A weekend in Brussels

The best things to do in Brussels are late night dining in one of the restaurants on Rue des Bouchers, admiring the gothic Town Hall and the baroque Guild Houses of the Grand Place during the day and returning at night for the light show or simply the place all lit up, munching on the wonderful chocolates, shopping for lace and tapestry.

Quick Tips:

Winter can be freezing in Brussels. Do not forget your umbrella, especially if you plan to be there in April.

Best Way To Get Around:

Brussels has a good bus, tram and metro system. The airport is connected to the town center by train. There are 3 train stations in the city: Brussel-Centraal near the Grand'Place, Brussel-Zuid where the TGV for Paris, Thalys train for Paris/Amsterdam/Cologne and the Eurostar from London stop, and Brussel-Noord for the domestic commuters.

Atlas is a four-star hotel located 3-4 blocs west of the Grand''Place and south of the Ste Catherine Fish Market. It is a smallish hotel of 88 rooms with modern furniture and an underground parking garage. It is only 2 blocs from 2 metro stops, Bourse and Ste Catherine.

The internet rate for a double room is BEF 4,600 (US$100) for weekdays but drops to BEF 2,900 for weekends which consist of Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The hotel also has a few duplexes with kitchenette that can sleep 4. The rates include a buffet breakfast served in a room in the lower level that has a wall dating back to the Middle Age.

We found the hotel to be clean with good bathroom. It is very convenient to the Grand''Place and is surrounded by very good restaurants. However, it does not have air-conditioning. So beware if you are travelling in the summer.

Rue des Bouchers, one of the pedestrian streets off of the Grand'Place is full of restaurants that exhibit their wares in the form of elaborate outdoor seafood showcases. Chez Leon has been a must-come for tourists who want to sample Belgian dishes such as Moules et Frites (mussels with french fries), waterzooi, etc. You can choose from the prix-fix menus or order a la carte.

We sat at one of the outdoor tables and get rained on a little bit. We had Moules & Frites which came in very large portion, Bouillabaisse (fish soup) and Waterzooi and were not impressed. Perhaps the restaurant has become too touristy.

The first time we came to Brussels, we miss our connecting train in Lille and did not arrive in Brussels until close to midnight. Tired and weary, we checked in to the Novotel Hotel near the Grand'Place then took a walk there trying to find an open restaurant. What a surprise we were in for. We walked right into what was for us the most beautiful square in Europe with intricate buildings lid up in the most breathtaking way.

We have seen been to most countries in Europe and back to Brussels many times but we still think that the Grand'Place is the most beautiful square with its majestic Town Hall dating back to the 15th century and the intricate Gothic Guild Houses. Come to the square and spend some time admiring all the details on the gilded facades of the houses.

There is a flower market in the square every morning and a bird market on Sunday morning. In the summer, there is a light show there at dusk where the different buildings are highlighted. Every other year, in the later part of August, a flower tapestry 110m long and 68 m wide covers the square.

Northeast of the Grand'Place, towards the Brussel-Centraal train station, stood the Galeries Saint-Hubert, the first covered shopping mall in Europe. Beautiful architecture, marble pillars and numerous statues adorn the inside of the 3 two-story galleys: Galerie du Roi, Galerie de la Reine and Galerie des Princes. The upper level are reserved for apartments. The lower level is occupied by cafes, luxury jewelry, clothing, leather and book stores. The famous Neuhaus chocolatier with everchanging beautiful window decoration is also located in this gallery.

Belgium has one of the best train system in Europe. Trains are frequent, clean, on time and the network is wide and comprehensive. Do not waste money on a 1st class ticket in Belgium.

Discounts up to 60% or more are available in the forms of weekend, youth, senior, go pass, multi-pass rates. Children under 6 travel free. Up to 4 children age 6 to 12 travel for free after 9:00am on weekdays if accompanied by an adult.

Day trips by train from Brussels are fast, easy and inexpensive. Bruges: 1hr, every 30', $10 RT. Ghent: 30', every 10'. Antwerp: 1hr, every 10-15'. Paris: 2hrs 30' on Thalys, every 30'-1hr, . Amsterdam: 2hrs 30' on Thalys, 3hrs on regular trains.

For more details, visit the SNCB at http://www.b-rail.be.