Brussels - Brussel

Brussels (French: Brussels) is both the capital of Belgium as from Flanders, and is de facto the capital of the European Union. Although many travelers choose a city trip totrip Bruges, Antwerp or Ghent, Brussels should certainly not be overlooked. Brussels is known for the beautiful Grand Place with the photogenic statue nearby Manneken Pis. In addition, the European quarter is worth a visit for its modern architecture, as is the renovated Atomium.

The city was founded around the eleventh century around a small harbor on the Senne. The name Brussels is derived from 'Broek-Zele' which means as much as settlement by the swamp. Although the city belongs to Flanders culturally and historically, it was heavily Frenchified in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a result, the city belongs to the Flemish cultural area, but French is the dominant language (although the city is officially bilingual, so that all street names are displayed in both Dutch and French). Due to the complex situation, the city is politically outside the Flemish Region, but it is the capital of Flanders.

The city has a strong international appearance. English is also increasingly spoken due to the establishment of European and international institutions. The city is therefore known by several names: Brussels in Dutch, Brüssel in German, Bruxelles in French and Brussels in English. Brussels is not pronounced by French-speaking Belgians as it is written, but they say Brussels. Inhabitants of France pronounce it as brusselsles.

Info

When Brussels became the capital of independent Belgium, it underwent a major renovation—the city center was razed to the ground to make way for new ministries, office buildings, schools, palaces and army barracks, all built between 1880 and 1980. The decision at the time had a major impact on the picturesque character of Brussels. The historic city center has shrunk to the Grote Markt and a few streets around it. Brussels would have been more attractive if the historic center had still existed, nevertheless the Grand-Place is a world-class square.

The man of Brussels is King Leopold II (1835-1909). The grand buildings and avenues were built on his behalf. He has had the greatest influence on the architectural planning of Brussels, which can sometimes even be characterized as a little too bombastic. The Royal Palace, the Castle of Laeken, the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, the Basilica of Koekelberg, the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, the Palace of Justice, the Royal Museum of Central Africa, the Tervuursesteenweg, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Cinquantenaire Park, it all comes from his hand. Although it should be noted that a large part of his wealth was obtained from the then Belgian colony of Congo, which was literally the property of King Leopold II and not of the Belgian state. He ruled that colony with an iron fist and the number of victims of his regime is estimated at several hundred thousand to a million.

A real Brussels resident (nen Brusseleir) speaks neither French nor Dutch but Brussels. That is Dutch interspersed with many French words and expressions and a fatty r. A well-known person who was often asked for interviews and explanations on television because of his Brussels accent was Raymond Goethals (the ex-trainer of Olympique Marseille). Always try to address someone in Brussels in Dutch first, especially in important hotels, restaurants or shops. Although Brussels is officially bilingual, the French-speakers make up a majority of 50 to 90 percent depending on location, but many make an effort to answer in Dutch. Sometimes you can only continue in French or English—a phrase book can come in handy.

Arrive

By plane

• Brussels Airport (located in Zaventem, IATA code BRU) is located 12 km northeast of the center of Brussels. Both scheduled flights and charters depart here. Brussels Airport[1] is a modern airport and the main airport for Belgium. The Belgian airline Brussels Airlines[2] has its home port here. From the airport you can reach Brussels-Central station within 20 minutes by train (Airport Express), located in the heart of Brussels and within walking distance of the Grand Place. Another option is to take a taxi, there are always a number of taxis waiting for you. There is also a bus connection from the bus company STIB from the airport to Place Schuman and Luxembourg in the European district.

• Brussels South Charleroi Airport[3] (IATA code CRL) is located 60 km south of Brussels. Several low-budget airlines operate from Brussels South Charleroi Airport, of which Ryanair[4] the most important. You can buy a combined ticket (train bus) for €11.30 one way to any Brussels train station. It takes just over an hour from Charleroi-Sud train station to Brussels-Central. You can also opt for shuttle buses that run to Brussels South [5] (€13.00 single/€22.00 return).

• airport Antwerp, IATA code ANR, has a good train connection with Brussels. This is more of a small airport for business travelers.

