Brussels sidetrip
 

Looking for something to do for the day I arrive Brussels. I'll have half-day to spend. The next day I plan to go to Antwerp, then work the rest of the week.

I've already been to Bruseels, Ghent, Bruge before. Hoping for advice on somewhere ~30 min by train away.

Also, my hotel is across from the Bourse. What's the easiest way to get to the train station (subway, bus, etc)? How long is the walk there?

Easiest is to walk to Gare Centrale I believe, passing by or nearby de Grand Place.

If you've seen Gent and Brugge before, you might enjoy a little trip to Leuven, the oldest university city in Belgiun. How lively it will be greatly depends on the dates. In summer when most students are not there, it's pretty quiet, except for the Marktrock festival 13-15 august.

Also Mechelen is a charming town between Brussels and Antwerp. Both are about 25' away from Bruxelles-Centrale.

Thanks! Actually forgot to mention that I stayed in Leuven before also.
Is there another recommendation?

Which train station?

Gare Midi (Zuid) is a 7E taxi ride if you have some luggage, or you can connect by subway between Bourse and Gare Midi.

Gare Central is closer to Grand Place, about a 10-15 minute walk or so.

Mons? about 45 minutes away. Or Namur an hour away. Or as Stardust suggests Mechelen. Or Waterloo? 20 minutes away

What's Namur and Mons like?

Namur somehow reminds me of the streets in old town Quebec except it's not that hilly. It felt like a country big town to me. Never been to Mons but Mechelen is alos just OK to me, not worth the train trip. It's just OK, if I had half a day, I would rather enjoy Brussel perhaps take a stroll and have a good dinner in the St Catherine district easily accessed from the Marriott.

With just half a day, I would stick to Brussels or some part of the Brussels region...pick up a copy of The Bulletin to see if something special is going on somewhere in Brussels that day.
Have you been to the African museum out in Tervuren? A pleasant ride on the 44 tram, an interesting museums and the attractive parklands surrounding it are full of walking paths and trails. A couple of nice cafes between the tram stop and the museum.
Or...have you been to the Chateau de la Hulpe? Catch the 366 bus out and back, stroll around the grounds, visit the Folon Fondation.

Or go out to the Parc Woluwe, take the "rails to trails" path from the park to Stockel, wander around there a bit.

Check out the newly renovated Atomium. Much better than it used to be.

You've been to Brussels before but how much of the city did you see? Did you go to the Van Buren museum? The Chatelain street market? Stroll around St. Job and Fort Jaco? There is a great guide (in French) called Bruxelles Insolite et Secret, full of things to see in the Brussels area, even for those who have "done" Brussels.

Thanks DAX, I probably won't take the train to Mechelen, Namur or Mons since they don't sound too exciting afterall.

BTilke - I like your idea. I've only stayed around the central area previously in Brussels, so I really haven't done any of what you mentioned. And they sound fantastic. I'll look up some of those locations you mentioned.

The Cinquantenaire area has a few good museums, plus plenty of cafes, etc. An easy way to pass an afternoon if you want to stay close in.
If you go to the African museum, you take the 44 tram all the way to the end. Then cross the street and walk down just a bit farther (a couple of minutes max).

Definitely pick up the Bulletin and hang out around Brussels - I've lived here five years and am still discovering places. If you're feeling urban, try Place de la Chatelain is a great area to wander too and there's a fantastic Italian restaurant called Il Convivio on rue de l'Aqueduc (service can be slow, but the food is worth it). Have you done the rue Dansaert/rue de Flandre shopping area? If you're feeling nature/green, take BTilke's advice and head out to Tervuren's green and museum (which I still haven't seen after five years!).

Earthmother, don't be ashamed, I didn't do it til this year and we moved to Belgium in 1999. There's still plenty of stuff I haven't gotten to...day to day life just swallows up the plans and it's so tempting to head off to the Netherlands, Germany, France instead...
FWIW, we did decide to go to Huy a few weeks ago. It was mildly interesting, but I wish we had gone to someplace better instead.

Thanks so much for these advice.

My half day is on a Sunday. Know of any weekend markets or events?

Chatelain street market sounds interesting. How do I get there and what type of market is it?

The street market is on Wednesday afternoons, so you'd miss it. You could try the Sablon antiques market (where you can find everything except a bargain). But you've probably already been to the Sablon.
There may be live music out by the African museum...there was last week-end and a few weeks before that. But the Bulletin will let you know...flip through the "What's On" section.

mmyk72, if you make it to Tervuren make sure to have lunch (or dinner) at Rest. De Linde. Excellent little restaurant (reservations essential). http://www.delindetervuren.be/

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(How refreshing to finally find a thread with a wealth of real tips for Brussels instead of the usual bunch of useless replies saying to skip it for somewhere else!)