Belgium & Luxembourg

Brussels
(Chapter)
Edition 5th Edition, May 2013
Pages 49
Page Range 34-82
PDF

Coverage includes: Sights, Activities, Accommodation, Eating, Drinking &

Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping and Around Brussels.

Useful Links:
Having trouble viewing your file? Head to Lonely Planet Troubleshooting.
Need more assistance? Head to the Help and Support page.
Want to find more chapters? Head back to the Lonely Planet Shop.
Want to hear fellow travellers’ tips and experiences?
Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Community is waiting for you!

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In
return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload
this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site
for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

_
#

Brussels
pop 1,119,000

Why Go?
Around Brussels...............81 The fascinating capital of Belgium and Europe is historic
South of Brussels.............81 yet hip, bureaucratic yet bizarre, self confident yet unshowy
Southwest of Brussels.....81 and multicultural to its roots. These contrasts are multi-
North of Brussels............ 82 layered – Francophone alongside Flemish, and Eurocrats
cheek-by-jowl with immigrants. And all this plays out in a
cityscape that swings from majestic to quirky to rundown
Best Places to Eat and back again. Organic art-nouveau facades face off against
1960s concrete disgraces, and regal 19th-century mansions
»» Henri (p67)
contrast with the brutal glass of the EU’s Gotham City. This
»» L’Ogenblik (p65) whole maelstrom swirls forth from Brussels’ medieval core,
»» Soul Food (p68) where the Grand Place is surely one of the world’s most
»» L’Idiot du Village (p68) beautiful squares.
One constant is the enviable quality of everyday life, with
»» Saint-Boniface (p69)
a café/bar scene that could keep you drunk for years. But
Brussels doesn’t go out of its way to impress. The citizens’
Best Places to humorous, deadpan outlook on life is often just as surreal as
Stay the classic canvases of one-time resident Magritte.
»» Chambres en Ville (p64)
»» Maison Noble (p64) Road Distances (km)
»» Chambres d’Hôtes du
Antwerp 47
Vaudeville (p62)
»» Hôtel Métropole (p62) Liege 90 115

»» Pantone (p64) Bruges 115 113 205

Arlon 187 236 140 283

Ostend 140 138 230 25 300

Brussels

Antwerp

Bruges

Arlon
Liege
 35
History Booming Brussels
According to legend, St-Géry built a chapel Meanwhile, the cloth trade was booming. By
on a swampy Senne (Zenne) River island the 15th century, prosperous markets filled
back in AD 695. The settlement that grew the streets around the Grand Place selling
around it had become known as Bruocsella products for which some are still named:
(from bruoc, marsh, and sella, dwelling) Rue au Beurre (Butter St), Rue des Bouch-
by 979 when Charles, Duke of Lorraine, ers (Butchers’ St) etc. The city’s increasingly
wealthy merchant guilds established their

Brussels 
moved here from Cambrai. He built a fort
on St-Géry island amid flowering irises, headquarters on the Grand Place, where
which have since become the city’s symbol. medieval tournaments and public execu-
By 1100 Bruocsella was a walled settlement tions took place in the shadow of a towering
and capital of the Duchy of Brabant. In Hôtel de Ville.
1229 Brabant’s Duke Henri I published the From 1519 Brussels came to international
first Brussels charter guaranteeing protec- prominence as capital of Charles Quint’s vast
tion for (and expectations of ) the town’s Hapsburg Empire. In 1549 Charles’ future-
citizens. In 1355 the Count of Flanders, then successor, Philip II of Spain, was welcomed
Brabant’s neighbourhood enemy, invaded to the city in an incredibly lavish pageant
and seized Brussels. However, a year later, that today forms the basis of the Ommegang.
Brussels citizens, led by Everard ‘t Ser- But fanatically Catholic Philip was unim-
claes, ejected the Flemish to considerable pressed with the lowlanders’ brewing Prot-
jubilation. ‘t Serclaes went on to become estantism. His Spanish Inquisition resulted
a prominent local leader fighting for ever in thousands of executions, including those
more civic privileges, a stance which finally of anti-Spanish Counts Egmont and Hoorn
saw him assassinated in 1388. This caused a in front of the Maison du Roi.
furore in Brussels, whose townsfolk blamed The City Under Siege
the lord of Gaasbeek and took revenge by In 1695, Louis XIV’s French army under Mar-
burning down his castle. Today, an anach- shal De Villeroy bombarded Brussels for 36
ronistic statue of ‘t Serclaes’ corpse (Grand hours, hoping to divert Dutch attention from
Place 8) is still considered a potent source its attempts to regain Namur (Namur being
of luck.

Brussels In…

One Day
Gape in wonder at the Grand Place, Brussels’ gorgeous central square. Discover that
the Manneken Pis is much smaller than you’d imagined, then stroll through the Galer-
ies St-Hubert en route to finding his ‘squatting sister’, the Jeanneke Pis. Marvel at
the colourful scene that is Rue des Bouchers, then move on for a seafood lunch in
the convivial Ste-Catherine area. Window shop up Rue Antoine Dansaert, exploring
the compact, quirky Fashion District, then grab a drink in Le Cirio or one of the other
fabulous classic cafés around the Bourse. Admire the cityscape as well as the musical
instruments at the majestic Old England Building, nip across the road to the Magritte
Museum, then have a drink in the eccentric La Fleur en Papier Doré, where Magritte
himself used to booze. Have a pita snack in the art-nouveau café Perroquet or head
straight to lively Délirium Café to sample a range of fine Belgian beers, then tune in to
some live jazz at Music Village. Quickly realise that you should have stayed a week.

One Week
Buy a 72-hour BrusselsCard for three intense pre-paid days of brilliant museums. With
the card in hand don’t miss the Musée des Sciences Naturelles, Cinquantenaire »
museums, avant-garde Wiels or your free beer at Chez Léon near the Grand Place.
Once the card has expired discover lambic beers at the Cantillon Brewery or De Lam-
biek, visit the unique Atomium, peruse the comic-strip murals, discover the restau-
rants, cultural complexities and art nouveau houses of Ixelles, bus out to the Waterloo
Battlefield, and meet up with a Brussels Greeter. And all the while, never stop drinking
your way through our list of inspirational cafés. Santé!
 66
6
36
Brussels
Highlights
1 Europe’s most HEYSEL
0̧ A12

beautiful square? Roi Baudoin ¡ # Atomium

66
6666
66
66
# ¡
Ponder the question Heysel #
2

Av St
de
over a few beers on

e roo
Ho p
the gorgeous Grand
Brussels 

ub er
# Houba-

a
Place (p38) ¡
Brugmann LAEKEN
2 Nine balls
arranged like a school 0̧R0
See Heysel & Laeken Map (p60)
# Stuyvenberg
¡

6666
66 66
chemistry set at the
amazing Atomium 1 Notre-Dame
£
# de Laeken
(p59) Jette
1 1 1
1
# 1#
Bockstael ¡ æ1
3 Cafés ancient and
Rue
modern, including an JETTE Ch Mari
inspiring selection of ris t e

66
66
666
6
GANSHOREN Pannenhuis ¡
# ine
art-nouveau classics
0̧ Ave Charles-

ilé
scattered around the R20

ub

ort
uJ
Bourse (p70) Qu Belgica ¡

P
0̧ int #

du
dd
Blv Simonis
N9
4 Old masters and

Blv

Ave
dL ¡ #
surrealists at the BERCHEM- éop
old
STE AGATHE
Ch

Musées Royaux des au KOEKELBERG II See Central Brussels

ss

66
66
666
6
ée Map (p48)
Beaux-Arts (p46),
1 1
de 1 1 Ribaucourt ¡
#
G
1 an 1
with its shiny new d See Lower
Ossegem ¡
# Etangs
Magritte Museum MOLENBEEK ¡
# Town Map
annex Noirs 0
0 0
00
(p40)
5 Join the city’s
Beekkant ¡
# 00 000
Bourse00 0
0
cafés0
0# 3
many jazz fans at 0
Music0
0
00 0 # 5

66 6
6
Gare De Village #1
the Music Village L'Ouest ¡
#
(p75), one of many Grand Place
inove
ée de N
venerable live-music
venues
0̧ N8
Chauss Jacques
ues Brel Brel
¡
#
# Delacroix
¡ Bruxelles Central £
Old England Building #
#
6
Jacq
#
4
6 The wonderful
Old England
0̧ R0
Au
al
m¡
#
e
ss
au ns
ée Musées Royaux
des Beaux-Arts
' 000

66
6 66
6
Building (p46) – Erasmus House d Aumale Ch Mo 000
Museum â
R de
¡
#
0
00
00
0
one of the city’s # # Gare du
£ 0
000
00
pique

many art nouveau St Guidon ¡

# Midi
masterpieces houses
0̧
lym

N6
a mesmerising music ANDERLECHT
Dreve O

museum
me ¡
# Veeweyde

66 6
6
7 Palaeontology rè
e Ca Wiels
comes to life at the ri c # Bizet
¡ â
#
uppens
Ce n See Marolles, Sablon & Ixelles
au

magnificent Musée
Va
Blvd M

#La Roue Map (p52)

s

¡ ¡
#
des Sciences vd elen
an

l
B a
lem

Naturelles (p51) H
Ol
Dr

èv
Wie
ym

8 Extraordinary p e # Ceria
¡
iq ue

6 6
66
riches lurk in the vast FOREST Ave
Ave

1¡
# 1Eddy W
Chu inston
g

Musées Royaux d’Art 1 1

mber

Merckx rc
Ave L Errera hill
1 1

et d’Histoire (p54) 1 1
# Forest-Est
£
Chaussee d'Alse

1 1
â
#
nn

Forest-Sud £
#
Musée
ma

David et Alice
rug

van Buuren
0̧
B

e F ré

6666
6
N6
Ave d
Ave

Uccle-Stalle £
#

0̧
R0
0̧ N261
UCCLE
eg ve
A

iew W
To Beersel (6km); e o lv D
tall Uccle- e nd
a
Nivelles (28km); eS Train line to el
‚

Charleroi (52km) Rd Calevoet £

# Waterloo,Charleroi
 37
To Grimbergen (3km)
‚

rde
–
#

vo
Brussels

Vil
Airport
0̧

de
R0

À 0̧
8

ée
666 us
s
A201 A201

ha
C
w

Brussels 
ek
ro de
eb or
Domaine il l
Royal eW V ilv
d
na
l de

66
66
66
Ca e
Av

0̧
£
#
Schaarbeek
1
A201
1

t
0̧ R0
ch
I II

ae

66
66
old

eH
1 1 1 1 1 1 1

e d
op

1 1 1 1 1 1

ssé
h au
Lé

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

C EVERE
1 1 1 1 1 1

0̧
Ave de la Reine
Ave

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Koningimnen 1 1 1 1 1 1
ain R0
ouv
eL
1 1 1 1 1 1 1

SCHAERBEEK 1 1 1 1 1
ée d
1

uss
Cha
0̧

66666
66 666
66
# Bruxelles-
£ A3
Nord KRAAINEM
Bl
vd
Aug

Meiser £
#
ain
ouv
u st

d eL
ée Kraainem
eR

uss Alma ¡
#
Cha
w ¡
#
0̧ Wezembeeklaan

66666
666
66
Roodebeek
eye

¡
# ¡
# N226
rs

Vandervelde
WEZEMBEEK-
Musées Royaux #Tomberg
¡ OPPEM
d’Art et d’Histoire ¡
# Gribaumont Stockel ¡
#
#
8 ¡
# Josephine-Charlotte
Brussels- # Mérode
¡
WOLUWÉ-ST a

6
666 6
66 66
# Musée des
n
£
Luxembourg # 7
¡
# PIERRE rb
Sciences Naturelles Montgoméry Ave d O
e T ervuren e
See EU Area Map (p56)
V
# Av
# Thieffry
¡ Palais
Stoclet Centre Sportif
Av

Mary Parc de de la Woluwé

e

Woluwé
de

Chocolate
# Petillon
¡
la

Workshop

66 6666
66 66
6
Co

Terv

Ø
#
ur

B
Ave laan
on

lv
uren

IXELLES d
Tr lvd d ine
ne

de # Hankar
¡
io

de

£
#
m
B Pla

Cha
nlaan
la

ph

Etterbeek
Av uss Tervure
w
e

e # Delta
¡ ée n
de
Tervure
e

A Wavr
Chau s

Bu dol e sée de
Chaus
yl ph ¡
#

6666
6666666
Bois de la e Beaulieu ¡
#
sée d

Cambre Demey # Herrmann-

¡
#
æ Debroux Forêt de
r a in
e

Av

Ave des Soignes

Wat

# Watermael
£
e

Souve

Phalènes AUDERGHEM
de
erlo

Ave

L'O

Forêt de
0̧
o

Soignes
rée

du
FR

N5

666
66666666
6
6 66
d
oo

0̧
Blv

# Boondael
£ WATERMAEL-
se

BOITSFORT A4
ve w

ur
lt

Chaus lle
# Royal
æ sée de
la Hu De
w e
Av
0̧
Observatory lpe
St-Job Train line to
Forêt de
Soignes Boitsfort £
# # 0
0
e 1 mile
2 km
R0
£
# ‚ Beersel, Halle
38
scathed. The city underlined a new era of post-
Discounts & war optimism by hosting the 1958 World’s
Freebies Fair in the shadow of one of the era’s most
On the first Wednesday afternoon of each extraordinary constructions, the Atomium.
month, most of Brussels’ major muse- Brussels’ growth was further boosted when
ums are free to enter. At other times the it became the headquarters of NATO and the
cheapest way to see a bunch of top sites EEC (later EU). However, in the city’s drive for
Brussels S

is with the BrusselsCard (www.brussels progress and modernism, much of the capi-
card.be; 24/48/72hr €24/34/40). The card tal’s once-fine architecture was torn down
gets you into 30 major museums and to make way for mediocre concrete office
provides free city transport plus dis- buildings, a form of architectural vandalism
counts for other attractions, some shops that’s now widely known as Brusselization.
 ights

and restaurants. It’s available through the A stint as Cultural Capital of Europe in 2000
tourist offices, STIB agencies and larger finally gave the city the push it needed to
museums. Pre-paying online saves €1. start properly protecting heritage buildings
When picking your dates don’t forget and sprucing up neglected neighbourhoods.
that most museums close Mondays. The Nonetheless, brutal steel-and-glass redevel-
Arsène50 (p79) office at the tourist of- opment has continued apace in the EU and
fice offers heavily discounted tickets for Bruxelles-Midi areas, while plenty of grimy
cultural events. urban areas still await attention.

1 Sights
temporarily occupied by France at this stage). The medieval grandeur of the Grand Place
The damage was truly catastrophic. Around has an immediate wow factor that rarely
4000 houses were destroyed, around a third fails to impress. And further afield are
of the city was reduced to rubble and con- numerous excellent museums. But much
temporary estimates calculated damages at of the fun in Brussels is found simply by
50 million florins (equivalent to some €5 bil- wandering the streets, enjoying the bizarre
lion in today’s terms). The Grand Place was mismatch of architectural styles, spotting
virtually obliterated, though miraculously quirky little details and dropping regularly
the Hôtel de Ville survived relatively intact. into fabulous cafés (bars) en route.
And within five years most of the square’s
Grand Place
guildhalls were rebuilt, making them even
more impressive than they’d been before. Brussels’ magnificent Grand Place is one of
Austrian rule in the 18th century fostered the world’s most unforgettable urban ensem-
urban development, with the construction bles. Oddly hidden, the enclosed cobblestone
of grand squares such as Place Royale and square is only revealed as you enter on foot
completion of the royal palace at Laeken from one of six narrow side alleys: Rue des
(1784). Many of the Upper Town’s architec- Harengs is the best first approach. The focal
tural gems were built during this time and point is the magnificently spired 15th-centu-
in the brief eras of French and Dutch rule ry city hall, but each of the fabulous antique
that followed. In 1830 Brussels proved the guildhalls (mostly 1697–1705) has a charm of
unlikely starting point of the curious 1830 its own. Most are unashamed exhibitionists
‘operatic’ revolt that led Belgium to entirely adorned with fine baroque gables, gilded stat-
unexpected independence. ues and elaborate guild symbols. Alive with
classic cafés, the square takes on different au-
The Congo & Postwar Brussels ras at different times. Try to visit more than
At this stage Brussels was home to around once and don’t miss looking again at night
100,000 people. However, the city grew when the scene is magically (and tastefully)
enormously in both population and stature illuminated. On Monday, Wednesday and Fri-
during the next century, greatly funded by day mornings there’s a flower market and at
Wallonia’s industrial revolution along with various other times the square might host an-
King Léopold II’s plunder of the Congo. ything from Christmas fairs to rock concerts
While millions of Congolese died, Brussels to the extraordinary biennial ‘flower carpet’.
lavished itself with some of Europe’s finest
belle époque and art nouveau buildings. Hôtel de Ville Historic Building

Unlike much of the country, Brussels sur- (City Hall; Map p40; %visitors office 02-279 43 47;
vived both world wars comparatively un- guided tours €5; htours 3pm Wed year round, 10am
 39
& 2pm Sun Apr-Sep) Laboriously built between is an 1873 rebuild and nowadays houses the
1444 and 1480, the splendid, slightly asym- Brussels City Museum (Musée de la Ville de
metric Hôtel de Ville was almost the only Bruxelles; %02-279 43 50; www.museedelavillede
building on the Grand Place to escape the bruxelles.be; adult/concession/BrusselsCard €4/3
1695 French bombardment – ironic con- /free; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun, 8pm Thu; mGare
sidering it was their primary target. The Centrale or Bourse), whose old maps, archi-
creamy stone facade is lavished with Gothic tectural relics and paintings give a histori-

Brussels S ights
gargoyles and reliefs of nobility. Its intricate cal overview of the city. Don’t miss Pieter
tower soars 96m, topped by a gilded statue Breugel the Elder’s 1567 Cortège de Noces
of St-Michel, Brussels’ patron saint. For (Wedding Procession).
45-minute guided tours, turn up at the tour-
ist office 40 minutes before the scheduled South of Grand Place
departure times to buy tickets. Manneken Pis Monument
(Map p40; Cnr Rue de l’Étuve & Rue du Chêne; mGare
Maison du Roi Historic Building Centrale) On Rue Charles Buls, the most una-
(Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles; Map p40; Grand shamedly tourist-oriented shopping street in
Place) This fanciful feast of neogothic arches, Brussels, chocolate and trinket shops lead
verdigris statues and mini-spires is bigger, the camera-toting hoards three blocks to the
darker and nearly 200 years younger than Manneken Pis. This fountain-statue of a lit-
the surrounding guildhouses. Once a medi- tle boy cheerfully taking a leak is comically
eval bread-market, the current masterpiece

houses & guildhalls

The Grand Place’s gorgeous buildings and guildhouses are listed here according to their
street number and traditional name, along with their original guild where appropriate:
1 Maison des Boulangers – Bakers Now the cafe Le Roy d’Espagne. The gilded bronze
bust above the door is bakers’ patron, St-Aubert.
2 La Brouette (The Wheelbarrow) – Grease-makers Notice the faint gold wheelbar-
rows above the door. The statue of St-Gilles was added in 1912.
4 Le Sac (The Bag) – Cabinet-makers Incredibly ornate.
5 La Louve (The She-Wolf) – Archers The golden phoenix rising from the ashes
signifies the rebirth of the Grand Place after the 1695 bombardment.
6 Le Cornet (The Horn) – Boatmen Stern-shaped gable.
7 Le Renard (The Fox) – Haberdashers
8 L’Étoile (The Star) The square’s smallest building, where city hero Everard ‘t Serclaes
died in 1388. A fairly contemporary ‘tradition’ claims you’ll garner good luck by rubbing a 1902
brass statue of Everard’s reclining corpse. The statue adorns the house’s arcaded north wall in
Rue Charles Buls, the road separating the house from the Hôtel de Ville. Also notice the lovely
1899 gilded art nouveau plaque dedicated to the city by its appreciative artists.
9 Le Cygne (The Swan) – Butchers In 1847 this lovely house hosted Karl Marx. Ironi-
cally it’s now home to the square’s finest upmarket restaurant.
10 L’Arbre d’Or (The Golden Tree) – Brewers Notice the hop plants climbing columns
here. Still the Belgian brewers’ headquarters, two atmospheric but small basement rooms
now house a cursory Brewery Museum (Map p40; www.beerparadise.be; Grand Place 10;
adult/BrusselsCard €6/free; h10am-5pm daily Easter-Nov, noon-5pm Sat & Sun Dec-Easter; mGare
Centrale or Bourse). Entry includes a beer supped amid barrels and delightfully antiquated
wooden brewers’ tools: with the BrusselsCard it’s a great opportunity for a free drink.
13–19 Dukes’ of Brabant Mansion Six 1698 houses behind a single palatial facade
reworked in 1882. Had the imperial governor had his way after 1695, the whole square
would have looked rather like this.
24–25 Chaloupe d’Or (The Golden Boat) – Dressmakers Now a particularly splendid
grand café whose upper storey rooms (when open) offer fine views across the square.
26–27 Le Pigeon – Artists Victor Hugo lived here during his exile from France in 1852.
 40
 ights
Brussels S

100 m
Lower Town e
# 00 0.05 miles
A B C D E F G
0
Marché
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
00 00 00 0000 00 00 00 0
66
6 0 0
aux Porcs 0 0 0 51000000000

ain

rs
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ax
00 æ
#0 0 0 ú0000Gr
# R du 0 0
an 0
d- 0

Qa
000Ho

leu
Square 0 00 sp
0ice
0 00
Anspach 00 00 00 00 00 0000 00 0

e
Rd

cqm
cée
des 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0ÿ
#00 0 0

uB
xF
uC

ph
1 Blindés 0Fountain
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0R 0 irq 1

au
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 0 0

ol

ois
d0 ue

e Ja
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
u

Fran
R

Ad
ý 000
# ge 00000000000é B

la

àB
0 0 57 ú# # 22
Église Notre-

mi l

R de
47 16

vd

Li
88 0 0 0 0 0 0
è000000000000 gu
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 i 0 0 0 0 00 0 0

rûl
Rd
# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 # Dame du Finistère

Bl
ú æ # uF Ü

de
dE
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

er
I'Infirmerie
ag 000000 7

R de

er

Qa
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 e 00000000 R
inis
t

ys
66
6 66 # 0000000000 R d0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00
Ü
#00

ux
108þ

Blv
uR St ère

nni
Pa 000000000000 ou 0 le00
au 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 RV
û
# u 00000000000000 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 an Mi
ch Ra

Bri
ve

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pl 0
du 00 0 0 de el ux

arro
66 R d
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 r E
eu

Ch

e
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Béguinage00 0 0 lst

que
ou
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0

s
R

uM
¡
# Ste-Catherine x
RN

0 0 0 0 0
ú000000000
# 0 0 0 00 0 0 des

d
39
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 li 0
er0 0 0 0 00 0 0 Hiro
n

R
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Marché0 0 0 0 0 0 p 00000000 d 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

e p ag
eken
u

Rd
elles
2
0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
aux
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 Pe 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 2

La
du

uC
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pl 0
des 0 0

Rd
Poissons R0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

RLL
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Martyrs
0 0 0 0

ypr
#
ÿ STE-

e Fl
û
# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

R de

ès
67
0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
r in00000
a00000000
320 0 CATHERINE 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0

and
0 0 0 0 0 0M 00000000 0 0
UGC 0 0 0 0
Pl 0
de 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
R 0

d
0 0 0 0 0 n0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
#0000000
ý 0 0 0 0 0 0 d0

re
0 0 0 0 i e De Brouckère
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Brouckère 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0u
h0000000000 R

me
0 0C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pe

00 de
0 00 u0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
94 s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sa
29
0 0 R0d 000000 ú
# 0 0 0 0 0 A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
rsi

60 ý
#
nt
l

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ug 0 0 0 0 0 0 0#00
ÿ 0000000

du
950ý0
#
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

l
us 0
ge

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

P
#
ú 59 tin 0
s0 ¡
#
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
'Ar

0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
00 0 00 00 00 00 0 0 00 0 0
Pl
0 0
du
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
De
0 0 0 0
Brouckère
0 0 0
Rd

6 0 0 0 0 00 00 00 0000 00 00 0 0 Samedi
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

R
3 ú0
# 610000000 á
#
Rd 3
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 ô
# 6 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 R 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 es
Bo

An
þ
#105 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pl 0 0
Ste- 0 Ü
# 20 iteu

to
x

RJ
de
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

i
KBC
0 0 Bank
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Catherine 0 s I' E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
in v

ne
0 0
Building0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0G r a .
# ê 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 0 0 0
q

Plat
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ux0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Da
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
é a00 ue 0 0 0 0.
#0 0 0 0 0 0 ú
# 0 0 0

ir e

n
112 þ # æ
#00 0 0 0 0 0ar0 ú
ch#0 0 0
R Me
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

eau
54 lsen
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

sa
w

No
0 0 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
111 þ
#

er
R 0 0 0 0 u 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

t
ie000000

ge
de 0
0 0
0 0
0 0ú
V# 0 420 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
R
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 R

er
la d u000000 R 0 .
# d
6 0 0 0Pl0de 0
la 000 e

Vi
Br 00
0 0R0 00 00 000 00 00 0S0te 00
0 00 00 00 00
0 00 0 00
0 0 0 0 sP00
0 00 000 du Fossé
0 0 0 0
27 00 0 0 0 0 0 -
es 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0r 0 0 0

la
Monnaie i
old

ai
e Ca 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n0
aux L
w

o u ps
all
ce00
ch

#
ÿ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
op

th s 0

de
er H 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
97 0 0 0 #
ú
pa
Lé

þ
#

R
4 i ne es 0 0 0 0 0 0 R0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
R

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ý
#
ns

110 R de000000 56
41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A

la00000
Rd
s r s Gr
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0R 0 0 0 0
ú
# êt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 e0 ÿ
#0
vd

de i e ry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ine00
0 0 0 ILÔT
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 024
0
Bl

R son
i s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 SACRÉ
92 ý# Po
 # #
106 þ

