What do people think of Brussels?

[tastebud]

I'm going there the week after next (only for a few days) and just wonder what people (who've been) think of the place? I'd only ever heard that it's incredibly dull & uninspiring, but then recently someone (who lives there) told me that he really likes it. What does Urban think?

[snorbury]

Brussels is great, as is the rest of Holland

[tastebud]

Brussels is great, as is the rest of Holland:confused:

[Dubversion]

I've only spent a couple of days there and I hated it. Grey, dull, like the war's still on. But still better than other bits of Belgium.

Probably my least liked country of those i've visited

[Groucho]

Never been. Bruges is nice, I've been there.

But work colleagues who go to Brussels regularly say that the central bit where the EU meetings take place is shite. But there are much nicer areas and some good night life if you know where to go.

[trashpony]

I grew up there and think it's great. I'm on the phone now but will give you some recommendations when I'm off :)

[marty21]

had a lovely weekend there last year, the older part is nice to wander about in, nice bars, beautiful beer:cool: the old town square is lovely, although extremely touristy, food is good in the restaurants we went to, can't remember enough to give you recommendations for bars/restaurants, although we used the timeout city guide and it proved alright

[Belushi]

It makes a nice daytrip on the Eurostar, dont think I'd be interested in spending more than a couple of days here. The food and drink is good and the Belgians are a jollier bunch than the French.

[tastebud]

Luckily the CEO actually lives there and he and his husband are gonna take me out for dinner, etc.
Would be cool to wander around alone for a bit though - obviously I'll take a Lonely Planet with me. Just wanted to find some people that like it I guess. Glad to know some do.
TP I didn't know you grew up in Brussels! :)

[boozybirdie]

I had a lovely long weekend there.

[tastebud]

It makes a nice daytrip on the Eurostar, dont think I'd be interested in spending more than a couple of days here.Pretty much sums up what I'm doing I guess.

[snorbury]

It's really alright, nice people, good bars, really cosmopolitan as you might guess. It's funny seeing all the eurocrats in their pastel suits.

[WouldBe]

the Belgians are a jollier bunch than the French.

and friendlier I thought.

Only been for a day trip and quite liked the place. Ended up having a tri-lingual conversation in a cafe there. Only had a few minutes before the coach left so ordered "Tvay witte vijn" and got a blank look from the waitress so turned to my friend and said "were in the French speaking part of Belgium, you order". "Deux vin blanc" he says to which the waitress replies "Ah,Two white wines" and the whole cafe burst out laughing.

At least we tried. :D

[snorbury]

and friendlier I thought.


Like the Dutch??

[trashpony]

TP I didn't know you grew up in Brussels! :)

I can't believe I haven't bored you with tales of my peripatetic youth :o :D

[rasrave]

As it happens I also grew up there... (waves at TP!)
Have not been there since 1990, but I can vouch for the "old center" or the Grande Place area. Nice cobblestone streets, great architecture, and tons of good restaurants. Did I also mention the beer? Have a Rodenbach for me while you are there, will ya!
Stagger around the Rue Neuve on a good beer buzz, have one of the (most excellent) waffles (used to be 20 francs when I was a kid!), watch the world go past sitting outside a bar...it's all good;)
TP: I have lived in Etterbeek, Woluwe ST Pierre, and Auderghem...sound familiar?:)

[CyberRose]

I went twice with uni, first time to visit the EU institutions and second to visit NATO and the EU's security institutions which were very interesting. However, as I'm not sure if you'll also be able to do that, that would leave the rest of Brussels as boring as fuck!!

[Bernie Gunther]

If you're there, the buildings of Victor Horta (http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Victor_Horta.html) are worth a look.

Here's some more about Horta (http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/hazeej/horta.html) and the Horta Museum site (http://www.hortamuseum.be/main.php?lang=en).

Not all of his best buildings are open to the public alas.

[trashpony]

If you're there, the buildings of Victor Horta (http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Victor_Horta.html) are worth a look.

