It's been long that I wanted to write a post about Brussels but as I never got to visit it in a structured way I somehow did not manage to put my thoughts in a clear way together. But now I think it's time to give it a try.
Where to start?.....ok...i'll do it like this: Gare Centrale
The best way to reach Brussels is by train. Although public transport in Belgium can be a bit of a tricky story in general 25 min to Brussels city center from Leuven or like 15 min from Brussels Zaventem (BRU) airport is faster than simply living on the other side of the city.
The story will run sort of radial having Gare Centrale as the center point of what you can see around, and I will take advantage of a bit of inspiration (not to miss anything relevant) of a travel app called TripScout as it offers you a map with photos of the main attractions and all info you need about that attraction is basically a tap away. If you are a more list type of person no worries you can get all the attractions also in the form of a list.
Grand Place
one of the most visited locations in Brussels is of course the Grand Place, and for sure it is an incredibly nice square, especially now that everything has been renovated. Since 1998, the Grand Place is listed under the UNESCO world heritage.
From Grand Place there are couple of key locations you need to tick off when in Brussels.
Delirium
it's the bar that has about 2000 types of beers, crazy right? well, it's definitely worth passing by and trying out some of the Belgium's finest beers, on top of this you can check out the Rum, Absinth & Tequila Bars on the same street..
i love the interior, you can clearly see that this is a beer place. The only way to get a spot is either on a sunny day when Belgium will stay outside or coming somewhere before 4pm going by the German rule "kein Bier vor vier" (no beer before 4PM )
Some suggestions based on my taste of course would be Gouden Carolus Classic, Rochefort 8, Westmalle Dubbel, Chimey Blue and I can go on....
and wait...Jeanneke Pis is right at the end. For the sake of giving here some details, Jeanneke Pis build 1987 is the less famous statue of Manneken Pis, and represents obviously a girl peeing.
Manneken Pis
.....well...for who did not see it yet, it will come as a surprise, maybe, that it is very small (only 65cm), but the cool thing about it is that they dress it up in traditional or special costumes depending on the occasion...It counts like 900 costumes and you can have a look more in detail over on this page.
Zinneke Pis
i would not want to be told that I discriminate anyone so of course a special place in my post will be given to Zinneke Pis...just as a detail the official name of the statue is Het Zinneke and it was created in 1998 by sculptor Tom Frantzen.
Pita Street
It's locally famous, so maybe interesting to give a try to the Greek style of fast food. The food quality is good (for what it is) and it is right next to Grand Place
My favorite spot
on one of the nearby streets you have a tiny entrance which looks like:
not sure why, but I absolutely love the view of it. You can find it by searching in Google for âAu Bon Vieux Temps
Charles Buls fountain- Rue du Marche aux Herbes-Agora Square
I only noticed this statue the other day and out of curiosity I read who the person behind the statue is...so I find out that "Buls became Mayor of Brussels in 1881 and remained in office until 1899. At his initiative policemen had to be able to speak both French and Dutch and bilingual signposting was established throughout the city. However, along with these reforms, his most lasting achievement was the result of his opposition to the grandiose architectural schemes of King Leopold II, and the resulting preservation of old parts of Brussels. In particular, Buls was a steadfast defender and admirer of the Mont des Arts and the Grand Place, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, successfully proposing the 1883 city ordinance protecting the facades of the Grand Place buildings and providing funds for their restoration which took place between 1883 and 1923." (Source) .. interesting.
St. Hubert Royal Galleries
It is said that famous writes like Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Quinet and others, would gather around these galleries.
nowadays the galleries house a lot of luxury shops as well as places with very specific Belgian products
La Monnaie De Munt Theater
Designed by Louis Damesme in a neo-classical style, the facade of the theater dates from 1819. In 1854 Eugene Simonis put the finishing touch to the facade in the form of a pediment with a bas-relief representing "The Harmony of Human Passions".
Today the theater building hosts the National Opera of Belgium.
La Bourse
"Built in 1873, on the former site of the convent des Recollets, it was designed by the architect Leon Suys. Rodin collaborated on the exterior decoration of the building as an employee of Carrier-Belleuse. While the former became a famous sculptor, the latter is a name familiar only to specialists now. Of neoclassical inspiration, its simplicity is broken by very ornate decorations that have been described by some people as baroque excesses." (Source)
Tip: You can get a nice view from the rooftop of the Beursschouwburg
St Catherine & St Gerry
These markets are excellent for food and drinks. Below in the little red car is the best mojito in Brussels :) you can find it almost year round in St Catherine
also there a lot of restaurants you can actually pick in St Catherine and it is super easy to reach as it has a metro stop right in the middle of the square.
if you get there on a sunny day, it will be absolutely packed with people, a great people watching spot
and for sure very cute to meet friends at the end of the day is St Gerry. I don't think that a particular bar is of the highest importance but the location in general ;)
Amadeo: the place for ribs
Amadeo offers all you can eat ribs..no worries I won't tempt you, but he building is so beautiful that it totally deserves its spot in my post. (update: this place was closed in July 2018)
On the other side of Gare Central
Weird or not, Gare Central splits somewhat your visit of the city center, so now that you saw Grand Place area have a look on the other side :P
Mont des Arts
I love it especially by night, as the garden is litten up, giving an nice view from the top
and here you can also see the night version
Music Palace
I am clearly not a museum fan, but, some years back on the Museums night in Brussels we went to the Music Museum and I must say, that I absolutely enjoyed the visit (I have to go back one day). Both inside and outside the place is worth the time from both architectural and content point of view.
Royal Palace
Especially when not that many cars around and on a sunset light, the place looks gorgeous, it does not happen often but fingers crossed you get to see it.
