In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Grand-Place, the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert, the Manneken Pis and the comic-strip murals cost nothing. The Parlamentarium and the House of European History are free every day, on Mondays from 13:00, and the Parlamentarium asks for a physical passport or national ID card. The Cathedral is free; its Treasury (€3), Romanesque remains (€2) and crypt (€4) are cash extras. The first Wednesday of the month from 13:00 and the first Sunday are free days at the main museums. The Marolles flea market runs every morning. What only looks free: the Atomium (€17), the Royal Palace (€10, online only, six weeks a year) and the Town Hall (€15). Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the guided walking tourad is from €25 (GetYourGuide).
What is free
| What | Rule | Hours | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grand-Place | Free | Pedestrian zone from 11:00 to 04:00 | The Town Hall, the City Museum and the tower tour inside it are paid |
| The Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert | Free | The shops keep their own hours | Three glazed arcades opened in 1847 |
| The Manneken Pis | Free | Always visible | A copy on the street. Jeanneke Pis and the Zinneke Pis are free too |
| The comic-strip murals | Free | Outdoors, always | visit.brussels counts over 80 |
| Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula | Free | Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00; Saturday 08:00 to 17:00; Sunday 13:00 to 18:00 | No sightseeing during services. The Treasury, Romanesque remains and crypt are paid, in cash |
| Notre-Dame du Sablon | Free | 10:00 to 18:00; from 09:00 at weekends | Gothic church in the Sablon |
| The Mont des Arts | Free | Daily; 7:00 to 19:00 from 1 November to 28 February | Garden and steps between Place Royale and the Albertine library |
| Parlamentarium | Free | Monday 13:00 to 18:00; Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 18:00; weekends 10:00 to 18:00 | A physical passport or national ID card; booking recommended |
| House of European History | Free | The same hours | No booking for individuals; a valid ID may be requested |
| Meunier Museum | Free | Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 12:00 and 12:45 to 17:00 | The home and studio of the sculptor Constantin Meunier, in Ixelles |
| Place du Jeu de Balle flea market | Free | 09:00 to 14:00 on weekdays; 09:00 to 15:00 at weekends and holidays | In the Marolles; more than 300 stalls |
| First-Wednesday and first-Sunday days | Free | See below | Permanent collections only |
The European Quarter
The Parlamentarium
Free · open seven days · Monday 13:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 18:00, weekends 10:00 to 18:00
The European Parliament’s visitors’ centre is a self-directed visit with a multimedia guide in any of the EU’s 24 official languages, and the average visit takes about 90 minutes. Book online or by phone (+32 2 283 2222): without a booking you are admitted only if there is room, and entry is guaranteed only within 30 minutes of your booked time. Bring a valid physical passport or national ID card. Photocopies, phone images and driving licences are refused. Airport-style security applies, and trolleys and suitcases are not allowed, though there are lockers. It closes on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 24, 25 and 31 December. The nearest metro stops are Maelbeek and Schuman (lines 1 and 5) and Trône (lines 2 and 6).
The House of European History
Free · Rue Belliard 135 · the same hours as the Parlamentarium
The permanent exhibition has more than 1,500 objects, documents and audio-visual items from more than 300 museums and collections in Europe and beyond. Audio guides are free in 24 languages, and the visit takes about 90 minutes. The galleries are kept between 18 and 24 degrees, so bring a layer. Individuals do not need to book, and a valid ID may be requested at the entrance. It closes on the same days as the Parlamentarium. Maelbeek, Schuman and Trône are the nearest metro stops.
The House of European History in Leopold Park, Brussels. Photo: Guy Delsaut, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and the Mont des Arts
The Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula
Free · Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00, Saturday 08:00 to 17:00, Sunday 13:00 to 18:00 · Place Sainte-Gudule
Entry is free, but sightseeing stops during services. Volunteers from Church and Tourism Brussels give a free tour in French and English every Saturday at 14:00, which lasts about an hour and starts at the entrance; a wedding or funeral cancels it. The shop gives children aged 6 to 12 a free booklet, The Lantern of Saint Gudula, with themed games. The step-free entrance is the shop door on Place Sainte-Gudule: ring the bell. The Treasury (€3, under-12s free), the Romanesque remains (€2) and the 11th-century crypt (€4, by appointment only) are paid in cash on site, and the Treasury opens when volunteers are present.
The west front of the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, Brussels. Photo: Pierre Goiffon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notre-Dame du Sablon
Free · open every day, 10:00 to 18:00 and from 09:00 at weekends, according to the church’s Friends fund · the Sablon
A flamboyant Gothic church whose stained glass was given by noble families from the 19th century. The Ommegang procession leaves from it.
