Brussels is made for a weekend away: the historic centre is compact, and almost everything can be reached on foot from Rue du Marché aux Poulets. Here is our 48-hour itinerary, with real walking distances from the hotel and our tips for avoiding the crowds.
The plan at a glance
| # | Stop | From Craves | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Grand-Place and Manneken Pis | 280 m · 4 min | Saturday morning |
| 2 | The Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert | 380 m · 5 min | Saturday morning |
| 3 | Mont des Arts and the Magritte Museum | 740 m to 990 m · 10 to 12 min | Saturday afternoon |
| 4 | The Sablon | 1.1 km · 13 min | Saturday afternoon |
| 5 | An evening at Le Conteur and Scène | in the hotel | Saturday evening |
| 6 | The Marolles and the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market | 1.6 km · 20 min | Sunday morning |
| 7 | Place Poelaert and the view over the city | 1.5 km · 19 min | Sunday morning |
| 8 | The Atomium | metro · about 30 min | Sunday afternoon |
280 m · 4 min from the hotel · Saturday morning
1. The Grand-Place and Manneken Pis
Start with the Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before 9:00: it is almost empty and the light is beautiful. Manneken Pis is just 300 m away, via Rue Charles Buls and Rue de l’Étuve.
Our tip · Our article “Things to do near the Grand-Place” covers 10 visits less than 11 minutes’ walk from the hotel.
380 m · 5 min from the hotel · Saturday morning
2. The Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert
Opened in 1847, these glass-roofed arcades are among the oldest in Europe. The perfect spot for a coffee break and the first Belgian chocolates of the weekend.
740 m to 990 m · 10 to 12 min from the hotel · Saturday afternoon
3. Mont des Arts and the Magritte Museum
Climb up to the Mont des Arts for one of the finest views of the Town Hall tower, then head on to Place Royale, where the Magritte Museum holds the world’s largest collection of works by the surrealist painter.
Our tip · The Magritte Museum is **closed on Mondays**: save it for Saturday or Sunday.
1.1 km · 13 min from the hotel · Saturday afternoon
4. The Sablon
The elegant district of antiques dealers and chocolatiers, set around the Gothic church of Notre-Dame du Sablon. At weekends, the antiques market sets up on the Grand Sablon: Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00.
Just opposite, the little Petit Sablon garden, with its 48 statues of the old guilds, offers a quiet break.
in the hotel from the hotel · Saturday evening
5. An evening at Le Conteur and Scène
No need to go far: Le Conteur, on the ground floor, serves Mediterranean sharing tapas in a festive atmosphere. Carry on the evening at Scène, our speakeasy cocktail bar on the Atrium level.
As a Craves guest: -15% on your meal at Le Conteur and your first cocktail buy one, get one free at Scène. Booking is recommended on Saturdays.
1.6 km · 20 min from the hotel · Sunday morning
6. The Marolles and the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market
Photo: Henxter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
The working-class Marolles district has kept its true Brussels character. On the Place du Jeu de Balle, the flea market is held every morning: crockery, vinyl records, vintage finds and bargains, followed by a coffee on one of the terraces around the square.
Our tip · Get there early: the best pieces go as soon as the market opens.
1.5 km · 19 min from the hotel · Sunday morning
7. Place Poelaert and the view over the city
Above the Marolles, Place Poelaert stretches out in front of the vast Palace of Justice and offers a panoramic view over the city. A public lift links the Marolles directly to the square: a handy way to get back up without effort.
metro · about 30 min from the hotel · Sunday afternoon
8. The Atomium
The symbol of the 1958 World’s Fair, the Atomium is the only stop of the weekend outside the centre. From De Brouckère station (350 m from the hotel), take line 1, change at Beekkant for line 6 and get off at Heysel: the Atomium is a few minutes’ walk away.
It is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, last entry at 17:30.
The weekend in brief
- Saturday morning: Grand-Place before 9:00, Manneken Pis, the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert.
- Saturday afternoon: Mont des Arts, the Magritte Museum, then the Sablon and its chocolatiers.
- Saturday evening: dinner at Le Conteur and cocktails at Scène, in the hotel.
- Sunday morning: the Jeu de Balle flea market, then Place Poelaert.
- Sunday afternoon: the Atomium, by metro from De Brouckère.
On Sunday, check-out is until 11:30 and luggage storage is free: leave your bags at reception and enjoy the day until your train.
Good to know before you go
- Magritte Museum: closed on Mondays.
- Sablon antiques market: Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00, Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00.
- Jeu de Balle flea market: every morning; it is at its liveliest at the weekend.
- Atomium: every day from 10:00 to 18:00, last entry at 17:30. Check atomium.be for any exceptional closures.
- Rainy day: the Belgian Comic Strip Center is 940 m from the hotel (12 min on foot), and the Royal Galleries are covered.
Frequently asked questions
What to do in Brussels in a weekend?
On Saturday: the Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert, Mont des Arts, the Magritte Museum and the Sablon. On Sunday: the Jeu de Balle flea market, Place Poelaert and the Atomium.
Can you see everything on foot?
Almost everything: from Craves Hotel, the Grand-Place is 4 minutes away, the Sablon 13 minutes and the Marolles 20 minutes on foot. Only the Atomium requires taking the metro.
How do you get to the Atomium from the city centre?
By metro: line 1 from De Brouckère to Beekkant, then line 6 to Heysel. Allow about 30 minutes from Craves Hotel.
When is the Sablon antiques market held?
Every weekend on the Grand Sablon: Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00.
Where to stay for a weekend in Brussels?
In the centre, so you can do everything on foot. Craves Hotel, a 3★ boutique hotel on Rue du Marché aux Poulets, is 280 m from the Grand-Place and 350 m from De Brouckère metro, with Le Conteur and Scène on site.
Sources: markets.brussels.be, atomium.be, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Information checked in October 2026; please confirm opening hours on the official websites.