A Tasty Suggestion
La Quincaillerie is one of Brussels’ most interesting places to dine out. ‘The Hardware Store’ is a local favourite in the city which is always a good sign. A large clock dominates the front of the restaurant as staircases take you up to the main part of the restaurant. The Art Nouveau décor inside keeps your eyes entertained, as does the open and relaxed atmosphere the restaurant has. Business lunches are a favourite with local workers. Choose from the ‘what the bosses are having’ menu or try some of the house specialities including traditional baked ham and duck with lime. The menu is ever changing to assure that the ingredients are as fresh as it can possibly be. www.quincaillerie.be
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AUGUST – SEPTEMBER: The Brussels Beer Festival is a free event which lasts for a month and showcases some of the best international beers in Europe. Thousands of beer lovers flock to the event every year. To find out more go to www.belgianbeerweekend.be/
…and here are some more great things to do in and around Brussels…
SEPTEMBER 2008: The Marni Jazz Rendezvous is a series of concerts by established Belgian artists and those who are new to the jazz scene. This is a casual event where the jazz stars mingle in with the crowds afterwards. For more information go to www.visitflanders.com/
JANUARY 2009: The Truc Troc contemporary art festival has 100 works of art by 100 different artists at the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Live music and DJ sets give the event an upbeat vibe. For further information see www.truc-troc.be/
MARCH 2009: The Brussels International Book Fair brings over 1100 publishers presenting their latest book lists. More than 700 authors are on hand to sign their works plus there are also workshops and lectures that you can attend. For more information go to www.foiredulivre.com/
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Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition
This exhibition give visitors a special look at some of Da Vinci’s finest pieces of work. With hundreds of original works including models, documents, inventions and drawings. This is one of the many events which mark the signing of the Rome treaties.
www.expo-davinci.eu
Brussels Card
A Brussels Card offers either a pass for 24 hours (€20), 48 (€28) or 72 hours (€33), giving free access to 25 museums, discounts in more than 30 restaurants, shops and tourist attractions and unlimited public transport. Details from Brussels Tourist Office, +32 (0) 2 504 0390.
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It’s hard to see how Brussels was ever labelled boring. Brimming with beautiful, historic buildings, superb dining, excellent museums and dynamic nightlife, the city is one of the coolest short-break destinations in Europe.
Brussels tourism bosses have finally woken up to its potential, and not before time. Designer shops are piling in, their cutting-edge owners keen to be seen in one of the trendiest shopping capitals on the continent. A huge mix of festivals and exhibitions forever flood the city, spa breaks are being trumpeted, beer trails mapped out, in short Brussels has a new energy and spirit that’s transforming it into one of the most fun and entertaining capitals to visit.
Top of every newcomer’s itinerary is the Grand Place. Here you’ll discover Belgium’s finest baroque guildhall, the sumptuous Hôtel de Ville, top-quality museums, pavement cafés, exquisite chocolate shops and intimate cellar restaurants.
For a taste of culture, visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts, two museums in one and the country’s top art collection, the first displaying an enormous group of canvasses by Rubens and the Belgian surrealists and the second dedicated to modern art. If you’ve kids in tow, spend time in Mini Europe, a miniature park featuring every European capital, and, if it’s summer, take a peek in the Royal Palace, a unique opportunity to see the inside of a working palace.
Just about everything’s on offer for sports fans, from billiards to snow-boarding - Yeti Ski has an artificial slope near the Royal Amicale Golf Club. Arrive in December and you can ice-skate on one of the most beautiful rinks in Europe, the Marché aux Poissons. Brussels is also furnished with a prized collection of Art Nouveau buildings, you could take a dip at Piscine Victor Boin, an elegant covered pool with a Turkish bath at the back.
Belgium is a country of gastronomes and its capital heaves with quality eateries. There’s no shortage of Italian, Spanish or Japanese places, but for an authentic Brussels experience, visit the old-world restaurants where apron-clad waiters skim across tiled floors and diners linger over heaving plates in wood-panelled surroundings.
Brussels Tourist Office describes the city’s nightlife as ‘festive, trendy and eccentric’. It’s certainly that and more. If you’re in search of a good barrel of beer, look no further than the streets around Grand Place, while Halles Saint-Gery and Chausée de Charleroi-Chatelain both pull in a hip and trendy young crowd, and Ilot Sacre has everything - gourmet restaurants, blues bars, discos and clubs.
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Begin with a coffee and waffle sprinkled with cinnamon in the wonderful Grand Place, enjoying the view of the Hôtel de Ville with its gilded statue of St Michel. Then explore the neighbouring cobbled streets, the Galeries St Hubert and medieval Rue au Beurre and Rue des Bouchers, the scene of Brussel’s 15th century booming cloth trade and prosperous markets.
Head next to the Upper Town to see the Old England building, a superb Art Nouveau example built in 1899, it’s black frontage is a mass of swirling wrought iron and arched windows. If you’re interested in music, its display of 7,000 instruments will lure you in, you can hear them played through headsets as you wander around.
