Best Time to Visit Brussels

Summer and early autumn: the easy months

June to September is when Brussels is at its best. Days are mild, with highs around 22–24°C in the warm months, and it stays light late into the evening. That's perfect for a beer on a terrace at Place Saint-Géry or a walk through Parc du Cinquantenaire. August is the wettest month at 77 mm, just ahead of July at 76 mm. Rain here is more often a passing shower than a washout, so keep a small umbrella handy.

Events pile up in this stretch. Every other August (even-numbered years), volunteers lay the Flower Carpet on the Grand-Place, and it's worth seeing. On 21 July, Belgium's National Day, there are fireworks and a parade near the Royal Park. Summer is also when many locals head to the coast, so the city feels a little calmer in August.

Spring and October: good for walking

April is drier than most months, with the least rain of the year at 38 mm. May is warmer and rates Excellent, though it's wetter than April. This is a good time for the Sablon antiques quarter and for Art Nouveau houses in Ixelles and Saint-Gilles. In spring, bluebells carpet the Hallerbos forest, a short train ride away, usually in April.

October is cooler and greyer, with fewer sunny hours. It suits museums, chocolate shops and long lunches of moules-frites (mussels and fries). If you want cheaper hotel rooms and shorter queues, aim for the shoulder months of April and October.

Winter: cosy, dark and damp

From November to February, expect grey skies and about two hours of sun a day. December is the wettest winter month, with rain on 15 days, and humidity is high, so the cold feels sharper than the numbers suggest. January, February and December all rate Poor for weather.

Still, this is when the city feels most itself. The Christmas market, Plaisirs d'Hiver, fills the area around the Bourse and Place Sainte-Catherine with lights, waffles and mulled wine. Hotels book up for it, so December weekends are the busiest of the cold months. January is the quietest time of all. If you're happy to spend your days in cafés, the Magritte Museum and the Horta Museum, it's a good time to go.