By train

The main stations of Brussels are Brussels-South (Bruxelles-Midi) (mainly for international trains and actually the main station of Brussels), Brussels-Central (Bruxelles-Central) and Brussels-North (Bruxelles-Nord). There are several trains per hour on the South-Central-North axis that always stop at these three stations, except for certain international trains that only stop in Brussels-South. Note: many people sometimes confuse Bruxelles-Midi and Brussels-Central because they think that Bruxelles-Midi is in the middle and then miss their appointment that is waiting in Brussels-Central. If you want to be on the Grand-Place, you have to get off at Brussels-Central station. As is common in the vicinity of major stations, it can sometimes be less safe. There are also the stations of Schaerbeek, Brussels-Luxembourg (the European district, right under the buildings of the European Union), Brussels-Schuman, Etterbeek, Forest-East, Forest-South, Brussels-West, Bordet, Jette, Bockstael , Brussels Congress and Brussels Chapel Church.

The Brussels-Central station was designed by the well-known architect Victor Horta. The Brussels-Central tunnel is the weak point of the timetable in Belgium, all trains of the North-South connection have to be underground and there are only 6 tracks available. If a delay occurs here, this escalates to train traffic throughout Belgium. In order to solve this problem, the regional express network will be constructed in the future. Brussels Central has been largely renovated since 2009.

By car

Five motorways go to Brussels : the A12, the E19, the E40, the E411 and the E429. You can reach Antwerp via the E19 in a northerly direction and if you continue on Breda and Rotterdam, via the E19 in a southwestern direction you can mountains, Charleroi and Paris reaches. The E40 runs to Ghent, Bruges and Ostend in a northwesterly direction and towards Leuven and shutter in an easterly direction. The E429 runs southwest to Lille. The ring R0 runs around Brussels, which has many entrances and exits. Please note, the ring does not completely enclose Brussels because the Sonian Forest is located in the south. The E411 takes you to Namur and Luxembourg, that's the way to the Ardennes. The A12 runs parallel to the E19 and you can hardly call it a motorway, it is a dangerous road that is a motorway for a few kilometers and then becomes a normal motorway with very strange exits without a pre-sorting lane. reach any place in Belgium.

By bus

The Eurolines bus holding company [6] has its headquarters in Brussels and practically all of Europe and part of Morocco can be reached directly by bus from Brussels. Prices are competitive with air travel. The buses stop at the back of the Brussels-North station (the main bus stop) and Brussels-South. Gulliver is a collaborating partner of Eurolines.

By boat

Brussels has a port [7].

Travel around

By STIB

STIB (Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company) or in French: STIB (Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles): The STIB has many bus and tram lines as well as four metro lines :1, 2, 5 and 6.

By train

Try not to focus solely on the STIB network for your travels in Brussels. The NMBS (National Company of the Belgian Railways) has numerous stops on the Brussels territory. You can also validate your STIB ticket when you use the train in the Brussels region. So you don't necessarily have to buy an NMBS ticket for your trips within Brussels. Make sure you get off at a station located on the territory of the Brussels region. If you travel to Vilvoorde or Halle, you do need to buy an NMBS ticket. This can be purchased at the counter or electronic distributors. If you are in a smaller station without a ticket office (or a large station where the ticket office is closed), you must contact the train conductor on the train to purchase a ticket, please note that there is a surcharge of €7 on board the train. 00 on top of the ticket price. It is therefore best to buy your ticket before you get on the bus, at the counters.

By bike

Brussels is not entirely bicycle-friendly, there are few bicycle markings in the city. The city council has recently made more efforts to encourage bicycle use by building additional bicycle infrastructure. In Brussels (just like in the rest of Belgium) people often work with bicycle lanes instead of full cycle paths. Moreover, there are many hills in Brussels. It is not recommended to move by bicycle in certain parts of the city, especially not between the busy car traffic. For example, you can cycle very well in the Sonian Forest or the pedestrian zone in the center.

City bikes are also available in the Brussels region, i.e. Villa![8], a cheap and handy system for moving around quickly. A ticket for 1 day costs €1.50 and a ticket for 7 days costs €7.00. If you have a ticket, the first half hour of cycling is free, after that you pay €0.50 for the next half hour. You do need a credit card to purchase your ticket. In the higher stations it is sometimes difficult to find a bicycle, in the lower stations it is sometimes difficult to get rid of it. This is partly due to the fact that the bicycles are somewhat heavier than the city bicycles in London or Paris, for example.

