← Ghent Marathon·2 nights

Brussels: Museums, a Grand Square and a Short Hop to the Airport

A capital with big museums that have lifts and seats, an old centre that is easy to cover on foot in short bursts, and a direct train to the airport.

Duration2 nights
TransitSNCB train from Gent-Sint-Pieters to Brussels-Central, about 30 to 40 minutes
DepartsGent-Sint-Pieters

After the Ghent Marathon: Brussels

The Route: Gent-Sint-Pieters → Brussels → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train from Gent-Sint-Pieters to Brussels-Central, about 30 to 40 minutes, with several trains an hour. The Grand-Place is a short walk from the station, and metro and tram cover the rest. Marathon Month: March Duration: 2 nights

Gent-Sint-Pieters ──(30-40 mins, SNCB)──> Brussels-Central ──(5-10 mins, walk)──> Grand-Place
                                                  │
                          Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 20 mins, SNCB)

The Ghent Marathon finishes at the Topsporthal on a Sunday in March. Brussels is the best base for a longer stay, because it has the most museums, the most restaurants and a quick train to the airport, and it is only half an hour from Ghent.

March in Brussels: daytime highs are around 10°C and rain is common. Sunset is at about half past six, and the Grand-Place is lit in the evening. Several museums close on Mondays, so check before you go. That matters here, because the best-known galleries are among those that do. Plan Monday around churches, the old centre and covered arcades, and keep the galleries for Tuesday.

Trains from Gent-Sint-Pieters to Brussels-Central take about half an hour, and there is nothing to book ahead because Belgian rail prices by distance. Brussels-Central is below street level, so use the lifts or escalators on tired legs. Check the SNCB planner for engineering works.

Night One: The Old Centre

The Grand-Place, the guild-house square at the heart of the old town, is cobbled and flat. Cross it slowly and sit in a nearby café for a long look at the gilded facades. The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a glass-roofed arcade a few minutes away, is level and dry, and has chocolate shops and a cinema. Mannekin Pis, the small fountain statue, is a few streets away and takes two minutes.

For a first meal, look for a place that serves stoemp with sausage, or waterzooi, a creamy stew of chicken or fish. Both are gentle after a marathon. Book a table, because Brussels restaurants fill early on a Monday evening.

For a room, Hotel Amigo sits just off the Grand-Place and is a short walk from Brussels-Central. Hotel Métropole on Place de Brouckère is a grand old building with a lift and a ground-floor café. Both are near the old town, but check the route from the station for slopes, because the city climbs gently towards the Mont des Arts.

Night Two: Museums

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts, on the hill above the old centre, have lifts and seating and hold a large collection of Flemish and Belgian painting. The Magritte Museum is part of the same group. Entry costs vary and the museums are usually closed on Mondays, so Tuesday suits them. Check opening times and whether a combined ticket is on offer.

The Musical Instruments Museum, in an iron-and-glass building by the Mont des Arts, has lifts and a rooftop café with a view. Check the opening days. The Horta Museum, the former house of the architect Victor Horta in Saint-Gilles, is a tram ride away and shows Art Nouveau at domestic scale. It has staircases, so check access.

The Cinquantenaire park is level, with benches and a large arch at one end and a set of museums around it. Metro reaches it quickly. In March the trees are bare, and the grass is often wet, so shoes with grip matter more than a camera.

Between museums, keep to the main streets and use the metro for hills. Brussels is a city of slopes, and the walk from the Grand-Place up to the Mont des Arts is steeper than the map suggests.

Getting to Brussels Airport (BRU)

Brussels-Central, Brussels-Nord and Brussels-Midi all have direct trains to Brussels Airport, usually taking about 20 minutes. The airport station is below the terminal. Check the SNCB planner for the day, and allow extra time for platform stairs and for baggage. Trains run frequently, but a Sunday or early morning service can be thinner, so look at the timetable the night before.