The Heart of Europe - A Weekend in Brussels

Brussels is a city lost in time, combining elements of old Europe with new modernism. Perhaps best exemplified in its fusion of purposes, from trendy, romantic tourist destination, to an offbeat town with unique cuisine, to its modern purpose as the Capital city of the European Union, Brussels’ mixes culture and commerce with history and politics, and the end result is a city mesmerized by itself, a modern-day gem comprised of far-from-modern historical pieces.

Begin your visit to this amazing European capital by visiting its centerpiece, the Grand Place. It’s a grand place, alright, but the translation actually means “Big Plaza.” This massive city square is lined with some of the most beautiful guildhalls, and you ought to consider yourself lucky if you don’t collapse at the knees while viewing them. It’s a picture-perfect, truly European moment. Don’t miss the gorgeous Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), one of the buildings lining the Grand Place.

After soaking up the sights and sounds of the Grand Place, head over to the Galeries St. Hubert, a classy, enclosed collection of small shops, the highlight being the famous Neuhaus chocolateir. Eat some fine Belgian chocolate or sip a cold Stella Artois as you soak up the atmosphere of this impressive mall.

After visiting central Brussels, hop on a tram to the Atomium, a huge atom sculpture created for the World’s Fair, and one of the most recognizable items in Brussels. It’s worth checking out.

Next, visit the impressive Cinquantenaire Park, home of Brussels' Arc de Triomphe, which while beautiful, bears more resemblance to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin than the famous Arc in Paris.

Next, visit the European Union headquarters, home to the most powerful governmental body in Europe. This massive building will surely impress even the most pessimistic of travelers.

Finish your day of sightseeing by checking out the massive Palais Royale, the capital building of Belgium, and its center of government. After taking photos, walk back to central Brussels and snap a few photos of the Mannequin Pis, which is, you guessed it, a statue of a small boy peeing. Quite the photo op, too, as you’ll see by the many crowds who gather (and many who mimic the pose!).

No evening in Brussels is complete without a tantalizing Belgian waffle, available covered with different toppings. Try the white chocolate – a gooey delight comprised of Belgium’s finest culinary creations.

Quick Tips:

If arriving by the airport, take the train into town. It’s cheap, at around 3 to 4 euros, and quite fast. It will drop you off at Gare du Nord in the city, where you can connect with the fast and efficient Metro service.

Like most tourist centers, you can save some dough by skipping the rather touristy restaurant choices near the Grand Place and walk around 6 blocks away in any direction, where you’ll find a number of great eats at low prices. There are several fast-food choices, mostly serving rotisserie chicken dishes, which are very economical – some as low as 2 euros per ¼ chicken.

Don’t try to ride without a ticket in Brussels. Although no one is around to check if you have a ticket before you board, they DO check when you least expect it. My friend, who was less honest than I and didn’t want to pay, ended up paying a total of around 20 euros on fines for not holding a ticket. You won’t see them coming until it is too late!

Beware referring to the Belgian’s language as “French” or "Dutch" while here. Many will take great offence to this, as it is definitely its own language, Flemish.

Best Way To Get Around:

Brussels is an excellent city to get around in, connected via a series of light-rail trains (trams), which run on a subway-like system in the downtown core. A day pass is 4 euros, allowing the visitor to ride on any tram or bus all day long. The somewhat confusing transit system can be best explained by the free Map du Metro, available when you buy your pass, or at information offices.

Walking can be tough in central Brussels, because of many hills, but if you’re up for a challenge, then go for it. Most of the sights in Brussels cannot be accessed by foot, at least those outside of the somewhat sprawling city center. My advice is to take the metro to De Brouckere metro station, walk on foot to downtown sights (Grand Place, Mannequin Pis) and take the metro to other sights (Atomium, EU HQ).

The Airport is located northeast of town, connected via the Belgian railway network. The trains stop at Gare du Nord, Gare Midi, and many other train stations in Brussels, all of which are connected by the metro trains to other areas of Brussels. The fare is less than euros to come into town, depending on the time of day and which train you board.

Eurolines keeps its offices and station just outside of the Gare du Nord metro station, two stops from central Brussels. Here, you are connected to the European bus network, with multiple departures per day to London, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Eurail network can be accessed by any of the train stations in town. There are multiple trains per day to locations within and outside of Belgium, including some high-speed trains to Paris.

The Comfort Inn Erasme is an excellent hotel suitable for business travellers and families alike, located 12 miles southwest of central Brussels in the neighbourhood of Erasmus. Only 200 meters from the Erasmus metro station, the hotel is almost directly connected to all parts of Brussels by a 30-minute ride into central Brussels.

