Historic Brussels

The Sheraton Brussels Hotel and Towers is in the business district of Brussels, with IBM, the U.S. Embassy, and the stock exchange right down the street. The city’s HUGE shopping mall, City 2, is also right down the street. This hotel isn't in the 'touristy' area, but have no fear--the train station is right across the street, so you can go anywhere, and it’s a short walk to the Grand Place and Mannekin Pis. There are plenty of little places to eat around the property, as the hotel restaurant can be pricey.

My room was very spacious--a rarity in Europe. I had two queen-size beds, a big closet, and a work desk with high-speed Internet. All rooms have high-speed Internet, but there is a charge of $10 to use it. Perhaps they'll realize that smaller hotels are offering it for free.

The bathroom left a lot to be desired. It looked "old" and drab, badly in need of an update. The counter had curling iron burns on it, and the hairdryer cord was about 3 inches long, making it almost impossible to use. They do offer 24-hour room service and have three restaurants on-site, none of which I visited. The real joy of this hotel is the 30th floor fitness center, sundeck, pool, and sauna. It overlooks the city center and has some GREAT views. This is the only hotel in Brussels with an indoor heated swimming pool. The concierge was very helpful in offering me a train map and dining recommendations.

Overall, the hotel was in a good location, and the lobby was really nice, (smoke-filled) but the hallways leading to the rooms and the rooms themselves needed renovations, just to make them more ‘updated’. Especially for the rates they charge, the hotel rooms should reflect a luxury property.

If you arrive by train into Central Station, you’ll need to catch tram 90 to Place Rogier, follow the exit signs, and the hotel is right across the street.

I’ve read so many different reviews on this place, some declaring it a tourist trap because it’s mentioned in a few travel guides, others proclaiming it has the best food in Brussels. I had to try it myself due to a wonderful recommendation from a friend. I waited my whole trip to Europe to eat here on my last day in Belgium.

I planned ahead and had the restaurant email me a map so I wouldn’t have any problems. The map, unfortunately, was a little off, and we ended up walking around for an hour trying to find it. I finally asked a hotel concierge, and he pointed out that I was, indeed, a little off.

We were here in May, and that particular day it was VERY warm outside, so we opted to sit on the open patio, across the courtyard from the restaurant. I was so excited to have my moules and frites.

The place didn’t disappoint. Spinnekopke is a typical Belgian cuisine à la bière restaurant, which means that most of their dishes are cooked in beer, anything from beef to seafood. We didn't have any beer dishes, but what we did have was a great meal.

We started off with mussels prepared as escargot, in butter and garlic. AWESOME! I love escargot, so the preparation was wonderful, with lots of garlic and butter. The best part was using my bread to soak up all the leftover juice!

One of the entrées was steak in béarnaise sauce, served with fries, of course. I like the fact that you order the meat and then choose what sauce you want. The béarnaise sauce was rich and creamy, and the meat was thick and juicy. It was good, but the piece de resistance was my dinner. I had the Moules Piquante, mussels in a spicy cheese sauce. The waiter asked me if I wanted it spicy, and I told him the spicier, the better! This dish was what I’d been waiting for! It had big, meaty mussels in a cheese sauce that had a little kick to it, great for dipping fries or bread into it. Paired with the beautiful evening, I was in heaven. It was worth all the walking. I met a German gentleman who said that this is his fave restaurant in Brussels and he’s been going there on business for 5 years, so that says a lot.

Dessert was a big hit, too. I had the caramelized apple crepe with ice cream. YUM! It was the perfect dish to finish off a great meal.

If you’re ever in Brussels, go here. It’s a short walk from the metro stop St. Catherine, and if you have time to sightsee, the St Catherine church is beautiful.

A short walk from Grand Place, is a little hidden statue of a little boy peeing. Much legend surrounds the Mannekin Pis. Nobody knows why he was created, but there are many stories.

One such story (with many variations) places our "Wee Boy" as the savior of the city, drowning out the flames of a deadly fire with his wee-wee. Another variation is that he, with precise aim, extinguished the fuse that would have caused a devastating explosion. Another story has our fellow as a street urchin who was unwise enough to relieve himself on the doorway of an evil sorcerer, who then condemned him to that position and to pee for eternity. Pick whichever you like, but you must take the short walk to see it. They even have costumes for him for different times of the year, like a Santa suit.

Records indicate that the original Mannekin Pis was created in 1388. It was destroyed many centuries later. He has also been stolen seven times during his long life on display and recovered each time. One man, Antoine Lucas, was sentenced to 20 years in prison when, in 1817, he ripped the statue from its base and fled with it.

The attraction is free of charge, and there are signs pointing to it on the street. It's easy to miss, so pay close attention to the direction the signs point in. There are a few chocolate shops down the street from him, so INDULGE.

The heart of Brussels and the place to start getting to know the city is the Grand'Place (Grote Markt). This historic market square, with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of the Town Hall, is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe.

Brussels is more than a 1,000 years old and is also the European capital and home to the European Commission and the Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU). Today, the name Brussels stands for an agglomeration of 19 communes forming one of the three regions of the federal Belgian state, the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium, and the headquarters of the French and Flemish Communities. The official languages are both French and Dutch. Street names and traffic sings are always in these two languages.