On foot

Visiting Brussels is very easy on foot. The center of the city (the pentagon) can be bridged on foot in just 25 minutes. Since June 2015, Brussels has had a traffic-free center of 50 hectares, the second largest in Europe after Venice.

To look at

Brussels City

•    Large market (Grand Place). Historic square which is also home to the Gothic town hall of Brussels. Several tourists say "this is the most beautiful square in Europe, perhaps in the world". The Grand Place of Brussels is completely surrounded by historic buildings. You can find buildings from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Because the market was almost completely destroyed by the French cannons (except for the town hall) in 1697, it was rebuilt and has hardly been modified since, the buildings form a beautiful whole, and it is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. You imagine yourself completely in the Middle Ages. You can find historic buildings with a nice name such as: the bread house (where the clothes of Manneken Pis are kept), Den Coninck van Spaignien, Den Cruywagen, Den Sac, De Wolvin, De Vos, De Sterre, De Zwane, In Den Gulden Boom, De Roos, Den Berg Thabor, The house of the Dukes of Brabant, the Gulden Boot, the Pigeon, Het Ammanskamertje. All the buildings are vertically oriented, so high and narrow in construction, in the direction of God. The Dukes of Brabant wanted to show that they were something more than the guilds and you can see that, their building is ten times as large. If you don't know where the Grand Place is, you always have to walk down, the Grand Place is a low point of Brussels. For free.
•    Brussels City Hall, Grand Place/Grand Place. It is a listed building, a beautiful example of Gothic architecture. Two architects have worked on this building and you can notice that, if you look closely you can see that there are different asymmetries in the building, the most striking is the entrance gate, it is not in the middle. If you look left and right of the tower it will become clear. The town hall opens its doors, but it is rare that you can see all the rooms, if you have the chance you should do it, it is beautifully decorated.
•    Everard 't Serclaes (Close to the Grote Markt). Whoever rubs his hand over this statue will get married within a year. Wonder if this is a man or a woman?
•    The fair. The Brussels Stock Exchange where Euronext Brussels is, neoclassical building. There are cozy cafes around the Beurs.
•    Grass market. If you go outside the Central Station and you walk a few hundred meters further, you come to the Grasmarkt. Cozy market and a nice street.
•    Galleries of Saint Hubert (Entrances: Grasmarkt, Beenhouwerstraat, Arenbergstraat and Predikherenstraat.). Architect: Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar. Beautiful large neo-renaissance shopping arcade and in 1847 also the very first covered shopping street in the world (of that size), it is literally a building on a large foot, the glass dome is 20-30 meters high and 200 meters long. You will find luxurious shops with chocolates (Neuhaus) and luxurious cafes. The gallery consists of the Queen's Gallery with the much smaller Prince's Gallery to its right and the King's Gallery on the other side of Beenhouwerstraat. In the middle, the rectilinearity of the gallery is broken by an obtuse angle, which gives an infinite visual effect, because you cannot see the back. You have the best view of the gallery when you are on the first floor, but you can't just go there. The Sint-Hubertus gallery was built on a site that used to be a dirty and poorly reputed neighborhood (Sint-Huybrechtstraat). It formed the direct connection between the Grote Markt and the Warmoesberg, where a new chic district had emerged around 1800. The innovative combination of glass and steel allowed people to shop indoors under the sunlight and without the rain. Seven of these galleries were originally built in Brussels, three of which still exist, the St. Hubertus Gallery, the Bortier Gallery and le Passage Nord.
•    Vossenplein. daily 07:00-14:00. Flea market in the heart of the Marolles. On Saturdays and Sundays, the offer is more extensive and perhaps also slightly more expensive, as the tourists then walk in dense droves past the stands. The sisters of Mary of Collentes gave their name to the Marolles in the Middle Ages. These Maricollen sisters took care of the lepers who were banished from the city walls and came to this place. Until 1845 there was a locomotive factory on Vossenplein called Les ateliers de Mr Renard. This is how the Vossenplein got its Dutch name, but it was also a popular place to play ball on the handball court and that's how the square got its French name: place du jeu-de-balle. Kaatsspelplaats became the unofficial Dutch name. At the end of the 19th century, local residents could go to the Fourneau Economique for a cheap meal. The Fourneau Economique was set up in the middle of the square. From 1902 to 1949 there was also a public bathing place. You will find numerous cafes around Vossenplein. Den Skieven Architek (The Leaning Architect) is definitely worth a visit. The name refers to Poelaert, the architect of the gigantic courthouse, who had hundreds of houses razed to the ground in order to build his courthouse. He was therefore not much liked in the Marolles. Skieven Architek is therefore the epitome of expletives in Brussels if you want to drill someone into the ground.
•    Halle Gate. Tues-Fri 09:30-17:00, Sat Sun 10:00-17:00. Leave Vossenplein via Blaesstraat at café In den Blauwen Lemmen. The second street on the left is the Aanaardingstraat. You walk in that until you come to the Zuidlaan. Diagonally in front of you you will see the Halle Gate. This is a remnant of the second city wall which enclosed an area of ​​509 ha and contained 74 towers and 7 city gates. Until 1976, the Hallepoort housed an impressive collection of weapons and all kinds of antiquities. But the building was so dilapidated that restoration was necessary. Since 2008, the Hallepoort has been open to the public again. Curiosities of the collection are the stuffed stallion of Archduke Albrecht and the mare of the infante Isabelle. €5,00.
•    Atomium, Atomium Square (Atomium Square), ☎ 32 2 475 4777. Open every day from 10:00-18:00. During weekends and the tourist season it is a bit of a queue.. Remarkable monument that represents a highly magnified iron crystal (magnified 160 billion times to be correct) and was built on the occasion of the world exhibition Expo '58. The height of the Atomium is 108 meters and in the top sphere you can eat in the restaurant 'Atomium' while enjoying the view. It has recently been very nicely renovated and in the evening you can see the beautiful dynamic lighting, for which extensive use has been made of ecological LED lighting. The Expo '58 plan foresaw that the Atomium would be demolished after the exhibition; it turned out differently, the Atomium has become the symbol of Brussels and perhaps of Belgium. The 9 spheres that make up the Atomium represent the then 9 provinces, currently Belgium is divided into 10 provinces. At the top you have a beautiful view of the city of Brussels and its surroundings. For children and schools there is a special sphere with futuristic beds in which you can spend the night. At the foot of the Atomium are large flat natural stones on which you can lie with your back and so you get a beautiful sky view with the flickering lights of the Atomium. You have a beautiful view of the Atomium from the crow's mountain in Grimbergen. Entrance fee: €9.00 for adults, €6.00 ​​for children, students and seniors, children under 12 years old can enter for free.
•    Mini Europe (near the Atomium). Very nice for the children, you can walk around in a theme park where all the major cities of Europe and the sights are depicted on a small scale.
•    Martyrs' Square.
•    Cafe Falstaff, Henri Mausstraat 19. Superb cafe built in art deco and art nouveau style.
•    scientific (In metro station 'Beurs'). 101 interactive and surprising scientific experiments. €7.90; children €5.30.

