versatile day in brussels 06.06.2026

last saturday, i had such a fun and spontaneous day in brussels with my situationship! we started off the day on the outskirts of the city to visit a really awesome 1960s modernist gem, followed by a trip towards the city centre for a few more targeted activities :) hope u enjoy the photos below

(link if it doesn't load: https://i.postimg.cc/qqJvqZqV/brussels-1.png)

the Royale Belge building is a late 1960s modernist, formerly bank-office building, designed by René Stapels and Pierre Dufau. it has since been transformed into a luxury hotel, office spaces, gym, restaurant and more. we could only visit a few floors as most required acces by badge. but we were delighted as those few public spaces were some of the most beautiful modernist designs i've ever seen (as i think most post-war architecture is mediocre at best). the detailing and finishing was off the charts. really, really liked it. the entry hall feels a bit alien and liminal space but in a good way. the stairwell and its ceiling was my favourite part.

(https://i.postimg.cc/XVtBkVmm/brussels-2.png)

we had a light lunch there. extremely expensive for what we got but luckily it was really yummy. there are also artworks displayed in the stairwell. some cool pieces for sure.

(https://i.postimg.cc/69F4f9gm/brussels-3.png)

after finishing up there we had a nice long walk among a treelined boulevard flanked by huge mansions, most from between 1900 and 1960. then we got into a metro to go straight into the historic core. i always enjoy taking the tram or metro in brussels, the vehicles are really sleek yet pretty, and some of the stations have interesting artwork/design. there was a beggar which was a bit awkward. and then a man was walking up and down the carriages yelling "boycot israel" really calmly. slay but also a bit annoying. first thing we did in the centre (which we've already visited many times before) was check out the st nicolas church. it's right near the grand square and i have been inside before, but i never really checked it out with attention. so we did! and it has super interesting objects, artworks, architectural aspects, remnants of frescoes... bottom left shows a cannon ball embedded into the interior wall and dated 1695.

(https://i.postimg.cc/W2xqw2Cy/brussels-4.png)

there's a pensive jesus with a gold foot. a circular hole in it holds a tiny relic. i think the sculpture is late 16th century. my situationship lit a candle to wish for stability in his life. and i found the baptistery to be super beautiful and calming.

(https://i.postimg.cc/08hK08FT/brussels-5.png)

afterwards i wanted to visit two gay fetish stores for some new sexy clothes but tasteful enough that i could wear them out in the summer (i succeeded: a black'n'white leather bracelet that i'll wear often, tight blue shorts, and a male thong). along the way i just had to lead us through the flamboyant gothic city hall's courtyard again, i adore that space so much. there were two weddings going on at once. later, we had a beer on a terrace as it was raining. that was really cozy and refreshing as we were seated underneath an awning. when the rain faltered to soft drizzle we walked to our last stop of the day. saw this creepy sculpture along the way (bottom right).

(https://i.postimg.cc/QhD5zdCL/brussels-6.png)

we followed a route through a beautiful park (Kleine Zavelsquare) with large sculptures of famous people. i'd seen it from afar before, but never walked through it before. so gorgeous. our final destination was mayfair, a large building with multiple stores inside that share open spaces: a huge bookstore, a cafe, a clothing store, a furniture store and some other random objects for sale. i had discovered this place with my niece last year and now wanted to show him. he actually bought a book there! the views from the large building are sweeping and cool. that was our final stop, so i lead us towards the central train station, with some nice sights along the way (bottom pics).

the whole day just flowed so nicely. in total we took three trains, a tram and a metro, and it all flowed like lava. i didn't realize until our train back home was pulling into the station that we had spent 8 hours non-stop enjoying ourselves!

i hope you enjoyed a bit along with me :) cheers