The Best of Brussels

Brussels has one of the most beautiful central squares in Europe, the Grand Place. This should be your first stop, and it will probably be the most memorable. Also check out the nearby streets filled with restaurants and cafes. It gives a traditional European atmosphere and good food, as well.

For shoppers, the best places are between the central and northern train stations. There are many local shops, plus all the major chains. Near the Gare du Nord, you will find a large, multi-story shopping mall.

Quick Tips:

Navigating Brussels can be confusing, as the signs are given in both French and Flemish, the two national languages. If you have a map, make sure you are looking for the right name. Also, the streets are often curvy and the names change halfway through, so you might need that map pretty often. A good first stop might be the tourist office, where you can ask for a copy of their free map. This office is found in the large white building on the Grand Place. The free map is quite good and will help you find your way to all the major sights. This is also a good place to pick up more extensive travel guides and detailed maps, and also to make hotel reservations. The staff is helpful and they speak several languages.

Best Way To Get Around:

The central part of Brussels can be seen on foot. Taxis are not too expensive and can be found throughout the downtown area. The metro is good for crossing the city, or you can take a train. There are three train stations in Brussels, Gare du Nord, Gare Centrale, and Gare du Midi. The Midi station is for Thalys and Eurostar trains, but you can also catch slower trains to other destinations, or just go across town to the central or northern stations.

Of the three hostels where I have stayed in Brussels, parts of this one were the best and other parts were the worst. As for the best parts, the lobby was beautiful, with a bar, candlelit tables, soft music, and hotel guests from around the world. The staff was quite friendly and helpful, especially when my electronic key did not open my door.

On the downside, though, my room was very small and simple. For $25 for a single, not much more can be expected, but the real drawback is that the paper-thin walls allow you to hear all the other guests coming and going through the night. As with any hostel, you pay for what you get, but if you really need a good night's sleep, you might want to look elsewhere.

Another hostel choice in Brussels is Sleepwell. I prefer Jacques Brel (see separate entry), but this isn´t a bad choice either. Sleepwell is very close to Gare du Nord. From the station, just walk south towards the city for a few blocks until you run into Rue du Damier.

This hostel is very modern, with card keys for the doors, Internet access, and new furniture. The rooms range from doubles to six person dorms. The larger rooms have sinks in the rooms. The prices are quite reasonable, as little as $12 per person in the larger rooms. For all guests, free showers and toilets are in the hall, but you have to bring your own towel.

I have stayed here on a few occasions, and have found different members of the staff to be more friendly and helpful than others. On the worst occasion, I checked in with a friend, but we had made separate reservations. Her name was not on the list, and the employee was initially very unhelpful and rude. Eventually, though, we ended up in the same room and everything was fine. Other experiences have been much more positive.

For more information or to make online reservations, go to http://www.sleepwell.be

This seems to be a hotel that attracts business visitors during the week, as it is close to the European Union section of town. If you are in Brussels on a weekend, however, this is the place to stay. The rooms have a discount of about 50%, maybe even more if you book over the internet. The hotel seems to be newly remodeled. The rooms are quite large and have wonderfully modern bathrooms and showers. A big breakfast is served in the mornings, with rolls and pastries, cereal, fruit, and more, and that is included in the price of the room. The location is ideal, about 15 minutes by foot to the Grand Place and even closer to attractions such as the Royal Palace.

For those on a tighter budget, the best hostel in town is Jacques Brel. It is a short walk from the Gare du Nord, but also within walking distance of the downtown area. They have rooms ranging from singles to dorms. The price of a single is 25 euros, and of course the per person price gets cheaper as the number of beds in the room increases. The staff is friendly and helpful. The building is quite nice and the rooms have showers, but no toilets. A nice courtyard is in the middle, and there is also a bar that is open until late.

If you are looking for a hotel near Brussels Airport, a good choice is Hotel Golden Tulip Rainbow. The rooms are generally quite expensive, but they offer several discounts on weekends, and if you are staying the night before you fly out of the airport.

The room was very comfortable and clean. The bathroom seemed to be newly remodeled. Tea and coffee were available in the room free of charge, and a fully-stocked minibar was also available.

The staff was very helpful. We required a taxi to the airport in the morning for an early flight, and they arranged that for us. A free shuttle usually runs from the hotel starting at 7:00, and can also be taken from the airport to the hotel. Otherwise, a taxi costs about 18 euros.

Breakfast is included in the price of the room.

Rue du Marche aux Fromages, found near the Grand Place, is a street packed full of restaurants. When the weather is nice, tables are moved into the street, leaving only enough room to walk through single file. You can find everything from pizza places to pita bars to fancy Belgian restaurants serving buckets of mussels, another Belgian specialty. Many of the restaurants have people standing outside trying to recruit you to come inside, but this adds to the noisy, festive atmosphere. This is a great place for people watching, especially if you can grab a streetside table.

If you happen to be in Brussels between late July and the end of August, you can tour the palace for free! The palace, as all royal palaces, is ornate to the point of being overdone, but it´s always amazing to see how royals live. The Belgian royal family does not actually live here, though. Still, it´s worth a visit. If you are really interested in palaces, you may want to buy a guide at the entrance, as there are no explanations or descriptions along the tour route. Outside the palace and across the street is Parc du Bruxelles, a beautiful park with fountains, sculptures, and trees and flowers.

When you go to Brussels, you will inevitably hear about Manneken Pis and decide to see it. You can easily follow the signs from the Grand Place, or simply follow the crowds. Once you arrive, you will probably shake your head at the throngs of tourists snapping pictures of one of the most overrated tourist attractions in the world...but you will find yourself pulling out your own camera!

Manneken Pis is a statue, about two feel tall, of a little boy who is peeing into the small pool below. There are many stories surrounding the origin or meaning of this statue, but despite the doubt, it has become a symbol of Brussels. Usually the boy is naked, but on some days, he is dressed in colorful costumes. Have no fear, if you see him on a naked day, you can buy a huge selection of souveneirs, many of them slightly irreverent, showing his various outfits. Who doesn´t need a deck of Manneken Pis playing cards?

Luckily, Manneken Pis is near the Grand Place, so you don´t have to go far out of your way to catch this spectacle. Once you are there, you will probably be a little disappointed, but no trip to Brussels is complete without a Manneken Pis viewing.