RP
21 # #ú û on
R de
# þ I'Éc

au
# þ
á 45 79 t-H oré u y
eS
RA er ü

lD
104 103 e # 63

ins
# û
# sag

ev
ld ý
# ý u gu 64

i
ux Pas 71 13

ca
e au
rtr ve 860 0
ste
0 x 0 0 0 0 0 0
69 0 0 ü
# #

Ro

e
87 0 0 0 00 û
# #
á G

ini es
ha te O 780 ale
ú Rd
0 0 00 0 0 00 00 00 0 R

m
5 ú
sC # Ar rts0 5

ch
du
36 'Ar
e n 0
0 0
0
¤
#0 0 0
0 0
0 0
R d00
0ü
#00000000 ü
0 0 0 0 0 0 # de Pr rie d #

ur
Do R d
ý en
ie
#
ú 48 Rd 44 Va ä
#0
e l0
ra 0 #
Pl St- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 062 0 0 0 0 0 o
s B 40

o
a B0 65 ú inces es 91
R F o ú
# be
ler
R J Van Prae
t 0 0 0
Bourse 0 0 0 0
ou 0000000

ab
Pl du Jardin Géry 0 0 0 0 040 0 0 0 r0 ü
#00Ü 0 0 0 R de la 37 #
ú uch 53 ú
#
rg
#

rs
se0 55
Ga
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
0 0

eT
R0 #
æ er

he
aux Fleurs #
æ 0 0 10 #
æ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 s
0 0He000
0 c

Rd
R Pletinckx 11 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
nr000000000000
i M00000000000
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
#
ý Bou 17
s Eurobus
0 0 0 ü
# 0 0
au 0
s0 0 0 0 0R0 0 de Arenburg
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0au 0 00 00 00 00 Ticket Office
ine
Au Lion d'Or Pl de la R 98 ý# Cinema
þ
# 99 0
0 0
0 0 720
00 0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0 0
0 0
0
Be 0000
it e ›
#
Re
#
æ Bourse ur 000 t ý þ # 109
Borg
0 00 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0

R St-Chr
val ú0
# re000 Pe 102 Galeries 85 #
R des0 00 0 0 0 0 0
ú
#0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Flanders #
e la

0 P0
0 0 0 0 46
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ý Théâtre du

y
ier0
r GB # #
þ
e 0 0 0
ú0 0 #
ï St- 90 # ý

ér
ý
# s 101 0 00 Info
0 0 0 0 Vaudeville
ie d

ST-GÉRY Express 430000 ne

île
Hubert þ

-G
gs
83 #
þ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 # #
æ ý
#

istophe
00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 tag
ler

en
6 5 St 14 107 6
80 û# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 # on

ar
R ý
# ú 35
rice

nd e
96 M

H
0 0 0 00 00 00
Ga

#
æ #
â

R
R des Grand a

idi
ý
# 0 0 0 el
ü 0 0 00 00 00 00

de
# 73 Place 00 0û
#0 0
77

Gra
Riches Claires 100 þ

Pla
# 93

R
e la 0 r0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 e Rd

uM
û
68 # n
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

la
R d d'O i
pérat

70 ll

tte
te 0 #000æ
ï 0 0 0 w . #
w

Rd
Rd #
3 é Tê 0 0 0# 01000 00 0ü Pl

ste
es T 0la Co#
rch 0
Visit 0
#0
â 012000000 d'Espagne

R de
eint #
æ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23

en
u Ma bon
Brussels de
urie
rs d
R Cha r 0
0 0
0 0
00 0 00 0
0 0
0 R0

R
û
# ú
#0
au Corpse-statue 0
0 0
of0
0 0 0
0 0200
0 0
0 00 0
0

de
76 66

s
0 0 0 05000#
â 0 ÿ
#0
0 031 0 s

on

6
Everard 't Serclaes á # er000000
Blvd de I'Im

Je Rd
S ni 000000

arb hé
to eB 26 ÿ 0 0 0 0 0 0
on

ns æ # s
l Musée du Costume 0 0 0 0 0 0

ch
# eco on
er

Ch arc
ur Bu 0 0 0 0 0 0 Carr de

Rd
18 s et de la Dentelle 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ép

pa
de
R

au u M
les
l 0 0 0 0 0 0
s

7 r #
â I'Europe 7
RJ a

ns
R de la M a

du
0 0 0 0 0 0
w
h
de

aV

A
d'O ard C 0 0 0 0 0 0
R

iol
w
rs

0 0 0 0
Ma

liv
e

in
19 R d R 2800 ÿ
#00 0 0 0 0

vd
# 49
d e le

es Rú u #
ú 58 #
£
rch

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
tte

#
æ
elie
é

Bl
0 0 0 0 0 0 74 û# 0 0 0 0 0 0

ve
89 #ý des
ine

Lo
p

G 52 Bruxelles-
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
au

tu
a 66
x

0 0 0 Pl0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

re
ran ú # b h Central
F

I'É
0 0 0 0 0
Fontainas 0 ds û
# 75 000000

tie
sC
ar

0 0 0 0 0 0 # 33

de
Ca
d
rom

0 0 0 0 0 0

r
de

ut
ÿ
#ÿ rm

o
0 0 0 0 0 0 R
ag

25 R
es oy

ns
0 00 00 0

nie
es

l'G
0 û
#
0 des M ÿ
# á
# 15 #
æ sn

ro
ue

e
oin
00 0000 00 0 0 81 0

on
Brussels uq

he
ea
0 0 0 0 0R0 00
0 00 00 00

c
Rd
id
des
Bog ux 34
ü
# Region 0 0 0 0 0 RD
0 0 0
Pl0 St-0

ou
Lè
ar
0 0 0 0 0

t
Parliament

e
82
R

ds Jean

du
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000

dM
on
0 0 0 0 0 0

R
8 Pl0de0000 8
du
R

ric

R
Ch 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 66
6 0
0
R St-Jean 0
0 0
0 0
0
I'Albertine0
0 0
0 0
0
de

au
elm
ên
9 0 0 0 0 0 0

M
e 0 0 0 0 0 0
l'H

nH
0 0#
â0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

a
ôp

vd
0 0 0 Pl
0 de la Vieille 0 0 0 0 0 0
00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ita

Bl
l

RV
000
00
00
0 0000 Halle aux Blés 000000 0
0
00
00
00
00
0A B C D 0
000E0 F
0 0
00000
G 0
00000 00
00
000  ights
Brussels S 0 00
00
00
0000
0
41

6
42

Lower Town
æ Top Sights ÿ Sleeping
Galeries St-Hubert...................................F6 24 Dominican ................................................ F4
Musée du Costume et de la 25 Downtown-BXL........................................B8
Dentelle ..................................................E7 26 Hôtel Amigo ............................................. E7
27 Hotel Café Pacific....................................B4
Brussels S ights

æ Sights 28 Hôtel Le Dixseptième.............................. F7

1 Bourse ...................................................... D5 29 Hôtel Métropole....................................... E3
2 Brewery Museum.....................................E7 30 Hôtel Noga................................................ C1
3 Broussaille ............................................... C6 31 Hôtel Saint-Michel................................... E7
4 Bruxella1238............................................ D5 32 Hôtel Welcome ........................................C2
5 Église Notre-Dame des Riches 33 La Casa-BXL ............................................B7
Claires ................................................... B6 34 La Vieille Lanterne...................................D8
6 Église Ste-Catherine............................... C3
7 Église St-Jean-Baptiste au ú Eating
Béguinage..............................................D1 35 A l'Ombra.................................................. F6
8 Église St-Nicolas ......................................E5 36 Arcadi........................................................G5
9 Fondation Jacques Brel..........................E8 37 Aux Armes de Bruxelles ......................... F5
10 Grand Place ..............................................E6 38 Belga Queen Brussels............................. F3
11 Halles St-Géry ......................................... B5 39 Bij den Boer..............................................B2
12 Hôtel de Ville ............................................E6 40 Chez Léon................................................. F5
13 Jeanneke Pis.............................................F5 41 Comocomo...............................................C4
14 Maison du Roi...........................................E6 42 Cremerie De Linkebeek..........................B4
15 Manneken Pis.......................................... D8 43 Dandoy......................................................E6
16 Manneken Pis Displaced.........................A1 44 Den Teepot...............................................A5
17 Rue des Bouchers....................................F5 45 Fin de Siècle .............................................B5
18 Tibet & Duchâteau.................................. C7 46 Fritland......................................................D6
19 Tintin......................................................... D7 47 Henri.......................................................... A1
20 Tour Noire................................................ D3 48 In't Spinnekopke......................................A5
21 Zinneke..................................................... B5 49 Kokob........................................................C7
50 La Maison du Cygne................................ E7
Ø Activities, Courses & Tours 51 La Marie-Joseph...................................... B1
22 ARAU ......................................................... F1 52 Le Cercle des Voyageurs........................D7
Atelier de Recherche et d'Action 53 L'Ogenblik................................................. F5
Urbaine.........................................(see 22) 54 Mer du Nord .............................................C3
23 Brussels City Tours .................................F6 55 Mokafé ......................................................G5
Ommegang Brasserie...................(see 50)

tiny and a perversely perfect national symbol Bruges, naaldkant (needlepoint lace) was
for surreal Belgium. More often than not the developed in Italy but was predominantly
tiny statue’s nakedness is largely hidden be- made in Brussels. This excellent museum
neath a costume relevant to an anniversary, reveals lace’s applications for under and
national day or local event: his ever-growing outerwear over the centuries, as well as
wardrobe is partly displayed at the Maison displaying other luxury textiles in beauti-
du Roi (p39). fully presented changing exhibitions. Ask
for an English-language booklet.
o Musée du Costume »
Fondation Jacques Brel Museum
et de la Dentelle Museum
(Map p40; %02-511 10 20; www.jacquesbrel.be;
(Costume & Lace Museum; Map p40; %02-213
Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés 11; adult/student
44 50; www.costumeandlacemuseum.be; Rue
€5/3.50, walk with audio guide €8, walk & muse-
de la Violette 12; admission €3, free with Brus-
um €10; h10.30am-6pm Tue-Sat Jul & Aug, from
selsCard; h10am-5pm, closed Wed; mGare Cen-
noon Sep-Jun; mGare Centrale) Chansonnier
trale) Lace-making has been one of Flan-
Jacques Brel (1929–78) made his debut in
ders’ finest crafts since the 16th century.
1952 at a cabaret in his native Belgium, and
While kloskant (bobbin lace) originated in
 43

56 Sea Grill .................................................... G4 86 Beursschouwburg...................................C5

57 Si Bemol.................................................... E1 87 Bizon .........................................................C5
58 Up North....................................................E7 88 Bronks Youth Theatre ............................ B1
59 Vismet ...................................................... D3 89 Chez Maman ............................................C7
60 Vistro ........................................................ C3 90 Cinéma Galeries ...................................... F6

Brussels S ights
61 Viva M'Boma............................................ B3 91 Cinema Nova............................................G5
Club des Halles ............................... (see 11)
û Drinking 92 L'Archiduc ................................................C4
62 À la Bécasse ............................................ D5 93 Le Club......................................................D6
63 À la Mort Subite ...................................... G5 94 Madame Moustache ...............................C3
64 A l'Image de Nostre-Dame .....................E5 95 Maison de la Bellone ...............................B3
65 Au Bon Vieux Temps...............................E5 96 Music Village ............................................D6
66 Au Laboureur........................................... B2 97 Théâtre Royal de la
67 BarBeton.................................................. A2 Monnaie/Koninklijke
68 Booze'n'Blues.......................................... B6 Muntschouwburg ................................. F4
69 Celtica ...................................................... D5 98 Théâtre Royal de Toone ......................... F6
70 Chaloupe d'Or ..........................................E6
71 Délirium Café............................................F5 þ Shopping
72 Falstaff ..................................................... D6 99 Brüsel........................................................C6
73 Floreo........................................................ B6 100 Catherine..................................................D6
74 Fontainas Bar .......................................... C7 101 Darakan ....................................................D6
75 Goupil le Fol ..............................................E7 102 De Biertempel.......................................... F6
76 Le Belgica................................................. D7 103 Espace Bizzare ........................................B5
77 Le Cercueil................................................E6 104 Gabriele.....................................................B5
78 Le Cirio ..................................................... D5 105 Hoet...........................................................B3
79 Le Greenwich........................................... B5 106 Kartell........................................................C5
80 L'Homo Erectus ...................................... D6 107 Manufacture Belge de
Métropole Café ............................. (see 29) Dentelles................................................ F6
81 Moeder Lambic Fontainas..................... B8 108 Martin Margiela........................................ A1
82 Poechenellekelder .................................. D8 109 Neuhaus.................................................... F6
Toone.............................................. (see 98) 110 Passa Porta ..............................................B4
111 Sterling Books ......................................... F4
ý Entertainment 112 Stijl.............................................................B3
83 AB ............................................................. C6
84 Actor's Studio...........................................F5
85 Arsène50 ..................................................F6

shot to fame in Paris, where he was a con- first shopping arcade. Many enticing shops
temporary of Édith Piaf and co, though his lie behind its neoclassical glassed-in arches
songs continued to hark back to the bleak flanked by marble pilasters. Several eclectic
‘flat land’ of his native country. This dedi- cafés spill tables onto the gallery terrace,
cated archive centre and museum, set up by safe from rain beneath the glass roof.
his daughter, contains more than a hundred
hours of footage and another hundred of au- Rue des Bouchers Street

dio recordings, as well as thousands of pho- (Map p40) Northwest of the galeries are
tographs and articles. Dedicated fans can uniquely colourful Rue and Petite Rue des
also take the audio walking tour. Bouchers, a pair of narrow alleys jam-packed
with pavement tables, pyramids of lemons
Ilôt Sacré and iced displays of fish and crustacea. It’s
gloriously photogenic, but think twice before
oGaleries St-Hubert Covered Arcade
eating here as the food standards are gen-
(Map p40; www.galeries-saint-hubert.com; off Rue erally poor (an exception is the classic, ex-
du Marché aux Herbes; mGare Centrale) When pensive Aux Armes de Bruxelles (Map p40;
opened in 1847 by King Léopold I, the glori- %02-511 55 98; www.auxarmesdebruxelles.com;
ous Galeries St-Hubert formed Europe’s very
44

Bilingual Brussels
The 19 communes of the Brussels Capital Region (Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest
in Dutch, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale in French) comprise the only area in Belgium
that’s officially bilingual. Throughout Brussels, on buildings, train stations, road signs,
you name it, there are two names for everything – one French, the other Dutch. That
explains why certain Brussels street names look so flabbergastingly long. In fact
Brussels S ights

they’re saying the same thing twice. For example, in ‘Rue de l’Ecuyer Schildknaap-
straat’, both Rue de l’Ecuyer (French) and Schildknaapstraat (Dutch) mean Squire
Street. Handily, the grammatical form of the two languages means that the French
terms rue/avenue (street/avenue) always come first while in Dutch straat/laan are
tacked on to the end. This allows for a space-saving trick when the core name doesn’t
need translating, ie a sign might end up reading something like ‘Ave Maxlaan’ (ie liter-
ally Ave Max Avenue). In the Marolles, street names even add a third version in
Bruxellois (the city’s traditional dialect).

Rue des Bouchers 13; mains €6-20; hnoon-11.15pm Appropriately enough, it’s dedicated to the
Tue-Sun ; jBourse, De Brouckère). Returning to- patron saint of merchants.
wards the Grand Place, don’t miss peeping
inside Toone and into the wonderful, age- St-Géry
old biscuit shop Dandoy (Map p40; %02-511 Surrounding Place St-Géry you’ll find a live-
0326; www.biscuiteriedandoy.be; Rue au Beurre 31; ly, compact area of popular cafés and good-
snacks from €3; h9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am- value Asian restaurants. Until 1799 the
7pm Sun; mGare Centrale), full of splendid old square had been dominated by a medieval
moulds for speculaas/speculoos (traditional Gothic church. But it was demolished un-
spiced biscuit) figures. der the anti-religious French regime and
replaced by a market square featuring a curi-
Bourse ous pyramidal monolith-fountain. In 1881 a
The Bourse (Map p40; Place de la Bourse) is Bel- superb neo-Renaissance brick-and-wrought-
gium’s 1873 stock exchange building. You can’t iron meat market, the Halles St-Géry (Map
enter but its grandiose neoclassical facade is p40; www.hallessaintgery.be), was built right
brilliantly festooned with friezes and sculp- around this monument. The market lay dere-
tures, reclining nudes, lunging horses and a lict for much of the 1980s but has since been
multitude of allegorical figures. Some of the beautifully renovated and is now a combined
work is by Rodin, then a young apprentice bar-café, nightclub and exhibition space.
sculptor. Five of Brussels’ most archetypal and Black steel gates beside the bistro Le
historic cafés are within stumbling distance of Lion St-Géry lead into a private courtyard
the Bourse, three of them hidden away down in which one branch of the mostly covered
minuscule medieval passageways. Senne River has been uncovered along with
a reconstructed historical mooring point.
Bruxella1238 Archaeological Site
The stream is bridged by the vaulted 1811
(Map p40; hfrom 10.15am 1st Wed of each month)
brick, neo-Gothic Au Lion d’Or building.
Directly outside the Bourse, this archaeolog- The courtyard also offers interesting views of
ical site has uncovered the scanty remains of the bulb-spired church, Église Notre-Dame
a former Franciscan convent that was bom- des Riches Claires (Map p40; off Place St Géry).
barded into ruins in 1695. Most of the site
is visible by peeping through the glass win- Ste-Catherine
dows set into the pavement roughly outside It’s hard to imagine today, but fishing boats
the Cirio (p70) café. once sailed up the now-invisible River
Senne, mooring in the heart of Ste-Cathe-
Église St-Nicolas Church
rine, which was for centuries a major fish
(Church of St-Nicolas; Map p40; Rue au Beurre 1;
market. Although the river has been covered
h8am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat, 9am-7.30pm
over since 1870, the area’s reputation for fish
Sun) Near the Bourse, this pint-sized church
persists and the main reason you’re likely to
is as old as Brussels itself. What really makes
visit is to choose from the numerous well-
it notable is its virtual invisibility – the exte-
regarded seafood restaurants around Pl
rior is almost totally encrusted with shops.
 45
Ste-Catherine. There’s also a curious mix- treasury 10am-12.30pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-
ture of cheaper bars and eateries sprinkled 3pm Sat, 2-5pm Sun; mGare Centrale) Host to
along Rue de Flandre. Other minor curiosi- coronations and royal weddings, Brussels’
ties include the Pigeon Soldat memorial grand, twin-towered cathedral bears at least
(Map p48) commemorating the brave carrier a passing resemblance to Paris’ much bet-
pigeons of WWI. ter known Notre Dame. Begun in 1226, the
construction took some 300 years. Stained-
Église Ste-Catherine Church

Brussels S ights
glass windows flood the soaring nave with
(Map p40; Place Ste-Catherine; hrarely open) light, while column-saints brandish gilded
Église Ste-Catherine must be one of the only tools. An enormous wooden pulpit, sculpt-
religious buildings that encourages folks to ed by Antwerp artist Hendrik Verbruggen,
urinate on its walls (there’s a ‘pissoir’ on its sees Adam and Eve driven out of Eden by
northwest flank). Inside is a black statue of fearsome skeletons. To climb the cathedral
the Virgin and Child that Protestants hurled towers (€5, 10am on the second Saturday of
into the Senne (1744) but was found again each month), sign up a day or two ahead.
‘miraculously’ floating on a chunk of turf.
Money Museum Museum
Église St-Jean-Baptiste » (Map p48; %02-221 22 06; www.nbbmuseum.be;
au Béguinage Church
Rue du Bois Sauvage 10; adult/student/child/Brus-
(Map p40; Place du Béguinage; hrarely open) selsCard €5/4/free/free, free weekends & Jul &
This 1657 Flemish baroque masterpiece was Aug; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; mGare Centrale) Un-
designed by Luc Fayd’Herbe, a student of expectedly absorbing, the 15-room National
Rubens. It’s often cited as Belgium’s most Bank Museum is far more than just a coin
beautiful church. collection. Well-presented exhibits trace
Tour Noire Tower the very concept of money all the way from
(Map p40; Place du Samedi) Boxed in on three cowrie shells to credit cards.
sides and incongruously dwarfed by the back Colonne du Congrès Monument
of a Novotel Hotel is this ivy-draped remnant (Map p48) Brussels’ 25m-tall version of Nel-
of Brussels’ original city wall. son’s Column is an 1850s monolith topped
Cathedral Area by a gilded statue of King Léopold I. It com-
Cathédrale des Sts-Michel » memorates the Belgian constitution of 1831.
& Gudule Church
The four female figures around its base
(Map p48; www.cathedralestmichel.be; Place Sainte- represent the four constitutionally upheld
Gudule; admission free/treasury €2.50; hcathedral freedoms of religion, association, education
7am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6pm Sat, 2-6pm Sun, and the press. The last of these encouraged

Fashion District
You don’t have to be a fashion hound to enjoy the quirky facades, shops and idiosyn-
crasies of this compact area that neatly divides St-Géry and Ste-Catherine. Heading
northwest from the Bourse, you’ll pass the magnificent wrought-iron frontage of the
Beursschouwburg, a cultural centre originally built in 1885 as a grand brasserie. A block
north, ponder who would actually want to sit on the translucent plastic chairs displayed
in the Kartell (Map p40; Rue Antoine Dansaert 2) furniture shop. Veer west here on Rue
des Chartreux to admire the flamboyant art nouveau ironwork over the entrance to
recently renovated classic café, Le Greenwich (p72). Heading west up Rue Antoine
Dansaert towards the canal, you’ll see increasing numbers of Moroccan shops and cafes
amongst the chi chi boutiques and cutting-edge bars. Surreal lighting specialist Espace
Bizzare (Map p40; www.espacebizarre.com; Rue des Chartreux 19) is the first place to look
should you need a lamp in the form of a life-sized horse. On the next corner is a typi-
cally Brussels-style piece of street humour, the statue of a cocked-legged dog Zinneke
(‘Mongrel’). Hoet (Map p40; Antoine Dansaert 97) is a designer eyewear specialist with
an extraordinary line in silver filigree eyeshades. Do look up to admire the Parisian-style
gables above. And look back to the upper facade of the outwardly uninspired KBC bank
building to notice an unexpected frieze of bananas.
46
Victor Hugo, Karl Marx and others to visit life by exhibits and film footage. Amongst
Belgium back when such freedoms were the artefacts is the jacket worn by Albert I
much more restricted in other parts of Eu- when he died in a climbing accident in 1934.
rope. Between two bronze lions, an eternal In summer, the restaurant has tables in the
flame honours Belgian victims of the two charming garden.
world wars.
Coudenberg Archeological Site
Centre Belge de la » (Map p48; adult/under 26yr/BrusselsCard €5/3/
Brussels S ights

Bande Dessinée Museum free, with Musée BELvue €8/4/free) Coudenberg

(Map p48; %02-219 19 80; www.comicscenter. Hill (now Place Royale) was the site of Brus-
net; Rue des Sables 20; adult/concession €8/6; sels’ original 12th-century castle. Over sev-
h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; mRogier) Though the eral centuries this was transformed into one
Hergé Museum (p198) is much more memo- of Europe’s most elegant and powerful pal-
rable, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre offers aces, most notably as the 16th-century resi-
a definitive overview of the country’s vibrant dence of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
comic-strip culture. Even if you’re not ex- Around the palace, courtiers and nobles in
cited by the ‘Ninth Art’, do peep inside the turn built fine mansions. The vast complex
impressive 1906 art nouveau building, a Vic- was destroyed in a catastrophic 1731 fire,
tor Horta classic with wrought-iron super- but beneath street level the basic structure
structure and a glass roof. You don’t have of the palace’s long-hidden lower storeys
to pay an entrance fee to enjoy the central remains. Whole stretches of medieval street
hallway or to drink a coffee (€2.20) at the layout are now discernable, though little at-
attached café. mosphere remains. The subterranean site is
entered from BELvue and you emerge near
Place Royale Area the Old England Building.
A short stroll up the Mont des Arts steps
from the Grand Place area, Place Royale
forms the heart of Brussels’ regal Upper
oOld England Building Historic Building
(Map p48; Rue Montagne de la Cour 2) This 1899
Town area. The neoclassical square features
former department store is an art nouveau
a bold equestrian statue of Godefroid de
showpiece with a superlative black facade
Bouillon, the crusader knight who very
all aswirl in wrought iron and arched win-
briefly became the first European ‘king’ of
dows. This contains the groundbreaking
Jerusalem in 1099. It’s flanked with fascinat-
music museum (Musée des Instruments de
ing museums and has a curious secret lurk-
Musique; Map p48; %02 545 01 30; www.mim.fgov.
ing beneath. North of the Royal Palace is a
be; Rue Montagne de la Cour 2; adult/concession
spacious formal park dotted with classical
€5/4; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun;
statues.
mGare Centrale or Parc), a celebration of music
Palais Royal Palace in all its forms, as well as a repository for
(Map p48; %02-551 20 20; www.monarchy.be; more than 2000 historic instruments. The
Place des Palais; admission free; h10.30am- emphasis is very much on listening, with
4.30pm Tue-Sun late Jul-early Sep; mParc) These auditory experiences around every corner,
days Belgium’s royal family live at Laeken from arcane shepherds’ bagpipes to Chinese
(p58) but this sturdy 19th-century palace re- carillons to harpsichords. Don’t miss the
mains their ‘official’ residence. One unique rooftop café for a superb city panorama.
room has had its ceiling irridescently clad
with the wing cases of 1.4 million Thai jewel o Musées Royaux »
beetles by conceptual artist Jan Fabre. You’ll des Beaux-Arts Art Museum
also see contemporary royal portraits. It’s (Map p48; %02-508 32 11; www.fine-arts-museum.
only open to visitors in summer. be; Rue de la Régence 3; adult/student/BrusselsCard
€8/5/free, with Magritte Museum €13; h10am-5pm
Musée BELvue Museum
Tue-Sun; mGare Centrale or Parc) The prestigious
(Map p48; %07-022 04 92; www.belvue.be; Place
Royal Museums of Fine Arts incorporate the
des Palais 7; adult/concession €5/4; h10am-5pm
Musée d’Art Ancien (ancient art); the Musée
Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun; mParc) Take a
d’Art Moderne (modern art), with works by
chronological audio tour through the airy
surrealist Paul Delvaux and fauvist Rik Wout-
stuccoed interior of this former royal resi-
ers; and the purpose-built Musée Magritte.
dence to explore the story of Belgium’s his-
The 15th-century Flemish Primitives are
tory from independence to today, brought to
 47
wonderfully represented in the Musée d’Art
Ancien: there’s Rogier Van der Weyden’s Pi- Other Pissers
età with its hallucinatory dawn sky, Hans
The Manneken Pis has a much younger
Memling’s refined portraits, and the richly
little squatting ‘sister’, the 20th-century
textured Madonna With Saints by the Mas-
Jeanneke Pis (Map p40; www.jean
ter of the Legend of St Lucy.
nekepisofficial.be; Impasse de la Fidélité;
Pieter the Elder was the greatest of the
mGare Centrale), and there’s also Zin-

