Belgium: Brussels

[bjorn]

The brussel sprout.
Your mom might have said, "Try it, you'll like it." The same can be said about Brussels, but you'll definitely enjoy the city more. Belgian waffles, Belgian chocolate, Belgian beer, and the dubiously named french fry (or "frite") are all esteemed products of the country. Like Paris, Brussels has broad boulevards and shady avenues, hundreds of local beers, dozens of historic art-nouveau buildings, and incredible cuisine. The city's architecture and museums rank with the best of Europe. The well-preserved medieval center is a pleasure to wander through, and the energetic street — and nightlife - is a pleasure to experience. Brussels is perhaps more international than most places in Europe - foreign leaders, business people, immigrants from Africa, Turkey, and the Mediterranean, add to the cosmopolitan mix of the city. But the city is also hip and quirky: the symbol of the city is a little boy peeing. Home to comic strip heroes and "Old Master" artists, Brussels is fun, historic, and deliciously satisfying.

When to go:
re's not a huge variation in temperature from season to season, though July and August tend to be the hottest and rainiest months of the year. Mid-spring through early fall are good times to go. Summer is usually best for festivals, though deep winter can bring out the film festivals.

What to Do:
History/Ruins:
The Grand Place is a history of Brussels in stone. Its magnificent Gothic Town Hall celebrated the grandeur of medieval Brussels when it was growing rich through trade. The renaissance guildhalls that surround it were built later by guilds of tailors, butchers, bakers, boatmen, cabinetmakers, and brewers. During the day, the Grand Place is a still a marketplace. There is a flower market every day and a bird market on Sunday. The Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) is the oldest building on the Grand Place. The Maison du Roi (King's House) is across from the Town Hall.

Museums:
After the Grand Place, Brussels' most famous attraction are its museums. Jan van Eyck, Pieter Brueghel, Pieter Paul Rubens, and Herge, the creator of the comic strip hero Tintin have all called Brussels home. So whether you have penchant for art (ancient or contemporary), cars or comic strips, there's a museum in Brussels to suit your interest. Visit the Musees des Beaux Arts (Musee d'Art Ancien and Musee d'Art Moderne) for fine art. Then there is the Musees Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire which houses one of the world's largest collections of art and antiquities. Relive your European tour at Mini-Europe, a complete, miniature reproduction of the European Union. Or stop by the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, with art from the great Belgian comics, including Tin Tin, Lucky Luke, Spirou, the Smurfs and Gaston Lagaffe. There's also one of the world's biggest car museums, Autoworld, and an impressive military museum, Musee Royal de l'Armee et d'Histoire Militaire, with a huge aviation section.

Shopping:
Visit the flea market at Jeu de Balle in the Marolles quarter. It's the place to go to find bargain furniture, jewelry, clothes, and records. The world's first shopping mall (circa 1846) is still going strong, and is well worth a visit. You have to go only about a hundred yards from the edge of the Grand Place to the Galerie Royale Saint-Hubert, which includes the Galerie de la Reine and the Galerie du Roi: three 19th-century glassed-over arcades with elegant shop windows. Neuhaus chocolatiers (arguably Belgium's best) has a sumptuous shop in the Galerie de la Reine (at no. 25).

Food/Culinary Info:
With origins in French and German foods, there's a whole lot more to Belgian cuisine than just waffles, frites, and beer. Mussels (moules in French) are cooked in a variety of different sauces and feature on most Belgian menus. Meat and beer dishes include carbonnade flamande (beef cooked with beer, carrots and onions and seasoned with thyme) and lapin à la gueuze (rabbit casserole featuring gueuze beer and onions).

Whether you prefer surf, turf, or really good chocolate, you can find a great meal (or even just dessert) in Brussels. The areas around Central Station and Ste-Catherine is good and generally inexpensive. If you're looking to spend a little more, try some of the restaurants near the Grand Place.

Of course, no mention of Belgian cuisine is complete without chocolate. There are free samples to be had at the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, where you can learn of the wonders of the cocoa bean.

Adventure:
It sounds nicer in French - le Musee des Egouts - but there is no denying that the Sewer Museum is certainly an adventure. Explore the world of human waste, then learn the technical ins and outs of sewage treatment before descending below the city to see Brussels's main sewer.

