Coming, as I occasionally do, from London, I have to confess to having had in the past a somewhat prejudiced view of Brussels.
This view, based mostly on the eponymous vegetable and a few news report backdrops, was never going to be accurate. I’m grown-up enough to admit that in ... Read review
with excellent private bathrooms. Enjoy competitive rates, quality service and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.The Brussels Hotel welcomes you in this bustling neighbourhood, near the city’s main business centre. Decide to start your day with the breakfast buffet in the dining room. Afterwards, you can step outside to discover this fashionable shopping area.With convenient transport connections you can easily explore wonderful Brussels. The beautiful, green park of Bois de la Cambre is only a short walk away.At the end of the day you can unwind with a drink in the hotel’s cosy bar. Thanks to the 24-hour reception, you can come and go as you wish during your stay.
is seen twice.* Sturdy metal ring holds your keys securely.* Full color printed images or messages are included.* If you have new ideas or need help selecting text for your custom keychains please contact us.* Size: 1 3/4" x 1 1/2" (45 x 35 mm) plus frameShipping might take 5 business days.
AN IDEAL GIFT . The actual date is printed on each page . This print is over 100 years old. And is not a modern copy. There is a fold which sometimes shows as a shadow on the image, this will not show when framed. Check the image for details.. Size of print is approx 12" x 10" (305 X 250) . Approx. Page size = 16" x 11" (410 X 280 . Ready to matt and frame. These old Prints really look great with Matt and Framed. . Note this print is from a periodical and has printing on reverse.. Scanned at a low resolution for quick uploading so the actual picture is better than the scanned image. .
Published In Paris. It Was Founded By Edouard Charton; The First Issue Was Published On March 4Th 1843. Size Of Each Page Is Approx 15 X 11 Inches (380X280) All Are Genuine Prints And Not Reproductions. Please Check Image Carefully For The Condition Of These Prints.
FROM SKETCHES, WOULD MAKE AN IDEAL GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY. The actual date is printed on each page.This engraving is over 120 years old. And is not a modern copy . THESE IMAGES ARE scanned at low resolution for quick uploading and are much better than the scanned image. . Size of print is approx 14" x 9.1/2" if it is shown as whole page, or prorata. . Approx. Page size = 16" high x 11" wide . Ready to matt and frame. These old Prints really look great with Matt and Framed. . Note this print is from a periodical and has printing on reverse. .
A review by stevethesleeve on Brussels (Belgium) April 7th, 2004
Author's product rating:
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Advantages:
Close, friendly and not too expensive .
Disadvantages:
Not far enough south to guarantee good weather . . . and it's not THAT cheap .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Coming, as I occasionally do, from London, I have to confess to having had in the past a somewhat prejudiced view of Brussels.
This view, based mostly on the eponymous vegetable and a few news report backdrops, was never going to be accurate. I’m grown-up enough to admit that in my heart of hearts I knew this to be the case, but did nothing to address the problem, even when I discovered that I was scheduled to visit the Belgian capital in the course of what I laughingly call my ‘work’.
I did no homework prior to visiting Brussels, other than to briefly scan a few reviews here on Ciao. Naturally, my eye was drawn to the writings of my good friend and compatriot Proxam, who knows a thing or two about beer and the places that sell it. He is quite glowing in his praise of the place…and its beers and bars of course, which was good enough for me. I printed off his review (well…the bar recommendations bit anyway) and headed off to Heathrow lickety-split!
The airport at which I landed (having flown with BA, curse their socks) was small, quiet and fuss-free; a definite contrast to Terminal 4 LHR, I can tell you! I felt immediately at home due to the airport code of BRU, which anyone can tell you makes up 50% of the name of a fine Scottish soft drink. (Despite the first line of this review, which might tend to mislead, I am pretty damned Scottish – and don’t you forget it…OK? Pal?)
So…out of the terminal and into a queue for taxis…then out of the queue for taxis and into the airport Sheraton, the entrance for which is just across the drop-off strip. Not that I had any intention of staying there, but I had a notion that a word with the doorman or the concierge might well score me a cab quicker that waiting while the entire population of Europe (including the new member states, before you ask) lined up in front of me to file into the 6 taxis that operate in the airport when it gets busy.
Pardon me while I exaggerate a lot.