Brussels S ights
Brueghel family of artists, whose humorous
neke (Map p40; cnr Rue des Chartreux &
and tender scenes feature a wealth of lively
Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains), a mon-
rustic detail. The most-famous example is
grel dog standing with cocked (if dry)
the Fall of Icarus, where the hero’s legs dis-
leg as though to show his contempt for
appearing into the waves are overshadowed
the surrounding Fashion District.
by the figure of an unconcerned ploughman
and a jaunty ship. Inspired by Renaissance
artists, Antwerp painter Peter Paul Rubens
specialised in fleshy religious works, of cured in 1348 by way of an audacious theft
which there are several colossal examples from a church in Antwerp – apparently by a
here. Look out too for Anthony van Dyck’s vision-motivated husband-and-wife team in
contemplative human studies, Cornelius de a rowing boat. It has long since gone but a
Vos’ charming family portrait, and works by boat behind the pulpit commemorates the
Rembrandt and Frans Hals. curious affair.
Église Notre-Dame de la Chapelle Church
oMusée Magritte Art Museum (Map p52; Place de la Chapelle; admission free, pam-
(www.musee-magritte-museum.be; Place Royale; phlet €3; h9am-7pm Jun-Sep, 9am-6pm Oct-May)
adult/under 26yr/BrusselsCard €8/2/free; h10am- Brussels’ oldest surviving church now curi-
5pm Tue-Sun) A separate ticket is required for ously incorporates the decapitated tower of
the beautifully presented Magritte Museum. the 1134 original as the central section of a
Opened in June 2009, it has the world’s bigger Gothic edifice. Behind the palm-tree
largest collection of the surrealist pioneer’s pulpit, look on the wall above a carved con-
paintings and drawings. Watch his style de- fessional to find a small memorial to ‘Petro
velop from colourful Braque-style cubism in Brevgello’, ie Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who
1920 through a Dali-esque phase and a late- once lived in the nearby Marolles.
1940s period of Kandinsky-like brushwork
to his trademark bowler hats of the 1960s. Recyclart Arts Centre, Cafe

Regular screenings of a 52-minute docu- (Map p52; %02-502 57 34; www.recyclart.be; Rue
mentary provide insights into the artist’s des Ursulines 25; jAnneessens) This graffitied
unconventionally conventional life. ‘arts laboratory’ in the old Chapelle station
along Rue des Ursulines revitalised what
Sablon was once an industrial wasteland. It now
The Sablon is a cobbled square whose cafés, hosts art installations and theatre produc-
antique shops and chocolatiers are typically tions, cutting-edge gigs and parties with
frequented by the see-and-be-seen Brussels DJs, and has a daytime cafe; above is a skate
upper crust. Surrounding lanes sport plen- park.
ty more intriguing antique shops and the
square itself hosts a Sunday antique market. Place du Petit Sablon Park
(Map p52; mPorte de Namur) About 200m up-
hill from Place du Grand Sablon, this charm-
o Église Notre-Dame »
ing little garden is ringed by 48 bronze
du Sablon Church
statuettes representing the medieval guilds.
(Map p52; www.ebru.be/Other/Kerken/krkzavel.
Standing huddled on a fountain plinth like
html; Rue de la Régence; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-
two actors from a Shakespearean drama are
6pm Sat & Sun; mPorte de Namur) The Sablon’s
Counts Egmont and Hoorn, popular city
large, flamboyantly Gothic church started
leaders who were beheaded in the Grand
life as the 1304 archers’ guild chapel. How-
Place in 1568 for defying Spanish rule. The
ever, a century later it had to be massively
site of Egmont’s grand former residence lies
enlarged to cope with droves of pilgrims
behind.
attracted by the supposed healing powers
of its Madonna statue. The statue was pro-
 6
48

Central Brussels
A B C D
# 12
â

666
66
6
Ru Ru
e le eP
Lor ica
rain rd

eco
Ru

nic ssi x
1

he n B
e

Pé Ba riau
Va
Blvd

es ort
w
n
Sim

té
on B
M

s
Ma
Brussels S

oli 00000
w
ey

Q d du P
R

v0 0 000

k
Ul

el
a
00 d 0000000

w
roe
r Bruxelles
e

0
00
00
00
000000

h ot
ns

00
00
00
00
e
Nord

666
66 b
Rd
Av
0 0

rè s
ille

ersc
es
el
'In Barge f RS
imo 0
00
00
00
00
0
£
#

or t
Qd
#

Prog
eW
ten Tours ns Rd
Peu u

R d'A
Eurolines

élip
da RN
nt ple

Qd
ico ›
#

I'H
lay
 ights

R du

w
rs
w

ice
# 13

nve
de
Pl du
w

tes
tisp

in
2 Pl # 26 BienR de la Nordw

Ave
ý

a
d'A

lan
e
Sainctelette fais

ron

cqm
w

ngl
ois anc

es P
rt Square e

666
666
6 e
rs # Yser

uF
ou ¡

e I'A

ssé
l ie
roi

uC ST-JOSSE &

a
Sainctelette Blv
w
te
Rd

Rd
ile J
Rd
rle

sA dd SCHAERBEEK

Rd

u
e de 'An
w

ché
ha

Cha
Rd mu
R

ver

Ém
x
du

s
eC

D i Rd
w

Mar
e es C wPorte

Blv
d
ld
Rui

Blvd
vd omm
l
d'Ypres

w
na

se B erç d'Anvers

R du

d
s

Blvd

au ant
Ca

St
s .
s

w
27
ge

Laz
Q au Foin ¡

66 6
# Rogier
na

#
ý
ain
rgne

3 Q aux Pierres de Tailles Jardin

are
on

I'Épa e
s

Marché Botanique
qu e

Rd

cqm
arb

w
aux Porcs Ave
R du Canal
w
þ City 2
n

#
ý #
Ch

Vi
Q aux Bar

30 16ÿ
#
Reg ctoria
e Ja

Use-It
Laek

ò
#
es

res
Ce des
#
ï #17
ÿ ina
ax
R Locque
Qd

0#
á0 0 0 0 0

nd
mil

nghien
0 0 0 0 0
Gr0

R
eM

ve
0 0
11 0 0
R du 0 0
R de

and-Hospic
0 0 0 0 0 0
eu
dÉ

ph

e
0 0 0 0 0 0 Théâtre ier
RN

R de Flandr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0

66
ol
Blv

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 La Montagne . #
e

am
e
Ad

#
û .
#
00000000 0000 0000
000
pag

w
0 Magique
uD

20
vd

0 0 0 0 0
#00000
¡ 0 0 0
RS

om
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
000STE- 0 0 0 0 0 0
R L Le

éc o
#
ý
Bl

Rd

STE- 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ste- 00 0 0 0 0 0 .
#

eibo
4 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0Pl0
te-C

CATHERINE CATHERINE
0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0
ais

Catherine

ach
des 2
0 00 00 0 00 00 0 0 0 uM
ar

& ST-GÉRY 0
00000000 00 0 0 00
00#0 0
0R000
R

Martyrs #
â
a th

00 0000 0 0 0
M

dP
An

¡ De Brouckère
Rd

0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0
oines

du

0 0 0 0 0 00 0000 000000000 des Boi

to

#
ý
eri

Bl v
ô
#
0 0 0 0 0
i re

0#00 0
in

R
t

22
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00
en

. teu
e

6
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00
No

.
# x
part des M

Da

e
erm

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00
t

0
00000000 0
00 0 0
000000 00 00
ns

ge

on

.
#
h

0 0 R des
Gr S

w
ae

0 0 0 0 00
im
er

pa

0 0 0
R d0 00 Sables
rt

Vi

rl a

0 0 0 0 00 Pl Ste-
ns
R du

0000 e I00
la

Be

Gudule
A

' Éc
de
R Rem

rtreux e uye
de

# uvage
vd

Cha 00 0000
00000 r 8â
R

0
vd

ld Bourse Sa
Bl

5
d es ve 0 00
¤
# 0BRUXELLES
0 0 00 R d u B o is
Bl

Pl du Jardin R
rte 0
0 0
0 00
0 0
0 00
00
0 #1
0 0 00 0 0

666
6
Ü
e

aux Fleurs A
0000000
tric

an 00 00 00
0 00
ST-GÉRY
00
0 00 000 ILÔT
R x um
V

péra
Lo

0 0 0 0 SACRÉ
R

de

0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
R n de
Bu

w.
ch

#
w
0 0 0 0
d e ri

# Gare
m
a

0 0 0 0
pa

R £ Parc
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
la e

Blvd de I'I

du R Centrale
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ns

Lo ¡
#
0 0 0
A

m 0
00 00
yale

w
Bruxelles-
Ra

0 0 0 ba 0w £
vd

# Central
0 0 0 0 0 0
vens n

r
0 0
00 000
Bl
R d dure

66
66
R Ro
Ve

0 0 Bibliothèque
d

0
0000 00 0
e la

6
r

Pl de la
tei

R Ba
0 Vieille Halle 0 0 0 Royale
w

19 ron
0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
Mo
nt # Horta
ú
0
0 0
See
0 0 0
Lower
0 0
Town Map (p40) aux Blés 00
0 0 00
0 00 0rts des
A w # ý
ý #
0 0Pl 00 0
00 0 0 0 0 e000
ur

R 23 24 Old
0 0 0 0 0 0 p0
er 00 æ0
w
de #
0
0 0
Anneessens
0 0
0 0
¤
#
0 Anneessens sA Pl de 0
0 0
0
m
0
0 0
0 Musée des 7
BIP England
0000 0 0
0 0
0 0
0 R d 21û
lex Dinant
0
ien0 e
0
0l' E0
0 0
Pl
0 0
de
0
la
Justice
Instruments
de Musique â # ï # Building
0 0 0 0 0s0 000R0 0 0
ve

MAROLLES Pl Rouppe # d #
â
ier

0 0 0 0 co00 0 0 0 0
on

'Ac #
â P
vd #9

6
eu

â
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 l 0 0
Villa 0
Hermosa
u
nn

o i nç

0
001800 0 0
la 000 B 0 0 0 #
â
-N

R Lebea

# Pl Royale
á
0 0
#0 0 0 y 000 0 0 0
Musée Magritte
o

ú
0 0 0 0 0 000
e
èm

#15 Musées Royaux â # Statue of

err

0 0 0 0 0
uP
d

ÿ #
V
0w0 Pl0 de0
la0
ra
eL

des Beaux-Arts Godefroid

RT

0 0 0 0 0 10
Rd

nc
ng

7
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 de Bouillon
ric

0 0 0
n n0
esChapelle R de
ge
ali

Pl du Grand
w

w 0 0 0 0 0
itti0 0
au

St

Ré

Rollebeek
0 0 0
s B0rig0 0 0 Sablon
M

0 0 0 0 0 0 0
w
w
e

SABLON
la

0R 0000
de w
ed
vd

0 0 0 0 0 .
#
de
w

00 000 00
Bl

Av

Aw 0
000 00B0
R

w 0 C D
 49
e # 00 400 m
0.2 miles Central Brussels
E F
æ Top Sights
â
#
6 De Ultieme Hallucinatie ..........................E2
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts........... D7
t

1
an

Rue Old England Building .............................. D7

Lefr
rab

anc
R Verte

q
æ Sights
eB

R Ro

Brussels S
R des
gier
1 Cathédrale des Sts-Michel &
Rd

R
Con de la Gudule ................................................... D5
stitu
Palais

tion 2 Centre Belge de la Bande

#
æ
5 Dessinée................................................ D4
4 3 Colonne du Congrès................................E4

 ights
R Du
Ü
#
é

pon Coudenberg......................................(see 9)
inn

t 2
RL

Rd
Seco es # De Ultieme
æ 4 Église Ste-Marie.......................................E2
Hallucinatie

66
R de urs 5 Halles de Schaerbeek..............................F2
te

I'Asc
ensio
Pos

RP 6 Maison Autrique....................................... F1
de H ussée

n hilo
ht

mèn
yale

7 MIM ........................................................... D7
ae c

e
la

R St
R de

-Fra 8 Money Museum ...................................... D5

Cha
R Ro

nço
RG is
ode 9 Musée BELvue......................................... D7
fro
id de 10 Palais Royal ............................................. D7
Bo

66
uill 11 Pigeon Soldat Memorial......................... B3
o n 3
12 Tour & Taxis .............................................B1
R du Méridien

#
ý
28
RG
Porte de ÿ
# R Tr illo Ø Activities, Courses & Tours
n
w

Schaerbeek 14 aver 13 Brussels by Water................................... B2

Rue sière
B
# rialmo
w
¡
Botanique Ave nt R de
I'Un
ÿ Sleeping
Ga

66
6
R de la lilé io n 14 Centre Vincent van Gogh........................E3
ite

Sablonnière e
re

15 HI Hostel John Breugel .......................... C7

Lim
w

gè
Blvd B
I'Asso

16 Le Plaza.................................................... C3
ota

4
e la
R de tion

17 Maison Noble........................................... B3
RP
cia

Rd
isscho

R du R de
R du N

Gouv Bér
Prov iot ú Eating
3 Pl du isoir
e 18 Comme Chez Soi .....................................A7

6
ffs

#
á Congrès cailquin
ord

R du RS 19 Laurent Gerbaud..................................... D6
heimw

C
þ 31 ongrèsPorte de Pl Madou
yale

#
t Louvain # 29
ý
de men 25 # Madou
¡ û Drinking
R Ro

R ne # ý
g 20 Bistro du Canal........................................ A4
ei er
See EU Area Map (p56)

Pl Surlet
ns de F 5 21 La Fleur en Papier Doré.......................... B7
I'E Croix
la
de Chokier
R de
u ca le

in

66
R de Lo uva ý Entertainment
Palais de la RD 22 Art Base ................................................... D4
23 BOZAR...................................................... D6
R deNation
la Lo 24 Cinematek................................................ D6
i Arts-Loi ¡
#
25 Cirque Royal .............................................E5
w w

Théâtre
R de 26 Kaaitheater .............................................. B2
du Parc

6666
la L
ent

oi 27 Koninklijke Vlaamse
6
Schouwburg ......................................... B3
Rég
cale

Parc de R Gu 28 Le Botanique ............................................E3

Bruxelles ima
du

rd Square
29 Mirano Continental..................................F5
R Du

ce

Frère-
Blvd

mer

Orban 30 Théâtre National..................................... C3

Pl d
tsww

Com

e
Pala s þ Shopping

6 6
66
is R Be
00
00
lliar
Ar

d
0 0 31 Mary...........................................................E5
R du

0
00
00
0
des

R Mo Sablon & Ixelles 7

See Marolles,
n
Map (p52) toyer
Ave

0
00
0 0
0 0
0¡
00 0 00
w

0
00
0 0
Pl du
0 0
00
#
0
Trône Square
00 0
Trône
00
00 00 00
w
0
de Meeus
0
0000 E 0 F
50

Brussels’ Art-Nouveau Masterpieces

Brussels excels in art nouveau architecture. In the city centre don’t miss the Old Eng-
land Building (p46) or the magnificent café Falstaff (p70). Many other top examples are
scattered fairly widely but there are decent concentrations of fine facades in St-Gilles
and Ixelles, where a classic art nouveau house hosts a museum (p57) in the former
home of maestro architect Victor Horta. Near the Cinquantenaire monument, the loveli-
Brussels S ights

est of all art nouveau townhouses is the Maison Cauchie (p54). In Schaerbeek, Maison
Autrique (p55) appeals to some Horta aficionados, while a drink at De Ultieme Halluci-
natie (p55) offers marvellous art nouveau interiors. The famous Palais Stoclet (Ave de
Tervuren 281; hclosed), now Unesco-listed, is undergoing extensive restoration.
Excellent ARAU (Atelier de Recherche et d’Action Urbaines; Map p40; www.arau.org; Blvd
Adolphe Max 55; tour €17; h10am Apr – mid-Dec) tours can get you into some normally
closed gems including the Hôtel Solvay (Map p52; Ave Louise 224) and Hôtel Van
Eetvelde (p55), whose facades barely hint at the wonders within.

Palais de Justice in the earthy Bruxellois dialect, and at least

Larger than St Peter’s in Rome, this colossal one stall still sells the traditional street food:
2.6 hectare complex of law courts was the snails. Note that despite the name, Jeu-de-
world’s biggest building when constructed Balle (aka balle-pelotte) is no longer played
(1866–83). Designed to evoke the temples of here. Further west, Sunday’s Marché du
the Egyptian pharaohs, it was sited on the Midi (h6am-1pm Sun) is Brussels’ biggest
hill dominating the working-class Marolles market with a colourful, predominantly
as an intimidating symbol of law and order. North African and Mediterranean feel.
When its architect Joseph Poelaert went in-
sane and died during its construction, leg- Porte de Hal Historic Building

ends promptly suggested he’d been struck (Map p52; Blvd du Midi; adult/concession/child/
down by the witchcraft of the numerous BrusselsCard €5/4/free/free; h9.30am-5pm
Marolles residents evicted to make way for Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun, last entry 4.15pm)
the building. The term skieven (twisted) For centuries Brussels was surrounded by
architekt remains a characteristic insult in a grand 8km fortress wall. It was partially
the old Bruxellois dialect. While the laby- demolished in the 1790s then removed al-
rinthine Palais de Justice is undoubtably together on Napoleon’s orders in 1810. Well,
forbidding, it is not easy to secure. Indeed, almost. In fact a few isolated remnants sur-
in several high-profile cases criminals have vived, including one of the seven very im-
managed to abscond from its precincts. posing 14th-century gatehouse towers that
Behind the building a pavement terrace the French preserved for use as a military
offers wide panoramas over the Brussels prison. This Porte de Hal was converted into
rooftops, with the Atomium and Koekelberg a museum in 1847 and romantically embel-
Basilica the stars of the skyline show. A glass lished with statuary, windows and neogothic
elevator (Map p52; Pl Breugel, Rue de l’Epée; turrets thereafter. Today an audio-guide
free; h7.30am-11.45pm) leads down into the leads you round its decent little city-history
Marolles. museum and exhibition of armour, and you
can climb to the 6th-storey battlements.
Marolles
Brussels’ once resolutely working-class Forest
quarter, the Marolles, has partly shed its Wiels Gallery

proletarian image with a rash of intimate (%02-340 00 50; www.wiels.org; Ave Van Volxem-
restaurants and funky interior-design shops laan 354; adult/concession/BrusselsCard €6/4/
setting up along the main streets, Rue free; hnoon-6pm Wed-Sun; j82) It’s well off the
Haute and Rue Blaes. Nonetheless, pockets usual tourist track in a run-down inner-city
of original Bruxellois character can still be commune, but this converted brewery build-
found, notably around the Place du Jeu-de- ing towards Bruxelles-Midi houses the capi-
Balle, home to a classic early morning flea tal’s new centre for contemporary art and
market. At a few of the down-market cafés photography exhibitions. In the downstairs
here you might overhear people speaking
 51
cafe the old tiled walls and vast copper vats one, but the Musée des Sciences Naturelles
have been retained. alone justifies the trip.
EU Area EU Commission Building
Along the thundering thoroughfares Rue de (m1A to Schuman) The European Commission,
la Loi and Rue Belliard, tragically bland of- the EU’s sprawling bureaucracy, is centred
fice blocks are packed so close together they on the vast, four-winged Berlaymont build-
form dark concrete canyons. To the east, ing (Map p56; Rue de la Loi 200; mSchuman).

Brussels S ights
EU office buildings cut a brutally modern Built in 1967, it’s striking but by no means
gash through a once attractive neighbour- beautiful, despite a billion-euro rebuild be-
hood behind Bruxelles-Luxembourg station. tween 1991 and 2004 that removed asbestos-
But it’s not all horror. The EU Area also has tainted building materials. Information pan-
lovely gardens, fountains and some fine ear- els dotted around the building give insight
ly 20th-century houses, notably around Sq into the history of this neighbourhood and
Marie-Louise. Brussels’ international role. It is not open to
the public.
oMusée des » Cinquantenaire & Around
Sciences Naturelles Museum
The Cinquantenaire is a triumphal arch
(Map p56; %02-627 42 38; www.naturalsciences.
reminiscent of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. It
be; Rue Vautier 29; adult/concession/child/Brus-
was designed to celebrate Belgium’s 50th
selsCard €7/6/4.50/free; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Fri,
anniversary (‘cinquantenaire’) in 1880 but
10am-6pm Sat & Sun; g38 Thought-provok-
took so long to build that by that date only
ing and highly interactive, this museum
a temporary plaster version was standing.
has far more than the usual selection of
The full beast wasn’t completed till 1905.
stuffed animals. But the undoubted high-
In summer, the arcade forms the curious
light is a unique ‘family’ of iguanodons –
backdrop to a drive-in cinema screen,
10m-high dinosaurs found in a Hainaut
while around it are several grand-scale
coalmine back in 1878. A computer simula-
museums.
tion shows the mudslide that might have
covered them, sand-boxes allow you to play Musée Royal de l’Armée »
dino hunter and multilingual videos give et d’Histoire Militaire Museum
a wonderfully nuanced debate on recent (Royal Museum of the Armed Forces & of Military
palaeontology. History; Map p56; %02-737 78 11; www.klm-mra.
be; Parc du Cinquantenaire 3; admission/audio-
FEU Parliament Building guide free/€3; h9am-noon & 1-4.45pm Tue-Sun;
(Map p56; %02-284 34 57; www.europarl.europa. mMérode) One for military buffs, this mu-
eu; Rue Wiertz 43; htours 10am & 3pm Mon-Thu, seum houses an extensive array of weap-
10am Fri; g38 Inside this decidedly dated onry, uniforms, vehicles, warships, paintings
blue-glass building (completed only just and documentation dating from the Middle
over a decade ago) political junkies can sit Ages through to Belgian independence and
in on a parliamentary session in the huge
debating chamber known as the hemicycle,
or tour it when parliament’s not sitting. Inside Information
Tours (using multilingual headphones)
start at the parliament’s visitors’ centre at- A great way of exploring a specific area
tached to the Paul-Henri Spaak section of or indulging in a passion for anything
the parliament. from gueuze beers to Belgian politics, is
to contact Brussels Greeters (www.
Parc Léopold Park
brussels.greeters. be) two weeks before
(Map p56; mSchuman) Steep-sloping Parc
your trip. You fill in a simple online form
Léopold was Brussels Zoo till 1880 and now and the coordinator sets you up with
forms an unexpectedly pleasant oasis hid- a local who will take you to relevant
den away just behind the EU Parliament. sights in the city, usually with stops for
The Musée Antoine Wiertz (Map p56; coffee and lunch along the way (trips
%02 648 17 18; Rue Vautier 62; h10am-noon &
take two to four hours). There is no
1-5pm Tue-Fri, plus alternate weekends; g34 or 80,
charge for the service, and tips are not
dTrône or Maelbeek), displaying Wiertz’s fren-
accepted.
zied 19th-century hell scenes, isn’t for every-
52

Marolles, Sablon & Ixelles

A B 0
0 0
0 0
0
C D
#6
æ
0 0 0 0
w
0 0
0 #0
Ü07 #20
æ
0
0 0
0 0
0 R de0 0
s 0 0 Pl de la Pl du 72
inn0 es0

w
0
0 0
0 0
Square
0
R
0 0 0 0 w0 0 0
0 0
0 0 0 itt0 0 0R No Chapelle Grand þ #
0
B000000 0 0
Péqueur Square de rig
000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

w
w
Sei tre Sablon
0 0 0 0
I'Aviation 0 0 0 0 0 0 gne
w
1
ie 000 See Central Brussels Map (p48) 0
0 0 R0000 u
om0000 0 0 0 du000

w
úr

Wat
t on w 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0M 00
i0 0
# ú
#

R
s
Lemonnier ¤ # 45 49

l ae

teeu
u r
Brussels S

A o
0 0 0 I'0 ir
w
0 0 w 58#û
R 0
d 0
e

RB
0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 w ve 66 R S
w

lar st
u tC æ
0 Pl0 0I0 Blvd 00
Jamar 00 0 13

s
#
NeR d
ý
#

Al e
his

ime
0 0
00 00
Bara
'A R d 0 00 00 0
00
w

n
d
e- lain
0 0 0 0
w

Er
#
þ uL

w
0 rr
00 00 00 0gonne 0 0 0 0 0 0Pl0û0

Min
r 53
w Rd #

R
0 0 0 0
70 0 Te av 0 0 0
w
e #Viewpoint
æ
0 0 0 0 0 o ir sC 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 0

es
e 00000 R #
æ Breugel
Gare ap 0 0 0 0 0 00 0
Pl 0 0 0

Rd
0 0 0 0 0 14 uc 0 0#
þ 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0
 ights

du Midi 0 0 0 0 0 s ns 000 0 0 00 0 0 0 0
ww

u r i Ø
#
an 00000
n e 0 0 0710 0 00 0 0
Poelaert 0 0
Ave d
#
æ
¡
# w Rd e s T
Blvd
0
0 Pl0
0 0
du
0 0
Jeu-
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
280
00
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
w

2 17
R 0
0 0 0 0
de-Balle
0 0 0 0
0
Rd
0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0
Re 00000000000
0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0
I'A d R es
w

rg e de00000 # ú
#
na 00000000000
e la P

I 'H
du M
w

Tourist Information on ect 00000 47

ú 0
ne olit00000 38 r d0s0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0
Booth ›
# 0
0
re000
0 0
R0
R0 0
de 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
00
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 w
0000s0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0
orte d
idi

