Experience the best of Brussels, Belgium. Photo / Getty Images
Experience the best of Brussels, Belgium. Photo / Getty Images
Belgium has a nasty reputation for being boring. In reality, boredom in Brussels simply isn’t possible - you’re probably just exploring it wrong, writes Richard Holmes.
“But… why?”
That was the question most people asked when I shared that I was heading to Belgium. No, my week in Europe wouldn’t be spent wandering through Paris or exploring the charming Tuscan squares of Siena. For me, it was the bright lights of Brussels that awaited. I would, they said, be joining the bankers and technocrats in Europe’s most boring capital city.
Well, that’s the cliche, at least.
Instead, what I found was a lively capital filled with history and charm; its ancient centre small enough to explore on foot, yet diverse enough to keep me busy for days. It’s a city brimming with eye-catching architecture, with a thriving culinary scene and a vibrant cultural landscape ranging from street art to the 20th century’s most feted artists. There are grand squares and quiet neighbourhoods, public parks and tourist-friendly boulevards. In short, a little something for everyone.
Beyond government buildings, Brussels serves history, art, food, and a lively café scene. Photo / Richard Holmes
Like most visitors, my first stop was the Grand-Place, the cobbled square that’s been the heart of the city for more than five centuries. Most of the buildings date back around 300 years, rebuilt after the French bombed the square in 1695. Today it’s an eclectic mix of architectural styles, from ornate Baroque to imposing Gothic, with most built to house the powerful guilds that dominated trade in the region.
Brussels has long played a pivotal role on the continent. While London and Frankfurt may today dominate the financial world, it’s Brussels that plays host to European political power.
On my bus ride in from the airport, the sweeping roofs of Bourget play host to the vast headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). At Schubert, home to the European Commission buildings, the street art makes no bones about their allegiances: “The Future Is Europe”. A short walk from here is the European Parliament, with free guided tours on offer for those wanting to see the levers of power at work.
Brussels has a long association with graphic art, and the PARCOURS project has created dozens of murals throughout the city. Photo / Richard Holmes
But I had more important things on my agenda. Frites.
Belgium is famous for its fried chips, but only a handful still cook them the traditional way: hand-cut potatoes – usually the Bintje variety – twice-fried in beef fat. The Friterie du Café Georgette in the heart of the old town is one, and quite convenient, but it’s worth the walk out to Place Jourdan, where the family-owned Maison Antoine has been cooking up frites since 1948. The traditional wooden cabin has been replaced with a more modern take-away, but the hearty paper cones – a mere €3.70/ NZ$6.70 – remain the same. I took mine, topped with the Tartare Maison, to enjoy in the shade of Parc Leopold just a minute’s walk away.
Tintin mural in Brussels, Belgium. Photo / Johan Mouchet; Unsplash
On a summer’s afternoon the streets around Place Jourdan were buzzing, with tables spilling out of stylish coffee shops, banh mi joints and Belgian brasseries. It’s a café scene that wouldn’t look out of place in Paris. Only here, there’s less dog mess fouling the pavements.
In a city so full of places to eat and drink, it’s hard to know where to start.
Enter, stage left, Daniel; a successful actor (“Perhaps better not to use my last name,” he asked) who moonlights as a tour guide with Hungry Mary Food Tours.
“Brussels is not as monumental as Rome or Paris, it’s more about the small gems,” he said, as we set off for an afternoon filled with beer, chocolate and city history. “And there’s a vibe to Brussels that is really quite special.”
The Hungry Mary walking tour is regularly rated as one of the best in the city, and it’s not hard to see why, with the city’s history and evolution woven into a dozen stops for a taste of the city’s famous chocolate and beer. From the terroir-driven creations of celebrity chocolatier Pierre Marcolini to the hand-crafted fare of Elisabeth, it’s a worthy introduction to the city’s true chocolate artisans, amid dozens of shops hawking bad bars for tourists.
The traditional Belgian fries are hand-cut and twice-fried in beef fat, using usually the Bintje variety of potatoes. Photo / Richard Holmes
But it’s really the Belgian beer that draws most visitors to this guided walking tour. And in a country known for its array of brewing styles, it pays to have a knowledgeable guide alongside you at the bar.
The beer village of Delirium is always a safe bet, but at Toone (est. 1830) we delve into the famously sour and cidery notes of Lambic beers, brewed in and around Brussels with wild yeasts endemic to the region. On the side of the Grand-Place we tap into the city’s more contemporary craft beer scene, while at Aux Vieux Bon Temps – the oldest bar in the city, open since 1695 – it’s a deep dive into what makes a true Trappist beer. I leave, somewhat unsteadily, with a list of restaurants and bars to discover.
