Brussels

Capital of Belgium: population, location, elevation, climate and landmarks.

Brussels view from Mont des Arts, Brussels, Belgium (cropped)

Brussels view from Mont des Arts, Brussels, Belgium (cropped): Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Overview

Brussels is the capital of Belgium, in Brussels Capital. About 1.0 million people live in the city proper, making it the 1st largest city of Belgium in our atlas.

It lies at 50.85° N, 4.35° E, about 28 m (92 ft) above sea level, and keeps time on the Europe/Brussels time zone.

Location

Red dot: Brussels. Green dots: other major cities of Belgium. Map data: Natural Earth.

Climate

Brussels has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The warmest month is usually Jul, with average highs near 24°C (74°F); the coolest nights come in Feb at about 0°C (32°F). Around 763 mm (30 in) of rain and snow falls in a typical year, spread fairly evenly through the year.

5°0°Jan696°0°Feb6010°2°Mar5515°4°Apr3818°8°May5922°12°Jun6324°14°Jul7523°13°Aug7920°10°Sep5515°7°Oct6310°4°Nov696°1°Dec78mm

Bars: average daily high and low (°C) for each month; blue columns and figures: average precipitation (mm). Gridded 2001-2025 averages from NASA POWER, so mountain and coastal spots can differ from local station records.

Landmarks and places to see

Manneken Pis
Manneken PisBronze sculpture and fountain by Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder in Brussels, Belgium
Atomium
AtomiumArchitectural landmark originally constructed as the centerpiece for Expo 58 in Brussels, Belgium
King Baudouin Stadium
King Baudouin StadiumSports stadium in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Lotto Park
Lotto ParkFootball stadium in Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium
Jeanneke Pis
Jeanneke PisBronze sculpture and fountain by Denis-Adrien Debouvrie in Brussels, Belgium
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of BelgiumGroup of art museums in Brussels, Belgium
Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta
Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor HortaFour houses in Brussels, Belgium, designed and built by Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta
Royal Theatre of La Monnaie
Royal Theatre of La MonnaieOpera house in Brussels, Belgium

Popular sights within a few kilometres of the city centre, ranked by how widely they are documented on Wikipedia.

What to eat in BelgiumNational dishes, street food, desserts and drinks on Intercontinental Chef.

Nearby major cities

← BelgiumAll cities

Sources

Text written by Geographical Effect from these sources.

Photo credits
  • Brussels view from Mont des Arts, Brussels, Belgium (cropped): Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Bruxelles Manneken Pis: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Laeken Atomium 06: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Stade Roi Baudouin: Joni-Fuego, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Constant Vanden Stockstadion, Anderlecht: Dirk Grosemans at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: dirk grosemans), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Bruksela, Jeanneke Pis - Siusiająca dziewczynka: Aw58, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium 20180629: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Tassel House stairway: Henry Townsend, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Théâtre de la Monnaie 1: EmDee, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)