ï›
#
w a l a R
# TEC Bus
0
0 0
0 0
0
ièr I'A d 0
bri 000000000 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
00
£
# ò
# e e
W (for Louise
Bruxelles- STIB Waterloo)
0
0 0
0 0
0 MAROLLES
co 00
t0ier 00
59 ü
0
#0
0 0
0 0
00
0 0
0 0
0 0
0¡
#0
0 0 w
000# 0
00 00 00 00 00 0
0J000
w 00w
e H al

Midi Branch
0Pl 000
én s
es

ý
M R de

Pr
Kiosk

R oya
ag

ý 64
# Jacobs r

te

év
de nc
63 R des 'O
au n dR De

la e
Prêtres

6
666
H
i s o
MAROLLES
R

o Joncker
ro 0
R n 0
w

3
aT
ny

de
00
Bl

Fe 00 Hotel des el
w
ns

S Porte
vd

ue 0
ile 0 ed R Bosqu
Fo

de 0 0 uM de Hal B Monnaies
lvd de Av
et
e

0
00
d

Em id i ¡
od
e

0 0 0 0 0 # ¡
#

se
n
Av

Water lo o
0 0
R Pl
0 0 da

e
ér

des
0 00 00 00 ur

cos

Suiss
#
â
M

R
Jo 0
000
Héros
0 0 0 Jo
de

19 R

R d'E
se
p 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
Ave
R

û
# R Berc

R de
R 0
0 0
0 0
0 s0
t kman 32
r 0
Co 61 Pl J s
h

0 0F 00
0 e
Jea
Cl

ÿ
#
Rd

R
00 o
0 Dillens R
ae

de de la
nt

e
e I'

ed
nV
s

Da
ra

Sou Pl Loix
sé rce
et

ne
É

4 s
s

o ld

m
glis

ar au k Metro Parvais ú
#
0
0 0
0k 00
0 Ch
0 ch
ric
00 40
ers
eS

ers de St-Gilles
0
0 0
0 0
Pl 0
0
de0 Van d 0
#0
00 R de B
tG

¡ ord
00
000
0 0 0R 00
00 60
û
# eau
ies

û
#
iles

Bethléhem x
0
00
00
00
Chaussée de Wate rloo

54
0
na
on

R ST-
s-M

Th GILLES
R

éo
de

do
-de

la

re
rd
t el

Ve
Vi

na
ct

r ha
'Hô

r
oi

Be

5 eg R
re

en
eI

de
St

P
Rd

om
R

m
R de e
la P
erc Barrière
#29 he
ã de St-Gilles
# Horta
¡
# æ
æ #4
5 C
r h au
arc # emeu
52 û ss s
uP eaD é ori

666
Av . R ed
ed d'A RM
6 Av #
St-Gilles lba
eW
rg

nie at
# Town Hall er
be

las â lo
Vil voie# oine o
lsem

a de
es t
R

S û n
ed R de æ Lo R A art
Av # 55 n Bré #
æ
ba
'A

22 rd ux 2
pétia
sée d

34 ie
h

Duc
ric

ann

ú
# Ave

6
666
0 0 00
ide

0
Pl
0
00 00
Antoine
Chau

gm

0 0
rD

Delporte
RH

0
00
00
#0
00
u

Bru

æ
rth

Waf

50 26
RA

7 û
#
elae

¡
# St-Gilles 9
Albert
rts

Prison â #1
# á

A B C D
 6
66
666
53
e
# 0
0
400 m
0.2 miles
E F G H

e
0
00 00 00

ce
6666
6666
666 ge la

gne
ienc
e
0 0 0 0 0
00 0 00

ie
nc
Ré de

mer
0 0 0 0 R0 0 0 00

ustr
I'Ind de
Trône
0 0 0 0 0
Mo0 0 0 00

urgo
68

la Sc
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00

w
nto

Com
R Bréderod 00 0 0 0¡#
0 0 0 0ye0 00

R
þ
# e 000000 r
Pl du 0 0 0 0 00

o
#
ú. Église 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01
0

de B
Ü
# w

Rd

R
#

R de
Notre-Dame 0 0 0
Trône
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00

R du
0 0 0 0

du
36
0000 0
00 0
00 0
00 0
0000
00
0

eN
du Sablon am 0 0 0

Tr

arie

Brussels S
Square
0 0 Pl0du0 0 0 00

ôn
ur Porte de
÷
# de Meeus 0 0 0 0 0 0 00

RM
0 0 0 0 0 0 00

e
ý 18 ROYAL Namur Pl du
# 0 0 0 0
Luxembourg 0 0 00

6 66
66 66
Porte de
0 0 0 0 0 0 00
w
QUARTER Namur0 #000 mp
62
& SABLON
¡
0 0 0 0 0
Champ
de0
R du Cha
s a ro ly 0 0 0
00 0
00 0
00 0
000
00
0

R dr e
Lo
0w 0 0 0 Mars de Mar
0 C EU QUARTER0 0
s

e
ne

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00

de s
o u

n
lo Square R & ETTERBEEK
0 0 0du0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00
ai

er 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
#0000 0
Jardin
xL

t
d'Egmont a Bastion 30 ÿ
#0 0
Pl de 0 0 0
£ 0
au

 ights
e W þ
# 69 0 0
0Londres
0 0
00 0 0
0 0
0
Bruxelles-0
00
0
R

d
R du
vd R 0 0 0 0 00

ie
G000000
0 0 0 0 0

Du de
l Luxembourg 2

in

al
Grand-Cerf B R St C ha 0

bl

Id
R
u 0
o
0 0 0 00
w 51 s d
s
0 e0 0 0 00

d'
la r Boniface ée d
R

56

66 66
66
# e Wav 0 0
cha0000
rt

R
de

O
e d d'
Sta de

ü
# ü þ
0 0 0
rle 000
ssa

y
# re
sC
R

Av son 67 0 0 0 0 00
lva
0 0 0 0
0000
R

Ch
deR Cap

i er #
ú
he

00 0 0 o 48 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

w w
aix
g
r So
sD

T
00 0 0 0 0 0

w
au
va

B e #
ú #
û L
00 0Pl
0 0 0 0
aP

R
on
E
lie

u
ss
ra

00 0 0 0 0 057

R
d 46 gu R
R

w
l
rs

Louise
00 0 0 R
pie

ée

44 Go
de

du
eV
0
00
0000
Cr e s

ffa
0 MATONGE ie
rs

d'I
R

#
ú
RK

Tr
Audrey rt
x

ôn
p æ
# R
el
ey

el Hepburn's Sa

e
le
en

65 ý

ip
# ns
s

6
as al Childhood Home
ul
-S
ve

St oy la T ou See EU Area 3
eR
ld

n ci
ea c Map (p56)
RJ 0 0 00 Prin 0 s 00 0
R de

ÿ
# 0
0 0
0 Pl00 R du
0 0 0
in 0
a0 00
0 0
0 000
e

3300Stéphanie
0 0 0 0 er 0 00 0
Pl Fernand 000
rd

000 0 0 0 u 0000
0 #
ú 00 000
co

v
00
000 0
0 0 0 0 0
000
0
w

Cocq uc
o
0
000000 0
on

39 R
R Capouillet

S
0 Viad
t

Va
en

ne

31 ÿ
#
C

R n
id

du
en
la

R Aa
R de I'Arbre B
és

d
de

R
rd

lis
Pr

66
d'A

ce
R

em
u
du

er

Co

ols
Rd
an

37
M

Rd
R

nV
l
Je

lèg

Va
R

Ch
eV

el
Ru

#
ú
ix
R

aL R
i

e
harlero

ro

ed

a
en

on Pl H R Maes 4
us
C

gu
ice
es
énit

Conscience
la

eH
sé
Av

Ch
de

aie
e
eL

am

e
d
e de C

ch
'Ix

ran
lan
ou

ps
ite

e
Rd

RB

6666
lle
ise

Ely

alib
uS
eL

s
sé

sé
ea

R
RM
ivo

es
Chaus

Ve
uB
w

00
ur

yd n
ni 00
Rd
ne

t en 0
00
ew n
R

0
k
El R va
Fa

yc

on H
R
id

ns
er

Ja Pl
ile # 5
R Lesbroussart Flagey
t

æ 11
rga

Ém
ul- 35 #
ú

66
Pa
ard
rg

leu

23 #
æ
42 ú li
ail æ8
#
be

R #
ch

eV

uB
en

z æ
# 10 Pl Ste- du
43
Rd
Ga

cq
z

Croix R dère
w

25
ed
ut

fRa #
ú n æ
# vé
lai
Da

Bel
R

De A
sé

te Étangs
Ave d
R

R m ha
us

az C d'Ixelles
Av

o u
Rd
a
e

21 ne
Ch

Gé

es É

Pl du 12
né

#
â æ
# Square de

66
Ü
# Châtelain æ
#
ral

16 Biarritz
p

þ
# 6
ero

Église des
de
R Washington

Augustins . # 73
ns
G

#
â æ
#
au

Rd S
Musée R Africaine 24
d'O

e I'A æ
3#
lle

ch S
w

Horta que #
á
r

os
w

duc R Vilain XIV 27

nb
ac

41 #
ú e
RA T
l ée
uL

IXELLES mé de

6 66
66
Rd

rica
Av

R
la Val

ine
e

Étangs
eL
ail
ag

Ch Pl Albert d'Ixelles
M
uP

au
ou

Leemans
R de
du

ss Jardin
ise
Rd

é ed
R

du Roi 7
eW
at R
er Ma du
loo nas
15 To Fin de tère
‚

# Siècle (200m)
â
E F G H
54

Marolles, Sablon & Ixelles

æ Top Sights 18 Place du Petit Sablon...............................E1
Église Notre-Dame du Sablon................ E1 19 Porte de Hal..............................................C3
Musée Horta.............................................E6 20 Recyclart .................................................. C1
St-Gilles Town Hall ................................. C6 21 Rue Africaine 92 ......................................E6
22 Rue de Savoie 66.....................................C6
Brussels S ights

æ Sights 23 Rue Defacqz 71 ........................................ E5

1 Ave Brugmann 30................................... D7 24 Rue du Lac 6 ........................................... H6
2 Ave Ducpétiaux 18–24 ........................... D6 25 Rue Faider 83........................................... E5
3 Ave Général de Gaulle 38-39................. H6 26 St-Gilles Prison ........................................C7
4 Ave Paul Dejaer 16 .................................. C6 27 WWI Memorial ........................................ H6
5 Ave Paul Dejaer 9.................................... C6
6 Cantillon Brewery .................................... A1 Ø Activities, Courses & Tours
7 Église Notre-Dame de la 28 Elevator.....................................................D2
Chapelle .................................................D1 29 Piscine Victor Boin ..................................B5
8 Flagey Area .............................................. H5
9 Hôtel Hannon & Contretype ÿ Sleeping
Photographic Gallery .......................... D7 30 Chambres en Ville ...................................G2
10 Hôtel Solvay............................................. G5 31 Hôtel Rembrandt..................................... F3
11 Hôtel Tassel..............................................F5 32 Pantone ....................................................D4
12 Ixelles Ponds............................................ H6 33 Vintage Hotel ........................................... E3
13 Jardin d'Enfants .......................................C1
14 Josephine Baker mural .......................... C2 ú Eating
15 Musée Constantin Meunier ................... G7 34 Café des Spoors ......................................B7
16 Musée d'Art Fantastique ........................E6 35 Chez Oki....................................................G5
17 Peeping Policeman................................. C2 36 Claire Fontaine..........................................E1

the mid-20th century. You can climb to the a neogothic cloister and the soaring Corin-
top of the arch or take the lift for sweeping thian columns (convincing fibreglass props)
city views. that bring atmosphere to an original 420 AD
mosaic from Roman Syria. Labelling is in
Autoworld Museum
French and Dutch so the English-language
(Map p56; www.autoworld.be; adult/concession/Brus- audioguide (€3 extra) is worth considering.
selsCard €9/6/free; h10am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-
5pm Oct-Mar; mMérode) Across the big, cobbled Art-Nouveau Houses Historic Buildings
square (free parking), Autoworld displays one Brussels’ greatest art-nouveau gem is the
of Europe’s biggest ensembles of vintage and Maison Cauchie (Map p56; %02-733 8684;
20th-century cars. Among all the four-wheel- www.cauchie.be; Rue des Francs 5; adult/child
ers, notice the Harley Davidson the present €5/free; h6-9pm Tues May-Aug; h10am-1pm
king gave to Belgium’s police force when he & 2-5.30pm 1st Sat & Sun of each month, plus
decided his biker days were over. 6-8.30pm most evenings May-Aug), whose stun-
ning 1905 facade is lavishly adorned with
oMusées Royaux » stylised female figures. It looks like a Klimt
d’Art et d’Histoire Museum painting transformed into architecture.
(Map p56; %02-741 72 11; www.kmkg-mrah.be; Parc When it’s open, wait in a gallery of Cauchie’s
du Cinquantenaire 10; adult/concession/child/Brus- expressionist paintings and read about the
selsCard €5/4/free/free; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Fri, building’s miraculous 1980s salvation until
10am-5pm Sat & Sun; mMérode) This astonish- the next tour (around 30 minutes) is ready to
ingly rich, global collection ranges from An- take you into the fabulous sgraffito-adorned
cient Egyptian sarcophagi to Meso-American rooms upstairs.
masks, to icons to wooden bicycles. It’s worth Currently hidden by renovation scaffold-
having a clear idea what you want to see be- ing, the narrow Maison St-Cyr (Map p56; Sq
fore coming or the sheer scope can prove Ambiorix 11; hclosed) has a classic 1903 facade
overwhelming. Visually attractive spaces in- that’s remarkable for its naturalistic copper-
clude the medieval stone carvings set around framed window, filigree balconies and a cir-
 55

37 Flanerie Gourmand...............................E4 59 L'Inattendu............................................ D3

38 Het Warmwater.....................................C2 60 Maison du Peuple................................. C4
39 Imagin'Air.............................................. G3 61 Potemkine............................................. B4
40 Inada...................................................... D4
41 La Quincaillerie......................................E6 ý Entertainment

Brussels S ights
42 La Tsampa ............................................. F5 62 Conservatoire Royal de
43 Le Framboisier ...................................... F5 Musique............................................... E1
44 Les Brassins .......................................... F3 Flagey .............................................(see 8)
45 L'Idiot du Village.................................... D1 63 Fuse ....................................................... C3
46 L'Ultime Atome ..................................... F2 64 La Démence.......................................... C3
47 Restobières............................................C2 65 Sounds Jazz Club................................. G3
48 Saint-Boniface....................................... F2 66 Théâtre Les Tanneurs ..........................C1
49 Soul Food............................................... D1
þ Shopping
û Drinking 67 Africamäli.............................................. G2
50 Bar du Matin ..........................................B7 68 Antique Market...................................... E1
51 Blomqvists Espresso Bar .................... F2 69 Galerie d'Ixelles & Galerie de
52 Brasserie de la Renaissance .............. C6 la Porte de Namur..............................F2
53 Brasserie Ploegmans ...........................D2 70 Gare du Midi Market ............................ B2
54 Brasserie Verschueren ........................B4 71 Idiz Bogam ............................................ D2
Café Belga...................................... (see 8) 72 Pierre Marcolini.....................................D1
55 Chez Moeder Lambic .......................... C6 73 Place du Châtelain Market...................F6
56 Comptoir Florian................................... F2
57 Kuumba................................................. G2
58 Le Perroquet.......................................... D1

cular upper portal. It’s crowned by a devil- This café is a classic townhouse refitted with
may-care topknot of extravagantly twisted art nouveau interiors in 1904. The front sa-
ironwork. lon is truly marvellous, with original lamps,
A great highlight of an ARAU (p50) tour is brass radiator-covers and stained glass. The
getting into the otherwise closed Hôtel Van brasserie area (behind) that’s publicly acces-
Eetvelde (Map p56; Ave Palmerston 2-4). While sible is much less interesting but buying a
the outside of this building is not Brussels’ drink earns you a walk-through glimpse of
most gripping, its interior is a Horta mas- the highlights.
terpiece studded with exotic timbers and
sporting a central glass dome infused with Église Ste-Marie Church

African-inspired plant motifs. Its owner, (Map p48; Pl de la Reine) Looking east along Rue
Baron Van Eetvelde, was Minister for the Royale your gaze is unavoidably drawn to
Congo and, not coincidentally, the country’s this very distinctive octagonal 19th-century
highest-paid civil servant. church in neo-Byzantine style, replete with
buttresses and a star-studded central cupola.
Schaerbeek
Halles de Schaerbeek Arts Centre
The rather seedy area around the Gare du
(Map p48; %02-218 21 07; www.halles.be; Rue Roy-
Nord (Bruxelles-Nord) is a weird human
ale Ste-Marie 22) This 1901 former food market
jumble. Motorists cruise lasciviously past
prostitutes in their ‘pink windows’, while lo- is a great example of glass and wrought-iron
cal Muslim ladies pass by, dressed in fully industrial architecture that’s been restored
scarfed modesty. Trams 92 or 93 pass near as an arts venue.
Maison Autrique, Halles de Schaerbeek, De Maison Autrique Historic Building
Ultieme Hallucinatie and Église Ste-Marie. (Map p48; %02-215 66 00; www.autrique.be;
Chaussée de Haecht 266; adult/senior/concession
oDe Ultieme Hallucinatie Bar €6/4.30/3; hnoon-5.30pm Wed-Sun) Horta fans
(Map p48; www.ultiemehallucinatie.be; Rue Royale may enjoy his 1893 house. It shows little luxu-
316; beer from €2.20; h10.30am-2am Mon-Sat) ry or extravagance but many design elements
56

EU Area e
# 00 400 m
0.2 miles
A B C D
Rd R

See Central Brussels Map (p48)

#63 Bus Stop # æ6 es C du

66
6666
onf No
to Centre ›
# édé

Bon
ye Pl de
4 Sq 0
rés
0 r Jamblinne
R des Patriot00 0
00
#
æ Ave Ambiorix Sq es

e le
Fountain
1
ææ
# # Palmerston Marguerite 0 de Meux 1

ipp
Grotto

Ru
Phil
Sq Marie- # #63 Bus 16
›
Brussels S ights

eV
Louise Stop from # û

R Archimède

ér
e
Rue
n

ma gn
kli

on
R Jo Centre
seph R St n

6 666
ès
a
Ave Li vin û R Fr
II érin Luxembourg
15#

e
Maelbeek û
# #
ï
h Tourist Office

arle
¡
# 14 #
û 13 rg
R de e
la Lo nb

Ch
R de i 2#
æ rte Ave d
gstone w

Lala e
Bl
v Co la Re

d
ing Schuman
e nais
ed sanc
w0
00
00
2 ¡
# 2
es

e
£
#
0 0 0Av
0 000 Parc du
w
Trèv

Bruxelles-0 0
00
w

0 0 0 00

66666
Rond-Point Cinquantenaire
Schuman 0
00000 0 00
R de

Schuman 0
00
00
0
w
000 8

lerie
EU QUARTER w
0
00
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 RB & ETTERBEEK
#
â
rlon

ellia Arcade du ý

heva
0
00
0 0
0 0
Pl0
0
0
du
rd Cinquantenaire
#. #
00 0 0 0
R d'A

00 0 0 0 w

C
Luxembourg Musées Royaux
00 0 0 0

de la
1â
00 0
00
00 00 000 EU Parliament Aved'Art et d'Histoireâ
#
issart

Ave
#
3 00000 00
00 00 00
des

666666
.
#
0 ï Ner 3

Ave
0 0 00 0 0 0 # Visitor's Centre vien
d'Au

0 0
00# 0
00
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
s s
oi #
R Fro

÷
# l
#
æ A
û
00000
1700000 3
9 v e des G a u æ
de

0
00
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 Parc
0 0 0
5
rghe

R du Cornet
00
000£
# 00 000 Léopold 00
0 000Pl Jourdan
00 0
Bruxelles- 0 0 0
00 0 rre
tie r

00 0 0 0 #
æ Musée 0ú0 Pie
rtz

0
00
Luxembourg
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 7 des Sciences00 0
0
#0
0 R Général Leman
0 0 0 St
R Va u
R Wie

00
00 00 00
â#
Naturelles 000 12 0 0
00
é
0 Chauss uis Hap
e

66666
66
11 0
0 0 0
00
00 00 0 0 0 0 0
00 00

e
0 0us s ée de Wavre 0 0 0 0

ass
o
ú
# Cha 0 0 0 RL
10 0 0 0
R ône

0 0 0 00 0

Ch
w
Tr
du

4 S
# 0 00 00 0 4
w

0
00000 0 0 0
e la
See Marolles, 00
000 0 ed
ETTERBEEK
Sablon & Ixelles
Av

Map (p52)
A0
000 B C D
00
00
0
hint at the art nouveau wave that was just out the art nouveau house at Rue de Savoie 66
about to sweep Brussels to architectural (Map p52), the crenellated white-stone facade
glory. It hosts regularly changing exhibitions imitating a veritable Crusades-era fortress
and the website offers an interesting down- at St-Gilles Prison (Map p52; Ave Ducpétiaux)
loadable walking guide to the neighbourhood and the fine archetypal townhouses at Ave
(www.autrique.be/docs/promenade/plan. Ducpétiaux 18–24 (Map p52). You’ll see su-
en.pdf). perb art-nouveau stained-glass windows at
Hôtel Hannon (Map p52; %02 538 42 20; www.
St-Gilles (Sint-Gillis) contretype.org; Ave de la Jonction 1; admission €2.50;
Central St-Gilles has a couple of great cafés – h11am-6pm Wed-Fri, 1-6pm Sat & Sun; j91 or 92),
try Brasserie de la Renaissance (p73) – and archetypal art nouveau circular window-tops
plenty of century-old houses. Although many and little owls over the door at Ave Brug-
houses are grimy and neglected and virtually mann 55, and a round-ended art-deco tower
none are open for visits, walking past a selec- apartment at Ave Brugmann 30 (Map p52).
tion of fine facades whets your appetite for
the Horta Museum and makes a pleasant way
to discover this very eclectic area. Examples
oSt-Gilles Town Hall Historic Building
(Maison Communale de St-Gilles; Map p52; %02-
are Ave Paul Dejaer 9 (Map p52), a colourfully
536 02 11; www.stgilles.irisnet.be; Pl Maurice van
refurbished art nouveau house, while Ave
Meenen; h8am-noon daily, plus 3-6pm Tue-Sun)
Paul Dejaer 16 (Map p52) is a sadly abandoned
One of Brussels’ overlooked architectural
former charcuterie store, inside which ‘lives’ a
wonders, a splendid Napoleon III–style pal-
giant rooster fashioned out of spoons. Check
ace sporting a soaring brick belfry dotted
 57

EU Area
æ Top Sights ÿ Sleeping
Musée des Sciences Naturelles............ A4 10 Camping Bruxelles-Europe à Ciel
Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire....... D3 Ouvert ....................................................A4

æ Sights ú Eating
1 Autoworld ................................................ D3 11 L'Horloge du Sud.....................................A4

Brussels S ights
2 Berlaymont Building............................... B2 12 Maison Antoine........................................B4
3 EU Parliament ......................................... A3
4 Hôtel Van Eetvelde .................................. B1 û Drinking
5 Maison Cauchie....................................... D3 13 James Joyce ............................................B2
6 Maison St-Cyr ..........................................C1 14 Kitty O'Shea's ..........................................B2
7 Musée Antoine Wiertz............................ A4 15 Old Oak .....................................................C2
8 Musée Royal de l'Armée et 16 Piola Libri.................................................. C1
d'Histoire Militaire ............................... D2 17 Ville de Dinant..........................................A3
9 Parc Léopold ........................................... B3

with gilt statuary: try to see the wedding Musée d’Art Fantastique Museum
hall ceiling, painted by Belgian symbolist (Map p52; %0475-412 918; www.maisonbizarre.be;
artist Fernand Khnopff. Rue Américaine 7; admission €7; h2-5pm Sat &
Sun) In what seems an outwardly typical Ix-
Ixelles (Elsene) elles townhouse, this museum hits you with
Art-Nouveau Houses Buildings jumbled rooms full of cyborg body parts,
Ixelles excels with its glorious art-nouveau Terminator heads and vampire cocoons,
mansions. Some examples (closed to the then lets you electrocute a troll.
public) include Rue Africaine 92 (Map p52)
with its creamy tones, harmonious lines and Flagey Area Neighbourhood
big circular window; Rue Defacqz 71 (Map (Map p52; www.flagey.be; Place Flagey; j81 or 82)
p52) in an 1893 house designed by prominent The marvellous 1938 ‘liner’ building, Flagey,
art-nouveau architect Paul Hankar (1859– originally conceived as the national radio
1901) as his own studio; and Rue Faider 83 building, is now the centre of an up-and-com-
(Map p52) boasting beautiful, gilded sgraffito ing nightlife area. With its distinctive round
design at the top. ‘periscope’ tower, it’s an art deco classic that
hosts a hip cafe, cinema and various enter-
oMusée Horta Museum tainment venues. Leading north are the pretty
(Map p52; %02-543 04 90; www.hortamuseum.be; Ixelles Ponds (Étangs d’Ixelles; Map p52) flanked
Rue Américaine 25; adult/child €7/3.50; h2-5.30pm by an artistic though modest WWI Memorial
Tue-Sun; mHorta, j91 or 92) The typically aus- (Map p52) and many grand mansions. Private
tere exterior doesn’t give much away, but Vic- art nouveau facades to admire include the
tor Horta’s former home (designed and built crazy wrought-iron railings on the otherwise
1898–1901) is an art nouveau jewel. The stair- stern Ave Général de Gaulle 38–39 (Map
well is the structural triumph of the house – p52) and the slightly grubby 1904 Rue du
follow the playful knots and curlicues of the Lac 6 (Map p52), with circular windows, super
banister, which become more exuberant as stained glass and a lovely 2nd-floor balcony.
you ascend, ending at a tangle of swirls and Matonge Neighbourhood
glass lamps at the skylight, glazed with citrus- Taking its name from a square in Kinshasa,
coloured and plain glass. Floor mosaics, glit- Congo, Matonge is home to Brussels’ Afri-
tering stained glass and ceramic brick walls can community, though the compact area
reflect the light in the superbly harmonious also encompasses a much wider ethnic mix.
dining room, rich with swirling American Like parts of Kinshasa, the architecture has
ash furniture, glowing brass and a pink-and- its fair share of tired old 1960s concrete but
orange colour scheme. Horta’s daughter’s room even the dreary Galerie d’Ixelles (Map p52;
has a pretty winter garden, while you can only mPorte de Namur) comes to life with a dozen
envy people who were invited to stay in the African hair-stylist shops, downmarket bars
guest bedroom at the top of the house: the and an outlet for Congolese CD/DVDs. On
swirly brass door-handle is a pleasure in itself.
58
Chaussée de Wavre travel agencies offer Musée David et Alice van Buuren Museum
cheap flights to Bujumbura and Kigali. Snack (%02-343 48 51; www.museumvanbuuren.com; Ave
bars serve cheap, tasty portions of African Léo Errera 41; adult/senior/student/child €10/8/5/
delicacies such as Yassa, Mafe or Moambe. free, garden only €5/4/2.50/free; h2-5.30pm Wed-
Grocery shops at numbers 17, 27, 36 and 130 Mon; j23 or 90) In a 1928 art deco showpiece
are the place, to look for plantains, yams, house you’ll find this exquisite museum,
leaf-wrapped cassava or even dried caterpil- where five rooms are crammed with sub-
Brussels S ights

lars. But don’t come expecting endless quaint lime furnishings, stained glass and top-qual-
boutiques selling folkloric African village- ity paintings covering five centuries of art.
art. The only such place here is Africamäli Also notable are more than 30 works by van
(Map p52; %02-503 0074; Chaussée de Wavre 83), Buuren’s talented symbolist protégé, van de
selling baby bibs, purses and bags. Woestyne, and a Vincent van Gogh sketch
for the latter’s classic Peeling Potatoes.
FMusée Constantin Meunier Museum
Bois de la Cambre Forest
(Map p52; %02-648 44 49; Rue de l’Abbaye 59; This remarkably extensive forest park forms
h10am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Fri; j93 or 94) This
Brussels’ great green lungs. It stretches from
intimate museum occupies an Ixelles town- regal Ave Louise to the Forêt de Soignes,
house that was the last home and studio whose soaring beech trees then extend all
of Brussels-born artist Constantin Meunier the way to Waterloo. Established in 1862 the
(1831–1905). He’s best known for his emo- park has lawns, playgrounds, a ‘pocket’ thea-
tive sculptures and social realist paintings, tre, a roller-skating rink and an island on an
including larger-than-life bronzes depicting artificial lake, where the historic Chalet Rob-
muscular miners from Hainaut, dockworkers inson café-restaurant was recently rebuilt
from Antwerp and men reaping fields. after a fire; take the €1 ferry across to the
Uccle (Ukkel) chalet to enjoy a swish lunch or an ice cream.
Uccle is an affluent, middle-class commune, Laeken
though you’d hardly think so from a first Domaine Royal Historic Buildings
glance at the graffiti-tagged station Uccle- (Royal Estate; Map p60; g53 from Metro Bocks-
Stalle. tael) The Domain Royale contains a trio of

