Photo: Corbis
More than just the EU
"There was a sound of revelry by night." From Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, his famous description of the Duchess of Richmond’s ball on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo.
Let's be honest, Brussels is not Paris. But all the jokes about it being the most dreary capital city in Europe turn out to be completely unfair. For starters, Brussels has the most magnificent Baroque square in the world. The Grand Place, which dates back to the 14th century, was destroyed in 1695 by the French and completely rebuilt within four years. Marx and Engels met in the Maison du Cynge in one corner of the square where they started drafting the Communist Manifesto.
If the hordes of tourists in the Grand Place drive you mad, head to the Sablon area, which is about a 10-minute walk away. Wander through the cobbled streets, which are full of antique shops and excellent cafes and bars. Head up the hill towards the Palais Royal and stand in the Place Royale for one of the greatest urban views in Europe. Turn to your right and you can see the 100-metre high golden dome of the Palais de Justice a few miles away. Turn to your left and see the Byzantine Ste Marie church a few miles in the other direction. Political anoraks will also be in heaven: they can take a tour of the EU quarter to see the Berlaymont building (European Commission), the Justus Lipsius building (council of ministers) and the European Parliament.
Let's be honest, Brussels is not Paris. But all the jokes about it being the most dreary capital city in Europe turn out to be completely unfair. For starters, Brussels has the most magnificent Baroque square in the world. The Grand Place, which dates back to the 14th century, was destroyed in 1695 by the French and completely rebuilt within four years. Marx and Engels met in the Maison du Cynge in one corner of the square where they started drafting the Communist Manifesto.
If the hordes of tourists in the Grand Place drive you mad, head to the Sablon area, which is about a 10-minute walk away. Wander through the cobbled streets, which are full of antique shops and excellent cafes and bars. Head up the hill towards the Palais Royal and stand in the Place Royale for one of the greatest urban views in Europe. Turn to your right and you can see the 100-metre high golden dome of the Palais de Justice a few miles away. Turn to your left and see the Byzantine Ste Marie church a few miles in the other direction. Political anoraks will also be in heaven: they can take a tour of the EU quarter to see the Berlaymont building (European Commission), the Justus Lipsius building (council of ministers) and the European Parliament.
Best view
The Palais de Justice
Walk down the steps in front of the 100m-high Palais de Justice and turn left onto Place Poelaert for a magnificent view over the roofs of the city. Take the glass lift down to the slightly down-at-heel Marolles area and find Pieter Bruegel the Elder's house at 132 Rue Haute.
Place Poelaert; Tel: 02 508 64 10; Nearest metro: Louise; Tram: 91, 92, 93, 94; Bus: 20, 48; Open: 8am-5pm Mon-Fri; Admission: free
Best thing to do for free
Etangs d'Ixelles
Wander around the ponds in one of the smartest parts of town for a peep at superb Art Nouveau houses.
Where to watch the world go by
Cafes in Place du Grand Sablon and Grand Place
During summer, head to any of the cafes in the Place du Grand Sablon. And in winter sit under the arches of the Galleries de La Reine, near the Grand Place, at the Cafe de Vaudeville.
Nighttime hangout
Mezzo
With its brick walls and dark wooden bar, this place is deservedly heaving at night. Next to the impeccably cool Place St Gry.
18 Borgval
Cultural highlight
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
This combines the Musée d'Art Ancien and the Musée d'Art Moderne. Roll over the Louvre in Paris, this will keep you going for days with paintings by Bruegel the Elder through to Magritte. Follow in the footsteps of W H Auden, who wrote about Bruegel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus after visiting the museum in 1938. His poem opens: "About suffering they were never wrong,/The Old Masters; how well, they understood/Its human position."
3 rue de la Regence; Tel: 02 508 3211; Metro: Gare Centrale; Tram: 92, 93, 94; Open: 10am-5pm, Tue-Sun; www.fine-arts-museum.be/
Bring back
Chocolate
Chocolate, of course. Head to Pierre Marcolini, the finest chocolate maker, at Avenue Louise, 75M or at Place du Grand Sablon, 39. Prices range from €8.50 for a sachet of chocolates to €64 for a Sac Intense - a tiered box of chocolates.
Leave there
Corkscrews of the Manneken Pis
The Mannekin Pis is city's most famous landmark - a statuette of a nude boy urinating. Spend the €11 on chocolate instead.
Time for love
Place du Petit Sablon
Wander into the gardens in the middle of this square and take a seat on one of the benches next to the fountain. The 19th-century gardens may have been formally designed, but you'll find the atmosphere magical.
