“Brussels is a gay little city that lies as bright within its girdle of woodland as any butterfly that rests upon moss.”
Anonymous
So, my friends let’s explore the old England buildings, step back time to do explore Grand Palace, enjoying the true essence of an European city, walking through the old town square and many more things we can do at Brussels.
Before exploring such a beautiful place nowadays it is mandatory to have a negative COVID -19 test which is required within 72 hours before departure.
Here the best option is to have a ride on the hop on hop off buses of different routes to explore the city in a vast and vivid way.
So, let’s start from The Grand Palace – It is an important area of Brussels since the city at least the 12th century, but the oldest buildings on the Grand Place is the Town Hall, which is built between 1401 and1455. The Grand Place was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998.
- Brussels city museum- There are also several museums dotted around the Grand Palace. One should explore these museums to know about the turbulent history of Brussels as an capital city of Europe.
- Comic book route – Next, we must explore the streets around the Grand Palace. In our childhood we all were fascinated to certain comic characters like TinTin, Captain Haddock and many more. If you want to go down your memory lane, then you must walk through the Comic Book Route which takes you around the central districts of Brussels and celebrate Brussels’s connection with the comics. On the route you can see 50 large murals inspired by comic books featuring characters of TinTin and The Smurf’s. My friends it’s a must must do activity while exploring Brussels.
- Manneken Pis ( And Friends) – So, my friends next we reach to the Manneken Pis which is a 400 year old small statue of a little boy urinating. To make it even odder, when you visit Brussels, you will be surprised to see that this statue wearing certain kind of costume. He has an evadible wardrobe of over 1000 costumes ranging from a Spanish dancer, to a football referee, to a full Elvis outfit. Moreover it’s a very unique experience to be at Brussels.
- Mint Des Arts, Palace Royale And The Royale Palace – Like other European big cities Brussels is also enriched with traditional historical architectural beauty, which you find while exploring certain museums, especially world class museums like the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium ,the Magritte Museum, the BELvue Museum, which celebrates the history of Belgium and sits on top of a ruined palace , and the very popular Musical Instruments Museum , which is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau building.
So, my friends if you collect The Visit Brussels Card which includes entry to almost every museum in the city and it’s very cost effective.
- Galleries Royals Saint Hubert And Rue Des Bouchers – So , my friends next you may have some food and have to relax for certain times , one thing you must be sure that if you want to explore any of the European city you must walk on foot. So ,here in this place which is a beautiful shopping arcade at Brussels you may have some resting or relaxing time of your own by enjoying your favourite food and drink . It’s a little bit clumsy area with loads of restaurants and bars but you may find something really nice of your own choice.
So, next we may explore some of the historic centre along with some of Brussels more modern sights .
- European Quarter – On the second day of your stay at Brussels you may start with visiting the European Parliament and other things to do in the European Quarter.Here you can take self -guided tours of the European Parliament building. One important thing you should keeping in your mind while entering this European Parliament building to have your passport with you which is mandatory.
- Parc Du Cinquantenaire – In this place there is a lush green park you may spend sometimes . One thing you may find that at Europe there are truly greenish natural places everywhere which are of course soothing to eyes . So , in this place which was created in 1880 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence and it’s a popular place for relaxing on sunny days.
So , my friends next we will take the Metro to Heysel to visit Brussels’ quirkiest attraction, the Atomium. You can visit this amazing structure by Metro or by taking hop on hop off route.
- Atomium – The Atomium is made up of nine , shiny stainless steel spheres, connected by 3 meter wide tube. It’s space-age is actually the same as a single iron crystal , magnified 165 billion times. It’s a must do at Brussels.
- Mini Europe- Next we explore capital of Europe-Mini Europe. This unique tourist attraction is , as the name suggests , a mini version of all the most famous sights in Europe. If you never seen the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa , then you can see these world famous architectural monuments at a scale of 1.25. Even you can see Denmark’s Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Greece’s Acropolis in Athens , Portugal’s Belem Tower in Lisbon and even Mount Vesuvius in Italy .
- Royale Greenhouses of Laeken – If you are visiting Brussels in spring , you may be able to take a look at at this place which are open for only three weeks in April and May . It’s a beautiful green which soothes your eyes and it’s only twenty minutes walking from Atomium.
- So my friends, by now you have seen a lot of historical and cultural sights in Brussels, so there is the things you might be looking to do to relax .Brewing beer has a long history in Belgium and the Brussels area , so it’s only right to understand a little better by taking a brewery tour or tasting some kinds of beer at a brewery tap bar.
One thing I must include here before conclusion of this explorations to the most historical yet contemporary Brussels. As we all know that Belgian chocolates are world famous regarding it’s colour, texture, high cocoa content making its unique in comparison to other types of chocolates , so my friends, let’s have a quick bite to the history and making of these divine cuisine.
In the early 19th century Belgians found the secret to making silky smooth , flavoured chocolate and has been a leader in creating divine chocolate delicacies which is incomparable to the other chocolates of the world.
- Access to the best cocoa beans -Belgium’s complicated relationships with the Congo in the past gave it access to the African’s cocoa plantations. However, they brought the cocoa beans back to Europe and began experimenting and time to time developing their skills which bring out the best in cocoa , in fact much of what the Swiss know about chocolate came from Belgians too.
- Unique process – In 1912 , Jean Neuhaus created the first – ever ‘praline which is a cold chocolate shell that could be filled with flavoured nougats and creams. This is how the Belgians began filling their pralines with flavours such as hazelnut, coffee , fruits and others . At that time no one even thought that chocolates could offer such versatility.
- It’s part of their culture- By this unique processing by finely grounded cocoa beans to thin and extremely smooth chocolate, the love and appreciation for chocolates become embedded in Belgium culture. The same way Italians are known for their olive oil , the French for their wine , the Belgians became famous for their chocolates.To this day , Belgian chocolate is hand made which is why it is also much more expensive than other chocolates.
- Each piece of chocolate is developed with immense care , using a mix of ingredients of the greatest quality, making Belgium chocolate one of the most desire desserts in the world.
So, my friends, travelling is not only just booking flight tickets or rooms or having certain conducted tours , rather it’s an exploration of that place , amalgamations with the civilisation, cultural heritage, people, cuisines and many more things of that beautiful place where we want to be with. Always keep travelling as a concept in your mind .😊