So, into the back of Jacque’s Pew-Joe, and off to my hotel, via numerous tunnels and downtown sort of things.
The airport lies to the east of the city, and I was staying to the south of the centre of town. The trip took about 25 minutes, and cost €30, which I later found out was pretty cheap, as the hotel reckoned the cost would be closer to €37…and I beat the queue too! Hurrah for enterprise and Scottish ingenuity I say, and so does Jacque, or at least he did after I gave him a fat tip.
I mentioned that I was staying to the south of the centre (Sheraton Four Points at Avenue Louise for them as is interested in such things…more later maybe), but it was only after depositing my bags in my room and setting off on a voyage of discovery that I found out that the people who had booked the hotel had done me no favours, at least not in terms of the ‘work’ I was supposed to do while in town. Louise is a lovely spot, with many fine shops, bars, restaurants etc. but it sure is a bloody long way from the Expo Centre at Heisel.
I took a tram, that first day, which helpfully had Heisel on the front (#81 for the tram-spotters amongst you), changed once when the tram decided it had had enough and buggered off home and eventually got to the Expo Centre about 50 minutes after starting out. Now I know that in London or any major British city you’d reckon to be quite fortunate to make it to the next stop in 50 minutes, never mind all the way across town, but I was a bit taken aback. After all, the Brussels Sprout was invented by Belgians as the regular cabbage was considered too big to carry around. They like things little fer gawd’s sake. How could one journey across bijou little Brussels take so long?
Anyhoo…I found Expo, which is conveniently located in the shade of the wonderful Heisel Stadium, with the Atomium (that amazing depiction of the an atom that crops up in many shots of Brussels) looming large(ish), Brupark‘s entrance right on the doorstep (fancy! A whole park devoted to a soft drink – never let it be said I don’t milk a crap joke for all it’s worth) Artpark, and the Design Centre all clustered in a friendly fashion nearby. I met up with my colleague, decided all was well as far as work was concerned, and decided that as the day was a beautiful spring version of what days are, we would walk back into the city centre.
HA!
We did. We did walk back into the city centre. All the way. It took a while, and as my colleague isn’t a big drinker, we didn’t stop for a beer until we hit Grote Markt (or Grande Place, for the Francophone types among us): the big central square with all the posh buildings that you HAVE to see when in Brussels.
By the time we GOT to Grote Markt, we had passed through a lot of fairly unpromising residential streets, over a canal, passed many small and friendly-looking hostelries, wandered through a lovely but unremarkable park, wandered down a pedestrian street full of VERY nasty chainstores and fast-food outlets, rubbed shoulders with a squillion tourists and both the natives of Brussels in residence that day.
It is a credit to the waiter at the café in which we eventually took refuge that he had the second Leffe Blonde poured before I started to drink the first. Stout fellow!
Refreshed, we took stock of our surroundings.
The large and rather spectacular square, which is the tourist magnet to end all tourist magnets (not counting the Queen wearing a posh frock) is a must-see…and this from someone who eschews tourist sites wherever and whenever possible. The buildings are grand and ornate, the square itself is paved in granite cobbles laid out in intricate patterns. It’s a fantastic sight to see, and I imagine that when the biennial flower carpet thing goes on, it would be all the more amazing.
Shame about all the tourists really…they don’t half get in the way of taking a photograph!
Just off the Grote Markt, down a small and rather gloomy side street, is the famous Mannikin Pis. For the life of me I can’t work out the appeal, but it pulls in the crowds like Jordan offering to strip, with Robbie Williams holding her coat and Real Madrid’s starting line-up doing the backing vocals.
It’s very small, by the way. The whole statue I mean. Small. Bijou. Dinky. Little. Tres Belgique.
Eventually, the sense of wonder brought on by the Grote Markt fell away, to be replaced by my much more normal cynicism and desire for gritty urban scenes and loud music, so off we went, headed in the direction of the Palais de Justice, which we were using as a landmark to lead us back to Avenue Louise and our hotel.
