Last year, I went to Brussels for six months to undertake an internship in a publishing house. I really enjoyed living in this European city and I would like to share my experience and feelings about that place.
Brussels is often described as a boring, untidy and dirty place, but if you take the time you will discover a really amazing and vibrant place. Here are the things that I enjoyed the most about this city…
Firstly, Brussels is a really dynamic place: The universities and the European commission attract a lot of students from the entire world, coming here to study or to do internships in the European institutions. On Fridays and Saturdays, going to the Delirium Café – a famous bier bar located in the medieval Rue des Bouchers – will allow you to feel the craziness of the student nights in Brussels! During the summer, there are also a lot of festivals and events organised by the city, like les Apéros Urbains or the famous Brussels Summer Festival, an entire week of concerts bringing together the best artists of the moment.
The city centre is very compact, which makes Brussels the perfect destination for a weekend. I loved to hang around the Grand Place, the focal point of the city with its sumptuous guild houses, sculpted facades and town hall. Every two years, the floor of the square is covered with flowers for the “Flower Carpet” event. Don’t miss it!
If you have time for shopping, don’t forget to go for a walk along the rue du Marché aux Herbes and the rue aux Beurre, where you will be able to buy Belgian specialities like Dandoy’s famous speculos (a shortcrust biscuit with cinnamon) and delicious pralines (dark, milk or white chocolate filled with a hazelnut preparation, whole nuts or cream) made by the most famous chocolatiers like Godiva, Neuhaus or Leonidas. Not far from there, you will find the well-known bronze statue of the Manneken-Pis (it’s funny to see how people are always surprised by the tininess of the sculpture). You should also have a look at the St Hubert Galleries, a magnificent shopping arcade opened in 1847 by Leopold I.
Museums are also one of the main strengths of the city and here are the three museums I liked the most:
The musée des Instruments de musique (Museum of Musical Instruments) inhabits an elegant English art nouveau building called “Old England”. Their collection of instruments from all over the world is simply amazing and if you need a rest after having visited the four floors of the building dedicated to the museum, you can go up to the café on the top floor which has a great view of Brussels.
Not far from the Palais Royal, in the upper town, you will find the Royal Museums of Fine Arts. The Musée Magritte is part of the Museum of Modern Art and is dedicated to the world’s largest collection of works by the Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte. The exhibition takes you through three floors following chronologically the life of the artist. In the Museum of Ancient Art, don’t miss the Flemish primitive gallery and the collection of Rubens, which are internationally famous.
And because I love comic strips, the museum I went to three times is the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Belgian Comic Strip Centre). Here, you can learn the processes involved in drawing comic strips but you will also have the chance to go through the history of the Belgo-French comic strip. Be prepared to meet Tintin, Spirou, Gaston Lagaffe, but also the works of the very new generation of authors.
Because visiting a city is not only about museums and famous monuments, but also about living the lives of the locals, I will finish with a review of the very simple things to do that actually really made me feel good living in the city of Brussels:
- Enjoy a walk around the Etangs d’Ixelles and have a picnic at the Bois de la Cambre, the lung of the city.
- Taste the incredibly good frites from Chez Antoine, the best in Brussels! (Yes, you will need to take the bus to get there, but it really is worth it!)
- Go to Ixelles’ swimming pool, the oldest in the town with a glass roof and cabins all around the pool.
- Spend hours in the numerous bookshops of the city specialising in comic strips and discover the variety and the richness of Belgian art.
- Try a typical meal in a Belgian tavern or eat a tartine (a large slice of bread with creamy cheese, radish, long onion and sometimes ham) with a pint of Belgian beer, of course. A good place to go is the tavern La Mort Subite, not far from the St Hubert Galleries.
- Walk around the Bourse and go to the nearby Saint-Géry area where there are nice bars, second hand shops and a nice covered market. The Chinese district is not far from there.
- On Wednesday morning, go to the Place du Chatelain market, take a delicious waffle and admire the beautiful displays of food. Also enjoy this nice fashionable area full of cafés, restaurants, designer shops and nice old houses. After work, young people often meet there and enjoy a glass of Champagne and oysters in the street!
I could talk about this charming city more and more, but this is a good start to enjoy your trip to Brussels and don’t forget, Belgian people ARE NOT French, or you will maybe face some troubles!
My best companion when I was living in Brussels was the Everyman MapGuide of Brussels, as it is a map and a guide at the same time, it is really convenient. The Rough Guide to Brussels is a really good complement since it contains a lot of practical information. The articles are very detailed and this guide will be helpful if you wish to learn more about Belgian culture.
> See all our maps and guides to Brussels
Author: Audrey Dufer