The Mont des Arts
Free · daily, 7:00 to 19:00 from 1 November to 28 February
A garden with steps that runs between Place Royale and the Albertine library. The Musical Instruments Museum’s Old England building stands on it, and the Magritte Museum is at Place Royale. The garden is open 7:00 to 20:00 from 1 September to 31 October, 7:00 to 19:00 from 1 November to 28 February, 6:00 to 21:00 from 1 March to 30 April and 6:00 to 22:00 from 1 May to 31 August. The old town walk climbs it between the Manneken Pis and Place Royale.
The Marolles flea market
Free · every morning from 09:00 · Place du Jeu de Balle
More than 300 stalls sell second-hand goods on the Place du Jeu de Balle. The City of Brussels gives 09:00 to 14:00 on weekdays and 09:00 to 15:00 at weekends and on public holidays. Buses 48 and 52 serve it, trams 3 and 4 stop at Lemonnier, and metro lines 2 and 6 and trams 3 and 4 stop at Porte de Hal.
Free days and free ages
- First Wednesday of the month, from 13:00: the Magritte Museum, the Old Masters Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum and the Art & History Museum, for their permanent collections. The next are 4 November and 2 December 2026, and 6 January and 3 February 2027.
- First Sunday of the month: the Horta Museum, with an online booking and a limited number of places, and the City Museum and the GardeRobe. The first Sunday of November 2026 is 1 November, a closing day for all three, so the next are 6 December 2026, 3 January and 7 February 2027.
- Under 18: free at the Magritte Museum, the Old Masters Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum and the Art & History Museum.
- Always free: the Meunier Museum, the Parlamentarium and the House of European History.
- Brussels Card holders enter the permanent collections of many museums free, but the card costs from €41. Brussels Card: is it worth it? has the sums.
What is not free
- The Atomium: €17 for an adult, with the Design Museum. See Atomium tickets.
- Mini-Europe: €21.70 online and €25 at the door. See Mini-Europe tickets.
- The Royal Palace: €10, online only, for about six weeks each summer. See the Royal Palace.
- The Town Hall: €15 for the video-guide visit, €25 for the tower tour, and shut on Tuesdays and Thursdays. See the Town Hall tour.
- The Horta Museum, the Magritte Museum and the Comic Art Museum: €14, €13 and €14. See best museums in Brussels.
- The Fin-de-Siècle Museum: closed to the public since January 2024.
A free day
- Monday: the Grand-Place, the Galeries, the Manneken Pis, the murals and the Cathedral from 08:00, then the Marolles market and the Parlamentarium and House of European History from 13:00. Most other museums are shut.
- Saturday: the Cathedral’s free tour at 14:00, and the market until 15:00.
- Sunday: the Cathedral opens at 13:00 and the market runs until 15:00.
- A first Wednesday or first Sunday: add the free museums above.
What to book in Brussels has the closed days for every sight. Brussels walking tours sets the free and paid walks side by side. Brussels with kids sorts the free ages by sight. 3 days in Brussels builds the free sights into a plan. For a bed, see where to stay in Brussels.
Common questions
What are the best free things to do in Brussels?
The Grand-Place, the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert, the Manneken Pis, the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, the Parlamentarium, the House of European History, the Marolles flea market and the comic-strip murals. The first Wednesday of the month from 13:00 and the first Sunday are free at the main museums.
Are the Parlamentarium and the House of European History really free?
Yes, both are free and open seven days a week, on Mondays from 13:00. The Parlamentarium needs a valid physical passport or national ID card, and airport-style security applies at both. The Parlamentarium recommends a booking and guarantees entry only within 30 minutes of the booked time.
Is the Cathedral in Brussels free?
Yes. Entry is free, and volunteers give free guided tours in French and English every Saturday at 14:00. The Treasury (€3), the Romanesque remains (€2) and the crypt (€4, by appointment) are paid in cash on site.
Which Brussels museums are free on the first Wednesday of the month?
The Magritte Museum, the Old Masters Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum and the Art & History Museum, from 13:00, for their permanent collections. The Brussels City Museum and the GardeRobe MannekenPis are free on the first Sunday, and so is the Horta Museum with an online booking.
Is the Atomium free to look at?
Looking at it from outside costs nothing. Going in is €17 for an adult and includes the Design Museum Brussels.
Is the Marolles flea market free?
Yes, there is nothing to pay to walk the Place du Jeu de Balle. The market runs every morning from 09:00, to 14:00 on weekdays and to 15:00 at weekends and on public holidays, with more than 300 stalls.