Schaerbeek

• The well-known Red light district by the Rue d'Aerschot is located at the rear of Brussels-North station. It's not really a pleasant neighborhood, but it is an attraction in itself. The cars drive at a walking pace to watch the ladies of pleasure, but due to the many accidents with cyclists, the municipality of Schaerbeek has decided to reverse the direction of the street so that the cars can see the cyclists approaching. In the middle of the street is a church, if you have sinned you can go to confession immediately. If you're in Brussels North If you are, go and have a look at the (official) graffiti on the wall at the bus platforms of De Lijn. They are very recently applied huge airbrush paintings with an amazing eye for detail. The themes are detailed drawings of people's heads.
• Schaerbeek Town Hall
• Royal Saint Mary's Church

Saint-Josse-Ten-Node

• herb garden (Botanique), ideal for a walk, a picnic or just sitting on a bench by the pond.
• Proximus and Belgacom towers, the high-rise buildings of Brussels are concentrated around the station of Brussels-North, the most striking skyscrapers are the Proximus towers, which are illuminated at night with the colors of Proximus (purple-blue). On the thirtieth floor (approximately) there is a bridge from one tower to the other.
• Dexia Tower
• Finance tower
• Ellipse Tower
• Madou Tower

Museums

• Museum of Ancient Art, Regentschapsstraat 3 (near the Royal Palace), [9]
• Museum of Modern Art, Regentschapstraat 3, [10]

Both museums have an exceptional collection of art pieces, and can be visited for free on the first Wednesday afternoon of the month, on other days for €2.00 to €5.00.