The hotel is located near the Erasmus hospital, in a quiet area with little-to-no traffic noise. Upon entering the hotel, you will be greeted by the kind Belgian staff, who will promptly check you in and lead you to your room.

I arrived to a very nice, modern room with two twin beds. The bedding was comfortable, but there were no extra pillows or bedding for those who prefer more. The beds were also very close together – only a foot or so of space apart. Since I was staying with my Grandmother, this made our night a bit too close for comfort!

The bathrooms were spacious and clean, and we experience no problems with any of it. The showers were warm and efficient, and there were complimentary toiletries (a godsend for anyone backpacking in Europe).

The television hosted a good selection of channels, both in French, German, Flemish, and English. CNN International was also present, meaning we could easily keep track of events going on back home.

The views from our room were poor, mainly because there is nothing of interest to see from the second floor looking out to Erasmus neighbourhood besides trees and a highway off in the distance.

One drawback to staying here was there was no table and chairs! This meant that we had to eat our take-out dinner on our beds, which was a bit messy. There are only beds, a couple shelves, a television, and a luggage rack in the room.

The hotel’s redeeming feature is its luscious, far-from-English breakfasts, featuring delightful Belgian cheeses, scrumptious meats, warm French bread, freshly-squeezed grapefruit, orange, and apple juices, an array of yogurts and cereals, as well as buttery croissants. It is served buffet style in the restaurant adjacent to the lobby. The breakfast is included in the hotel rate, which are around $60 for a room at the time of my travel in May 2005.

I would highly recommend this hotel to all travellers. Aside from the few dismal discrepancies in the room, the hotel has great service, a delicious, moderately-priced on-site restaurant, and provides a very good value for backpackers and all travellers. It’s a great convenient location, too, meaning less wandering around and more time sightseeing in the beautiful Belgian capital.

Visit the hotel online at: www.hotelerasme.be

The European Union Commission’s headquarters is a must for those folks who love to visit State Capitols and the like while traveling. The Berlaymont Building (its official title) is home to what is essentially, the executive governmental body for the entire continent of Europe, so it simply must be added on your itinerary while in the Brussels area.

Built between 1963 and 1969, this building has become an icon in Brussels, signifying the heart of the continent of Europe.

The hub-and-spoke shaped building is located in northeast Brussels, in a mostly high-end residential area, surrounded by nice apartment buildings and high-up government offices, including the impressing European Parliament. It’s easily accessible by foot from Schuman metro station, and many signs will lead you to it. From the outside, the building is quite astonishing, gracefully curving wings stretching out from the buildings center. Because of its unique shape, photographing it is somewhat difficult, and you’ll be able to capture at most 3 of its arms.

Tours are not permitted into the building regularly, but there are certain days where tours may be available in May, once per year. Inquire with the building management.

The structure is located at Rue de la Loi in what is known as the "European district" in Brussels’ north end, where many European government offices and embassies are located. While in the area visit the European Parliament building, where tours are available, and one can actually sit in on the sessions of parliament. It is located a short walk from the Berlaymont building.

Learn more about the building online at: www.berlaymont2000.com

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

This delicious little secret is located within the beautiful halls of the Galerias St. Hubert, a nice collection of interesting shops and services just down the street from central Brussels' maginificent Grand Place.

One of Belgium's oldest chocolatiers, Neuhaus was founded in 1857 by Swiss chocolatier Jean Neuhaus. The Galeries St. Hubert location is its most popular and original branch, operating every day for over 130 years. The history of the store is evident, and entering its doors and thereby smelling the sweet aromas of chocolates and fillings, causes complete and utter euphoria in the average person.

I entered to find white-clad professionals tackling their trade, forming delcious morsels of chocolatey goodness by the thousands. One of the workers approached me and offered samples of their delcious product, which I happily devoured. I walked past the seemingly endless array of fresh chocolates and truffles, and picked a few fruit-filled ones and some cremes.

The staff were kind and willing to help out with my questions regarding nuts and cross-contamination (since I have an allergy). They pointed me to the chocolates that were safe for me to purchase. I happily perused the store, drunk off of the sweet aroma of the cocoa bean in the air.

Knowing full-well that these chocolates are of high quality and come with an even higher price tag, I was quite conservative with my choices. My small grab bag of 5 delicious chocolates cost me around 4 euros, a hefty price but completely worth it. It's a sliver of heaven right here on earth.

Gift boxes and chocolates that are well past their prime are somewhat more economical, with decent selections starting at around 10 euros per box.

Neuhaus can be found on the World Wide Web at: www.neuhaus.be