Brussels is underrated

I was there for the second time recently and while I don’t think I will ever love Brussels, what struck me was how much Brussels doesn’t care whether I love it or not.

It’s a bit like - here you are, tourists: here’s the Grand Place and the Mannekin Pis and some great chocolate and beer. You enjoy that while we’ll just get on with our normal life and business in all sorts of other bits of the city. I don’t know another heavily-touristed city that seems so unbothered about how it appears. And I find that kind of admirable.

I’ll definitely go back at some point as I’m determined to get under its skin… and also explore a bit more of the art nouveau domestic architecture beyond Victor Horta’s house.

YES!!!! I almost feel for people that can't see the charms of a bustling city with diverse communities totally lacking pretension. (Well, not totally lacking pretension. But I was amused to see that the street with all the global luxury brands was as subdued as the rest of the town, a little grubby, even.) I think it's a city suited for travelers who enjoy seeing and connecting with contemporary foreign societies. Those that just go on sight-seeing missions have a harder time appreciating it.

I ate great food. I had fun conversations with strangers—one of whom I met for dinner a few days later and we remain in contact. I grinned from ear to ear with the simple joy of the Atomium.

From Brussels I enjoyed Ghent, but the overhyped, dead-behind-the-eyes Bruges bored me horribly.

My girlfriend thought the same of Bruges though I liked the really old buildings and the streets and was able to look past the totally touristy feel.

I enjoyed Brussels the first time I was there in 1980. At that time the Grand Place still had shops with ladies making hand made lace and it wasn’t overrun with people. Those lace store were chocolate shops when I was last there in 2018. Glad you enjoyed the city.

100% agree...I think Brussels is criminally overlooked. It has a terrific food and beer scene, and I don't just mean mussels and frites (although those are great)! The diversity of Brussels offers great Middle Eastern, French, Indian, Vietnamese and more. Plus the seafood....so much seafood. The museums are outstanding, the streets are incredibly walkable, the transit is easy, and the railway system for daytrips is both simple and affordable. Because it is the hub of so much international activity (EU, NATO, etc.), I also think the language barriers are much lower in Brussels. That's why I think it makes a good "introductory" city for first-time or inexperienced travelers to Europe, especially. But I love it as a seasoned traveler too. Thanks for posting this...I hope others start giving Brussels some love!

People have different preferences. What appeals to you may not appeal to me and vice versa. I've been to Brussels twice, and no, I don't especially care for it. It's not a bad place, and I enjoyed my brief visits, but I have no burning desire ever to return. On the other hand, I would love to return to other Belgian cities like Bruges and Ghent.

I really like Brussels. The issue for most people is that the key sites are spread widely around the city, so it's not a good place to day-trip to, or to do the stereotypical "can I stop off to see the Grand Place on the way from Paris to Amsterdam" thing. But if you're willing to stay a few days it's really good.

I have to admit, I disparage Brussels from time to time, but have also been there maybe a half dozen times. I disagree that it is "underrated" , it is probably overrated, especially when there are several better cities nearby. But as for Brussels, if you have a particular interest, it can be a great city. If you are into beer, you could spend a week easily. If you are into any one of the many specialized museums, then again, you are in luck. If you like gritty urban settings and the requisite restaurants and shopping, then fine.

But someone saying they want a city in Belgium to visit, or even two or three? I still say, barring any special interest, do a few hours in Brussels and then head elsewhere,

It's "underrated" on this forum. People disparage it and plan trips to the country for more than two days and plan to skip it altogether.
To each his own. I live in NYC and like cities and liked Brussels. Also, European capitals are the center of their countries in many cases when it comes to commerce, art, finance, politics etc.. and skipping them means skipping all of this. Yes, Italy has Milan for finance and Rome for most other things and Germany has Frankfurt for finance and Berlin for most other things but London, Madrid, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Paris, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Athens, Vienna, Budapest, Prague and Brussels and others have it all.

Not like the U.S. where LA is entertainment capital (with NYC giving it a run for its money), NYC is finance capital, Washington is political capital etc..

Personally, I'm mainly going because my artistic obsession, René Magritte, has a quaint museum here in the municipality of Jette which was his ACTUAL HOME. This is bucket list stuff for me.