•    Museum Kanal (Center Pompidou), Akenkaai, ☎ 32 2 435 1360, e-mail: [email protected]. 12:00-22:00, closed on Tuesdays. Museum of modern art in a former Citroën garage. €14,00.
• Autoworld, museum of the automobile, located on the Cinquantenaire.
• Beer Museum, the big market. It is a very small museum that can be visited in less than half an hour. You are also offered a fresh pint at the end.
• The Cantillon Brewery, 56 Rue Gheude, Anderlecht, [11]. Also called the gueuze museum, here you can see how the famous beers 'gueuze' and 'kriek' and other types of beer are brewed in the traditional way and you can taste beer. The brewery is still fully economically active, you can walk around while there is business activity. The people are very friendly and speak with a nice greasy Brussels accent. If you buy several bottles, you will be helped with your cargo up to the trunk of your car. You can get the beer they brew here everywhere in Belgium, albeit in the better cafes. Buy it here because at a café you pay at least €7.00 for it.
• Musée Schaerbeekois de la Biere, Avenue Louis Bertrand 33-35, Schaerbeek, e-mail: [email protected]. This museum was founded by volunteers because of their great love for Belgian beer. You can see the history of beer and taste beer. They are real Brusseleirs, if you like to hear a Brussels Vlom accent, you should be here. A real Brusseleir knows neither Dutch nor French, he speaks "Brussels" and that is a bliss to hear. You can drink a beer with the owners and have a nice chat. Buy the museum's home-brewed beer here.
• Musical Instrument Museum, in the beautiful Art Nouveau building Old England.
• Army Museum,[12] Cinquantenaire Park 3, nice museum with a lot of military material such as cannons and airplanes. During the holidays, workshops are given for children who can then completely immerse themselves in their camouflage clothing and with camouflage make-up.
• It royal museum of art and history located next to the Cinquantenaire Park and within walking distance of the army museum and autoworld. It has a rich collection on Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and non-European civilizations.
•    Museum of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels. 10:00-18:00, Monday closed. The Gallery of the Dinosaurs is an imposing restored hall of approximately 3000 m². There are 22 small and 7 large skeletons. 11 Dinosaurs are still the same as when they were found a good 100 years ago in the Bernissart coal mine in Belgium. €7,00.
•    train world, Place Princess Elisabeth 5, Schaerbeek (In and at Schaerbeek station). 10:00-17:00, Monday closed. Belgian train museum, newly opened in September 2015. €10,00.

Churches and Monasteries

•    Koekelberg Basilica, Basilica forecourt 1 (Parvis de la Basilique 1). Church: 08:00-17:00, panorama: 09:00-17:00 (summer) and 10:00-16:00 (winter). The basilica is the fifth largest church in the world. Leopold II dreamed of having a religious building as large in appearance as the largest civil building in Brussels (the Palace of Justice). The Koekelberg plateau was chosen. You can see the Basilica of Koekelberg from anywhere in Brussels. It was built in honor of Belgium's 75th anniversary, in neo-Gothic style and a great deal of marble has been used for the Art Deco interior. Some speak of a dragon of a building, others are completely crazy about it, the basilica always provokes reactions. From the balcony you can enjoy a view over Brussels. The basilica is a busy monument, the army exercises there, there are always exhibitions.
• Sablon Church
• Church of LaekenKing Baudouin, among others, is buried here.
•    St. Michael and St. Gudula Church (Saint Gudula Cathedral), Square Saint Gudula, Treurenberg, ☎ 32 2 217 83 45, fax machine: 32 2 219 96 55, e-mail: [email protected]. Monday-Friday 7:30-18:00, Saturday 7:30-15:30, Sunday 14:00-18:00. Prince Filip and Prince Laurent, among others, were married here, close to the Brussels-Central station. Free guided tours every Saturday at 2 pm (except when there is a wedding or funeral). For free.
•    Beguinage Church (Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-au-Béguinage), Beguinage Street, ☎ 32 2 411 62 56, e-mail: [email protected]. Built as a beguinage church, founded before 1247 outside the first city walls. Destroyed during the Calvinist occupation from 1577 to 1585, and rebuilt in Baroque style in 1657 with a very beautiful facade.