Maison Dandoy has been a household name for the classic Belgian biscuit, Speculoos, for over 200 years. Photo / Richard Holmes
I wander back through the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, soaring shopping arcades of glass and marble which have long hosted some of the city’s finest boutiques and brands. On one side the city’s oldest lace shop, opened in 1810; across the arcade, the 30,000 euro handbags of Delvaux. But at least stop for a cafe and speculoos at Maison Dandoy; for 200 years a household name for this classic Belgian biscuit.
By now it was late, and jetlag was kicking in, but happily I wasn’t far from my bed. To make the most out of Brussels, it really does pay to stay in the centre, putting the cobbled lanes and squares within easy reach. The Radisson Collection Grand Place fitted the bill perfectly for my stay, and by cashing in some points I could take the edge off the euro exchange rate.
The Belgian beer scene is diverse, from the sour Lambic beers, local to Brussels, to the true Trappist beer. Photo / Richard Holmes
Although it’s a global brand, the rooms and public spaces here offer plenty of character and charm, thanks to a recent revamp by renowned Spanish architect Rafael de la Hoz. It’s especially popular with Asian travellers, and the ground-floor Shanghai Kitchen was routinely full of guests, unusual for a hotel kitchen, while the ground-floor bar proved a convivial gathering place come evening.
But for something less formal, and more global, the Wolf Sharing Food Kitchen across the street offers a modern food-hall concept, with a dozen kitchens dishing up everything from Korean Fried Chicken to traditional Belgian fare. It’s a lively, buzzing space that draws a young local crowd.
The following day I’m up early for a run through the gorgeous Parc de Laeken – home to the iconic Atomium installation, built for 1958 Brussels World’s Fair – and a wander in search of the city’s remarkable street art murals.
This is the city of Herge (creator of Tintin) and Maurice De Bevere (Lucky Luke) after all, and Brussels has a long association with graphic art. Today the city’s comic history is writ large on the walls of the city, adding a sense of contemporary multiculturalism to the capital.
Working with local and international artists, the PARCOURS project has created dozens of striking murals across the city, easily navigable through a user-friendly map and suggested routes exploring specific themes. Taking inspiration from pop culture – Hello, Mandalorian – and the city’s connection with comic art, the murals are a wonderful way to discover lesser-known corners of the capital.
Brussels is highlighted as the city of Hergé, the creator of the famous comic series "Tintin." Photo / Richard Holmes
To delve a little deeper into the roots of graphic art I stop at the Belgian Comic Strip Center, which explores everything from early monastic illustrations of religious texts to Hogarth’s political satire of 17th-century London. The museum digs into those archetypes and stories, with a range of exhibits exploring the techniques and methods of Belgian graphic artists such as Peyo, the man most famous as the creator of the Smurfs. The museum shop is good, but the English language selection is small. If you’re looking to grow your collection, rather head for the excellent Moule à gaufres comic book store set right alongside the city’s famous Tintin mural.
For art in the more traditional sense, I head the next day to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts. It may not have the size of the Louvre, or the elegance of the Musee d’Orsay, but Brussels’ finest art museum is home to a remarkable collection of Old Masters ranging from Bosch to Bruegel and Rubens. Also look out for the gallery dedicated to Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte, with an impressive collection of his works here tracing Magritte’s evolution as an artist.
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts is Brussels' finest art museum, housing a collection of Old Masters like Bosch, Bruegel, and Rubens. Photo / Richard Holmes
I’m out just before closing time, and my thoughts turn to dinner. The previous evening I’d enjoyed the traditional Belgian fare at Chez Leon, a staple of the city since Leon Vanlancker first opened the doors in 1893. Today it’s as reliable as they get for traditional pots of moules or lapin a la kriek; rabbit cooked in cherry beer. Daniel had recommended Restaurant Vincent for the Flemish stew of beef cheeks in red wine, but it leans towards the expensive.
Instead, I found the perfect plate at In’t Spinnekopke, a thoroughly local estaminet – a bar and restaurant – on Place du Jardin aux Fleurs. For nearly 300 years there’s been a restaurant and inn here, and the wooden benches and low ceilings have plenty of tales to tell. The menu is of Belgian dishes served in an elevated brasserie style, from shrimp croquettes to Brussels Bloempanch, a black pudding with caramelized apple. It’s all washed down with an impressive collection of Belgian beers.
With my plate of stoemp – potatoes and sausage – licked clean, and the last of my Trappist ale drained, I wander back in the late gloaming of a summer evening. I’m glad I didn’t opt for Paris or London, where the prices are high and the pavements always packed. Instead, I’ve discovered a quiet corner of the continent, a capital with a charm all its own.
Getting there is easier than ever
Singapore Airlines have just announced a non-stop service between Singapore and Brussels from April 5 next year, returning to the city after more than 20 years. With four weekly flights, there’s never been a better time to put Belgium on your bucket list.