Comic-strip Murals
Over 40 comic-strip murals currently enliven alleys and thoroughfares throughout the
old city centre, with more added year after year. Most are mapped on www.brusselscom
ics.com/en/route_bd.cfm and a more detailed free brochure is available from Brussels
International. Moseying past a few of these cheery murals makes a great excuse to ex-
plore less-visited neighbourhoods. Some favourites:
»» Tibet & Duchateau (Map p40; Rue du Bon Secours 9) Very effectively sees a life-
sized figure teetering towards a trompe l’œil window.
»» Josephine Baker (Map p52; Rue des Capucins 9) One of the most distinctive Marolles
murals – slinky chanteuse Josephine, with a leopard on a lead, shakes hands with a
rotund monk. Behind, both in the mural and in real life, is the looming dome of the
Palais de Justice. Baker performed in Brussels in the 1920s and 30s, and famously
kept a leopard as a pet.
»» Tintin (Map p40; Rue de l’Étuve) The most famous of Belgium’s characters.
»» Broussaille (Map p40; Rue du Marché au Charbon) Depicts a young couple arm-
in-arm. The original 1991 version showed a couple of very ambiguous sex that the
neighbouring gay establishments used to promote the quarter. However, a 1999 re-
paint seemed to give the black-haired figure a more feminine hairstyle, earrings and
(slightly) bigger breasts. Creeping homophobia or honest mistake? Nobody knows.
»» Peeping Policeman (Map p52; Rue Haute) Hergé character uses the terrace end
brilliantly for a little spying.
»» Manneken Pis Displaced (Map p40; Rue de Flandre) A tetchy-looking Manneken Pis
gazes up at his pediment, from which he has been displaced by a grinning, peeing bear.
 59
palace-villas that are home to Belgium’s rul-
ing family. All are out of bounds to tourists,
but two or three weeks a year (exact dates
Green Brussels:
announced each January) you can join the
Promenade Verte
enthusiastic queues to visit the magnificent A great way to get off the beaten track
Royal Greenhouses (Serres Royales; Map p60; in Brussels and discover the leafier
%02-551 2020; www.monarchy.be; Ave du Parc fringes is to walk or cycle the Prom-

Brussels S ights
Royal 61; admission €2; hlate Apr-early May), de- enade Verte (http://www.opt.be/infor
signed in 1873 by Alphonse Balat (Horta’s mations/walks_bruxelles__la_prom
teacher). The construction was an engi- enade_verte/en/AP/53537.html), a
neering marvel of its day and the contents 60-kilometre circuit divided into seven
include many fabulous and rare tropical easy five- to 10-kilometre sections.
species. The route takes in the verdant Forêt de
Deceased Belgian royals are laid to rest Soignes and surprisingly rustic parts
in the crypt (h2-5pm Sun & special holidays) of Uccle, as well as traversing more-
of the splendid, triple-spired stone church industrial landscapes.
of Notre-Dame de Laeken (%02-479 2362;
www.ndlaeken-olvlaken.be; Parvis Notre-Dame;
h2-5pm Tue-Sun, Jan-Nov). raced tiers capped by statues. Nearby you’ll
also find the national football stadium, Bel-
Musées d’Extrême-Orient Museum
gium’s original multiplex/IMAX cinema and
(Map p60; %02-268 16 08; http://www.kmkg- a subtropical water fun-park. Metro station
mrah.be/museums-far-east; Ave Jules Van Praet 44; Heysel is handy, tram 81 is more scenic and
adult/concession/child/BrusselsCard €4/3/1.50/ car access is easy from the Brussels ring.
free, 1-4.45pm 1st Wed of month free; h9.30am-
4.30pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4.30pm Sat & Sun; j4 or
23 to Araucaria stop) A pair of East Asian pa-
oAtomium Monument, Museum
(Map p60; http://atomium.be/FoodAndDrinks.
godas form the key attractions here. Both
aspx; Sq de l’Atomium; adult/concession/Brus-
are Léopold II leftovers, built in 1905 after
selsCard €11/8/9; h10am-7pm May-Sep, 10am-
the king had seen similar towers at the
6pm Oct-Apr; mHeysel, j51) The space-age
1890 Paris World’s Fair. An underpass leads
from the ticket desk to the vermillion Tour Atomium looms 102m over north Brussels’
Japonaise (Japanese Tower; Map p60; %02
suburbia like a gleaming steel alien from a
268 16 08; Ave Jules Van Praet 44; admission €3,
’60s Hollywood movie. It consists of nine
1-4.45pm 1st Wed of month free; j23 or 52) front-
house-sized metallic balls linked by steel
ed by a fabulous Japanese pavilion with tube-columns containing escalators and
occasional art nouveau flourishes, such as lifts. The balls are arranged like a school
in the stained-glass windows. Inside the chemistry set to represent iron atoms in
gloriously glittering Pavillon Chinois (Chi- their crystal lattice… except these are 165
nese Pavilion; Map p60; %02 268 16 08; Ave Jules
billion times bigger. It was built as a sym-
Van Praet 44; admission €3, 1-4.45pm 1st Wed of
bol of postwar progress for the 1958 World’s
month free; h10am-4:45pm Tue-Sun; j23 or 52),
Fair and was originally destined for demoli-
the decor swings from gilded belle époque tion thereafter. However, it rapidly became
to Khajuraho-Indian. Both pagodas display an architectural icon and received a shiny
priceless Asian decorative arts while an eas- makeover in 2006.
ily overlooked Japanese arts museum shows At night the spheres sparkle magically
off swords, samurai armour and ukiyo-e and, except during midsummer, the pano-
painting. rama-level restaurant (Map p60; %02-479
5850; www.belgiumtaste.com; mains €12-20)
Stretching west to the Atomium, the ex-
pansive Parc de Laeken (Map p60; Ave du Parc reopens at 6.30pm, putting starched cloths
Royal, opposite Domaine Royal) is dotted with
on its functional tables and serving decent
magnolia and mature chestnut trees. dinners with a view. Dinner guests don’t pay
the tower entrance fee but reservations are
Heysel essential.
The astounding Atomium dominates a spraw
Mini Europe Theme Park
-ling complex of trade-fair exhibition halls,
(Map p60; www.minieurope.com; adult/child €13.80/
including the distinctive 1930 art-deco Pal-
10.30, with Atomium €23.10/15.20; h10am-5pm
ais du Centenaire (Map p60) featuring ter-
Apr-Jun & Sep-Dec, 9.30am-8pm Jul-Aug) Want to
60

Heysel & Laeken e

# 0
0
500 m
0.25 miles
A B C D

0̧

66666
66
6
4 HEYSEL
A 12
V
#
1 Pl de 1

Av
Belgique

e de
Roi
e de I'Impératrice
Brussels S ights

Baudoin Av Charlotte ey

M
Av
ss
¡
# e

e
#Heysel
¡

de
M
ad Ave

6666666
66
66
6
ý
#
rid d es
10 9 C ro ix du F
Atomium á
#ú eu
#
÷2
# 6â
#â#3
ul
Bruparck ros Tille
2
Ave du G 8â
# 2
Av

Villa
e

Ave
Ho

Belvédère

rc R o al
66666
66
ub

æ
#

y
d es T rem b l
5
a

Av
Baptis e Jean æ
#
de

æ
#
te De 7
St

paire
ro

# Houba-Brugmann
¡

Pa
peo

V
#

du
r

Château
es

e
æ
#

Av
Stuyvenberg 1

6 66666
3 3
Château Royal
de Laeken V#
Stuyvenbergh ¡
#
LAEKEN
A B C D

Koekelberg
Heysel & Laeken National Basilica Church
(Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur; %02-421
æ Top Sights
16 69; www.basilique.be; Parvis de la Basilique 1;
Atomium ................................................B2
h9am-5pm May-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Apr) Ghastly
æ Sights but gigantic, this is the world’s fifth-largest
1 Domaine Royal......................................D3 church and, by some measure, the world’s
2 Mini Europe............................................B2 largest art deco building. When construc-
3 Musées d'Extrême-Orient ...................D2 tion started in 1905 (to celebrate Belgium’s
4 Palais du Centenaire ............................ B1 75th anniversary), a truly magnificent feast
5 Parc de Laeken......................................C2 of neogothic spires was planned. However,
6 Pavillon Chinois.....................................D2 WWI left state finances impoverished so a
7 Royal Greenhouses ..............................D2 1925 re-design shaved off most of the intri-
8 Tour Japonaise......................................D2 cate details. The lumpy result, finally com-
pleted in 1969, has some attractive stained
ú Eating glass but is predominantly a white elephant
9 Atomium Restaurant............................B2 of dull, brown brick and green copperwork.
Take the lift (adult/BrusselsCard €4/2.40)
ý Entertainment
to a 53m-high panorama balcony for wide
10 Stade Roi Baudouin..............................A2
views, including an interesting perspective
on the Atomium.
fool your friends that you saw all of Europe? Molenbeek
Easy. Just photograph the dozens of 1/25th Tour & Taxis Historic Building
scale models of the continent’s top monu- (Map p48; %02-420 60 69; www.tourtaxis.be; Rue
ments at Mini Europe. On certain midsum- Picard 3) A postal sorting shed doesn’t sound
mer Saturday nights it stays open till mid- like an immediate tourist draw but the Tour
night, with firework displays at 10.30pm. & Taxis complex is in fact an architectural
masterpiece – its 21st-century revamp creat-
ing a fine exhibition and commercial space in
these Victorian warehouses and customs de-
 61
pots. It’s all part of an ongoing gentrification Place de la Vaillance, where several 1920s
of Brussels’ run-down canal district, from buildings have pseudo-medieval facades.
where you can now take a variety of summer
barge cruises (www.brusselsbywater.be). Cantillon Brewery Brewery
(Musée Bruxellois de la Gueuze; Map p52; %02-
Anderlecht 521 49 28; www.cantillon.be; Rue Gheude 56;
Internationally best known for its football admission €6; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat;
team (www.rsca.be/go/en; Avenue Théo Verbeeck mClemenceau) Beer lovers shouldn’t miss this

Brussels S ights
2, Van den Stock Stadium; mSt-Guidon), this unique living brewery-museum. Atmospher-
sprawling western suburb now has a rather ic and family run, it’s Brussels’ last operat-
grimy reputation, though a couple of fine ing lambic brewery and still uses much of
attractions deserve your attention. the original 19th-century equipment. After a
brief explanation, visitors take a self-guided
Erasmus House Museum Museum
tour, including the barrel rooms where the
(%02-521 13 83; www.erasmushouse.museum; Rue beers mature for up to three years in chest-
du Chapitre 31; admission €1.25; h10am-5pm Tue- nut wine-casks. Expect plenty of cobwebs as
Sun, mSaint-Guidon) Back in 1521, Anderlecht spiders are considered friends of lambic’s
was still a country village when the world- spontaneous fermentation process, which
famous humanist Erasmus came to ‘play at occurs (winter only) in a vast, shallow cop-
farming’. The lovely brick home where he per tub in the attic room. The entry fee
stayed for five months is now this muse- includes two taster-glasses of Cantillon’s
um. It’s an unexpected little gem furnished startlingly acidic brews.
with fine artworks including several Flem-
ish Primitive paintings and some priceless Tervuren
manuscripts. There’s an attractive ‘philoso- A 20-minute ride on tram 44 from Metro
phy garden’ behind, and the already mod- Montgoméry follows beautiful tree-lined
est entry fee also allows access to Belgium’s Ave de Tervuren east past opulent embassy
smallest begijnhof (hclosed noon-2pm. It’s villas, the lovely parkland ponds of Woluwé
now an appealing two-house something- and through the northern reaches of the
of-everything museum tucked behind the leafy Forêt des Soignes. Sit on the right
nearby 16th-century Gothic Church of St- (south) side to spot the 1911 Palais Stoclet,
Pierre & St-Guidon (h9am-noon daily & 2pm- whose radically geometric exterior is an
5.30pm Thu-Tu). The church has some original early premonition of art deco: the architect
murals and was once a major pilgrimage was instructed to produce a Gesamtkunst-
site: right up until WWI, cart-drivers and werk (‘total work of art’). A Unesco site since
those suffering fits would arrive here to pray June 2009, at the time of research the build-
before the reliquary of 10th-century St-Guy ing was under renovation but hopefully it
(Guidon), the multitasked patron saint of will one day be possible to visit and admire
cattle, work-horses, sheds and epileptics. the dazzling interiors, which feature work
The church’s white-stone spire dominates by Klimt and Khnopff. Tervuren’s unique
the patchily attractive, café-ringed square,

Horta’s Creations
Victor Horta (1861–1947) was an architectural chameleon mostly remembered for his
daring, light-suffused art nouveau buildings using trademark elements of wrought iron
and glass. His once-celebrated Maison du Peuple was torn down in 1965 but surviving
masterpieces include Rue Américaine 25 (now the Musée Horta, seep57) and Grand
Magasin Waucquez (now the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, see p46), along with
Horta’s first truly art nouveau house, the 1893 Hôtel Tassel (Map p52; Rue Paul-Émile
Janson 6) and his first civic commission, the charming Jardin d’Enfants (Map p52; Rue
St-Ghislain 40) which still functions as a schoolhouse.
Horta’s WWI ‘exile’ in England and the USA marked a transition in styles – gone was
the sensuous art nouveau and in its place was his clean-cut functional interpretation of
art deco. From 1922 to 1928 Horta designed the bold but severe Palais des Beaux-Arts,
while his disappointing last major work was the rather drab post–art deco train station,
Bruxelles-Central.
62
Africa Museum is undergoing a major or perhaps in nearby Ste-Catherine which
restoration, and won’t reopen till 2016. is less frenetic. Otherwise, areas like St-
Gilles offer a more ‘local’ experience and the
2 Activities chance to explore some beautiful streets and
Piscine Victor Boin Swimming squares. Brussels has a reasonable network
(Map p52; %02-539 0615; Rue de la Perche 38; of B&Bs, many listed and bookable through
adult/child €2.50/1.75; hnoon-7pm Mon-Sat, from Bed & Brussels (www.bnb-brussels.be), or try
Brussels A

2pm Wed) Covered art-deco swimming pool sites like Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) and Wim-
in St-Gilles with a Turkish bath at the rear. du (www.wimdu.co.uk). Most hostel fees in-
clude breakfast and are slightly discounted
T Tours if you’re under 26, though sadly none of the
city’s hostels is outstanding and some have
oAtelier de Recherche »
Activities

age limits. Breakfast is generally included in

ctivities

et d’Action Urbaine Architecture rack-rate prices for midrange hotels, but not
(ARAU; Map p40; %02-219 33 45; www.arau. necessarily when you’ve scored an internet
org; Blvd Adolphe Max 55; hApr–mid-Dec) Get bargain. Check carefully.
up close and personal to a wide variety of
Brussels’ architecture with the resident-run Grand Place & Around
heritage conservation group, Atelier de Re- oHôtel Métropole Luxury Hotel €€€
cherche et d’Action Urbaine, which runs a (Map p40; %02-217 23 00, reservations 02-214
programme of coach tours (€17) and walk- 2424; www.metropolehotel.com; Place de Brouck-
ing tours (€10) taking you into buildings ère 31; s/d/ste €330/360/500, weekend rates
that are often otherwise off-limits. Bookings from €115; W) This 1895 showpiece has a
can be made online through the Brussels jaw-droppingly sumptuous French Renais-
tourist office. sance–style foyer with marble walls, coffered
Brussels City Tours Walking ceiling and beautifully etched stained-glass
(Map p40; %02-513 77 44; www.brussels-city-tours. back windows. The café is indulgent and
com; Rue de la Colline 8; adult/concession/child the bar (with frequent live music) features
€26/23/13; hevery 30min, 10am-4pm Apr-Oct, recently ‘rediscovered’ murals by a student
10am-3pm Nov-Mar) Covers everything from of Horta. One of the lifts is an 1895 original.
the Atomium to the EU, and includes some Rooms have been recently redecorated in
lovely art nouveau houses. You kick off with styles varying from art deco to what they
a walking tour of the Grand Place, and are describe as ‘Venetian Baroque’ – slightly
then transported by coach. overcolourful for some tastes. Much of the
furniture is restored from 1930s originals.
Brussels Bike Tours Cycling
(%0484 898 936; www.brusselsbiketours.com; tour o Chambres d’Hôtes »
incl bicycle rental adult/student €22/25; h10am du Vaudeville B&B €€
Feb-Nov, 10am & 3pm Apr-Sep) These four-hour (%0471-47 38 37; www.chambresdhotesduvaude
tours (maximum group size 12) start from ville.be; Galerie de la Reine 11; d from €115; W) This
the Hôtel de Ville (Grand Place). Many first- classy B&B has an incredible location right
time visitors love both the ride and the beer within the gorgeous (if reverberant) Galeries
and frites stops along the way (food and St-Hubert. Delectable decor styles include
drink cost extra). It also offers a long walk- African, modernist and ‘Madame Loulou’
ing tour of the city. (with 1920s nude sketches). Larger front
Brussels by Water Boating rooms have claw-foot bathtubs and galerie
(Map p48; %02-201 10 50; www.brusselsbywater. views, but can be noisy with clatter that
be; Quai des Péniches 2/B; 45-min port tours adult/ continues all night. Get keys via the art deco
concession from €4/3; h2pm, 3pm, 4pm & 5pm influenced Café du Vaudeville, where break-
Tue, Wed & Sun May-Sep) Brussels’ canals offer fast is included. Vaudeville’s unique house
an interesting (if industrial) perspective of beer is provided free in the minibar.
the capital.
o Hôtel »
4 Sleeping Le Dixseptième Boutique Hotel €€€

Brussels has a vast range of accommoda- (Map p40; %02-502 57 44; www.ledixseptieme.be;
tion. If you’re on a short break, try to stay in Rue de la Madeleine 25; s/d/ste from €180/200/270,
the centre, ideally around the Grand Place weekend from €100/100/200; W) A hushed
 63
magnificence greets you in this alluring
boutique hotel, partly occupying the former Weekend & Summer
17th-century residence of the Spanish am- Deals
bassador. The coffee-cream breakfast room
With most of Brussels’ accommoda-
retains original cherub reliefs while the
tion scene aimed squarely at Eurocrats
bar-lounge has been done out to re-create a
and business travellers, many mid- and
similar ambience. Spacious executive suites
upper-range hotels drop their rates

Brussels S leeping
come with four-poster beds. Across a tiny en-
dramatically at weekends and in sum-
closed courtyard-garden in the cheaper rear
mer. Double rooms with September
section, some rooms are less than memora-
midweek rates of €240 might cost as
ble, though the Creuz Suite has its bathroom
little as €69 in August – so why use a
tucked curiously into a 14th-century vaulted
hostel? Shop around and check care-
basement. Lifts stop between floors so you’ll
fully for internet deals, especially on
need to deal with some stairs.
chain hotels.

SLe Plaza Hotel €€

(Map p48; %02-278 01 00; www.leplaza-brussels. out at the Manneken Pis from the window
be; Blvd Adolphe Max 118-126; r €100-400; W) of room 5 in this neat, unsophisticated six-
From outside the architecture looks unso- room B&B-style ‘hotel’, accessed by steep
phisticatedly art deco but inside the foyer spiral stairs from an archetypal giftshop.
oozes classical charm. Rooms are refined Check in before 10pm. Free wi-fi.
and unusually spacious, and the hotel has
a conscious eco-sensitive policy. However, Downtown-BXL B&B €€
staff seem somewhat overworked and the (Map p40; %0475-29 07 21; www.downtownbxl.
location, while reasonably central, is marred com; Rue du Marché au Charbon 118-120; r €77-109;
by the block of sex shops that leads north W) Near the capital’s gay district, this B&B is
from here towards the seedier Gare du Nord superbly located for those wanting to dance
area. Breakfast is €29. the night away. From the communal break-
fast table and help-yourself coffee bar, a clas-
Dominican Business Hotel €€€ sic staircase winds up to good-value rooms
(Map p40; %02-203 08 08; www.thedominican.be; featuring zebra striped cushions and Warhol
Rue Léopold 9; r weekday/weekend from €180/115; Marilyn prints. One room features a round
iW) Combining classic elegance with un- bed. Adjacent Casa-BXL (Map p40; %0475
derstated modern chic this excellent top- 290721; http://www.lacasabxl.com/; Rue du Marché
range palace occupies the site of a former au Charbon 16; r €89) offers three rooms in a
abbey right behind La Monnaie. It’s hard more Moroccan-Asian style.
to beat for style and the location is wonder-
fully central albeit in an area suffering from Hôtel Saint-Michel Hotel €€
rather patchy architecture and atmosphere. (Map p40; %02-511 09 56; www.atgp.be; Grand
Place 15; s/d/tr without view €80/98/121, with
Hôtel Amigo Luxury Hotel €€€ view €110/120/143; W) Its unique location
(Map p40; %02-547 47 47; www.hotelamigo.com; right on the fabulous Grand Place means
Rue de l’Amigo 1-3; d weekend/summer/weekday you just might forgive the dowdy decor, soft
from €179/199/319, ste from €1299; iW) Let mattresses and a lift like a goods elevator.
faultlessly polite besuited staff usher you into The views from the front rooms are truly
Central Brussels’ top address. Behind a classi- breathtaking but bear in mind you’ll also
cal Flemish facade lies a stone-flagged recep- share the sounds of a square that remains
tion area worn smooth by centuries of foot- alive with activity (and occasional full-scale
steps. Stylishly designed rooms have an airy rock concerts) till the wee hours. Service is
and imaginative vibe with art deco touches, very friendly.
surreal carved ‘fruit’ elements and art rang-
ing from signed Goosens caricatures to Mag- Centre Vincent van Gogh Hostel €
ritte prints and framed Tintin figurines. (Map p48; %02-217 01 58; www.chab.be; Rue Tra-
versière 8; dm €19.50-23, s/d/q €35/54/86; iW)
La Vieille Lanterne B&B €€ The lobby bar and pool-table veranda are
(Map p40; %02-512 74 94; www.lavieillelanterne. unusually hip for a hostel, but rooms are
be; Rue des Grands Carmes 29; s/d/tw from less glamorous and, from some, reaching the
€76/86/105, summer €90/95/125; W) Look toilets means crossing the garden courtyard.
64
No membership required but you have to be to a revamped café. Most rooms come with
under 35 unless in a group. high-powered showers and large but sub-
tle black-and-white nudes above the bed.
HI Hostel John Breugel Hostel
Fabrics by Mia Zia, toiletries by Bvlgari.
(Map p48; %02-511 04 36; www.jeugdherbergen.
be/brussel.htm; Rue du Saint Esprit 2; dm/s/tw Ixelles & Ave Louise
€22.80/35/54.60, youth €20.30/32/48.60, mem- Like everywhere in Brussels this area’s char-
bers save €3; hlockout 10am-2pm, curfew 1am- acter can vary substantially from block to
Brussels S leeping

7am; iW) Superbly central but somewhat block, but overall it’s one of the capital’s
institutional with limited communal space. most chic and lively inner suburbs.
The attic singles are a cut above the other
hostels. Internet €2 per hour, wi-fi free, oChambres en Ville B&B €€
lockers €1.50. (Map p52; %02-512 92 90; www.chambresenville.be;
Rue de Londres 19; s/d €80/100, 2 nights €140/180;
St-Catherine & Around
W) Impressive B&B in an unmarked 19th-
oMaison Noble B&B €€ century townhouse featuring part-stripped
(Map p48; %02-219 23 39; www.maison-noble.eu; wooden floors, high ceilings and large, taste-
Rue du Marcq 10; r from €129; iW) A stay at this fully appointed guestrooms. Furniture new
splendidly refined four-room guesthouse and old combined with striking artwork and
starts with a welcome drink in the Flem- curiosities from all over the world (notably
ish neogothic lounge. It’s backed by a gor- antique African statuettes) give the place a
geous 1920s stained-glass panel and joined unique character. Duplex top-floor studio
to a neo-Renaissance piano room. Guests available (€1000 per month).
are free to tickle the ivories and once in a
while recitals are held here featuring up- Pantone Hotel €€

and-coming concert pianists. Fully hotel- (Map p52; %02-541 48 98; pantonehotel.com; Place
standard rooms have rainforest showers, Loix 1; r €99-129) An eye-popping array of Pan-
fine linens, and framed Breughel prints over tone colours greets you, from the turquoise
the beds. While the target market is ‘mar- pushbike at reception to moulded plastic
ried’ gay couples, the charming owners are chairs to lime green bedrooms – all with re-
hetero-friendly. freshing swathes of white too. Modern, styl-
ish and functional, as well as surprisingly
Hôtel Noga Family Hotel €€ affordable.
(Map p40; %02-218 67 63; www.nogahotel.com;
Rue du Béguinage 38; s weekday/weekend from Vintage Hotel Hotel €€

€95/70, d €110/85, tr €135/110, q €160/135 ; iW) (Map p52; %02-533 99 80; www.vintagehotel.be;
This very welcoming family hotel estab- Rue Dejoncker 45; s/d €135/195; W) Stylish mod-
lished in 1958 uses model yachts to give the ern option near Ave Louise but situated on
lobby and piano room a certain nautical feel. a quiet courtyard, where a 1958 airstream
Sepia photos of Belgian royalty, along with caravan provides an urban ‘glamping’ expe-
historic bellows, top hats and assorted ran- rience – it’s kitted out with bed, TV, shower
dom kitsch, lead up to variously decorated and loo, a little table and a couple of chairs.
rooms that are neat and clean without par- Elsewhere, in the converted mansion build-
ticular luxury. Wi-fi is free for the first hour. ing, the focus is on 20th-century design in
primary colours. Also has online discounts.
Hôtel Welcome Hotel €€
(Map p40; %02-219 95 46; www.brusselshotel. Hôtel Rembrandt Guesthouse €€

travel; Rue du Peuplier 1; r €95-210) The wooden- (Map p52; %02-512 71 39; www.hotelrembrandt.
panelled reception area does nothing to pre- be; Rue de la Concorde 42; s/d without bathroom
pare guests for the full-colour decor in each €52/75, with bathroom €72/95; W) A homely,
uniquely designed room transporting you friendly and good-value guest house just
to, say, Tahiti, the Congo, Cuba or Zanzibar. a block off Ave Louise. It’s a jumble of or-
naments, paintings and polished wooden
Hotel Café Pacific Hotel €€ furnishings. Rooms are well cared for if
(Map p40; %02-213 00 80; www.hotelcafepacific. a tad small, all with showers or baths but
com; Rue Antoine Dansaert 57; s from €129-159, d the cheaper ones sharing toilets. Reception
from €139; W) The hip design look is all you’d closes at 9pm.
expect from this fashion-district address,
though the reception is just a desk attached
 65
Camping Bruxelles-Europe » points cheap African and world cuisine with
à Ciel Ouvert Campground hip local fare on Rue St-Boniface. There’s
(Map p56; %02-640 79 67; cielouvertcamping. a lot more choice around Ixelles. Affluent
wordpress.com/about; Chaussée de Wavre 203; per locals tend to dine considerably further
tent/person €6/6; hreception 8am-11pm Jul-Aug) afield in middle-class areas such as Woluwé,
The only campsite in central Brussels is a Kraainem and Uccle, or semi-rural escapes
simple summer-only place hidden away in like Lasne and Linkebeek.

