Does anyone like Brussels?
 

Our flight arrives in Brussels around 10:30 AM, and we're trying to decide whether to spend the balance of Day 1 of our early October vacation there, or to move immediately on to Brugges, where we'll be staying for 3 nights. Realizing that many here have expressed a rather ho-hum attitude toward the Belgian Capital, there must be some admireres.

If you had half a day, and wanted to not stray too far in order to return to the train for Brugges, what would you see and do? Any recommendations for lunch or dinner?

Can someone tell me if there are lockers available at the Brussel Centraal rail station, where we can store our luggae for the day?

Or would you go immediately to Brugges?

Thanks

Brussels is well worth a day. It has some lovely things...

I would certainly see the Grand Place, and I am one of those who steers people away from Brussels to other Belgian destinations (although I also steer them from Brugge in favor of Antwerpen and Gent).

Despite the very understandable advice not to eat near the Grand Place, I traced down a good meal at this restaurant a stone's throw from the Grand Place, Brasserie Roue d'Or

http://www.qype.co.uk/place/158930-B...-dOr-Bruxelles

But I would just play it by here. If it's rainy and awful, go to Brugge and day trip back.

Brussels is definitely worth a day. Must sees are I suppose the Grand Place and Manneke Pis. But just wandering around is interesting too.
There are plenty of good restaurants and cafes near the Grand Place.
You can store your bags at Brussel Centraal.

PS I so liked the dish my husband ordered of Jarret d'agneau à la graine de moutarde, I've been trying to figure out to make it ever since.

I would skip the Mannikin pis.

Memorable place for dinner in Brussels: the Belga Queen.
http://www.belgaqueen.be/
Very good food, <i>fabulous</i> setting (very modern furnishings in a very ornate old bank building), cool vibe. Make sure to go to the washroom, with the stalls that appear to have clear-glass doors (don't worry, they do turn opaque when closed).

Well, Zeppole, I agree he's not much, but since he's just round the corner from Grand Place there is no harm in having a look at the "wee" fellow. ;)

I think it rots the brain. However, Belgium -- and perhaps Brussels in particular -- is notorious for such oddities. It's distinctively Belgian that's for sure.

But give me David any day.;)

Great pun, hetismij! Also if you are looking for a gag gift, the shops that line the street have the manequin in every conceivable form (cork screws, garden fountains, bottle corks, etc.)

Don't miss the Grand Place. There is a museum there with costumes for the little boy, gifts from all over the world. He is even dressed in one or the other for special occasions.


St. Michael's, not far from the station is worth a look.

There is a palace with great gardens in Brussels.

There is a pedestrian mall (galleries something or other) with a glass ceiling and ironwork that is quite impressive. Personally, I never could afford any of the things in the shops, but it was fun looking.

Someone recently mentioned the Sunday morning market which was an interesting hodge podge of stuff. I do have a little pitcher I bought there, probably worth nothing except to me and my memories. It's on a kitchen shelf and probably will get tossed when my heirs have to shovel through my accumulation.

Of course, Belgian chocolates are great. (I don't really have a discriminating palate and chocolate is chocolate. I'll eat it in any form after breakfast. I will say chocolate croissants, chocolate chip pancakes, etc. are gag inducing as far as I am concerned.) I was impressed with all the pretty shapes the chocolates came in.

Have a great trip!

Belgian chocolate is the best in the world. I quite like chocolate croissant.

I would agree with the Grand Place and we HAD a meal there which was quite tasty, nicely presented, and it made for a relaxing stop after having done a city tour.

I like the chocolate, too, but it's definitely a 'taste' which may or may not to be everyone's liking but get real..who the Hell cares? You're IN Brussels and yes it is worth at least 1/2 a day IMO.

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.

We spent 3/4 of a day in Brussels a few years ago (we missed our connecting flight in Brussels and had to stay the night) and had a nice time. I wouldn't want to spend too much time there, but there certainly was enough to do to fill up our day. We just kind of wandered around the city a bit, made some chocolate and lace purchases and ate at some decent restaurants.

Tracy

I love Brussels, all the more so because everyone seems to want to get out of it as soon as possible. I think it has some of the best food/chefs in all of Europe.

I am back after googling Brussels to be more specific about sites I mentioned earlier.

The museum with the little boy costumes is in the civic museum (stadhuis/musee communal). Besides the costumes, there are quite a few other exhibits of interest.

It is the Galeries St. Hubert which I described earlier. Just north of the Grand Place.

The palace with gardens is at Laeken. Google "Laeken palace".

The website http://www.planetware.com/brussels was well set up and interesting. Also much on other places in Belgium.

Going to Waterloo is another idea. It was our most memorable time in Belguim

Hi, I think Brussels is worth a long weekend. There is quite a bit to see and do. Most people don't have a long enough vacation to do it justice though. It also depends on your interests. The medieval part is comparatively small although stunning, and I think many visitors in Europe are focussed on the medieval rather than other architectural styles like Art Nouveau or even 19th C. (like the Galeries St Hubert, which IMO is really pretty). Brussels also has a number of neighbourhoods (think interesting cafes) which most visitors don't have time to discover. Would I prioritise it over Bruges, Ghent or Antwerpen? Again, it depends on what you want - if you want the medieval experience (Bruges, Ghent), I'd say no. If you want shopping (Antwerp), I'd say no. But in itself, yes, it is an interesting city.
Lavandula

One year, I took the train from Paris as a day trip. I wandered around, lunched at a bistro with seating outside to enjoy the passing parade before taking the train back.

By the way, yes, there are lockers and left luggage at Central:

http://hari.b-holding.be/infsta/Info...1000215&Lang=3

Lavandula

Very helpful information, thanks to everyone.