Belgium in general is quite flat, but the Palais de Justice is atop a pretty substantial hill (“I expect it’s designed to make it easier to defend.” “OBJECTION” “Your Honour, I really must…”etc) However, if you approach from the direction we did; roughly from the north I reckon, there’s an elevator with astonishingly slow doors and a built-in accordion playing cliché of a busker to make the last few upwards metres a little easier. Stepping out of the glass elevator onto the metal deck, you’re greeted by a wonderful view of the city, taking in 180°, and including the Atomium. I have to say that at this point, I bloody nearly decked my colleague Matthew for making me walk that distance, as it was the sight of the Atomium’s huge spheres mere specks on the horizon that made me realise how sore my feet were.
So…only a few scant steps to the Metro stop at Louise, and about 2km from there to the hotel, which thankfully has a decent bar, well stocked with good things like Westmalle, Duvel and the absurdly named but fairly tasty Kwak (which comes in a glass that doesn’t stand up on its own, so needs a wooden…thing…to hold it).
OK, that’s the whingeing, and the ‘normal’ tourist stuff done with. Back to what travel is really about.
Food and Drink.
I’m going to restrict myself to the little area south of Louise Metro station, because A) It’s really quite pleasant. B) It has a wealth of eateries and nice little bars and C) it’s where I spent most evenings, being too knackered to venture much further after a hard day and a tedious Metro journey.
Sooooo, my little munchkins. Find yourself a map of the city, place yourself at the Louise Metro station and walk south with me along Avenue Louise. Now tell me honestly…can you work out why on earth all those people are sitting outside Haagen Daas eating and drinking, breathing in noxious traffic fumes and clustered together so closely they have to take turns eating their ice-cream? Beats me…they just do, every time the sun comes out.
Surrounded, as we now are, by a massive retail therapy zone, can I suggest you lock up your credit cards, before they get excited and MAKE you buy that fabby suit…those highly trendy shoes…that bloody HUGE kitchen. We are here not to shop, but to eat ourselves into a coma! Behave yourselves and have your recalcitrant wallets do the same if you will!
On the west side of the Avenue (that’s on your right…no, no, no, your RIGHT! We’re going SOUTH here!) there’s a small street seemingly full of restaurants. It seems so because it IS full of restaurants. Mostly Italian, with a French job thrown in for variety, and even a Belgian café in case you need moules frites right NOW! That’s either Jordanstraat or JeanStasstraat. I get mixed up. I’ve generally had a beer or six by the time I get here.
Let’s carry on up Louise. It becomes a rather fetching dual-carriageway, Park Lane sort of affair around here, with a tree-lined bit of greenery separating the north and southbound traffic…as befits an area where some of the most illustrious of designers show off their wares.
Not too far up here there’s my favourite breakfast halt. It’s a bakers, but with a large restaurant area to the rear, with a huge farmhouse table and several smaller tables, two – count them…TWO Gaggias for the production of very fine coffee, a great selection of croissants, brioches and similar, which get fetchingly served on a flat china board rather than a plate. Any minute now I’ll remember the name, but don’t worry if I fail. You can scarcely miss it, what with the constant trail of people wandering in and out clutching (on the outbound leg) baguettes and loaves ‘artisanal’. Anyway…if I can’t recall the exact name, you could always try Ilse’s which is close by, but not quite so fab. Still good though. AHA! Le Pain Quotidian. I just remembered.
Onwards, ever southwards.
Just as we get to the junction of Louise and Lesbroussartstraat (You’ll have noticed I’m sticking with the Flemish versions of the street names. This is done to annoy you) we come to two fine eateries right across the street from each other. These are: Rouge Tomate and Lucas. Both are popular, and it’s wise to book.
The menu in Rouge Tomate is pretty fishy, and pretty international. Main courses are around €13 - €20 and wine starts at around €20 for a bottle. They have a nice zen garden to the rear.
Lucas has a menu which leans towards the Italian, but not aggressively so. Pasta and veal, along with some fine Argentinian beef, great puddings, and some good inexpensive wines. A good meal will hit you for about €80 for two including a decent bottle of wine.
Now then. At the junction just past Lucas (Baljuvstraat) hang a right and….looky looky, trendy designer shops and art dealers and antiques and...and..oh RAFTS of things!
Stroll on down, and you’ll find The Bank. A bar which used to be…a BANK! How original…not. Still, despite being an Irish bar, it isn’t full of people watching sport, and nor is it too crowded, except on Saturday nights when they have live music. And they have good beer too, even Kreik on draught.
