I had a short overnight layover in Brussels, Belgium in early December on my way to a Rhine River cruise to explore Christmas markets in the region. When looking at where to arrive in Europe get to the embarkation point (Cologne, Germany), I chose Brussels as my entry airport as it was relatively close to Cologne. But I also chose it because it is a town I had never visited (I had gone through its train station a few times when commuting between The Hague and Paris, but never visited).

With jet lag, a couple of other delays, and an early departure the next day, I really did not have time to explore much at all. However, I did get to see Brussels’ Grand Place which was the number one place I wanted to see in person.

So I got to do that (plus the royal palace on a drive-by on the way out of town) and a little bit of walking around near the Grand Place. Here are some images from that short visit that leaves me wanting to return to continue exploring this city, check out the Magritte Museum – and get to try the local food specialties!