Brussels E ating
the garden of a spindle-spired church, Église
du St-Sacrement. Rather ropy showers are Lower Town
available and campervans may park out- oL’Ogenblik French €€€
side (€10 without hook-up). The nearest full (Map p40; %02-511 61 51; www.ogenblik.be; Galerie
camping grounds are much further afield in des Princes 1; lunch €11, mains €23-28; hnoon-
Wezembeek-Oppem and Grimbergen (www. 2.30pm & 7pm-midnight) It may be only a
camping-grimbergen.webs.com). stone’s throw from Rue des Bouchers, but
this timeless bistro with its lace curtains,
5 Eating resident cat, marble-topped tables and mag-
The essential Brussels experience involves nificent wrought-iron lamp feels a world
old-world restaurants where aproned wait- away. They’ve been producing French clas-
ers bustle across tiled floors and diners tuck sics here for more than 30 years, and the ex-
into hearty Belgian cuisine in wood-panelled pertise shows. Worth the price for a special
surroundings. But trendy minimalism has meal in the heart of town.
also swept the scene, and there’s no short-
age of international cuisine. As ever, cafés oArcadi Brasserie €
are generally cheaper and open longer than (Map p40; %02- 511 33 43; Rue d’Arenberg 1b; snacks
restaurants if atmosphere and price is more from €5; h7am-11pm) The jars of preserves,
important than refinement and cuisine. beautiful cakes and fruit tarts of this classic
The cobbled streets around the Grand and charming bistro entice plenty of Brussels
Place are the natural starting point, though residents, as do well-priced meals like lasa-
be careful on the quaint Rue and Petite Rue gne and steak, all served nonstop by courte-
des Bouchers. For fish and seafood (includ- ous staff. With a nice location on the edge of
ing local speciality mussels) the Ste-Cathe- the Galeries St-Hubert, this is a great spot for
rine’s fish-market area is highly regarded. an indulgent creamy hot chocolate.
The streets around Place St-Géry offer a
small line-up of great-value Asian eateries.
The Marolles shelters several intimate and
oUp North Modern European €€
(Map p40; %02-502 77 29; www.upnorth.be; Rue
trendy options while Matonge counter-
des Chapeliers 36; mains €22-25; mGare Central)

Fine Dining
Our restaurant reviews focus on ambience and value for money. However, if money is
no object check out one of Brussels’ dozen Michelin-starred restaurants, many run by
internationally known chefs – lunch will be less damaging to your pocket than dinner.
Even with a plutonium credit card you may need reservations weeks in advance for
mythic Comme Chez Soi (Map p48; www.commechezsoi.be; Place Rouppe 23). Other
classics requiring a lengthy taxi ride from the city centre are Alain Deluc’s Barbizon
(www.barbizon.be) in Jezus-Eik, and Pascal Devalkeneer’s Chalet de la Forêt (www.
lechaletdelaforet.be), set amid towering beeches in the Forêt de Soignes. Central Sea
Grill (Map p40; %02-212 08 00; www.seagrill.be; Radisson SAS Royal Hotel Brussels, Rue
du Fossé aux Loups 47; hnoon-2pm & 7-10pm, closed mid-July–mid-Aug; mDe Brouckère) is
superb for fish, though unatmospherically located in a business hotel. Somewhat more
affordable but still interesting eats can be had in town at Up North (p65; Scandinavian),
classy Inada (Map p52; %02-538 01 13; Rue de la Source 73; French food prepared by a
Japanese chef) and Flanerie Gourmand (Map p52; %02-537 32 20; http://sites.resto.
com/flaneriesgourmandes; Rue Berckmans 2; French ‘slow’ food), while mushroom fans
will be in heaven at Café des Spoors (Map p52; %02-534 13 03; www.cafedesspores.be;
Chaussée d’Alsemberg 103).
66
A great, idiosyncratic little place a few steps 2; mains €15-27; hnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-10.30pm
from the Grand Place, with a staff of just Mon-Sat).
two: a Norwegian chef and a maître d’: the
Mokafé Waffles €
chef designed the lights, shaded by dried cod
(Map p40; %02-511 78 70; Galerie du Roi; waffles
skin. His menu is super seasonal, with fresh
from €3; h7.30am-11.30pm; mDe Brouckère) Lo-
fish in spring and summer (try the elusive
Arctic cod in February only) and reindeer, cals get their waffles in this old-fashioned
café under the glass arch of the Galeries-St
Brussels E ating

elk and grouse in autumn and winter.

Hubert. It’s a little timeworn and dowdy
A l’Ombra Italian €€ inside, but wicker chairs in the beautiful
(Map p40; Rue des Harengs 2; pastas €8.50-13, arcade provide you with a view of passing
mains €10.50-16; hnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-11.30pm shoppers.
Mon-Sat) Take a tiny, tile-walled 1920s shop–
Laurent Gerbaud Chocolate €
house. Keep the classic decor, wooden shelf-
(Map p48; %02-511 16 02; www.chocolatsgerbaud.
holders and cashier booth. Insert stools
be; Rue Ravenstein 2; snacks from €5; h7.30am–
and a narrow communal table. Serve great
7.30pm; mParc) A bright and welcoming cafe
fresh pasta and see if the customers finally
communicate. Perhaps… at least with the with big picture windows that’s perfect for
farewell grappa. lunch or a coffee if you’re between museums.
Don’t leave without trying the wonderful
La Maison du Cygne Belgian €€ chocolates, which count as healthy eating in
(Map p40; %02-511 82 44; www.lamaisonducygne. the world of Belgian chocs – they have no
be; Rue Charles Buls 2; mains €37-65, menu €65; alcohol, additives or added sugar. Friendly
hlunch Mon-Fri, dinner Sun-Fri; mGare Centrale) owner Laurent also runs chocolate-tasting
Gastronomic Belgo-French seasonal cuisine and making sessions.
is served in this sophisticated restaurant
Belga Queen Brussels Belgian €€
on the 2nd floor of a classic 17th-century
(Map p40; %02-217 21 87; www.belgaqueen.be; Rue
guildhall. Book way ahead to score one of
du Fossé aux Loups 32; mains €16-25, weekday lunch
the few tables with a Grand Place view.
€16; hnoon-2.30pm & 7pm-midnight) Belgian
For something slightly less formal try the
1st-floor Ommegang Brasserie (Map p40; cuisine is given a chic, modern twist within
www.brasseriedelommegang.be; Rue Charles Buls
a magnificent if reverberant 19th-century
bank building. Classical stained-glass ceil-
ings and marble columns are hidden be-
hind an indecently hip oyster counter and
wide-ranging beer and cocktail bar (open
Bruxellois
noon till late). In the former bank vaults
The old Marolles-Brussels dialect, beneath, there’s a cigar lounge that morphs
Bruxellois, is a curious mixture of into a nightclub after 10pm Wednesday to
French, Dutch and Walloon with ele- Saturday.
ments of Spanish and Yiddish thrown
Chez Léon Belgian €€
in. These days very few people beyond
(Map p40; %02-513 04 26; www.chezleon.be; Rue
Place du Jeu-de-Balle actually speak
des Bouchers 18; mains €15-27; hnoon-11pm) This
the full dialect. Nonetheless, certain
long-time tourist favourite serves the origi-
Bruxellois words are used, consciously
nal ‘Mussels from Brussels’, and makes a
or otherwise, to punctuate local French
good place to try them if you don’t mind that
whether for comic effect or because
portions (mostly 850g) are somewhat small
no better word exists. Classic exam-
by Belgian standards. Rooms are spread
ples that hint at the playful Bruxellois
over several gabled house and decor varies
character:
from attractively classic to somewhat tacky
»» blèter – to snivel, complain
depending on where you sit.
»» in stoemelings – sneakily, on the quiet
»» papzak – fatso
Kokob Ethiopian €€
(Map p40; %02-511 19 50; www.kokob.be; Rue des
»» zatlap – habitual drunkard
Grands Carmes 10; menus from €20 per person;
»» zieverair – time-waster, idiot h6.30pm-midnight Mon-Wed & noon-1am Thu-Sun;
»» zieverer – to mess around jAnnessens or Bourse) A warmly lit Ethiopian
bar/restaurant/cultural centre at the bottom
 67
of Rue des Carmes, where well-explained and-snack lunch-grabbers around bare
dishes are best shared, eaten from and with metal outdoor tables.
pancake-like injera – it’s one to visit in a
group rather than on your own. Traditional Le Cercle des Voyageurs Brasserie €

coffee ceremonies are held on Wednesday (Map p40; %02-514 39 49; www.lecercledesvoy
evening and Sunday (noon to 3pm). ageurs.com; Rue des Grands Carmes 18; mains
€9-12; h8am-11pm Wed-Mon; W; mAnnessens or
Si Bemol Late night, Belgian €€ Bourse) Invite Phileas Fogg for coffee to this

Brussels E ating
(Map p40; %02-219 63 78; www.lesibemol.be; Rue delightful bistro featuring globes, an an-
aux Fleurs 20; mains €10.50-21.50; h7pm-5am; tique-map ceiling and a travel library. If he’s
W) Traditional cuisine from stoemp (potato- late, flick through old National Geographics
veg mash) to steaks to chicons au gratin in your colonial leather chair. The global
(ham-wrapped endives in cheese sauce) brasserie food is pretty good, and the free
available almost till dawn. By the time Si live music fantastic: piano jazz on Tuesdays
Bemol closes, the cafés around Place de Jeu- and experimental on Thursdays. Other gigs
de-Balle will be opening so you needn’t go in the cave have a small entrance fee.
hungry.
La Marie-Joseph Seafood €€€
St-Catherine & Around (Map p40; %02-218 05 96; Quai au bois à Brûler
47-49; mains €23.50-33, beer/coffee €5.20/4;
oHenri Fusion €€
hnoon-3pm & 6.30-11pm Tue-Sun) Bright, mod-
(Map p40; %02-218 00 08; www.restohenri.be; Rue ern art on whitewashed timber walls, simple
de Flandre 113; hnoon-2pm Tue-Fri & 6-10pm Tue- tables including some terraced seating and a
Sat; mSte-Catherine) In an airy white space on hushed air of mild formality. The fish meals
this street to watch, Henri concocts tangy get consistently good local reviews.
fusion dishes like tuna with ginger, soy and
lime, artichokes with scampi, lime and olive Viva M’Boma Belgian €
tapenade, or Argentinean fillet steak in pars- (Map p40; %02-512 15 93; Rue de Flandre 17; mains
ley. There’s an astute wine list, and staff who €11-18; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Thu-Sat, noon-
know their stuff. 2pm Mon-Tue) Hefty Belgian classics served
in a long, narrow bistro entirely walled in
oCremerie De Linkebeek Baguettes € gleaming white tiles like the butchers’ shop
(Map p40; %02 512 35 10; Rue du Vieux Marché it once was. A stuffed sheep and a pig’s head
aux Grains 4; h9am-3pm Mon, 9am-6pm Tue-Sat; meet and greet.
mSte-Catherine) Brussels’ best fromagerie
Den Teepot Vegan €
was established in 1902 and retains its
(Map p40;  Rue des Chartreux 66; hnoon-2pm
original glazed tiles. It still stocks a beguil-
Mon-Sat; v) Macrobiotic, veggie lunch place
ing array of cheeses, which you can also
located above a mustard-yellow ‘bio’ shop.
try on crunchy baguettes with fresh salad,
Bright decor with murals adorning the walls.
wrapped in blue-and-white-striped paper
ready to take to a nearby bench. In‘t Spinnekopke Belgian €€
(Map p40; %02-511 86 95; www.spinnekopke.be;
oFin de Siècle Belgian €€ Place du Jardin aux Fleurs 1; mains €15-25; hlunch
(Map p40; Rue des Chartreux 9; mains €11-19; & dinner Mon-Fri, dinner Sat) This age-old clas-
hbar 4.30pm-1am, kitchen 6pm-12.30am) From sic occupies an atmospheric 17th-century
carbonade (beer-based hot-pot) and kriek whitewashed cottage, with a summer ter-
(cherry beer)-chicken to mezzes and tan- race spilling onto on the revamped square.
doori chicken, the food selection is as ec- Bruxellois specialities and meats cooked in
lectic as the decor in this low-lit cult place. beer-based sauces are authentic but hardly
Tables are rough, music constant, and ceil- a bargain and some of the tables feel a tad
ings purple. To quote the barman, ‘there’s no cramped.
phone, no bookings, no sign on the door…
Vismet Seafood €€
we do everything to put people off but they
(Map p40; %02-218 85 45; Pl Ste-Catherine 23;
still keep coming’.
mains €21-26; hnoon-3pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sat)
Mer du Nord Takeaway Seafood € Vismet is popular and stylish in a simple,
(Map p40; Rue Ste-Catherine 1; h8am-6pm Tue- vaguely minimalist fashion, with rows of
Sun; mSte-Catherine) Well-reputed fishmon- tiny bulb lamps and high-up mirrors like
ger’s window catering to a queue of stand- rectangular steersman’s windows. Tables
68
can feel slightly cramped but quality is high lanes host an up-and-coming dining scene.
and there’s a daily changing shortlist of It’s worth strolling around as new places
recommendations. open frequently. For really cheap food and
drink from 5am till 5pm try any café on
Vistro Seafood €€
Place du Jeu-de-Balle.
(Map p40; %02-512 41 81; Quai aux Briques 16;
mains €13.50-22.50, menus €22-47; hnoon-
2.30pm Mon-Fri & 6.30-midnight Mon-Sat) Much
oL’Idiot du Village Belgian €€€
Brussels E ating

(Map p52; %02 502 55 82; Rue Notre Seigneur 19;

less formal and noticeably cheaper than
hnoon-2pm & 7.30-11pm Mon-Fri; mLouise) Book-
many Ste-Catherine options. Petit Vistro has
ing ahead is essential to secure a table at
bare brick walls, a pretty tiled floor, A-frame
this colourful, cosy restaurant, secluded on
beams upstairs and a pleasant buzz.
a little side street near the Place du Jeu-de-
Comocomo Spanish €€ Balle flea market. Dishes are rich and aro-
(Map p40; %02-503 03 30; Rue Antoine Dansaert matic and portions plentiful considering the
19; 3/6/9 pintxos €8.50/14/19; hnoon-12.30pm & cachet of the place.
7-11pm) Pintxos (the Basque version of tapas)
snake past on an 80m-long conveyor belt. SSoul Food Organic Restaurant €€
Colour codes include blue for fish, green for (Map p52; %02-513 52 13; www.soulresto.com; Rue
veggies, red for pork, and so on. It’s all as de la Samaritaine 20; mains €15-22; h7-10pm Wed-
cute and hip as you’d expect for this part of Sun; v) With an intimate informal atmos-
town. phere, tiled floors and homey decor, Soul
Food is a distinctly different dinner stop
Marolles, Sablon & Ixelles
on the edge of the Marolles, ideal if Belgian
Bij den Boer Seafood €€
food is beginning to weigh you down. The
(Map p40; %02-512 61 22; www.bijdenboer.com;
fusion food is organic and additive-free, and
Quai aux Briques 60; mains €15-28; hnoon-2.30pm
steers clear of butter and cream in favour of
& 6-10.30pm Mon-Sat) Convivial favourite, with
interesting oils, grains and seeds. Advance
mirror panelled walls, model yachts, sensi-
booking required.
ble prices and a jolly ambience. Wine of the
month is €20 a bottle. Het Warmwater Cafe €

Sablon
(Map p52; www.hetwarmwater.be; Rue des Renards
25; v; mPorte de Hal) Endearing and friendly
On the Sablon itself you’ll often be paying a
hefty premium for being seen in the ‘right’ little daytime cafe with stencilled teapots
place, though there are exceptions. and art collages on the walls. The food –
croques, salads, cheese and meat platters
and quiches – is simple but satisfying.
oLe Perroquet Bar
(Map p52; Rue Watteeu 31; light meals €6.50-11; Restobières Belgian €€
hnoon-1am; mPorte de Namur) Perfect for a (Map p52; %02-502 72 51; www.restobieres.eu;
drink, but also good for a simple bite (salads Rue des Renards 9; mains €12-22, menus €18-38;
and variations on croques monsieurs), this hnoon-3pm daily, 6.30-11pm Wed-Sun) Beer-
art-nouveau café with its stained glass, mar- based twists on typical Belgian meals served
ble tables and timber panelling is an atmos- in a delightful if slightly cramped restau-
pheric, inexpensive stop in an area that’s rant. The walls are plastered with bottles,
light on such places. Popular with expats. grinders and countless antique souvenir
biscuit tins featuring Belgian royalty. Try the
Claire Fontaine Deli €
carbonnade or lapin aux pruneaux (rabbit
(Map p52; %02-512 24 10; Rue Ernest Allard 3) Just with prunes).
off Place du Sablon, this is a tiny but atmos-
pheric tile-floored épicerie, fragrant with Matonge & St-Boniface
spices and home-cooked dishes – there’s Very inexpensive African, Pakistani, South
a small kitchen at the back. Perfect for a American, Italian and Belgo-Belgian eateries
nutritious and filling take-out sandwich or are located side-by-side along Rue Longue
quiche, or you can stock up on oils, wine and Vie and are liberally scattered on Chaussée
boxes of pain d’épices (spiced biscuits). de Wavre. Meanwhile one block southwest,
St-Boniface is an island of decidedly trendier
Marolles
bistros and coffee shops.
Walking distance from the centre, Rue
Haute, Rue Blaes and some interconnecting
 69
oSaint-Boniface French, Basque €€
(Map p52; %02-511 53 66; Rue St-Boniface 9; Chip Champs
mains €18-23; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Mon-Fri)
Enchanting old-world restaurant near the Frying since 1948, Maison Antoine
eponymous church, featuring gingham ta- (Map p56; Place Jourdan; small chips from
blecloths, walls jammed with framed pic- €2; h11.30am-1am Sun-Thu, 11.30am-
tures and authentic dishes from France’s 2am Fri & Sat; mSchuman) is a classic

Brussels E ating
southwestern and Basque regions, notably little fritkot (take-away chip kiosk)
cassoulet, Périgord duck, foie gras and an- whose reputation as ‘Brussels best’ is
douillette (strongly flavoured tripe sausage – self-perpetuating. ‘Best’ or not, their
very much an acquired taste). chips are certainly top notch and such
is their popularity that cafés on the
L’Ultime Atome Belgian €€ surrounding square (including beauti-
(Map p52; %02-513 13 67; Rue St-Boniface 14; fully wrought-iron-fronted L’Autobus)
mains €11-17; h8.30am-1am Mon-Fri, 10am-1am allow frite eaters to sit and snack so
Sat & Sun; mPorte de Namur) This cavernous long as they buy a drink. Another fine
brasserie has curious train-wheel decor en- contender for the chip crown is Chez
livening the pale wooden panelling of an François (Pl Dumon) at outlying Metro
otherwise classic café. A youthful crowd Stockel. Handily central Fritland (Map
keeps things buzzing day and night and p40; Rue Henri Maus 49; h11am-1am Sun-
the non-stop kitchen turns out great-value Thu, 10am-3am Fri & Sat) keeps frying till
meals including cheesy endives, tajines and the wee hours.
mussels (€17).
L’Horloge du Sud African € Ixelles & Ave Louise
(Map p56; www.horlogedusud.be; Rue du Trône 141; La Quincaillerie Seafood €€
mains from €12; mPorte de Namur) A Matongé (Map p52; %02-533 98 33; www.quincaillerie.be;
institution, the exterior is distinguished by Rue du Page 45; mains €19-35; hnoon-2.30pm
a large clock. It has a Senegalese owner, and Mon-Sat, 7pm-midnight daily) A central Vic-
serves all types of African food to a mixed torian stairway and station-style clock
European and African crowd. dominate this unique brasserie-restaurant.
Imagin’Air Organic € Wooden box-draws, gleaming copperware
(Map p52; %02-511 33 31; Pl Fernand Cocq 6; mains and a green wrought-iron interior date
€9-17; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun, from its days as an upmarket ironmonger’s
closed Wed in winter; v) Adorable, organic-food shop. Upper-level seating is cramped but of-
‘Art Café’ with exposed brick walls and one fers unusual views down upon other diners.
of Brussels’ prettiest patio terraces decked Menus are multilingual and food standards
with plants and bonsai-sized trees. Short, reliable.
handwritten menus change frequently and Chez Oki French/Japanese €€
dishes can be made to order for those on (Map p52; %02-644 45 76; www.chez-oki.com;
gluten-free, lactose-free and vegetarian/ Rue Lesbroussart 62; lunch €9, mains €20-25,
vegan diets. 3-/4-/5-course menu €30/39.50/49.50; hnoon-
Les Brassins Belgian € 2pm Tue-Fri & 6.30-10pm Mon-Sat) Modern
(Map p52; %02-512 69 99; www.lesbrassins.be; minimalism wraps around an internal ‘zen
Rue Keyenveld 36; mains €10-17; h noon-midnight garden’ while French-Japanese fusion food
daily) On a quiet, unpromising back-street, works wonders on your palate. Hope that
this unpretentious brasserie is decorated your yeux fermés (surprise) menu starts as
with old enamel brewery adverts and serves ours did – with utterly divine foie gras sushi
reliable, well-priced Belgian home-cooked drizzled with caramelised soya. Wow. Wines
classics such as carbonade, filet américain from €26.
and boulettes (meatballs), accompanied by La Tsampa Vegetarian, organic €
perfect frites (or stoemp, you choose) and (Map p52; %02-647 03 67; www.tsampa.be; Rue
washed down by an excellent range of Bel- de Livourne 109; daily special €10; hnoon-7.30pm
gian beers. No credit cards. Mon-Fri, closed Aug; v) Vegetarian restau-
rant and organic delicatessen with choice
of meals till 2.30pm, then salads, pies or
70
set-dish plates till close. Simple but passageways, ragged old sofas and inex-
appealling hippyish decor. plicable beverages mostly based on madly
fruit-flavoured wines (no beer available).
Fin de Siècle Italian €
Unmissable.
(%02-648 80 41; www.lafindesiecle.be; Ave Louise
423; mains €10-20; hlunch & dinner) Despite the Chaloupe d’Or Classic Café
imposing exterior and plush olde-worlde (Map p40; Grand Place 24) The ‘secret’ upstairs
decor, this delightful discovery offers well- room is a particularly superb vantage point,
Brussels D rinking & N ightlife

prepared (predominantly Italian) meals though it’s not always open. Not surprisingly
at remarkably sensible prices. A one-plate prices are steep, so if you’re not here to soak
lunch costs only €7.95. Garden seating in up the special Grand Place ambience you
summer. can save up to 50% on drinks by walking just
a block or two further.
Le Framboisier Ice cream €
(Map p52; %02-647 51 44; Rue du Bailli 35; h1-8pm Poechenellekelder Classic Café
daily) Imaginatively flavoured ice cream to (Map p40; Rue du Chêne 5) Despite facing Brus-
take away or, in summer, eat in the garden. sels’ kitsch-central, this is a surprisingly
Sorbets, including some made from Cantil- appealing café full of genuine old puppets.
lon beers, are the house specialities. It offers a decent selection of fairly priced
beers including Oerbier and gueuze on tap.
6 Drinking & Nightlife Celtica Bar
In most cities, tourists stop in cafés in be-
(Map p40; Rue De Marche Aux Poulets 55; mBourse)
tween visiting the sights. Here the cafés are
Lary, loud, central and – most importantly –
the sights. And visiting a museum or two
cheap. Just €1 for a beer.
just gives your liver the necessary respite
before another drink. Nearly every street in Bourse
the city centre has at least one marvellously Ah, the classics. If you do nothing else in
atmospheric café. Styles vary from showy Brussels, visit at least a couple of these close-
art nouveau places and medieval survi- packed yet easily overlooked gems. Each has
vors around the Bourse to hip and heaving its own unique character.
options in St-Géry and Ixelles..
Lower Town
oFalstaff Classic Café
(Map p40; Rue Henri Maus 17; h10am-1am;
Grand Place & Around jBourse) The interior of this grand café is
Whether you’re sitting on one of the incom- an astonishing festival of century-old art
parable open-air terraces or within a 17th- nouveau stained glass and fluidity designed
century guildhouse, drinking on the grand- by Horta disciple, Houbion. A wide range of
est of Grand Places is a delight, and the sur- meals are available.
rounding streets have plenty of tucked-away
pubs. oLe Cirio Classic Café
(Map p40; Rue de la Bourse 18; h10am-midnight)
oLa Fleur en Papier Doré Brown Café This sumptuous 1886 grand café dazzles
(Map p48; www.goudblommekeinpapier.be; Rue with polished brass-work and aproned wait-
des Alexiens 53; h11am-midnight Tue-Sat, 11am- ers, yet prices aren’t exorbitant and coif-
7pm Sun) The nicotine-stained walls of this fured Mesdames with small dogs still dilute
tiny café, adored by artists and locals, are the gaggles of tourists. The house speciality
covered with writings, art and scribbles by is a half-and-half mix of still and sparkling
Magritte and his surrealist pals, some of wines (€3.20).
which were reputedly traded for free drinks.
‘Ceci n’est pas un musée’, quips a sign on the A l’Image de Nostre-Dame Classic Café

door reminding visitors to buy a drink and (Map p40; off Rue du Marché aux Herbes 5; hnoon-
not just look around. midnight Mon-Fri, 3pm-1am Sat, 4-10.30pm Sun)
Down a tiny hidden alley, Nostre-Dame
has an almost medieval feel, but retains a
oGoupil le Fol Bar
genuine local vibe. Magical… except for the
(Map p40; %02-511 13 96; Rue de la Violette 22;
toilets.
h9pm-5am; mGare Centrale) Overwhelming
weirdness hits you as you acid-trip your way
through this sensory overload of rambling
 71