Others

• The Black Tower: one of the few remnants of the old city wall, unfortunately almost completely enclosed by modern buildings.
• The coin: this is where the Belgian revolution broke out after a screening of the mute of Portici in 1830.
• Saint-Géry : this is where Brussels originated.
• The Sablon
• The little Sablon,
• The Palace of JusticeFounded in the 19th century, this eclectic building was the largest in the world, a megalomaniac project of King Leopold II, who also had the central avenues of Brussels constructed. The architect is Poulaert, not so popular among some Brussels residents because the former residents were forced to move elsewhere during the construction of the courthouse. He was called the "skewed" architect, not because his buildings are crooked, but because "ne schieve" in Brussels means "bad person". Victor Hugo called the courthouse the great inkwell. The palace was built on an inclined plane between upper and lower Brussels. The difference is 20 meters. So there are entrance gates on different levels. The total built-up area is 26,000 m2. There are 8 courtyards, 27 large and 245 small halls. A dome of 24,000 tons and 142 meters high crowns the building. Before that time, new techniques were used, such as combining metal and stone. In 1883 the cost of this project was 45 million Belgian francs. It was initially estimated at 12 million francs. When you stand in front of the building you will see a white steel construction on the right. It is an elevator that connects up and down Brussels for free and quickly.
• the social district of Watermael-Bosvoorde, a nice neighborhood in which the windows of the houses are painted according to color, the residents must always respect this color.

The Horta Architecture:

• Hotel van Eetvelde, Palmerstonlaan 4. UNESCO World Heritage.
• The Comics Museum
• socialist houseUnfortunately, you can no longer visit this, it has been demolished, it is worth mentioning because this was one of the most beautiful buildings in Brussels.
• Central Station
•    European parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Brussels (By train: Brussels-Luxembourg stop on line S5 from Mechelen). 09:00-18:00. The grounds of the European Parliament (and other European institutions) can be visited free of charge. You can view the room in which the more than 700 MPs meet from the public gallery (the Hemisphere), there is a museum about the history of Europe, and in the Parliamentarium you will find interactive information and films about the current work of the parliament. Count on half a day to see everything. For free.

To do

• Brussels-Bad: from the beginning of July to the beginning of August, the quay on the canal near Sainctelette is transformed into a beach with all kinds of activities and eateries.
• Demonstration chocolate, Lombardstraat 24, 1000 Brussels, visit a demonstration of Planète Chocolat and learn all about the history and origin of chocolate and chocolate making. The one-hour interactive presentation includes hot chocolate and chocolates for €7.00. Demonstrations are offered on request and on Saturdays at 4:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM.
•    Royal Mint Theatre, 23, rue Leopold, 1000 Bruxelles, e-mail: [email protected]. The Opera Theater of Brussels.
• Indoor shopping, in the Agora Gallery or the City2. The Agora Gallery is the mecca of leather, every goth will buy their black long coats here. You can also find shops with extreme shoes. The City2 is more mainstream, the top floor is fully occupied by the FNAC.
• To rest, at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula there are several dozen wooden benches where you can relax. If you want, you can lie side by side with two people and you have a nice view of the cathedral and you can eat your picnic.
• Ice Cream Fun, during the end of the year you can skate on the Brussels Vismarkt.

To learn

Free University of Brussels (VUB) [13] and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Ixelles, The ULB is the oldest university in Belgium, although the University of Leuven will of course contradict that, if you look at it from a continuity point of view, the ULB was founded in 1830 when Belgium was founded and always active used to be a university, while the university of Leuven is much older but has known periods when it was closed.