Brussels Park
It's used for various purposes, from enjoying some time in the park, to running (although I think jogging is not allowed) or just crossing towards the parliament (and commission) area, the park gives a freshness feeling to the city. I mainly love it in the morning when you get to hear all the green parrots that live there....impossible to get a picture of them of course :)
Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg
Is a neoclassical church which stands on the location of a medieval abbey church. [...] "During the French Revolution, the abbey was suspended and the church was made into a Temple of Reason, and then later into a Temple of Law. The church was returned to Catholic control in 1802." (Source)
Sablon and around
you can find a lot of cafes and restaurants around, but also buildings having very typical local architecture.
Tower:Tour Anneessens
it's an interesting view, as it brings a medieval look to the city. It was not easy to find the name of it, but I knew it is somewhere. It is part of the first wall of Brussels. "Soldiers defended the Rue Haute from the top of this tower. This part of the tower, very well conserved, still shows the arrow slits. These are very narrow and long windows made it possible to shoot arrows without getting hit back."(Source)
Skateboard court
with street-art, view over the rails and a lot of youngsters doing tricks on skateboards, it's a cool place to stop for a minute and look around
and the view on the other side
Pierre Marcolini building
there is generally quite a queue to buy luxury chocolate.
Local Belgian - Traditional Brussels
There are some things that are absolutely everywhere when it come to the most touristic places in Belgium and Brussels is definitely a great place form where to explore local products. You should not worry if you missed a shop as there are tons of others just 10 m further.
Waffles
Belgian waffles are world famous, but there is here a little story behind how they ended up becoming so famous. You should get ready for this :)
Originally showcased in 1958 at Expo 58 in Brussels, Belgian waffles were introduced to North America by a Belgian named Walter Cleyman at the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle in 1962. The waffles were further popularized in the United States during the 1964 New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadows Park. The waffle was introduced by Maurice Vermersch of Brussels, Belgium, and was named the Bel-Gem Waffle. Largely based on a simplified recipe for the Brussels waffles, Vermersch decided to change the name upon observing that many Americans could not correctly identify Brussels as the capital of Belgium. (Source)
In Belgium you have 2 different types of waffles: Liege Waffles & Brussels Waffles. Truth being said, I am more of Liege fan when it comes to Waffles (please don't hate me)
Liege Waffles:"Authentic Liege waffles are one of life's great indulgences-caramelized sugar glistening on a tender, buttery, vanilla-laden joy for the senses. Unfortunately, the "original recipe" has been long lost [...] The recipe that follows is not an adaptation of any other. It's a reconstruction based largely on 18th and 19th-century brioche - which indisputably forms the basis of the Liege waffle (Source) Visit Brussels describes the local Brussels Waffles as: " Ah, the inviting aroma of freshly prepared Brussels waffles: at the same time, warm, light, deliciously crusty outside and soft inside. They differ from wafers or other waffles that you enjoy cold. For the Brussels waffle, you sit down at a table, you generously sprinkle icing sugar all over it (the waffle, not the table obviously) and if you prefer it rich, you can top it with whipped cream which will slowly melt. We told you, it is bliss." Now basically, it's up to you what you will enjoy more, but for sure you would need to give both options a try.
Oh, the chocolate.
When it comes to pralines, Belgium is King, so many options and all taste simply delicious. My favorite one is indeed Neuhaus, but I can very difficult say no to any praline when I am offered one.
If you would like to bring home high quality Neuhaus pralines but at a cheaper price, make sure you pass by the factory where you can by pralines in 1kg boxes. The factory is easy accessible by metro so no worries if you don't have a car.
Lace
"Brussels lace, lace named for the city of Brussels. It became distinguished from other bobbin laces made in Flanders during the second half of the 17th century. Brussels laces were of high quality, popular at court, and made professionally at workshops called beguinages (often associated with convents) by unmarried women whose lives were dedicated to the work. The laces were of the non-continuous-thread technique, the richly delicate designs near-naturalistic, almost weightless, and at times breathtakingly beautiful. The ground could be a meshwork of drochel (hexagonal forms) or bars or a mixture of the two. Through the 19th century the laces became heavier, and the designs, though still beautiful, became rather crowded, frequently sprinkled with numerous dots and flourishes in keeping with the taste of the period." (Source)
Brussels Beer
If and when in Brussels you should definitely try one of the Beers from the Brussels Beer Project my favorite one is the Dark Sister (BLACK WITH LIGHT RED REFLECTION) but they have something for everyone. I did try the most of their beers at a bar in Leuven where they have most of their beers, so I can say that the "project" looks to be a great success.
Ending up back at Gare Centrale.
on my way back to the train station, I spotted all the Caulier 28 in the window of a bar, by googling a bit, i can also share with you the details: B28 Gare Central I like this beer a lot, so if you have some extra time or your train is late, looks like a good place to give the beer a try.
Now that I am at the end of the post, I think I've done quite a good job and you have what to see the whole weekend :P It looks I know Brussels better than I thought and I even managed to mark as visited most of the recommendations of TripScout when it comes to Brussels center, just lagging a bit behind the pubs and bars, but I promise to check them out and hopefully get soon a food and drink scene overview of the capital of Belgium as seriously, you can find absolutely all the cuisines around the city (perfect spots for all the gourmands out there)
3 Comments
Regina Phaelangi
10/19/2017 08:48:07 pm
Thx for the great post. I need to add a small note on the sentave : “Below in the little red car is the best mojito in Brussels :)” ... it’s mojito and caipirinha :)
Reply
alusoare
2/1/2021 08:17:21 am
Thanks! Great to see you like it!
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