← Namur Marathon·2 nights

Brussels: Museums and Art Nouveau After Namur

A capital with museums that have lifts, an Art Nouveau house by Victor Horta and short level walks between them.

Duration2 nights
TransitSNCB train from Namur to Brussels-Central, about 1 hour
DepartsNamur station

After the Namur Marathon: Brussels

The Route: Namur → Brussels → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train, about 1 hour, with frequent services. Brussels-Central is a few minutes' walk from the Grand-Place. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights

Namur ──(about 1h, SNCB)──> Brussels-Central
                                 │
Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 20 min, SNCB)──┘

Victor Horta built his own house in Brussels in 1898, a narrow townhouse where every stair rail curves and every window frame looks grown rather than made. It is now the Horta Museum, a small, seated way to spend an hour. Brussels is a city you can see in short, level stretches, and two nights is enough to do it slowly after a marathon.

Buy a ticket in the SNCB app or at the station, and check the planner.

April in Brussels: highs of 12°C to 15°C, with sun and showers. Cobbles are slippery in rain. Check opening days, because Monday closures are common.

Night One: Arrival

Hotel Amigo, next to the Grand-Place, and Hotel Métropole, a historic hotel on the Place de Brouckère, are central options. Confirm lifts and breakfast times when you book. Walk only as far as the Grand-Place, with its gilded guildhalls, and the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a glass-roofed arcade.

Night Two: Museums

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts, near the Place Royale, have lifts and seating, and hold Flemish masters and the Magritte collection. Entry is around €10 to €15 and prices vary, so use the figure as a guide only. Check the current opening days.

The Horta Museum in Saint-Gilles is a tram ride from the centre. Visits are timed and the house has stairs, so check the access notes and book ahead.

For lunch, frites with mayonnaise, mussels or a waffle are the standards. The streets around Sainte-Catherine have better prices than those near the Grand-Place.

The Parc du Cinquantenaire, a large flat park with an arch and museums, is a good place for a slow walk. The Autoworld museum and the Royal Army Museum there are free or low-cost, but check the opening days.

Getting to Brussels Airport (BRU)

Trains from Brussels-Central to the airport take about 20 minutes. The airport station is below the terminal, with lifts.