This year, during Winter Wonders, you can do more than admire the great Christmas tree on the Grand-Place: you can look down on it. The City of Brussels is opening the City Hall tower to the public for the View Tower Experience, a climb of 200 steps to a 360° panorama over Brussels lit up, from 3 December 2026 to 2 January 2027.
✨ A climb in sound and light
The climb starts in the City Hall courtyard, up a spiral staircase. According to Brussels Museums, along the way light effects, soundscapes and mapping immerse visitors in an enchanting experience that showcases Brussels’ heritage.
City Hall and its Gothic tower on the Grand-Place, photographed in July 2026. © iMahesh · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
🎄 At the top, the Grand-Place at your feet
The City of Brussels describes the visit as the most unique panorama in Brussels. Up there, the view opens 360° over the Grand-Place, its great Christmas tree and the city in lights. To carry on the evening down below, our Brussels Christmas Market guide brings together the dates, venues and access for Winter Wonders.
The tower’s spire, crowned with the gilded statue of Saint Michael, photographed in July 2026. © iMahesh · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
📅 Dates and times
- 3 to 19 December 2026: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, i.e. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 December.
- 21 December 2026 to 2 January 2027: 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30 December, then 1 and 2 January.
- Closed on 24 and 31 December. Sunday 27 December was not offered for booking when we checked on 14 November 2026.
- Times: 3 pm to 9 pm, with a departure every quarter of an hour; last entry at 8.45 pm.
🎟️ Price and booking
Entry costs €13. Book online through the official ticket office, choosing your day and then your departure slot. The City’s page does not mention a reduced rate.
⚠️ Before you climb
There is no lift: reaching the tower requires a good level of fitness. The visit is strongly discouraged for children under 7, pregnant women, people with reduced mobility or claustrophobia, and for animals (except guide dogs).
📍 Practical information
- Venue: Brussels City Hall, Grand-Place, 1000 Brussels; the staircase starts in the courtyard.
- Period: from Thursday 3 December 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027, during Winter Wonders.
- Booking: city-hall-vte2026.ticketlive.be