Best-kept secret (till now)
Beyond the EU district
That there is life beyond the soulless EU district where Europe is run from some of the dreariest buildings on the continent.
The thing to eat
Moules frites
Sometimes cliches do have a point and there's no point in visiting Brussels unless you fulfil this one - head to Chez Leon.
18 rue des Bouchers; Tel: 02 511 14 15; Nearest metro: Gare Centrale/pre-metro Bourse; Open: noon-11pm Mon-Thurs & Sun, noon-11.30pm Fri & Sat; www.chezleon.be/
Green space
Bois de la Cambre
As one of the greenest cities in Europe, Brussels is ringed by parks and forests. Head south to the Bois de la Cambre (at the end of Avenue Louise), which was landscaped in 1862 with an artificial lake. The adventurous can wander from the park into the Foret de Soignes.
Best ride
Tram
Take the 44 tram from Montgomery (the Field Marshal's a hero in Belgium for liberating the country) to the small village of Tervueren. A romantic tram ride which passes through the Foret de Soignes.
Keep the kids happy
Mini-Europe Brussels
Take the kids on a tour of Europe where they can see a 4m Big Ben and a 13m Eiffel Tower.
Mini Europe, Bruparck; Tel: +32 02 478 0550; www.minieurope.com/
Escape the crowds
Chateau de la Hulpe
Modelled on the grand Loire Valley chateaux in France, this is a great place to relax. Wander the grounds or visit the chateau, 20km south of Brussels.
La Hulpe, 1310, Brabant Wallon, Brabant; Tel: +32 02 653 64 04; www.dreamit.be/castles/FT/FR/lahulpe.htm
The film to see before I go
Breakfast at Tiffany's
It may be set in New York but prepare for Brussels by seeing the greatest film featuring the city's most famous daughter. Audrey Hepburn was born in Brussels in 1929.
... and the novel to read
The Secret of the Unicorn
Probably best to steer clear of Villette, Charlotte Bronte's novel set in Brussels. She loathed the place. Go for the Tintin adventure, The Secret of the Unicorn, which opens in La Place du Jeu de Balle in the Marolles quarter.
Where to eat (budget)
Maison Antoine
The most famous place for chips in Brussels in Place Jourdan. A basic portion costs €1.70/1.90. You can add an assortment of sources and meats.
1 Place Jourdan, Quartier Europeen; Tel: +32 02 230 540 56; Nearest metro: Schuman
Where to eat (moderate)
L'Esprit de Sel Brasserie
L'Esprit de Sel Brasserie in Place Jourdan is a classic Belgian brasserie with a set menu for €25.
Place Jourdan 52-54,1040; Tel: + 32 02 230 60 40; www.espritdesel.be/
Where to eat (posh)
Comme Chez Soi
One of the finest French restaurants in the world, with three Michelin stars, it costs a minor fortune to dine here.
23 Place Rouppe; Tel: 02 512 29 21; Nearest metro: Pre-metro Anneessens; Open: 12-2.15pm & 7-11pm Tue-Sat; Closed July; www.commechezsoi.be/
Where to stay (budget)
Hotel Derby
Well located next to the Parc Cinquantenaire. Double room costs €65.
24 Avenue de Tervueren; Tel: +32 2 733 0819; www.hotel-derby.be/
Where to stay (moderate)
Hotel Carrefour de l'Europe
Round the corner from the Grand Place. Double room costs €120 at the weekend and €150 in the week.
Rue Marche aux Herbes; www.carrefoureurope.net/
Where to stay (posh)
Hotel Le Dixseptieme
A beautiful boutique hotel near the Grand Place in a building that has been at the heart of the city's history. Left in ruins after the centre of Brussels was bombarded in 1695, the building was rebuilt in the 17th century to become the Spanish ambassador's residence. Double rooms start at €200.
Rue de la Madeleine; Tel: + 32 2 502 5744; www.ledixseptieme.be/
Find out what's on
Bulletin
Pick up a copy of the Bulletin, the English language guide.
Get there from the airport
Airport transfer: take a taxi
Most people will arrive by Eurostar at the Gare du Midi, which is on the Metro. Scheduled flights arrive at Brussels National Airport at Zaventem, which has a fast train connection to all the city's main stations. Taking a taxi will give you your first taste of Belgium's hideous bureaucracy. A taxi into town will cost between €30-40 because the service is run under the auspices of the Flanders government. A return taxi can be €10 cheaper because the service is run under the auspices of Brussels. Budget flights arrive at Charleroi airport, which is 46km south of Brussels. It has a shuttle into town that costs €10.50 each way.
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