Alternatively, go straight on to the Musée des Beaux-Arts for the country’s unmissable art collection. Both the ancient and modern sections are huge, (purists would devote a day to them) so just opt for a genre you enjoy. On Wednesdays, a lunchtime concert is held in the Musée d’Art Ancien.
Stop for lunch in the swish Sablon area. There’s a wealth of excellent eating houses, bustling with waiters and business diners. In the afternoon make your way to Musée Horta in St Gilles, a masterwork of Art-Nouveau. Inside is an iron-laced staircase, mirrored walls, glorious timber panelling and stained glass inlays.
Shopaholics need look no further than Rue Antoine Dansaert and Avenue Louise, two of the most glamorous retail strips in the city.
At the end of the day, dine on Rue des Bouchers, the city’s most famous restaurant street, and then socialise with the friendly locals at a beer tavern in the Lower Town.
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To make life easy, book a hotel when you book your flight with www.flybehotels.com
There are plenty of central choices close to the Grand Place and some atmospheric options in St Catherine and on Avenue Louise. One of the city’s top hotels is the five-star Warwick Barsey on the flashy Avenue Louise. This luxury boutique hotel is perfect for shopping and dining at the trendy restaurants close by.
Or visit the four-star Jolly Du Grand Sablon in one of the chicest districts in Brussels, ideally placed for antique shops and galleries and a beautiful option, with flower-filled balconies.
For a family-run hotel with outstanding service, stay at the three-star Queen Anne, both comfortable and friendly.
Just a short walk from the Grand Place is the four-star Thon Brussels which is central and features a gym, sauna and solarium.
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The Airport City Express train runs from Brussels National Airport to the city’s three main train stations, the Gare du Nord, Gare Centrale and Gare du Midi. It operates every 15 minutes and takes 15-25 minutes.
www.brusselsairport.be
Expect to pay around €30 for a taxi to the city centre, available in front of the arrivals hall. Licensed taxis are recognisable by a blue and yellow emblem.
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Brussels’ efficient public transport system is run by Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles, tel: +32 (0) 2 515 20 00. The service is operated by bus, tram and premetro (trams that venture underground for part of the journey) and metro. Public transport runs from 5.30am to 11pm.
Tickets can be bought from metro stations, newsagents, kiosks and on buses and trams. The city tourist office (Brussels International) sells one-day passes and tourist passports
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Neptunium: Brussels’ best swimming pool complex, with two main swimming pools, one for children and the other equipped with plunge pools. Above the swimming pool area there is a balcony where you can sit and have a drink while watching the swimmers below. Phone +32 (0) 2 215 7424 for more information.
La Woluwe Sports Centre: Has over 2,300 square metres of sports fields and dozens of sports games to be played inside the sports centre such assquash, badminton and a climbing wall to keep you entertained. The 88 flood-lit outdoor sports pitches also provide more than enough space to exercise and have fun. www.centresportifdelawoluwe.be
Riding Centre: Right in the centre of the city is the Terkameren Woods where you can go horse riding for a day. The riding centre is situated on the edge of the woods and qualified instructors take you on various routes around the woods and out into the city. For more information phone +32 (0) 2 375 3408.
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Just outside Brussels in the province of Brabant-Wallon are Waterloo, Nivelles and Villers-la-Ville, all ideal day-trip destinations.
Waterloo: 18km south of the capital, nearly a million visitors a year come here to look out over the plains at the Lion of Waterloo, site of the famous battle between Wellington and Napoleon in 1815. The nine-hour battle cost the lives of 15,000 men, ended France’s military prowess in Europe and its rule over Belgium. For history and war buffs this is a must-see. Every five years the battle is re-enacted, check with the tourist office.
Nivelles: Also easily reached is the ancient town of Nivelles, which grew up around an abbey, started in 648 AD. There’s a pleasant central square with a tourism office, but the church is the main draw, with its hotch-potch of repairs, 12th century turrets and fine sculptures.
Villers La Ville: It’s worth stopping at Nivelles if you’re en route to Villers La Ville, 5 km east, and features the most enchanting sight in Brabant-Wallon, a ruined Cistercian Abbey in a beautiful forest dell. It was founded by a handful of monks in 1147 and by the 13th century had become a flourishing community. Visitors can wander about freely, it’s also possible to see the warming room, brewery and kitchen and there’s a rustic restaurant, Le Cigalou nearby.
The Forêt de Soignes: The largest green space in the vicinity in southeast of Brussels, it’s home to deer and wild boar and one of the country’s most important forests. If you can’t face a long hike, take a tram which trundle through the woods in summer.
National Botanic Garden: 12km north of Brussels, laid out around two lakes and Bouchout Castle. It features an outstanding number of exotic plants and species. Back to top
Acceleration in property prices over the last four years has had a massive impact on the Brussels property market. In particular, prices in the European quarter have risen dramatically in the last two years. Experts have put this down to the introduction of Bulgaria and Romania into the European Union as many try to snap up property in this famous city. You can currently buy a 39 square metre apartment for €172,000 in the city centre, however, for the same property slightly closer to the European parliament the price rises to €333,000. www.overseaspropertymall.com
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Grand Place: Brussels’ magnificent central square dates from the 12th century. Surrounding the square is a network of small cobbled streets, such as Butter Street and Butcher Street, lined with museums, shops and small restaurants.