Here's some more about Horta (http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/hazeej/horta.html) and the Horta Museum site (http://www.hortamuseum.be/main.php?lang=en).

Not all of his best buildings are open to the public alas.

Indeed. :) Aargh - I have loads of other recommendations but no time today. I will try and remember tomorrow. Sablons, Morte Subite, Marche aux Puces (but I think you're going midweek) ...

What days are you going?

[tastebud]

Indeed. :) Aargh - I have loads of other recommendations but no time today. I will try and remember tomorrow. Sablons, Morte Subite, Marche aux Puces (but I think you're going midweek) ...

What days are you going?I'm going this Tuesday and Wednesday. :)

I'm looking forward to the beer! :)

[trashpony]

I'm going this Tuesday and Wednesday. :)

I'm looking forward to the beer! :)

Oh yes - the beer is great :)

Right - here are my recommendations for you:

Grand Place - if you stand facing the town hall, some interesting things. The big bar on the right hand corner (Roi d'Espagne) is touristy but quite good. Go upstairs and the ceilings are really low. Drink Kriek - cherry beer. The stuffed horse on the ground floor only has one ear. I have the other one (bit pissed and it came off in my hand :o )

You'll notice the tower of the town hall isn't in the centre - apparently the architect threw himself off the top of the building when he realised (bit unlikely as it's very out)
On the RH side of the square (where the Roi d'Espagne is) these are all guild houses. Marx and Engels stayed in the one which called the Maison du Cygne.
Behind you, one of the buildings (was Maxims, may be something else now) is where Secret Army was filmed. On that side of the square are a network of tiny streets crammed with restaurants which are fun to wander around. Moules and frites and a Maes Pils is the national dish.

I also recommend the gaufres (waffles) which are available from stalls dotted around - they are hot and sugary and delicious!

Behind the town hall (rue de l'etuve) is the Mannekin Pis. There is also a statue of a lady lying down set in a wall - rubbing her arm will give you good luck. There are lots of old and second hand lace shops around there too - you used to be able to get some fantastic things here but I don't know if you still can.

The Grand and Petits Sablons are also very pretty and a nice walk from the Grand Place. From the centre there you can wander round the Palace gardens and the art museums too - all very close together.

I also second the Horta museum which is fantastic if you like art nouveau.

The Bulletin is a very long-standing English weekly publication (like Time Out but less self-consciously cool) where you can find what's going on.

For drinking:

Delirium has a huge choice of beers http://www.deliriumcafe.be/
Also the Falstaff is beautiful and does good food - Rue Henri Maus
Morte Subite is very old and does a great range of beers. It's also where I learned to play 421 which is a traditional Belgian drinking game.

Enjoy :)

[tastebud]

cool thanks! i'll print all this later.

[Johnny Canuck3]

I love Brussels. It's like a good starter city for anyone who hasn't been to Europe before. Fairly easy to be understood, the people are friendly, and it seems like a safe place: the Tenderloin-type area was like a kinder,gentler version of what you find most places, for instance. I like the Marolle district.

[kakuma]

lots of good clubs

and hot bitches:cool:

[Johnny Canuck3]

That's no way to talk about the Congolese.

[Yossarian]

Beer, mussels, cheap baccy – what’s not to like? I’ve made a couple of short visits to Brussels and liked it a lot, but it doesn’t seem like somewhere you’d want to linger longer than a day or two.

If you get really bored, you could always visit the Atomium…

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/images/gifs/atomium.jpg

[districtline]

went there last year because those lovely folks at the eu paid for it :D

i know that most people seem to hate it but i actually really, really liked it. we lived in a hotel somewhere in the french speaking part and mostly walked around in the central (older?) parts.

used to work with a girl a few years ago who'd grown up in brussels and she absolutely loved it, spent her days talking about the city and how much she wanted to go back there.

so yeah, conclusion time, there are people who like it :)