Place yourself in the wonderful Grand Place, the spiritual heart of Brussels, and you’ll feel history hemming you in on all sides. Side roads lead off to adventure, warrens of streets opening up the city to intrepid explorers. Hearty food, wonderful chocolate and, in a part of the city that feels like somewhere else entirely, the EU – you’ve truly arrived in a wonderful place.
History in the making
Brussels has a rich history that can be seen on the corner of every street you travel down. Visit Brussels Old Town and you’ll be wowed by every inch of the dramatic Grand Place. Here you’re surrounded by beautiful guild houses with baroque flourishes that capture the spirit of the late 17th century, when most were built. However, the city hall here is even older, a spired 15th century confection. Grab a coffee and soak in the atmosphere of this iconic location which is especially electric when lit at night and during Christmas.
You also can’t visit Brussels without taking a look inside Saint-Michel Cathedral, built over a 300-year period. It stands proudly in the city and the attention to detail of the exterior is staggering. However, the outside can only be upstaged by the interior which includes towering stain glass windows and furniture that speaks of the wealth of the era. You’ll have to book ahead and pay to climb the cathedral’s vertiginous towers.
An art lover’s paradise
Art lovers are spoilt for choice when visiting Brussels, with a huge range of options to suit most tastes. The Belgian Comic Strip Centre tells the history of comic books and cartoon strips and displays a phenomenal selection of original sketches, strips and manuscripts. Elsewhere in the city, the Musee Magritte covers cubism through to the famous bowler hats, and the MIM is the Musical Instruments Museum, home to thousands of rare and unusual pieces.
For classic art, travel to the city of Ghent, just one hour away on the E40. Ghent is home to one of Belgium’s oldest museums, the Museum of Fine Arts. It houses work from both the old masters - think Rubens, Tintoretto, Van Dyck - and modernists including Hieronymus Bosch, and is a vast collection of paintings, statues and tapestries, certainly worth making the trip for.
Bold and beautiful Bruges
Travel roughly 100km on the E40 and you’ll arrive in glorious Bruges, with canals weaving through the city, stunning medieval buildings and cobbled streets that you can wander along for hours.
The Belfort is an obvious highlight. Standing an impressive 83 metres tall, this medieval bell tower houses 47 bells, and if you can make the long journey up the steps to the top the sensational view is one to treasure. Many debate whether the Belfort is actually leaning but you’ll have to decide that one for yourself from whatever vantage point you choose.
Brussels for the belly
Arrive hungry in Brussels – it’s a place with a lot to tempt you. It almost seems like there are temples of worship to chocolate around every corner, while cafes and street food stalls offer you countless waffles, cones of fries with mayonnaise and sausages stuffed into bread.
In restaurants, local specialties are equally filling – the fish stew called waterzooi, moules frites and carbonade flamandes – a hearty beef stew cooked with local beer. Yep, with car hire in Brussels to lead you between the city’s hundreds of restaurants, you’re definitely not leaving hungry.
