Belgium's capital and the heart of the EU: the gilded Grand-Place (UNESCO), Manneken Pis, the Atomium, Mini-Europe, the Magritte Museum and comic-strip murals. Waffles, chocolate, fries and beer culture; by train the canal city of Bruges is about an hour away and medieval Ghent just over 30 minutes. No direct flights from UB — connect via MIAT to Frankfurt, or via Istanbul or Beijing. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; for Belgium, applications are taken by the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (VFS Global).
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
#Grand-Place#chocolate#waffles#comics#Bruges#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Grand-Place and Town Hall
CitySquare free24 hours
One of the world's most beautiful squares (UNESCO): the 15th-century Gothic Town Hall and gilded guild houses. Best in the evening when lit up; in even years a flower carpet in August, and a light show and Christmas tree in December. Chocolate shops and waffle stands all around.
The 55 cm bronze boy (1619) that became the symbol of Brussels. He wears a different costume over 130 times a year — see the wardrobe at the nearby GarderobeMannekenPis museum. Go knowing he is small; a 5-minute walk from the Grand-Place.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goBelgium has no embassy in Mongolia, so Schengen visas for Belgium are taken by the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (VFS Global). Slots fill up and decisions take weeks, so start early.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy, VFS Global
The German Embassy represents Belgium in Mongolia, so if Belgium is your main destination book a VFS Global appointment and go in person to the embassy building to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee of 100,000₮. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days.
Tip: If you will spend longer in France or the Netherlands, apply to the French Embassy instead — the country of your longest stay decides.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter; list any day trips to Bruges or Ghent in your itinerary. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after you leave.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border (fully live since 10 April 2026); the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityBrussels Airport has a train station beneath the terminal — the fastest way into the centre.+
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From the airport by train
Trains run from the airport station to Brussels-Central in ~17–20 minutes, about 6 an hour. A one-way 2nd-class ticket is ~€11.60, including the mandatory airport supplement (formerly the Diabolo fee, €6.90). Buy it in the SNCB app or from a machine.
Tip: Children under 12 travel free by train with an adult — choose the 'Kids' ticket at the machine.
The cheaper option is STIB's Airport Line bus to the European Quarter, ticket €7.90. If you land in Frankfurt with MIAT, Schengen passport control happens there; fly on, or take an ICE train from the airport station to Brussels-Midi.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers Frankfurt, Paris or Amsterdam.
Tip: Download Brussels, Bruges and Ghent in Google Maps for offline use.
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Belgian prepaid SIM
Proximus, Orange and Base prepaid SIMs are sold at the airport and in city shops. In Belgium a prepaid SIM must be registered with ID before it works — bring your passport to the shop. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it works in other European countries too.
🚇Getting aroundThe centre is compact, so walk most of it; take the metro to the Atomium and the European Quarter. Day trips to Bruges and Ghent by train are easy.+
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STIB with your bank card
Tap a contactless bank card or phone (Apple/Google Pay) on the metro, trams and buses: one journey is €2.40, transfers within 60 minutes are free, and spending is capped at €8.50 a day. Each family member needs their own card or ticket.
From Brussels-Midi, Central or Nord, Ghent-Sint-Pieters is just over 30 minutes and Bruges about an hour, with several trains an hour. Weekend return tickets are cheaper. From the Bruges and Ghent stations, walk or take a bus or tram to the centre.
Take metro line 6 to Heysel and walk. Trams and buses cover the centre well and Google Maps shows them correctly. Order taxis through Uber, Bolt or your hotel.
💳Money and taxes+
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Cards and cash
Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere and contactless is common. Keep a few euros in cash for markets, small fries stands and public toilets. Service is included in restaurant prices; tipping is optional.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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City tax
Brussels, Bruges and Ghent charge a hotel city tax (taxe de séjour) per room per night; if it is not in your booking price, the hotel adds it at check-out. Check the total price when you book.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodBelgium is the land of chocolate, waffles, fries and beer — restaurants and stands are everywhere in Brussels.+
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What to eat
Light rectangular Brussels waffles and sweet Liège waffles, frites (double-fried, with mayonnaise), moules-frites (mussels with fries), carbonnade (beef stewed in beer), stoemp (mash with vegetables) and pralines. Beer is 18+ and some styles are very strong.
Tip: The restaurants on Rue des Bouchers near the Grand-Place, where staff call you in from the street, are often overpriced and poor — choose another street.
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Markets and groceries
Delhaize, Carrefour, Colruyt, Aldi and Lidl are the cheap supermarkets. The Sunday Midi Market is one of Europe's big street markets. Supermarket chocolate (Côte d'Or, Galler) is a cheap gift; buy handmade pralines in the Galeries Saint-Hubert.
