With scores of museums, an abundance of stately architecture
and atmospheric squares, Brussels encompasses a wealth of sights that will keep
sightseers busy for several days. The city is separated into a Lower and an
Upper town, with a number of tourist draw cards located just off the legendary
Grand-Place in the Lower Town. The Upper Town provides a feast of regal
architecture interspersed with wide open spaces, most notably Parc du
Bruxelles, which is surrounded by a collection of opulent buildings.
Visit this website for photographs and further information about
Brussels sights .
The Grand-Place
One of the first stops on any sensible travel itinerary of Brussels is
the unforgettable Grand Place, easily accessible by either tram or bus. This
cobbled square, flanked by superb Gothic architecture and surrounded by a host
of traditional restaurants and cafés, forms the heart of the city, both
historically and socially.
The Grand-Place was once the marketplace of medieval Brussels and is lined by
some of the city’s most impressive buildings including a series of ornate
guildhouses and the 15th century Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville), with its intricate
façade and lofty spire. The Town Hall and Maison du Roi are additional
architectural attractions at the Grand-Place, while the surrounding streets are
permeated with local-style restaurants and cafés. On Sundays, a traditional bird
market is held in the square, provides visitors with a prime opportunity for
photography or people-watching.
The Manneken-Pis
Just a brief walk from the Grand-Place via rue de l’Etuve is the
Manneken-Pis, a centuries-old bronze statue of a urinating boy that has become a
much-loved icon of the city. Crafted by Jérôme Duquesnoy in the 17th century,
the Manneken-Pis is thought to represent the legendary Belgian peasant boys who
could extinguish fires with their urine. The figure is frequently dressed in an
array of outfits and costumes donated by businesses and organisations wishing to
promote themselves.
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
An essential stop for art lovers, the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de
Belgique is a spectacular complex made up of two separate sections, housing
separate treasuries of ancient and modern national art. The Musée d’Art Ancien
contains Belgian masterpieces from the 15th to 18th centuries including works by
the country’s most famous sons, Peter Brueghel and Anthony Van Dyck, while the
adjoining Musée d’Art Moderne is a colourful collection of more recent works by
artists such as Magritte and Delvaux.
The Royal Palace and the House of Parliament
While the Grand-Place forms the focus of Brussels’ Lower Town, the
Royal Palace and next-door House of Parliament are the primary attractions in
the elegant Upper Town. Construction began on The Palais Royal by King William I
in the 19th century and the building was later extended by Léopold II.
Although no longer the residence of the Belgian Royal Family, the palace is
still used as a royal administrative office and for royal functions. The
palace’s sumptuous interior is open for public viewing from the end of July
until early September. It is separated from the House of Parliament by Parc du
Bruxelles, a 19th century-style park with straight, tree-flanked avenues, where
the Belgians once fought the Dutch for independence.
Horta Museum (Musée Horta)
Brussels was the birthplace of early 19th century architect Victor
Horta, whose Art Nouveau creations met international fame and earned Belgium the
status of Art Nouveau capital of the world. Many of these buildings can be
viewed on a tour of the city including the Palais de Beaux Arts, Hôtel Solvay
and Hôtel Van Eetvelde, but it is the architect’s former home and studio – now a
museum devoted to documenting his life and works – which provides the most
valuable insight into the man and his work. The museum is located on rue
Américaine 25.
The Belgian Centre for Comic-Strip Art (Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée)
This zany house of comic art, located on rue des
Sables, provides endless entertainment for youngsters and adults alike. Housed
in a refurbished Art Nouveau building on a side street close to the Grand-Place,
the ‘CBBD’ celebrates the masters of ‘the Ninth Art’, with comic characters from
Tin Tin to Charlie Brown immortalised in the centre’s extensive library and
exhibitions.
The European district
This über-modern area encompasses the headquarters of the European
Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, and is packed
full of impressive buildings that provide office space for thousands of
‘Eurocrats’ that reside in the city. While its hard edges and polished surfaces
may not be everybody’s idea of urban utopia, the district is nevertheless home
to an interesting array of contemporary architecture and it offers insight into
the city’s status of the capital of Europe.
Top Things to Do
Visit the many cultural sites on offer.
With scores of museums and art galleries as well as several impressive
performance venues, Brussels is a hot pot of cultural activity and it’s possible
to spend days on end exploring the city’s varied arts offerings. In addition to
the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels boasts over 70 additional museums
including the Musical Instrument Museum, housed in an old Art Nouveau building
designed by Victor Horta and the Musées Bellevue, comprising the Musée de la
Dynastie and the Mémorial Roi Baudouin, both housed in the 18th century Hôtel
Bellevue.
Enjoy an evening of theatre. Top off
a day touring the city museums with an evening at La Monnaie, a stylish
neoclassical theatre, where an 1830 performance was once interrupted by
Belgium’s war of independence.
Pay a visit to Bruparck, a vast amusement park on the city’s
northern fringes, which incorporates the Atomium, Mini-Europe, Océade water park
and Kinepolis, a massive cineplex with over 25 screens. Constructed on the site
that hosted the 1958 Brussels World Fair, the 500-acre Bruparck complex offers a
more frivolous alternative to the city’s plentiful historical and cultural sites
and is sure to be a hit with kids and fun-loving adults alike.
Tour the miniature sites of Mini-Europe in your own radio
controlled boat, cool off in the Océade’s pools, check out the latest IMAX
feature at the Kinepolis, or take in panoramic views of the city from the top of
the Atomium, a giant model of an oxygen molecule that was built for the 1958
World Fair. Also featured at Bruparck is The Village, a collection of
restaurants and food stalls where visitors can choose from a wide range of local
and international eats.
Visit this website to view amazing photographs taken at
Mini-Europe in Brussels.
Browse the city’s many markets and shopping areas including the
atmospheric Sablon district, where a weekend antiques market is held at the
elegant Place du Grand-Sablon. Though Saturdays and Sundays are best if you want
to catch the square at its most vibrant, the Place du Grand-Sablon is worth a
visit even on weekdays to see the Notre-Dame du Sablon, a superb example of
Gothic architecture.
Splash out on some upscale buys along
stylish avenue Louise. The glass-topped Galeries Royales St-Hubert here is one
of Europe’s oldest shopping centres, an impressive Italian neo-Renaissance
structure that was opened in 1847 and still attracts droves of shoppers today.
Enjoy an evening out on the town at De Broukère or St Géry.
Both these districts are home to an excellent selection of seafood restaurants,
offering sumptuous ocean delicacies brought in fresh each day and including the
not-to-be-missed Brussels mussels. After dinner, if you still have the energy,
head on to Place du St Géry to sample the lively Brussels social scene. An array
of the city’s funkiest bars, cafés and nightclubs are clustered around the old
covered market place, offering live music and dancing into the late hours.
Visit this website for further information about
restaurants in Brussels.
Wander through any of the local gardens,
parks or forests including Jardin Botanique, Parc du Bruxelles, the 90-acre
Cinquantenaire or the lush Bois de Cambre, with its beautiful abbey that was
first constructed in 1196 by the Sisters of the Cistercian order and later
rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries after being ruined during the Wars of
Religion. Located close to the Atomium, Laeken district is another attractive
area, peppered with parks, lakes and luxurious buildings associated with the
Belgian Royal Family.
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