To work

To buy

Leonidas, Godiva, Guylan, Planète Chocolat or: chocolate bonbons.

Food

Brussels is gastronomically very well equipped. Most tourists come for the three classics: mussels, chips, and chocolate. Those who want something more have plenty of choice between the other Brussels specialties, such as: eel in the green, meatballs in tomato sauce and rabbit with cherry. For dessert there are the crispy ones Brussels waffles (with icing sugar), which are increasingly supplanted by the Liège waffles.

Budget

• Maison Antoine, Jourdanplein - tasty fries close to the European Parliament. In 2012, Maison Antoine was voted best chip shop in Brussels by Visit Brussels.

• La Friterie de la Place de la ChapelleHigh Street. Another decent fritkot.

• Arcadic, Arenbergstraat 1B, exit of the Queen's Gallery. Menu in all price ranges, with a wide range of pastries.

• Mokafé, Koningsgalerie 9, in the Sint-Hubert Galleries. Simple dishes, also Brussels specialities.

Average

The tourist corner of Brussels is called the Beenhouwersstraat (Rue des Bouchers)[14], close to the Grote Markt. The neighborhood has a bad name because the waiters of the second-rate restaurants accost you to get you into their restaurant. City authorities have been trying to do something about it lately. Some restaurants also try to lure you with a cheap menu, but once seated, the dish on the menu turns out to be no longer available, and you get another, much more expensive dish. Often the low price of the menu is also offset by the overly expensive drinks. Knowing all this, you may be able to haggle a better deal before entering.

Some decent restaurants stand out:

• SI BEMOLA, Bloemenstraat 20, tel 32 2 219 63 78, Mon-Sat 19:00-05:00. Probably one of the oldest and best night restaurants in town. Tasty food for all budgets.

• Aux Armes de Bruxelles, Beenhouwerstraat 13, tel 32 2 511 5550, 's maandags gesloten

• Chez Léon, Beenhouwerstraat 18, tel. 32 2 511 1415, [15]. Maakt nu deel uit van een Franse keten, is gespecialiseerd in mosselen.

• Scheltema, 7, Rue des Dominicains, tel. 02/512.20.84. [16]. Gespecialiseerd in visgerechten.

Buiten de Beenhouwersstraat is er nog:

• Au Pré Salé, Vlaamsesteenweg 20, tel. 32 2 513 6545. Gespecialiseerd in mosselen en Brusselse gerechten.

• Belgium Taste, in de bovenste bol van het Atomium, tel. 32 2 479 58 50, [17], unieke locatie, de suggesties op het menu kan je al verorberen voor €13,00.

Expensive

• Belga Queen[18], Wolvengracht 32 - een restaurant binnen een oud bankgebouw. Met een oesterbar en luxueuze toiletten.

• Taverne du Passage[19], Koninginnegalerij, tel 32 2512 3731. Een luxueus restaurant in oude stijl.

• Les Larmes du Tigre[20], Justitiepaleis, de Wynantsstraat 21, dinsdag gesloten, tel 32 2512 18 77 - stijlvol Thais restaurant.

• De Gulden Boot (la Chaloupe d'Or), Grote Markt 24.

• Comme Chez Soi, Rouppeplaats 1000 Brussel, tel. 32(0)2 512 29 21, fax 32(0)2 511 80 52, ([email protected]), [21]. Gesloten op zon- en maandag. Comme Chez Soi is een toprestaurant van Brussel dat onlangs een Michelinster heeft verloren, het heeft nu twee sterren. Als je aan een Belg vraagt, noem mij een bekend restaurant dan zal hij spontaan zeggen "Comme Chez Soi", het is een grote naam in België. Je kan er nouvelle cuisine (voornamelijk Franse keuken) eten en de prijzen voor een menu variëren van €68,00 tot €175,00.

Vegetarisch

• Dolma, Elsensesteenweg 329, tel. 02/649 89 81 - [22].

• La Tsampa, Livornostraat 109 [23] - bio/vegetarische winkel annex restaurant.

Going out

Typische Brusselse bieren zijn gueuze en kriek.

Een speciaal drankje dat je alleen in Brussel kan proeven is een zogenaamde "half-en-half". Het bestaat uit de helft witte wijn en de helft champagne.

