I love the way I can post a Review and seconds later I get funny, thoughtful and interesting comment...
I love the way I can post a Review and seconds later I get funny, thoughtful and interesting comments from fellow CIAO-ers!!!!
Member since:16.09.2003
Reviews:60
Members who trust:27
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 are more appealling places to go on to
I 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 shops, waffle shops, frite and mayo shops, litter and at last the Grand Place. That's it, I thought, ticked the box, I've done Bruxelles.
In fact there is a lot more to the city, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this
Posssibly the most interesting thing is that it's actually quite edgy. It's been said that Belgium was created by the Brits to annoy the French, which is a good start. The French apparantly look down on the Belgians. You've got in-fighting between the 'french' 'dutch' and 'german' camps which is quite amazing. Each wants partition from each other. Officially anything written should be in French AND Flemish but this is widely ignored. In the Flemish speaking area it is better to speak English than make the ultimate faux pax (no irony intended) of speaking French
Then there are sinister undercurrents in society , a lot of sex scandals and very open red light Districts in all the major cities (Gare de Nord if you want to look)
Lack of taste in things like urban planning and modern architecture is sometimes staggering. Their dress sense rivals the English, as does fast food (frites and mayo everywhere, and waffles with the most disgusting toppings)
The height of bad taste is the Mannequin Pis (I don't have to tell you what this is do I?) and to cap it off an enterprising Restauranteur has installed a female version nearby. Both have extensive collections of outfits, so what they are wearing regularly changes
Then of course they have the European Parliament and Commission, and almost mock the EU with the tacky euro souvenier shops
So why would I want to recommend Bruxelles?
- its quick and cheap to get to. from London on Eurostar takes less time than to get to Newcastle, and it is being speeded up all the time. Plenty of cheap flights if you don't happen to live in SE England
- hotels are cheap at weekends and July/August when the eurocrats are out of town, but can be hideously expensive other times. It is quite possible to get a 4star hotel for £35 but I'm not telling you which one!!
- despite popular gastonomy being frites and mayo, there is some excellent food. If you like Mussels like me you can find them cooked 1000s of different ways. There is a lane which you will find easily if you follow the crowds from Grand Place which I like to call Mussel Alley. There are possibly hundreds of places where you can eat. Although this is very much geared towards tourists and you need to watch the price of extras like cover charge, bread, water etc. Best to go for an all-in price
- its a good location from which to travel around Belgium. Train services are frequent, punctual and reasonably priced. A Weekend ticket gives you 50% off. In less than an hour you can get to Brugge or Leuven. It dosent take long to get to Oostende which has great seafood and there are beaches
- BEER!! Belgium has many, many independent breweries, although surprisingly there is only one left in Bruxelles, near Gare De Midi, open for tours, quite a modest affair. Drinking in the Grand Place requires a mortgage but just off here prices are very reasonable and strengths are greater than in the UK .My tipple is Duvel (devil) which is fiendishly strong
- a lot of wierd sights. There is the Lift Museum. Not to be missed is the Atomium, a huge building looking like an Atom, built in 1956, at Heysel. I dismissed this for many years but took the plunge and its fascinating, you get a lift with a window in the roof up the middle shaft to a viewing area. You then walk down through each of the balls where there are displays. A carbon copy of the Arc De Triumphe, which you can go up and there are staggering views. There is the comic strip museum - Tintin is of course a Belgian creation
- there are a lot of Art Noveau buildings if you get a guide and are prepared to look around. the Sablon area of the city has a lot of nice buildings and arty ('antiques') shops
Public transport can be confusing, but the sights are widely scattered unless you confine yourself to the Grand Place. There is a tram system and a metro, and something in between called pre-Metro. There are only two metro lines proper, the pre-metro is full-scale stations with trams operating the services. It is wise to get a good map, you can get them free if you can staff at ticket offices to admit they exist.
Buses are for advanced users.
There are some suburban rail services.
Either get a day pass or multi journey ticket from a machine or most ticket offices speak English. A single ticket is called a Jump. All ticekts are valid on buses, metro, trams and trains
Hope you enjoy it if you decide to go. I am available as a Guide!!!
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