Hôtel de Ville: This Gothic-style town hall was the only building on the square to escape the 1695 French bombardment. It’s covered in stone reliefs and gargoyles. Tours are possible, enquire at Brussels International tourist office, tel: +32 (0) 2 513 89 40.
Old England Building and Museum of Musical Instruments: Open 9.30am-5pm Tue, Wed & Fri, 9.30-8pm Thu, 10am-5pm weekends, tel: +32 (0) 2 545 01 30. Entry €6 with concessions. One of the world’s biggest collections of musical instruments (over 7,000) located in an Art-Nouveau showpiece building, a black façade of swirling wrought-iron with arched windows.
Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts: +32 (0) 2 508 32 11. Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, entry €6, free first Wed of the month. Two huge museums housing the country’s top collection of art, plenty of works by Pieter Breugel the Elder, Rubens and Belgian masters. The modern section features works from the 19th and 20th centuries, you’ll find Monet, Seurat and Gaugin paintings here.
www.fine-arts-museum.be
Musée Horta: +32 (0) 2 543 04 90. Open Tue-Sun 2-5.30pm. An excellent introduction to the Art Nouveau movement, occupying two adjacent houses in St Gilles. To avoid the crowds, visit on a weekday. www.hortamuseum.be
Palais de Justice: +32 (0) 2 508 65 78. Open 8am-5pm, admission free. Larger than St Peter’s in Rome, this colossal law court was designed to imitate the temples of the Pharaohs. The venue for ground-breaking judgements in European law. The viewing platform offers sweeping views of the city and a glass elevator connects Place Poelaert with Place Breugel.
Royal Palace: Open Tue-Sun 10.30am-4.30pm end July to early September. Entry free. Although the Belgian Royal family live at Laeken, this is their official abode and the chance of a snapshot of working royal life. www.monarchie.be
EU District: Opened in 1988, The European Parliament Building site next to Parc Léopold, the EU’s legislative branch. Free tours start at the visitor’s centre, +32 (0) 2 284 34 57.
Parc de Bruxelles: A welcome patch of green in the heart of the city beside the Palais Royal, dotted with classical statues and flowerbeds.
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This is one of the most sociable and easy-going cities to spend an evening, whether you’re after a cocktail on a comfy sofa at a piano bar or a heaving dance floor belting out the latest sounds. Explore the streets around the Grand Place to unearth the secrets of Belgian beer, the Sablou district for refined entertainment, and Halles St-Gery to meet the city’s bright, young ‘Bruxellois’.
Goupil le Fol, 22 rue de la Violette, Grand Place, is unique, with its dimly-lit labyrinthine lay-out, a juke-box playing Edith Piaf and an insomniac chocolate-dispensing owner who advises on everything, not least wine.
If you’re into jazz, Music Village, 50 rue des Pierres, is not to be missed. It’s a 17th century house and offers New York jazz bands, crooners and many big jazz names. One of Brussels’ top jazz spots. Students are now given a special €7.50 entry.
At Delirium Café, 50 rue des Pierres, Ilot Sacre, up to 2,500 beers are on offer, some served in four-litre glasses. A popular blues and rock bar with locals.
Brussels also boasts an impressive array of dance companies, opera and classical music. Look out for free lunchtime concerts in small venues around the city. Pick up the English Bulletin listings guide to see what’s on.
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For a European capital, Brussels is small and only has a population of one million. Despite this, it’s home to major multinational headquarters as well as international organisations like the European Union, NATO, the Western European Union, Customs Cooperation Council, Eurocontrol and another 1,750 others. About 8,000 people are reckoned to be actively involved in political lobbying in Brussels.
The Brussels region is home to 54,000 businesses, many from foreign companies specialising in business and finance, lobbying, legal and fiscal services, communication and research.
The city is ideally placed for business, not least for its proximity to the major European institutions, giving first-hand access to information; direct access to 455 million consumers across Europe, its central location in Europe and excellent transportation links.
If you’re considering business expansion in Brussels visit www.bruxelles-export.be and www.britcham.be for the British Chamber of Commerce in Brussels.
House prices are high. A three-storey townhouse with a small garden just five minutes’ walk from Grand Place costs £1.12m, more properties on www.homesforsale.co.uk/belgium
However if you are planning to rent or buy, there are plenty of English-speaking agents and lawyers to cut through the red tape.
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First-timers to Brussels are often overwhelmed by the unbelievably long street names. The blue-and-white street signs are weighed down under the likes of Petite Rue de la Violette Korte Viloletstraat or Place de la Vielle Halle aux Blés Oud Korenhuis. Names like these make recalling where your hotel is or which street a particular restaurant is located extremely troublesome.
However, it becomes simpler when you understand they’re two names in one - the first is French, the second Flemish. That said, street names are even more vexing in the working class district of Marolles, three languages are used, French, Flemish and the old city’s dialect, Bruxellois. Thus High Street becomes Rue Haute Hoogstraat Op d’Huugstroet. Tell that to the taxi driver.
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Photos copyright of Office de Promotion du Tourisme Wallonie Bruxelles |
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