• Poechenellekelder , Eikstraat 5 schuin over Manneken Pis. Een café volgestouwd met marionetten en poesjenellen. De laatste zijn poppen uit een lokale variant van poppenspel. Om in de kelder te komen moet je eerst enkele trappen op. Alle dagen open vanaf 11:00.

• Delirium Cafe, Getrouwheidsgang 4A, [24]. Café met meer dan 2000 soorten bier van over gans de wereld.

• Café le Cercueil, Haringstraat, Rue des Harengs 10-12, vlak bij de Grote Markt. Alle dagen open van 20:00 tot 's nachts. Dit café moet je absoluut gezien hebben, het is ingericht alsof je in een graftombe bent, je kan er bier drinken uit doodshoofden en ze draaien er weirde muziek. Opgepast want als je er binnenkomt struikel je over de doodskisten, na enkele minuten zijn je ogen aangepast en kan je er "gezellig" zitten.

• Maison Cirio, Beursstraat 18, vlak bij de Beurs. Een café waar de tijd heeft stilgestaan. Gebouwd in 1886, in de typische art nouveau-stijl van die tijd. Heeft ook kleine restauratie. Bezoek zeker de toiletten, met de originele betegeling.

• the Fuse, de meest hype discotheek van Brussel met trancemuziek.

• Rock Classic bar, hardrock/metal-café in hartje Brussel.

• de Falstaff, overbuur van de Cirio

• Irish Pub, gespecialiseerd in voetbalmatchen, met een flatscreen in elke hoek van het café, niet goedkoop maar je hebt een perfect uitzicht tijdens je favoriete voetbalmatch.

• "Brasserie De l'Union", Sint-Gillisvoorplein, Vlak bij de Hallepoort. [25] gezelligheid troef en aan de muur hangen de foto's van de kampioenenploegen van Union!

stay overnight

Budget

• Hostel Scandinavia, Bergensesteenweg 123, Anderlecht. Goed gelegen vlak bij het historische centrum van Brussel. De prijs voor één nacht bedraagt €24,00.

• 2Go4 Hostel[26], Emilie Jacquinstraat 99. Een modern hotelletje dicht bij het stadscentrum. De prijs voor één nacht bedraagt €20,00. Gratis draadloos internet (vraag ernaar aan de receptie).

• Jeugdherberg Van Gogh[27], Tel. ( 32) 2 217 01 58 (Fax ( 32) 2 219 79 95), Dwarsstraat 8. De Van Gogh bevindt zich in de buurt van het Noordstation, waardoor het ideaal gelegen is voor mensen die met de trein komen. Vriendelijk personeel en een levendige bar die tot laat in de avond open blijft.

Average

• NH Brussels City Centre[28] Het hotel is ideaal gelegen in het hart van het zakelijk- en shoppingdistrict rondom de prestigieuze Louizalaan. Deze wijk in de Brusselse bovenstad heeft een ruim aanbod van terrassen, gastronomische restaurants, bars, luxueuze winkelgalerijen en musea. NH Hotels beschikt over 6 hotels in Brussel

Expensive

• Sofitel Brussels Louise
• Sofitel Brussels Europe
• Conrad Brussels
• Hilton Brussels
• Sheraton Brussels
• Marriott Brussels
• Le Meridien Brussels
• Hilton Brussels City

Safety

Eind 2015 , als gevolg van de aanslagen in Parijs van november, gold er een dreigingsniveau 4, het hoogste niveau van alertheid in België.Op 22 maart 2016 zijn er aanslagen gepleegd bij het vliegveld en de metro van Brussel, hierdoor zijn er sindsdien maar een beperkt aantal vluchten richting Brussels Airport te Zaventem, in wijken als Sint-Jans-Molenbeek moet u niet komen, in deze wijken wonen een aantal jihadistische aanhangers, houd hier rekening mee als u naar Brussel reist.

Contact

Wireless hotspots

• Exki, De Brouckèreplein 14, 30 min. gratis Wifi

all around

• The province Flemish Brabant strekt zich uit rond Brussel, de dichtstbijzijnde steden zijn Leuven, Vilvoorde and Halle.
• Waterloo — Slagveld van Waterloo

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