When you get to the church, turn left (Sorry, did I leave you in The Bank? Apologies. Glad you caught up) and you are in a wonderland of great little eateries. Take a stroll round and make your choice. My favourites were La Quincaillerie on Rue du Page, (which is Belgian/French cuisine. Mussels, steaks, fresh fish…and horse, should the fancy take you) and a Lebanese restaurant called Chatelaine du Liban on Place du Chatelaine. Excellent grilled meats, fantastic range of hot and cold appetisers. We washed down our brilliant meal with a bottles…OK…two bottles of Lebanese red wine at around €24 per bottle, and the whole bill for two of us was in the region of €95…for which we had stuffed ourselves stupid.
There are literally hundreds of fine restaurants in Brussels, and no doubt many more crap ones.
There are many hundreds of fine bars in Brussels, and again, doubtless, many more you’d only visit once on a bet.
I only sampled a few of each, and only had time for the briefest of explorations (hey…don’t forget I was ‘working’ every day!) but I found the standard to be very high, and while on the whole not cheap, at least not a rip-off either.
I mentioned the hotel: Sheraton Four Points on Rue Paul Spaak. The Four Points are Sheraton’s budget hotels, and some are less than great (I’m thinking of a nasty night in Revere, Massachusetts in particular) but this was fine. Good size modern rooms with very comfortable beds, good bathrooms, coffee machines in every bedroom, minibars, TVs with a good range of channels, pleasant staff, and a Swiss restaurant called La Vacherie in which I never ate, but which smelled good. It also has a life size cow in reception, painted with a variety of cartoons. Class! A word of warning though: breakfast, which is a buffet of hot and cold stuff, with the option of eggs done to order, was a cool €18.50. Much better to go to Le Pain Quotidian.
One week’s worth of evenings wasn’t enough time to really explore, but it was enough to ensure my undying affection for Brussels. It’s close, it’s fairly cheap, everyone speaks 3 languages and where the hell else will you find queues of people waiting to photograph a statue of a wee laddie widdling?
Advantages: Cosmopolitan with plenty to see and do Disadvantages: Ridiculous hotel prices midweek
Some say that Brussels is not the most exciting city in the world, in fact many would say it was downright boring. I say....NON! NON! NON!. While it may not quite compare with say, Paris, New York or Rio, it has a lot going for it. To try and cover all of the sights and attractions of Brussels in one review is impossible. Therefore, I have concentrated on my favourite places in this diverse European capital. ----------------- A Short History ----------------- ... ...Brussels is from the year 977, when the German emperor Otto 2nd gave Low-Lorraine to Carl of France, who built a fortress there. In the middle of the 11th century the first city walls were built. The city thrived although it was controlled by Burgundy, then the Hapsburgian Empire. In 1695 Brussels was attacked by the French king Louis XIV. The result was disastrous: more than 4000 houses and the Grand Place were completely destroyed. The last foreign ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: It's close, it's charms are well known Disadvantages: It's confusing
...Belgium. We had been to Brussels before (a short pre-Christmas trip about five years ago) so heeding the advice of that CIAO sage Proxam we decided to see some more of the country than just the capital. We were also quite curious to experience for ourselves the suggested “Unity of Europe” there at the heart of the Community. Maybe we would be able to divine something of the truth behind all the current political and economical manoeuvrings. After ... ...of navigable rivers and canals. Brussels is also home to N.A.T.O. The countryside is largely flat. The main centres of population (and the areas of most interest to the first time visitor) are Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. We arrived by air and stayed in a recently renovated hotel on the Avenue Louise. This is a resume of our activities. I make no apology for the length of this review. BRUSSELS.
The capital of Belgium (and home to its monarchy) ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Beautiful and atmospheric. Disadvantages: Very busy.