Brussels’ Top Drinking Spots For…

Bottled-beer Délirium Café (p71)
Cheap beer Celtica (p70)
Classic brown-café ambience À la Mort Subite (p71)
Coffee Blomqvists Espresso Bar (p73)

Brussels D rinking & N ightlife

Draught-beer Moeder Lambic Fontainas (p71)
Eccentricity Goupil le Fol (p70) and Le Cercueil (The Coffin; Map p40; Rue des Harengs
10-12; beer from €2.80; h4pm-late Mon-Tue, 1pm-late Fri-Sun)
Fin-de-siècle brilliance Falstaff (p70), Le Cirio (p70) and Métropole Café (Hotel
Métropole; Map p40; www.metropolehotel.com; Place de Brouckère 31; beer/coffee/waffles from
€3.80/3.80/7)
Hipsters and laptops Café Belga (p73), BarBeton (p72) and Bar du Matin (p74)
Medieval atmosphere A L’Image de Nostre-Dame (p70)
Ornate interior at bargain prices Brasserie de la Renaissance (p73)
Reading Cercle des Voyageurs (p67) and Floreo (p72)
Tea Comptoir Florian (p73)

Au Bon Vieux Temps Classic Café An absolute classic unchanged since 1928,
(Map p40; Impasse Saint Michel; h11am-midnight) with lined-up wooden tables, arched mirror
Duck beneath the bishop, then tunnel panels and entertainingly brusque service.
through the centuries to this lushly pan-
elled 1695 gem. You’ll find lavish fireplaces, oToone Bar
fascinating characters and even mythical (Map p40; Petite Rue des Bouchers; beer from
Westvleteren 12 (€10!) on the beer menu. €2.50; hnoon-midnight Tue-Sun) Home to Brus-
À la Bécasse Classic Café
sels’ classic puppet theatre (p77); the irre-
(Map p40; www.alabecasse.com; Rue de Tabora 11; sistibly quaint and cosy timber-framed bar
h11am-midnight, to 1am Fri & Sat ; mGare Cent-
serves beers and basic snacks.
rale) Hidden almost invisibly down a body- Délirium Café Pub
wide alley-tunnel. Long rows of tables give (Map p40; www.deliriumcafe.be; Impasse de la
the Bécasse a certain Breugelesque quality, Fidélité 4a; h10am-4am Mon-Sat, 10am-2am Sun)
though it’s ‘only’ been operating since 1877. The barrel tables, beer-tray ceilings and
The unusual speciality is panaché, a jug of over 2000 world beers were already impres-
Timmermans lambic mixed with fruit beer sive. Now there’s a rum garden, a tap house
or faro to make it more palatable. Not to and the Floris Bar (from 8pm) serving hun-
every­one’s taste. dreds of jenevers, vodkas and absinthes. No
L’Homo Erectus Bar
wonder it’s lively. Live music at 10.15pm
(Map p40; www.lhomoerectus.com; Rue des Pierres St-Géry & Ste-Catherine
57; h4pm-dawn) One of the capital’s most Our listings can barely scratch the surface of
popular gay bars, now with two venues, all that’s available within a few easy blocks.
each easily recognisable by the evolution of
man from ape graphically depicted on the oMoeder Lambic Fontainas Beer Hall
front windows. Relatively quiet during the (Map p40; www.moederlambic.eu; Place Fontainas
day, crammed at night, and swamped during 8; h11am-1am Mon-Thu & Sun, 11am-2am Fri & Sat;
Pride weekends. jAnnessens or Bourse) At the last count there
Ilot Sacré were 46 artisinal beers served here, in a con-
temporary rather than old-world setting:
oÀ la Mort Subite Classic Café walls are bare brick and hung with photos
(Map p40; %02-513 13 18; www.alamortsubite.com; and the booths are backed with concrete.
Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 7; h11am- It dishes up great quiches and cheese and
1am Mon-Sat, noon-midnight Sun; mGare Centrale)
72
meat platters. The mood is upbeat and the still attracts crusty beer-nursing locals with
music loud. unfeasibly long moustaches. Hurry before it
gentrifies.
Bistro du Canal Bar
(Map p48; www.bistroducanal.be; Rue Antoine Booze’n’Blues Bar
Dansaert 208; hnoon-11pm Mon-Fri; W; mSte- (Map p40; Rue des Riches Claires 20; beer from
Catherine) A swirling wrought iron and glass €2; h4pm-late) Cramped and rough featur-
canopy distinguishes this cute corner bar ing a mannequin torso, an old juke box and
Brussels D rinking & N ightlife

by the canal at the top end of Rue Antoine an extended bar panelled like a choir stall.
Dansaert: parquet floors and metal pendant Unpredictable, entertainingly grouchy staff.
lights complete the look.
Le Belgica Bar
Floreo Classic Café (Map p40; www.lebelgica.be; Rue du Marché au
(Map p40; %02-514 39 05; www.floreo.be; Rue Charbon 32; h10pm-3am Thu-Sun) DJs trans-
des Riches Claires 19; beer/coffee/shots/cocktails form what looks like a 1920s traditional
€1.80/1.90/4.50/6.50, wraps/mains €5.50/11.50; brown cafe into one of Brussels’ most popu-
h11am-late) Big windows and a 1920s/30s lar gay music-pubs. Several other gay venues
charm make this intimate café a particularly lie along the same street.
relaxing place to read the newspapers by day
(provided in several languages). On week- Madame Moustache Club

end evenings things heat up around 10pm (Map p40; www.madamemoustache.be; Quai au
with a DJ perched on the wooden spiral Bois à Brûler 5-7; h9pm-4am Tue-Sun; mSte-Cath-
stairs. There’s also a soul-funk jam session erine) Cute Ste-Catherine club with a retro,
on Thursday nights around 9.30pm. burlesque feel. It hosts funk all-nighters and
swing nights, plus garage and DJ sets.
Le Greenwich Pub
(Map p40; %02-511 41 67; Rue des Chartreux 7; Club des Halles Club

beer/coffee/wine from €2.10/2.10/3.50, croque/ (Map p40; %02-289 2660; www.cafedeshalles.be;

spaghetti €4/9; h11am-10pm; mBourse) High- Pl St-Géry 1) Popular city-centre club in the
ceilinged pub with belle-époque gilt wood- vaulted cellars beneath the buzzing Café des
work: while the recent renovation has re- Halles.
stored the gilt and glamour, the soul – and Marolles
the chess players who stayed for hours – Brasserie Ploegmans Brown Cafe
seem to have left the building. (Map p52; www.ploegmans.be; Rue Haute 148;
Fontainas Bar Bar
mains €13.50-18.50; hnoon-2.30pm Tue-Fri &
(Map p40; %02-503 31 12; Rue du Marché au Char- 6-10pm Tue-Sat, closed Aug; mLouise) Old-fash-
bon 91; h10am-late Mon-Fri, 11am-late Sat & Sun; ioned mirror-panelled seats and 1927 cheq-
jBourse) The ripped black vinyl seats, ’60s uerboard flooring make this a classic local
tables and light fittings, and cracked tiles hostelry that’s also well regarded for its
of this loud and ultratrendy bar provide the typical Bruxellois meals.
backdrop for locals reading newspapers by L’Inattendu Classic Café
day, until the party cranks up again come (Map p52; Rue de Wynants 13; beers €1.70-3, mains
nightfall. €8-15.50; h9am-11pm Mon-Thu, 9am-5am Fri) As
BarBeton Bar
unexpected as the name suggests, this is
(Map p40; www.barbeton.be; Rue Antoine Dansaert one classic little wood-panelled café-bistro
114; h8am-late; W; mSte-Catherine) Typical of tourists have largely overlooked. Basic, tra-
the new array of hip but relaxed Brussels ditional pub-meals are served including
bars, with a concrete bar, tiled floor and stoemp (€9.50) and waterzooi (cream-based
unpolished wood furnishings. Good for an stew; €12).
early breakfast as it opens the doors at 8am. Fuse Club
Cocktail happy hour 7pm to 8pm Thursday, (Map p52; www.fuse.be; Rue Blaes 208; admis-
aperitivo buffet 6pm to 8pm Friday, DJs sion €5-12; h11pm-7am Sat; mPorte de Hal) The
10pm to late Saturday. Marolles club that ‘invented’ European tech-
Au Laboureur Pub
no still crams up to 2000 people onto its two
(Map p40; Rue de Flandre 108; beer €1.60; dance floors. Once a month it also hosts epic
h9.30am-10pm) Amid surrounding trendi- gay night La Démence (p74).
ness, this refreshingly unpretentious place
 73
EU Area Ixelles, St-Gilles & Matonge
Each national group has its own Eurocrat
hangouts. On Thursday nights the bars of
oCafé Belga Bar
(Map p52; %02-640 3508; www.cafebelga.be; Place
Place du Luxembourg are especially packed
Flagey 18; h8am-2am Sun-Thu, 8am-3am Fri & Sat)
with parliamentary aides on the razz before
This hip brasserie in a corner of the art deco
their three-day weekend. Irish pubs around
Flagey ‘liner’ building is mellow by day but
the Commission are typical Eurocrat fa-
beats grow ever louder towards closing time.
vourites including Kitty O’Shea’s (Map p56;

Brussels D rinking & N ightlife

There’s live jazz on a Sunday twice a month
Blvd Charlemagne 42), the James Joyce (Map
(5pm).
p56; Rue Archimède 34) and the down to earth
Old Oak (Map p56; 26 rue Franklin 26; beers from
€1.50). oComptoir Florian Teahouse
(Map p52; %02-513 91 03; www.comptoirflorian.be;
Piola Libri Bar, Bookshop Rue St-Boniface 17; coffee/tea €2.50/4.50; h11am-
(Map p56; %02-736 93 91; www.piolalibri.be; Rue 8pm Tue-Sat) Two tiny, supercosy tasting
Franklin 66; hnoon-8pm Mon-Fri, noon-6pm Sat, rooms behind a tea-trading store offering
closed Aug; W; mSchuman) Italian Eurocrats six different bean types for its coffees and
relax after work on sofas, pavement tables 200 teas served in an eclectic range of pots.
or in the tiny triangle of back garden and en- Classic curved wood and tiled interior.
joy free tapas-style snacks with chilled white
wines at this convivial bookshop-café-bar. It oChez Moeder Lambic Beer Pub
has an eclectic programme of readings and (Map p52; %02 539 14 19; Rue de Savoie 68;
DJ nights. h4pm-4am; jpremetro Horta) An institution.

La Terrasse Classic Café

Behind windows plastered with beer stick-
(%02-732 28 51; www.brasserielaterrasse.be; Ave ers, this tattered, quirky old brown cafe is
des Celtes 1; beers €2.40-4.50, mains €9.90-18; the ultimate beer spot in Brussels. Sample
h8am-midnight Mon-Sat, 10am-midnight Sun; some of the hundreds of brews while flip-
mMérode) Handy for the Cinquantenaire, ping through the collection of dog-eared
this wood-panelled classic café has a tree- comics.
shaded terrace and makes an ideal refresh-
ment stop after a hard day’s museuming. o Brasserie »
Snacks, pancakes, ice creams, breakfasts de la Renaissance Brasserie
(from €3.90) and decent pub-meals are all (Map p52; %02-534 82 60; Ave Paul Dejaer 39;
available at various times. Try sampling the h9am-midnight) This grand café has a single,
‘beer of the month’. high-ceilinged room whose walls sport a lu-
dicrously ornate load of gilt stucco tracery.
Ville de Dinant Bar Yet despite the grandeur, drinks are cheap
(Map p56; Rue de Trèves 30; beers €1.80-3; and the food (Portuguese, Italian and Belgo-
h11.30am-7pm Mon-Fri) You don’t need a French) an amazing bargain. The street
guidebook to find the numerous Eurocrat terrace surveys St-Gilles’ splendid town hall.
drinking holes around Place du Luxem-
bourg, but if you want a really local expe- Brasserie Verschueren Pub
rience nearby come to this uncompromis- (Map p52; Parvis de Saint Gilles 11-13 ; mSte-Gilles)
ingly Belgian dive for a draught Grimbergen Characterful and enjoyably down-at-heel
Blond. art nouveau café, with geometric floor til-
ing, a handsome wooden bar, stained glass
Mirano Continental Club and vintage light fittings. Check out the
(Map p48; www.mirano.be; Chaussée de Louvain) score board with coloured slats representing
If you’re still in your business suit after Belgian football teams.
postwork Eurocrat pints on Place du Lux-
embourg, this revamped former cinema Blomqvists Espresso Bar Coffee House
could be your next destination. Thursdays’ (Map p52; %0484-350 644; Rue Francart 14; h6-
AtSeven (www.atseven.eu; h7pm-2am) is an 9.30pm Wed, noon–7pm Fri-Sun ) A Swedish ba-
early affair with grazing food, wine bar rista works his La Marzocco FB70, an espres-
and ‘80s/’90s dance music while there are so machine that’s worth as much as a family
mainstream discos on Friday and Saturday. car. Nicely modish wood-lined bar.
74

Gay & Lesbian Brussels

Brussels’ compact but thriving Rainbow Quarter is clustered around Rue du Marché au
Charbon. Here you’ll find a dozen gay-oriented cafés, and two LGBT information centres/
bars, the thriving and multilingual Rainbow House (%02-503 5990; www.rainbowhouse.
be; Rue du Marché au Charbon 42; h6.30-10.30pm Wed-Sat) and Francophone Tels Quels
Brussels E ntertainment

(%02-512 3234; www.telsquels.be; Rue du Marché au Charbon 81; hfrom 5pm Sun-Tue, Thu &
Fri, from 2pm Wed & Sat) who run the telephone helpline, Telégal (%02-502 0700; h8pm-
midnight). See also www.holebihome.be, where you can find details of Drinks at Seven,
held monthly in the upmarket Le Dixseptième hotel.
Belgian Gay & Lesbian Pride (www.blgp.be; h1st Sat in May) culminates in this
area with a vast-scale all-night party. The Festival du Film Gay & Lesbien de Brux-
elles (www.fglb.org) runs for 10 days in late January and Cinéma Nova runs occasional
Pink Screen weeks (www.gdac.org). Darakan (Map p40; %02-512 2076) is a tiny gay
bookshop.
La Démence (Map p52; www.lademence.com), held at Fuse, is a hugely popular gay rave
that attracts men from all over Europe and beyond. It’s only on once a month; check the
website for dates. Chez Maman (Map p40; %02-502 8696; www.chezmaman.be; Rue des
Grands Carmes 12; hfrom 10pm Thu-Sun) is the capital’s most beloved transvestite show
while ritzier Le Club (Map p40; 45 Rue des Pierres) also hosts transvestite nights and club
nights. Other established central gay venues include stylish café Le Belgica (p72) and
two bars punningly entitled L’Homo Erectus (p71).
Handily central gay-friendly accommodation includes Downtown-BXL (p63), well
placed for the nightlife area, and refined Maison Noble (p64), which is aimed more at
couples and business folk.

Maison du Peuple Bar Kuumba Pub

(Map p52; www.maison-du-peuple.be; Parvis de (Map p52; %02-512 85 05; Rue de la Paix 35; h2pm-
Saint-Gilles 37a; W; mParvis de Saint-Gilles) A 1am Mon-Sat, 3pm-midnight Sun) The appealing
venerable 19th-century building facing out café of a Flemish-African friendship associa-
onto the market square of Parvais St-Gilles. tion with small exhibitions of African art.
A combined café, bar and exhibition space,
its scruffy-cool decor, with exposed light 3 Entertainment
bulbs and bare-brick walls, marks it out as For extensive listings check www.agenda.be,
one of the hippest destinations in the area. also available in print in English, Flemish
Regular club nights. and French. Otherwise see the English-lan-
guage magazine Bulletin (www.xpats.com).
Bar du Matin Bar
For discounted tickets for arts, music and
(Map p52; bardumatin.blogspot.com; Chaussée
cinema, head to Arsène50 (p79).
d’Alsemberg 172; mAlbert) An impeccably
trendy bar on a corner site, the noisy road Cinema
screened by beech trees. There’s a serious
beer menu, and pared down ’60s decor with oCinematek Cinema

a curved aluminium bar, pale wood columns (Map p48; %02-507 83 70; www.cinematheque.be;
and softly flattering light. Gorgeous. Rue Baron Horta 9; mGare Centrale) In a wing of
the BOZAR cultural centre, the modern and
Potemkine Club stylish Cinematek includes a little museum
(Map p52; www.potemkine.be; Ave de la Porte de where you can browse through archives and
Hal 2-4; h4pm-late Mon-Fri, 9:30am-late Sat & memorabilia. The real highlight, though, is
Sun; mPorte de Hal) It serves a good Sunday the program of silent films screened nearly
brunch, but what you really come here for every day at the cinema, with live piano ac-
are the DJ sessions, electronica and live companiment. There’s also an impressive
acoustic and jazz nights. Arty functional de- program of arthouse movies.
cor, and a log bench outside from where you
can survey the medieval Porte de Hal.
 75
oCinéma Galeries Cinema
from 7pm and concerts starting 8.30pm, or
(Map p40; %02-514 74 98; www.arenberg.be; 9pm at weekends. The performers squeeze
Galerie de la Reine 26) Inside the graceful onto a small podium that’s visible from any
glassed-over Galeries St-Hubert, this art seat. Bookings advised.
deco beauty concentrates on foreign and Art Base Live Music
arthouse films. Forget the multiplexes and (Map p48; %02-217 29 20; www.art-base.be;
try an authentic Brussels movie experience. Rue des Sables 29; hmostly Fri & Sat eve only;

Brussels E ntertainment
Actor’s Studio Cinema
mRogier) One of the best little venues in
(Map p40; %02-512 16 96; Petite Rue des Bouchers town for music fans with eclectic tastes.
16) This intimate and tucked away three- Located opposite the Comic Museum, it re-
screen cinema, a little hard to locate just off sembles someone’s living room. But the pro-
touristy Le Petite Rue des Bouchers, shows gramming is first rate, and it’s worth taking
arthouse flicks as well as some mainstream a punt on Greek rebetiko, Indian classical
reruns, and has a tiny bar. Try to catch a music, Argentinian guitar or whatever else
movie here – it’s one of the city’s indie treas- is playing.
ures and the tickets are cheaper than in the Flagey Live Music
big movie houses. (Map p52; www.flagey.be) Ixelles’ stylish flag-
Cinema Nova Cinema
ship venue has several concert halls.
(Map p40; %02-511 24 77; www.nova-cinema.org; Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie/»
Rue Arenberg 3) The ultimate in alternative Koninklijke Muntschouwburg Opera, Dance
cinema, Nova shows off-beat international (Map p40; %02-229 13 72; Place de la Monnaie;
movies that are more thought-provoking mDe Brouckère) Belgium was born when an op-
than entertaining (subtitles will be French/ era at this grand venue inspired the 1830 rev-
Dutch), and there’s a brilliantly rough olution. It primarily mounts contemporary
student-style bar. dance, and classic and new operas.
Live Music Beursschouwburg Live music

oL’Archiduc Jazz (Map p40; %02-513 82 90; www.beursschouwburg.

(Map p40; %02-512 06 52; www.archiduc.net; be; Rue Auguste Orts 22; hexhibition area 10am-
Rue Antoine Dansaert 6; beer/wine/cocktails 6pm Mon-Sat, café 7.30pm-late Thu-Sun) Diverse
€2.70/3.60/8; h4pm-late) This intimate, split- mix of contemporary music including rock,
level art-deco bar has been playing jazz since jazz, rap and disco. The café approximates
1937. It’s an unusual two-tiered circular to a free nightclub late on weekend nights.
space that can get incredibly packed but re- Sounds Jazz Club Jazz
mains convivial. You might need to ring the (Map p52; %02-512 92 50; www.soundsjazzclub.be;
doorbell. Saturday concerts are free (5pm), Rue de la Tulipe 28; h8pm-4am Mon-Sat) Unas-
Sundays bring in international talent and suming but immensely popular little Ixelles
admission charges vary. venue. It has concerts most nights, styles
varying from modern to big band to salsa.
o BOZAR Live Music The website has click-through links to art-
(Map p48; www.bozar.be; Palais des Beaux-Arts, ists’ MySpace pages. Cover charges vary and
Rue Ravenstein 23; mGare Centrale) Celebrated acts typically start around 10pm.
classical-music venue, home to the National
Orchestra and Philharmonic Society. From Jazz Station Jazz
outside, the Horta-designed 1928 art deco (%02-733 13 78; http://jazzstation.be; Chaussée
building lacks much charm but its Henri Le de Louvain 193a; hexhibitions 11am-7pm Wed-Sat,
Bœuf Hall is considered to be one of the five concerts 6pm Sat & 8.30pm some weeknights) An
best in the world for acoustic quality. appealing venue in what was once an 1885
station building. There are also exhibitions,
o Music Village Jazz
a multimedia jazz-archive and practice
rooms, where you can listen in on musicians
(Map p40; %02-513 13 45; www.themusicvillage.
com; Rue des Pierres 50; cover €7.50-20; hfrom honing their art.
7.30pm Wed-Sat; jBourse) Polished 100-seat AB Live Music
jazz venue housed in two 17th-century build- (Ancienne Belgique; Map p40; %02-548 24 00; www.
ings with dinner (not compulsory) available abconcerts.be; Blvd Anspach 110; jBourse) The
76

Jacques Brel
Born in Schaerbeek in 1929, Belgium’s greatest 20th-century singer started his career
in 1952 in the Brussels cabaret La Rose Noire. The following year he headed to Paris,
where he mixed with songwriters and fellow artists including Édith Piaf. His first record
was released in 1954 and he rapidly became an idol. His passionate, transcendent songs
were performed with astounding intensity. As one fan described it ‘he sang like a boxer
Brussels E ntertainment

and usually lost a kilo during each performance’. The wide-ranging themes of his songs
include love, spirituality, nostalgia, the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie and beautiful evoca-
tions of Belgium’s contradictions. Despite the latter, he was often thought of as French,
and became a ‘French’ film star in the late 1960s. In 1973 he quit performing to sail
around the world. He spent the last two years of his life in the remote Marquesas Islands
of French Polynesia, where he’s now buried near French painter Paul Gauguin, having
died of lung cancer in 1978.
Top five Brel songs:
‘Bruxelles’ Upbeat nostalgic favourite in which he somehow gets away with turning the
capital into a verb (approximately translated as ‘That was the time when Brussels Brus-
seled’).
‘Ne me Quitte Pas’ The classic tear-jerker.
‘Madeleine’ Don’t be fooled by the jolly banjo sound…waiting for a Brussels tram has
never sounded so poignant.
‘Le Plat Pays’ Rain, fog and dismal Belgian landscapes are somehow rendered as po-
etic idylls.
‘Les Flamands’ Light-heartedly mocks the po-faced lifestyle of the Flemish even
though his family was originally of Flemish descent.

