Break Away for a Trip to Brussels
To get the best out of Brussels take to your feet and have a stroll around or climb aboard one of the many tours around the city. Brussels is fairly easy to navigate your way around due to its straightforward division into Lower and Upper towns.
The lower town’s focal point is the Grand’ Place, dating from the 12th century, one of the main attractions of the city and arguably one of the prettiest market squares in Europe. A vast cobbled medieval square the Grand’ Place is lined with elegant 17th and 18th century guildhouses and you can also find the town hall and Kings house here. The town hall acts as a handy point of reference as you wind your way through the cobbled streets and its use as Brussels’ business centre gives the area an energetic feel. Directly opposite lies the city museum or Maison du Roi.
Brussels boasts over 100 museums and galleries; the Museum of Fine Art (Musee des Beaux Arts) contains a great collection of early Flemish masters, including Rubens. In contrast, and next door to the fine art museum, you can find the modern art gallery which is one of largest in Europe and can easily occupy a few hours of your day.
Wander around the lower town to marvel at the architecture and take a break at a town square bar to enjoy a home brewed Belgian beer. Throughout the year concerts and live music events are held on the square so if you time it right you might get to hear some Belgium beats firsthand. When Brussels freezes over in winter you can strap on skates and take a few laps for fun and the Christmas markets that appear on the streetsides are a treat to explore.
The area surrounding Grand’ Place is heavily populated with cafes and restaurants so you’ll never go hungry. Ste-Catherine, once the town’s port area before the river was filled in, is lined with top quality seafood restaurants where you can tuck into servings of lobster, oysters and mussels.
Heading to the southeast Upper town you can visit the Royal Quarter, a major draw which includes the royal park and palace. The look and feel of the upper town differs to that of the lower and as the traditional base for Brussels elite, the boulevards house chic boutiques and monumental landmarks including the Belgian parliament which you can tour when the two houses are resting. If antiques or chocolates tickle your fancy you must visit the Sablon area where you will find the finest of both.
City Breaks in Brussels can continue long after the sun has set with plenty of fine restaurants, jazz bars and clubs to wile the night away in and the relatively compact size of the city means you can pack a lot into a few days.
The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
