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City profile Brussels

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Bias-Note: I visited Brussels during the hot summer period (end of July 2026) for 10 days, was based on Boulevard du Midi around Porte de Hal, and I spent most of my time in the adjacent neighbourhoods “Saint Gilles” and “Marolles”. A friend told me that during that time many locals were away on vacation – otherwise it would have been even busier!

General vibe

Brussels has many neighborhoods with distinct vibes. During my trip, I seemed to have caught the more “stressful” neighborhoods, so my biased (temporary) verdict is: Brussels is a stressful, dense and loud city for a dog. There are areas with lots of trash in public and people peeing in the streets. There is a lack of green areas and parks, and the city does not have a river. There is a normal amount of dogs, usually on a leash, and dog owners are not too keen to have them interact with each other. For a reactive dog like mine, Brussels was a stressful experience.

Moving through Brussels

Walking

On foot, you can discover a lot of parts of Brussels since it is quite pedestrian-friendly like many European cities. Traffic is quite heavy and loud (sirens). There are lots of zebra crossings, though the cars approach it fast and you have to be on the lookout. People on scooters often use the sidewalk.

Public transport

The good news: public transport is free for animals, you dont need a ticket! Of course the dog has to be on a leash and wear a muzzle. Though I was never asked for a muzzle during my 10-day stay. (but more on that later)

The subway was a bit tricky, though. Most passengers use a turnstile followed by a moving staircase. For passengers with special needs there is an alternative pathway: After using the elevator you need to get into a sort of “lock room”, enclosed by two automatic doors. This last one was a bit of a challenge because my dog does not particularly like automatic doors that lock you in a small enclosure. You get out by presenting your ticket to one of the 3 (!) different card readers.

Going with the bus was really easy, the drivers didnt really say anything about the dog even when we had no muzzle on.

Dog rules

Muzzle policy

My impression is that in Brussels authorities don’t stress about “dog rules” too much. A local told me that they had never seen a dog wearing a muzzle in public transport – that’s quite something!

Running freely

The dogs are usually kept on a leash. Locals told me that especially in the park there is a leash obligation, while outside of parks within the city it is more relaxed. Which confused me, because in my experience it is exactly the other way around. The reality was that in the parks I often saw dogs without leash.

Feeding your dog in Brussels

Supermarkets (like Carrefour) usually have a section for dog food. I was lucky and found a really lovely small shop named Canine in Saint Gilles district: You can walk in with your dog and the owner is super helpful and the decor of the shop is top notch (TODO: Fotos). They sell high quality dog food from Belgium and even have dry food in bulk from large bins – so you can get the exact quantity you need! I told the owner that I will only stay for a few days in Belgium and it wouldn’t be practical to buy a whole bag. Then she even gave me a free sample pack from a Belgian dog food brand named YDOLO, which my dog loved (so we came back later to buy some more for 1€ each).

Buying groceries with your dog

Like in most countries, dogs are not allowed to enter most shops, especially grocery shops. So the dog has to wait outside. Traveling alone, this can be a bit tricky. In the area where I lived (Porte de Hal) it was sometimes hard to leave the dog alone outside: The streets were busy and narrow, and often there was no pole or anything to attach the dog to. I found one Carrefour shop in the Marolles district that had a dedicated “dog spot” inside where dogs could be attached (TODO Bild) – this was perfect. One of the workers even told me “Don’t attach your dog outside on the street – everything could happen”. Unfortunately, this dog-friendly tethering point was not available in all Carrefour shops, so this became our goto grocery store. Other shops usually allowed dogs, though I tried to enter a few second-hand shops that surprisingly had a “no animals” policy.

Parks and green areas

In Brussels, green areas are rarer than in other cities, but I found a few great places:

Parc Foret & Duden

Those two parks can be reached from Saint Gilles district. They are both a bit hilly, and the spacious Parc Duden feels more like a forest than a park! You can find a fenced dog area here.

Parc Pierre Paulus

This one is a small hidden oasis! There is a pond with a fountain and many winding paths in the shadow – perfect during summer to cool down. It has a dedicated dog area (though quite small).

Bois de la Cambre

In this extensive green area I found the tranquillity and space I needed after a few days of Brussel city life. It is a real forest, with valleys and enough space to be in solitude for a while. I met a lot of dogs that were off the leash there too! You can find a lake and a little beergarden there too.

Vocabulary for dog owners in Brussels

Here are a few useful phrases in French (FR) and Dutch (NL)!

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