Having lived for 2 years in Belgium I thought I must write a review on this place. I adore Brussels and Belgium in general, and now regard it as my home away from home.
I first went to Belgium on a school holiday with the History and Geography sector, but I didn't think too much of it back then in 1994. But how things change! I was offered a job in Belgium, just outside Brussels in August 2000 to work as a nanny in a French family, and have loved the place ever since. I visit Brussels as often as I can as I still have very close friends living there, it's great to have somewhere to stay when visiting. Very practical indeed! I have just spent the past 4 months living back in Belgium, and I still love it there as much as I ever did.
Belgium is a very multi-cultured place to visit, with people visiting constantly from all over the World. All kinds of people from businessmen, musicians, childcarers, just like me, you find them all, It is also a popular place for stag nights, apparently, so I'm told!
There are many places you can visit whilst in Belgium:-Antwerp, Liege,
Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, Ooestende, and even the Belgian seaside of Knokke. Although I lived near to Brussels, and obviously know Brussels extremely well, I also had the opportunity to see many places in Belgium, and I was impressed by every place I went to. In my opinion Antwerp has a similar vibe to Brussels with many tourist places to visit and see, whereas Knokke although a seaside town has more of a local people environment, and not so touristic. Bruges on the other hand has a bit of both, an absolutely beautiful town, cobbled streets, serenity, horse and carriages, slightly Olde World but with a tourist feel.
There are many reasons why Brussels is such a popular tourist attraction, a few are:-
SIGHTS-With many sightseeing opportunities around Brussels, it's trouble finding where to start. The most popular places being:-
GRAND PLACE-lovely sight during the daytime, with beautiful illuminations magnifying the beauty of the place. The Grand place boasts a magnitude of beautiful buildings, markets, restaurants and is always hosting some kind of special event eg. the flower carpet plus many more festivals, concerts etc. A beauty of a place to visit at any time of the year.
THE ATOMIUM-a lasting symbol of the 1958 Brussels World Fair, the Atomium represents an iron molecule magnified 200 billion times. The Atomium is a spectacular sight, especially when stood underneath it, with breathtaking views of Belgium. In each of the spheres an exhibition is held, which provides lots of information, making the trip to the Atomium a knowledgeable one.
THE PLACE DES PALAIS (PALACES' SQUARE)-which hosts "Palais des Academies", a former residence of the Prince of Orange. "Royal Palace", the most important building on the square. "Palais des Beaux-Arts"-this building contains exhibition rooms, showrooms, a movie theatre and a concert hall.
MANNEKEN-PIS-a fountain known as "the oldest citizen in the City", the statuette represents a young hero from Brussels folklore. This has got to be the strangest statue I have ever seen, but definitely does give you a giggle and he is always dressed appropriately according to the time of the year eg. Christmas. There is also a female version of this statue JEANEKE-PIS,a little girl version of the Manneken-Pis. But she is so hard to find, and less known, it is mostly locals who have the pleasure to view her.
CHINESE PAVILION-The Pavilion was built between 1901 and 1910. The Pavilion houses a collection of Chinese ceramics manufactured for export to Europe from Shangai. It is an amazing sight,not one you'd expect to see in the middle of Belgium. There are many monuments, sights, cathedrals etc. to see whilst in Brussels, along with a number of things to do eg.Kinepolis, a massive cinema with approx.27 screens ,Mini-Europe-a small Europe, bowling, skating, restaurants, bars and clubs. It's safe to say you will never be bored in Belgium. Along with all of the things you can do in Belgium, all of the tourist and historical sights to see there is so much beauty and greenery and the scenery can be amazing!
PUBS AND RESTAURANTS-There are many pubs and clubs around Belgium, the majority of them being Irish pubs which provide great atmosphere, a multitude of people and a few serve good value for money food, and all provide music and sporting events. There are more restaurants than you can shake a stick at-Belgian cuisine, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Thai, whatever your preference you are bound to find it around here. I have visited many during my stay and the food has been great and inexpensive. The only problem I do have is that in the majority of pubs and restaurants you have to pay to use the toilet, the phrase "spend a penny" has never been more appropriate than when in Belgium. I find it ridiculous to pay to use a toilet but then, it isn't really expensive, more of an inconvenience.PEOPLE-I have met more people whilst in Belgium,than probably ever before.Belgians, French, English, Irish, German, American, Australian, Mauritian and these are just my friends! Being English has been such an advantage for me as everybody in Belgium speaks the Universal language- English. Perfect! The only problem with being an English speaker is people don't give you the opportunity to speak another language eg.French,they prefer to speak English to you, so like me you become lazy amd don't learn the language .Which is a shame! It is a cheap place to visit a place like this, look around and you can find great bargains to come and stay in Belgium, especially on the Internet, but expect to spend alot during your stay. Everything costs much the same as in the UK, but you spend it without realising. Hope you decide to visit this beautiful country sometime.Enjoy your stay and have fun!!!!
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Advantages: Easy to get to, easy to travel around, fantastic food and beers! Disadvantages: The Francophone Belgians can be difficult to get on with...
JVL 12.09.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of General: Belgium
Advantages: Easy to get to, easy to travel around, fantastic food and beers! Disadvantages: The Francophone Belgians can be difficult to get on with...
JVL 12.09.2000 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of General: Belgium
Jan 15th, 2004
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