Brussels

Cnee · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:08 am Post subject: Brussels

What is Brussels like? Are there good sightseeing and other special things to do in the city?

Ginirover · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject:

It's a nice city, but not too big. Consider a stay of say two days, that should be enough to conquer the city, but it's the time you rougly need. Almost everything is concentrated together in the city-center, so it's easy walkable.
If you plan, there are some easy must-seens like The Grand Place (the most beautiful square in the world - and I've been around), Manneken Pis, la Bourse, Rue de Bouchers, the Royal Place, the Palace of Justice, Mantonge (african quarter), the biggest market of Belgium on Sunday Morning near the railway station of Brussel Zuid/Gare du Midi, the Atomium (for this one you nzzs to catch a subway which brings you almost to its foot).
If you know the way, you can easily do everything in one day, if you have to find your way around, count on two days.

OnTheGo · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject:

Brussels is an absolutely charming city--be sure to try some of their chocolate, but I'm sure that goes without saying! It is very small and walkable, so agree Ginirover that two days should be plenty. However, if you find yourself there for longer I would recommend a day trip to Antwerp to the diamond district Very Happy

sjgray · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:55 pm Post subject:

Brussels is a great little city! Be sure to seek out the poor, maligned Jeanneke Pis after you've oggled the Mannequin Pis. She's off on some side street behind bars....
And eat some moules et frites with that chocolate!

Free_Spirit · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:55 pm Post subject:

grantmasterflash · Trainee Pilot Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 204 237 ants

I've been to Brussels 4 times this month and I have to say I was really disappointed in it. It's not very clean at all. Maybe I was expecting too much of it. Even the main historic square is dirty. I guess I'm used to Paris and the way they're always cleaning old landmarks. Brussels seems to be a great party town though so if nightlife is your thing... There are some great flights out of it though via Ryanair.

Grant

Jochen · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:48 am Post subject:

barbara2_hand · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

i have had some nice times in brussels. the food and chocolate are what i recall the most. the city can be pricey so if your looking to cut down on expenses i used a handy site http://www.holiday-velvet.com/brussels quite user friendly and the owners replied directly from my responses. got a lovely flat near the station. enjoy the town and the fries!

Jochen · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:

The chocolates, beers and waffles, you can get ANYWHERE in Belgium. No need to go to Brussels for that. Only if you want to pay more, lol.

Beers; go to any city center or small town center, and there'll be a number of pubs selling lots of brands. Most popular are town square tavernes. You can also go into any supermarket; Belgian beer galore!

Chocolates and waffles; my tip would be to leave the city and stay away from the "big brands" like Leonidas (who have their own shops with nothing but chocolates). Instead, just look for bakeries. Our bakeries do not only produce bread, but all kinds of pies and deserts (actually, I've been in no other country in the world where there's more choice!). And some of them make their own chocolates and cookies. THAT is the stuff you need, not the industrially produced stuff like Neuhaus etc.
You don't need to go far from Brussels to find these you know. A few examples; take any exit on the Ring (highway around Brussels) and you will pass big bakery shops. A few I know; exit "Groot Bijgaarden", take direction away from the city. First traffic light. Exit Ninove, again direction away from the city; 2 bakery shops before the first traffic light ("Stijnen", "Bossuyt"). I could go on all day like this...
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grantmasterflash · Trainee Pilot Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 204 237 ants

Before I went to Brussels the first time I kept hearing reports like the ones in this thread so when I got there I guess I was expecting something great and instead I found a city with very little unique architecture, dirty buildings and what seems to be a very high number of people under the poverty level. The markets (gare de midi) remind me more of South America or North Africa than anything I've seen in Europe before.

Having said that the good points are
1. Very small city center so you can walk
2. reasonably decent public transportation
3. nightlife
4. cheap flights to a lot of places from Brussels Charleroi Sud airport (1 hr away)

Of course there are a hundred cities in Europe with this and much more so why go to Brussels? I'm afraid Brussels has left a disappointed taste in my mouth for Belguim. I've heard that Bruges is nice though.

I will be back in Brussels one or two more times before the summer is over though.

Grant

Jochen · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:58 am Post subject:

I agree with the above too. if you want to visit a nice town in Belgium, go for Bruges or Ghent!
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