Overview
A city that I genuinely don't understand why people bash so hard from a tourism perspective. Okay, maybe it's not a city you'd call extraordinary, but I really liked the historic center. I'll grant you that the whole Manneken Pis concept is ridiculous, and with the girl version and now even a dog version, it's easily one of the most overrated city symbols I've ever seen. Beyond that, the cafes, bars, chocolatiers are all lovely, the buildings in the center are aesthetically quite nice (except the crooked cathedral), and since it's bigger than Bruges and Ghent, it's either less crowded or handles the crowds much better.
Getting There
Getting to and from the airport is very quick and easy from the center.
What to See
The buildings painted with comic-book themes were wonderful to discover. Following them while walking around was great fun. Especially the big Smurfs painting on the ceiling between the main train station and the main square was really cool. There's a bit of unnecessary bashing going on if you ask me.
Where to Stay
For accommodation, you can go with Ibis Brussels Off Grand Place in the city center, a solid value-for-money hotel.
Nightlife
For evening entertainment, Delirium Cafe is a lot of fun. It has both very lively and very chill sections. It's right near the Manneken Pis girl statue, you'll probably pass through that street 2-3 times anyway while exploring.