Ambulance and fire — 112, police — 101, free, 24 hours, answered in English. For non-urgent illness, the on-duty GP — 1733. The 112 BE app sends your location automatically.
Thieves work Brussels-Midi and Nord stations, the metro, the Grand-Place and Manneken Pis: keep your bag in front and your phone in your pocket. At night don't walk alone around the big stations or in outlying districts. Ignore 'sign this petition' and 'found a ring' scams.
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Medicines and pharmacies
Pharmacies (pharmacie/apotheek) have a green cross; an on-duty pharmacy opens at night and on weekends. Bring regular medicines with their prescription.
'Bonjour' and 'Merci' in Brussels, 'Goedendag' and 'Dank u' in Bruges and Ghent go down well. In Flanders it is better to speak English than to start in French — language is a sensitive topic.
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Churches and museums
Keep quiet during services, remove hats and don't enter with bare shoulders. Flash photography is banned at the Ghent Altarpiece and in some museum rooms. Most museums close on Mondays — check when planning.
Wait to be seated and ask for the bill — the waiter will not bring it unprompted. Lunch is usually 12:00–14:00 and dinner from 19:00; kitchens may close in between.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
SNCB app — train times, tickets and delays. STIB app — metro, trams and buses. Google Maps works very well in the city. Uber and Bolt for taxis.
Book Atomium, Mini-Europe, the Bruges Belfry and the Parlamentarium in advance on their official sites. visit.brussels covers events and the Brussels Card. Google Translate's camera translates French and Dutch menus.
The train from Brussels-Central to the airport takes ~17–20 minutes. Allow plenty of time for security, the EES exit check and the customs stamp for Tax Free. If you connect to MIAT in Frankfurt, allow for ICE or connecting-flight delays — travelling a day early is safest.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Pack chocolate in checked luggage so it doesn't melt; show Tax Free goods to customs before check-in.
City€17; children over 115 cm to age 17 €9; under 115 cm freeDaily 10:00–18:00 (tickets 10:00–17:30)
A 102 m iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World's Fair. Long escalators between the spheres and a city panorama from the top sphere. The combined ticket with Mini-Europe is cheaper; metro stop Heysel.
Kids€21.70 online / €25 at the desk; under 12 €15.30 online; under 115 cm freeDaily 9:30–18:00 (last entry 17:00); closed January to early March
At the foot of the Atomium, 350 famous European buildings at 1:25 scale: the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Venice canals and an erupting Vesuvius. Lots of push-button models, so children love it. Online tickets bought 48 hours ahead are cheaper.
NaturePark free; palace in summer only, timed bookingPark daily; palace 3 Jul–16 Aug 2026, closed Mondays
The King's official palace and the 18th-century French-style park in front of it — fountains, shady paths and a playground. The palace interiors open only in summer each year; the Mirror Room with its beetle-wing ceiling is famous.
Culture€10; Magritte + Old Masters €15; free under 19Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00; closed Mondays
The world's largest collection of the surrealist René Magritte (over 200 works), next to the Old Masters of Bruegel, Rubens and Van Eyck. On Place Royale; free from 13:00 on the first Wednesday of the month.
The comics museum in the homeland of Tintin, the Smurfs and Lucky Luke, in a Victor Horta Art Nouveau building. Afterwards, hunting for the 60-plus giant comic murals of the Comic Book Route across the centre feels like an adventure for children.
Opened in 1847, one of Europe's oldest glass-roofed shopping arcades. Chocolatiers such as Neuhaus (where the praline was invented in 1912), Mary and Pierre Marcolini, plus cafés and a cinema. The best rainy-day route around the Grand-Place.
CultureFree (crypt and treasury charge)Daily (Sunday afternoons only); keep quiet during services
A 13th–15th-century Gothic cathedral where Belgian royal weddings and ceremonies are held. Twin white stone towers, 16th-century stained glass and a Baroque wooden pulpit. A few minutes' walk from Central Station.
The European Parliament's visitor centre: how the EU came about and how it works, told on interactive screens in 24 languages (~90 minutes). Book online to guarantee entry. Combine with nearby Leopold Park and the House of European History (also free).
CultureTower €16 (Apr–Nov), under 18 €14, under 7 free1 Apr–2 Nov daily 9:00–20:00; winter weekdays 10:00–18:00
About an hour from Brussels by train: a UNESCO-listed medieval canal city. Climb the 366 steps of the 83 m Belfry on the Markt for the view (book ahead). A 30-minute canal boat ride, the Beguinage and chocolate shops.
Just over 30 minutes from Brussels by train: the 12th-century moated castle of the Counts of Flanders (audio guide included) and Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (1432) in St Bavo's Cathedral — one of the treasures of European art. The Graslei and Korenlei quays are stunning in the evening light.
