- M@uricio
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Editor Pick
The Heart of Brussels
- April 28, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
The Grand Place is a large square in the heart of Brussels surrounded by architectural masterpieces. When you first walk into the square, it’s all you can do to keep your jaw from dropping to the ground. Actually, I think mine dropped anyway. All you can say is "wow!" until you come around from your dream and realize this is an actual place on earth. Then, you venture into the square, mingling with the other tourists (which is an astoundingly low number, by the way) and snapping away with your camera.
The dominating feature of the Grand Place is the magnificent clock tower atop the Town Hall building. Inside, you’ll find a small museum (which we didn’t bother with) and the tourist information desk (where we got ourselves a good, free map and asked to be pointed to the closest bathroom.) But who wants to go inside when you could be outside, staring at the carvings and reliefs on the building.
If you can manage to drag your eyes across the square from one amazing building, you’ll find the other. Minus the clock tower, I would say that the grey King’s House tops the Town Hall as the most impressive building on the square. It looks like something out of a fairy tale. Inside is the City Museum, another museum that we skipped in favor of more time walking outside and around the town.
The surrounding buildings are now shops and restaurants, but were originally guild buildings, also impressive, but playing a more supportive role to the divas of Town Hall and the King’s House.
Thanks to Rick Steves’ guidebook, I remembered to look up at the statues. I’ve mentioned how enamored I am with Brussels and their smart-assey humor, but I love the story that the people came up with in conjunction with the statues. One choir of statues says "Who farted?" A horseman points across the square. The statue he points to says "It wasn’t me!" and points to another corner. There, the statue of Saint Nicholas hangs his head, clearly embarrassed. Classic!
Speaking of the guidebook, I can’t say enough about the value of having a good tool to guide you in your walks around the city. You never know what tidbit Mr. Steves is going to hand you, but you can be sure you never would’ve seen/understood it on your own.
While on the Grand Place, you’re most definitely going to want to have lunch at one of the cafes, while you soak in the grandeur of the buildings on the square. Then, you’ll want to do your chocolate tour to each of the large shops on the Grand Place. Then, for desert, you’ll want to get your Belgian waffle.
Don’t worry, calories don’t count on vacation.
From journal Eating Our Way Through Brussels in One Day
Editor Pick
Grote Markt/Grand Place
Oh, what can be said about such a quintessentially Belgian, beautifully archaic, delicately gorgeous sight as Brussels' Grand Place that has not already been said? It's sweeping views of cobblestone paths, ancient guildhalls, trendy outdoor cafes, hundreds of pigeons, and just a faint scent of warm, buttery Belgian waffles in the air would surely blow any tourist off of their feet, including myself. It's a place where people come for inspiration, and leave inspired like none before.
Being the central market square of Brussels, it is arguably the center of tourism and history in the city. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Everyone comes here, falls in love, and often repeatedly. The rather large city square is lined with impressive old guildhalls, the beautiful Hôtel de Ville (town hall), and the gorgeous Broodhuis. Being here is being swept away to yesteryear, and it is the perfect, idyllic place to relax and let time go by on a warm summer's afternoon.
The Grand Place is located in the center of the city, accessible by foot from many metro stations, the closest of which is De Brouckère, which is just a short walk from the square through some tight, cobblestone pathways. Once you emerge from these side roads and see the grand elegance of the Grand Place before you, you'll immediately be smitten with the place.
The Grand Place is quite walkable, and it's large enough that you don't need to shuffle through the crowds too much, even on the busiest of days. The restaurants, though, are a different story. Several restaurants offer patio outdoor seating with prime views of the Grand Place, and getting a table here can be both tricky and pricey.
To fully enjoy the Grand Place, do all your photographing first. Then, once you're less preoccupied with what to photograph, take a walk around each corner of the plaza, visiting the beautiful Hôtel de Ville in particular. This building, the centerpiece of the Grand Place, is almost 600 years old and has survived many disasters. Admiring its beautiful Gothic spires and elegant detail in its architecture makes a visitor only wish they had more time to view it.
Because it is a city square, there is no admission to enter the Grand Place.
The Grand Place is especially beautiful at night - bring a good camera to capture the beautiful lighting of the guildhalls. It's simply breathtaking.
As I left the Grand Place for the last time, there was a longing in my gut. It's one of those places that echoes the feeling of leaving a loved one. I looked back at my last view of the plaza and I knew I'd have to return - sooner rather than later. The memory lives on, though, in photographs. Don't understand? Go here, and smile when you realize what I'm talking about.
Learn more at: www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-grand_place.htm
From journal The Heart of Europe - A Weekend in Brussels
Grote Markt
- January 29, 2004
- Rated 5 of 5 by
ext212 from New York, New York
As soon as we got out of Bruxelles Centraal Station, we walked to Grand'Place or Grote Markt. Brussels' citizens rebuilt the square in Flemish Renaissance Baroque style in three years after Louis XIV's army razed the square in 1695. It was pretty amazing to stand in the midst of it all.
From journal Eight Hours in Brussels, Belgium
Jemaa El Fna - Marrakech
- July 17, 2003
- Rated 5 of 5 by
M@uricio from Ninove, Belgium
Africalia 2003 is a project that intends to show an "African Season" in Belgium from March till October. On July 15 and 16, groups from Morocco, Marrakech, and surrounding countries, have been showing their art at Brussels' Grand Place: music, dance, acrobatics, street theater, expositions.
From journal Brussels, melting pot in the middle of Europe