Brussels has to be the most beautiful city I have ever visited. The aspect of Brussels that impressed me the most is that it has been so well looked after. There aren’t any horrible high-rise concrete buildings or tacky fast food restaurants. Everything is in keeping with the Baroque style of most of the buildings. I can’t help but think that if it were in England the atmosphere would be lost to excessive commercialisation as some areas ... ...are stunning. The town hall, Brussels museum, chocolate museum and various restaurants and bars are situated here. I enjoyed sitting outside the bars, listening to the Classical music that is played here every day and relaxing with a drink. The Grand Place is also beautiful at night, the buildings are lit up with different coloured lights. People are still milling around and the bars and restaurants are still open until about 1am. The Manneken Pis, ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: easy to get to Disadvantages: therefore full of Brits
First I'm not going to give you a rundown of all the sights, nor a geography lesson. There's stacks of guides that can do that, and some other excellent Reviews on CIAO
What I hope to do is leave you with a taste of the place, so you can decide if its for you
Over many years of european travel, I have given Bruxelles a wide berth. Firstly beause when I have passed through it seems dirty, dull and too often raining. Its like France Lite, and there ... ...also remember a family camping holiday when we drove through Charlroi, which isn't far away, and I recall heavy industry and greyness everywhere (PS some airlines go to Bruxelles/Charlroi and you'll face a long hike in a bus)
Once I dipped my toe in and whilst waiting for a connecting train, took the short hop to Bruxelles Central (which makes Birmingham New Street look like an architectural gem) and walked down to the Grand Place. Euro souvenier ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: easy to get to, the Grand Place Disadvantages: Mannakin Pis is dissapointing, takcy tourist shops
...for a mini break to Brussels the capital of Belgium. I did this in June 2003 and I had a great time. I flew with Ryanair from John Lennon airport in Liverpool to Charleroi airport in Brussels. Or so I thought it was in Brussels. It was near enough an hour from the airport to Midi railway station. The connecting bus is a rip off at 10 euros. Since there were four of us on the way there we took a taxi that cost us 35 euros. The airfare was really cheap. ... ...Due to the European Parliament Brussels has cheap hotels at the weekend instead of during mid week. We were staying midweek so even the most basic travel lodge was not an option. Instead we plumped for a youth hostel. The hostel Generation Europe was easy to get to from the city centre as it was only ten minutes if that on the metro line. We paid 20 euros for the hostel but had to pay 2.5 euros for a welcome stamp as we were not youth hostel members ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Low cost and decent service Disadvantages: Do not flyout of Belfast
...various destinations in both the United Kingdom and Europe. I thought ld give you sample – full listings can be found on the website.
Manchester Airport to Nimes, France
Oslo, Norway
Paris, France
Pescara, Italy
Birmingham Airport to Brussels, Belgium
Dublin, Ireland
Gothenburg, Sweden
Luton, UK
Perpignan, France
St. Etienne, France
Venice, Italy
RYAN AIR & BIG BROTHER
As we all know everyone’s favourite housemate Brian Dowling, is an air steward for Ryan Air. In Stanstead an aircraft has been painted wishing him luck for his stay in the big brother house. Also Ryan Air are donating cash to the NSPCC for the length of time Brian stays in the house – just as well its day 64 today otherwise he might well bankrupt them!! (BTW VOTE BRIAN TO WIN...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Comfortable, nice friendly staff, fairly quick. Disadvantages: Not alot of legroom.
...I boarded the EuroStar to Brussels, Belgium from Waterloo International Station, London. I found the service very helpful and friendly and I thought that the multi-lingual staff had been very well trained to deal with customers and travellers.
I travelled with a group of 20 students and the service was very good to us, but the prices of the food-cart on the train left ALOT to be desired and not alot of change even though the staff attending were very friendly and easy to communicate with.
The toilet facilities were basic, and very cramped, but served their purpose.
Although the chairs were fairly close together, the fact tha not all rides are fully-booked meant that we could change seats and even spread ourselves out so we could sleep.
The staff had no problem with this which was good to see!
The security was extremely tight...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
...Earlier this year, I rented a car when I was on a one-day trip in Brussels, Belgium. Previously, I always used public transport or taxi when I was visiting a foreign city. So this was the very first time in my life to rent a car, and I'd like to share my experience form that with you.
Why did I want to rent a car at all? Well, when I booked my flight ticket to Brussels, there was an ad on the Internet offering 'fly and drive smart', and as I always wanted to try driving one of those Smart cars, I decided to rent a car in Brussels.
Soon after, I found out that this special offer was no longer valid on the day when I intended to visit Brussels, but I was already familiar with the idea, I wanted to rent a car, even if this was not the Smart.
I searched the web for interesting offers. I visited the web sites of Avis, Hertz, Budget...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
25.06.2006
25.02.2001
