Brussels
What Were Our goals?
We spent a total of four days in Brussels, but only two of those were in the city itself. The others consisted of trips to Bruges, Ghent, Luxembourg and the World War 1 Flanders Battlefields. Apart from the magnificent old buildings, Brussels is famous for its chocolate, beer and comic books. To see and experience all these, a guided tour was booked to take us around the city centre to see all three.
How Did We Get There?
As we were previously in Paris, the easiest way, and probably cheapest, was a train from Gare du Nord. We pre-booked tickets through Thalys for 43 Euros each. The seats were allocated which was great, and there was plenty of luggage room.
Finding the train at Gare du Nord in Paris was interesting. The departure time showed on the screens, but no allocated platform. This wasn’t shown until ten minutes before departure, and then only on the platform it was leaving from. We saw the crowd heading that way and followed them.
Arriving in Brussels Midi, we needed to get to Brussels Central. There were screens showing which platform to go to. As a bonus, the ticket from Paris gave us passage on the local train.
Where Did We Stay?
Our hotel was the Novotel Brussels Off Grand Place. It was very central, close to all the inner-city attractions and the Central Railway Station.
The staff were all very friendly and the room very comfortable. There were celebrations being held in Grand Place while we were there, but we did not hear anything and had very good nights’ sleep.
Breakfast was served in the ground floor restaurant. It had a huge selection of food and was delicious. There is a great bar, with friendly bar staff. You can order at the bar a drink outside at the hotel’s tables and watch the scenery.
Getting Around
Walking
The location of the hotel meant that we could walk to all the places we wanted to see in the inner-city. We felt safe everywhere we went, but took the usual precautions. Backpacks were locked with catches and we had nothing in our pockets. Due to recent events, armed soldiers are present in many parts of the city. Most people seem to take them for granted and ignore their presence.
Train
We caught trains twice to travel to destinations outside of Brussels. Both times we went to the ticket counter and spoke to the attendant. He was extremely helpful, advising which tickets to buy and which platform we had to go to.
All very easy and comfortable.
Organised Trips in Brussels
Chocolate and Beer Tour
This was an excellent way to find the best in Belgian chocolate and beer. Our guide met us at our hotel and then took us on a walk around central Brussels to find the best Chocolate and tell the difference between good Belgian chocolate and the excellent variety. We visited numerous outlets, sampling as we went (and purchasing too). On our way we passed many of the sites we wanted to see, particularly some of the comic street art that Brussels is famous for.
After the chocolate it was time to sample beers. Mostly the excellent Trappist beers. We were taken to several different pubs, many in out-of-the-way back streets. So, not only did we get to taste some of the best beers in the world, we had the fantastic atmosphere that only a small pub can give.
After four hours (or maybe longer), we were dropped off back at our hotel feeling very happy, having had a great experience.
Major Attractions Visited
A walking trip around Brussels to see the sights we wanted took about an hour’s walk. Not too bad. Of course, it was a lot longer with stops to see everything and refuel on coffee and snacks. Total distance was around five kilometres. Also, not too bad.
Museum of Original Miniatures
Next door to our hotel was the Museum of Original Miniatures (MOOF Museum). A great place to re-live your childhood comic reading with Tin Tin, Asterix, the Smurfs and many more. The displays are well laid out and we spent some time wandering around. And you can take photos. Apart from Smurfs (there is a dedicated store on the ground floor), the merchandise offered in the gift shop is a bit sparse.
Royal Palace
From the MOOF, we walked through Monts des Arts and to the Royal Palace. We admired it from the outside and took a few photos before moving on to the European Parliament. This was something that we could have skipped past. Unless you really want to see it, there isn’t much here.
St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral
We walked from the European Parliament to the St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral. It looks amazing from the outside and inside is even better. The stained-glass windows are superb and the icons of the saints are worth the visit in themselves.
Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert was the first covered shopping arcade in Europe. It is filled with restaurants and luxury shops. We wandered through, doing window shopping. The chocolate shop in here was one of our stops on the beer and chocolate tour we took later. The roof is amazing. Even if you don’t want to buy anything or just browse, go inside to look at the glass ceiling.
Grand Place
Final stop for the day was Grand Place. An event was being prepared, so the centre of the square was barricaded off. This made it seem more crowded than normal as everyone was pressed into a smaller space. The guild houses that line the square are fabulous. Each one is unique and you can spend hours looking at the detail in each one. We were told that each guild continually tried to outdo its rivals, which why they are so extravagant.
Mannekin Pis and Street Art
Part of the Chocolate and Beer Tour took us past the Mannekin Pis. This is a small bronze statue of a small boy urinating. One of the must-see attractions in Brussels, but not that interesting. Only worth seeing to tick it off your list. Nearby is some great street art and murals. These are all over Brussels. Much of it is comic book derived and a whole day could be spent chasing them all down.
Trips From Brussels
While in Brussels, we took the opportunity to explore other parts of Belgium. To read about the other Belgian destinations we visited, click on the links below.
We also travelled to Luxembourg from Brussels as a day trip.
What Did We Think?
We loved Brussels, especially the beer and chocolates. We also had a great time in Brugge. If you must choose between Brugge and Ghent, we would recommend Brugge, as it is less developed and has a much more relaxed atmosphere. The trip to the World War 1 Flanders Battlefields was a memorable experience that we are pleased we did.
So, overall a fantastic city, with plenty to do locally and within an easy day’s travel to other destinations