AB’s two auditoriums are favourite venues Maison de la Bellone Concert Venue
for mid-level international rock bands and (Map p40; %02-513 33 33; www.bellone.be; Rue
acts such as Jules Holland and Madeleine de Flandre 46) The glass-vaulted courtyard of
Peyroux, plus plenty of home-grown tal- this 18th-century stunner is used for occa-
ent. The ticket office is located on Rue des sional concerts.
Pierres. There’s a good on-site bar-restaurant
Forest National Live music
that opens at 6pm (bookings essential).
(%02-340 22 11; www.forestnational.be; Ave du
Globe 36; j81) The city’s temple for larger in-
FBizon Blues
ternational gigs and local favourites.
(Map p40; %02-502 46 99; www.cafebizon.com;
Rue du Pont de la Carpe 7; h6pm-late) Happen- Sport
ing little grunge bar in St-Géry featuring Stade Roi Baudouin Stadium
home-grown live blues, a range of beers and (Map p60; %02-479 36 54; Ave du Marathon 135)
a selection of jenevers. Located on a street of In Heysel the national stadium hosts major
lively café-bars. cycling races, athletics meetings and inter-
national football matches. For club matches
Conservatoire Royal »
Brussels’ most famous football team is RSC
de Musique Classical Music
Anderlecht.
(Royal Music Conservatory; Map p52; %02-511 0427;
Rue de la Régence 30) Classical-music venue. Theatre
Touring international productions occasion-
Cirque Royal Theatre
ally supplement the local-language scene
(Map p48; %02 218 20 15; www.cirque-royal.org;
with English-language performances. The
Rue de l’Enseignement 81; mMadou) This con-
theatre season runs September to June.
verted indoor circus is now a venue for
Brussels has no resident classical ballet –
dance, operetta, classical and contemporary
that’s in Antwerp – but innovative contem-
music.
porary dance companies do make occasional
performances.
 77
oThéâtre Royal » shops. Ave Louise is the setting for many up-
de Toone Puppet Theatre
market chain boutiques.
(Map p40; %02-511 7137; www.toone.be; Petite There’s a weekly antique market (Map
Rue des Bouchers 21; adult/child €10/7; htypi- p52; h9am-6pm Sat, 9am-2pm Sun) on Place du
cally 8.30pm Thu & 4pm Sat, see website; mGare Grand Sablon, which also sports particularly
Centrale) Eight generations of the Toone fam- chic shops. Others are dotted along Rue des
ily have staged classic puppet productions Minimes, Rue Charles Hanssens and Rue

Brussels S hopping
in the Bruxellois dialect at this endearing Watteeu. For a more-funky selection of less-
marionette theatre, a highlight of any visit exclusive ornaments and retro ware, trawl the
to Brussels. Shows are aimed at adults, but appealing shops of Rue Haute and Rue Blaes
kids love them too. in the Marolles district or rummage through
the bric-a-brac of the Place du Jeu-de-
Théâtre Les Tanneurs Theatre Balle flea market. Haggling is expected at
(Map p52; %02-512 17 84; www.lestanneurs.be; Rue the latter.
des Tanneurs 75; mLouise) Sitting on the edge Standard beers like Leffe, Hoegaarden,
of the Marolles, the theatre is known for dy- Chimay etc are usually cheaply available in
namic drama and dance. supermarkets. But if you want rarer types
without going to the brewery, there are spe-
Le Botanique Arts Centre
cialist beer shops to help you. They’ll also
(Map p48; %02-218 79 35; Rue Royale 236) Cul-
sell matching glasses for some, along with
tural centre, exhibition hall and concert various other beer paraphernalia.
venue incorporating an 1826 glass veranda.
Rosas Dance oPlace du Châtelain Market Market
(%02-344 55 98; www.rosas.be) This Brussels- (Map p52; Place du Châtelain; hWed pm; mLouise)
based company built around choreogra- Fabulous food stalls around an elongated,
pher Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker strikes leafy square: there’s cheese, charcuterie,
a winning balance between traditional and fresh fruit and veg, seasonal fodder – truf-
avant-garde dance. When not globetrotting fles, mushrooms, berries and so on – a Mid-
it typically performs at La Monnaie (p75) or dle Eastern food van, Turkish bread, vats of
Kaaitheater (Map p48; %02-201 59 59; www. Congolese stew, a wine bar and cake stalls.
kaaitheater.be; Square Sainctelette 20). It’s a true foodie heaven, well worth making
a beeline for.
Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg Theatre
(Map p48; %02 210 11 12; www.kvs.be; Rue de
Laeken 146; mYser) Behind a restored Ren-
oPierre Marcolini Chocolate
(Map p52; %02-512 43 14; www.marcolini.be; Rue
aissance facade, the state-of-the-art Royal
des Minimes 1; per kg €70; h10am-7pm Sun-Thu,
Flemish Theatre mounts edgy dance and
10am-6pm Fri & Sat; mPorte de Namur) Rare
theatre productions, occasionally in English.
chocolate beans, experimental flavours (eg
Théâtre National Theatre tea) and designer black-box packaging make
(Map p48; %02-203 41 55; www.theatrenational.be; Marcolini’s pralines Belgium’s trendiest and
Blvd Émile Jacqmain 111-115; mGare Centrale) The most expensive.
Francophone community’s rectilinear glass
theatre. oGabriele Vintage
(Map p40; %02-512 67 43; gabrielevintage.com;
Bronks Youth Theatre Theatre
Rue des Chartreux 27; h1-6.30pm Mon & Tue, 11am-
(Map p40; %02-219 75 54; www.bronks.be; Marché
6.30pm Wed-Sat) For amazing vintage finds
aux Porcs 15) Theatre, mime and workshops
try eccentric, elegant Gabriele. There’s a gor-
for toddlers and children, most weekends.
geous jumble of cocktail dresses, hats, Chi-
7 Shopping nese shawls and accessories; only original
clothes from the ’20s to ’80s are stocked.
The splendid Galeries St-Hubert, once
graced by Victor Hugo, feature swish choc- Martin Margiela Fashion
olate and fashion stores in a calm, grand (Map p40; Rue de Flandre 114) Margiela is often
setting. Rue Antoine Dansaert is the nerve tagged the unofficial seventh member of the
centre of Brussels’ design and fashion quar- Antwerp Six (he graduated from Antwerp’s
ter, the Sablon features antiques, while the fashion academy in 1980). Shoes, accesso-
Marolles are full of quirky interior design ries and men’s and women’s body-skimming
78
fashions in understated colours are artfully Brüsel Comics
arranged in this white-on-white boutique. (Map p40; www.brusel.com; Blvd Anspach 100;
h10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-6.30pm Sun)
Manufacture Belge de Dentelles Lace
Chic comic-book shop named after a book
(Map p40; %02-511 44 77; www.mbd.be; Galerie de by one of Belgium’s best-known contem-
la Reine 6-8; h9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm porary comic artists, François Schuiten.
Sun) Excellent stock of antique lace, and staff Comics with English translations available.
who love the stuff.
Brussels I8nformation

Catherine Food
Mary Chocolate
(Map p40; %02-512 75 64; Rue du Midi 23; h9am-
(Map p48; %02-217 45 00; www.marychoc.be; 6pm Mon-Sat) A traditional and welcoming
Rue Royale 73; per kg €56; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat; grocery in the heart of town, specialising in
mMadou) Supplies pralines to Belgium’s roy- artisinal cheeses, several of them organic.
als plus the odd US president. Its chocolate- You’ll also find cured meats and condiments –
making workshop (%02-737 7244; Chaussée all the perfect basis of a simple supper if
de Wavre 950; h9am to 3.30pm) offers tours you’re self-catering.
with tastings (€8) behind the crenellated
facade of the Arsenal building. Stijl Fashion
(Map p40; Rue Antoine Dansaert 74) A top ad-
Passa Porta Books
dress, Stilj is well stocked with Antwerp
(Map p40; www.passaporta.be; Rue Antoine Six classic designer-ware (Ann Demeule-
Dansaert 46; h11am-7pm Tue-Sat, noon-6pm Sun) meester, Dries Van Noten) but also features
This stylish bookshop located down an alley up-to-the-minute designers including Haid-
has a small but classy English-language sec- er Ackermann, Gustavo Lins (www.gustavo
tion. Look out for the leaflet listing literary lins.com) and Raf Simons. It’s a hip place
events, many of which are hosted in English. but not unduly daunting to enter and, un-
Gare du Midi Market Market like many such boutiques, prices are clearly
(Map p52; Gare du Midi; h6am-1pm Sun; mGare labelled. Has fashion for men and women.
du Midi) Said to be the biggest market in Idiz Bogam Fashion
Europe, this sprawl of colourful stalls next (Map p52; %02-512 10 32; Rue Haute 180; h11am-
to the railway lines has an international fla- 7pm Mon-Sat, 1pm-7pm Sun) Specialises in
vour, with exotic North African and Medi- retro, vintage and global secondhand gear
terranean spices, cheeses, meats, clothing, for men and women. Big on furs, hats, shoes
leather goods and everything else under the and sequins.
sun. Its food stands, selling bites like Mo-
roccan crêpes with cheese, honey and veg- Sterling Books Books
etables along with mint tea, are a favourite (Map p40; %02-223 62 23; www.sterlingbooks.be;
with clubbers winding down from Saturday Rue du Fossé aux Loups 38; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat,
night. noon-6.30pm Sun; mDe Brouckère) English-
language bookshop with comfy sofas and a
Neuhaus Chocolate
kids’ play area.
(Map p40; %02-512 63 59; www.neuhaus.be;
Galerie de la Reine 25; per kg €52; h10am-8pm
Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm Sun; mGare Centrale) Bel-
8 Information
Internet Access
gium’s original – established in 1857. This
stunning flagship shop has stained-glass There’s free wi-fi at Flanders Info, the Cercle
windows and sumptuous displays. des Voyageurs (p67), Maison du Peuple (p74)
and many other cafés: note that while wi-fi signs
De Biertempel Beer aren’t often displayed, many cafés and bars do
(Map p40; %02-502 19 06; www.biertempel.be; offer it, so be sure to ask.
Rue du Marché aux Herbes 56b; h9.30am-7pm; Left Luggage
jBourse) As its name states, this shop is
Bruxelles-Midi Station (Gare du Midi; luggage
a temple to beer, stocking upwards of 700 office per article per day €2.50, luggage lock-
brews along with matching glasses and ers per 24hr small/large €3/4; hluggage office
other booze-related merchandise. For more 6am-9pm) Maximum 72 hours for lockers.
ordinary beers and for bulk puchases, make
like the locals and go to the supermarket. Medical Services
Community Help Service (% 02-648 40 14;
www.chsbelgium.org; h24hr) English-speaking
 79
be; Hôtel de Ville & Rue Royale 2; h9am-6pm;
Quick Trip to Paris? mBourse) Visit Brussels has stacks of city-
specific information as well as handy fold-out
For further information, head to shop. guides (independently researched) to the
lonelyplanet.com to purchase a down- best shops, restaurants and pubs in town. The
loadable PDF of the Paris chapter from Rue Royale office is much less crowded than
Lonely Planet’s France guide. the Grand Place one. Here you’ll also find the
Arsène50 (Map p40; %02-512 57 45; www.

Brussels G
arsene50.be; Rue Royale 2; h12.30-5.30pm
crisis helpline. Can also help find English- Tue-Sat) desk, which provides great discounts
speaking doctors, dentists and other health for cultural events.
professionals.
Hôpital St-Pierre (% 02-535 31 11; www. 8 Getting There & Away

8 etting T here & Away

stpierre-bru.be; Rue Haute 290-322; hemer- Air
gency 24hr, consultation 8am-5pm) Central Brussels Airport (BRU; www.brusselsairport.
hospital offering emergency assistance. be) is 14km northeast of Brussels. There are
ATMs on most levels and for stamps there’s a
Money
post-point in the Louis Delhaize grocery. The
ATMs and exchange facilities are found near the arrivals hall (Level 2) has currency exchange
Bourse, at Bruxelles-Midi station and Brussels (but watch the rates), car-rental agencies and
Airport. tourist information. The bus terminus and lug-
gage lockers are on Level 0, the train station on
Post
Level 1.
Post Office (Ave Fonsny 1e, Gare du Midi;
h7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) Bus
Post Office (Blvd Anspach 1; h8am-6pm Mon- Eurolines (% 02 274 13 50; www.eurolines.be;
Fri, 10.30am-4.30pm Sat) Rue du Progrès 80; h5.45am-8.45pm; jGare
Post Office (Rue Neuve, City 2 shopping cen- du Nord) operates services to London, Amster-
tre; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) dam, Paris and other international destinations
from Bruxelles-Nord.
Tourist Information
BIP (% 02-548 04 58; www.biponline.be; Rue Car
Royale 2-4; h10am-6pm) Official Brussels- Major car-rental companies have offices at Gare
region tourist office. Hotel bookings and lots of du Midi and Brussels Airport but rentals from
information. their downtown premises usually cost less.
Espace Wallonie-Bruxelles (% 02-725 52 75, Avis (% 02-537 12 80; www.avis.be; Rue
02-504 02 00; www.belgique-tourisme.net; Américaine 145)
arrivals hall, Brussels Airport; h8am-9pm) Budget (% 02-646 51 30; www.budget.be; Ave
Information on Brussels and Wallonia, not Louise 91, Hotel Bristol)
Flanders.
Flanders Info (% 02-504 03 90; www.visit Train
flanders.com; Rue du Marché aux Herbes 61; Bruxelles-Midi (p78) is the main station for
h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun; W) For international connections: the Eurostar, TGV
Flanders information, obviously. Free wi-fi. and Thalys high-speed trains (with prebooking
Lonely Planet Brussels (lonelyplanet.com/ compulsory) only stop here. Most other mainline
Belgium/Brussels) For advice, author recom- trains stop in quick succession at Bruxelles-Midi,
mendations, traveller reviews and insider tips. Bruxelles-Central (Gare Centrale) and, except for
Use-It (%02-218 39 06; www.use-it.be; Quai à la Amsterdam trains, also at Bruxelles-Nord (Gare
Houille 9B; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Sat; W; du Nord). Information offices at all three stations
mSte-Catherine) This is very much a meeting open early morning to late evening. For all enquir-
place for young travellers, with free coffee and ies consult www.b-rail.be or call %02-555 2555.
tea, sofas, and an invaluable list of live-music
events written up by the door. It does a free
alternative city tour at 2pm on Monday, with the
emphasis on social history and nightlife rather Visiting Amsterdam?
than conventional sights. The printed material is For further information, head to shop.
first rate, with a quirky city map, a well-
lonelyplanet.com to purchase a down-
researched guide for wheelchair users, a guide
loadable PDF of Amsterdam chapter
for new inhabitants of the city and a cute pam-
phlet on beer. from Lonely Planet’s Netherlands
guide.
Visit Brussels (%02-513 89 40; visitbrussels.
80

trains from Brussels

The following fares (one-way, 2nd-class) are for standard trains from Bruxelles-Central:

Destination Fare (€) Duration (min) Frequency (per hr)

Antwerp 6.90 35-49 5
Brussels G

Binche 9 59 1
Bruges 13.50 62 2
Charleroi 9 60 2
Ghent 8.50 36 2
8 etting A round

Hasselt 12.20 75 2
Kortrijk 12.20 69 1
Leuven 5 24-36 4
Liège 14.10 60-80 2
Luxembourg City 37.20 180 1
Mechelen 4.30 15-28 2
Mons 9 55 2
Namur 8.50 62 2
Nivelles 5.40 30 2
Ostend 16 75 1
Tournai 12.20 61-73 2
Ypres 16.60 105 1

8 Getting Around wrong direction: convenient but hazardous,

as few car drivers realise. Cycling In Brussels
To/From the Airport
(www.bicycle.irisnet.be) gives maps and more
Airport City Express (€5.60; h5.30am- information. Bicycles can be carried on metros
12.20am) trains run four times hourly between and trams except at rush hours (7am to 9am and
Brussels Airport and the city’s three main train 4pm to 6.30pm), once you’ve purchased a one-
stations, Bruxelles-Nord (15 minutes), Bruxelles- year €15 bike pass.
Central (€7.60, 20 minutes) and Bruxelles-Midi
Rental Villo! (% 078-05 11 10; http://en.villo.
(25 minutes). Express-bus 12 links the airport to
be; subscription day/week €1.60/7.50) is an
Bruxelles-Luxembourg via Nato HQ and Metro
system of 180 automated stations for short-
Schuman (prepurchased/bought-aboard €3/4).
term bicycle rental (30/60/90/120 minutes
It should take around 30 minutes but allow much
free/€0.50/1.50/3.50). First you need a sub-
more at rush hour. After 8pm at weekends, the
scription (day/week/year €1.60/7.50/32), then
slower route 21 is substituted. See www.stib.be for
charges accumulate and are debited from your
the rather complex timetables. An airport taxi to
credit/bank card. When making stops the idea is
central Brussels costs around €35 (some accept
to return the bike to the nearest station and take
credit cards) but once you’re stuck in rush-hour
a new one when continuing. Failure to return
traffic you’ll probably wish you’d taken the train.
the bicycle or to follow the rules could cost you
Bicycle €150. Read the website carefully for details and
a station-finder map (note that only major ones
Intolerant drivers, slippery cobblestones
issue subscriptions).
and tram tracks combine to make Brussels a
cyclist’s nightmare. However, in 2009 the Brus- For longer bike hires try FietsPunt/PointVelo
sels Charter (www.velo-city2009.com) gave (www.recyclo.org; per 1/3 days €7.50/15;
the city international prominence in pushing for h7am-7pm Mon-Fri), which is also a cycle repair
increased bicycle mobility and infrastructure. shop. You’ll need ID and credit card or a €150
A network of bike paths (separated from the deposit. The shop is somewhat hidden: look left
traffic) and bike lanes (usually painted red and as you leave Bruxelles-Central station via the
marked with white lines) is being somewhat daytime-only Madeleine exit.
imperfectly introduced and bicycles may legally Cycle Tours Cycle tours are available through
take certain (marked) one-way streets in the Centre Vincent van Gogh (p63), Maison des
 81
Cyclistes (% 02-502 7355; www.provelo.be; Rue trains only run every 10 to 15 minutes. While you
de Londres 15; hnoon-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm wait there’s often artwork to peruse. Highlights:
Sat & Sun Apr-Oct) and Brussels Bike Tours Bourse Paul Delvaux’ Nos vieux trams bruxel-
(p62). The latter’s approximately four-hour tours lois depicts old trams in the capital.
(maximum group size 12) start from the Hôtel de Horta Relics from Horta’s Maison du Peuple
Ville (Grand Place). Many first-time visitors love integrated into the foyer.
both the ride and the beers- and frite-stops along
Porte de Hal Old trams and futuristic vehicles
the way (food and drink costs extra).
merge in scenes mirroring the comic-strips of

Brussels S
Rollerskates artist François Schuiten.
Belgium is perhaps unique in having special Stockel Life-sized murals of Tintin and pals.
road rules for ‘rollers’ (those on rollerskates Tram, Premetro & Bus The vast web of bus
or rollerblades). On Friday evenings from June and tram transport has no central hub so grab a

A outh
8
to September certain major city streets give free STIB/MIVB transport map before going too

roundO fB russels
temporary right of way to rollers from 7pm (see far. Underground premetro trams link Brussels-
www.belgiumrollers.com). Nord and Brussels-Midi via the Bourse, travelling
beneath the boulevard known consecutively as
Car Adolphe Max/Anspach/Maurice Lemonier.

B russels
The slightest hiccup on either ring road brings
traffic to a halt especially on Friday afternoons. Taxi
Brussels-Mobilty (www.bruxellesmobilite. Official taxis (typically black or white) charge
irisnet.be) maps real-time congestion €2.40 pick-up plus €1.35/2.70 per kilometre with-
problems. in/outside the Brussels region. There’s a €2 sup-
Street parking requires meter-payment when plement between 10pm and 6am. Waiting costs
signs say betalend parkeren/stationnement pay- €25 per hour. Taxes and tips are officially included
ant (usually 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 7pm Monday in the meter price so you should ignore requests
to Saturday). for extra service charges. Taxis wait near the three
central train stations, outside Hôtel Amigo, near
Public Transport the Grand Place and at Place Stéphanie on Ave
Brussels’ integrated bus-tram-metro system Louise. Website www.brux ellesmobilite.irisnet.
is operated by STIB/MIVB (% 02-515 2000; be/articles/taxi/ou-trou ver-un-taxi lists other
www.stib.be; Rue de l’Évêque 2; h10am-6pm ranks and taxi operators including Taxis Bleus
Mon-Sat). Public transport runs from about 6am (%02-268 00 00) and Taxis Verts (%02-349 49
to midnight, after which it’s taxi only except on 49). Cabbies have a reputation for aggressive,
Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights, over-fast driving but if you’re seriously dissatisfied
when 17 Noctis night-bus routes (€3 single) op- you can report them toll-free on %0800-94001 –
erate twice hourly from midnight to 3am, most the receipt, which they must legally print for you,
starting from Place de Brouckère. should have their four-digit taxi ID.
Tickets & Passes Tickets are valid for one
hour and are sold at metro stations, STIB/MIVB
kiosks, newsagents and on buses and trams. Around Brussels
Single-/five-/10-journey STIB/MIVB tickets cost
€1.80/7.50/11.80 including transfers. Unlimited
one-day passes cost €6. Note that airport buses
are excluded and slightly higher ‘jump’ fares ap-
South Of Brussels
ply if you want to connect to city routes operated Forêt de Soignes
by De Lijn (Flanders bus), TEC (Wallonia bus) or This vast suburban forest (Zoniënwoud; www.
SNCB/NMBS (rail). Children under six travel free. zonienwoud.be) is a botanical cathedral of
Tickets must be validated, before travel, in glorious towering beech trees. Many were
machines located at the entrance to metro plat- planted by proto-Belgium’s 18th-century
forms or inside buses and trams. Tickets without Austrian rulers with oaks added by the
validation incur fines of €55. Random checks French to provide timber for future naval
are made. ships. By the time those trees had matured,
Brussels International sells one-day passes however, shipbuilders preferred metal, so
and BrusselsCards (p38). the trees went uncut. Today the result is
Metro Stations are marked with a white ‘M’ on a delightful regional park with hundreds
a blue background. Lines 1A (northwest–south- of kilometres of cycle, horse and walking
east) and 1B (northeast–southwest) share the paths. Tucked into the forest fringes you’ll
same central stretch including useful stops at find the Jean Massart Experimental Gar-
Bruxelles-Central, Ste-Catherine and Schuman den (www.ulb.ac.be/musees/jmassart; admission
(for the EU Area). Line 2 basically follows the
free; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri), arboreta at Tervuren
Petit Ring. Don’t expect London-style frequency:
 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
82
Gaasbeek
One of the finest rural castles within strik-
Grimbergen ing distance of the capital is the Kasteel van
Gaasbeek, set in an extensive 17th-century
Briefly its own principality (in the
park 14km southwest of central Brussels.
18th century), Grimbergen lies just
Originally built to guard the medieval Bra-
2km north of Brussels’ ring road at
bant–Flanders border, this was the castle
junction 7. It’s worth a brief detour if
Brussels S

that angry Brussels folk burnt down in re-

you’re driving by, to drink in one of its
sponse to the 1388 murder of Everard ‘t Ser-
two watermill cafes and to admire the
claes. In 1565, Gaasbeek was briefly home to
central Sint-Servaasbasiliek, an 1128
Count Egmond before he was executed by
abbey-church which was majestically
the Spanish. Elements of each era are vis-
rebuilt after 1660 with one of Belgium’s
A outhwest
8

ible. The castle is furnished inside, romanti-

round B russels

most breathtaking baroque-rococo

cally crenellated outside and looks quite dif-
interiors.
ferent when viewed from different angles –
though the majority of the structure is the
and Groenendaal and an arts centre at result of an extensive 1897 renovation. By
Rouge Cloître (www.rouge-cloitre.be), site of a public transport take bus 142 from Metro
O f B russels

former 14th-century abbey. Erasmus.

Southwest Of Brussels North of Brussels

Beersel Nationale Plantentuin Van
België
The 1310 Kasteel van Beersel (%02-359
1646; Lotsestraat; adult/concession €2.50/1.25;
Belgium’s National Botanic Garden
(%02-260 09 20; www.botanicgarden.be; Domein
h10am-noon & 2-6pm Tue-Sun Mar–mid-Nov, Sat
van Boechout; adult/senior/concession €6/5/3;
& Sun only in winter, closed Jan) is the closest
h9.30am-6.30pm mid-Mar–mid-Oct, last entry
medieval castle to the capital. And from out-
5pm, 9.30am-5pm winter, last entry 4.30pm) is
side it’s a beauty. The picture-perfect brick
towers, rebuilt in 1498, are topped off with a 93-hectare park located in the village of
17th-century roofs and rise proudly above Meise, 12km north of downtown Brussels.
a tree-ringed moat. However, it’s an empty It’s based around two lakes and includes the
shell, the building having been used as a cot- Kasteel van Boechout, a photogenic moated
ton factory in the 19th century. castle that Léopold II gave to his sister, Prin-
The castle is handily close to the west cess Charlotte, after her own at Tervuren
Brussels ‘ring’ motorway (junction 19). burnt down in 1879.
Trains to adjacent Beersel station run thrice Of the 18,000 plant species, the park’s
hourly from Halle, whose interesting histor- most prized orchids, carnivorous plants and
ic centre is worth a quick look while you’re famous giant Amazonian water lilies are
in transit. housed in the 1966 Plantenpaleis (Plant Pal-
ace), a series of 13 connecting greenhouses.
Alsemberg Other highlights are the outdoor medicinal
For fans of the Brussels area’s trademark garden and a small 1864 greenhouse shaped
Geuze and Lambic beers, there’s a sparkling like a king’s crown. That was built by Balat,
new showpiece attraction. De Lambiek Horta’s teacher and the architect responsi-
(%02-359 16 36; www.beersel.be; Gemeenveld- ble for the Serres Royales. The 18th-century
straat 1, Alsemberg; admission €5 incl two tasters; orangery has been converted into a cafe and
h11am-5pm Fri-Sun & Wed) at Alsemberg ex- shop.
plains the beer’s qualities and production De Lijn buses 250/251 run every 15 min-
methods, then allows a tasting of a range of utes from Bruxelles-Nord (35 minutes) via
local speciality brews that can prove hard to Metro Bockstael (20 minutes).
find anywhere else.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use,
access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair
to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other
words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass
email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions
on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with
our content.’