booking in advance advised if you want to get a slot.