Coming from London to Stuttgart, we stopped for a few hours in Brussels, being on our list of “cities to visit“.
Belgium’s capital is a fascinating place with stunning architecture and fascinating history, and a city break is perfect for taking in the sights it has to offer. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to visit it leisurely, but below are some of the beautiful places we managed to see.
The most important and visited tourist attraction is the Grand Place, located right in the center of the city. The Grand Place is considered by its admirers as “the most beautiful place in the world”. Its construction began in the 15th century, and in 1695 it was bombarded for 3 days by the French army and was almost completely destroyed. The entire square has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Every two years, in August, the market is covered by a carpet of begonias measuring 70 meters long and 24 meters wide (Belgium is the world’s largest producer of begonias, and 80% of the total production is exported mainly to the Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany).
In less than 8 hours, a hundred volunteers cover 1,680 m² with flowers. This year is the 22nd edition and the construction of the carpet will take place on the 13th of August and over 500,000 flowers will be used. You can admire the beautiful work of art from the balcony of the Town Hall, but for this you need to buy your tickets in advance (for 2020 tickets go on sale from May 18).
In the Grand Place is the Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville) which dates back to 1402. There are guided tours on Wednesdays and Sundays, and tickets are only on sale on the day of the tour at the Town Hall information desk starting at 9am. The tour lasts 55 minutes and costs €7/person.
Opposite the City Hall is the City Museum dedicated to the history of Brussels. The museum is housed in a Neo-Gothic style building called the Maison du Roi (House of the King) and contains over 7,000 items, including paintings, porcelain, sculptures and maps of the city. The price for a ticket is 8€/person.
Bozar is the emblematic cultural center of the city, where exhibitions and concerts from all over the world take place. Between October 2, 2019 and February 2, 2020, a prestigious exhibition dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși (1876-1957) took place. The exhibition presented masterpieces made by Brâncusi from museums and private collections collected from all over the world.
Place De Brouckère is a public square and one of the most prestigious places in the center of Brussels. Named after a former mayor of the city and professor at the University of Brussels , Charles de Brouckère (1796–1860), Place De Brouckère was considered a kind of mini Broadway of Brussels in the 1930s-1970s, thanks to the large illuminated advertisements that overflowed from the roofs. Today only one large Coca-Cola logo remains, and around the square there are shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theaters and hotels.
Saint Catherine’s Church was built in the 15th century and is only a 10-minute walk from the Grand Place. The facade has a Gothic profile, while the interior contains beautiful works of Baroque art. Right in front of the main entrance of the church, there is a daily market where you can find typical Belgian products such as seafood, cheeses and local vegetables.
In close proximity to St. Catherine’s Church is the Black Tower – one of the well-preserved remains of the first wall that surrounded Brussels, built at the beginning of the 13th century.
Parc de Bruxelles is the largest urban public park in the center of Brussels, with an area of 13.1 hectares. The main avenue leads to some of the most important places in the city: the Palace of Justice, the Royal Palace and the Throne Square. Also known as the “Royal Park”, it was the first public park in Brussels and witnessed the fierce fighting of 1830, when the Belgian Revolution took place .
The European Parliament has its headquarters in three different cities: Strasbourg is the official seat of the Parliament, Brussels is where the additional sessions or committee meetings are held, and Luxembourg City is home to the Secretariat of the European Parliament.
We visited the headquarters in Strasbourg two years ago, and now we rushed to see the headquarters in Brussels.
In front of the main building of the European Commission is a small section of the Berlin Wall, and on 13 November 2019, the European Parliament marked 30 years since the fall of the wall with a ceremony in Brussels.
Of course, we didn’t leave Brussels without tasting the famous Belgian waffles. We confidently recommend the waffles from Los Churros&Waffle.
They have many options, either plain or with toppings, or fruits, they are fresh and delicious. Plus it’s close to the Grand Place and open daily from 9:30a.m. to 11p.m..
If you stay in Brussels for several days, I advise you to buy the Brussels Card. You get free entry to 41 museums, plus discounts of up to 50% on other tourist attractions, guided tours, restaurants or various shopping. You can find more details on the official website, where you can purchase the card.
(Brussels – November 2019)
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