Grand Place is a wonderful historic place to spend the day. Cafés and chocolate shops line the square. Flower vendors are also available with the season’s brightest blooms. Every 2 years, for 3 days only, in the tropical heat that is the Brussels summer, artists and horticulturalists join forces to create the greatest living carpet in the world! A flower carpet covers the entire square! Designs vary from year to year, and inspiration is drawn from all over the world.

The square is surrounded by some of the most beautiful architecture around, with Gothic buildings with spires and gold. It’s quite a sight. The cafés right on the square can be pricey, but the view is priceless. Take a walk down any of the side streets and you have a whole plethora of places to choose from. We stopped at an Italian place. I don’t remember the name (that’s SO not like me), but we had some pizza, and it was actually really good. I got the four-cheese, and one of the cheeses was gruyere. MY FAVE! It was SO freakin’ good. All I can remember about it was that it was right next to a Greek restaurant and across the street from another Italian place.

Saint Catherine's Church was designed in 1854 by the famous architect Joseph Poelaer, who is well-known for his design of Palace de Justice. You can still see the church’s original tower, whose history goes back to the 16th century. It resides in the old fish market area, where there are still a few restaurants lining the street serving wonderful seafood. There is a reflecting pool outside the church that makes dining a unique experience.

We weren’t allowed inside the church due to a private function, but the outside was gorgeous. Next time, I’ll have to go inside.

Take the metro and get off at St. Catherine. In’t Spinnekopke restaurant is right down the street from here.

Buyer beware:

The huge duty-free shop at the Brussels airport has everything you could want, from cigarettes to liquor to makeup, chocolate, perfume, and cheese. BUT... the perfumes and colognes are second-rate. I’m thinking more along the lines of knockoffs.

Here’s why: I bought two bottles of perfume and one bottle of men’s cologne, and all of them dissipate within minutes once sprayed on the body. What I mean is, once you spray it on, it’s gone soon after. If I would have paid full price for the same perfume at a department store, the fragrance would last for hours; these did not.

I thought it was just me, so I went to my local Saks and sprayed one of the fragrances I purchased in Belgium on one arm and the same scent from Saks’ tester bottle on the other arm and went about my business. An hour later, I couldn’t smell the one I purchased at the duty-free, but the one from Saks was just a strong as when I put it on.

SO... yes, the prices are great, but the quality wasn’t there. I was truly bummed because I spent over $150 on fragrances. This is just an FYI for those of us who spend cash on something that isn’t very good quality.

The liquor was a great value, and I definitely recommend getting it there.

When is Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Belgium, do the same.

One thing you absolutely cannot miss are Belgian waffles. They come in a variety of ways--chocolate, strawberry, and pecan. These aren’t just for breakfast here. They’re a great inexpensive snack or even dessert. Most shops have them pre-made, and when ordered, they plop them back in the waffle maker to heat them up, then add your favorite topping. Whipped cream is always used on top. These are so sweet and tasty--you’ll want several. I suggest some milk to help wash them down, but be warned: my husband found out the hard way that milk is slightly different over in Belgium. It’s not homogenized, so it’s really thick and tastes strange.

You can get waffles from street vendors all over the city, and there are a few specialty pastry shops that sell them, too. They cost anywhere from E1.50 to about E3.

Happy eating!

Public transportation in Brussels is a very important way to get around the city. I found it a *little* confusing at first, but eventually figured it out. Here’s a brief rundown. There’s a difference between the Metro and the trams. This took me a while to figure out, not just because I’m blonde, either. Husband had the same difficulty.

Here goes:
There are three metro lines, numbered 1A, 1B and 2. Each line has their own color, and they make up a network of 43km and 58 stations, which offers connections with major attraction spots of the city, especially in and around the city centre. The subway system is reliable and safe, even at night. There are also 17 tram routes, which offer connections to places not accessible on the subway. At some places, especially in the city centre, ordinary trams run underground and stop at stations. Trams are yellow and blue. Oy, vey...

From the airport:
There is a railway station right under the airport. From the arrival hall, follow the pictographs that lead you to the station downstairs. There are four trains an hour, and all of them prominently show Brussels as their destination (even though some of them also serve other Belgian cities afterwards). A ticket costs E2.50, and you may purchase it from the attendant in the station or from a vending machine. I recommend getting it from an attendant. The trip takes about 20 minutes. All the trains stop at Brussels Central Station, where you are less than 300 yards away from the famous Grand'Place. There is also interchange with subway lines 1A and 1B there.

From the Eurostar/Thalys terminal:
Those high speed trains stop at Gare du Midi/Zuidstation, not far from the city centre.

From the railway station, the pictographs showing you the well-known "M" and lead you to the subway station downstairs. After purchasing a ticket, head for the platform showing route 3 (heading for Gare du Nord/Noordstation) and route 55 (heading for Bordet). This is the pre-metro (North-South axis), with trams running entirely underground to the city centre.

It takes less than 5 minutes to reach Bourse/Beurs, which is three stations further, right in the heart of the city. Ask the concierge at your hotel to help explain it.