Brussels - why is it boring?
 

I am going to Brussels for a few days next month (almost 3, to be exact, with the possibility of a day trip as one of those days). I have heard a lot of flak on this board about Brussels, and I am wondering why people do not like it. And, for those of you who do like it, what do you like about the city?

Thanks.

I'm wondering what motivated YOU to go there, other than business, what sightseeing or other activity is drawing you there?

The main art gallery (Beaux-Arts), some of the parks, gardens, churches, main square, Parliament, chocolate, etc.

I don't know how Brussels got a bad rap for being boring. I suspect that it is the presence of all the Eurocrats and their boring Euro-edicts.

The city itself is wonderful. I've visited a number of times and have never been bored. Some of my favourite things are sitting at an outdoor café on the Grand Place on a sunny spring afternoon (yes the sun does shine), the antique market on Sunday morning at the Place Grand Sablon, draught kriek at the Morte Subite or gueze lambic from earthenware pitchers à la Breughel at Bécasse, moules et frites at any restaurant or fine cuisine at one of the host of superb restaurants. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

Brussels is far from boring. If you want boring, go to Frankfurt (and even it has its attractions).

I have asked before on this board why Brussels doesn't seem popular & Bruges does (& not got an answer). I think Brussels is great - it's a lively, friendly city with interesting architecture & most of all, great eating & drinking ! Worth a visit for the pubs alone.

Although it's pretty I found Bruges quite boring & half a day was quite enough for me. All the vistors seemed quite elderly when I was there (early September).

Hi JoeTro, Brussels was one of my first European trips, and we were there on business for my husband. It may not be on the top of the list for most travelers but there is certainly enough to enjoy for your three days. Seeing Grand Place at night for the first time is something I'll remember forever. The sights may be a little more spread out and less famous but still memorable. We've since returned on personal trip to give it time we felt it deserved.
If you do fit in a day trip the most obvious choice is probably Bruges, it is much visited by tourists but for good reason--it's quaint and lovely. If you prefer a city feel, the historic center of Ghent is also very picturesque. Either way,be sure to read up on where you choose to go in order to make the best use of your time to see what interests YOU. Happy traveling,Diane

Brussels is a lovely city, I can't imagine anyone thinking it's boring.

Thanks very much. I was kind of thinking a day trip to Antwerp. I asked the Antwerp versus Bruges question in another posting and got lots of Bruges votes, but I am more of a city person.

Brussels is far from boring. It isn't as exciting and romantic as Rome, Paris, Venice, etc., but it is a wonderful experience. To add to the other sites mentioned above, go to the Instrumental Music Museum and go to the roof restaurant. It isn't expensive and has a wonderful view. Also I don't know if it was mentioned above, but the Cartoon Museum is great. Especially if you were ever a Smurfs fan. You probably have reservations, but the Hotel Welcome is wonderful.

I've worked in Brussels, and have been there too many times, as my good friends live and work there-yes, all those nice things Lavendrye said are true, but once you do them a few times-well, Brussels IS boring-it is a temple of bureaucracy, the home of the Eurocrats; it's also a city that pretty much rolls up its sidewalks after around 10pm-not really much of a nightlife scene. The good thing about BRU is that you can hop on a train to go to Antwerp and Ghent, which are much more fun and happening, and not so stodgy and officious as BRU, IMO. (although, I guess I have to include myself in that officious crowd!)

Frankfurt, by contrast, is never boring to me-it has been, and always will be, one of my favorite European cities-I do realize I'm in the minority there, but that's okay, that just means I know its charms in a way where others don't care to find out!

we flew into brussels before visiting paris and london last may. one day was enough for us. we found it boring, except for the grand place. brugges was a fairytale city, yes touristy, but quite quaint. it's true that you can see it in a day.

from brussels you can take a day trip to antwerp, or even paris (1 hour 20 minutes).

the food is quite good in brussels, but the restaurants are not cheap.

I have been to brussels a few times with a previous job and I really enjoyed. I did have work colleagues there to hang out with in the evenings but I had a great time. Myself and my German counterpart shopped, ate in traditional and even a Moroccan vegetarian restaurant. We went to salsa bars and nightclubs. I really enjoyed the times I was there. A

Antwerp was different and very enjoyable as well. I was there more for work socialising and we did a lot of bar hopping to the wee hours but it was a fun place and interesting. There was a Market on Sunday that had everything from food to beer glasses to clothes. It was worth a visit.

Even though I am young (21) I am not as much into the bar/night life scene as other people my age, plus I will be going alone. I am staying at SleepWell Hostel, but the private portion of it. Thank you for your responses so far. I will probably post a quick itinerary review in a bit when I have more free time to plan things out.

Brussels is a great city - I think it has the best food in Europe, too!

hmm. disagree. The food scene in Brussels is overrated.

Joe: I went to Brussels last Spring with my 13 yr old son, and we had a great time. Such a good time, that my son requested we go back again this Summer. We spent a few days just roaming Brussels (museums (Music Museum was my favorite), churches, Grand Place, Atomium before it closed for overhaul, flea markets, concert (classical), parks, shopping, chocolate, and mussels) and we stayed at the Hotel Welcome (we are staying there again - they were wonderful!). In the time we were there we took day trips to Antwerp (where we met another Fodorite and had a great time seeing her city and visiting!!!) and Gent, as well as, the train to Amsterdam for an overnight stay and two nights in Paris (Thalys train). In those fun filled and packed two weeks of vacation, we did not get a chance to see everything Brussels had to offer, so we will catch up on it this Summer, as well as, I have rented a condo in Gent and a car to travel around and see castles and more of the countryside - need to visit Bruges too. I hope that you have a great time and enjoy it as much as we did...

It's pretty dreadful and I wouldn't give it more than a day/night. The food is overrated (or should that be dreadful?) and the Belgian men are perhaps a combination of the most lecherous and the least attractive of aywhere I've ever been. And it's about as expensive as London, without the options.

Life's too short to spend any of it in Brussels.

I was only in Brussels for a day trip from Paris last year, but really enjoyed that day and I would like to go back as I didn't see nearly all the things I wanted. I could see how some parts of Brussels might seem boring, even in that walk, as there are parts of the city (I'm thinking of area in-between Museum Museum and Grand Place) that seem just renovated modern buildings without much sense of style or place or history. I imagine I might get bored there for a long stay, but there is plenty to do in a short stay. That does depend on what you want from visiting foreign countries and cities, though. I like historical architectural walking tours and some specialty museums, and am usually interested in local history and crafts. So, Brussels had a lot to see in that realm. I took a walking tour of an area with a lot of Art Nouveau buildings, for example, which wasn't in the main central square area. The Music Museum is outstanding, but that's a particular interest of mine. There are a couple interesting museums right around the Grand Place.

I tend to enjoy for a limited visit but not be overly crazy about small quaint places that basically exist just for tourists and are called fairy-tale places, like Bruges. These places almost always have some major historical sites of interest and are pleasant to walk around a bit, but often their main attractions are sanitized tourist developments, to me, even if dolled-up from former real buildings and places. I really like big cities and what is going on there, the dynamics, the people, a real living city.

PS. I should point out that I don't judge a place on the quality of the men! It's just that was one of the things that I noticed!

If you like Art Nouveau, Brussels is one place where you will find it. There is the private house of one of the principal Belgian Art Nouveau architects (I forgot his name, but someone else might remember it) that is now a museum. An Art Nouveau department store is now the music museum, which is apparently worth a visit for more than the architecture.