Brussels Christmas markets: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour between the Christmas-market squares of Brussels: 4 stops, about 1.4 km, about 20 minutes of walking plus about 25 minutes of listening. Mappu’s route links the squares where Brussels holds its Christmas markets. Start at St Catherine’s Church, built between 1854 and 1874 where a harbour basin was filled in. Walk to the Bourse, on the boulevard laid over the river Senne, then to La Monnaie, the opera house named after the mint that stood on its square. Finish on the Grand-Place, rebuilt after the French bombardment of 1695 and a World Heritage Site since 1998.
- Stops:
- 4
- Distance:
- about 1.4 km
- Walking:
- about 20 min
- Listening:
- about 25 min
Two ways to do this walk
Brussels with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsBrussels Christmas markets: how long does the walk take?
About 45 minutes in all: about 20 minutes on foot over about 1.4 km, plus about 25 minutes of audio at the 4 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Brussels Christmas markets: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: St Catherine’s Church, Brussels Stock Exchange, La Monnaie, and Grand-Place. The longest stretch between two stops is about 0.5 km, about 7 min on foot.
Christmas markets: walk the city centre
In the Christmas season 2026, markets open in the heart of the city, and this walk passes Place Sainte-Catherine, Place de la Bourse, and Place de la Monnaie. Its audio guides tell the story of the places and the buildings around them, not of the stalls.
Market dates 2026
Place Sainte-Catherine
November 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Audio guide nearby: St Catherine’s Church
Vismet
November 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Audio guide nearby: St Catherine’s Church
Place de la Bourse
November 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Audio guide nearby: Brussels Stock Exchange
Place de la Monnaie
November 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Audio guide nearby: La Monnaie
Official dates: plaisirsdhiver.be · checked on October 25, 2026
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
The church was built on the site of a basin of the former Port of Brussels, so you are standing where ships once docked.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Brussels Stock Exchange · about 0.5 km, about 7 min on foot
Stop 2
Léon-Pierre Suys designed the exchange for the new boulevard laid where the river Senne once flowed, and it was built from 1868 to 1873.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: La Monnaie · about 0.5 km, about 6 min on foot
Stop 3
The opera house takes its name from the city’s first minting hall, which stood on this square until 1649.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Grand-Place · about 0.5 km, about 6 min on foot
Stop 4
French artillery destroyed the square in 1695, and most of the guildhalls around you were rebuilt in the years that followed.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Route checked by Mappu on October 25, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.