Our final full day in Brussels began with a picnic breakfast and an early visit to the Atomium. Built for the 1958 World’s Fair (Expo 58), the Atomium symbolizes scientific optimism and progress. Its nine connected spheres form a magnified model of an iron crystal—165 billion times larger than the real structure. From the top sphere, we had panoramic views of the city stretching to the countryside.

Next, we walked to Mini-Europe, a charming outdoor park featuring 350 miniature replicas of famous landmarks from across the European Union—complete with moving trains, erupting volcanoes, and the sounds of different national anthems. The kids loved spotting the monuments we’d already visited on other trips, making it feel like a grand summary of our European adventures.

In the afternoon, we joined a chocolate-making class at Chocolaterie Brussels, learning to temper chocolate and create pralines and truffles. Belgium produces over 220,000 tons of chocolate annually, and Brussels alone has more than 2,000 chocolatiers—a testament to how seriously the country takes its sweetest art form. During World War II, chocolate was even included in U.S. military rations, a tradition rooted in Belgian and Swiss expertise. Learning to make our own pralines felt like taking part in a sweet piece of that shared history.

As evening fell, we strolled through Mont des Arts, admired the elegant Town Hall balcony view of the Flower Carpet, and stopped by the city’s cheekiest icon: Manneken Pis, the small bronze statue of a boy forever mid-prank. Though just 61 centimeters tall, he’s been a symbol of Brussels’ humor and resilience since the 1600s—and he’s even been dressed in a U.S. Army uniform to honor visiting American troops.

Dinner out that night capped a weekend that felt like a perfect blend of art, flavor, and festivity.