A Bird’s Eye View of Brussels

A Bird’s Eye View of Brussels

In my last post, I wrote about visiting the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels. I mentioned that there is a restaurant on the top floor (Restauration Nouvelle) and that it’s free to visit when the museum is open. Visiting the restaurant also gives you some pretty spectacular views of the city. This restaurant is a great place to visit if you are looking to get a bird’s eye view of Brussels.

A view of Brussels from above. The tall spire is the Brussels Town Hall, which is at Grand Place/Grote Markt, the main square of Brussels.

I found out about this restaurant while on a free walking tour (well  free before you tip the guide). I knew about the Musical Instrument Museum, but I wouldn’t have known about this restaurant and the views you can get from it if I hadn’t done that walking tour. Technically this view wasn’t entirely free for me (I bought a soft drink and had a chat with a fellow traveller from the walking tour). However; you don’t have to pay any admission to go up to the restaurant for a view. If you’re not visiting the museum you can still go to the restaurant for free (just let the reception know). If you have more time in Brussels, you can visit the Atomium, which was built for the 1958 World’s Fair. They have a restaurant at the Atomium with views of the city. It’s not right in the centre of Brussels, and with my lack of time, I decided to skip seeing the Atomium. I think I got a pretty sweet view from where I was.


Things To Know
Restauration Nouvelle is on the top floor of the Musical Instrument Museum. Here’s a general map of the area. If you just want to go to the restaurant tell the reception desk and you can go up the elevator to the restaurant. Restauration Nouvelle open from 9:30 am to 4:30 am Tuesday to Sunday and closed Mondays. If you’re looking to get some photos arrive early in the day. 
The walking tour (where I found out about the restaurant) was with Viva’s Tours. Their City Centre Tour meets at Grand Place/Grote Markt at 10 am 1:30 pm, and 4 pm daily. There are tours in English and Spanish, and each tour is about 2 hours. It’s free, but you should tip the tour guide a few € (it’s how they make a wage). I really enjoyed this walking tour in Brussels.
While in Brussels I stayed at the BRXXL5 City Centre Hostel, which was an exceptional budget accommodation option. A clean, modern hostel that’s close to the Zuid-Midi Metro station, and a 5-minute walk to the main centre of Brussels (Grand Place/Grote Markt). I paid for my stay here. If you are not on a budget there are plenty of hotels in Brussels you can book here.


Do you like to get a bird’s eye view when you travel?

2 thoughts on “A Bird’s Eye View of Brussels”

  1. Hi Alouise,

    Lovely views there, in Brussels. Especially from so high up, in the air, up there.

    I’ve not been to Brussels but do stake out high rises in rocking cities to see the bird’s eye view. I also do so in more tropical locales, finding a cliff that overlooks the ocean of whatever.

    Awesome way to get a feel for a fabulous view and also for what an area has to offer, when looking from a vantage point hundreds of even thousands of feet high, in some cases.

    We are heading to NYC in a few days on a house sit. It may be time to take the hike up the Freedom Tower, as I used to visit the Twin Towers as a kid some 30 years ago but have yet to enjoy a bird’s eye view above NYC from the new building.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Ryan

  2. I always love getting that bird’s eye view, and if you can do that in a tropical paradise then even better.

    I haven’t been to the Freedom Tower in New York yet (it wasn’t finished the last time I was there), but I’m sure there’ll be some spectacular views. I remember enjoying going up to Top of the Rock cause it was less crowded than the Empire State Building.

    Thanks for the comment.

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