Lavandula: You mentioned that Brussels has "Brussels also has a number of neighbourhoods (think interesting cafes) which most visitors don't have time to discover."

May I know which neighborhoods you are referring to?

Thank you!

FrankS mentioned going to Waterloo.

Friends of mine tried to take a day trip to the Waterloo battlefield from Brussels via bus, but never quite got there. As I recall the problem, the *town* of Waterloo is a little distant from the *battlefield* of Waterloo, and they either took the wrong bus or got off at the wrong stop. Just fyi, so you can be attentive and not make the same mistake!

I like Brussels pretty well. I like it a lot better than some other tourist towns that people rave about, actually, which I think are ho-hum (eg, Beaune in France). I don't actually know why people seem so cool to it when it has moe interesting things, and is more attractive, than a lot of places. Anyway, I would go to Grand Place as you can spend the entire time right there, so it's very convenient, and on the tram line right from the station. I guess it's a tram, it's underground, and you can get a day pass.

Now that might be assuming you like museums, as there are a couple right around it. If you don't, well, I think you'd have to decide for yourself what you want to do that interests you. I went walking in the neighborhood with a lot of Art Nouveau buildings, as I like that architecture, but it's a bit aways from Grand Place and you have to do research to figure out where it is and transportation (this is around where Victor Horta's work is). I also went to the music museum which is one of the best in Europe, and that is on the way to Grand Place.

I don't keep track of restaurants or care about that so much, I just eat wherever looks good.

<i>hobbitthefoodlover on Jul 22, 09 at 07:39 AM
Lavandula: You mentioned that Brussels has "Brussels also has a number of neighbourhoods (think interesting cafes) which most visitors don't have time to discover."

May I know which neighborhoods you are referring to? </i>

I'm sure that Lavandula knows more about it, but the neighborhoods left and right of Ave. Louise do qualify, IMO.

Yes, I would count those neighbourhoods, Cowboy, (Rue Jourdan for restaurants, Av Louise, Av Toison d'Or and Chaussee de Ixelles for shopping, Chaussee de Wavre for bars, restaurants and exploring (immigrant neighbourhood)) and would add a few others:

*the Marolles - used to be a working class neighbourhood, then became an immigrant neighbourhood, and is now undergoing gentrification. Moroccan / Turkish restaurants, galleries and interesting shops. Rue Blaes and Rue Haute are the main streets of the area, and Rue du Jeu de Balle with the flea market is nearby. Metro: Hotel des Monnaies or Porte de Hal.

*Place Flagey has been undergoing extensive renovation but there is a small market on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, a newly renovated cultural centre (orchestras,etc) in an Art Deco building, with a few interesting cafes in the area. Nearby are some pretty ponds and an old abbey. Bus: 71 from De Brouckere. About 20 mins by bus. Check the times of the markets as they are often gone by lunchtime.

*Place Ste.-Catherine used to be the wharves area of Brussels in the 19th century; nowadays the river (Senne) is underground, under the metro. This is a really old neighbourhood, with many seafood restaurants. The church is quite old although I don't know the date. There is apparently an old beguinage nearby although I have never been there. Metro: Ste Catherine.

Lavandula

I'm one who likes Brussels. I took the train from Paris and spent a long weekend there. Sure it wasn't Paris, but it holds court in it's own way. Grand Place is a can't miss spot. The area around the square is fun to explore. Ambiorix & Gutenberg Squares have beautiful art nouveau houses. There is lots to see and do and wonderful restaurants and shopping.

Brussels is one of those places you don't concentrate on for your entire trip, but instead makes a great addition to your itinerary.

For a few ideas, here's what we did in the two days we were there: http://www.notabletravels.com/destin.../Brussels.html

I stopped off the train from Paris to Amsterdam a few years ago, stowed my luggage in a locker at the central train station, and spent the afternoon wandering around Brussels. And I was...pleasantly surprised. I found it a delightful city in which to wander around, and on top of that, the locals seemed much more friendly than in most other big cities in Europe; in just one afternoon, two separate people I bumped into - just being friendly - asked me where I was visiting from. You'd never get that in Paris or Amsterdam!

I hope to go back and spend more time in Brussels some day for sure - it was worth more than an afternoon.

I too like Brussels. The architecture is lovely if you get away from the train station - which by the way is my least favorite train station I have ever been to. Just really dark and cold looking. Anyway, the neighborhoods are nice, filled with lots of interesting little stores and cafes. Antique stores seem to abound. We went to a fun, very ethnic street festival the last time we were there. The Botanical Garden was lovely. Wish I would have had more time to go to some museums.

I am glad to hear that there are so many who appreciate Brussels. I thought I was in the minority and that it was just because I was lucky enough to have a friend who worked for the State Department and had three tours of duty at the embassy, and I got to go and stay with her on each of her duty times there.

I never thought much about Brussels until I saw a travel show about the city and it looked interesting. Any city that has an entire museum devoted to comics sounds like my kind of place. I am also a fan of art nouveau architecture, which I understand Brussels has a fair amount of. So when we were planning our vacation for this year and could use frequent flyer miles from SFO to Brussels, we went for it. Our trip is coming up and I expect to very soon count myself among the ranks of those who enjoy the city.

I'm just planning a first trip to Brussels and from my reading so far, it looks like 2 days wouldn't be to much.

The Magritte, Modern Art and Horta museums look like they can take up most of one day and then it's off to explore the architecture.

I've copied and pasted a bit of this for my notes. Thanks (although I'm not the OP)

I would definitely take the first day to explore Brussels.
I love the Flemish paintings in the Musée d'Art Ancien -- works by Memling, Petrus Christus, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hieronymus Bosch and especially by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Thanks vttraveler. There are a few art museums to choose from, half the fun will be deciding which ones. :)