Natural Wonders:
Atomium, a giant metal molecule that you can climb around in, is Brussels' Eiffel Tower. Built in 1958 for the World Expo, the huge molecule has exhibits and a restaurant inside.

Cultural Comments:
Originally just another fountain, the Mannekin-Pis is the 17th century bronze statuette of a little boy taking a leak that became the symbol of Brussels. Just a couple of blocks off Grand Place, the statue is usually clothed in costumes donated by visiting dignitaries. His complete wardrobe of over 600 outfits, (including Elvis, Spanish conquistador, and Belgian naval officer) can be viewed at the Museum of the City of Brussels. Since 1985, there is a Jeanneke Pis, a little girl peeing, also near the Grand Place.

Arts:
Classical concerts, philharmonic overtures, opulent opera, the best in ballet - there is no dearth of arts and entertainment in Brussels. If you tire of conventional artistic diversions, there's even whimsical puppet theatre at the Theatre Toone VII.

Festivals/Events:
Whether it's a Gay Film Festival in January, the KunstenFESTIVALdesArts each spring, or Belgium National Day on July 21, there always seems to be a festival of some sort or another in Brussels. July and August kick off the city's historic and arts festivals, but there are film, music, and all kinds of other festivals going on year-round.

Nightlife/Bars:
Brussels may very well be the beer capital of the world. There are a ton of microbreweries, bars, cafes, and nightclubs serving quality lager, pilsner, ale, and just plain beer. It's easy to find a good brew in this town - without the attitude you may find in some other cities. The center of town generally is one of the best (and safest places) to go: you can quaff your stout till they toss you out around 1 or 2 a.m., and then dance the rest of the night away at one of the clubs around Place St. Gery.

Cafe Quotient:
To a Belgian, a café is where you go to sit for hours nursing a strong Belgian beer or a cup of espresso. In summer, the sidewalk cafés around the Sablon are crowded until late at night.

Gay & Lesbian:
The gay and lesbian scene in Brussels has been growing steadily since the city's first Pride March in 1996. There are quite a few options for gay and gay-friendly bars, restaurants, saunas, as well as a gay and lesbian film festival each January. Most of the bars and clubs are within comfortable walking distance of the Grand Place, the magnificent old town square in the heart of the city. (Keep an eye out for a rainbow flag in shops and cafes; that usually means you'll be able to pick up a free map of gay Brussels there.)

Cost:
The unit of currency is the Euro.

Belgium is cheap to get around in, but budget accommodations are sometimes hard to find, especially in summer. Eating out can significantly cut into your budget. If you were really cutting costs, by staying in hostels, walking most places and getting meals and snacks from the supermarket or food halls, you could get by on US$30 a day. However, if you want to stay at a hotel or nicer hostel, eat at restaurants and travel by public transport, figure on something more like US$45 per day.

Getting Around:
The Brussels International Airport Zaventem, is about eight miles north-east of the city center and the train will get you into town in about 20 minutes. A major stop on the Eurostar train, you can get to London in less than two hours. If you're already on the continent, the trains will get you to and from Antwerp, Bruges, or Paris, as well as most other major European cities quickly and easily.

Unless you're looking for the ultimate in driving adventure, walking and taking public transportation is the easiest (and least expensive) way to get around. Plus, you get a good feel for the city by walking around and ducking into side streets. There's system of buses and trains, and a lot of the sights you'll want to see are pretty close to the three main train stations.

Feel like riding a bike? You can rent one at many railway stations. Taxis are available to get you around the city, but they can be pretty costly.

Safety:
As with any other growing city, you need to keep your wits about you. Make sure you've got enough money for taxi fare when you go at night, and don't walk alone in the city center after dark if you can help it.

Language:
Flemish, French, and German are all official languages. Most people in Brussels speak French, but it's slightly different from the way they speak it in France (they use some Dutch sentence structure). Dutch (Flemish) spoken here is also slightly different, but anyone who speaks either of these languages should get on pretty well. Hearing the English language in Belgium is becoming more and more common, so you shouldn't have too much of a problem on that front, either.

Party/Social Scene:
People are friendly and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed for an up-and-coming European city. There is plenty to do after hours, whether you want to boogie the night away or spend your evening in bars playing darts with the locals or sampling each and every microbrew on the menu.

Other Info:
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