Sightseeing in Brussels Aug 13, 2003
People
seems to think there's not much to see or do in
Brussels. They couldn't be more mistaken. It's easy to spend a week
here without coming close to seeing it all. With enough time, you can leisurely
enjoy the popular yet uncrowded sights and still have time to wander around the
squares and places that make up the city's many 
attractive
neighborhoods.
Downtown, the Grand Place (the old marketplace) is the prime attraction. On our first evening in Brussels, Bauduoin took us here. I was amazed. This is one of the most beautiful and well preserved city squares in all of Europe. With its cleaned and renovated buildings, it's quite a sight. The huge gothic town hall was built 600 years ago and is now in pristine condition. The wonderfully ornate guild houses date back over 300 years, but look like new. Nightly there's a free music and light show that dances along the face of the town hall (above). Very nice. Unfortunately the Grand Place is so grand, it's not possible to do it justice in a photo. Still, these two photos hint at the splendor.
Near the Grand Place
you'll find the Bourse (below), an attractive old building in the Greek revival style,
the antique center known as the Sablon
(where there's an outdoor antique market every weekend) and lots of shopping
areas and lively sidewalk
cafes and eateries. There are also several parks, the botanical gardens
and the King's Palace to see. The huge gilded rooms of the latter are
impressive; they're open to the public (free admission) during six weeks in
July/August when King Albert II is on vacation elsewhere.
Nearby are the Museum
de Beaux Arts and the Modern Art Museum. The former has a truly wonderful
white marble grand entryway that rises several stories to roof level. The museums house
excellent large masterpieces by
Rubens, Bruegel, and Magritte, among others. It's easy to enjoy a day here
moving through the many uncrowded rooms. Across the street is the must see
Museum of Musical Instruments. Here the admission includes headphones; as
you move past the exhibits, 
you'll hear songs played using the antique instruments before you. Don't miss the excellent and reasonably priced restaurant on
top floor. It even boasts a view of the Atomium, the multi-story
construction that represents a nine-atom crystal of iron. For the
museum-minded, there are another 65 museums in Brussels, including the famous
African Museum (art obtained during the Belgium Congo days), a comic book
museum, a chocolate museum, the Art Nouveau Victor Horta House and a
civil war museum (yes, memorabilia from the American Civil War!) to name just a
few.
The neighborhoods are one of the
best parts of Brussels. And it's easy to get to them: the trams, buses and
metro go everywhere. Take for example, our little neighborhood near Flagey
Square and Les Etangs d'Ixelles (the ponds of Ixelles). It has interesting homes to look
at, outdoor cafes and an ancient abbey that's worth a visit. Or wander
along the up-market Avenue Louise and down some of the shop-filled side-streets,
or stroll down the Chaussee de Waterloo through neighborhood after
neighborhood. Around some 
neighborhood
squares, such as near la Place de Chatelain, there are over a dozen
restaurants to choose from! And the locals are very friendly -- need
directions or a suggestion, just ask!
Brussels is full of statues; they're everywhere. With hundreds of years to commemorate both local and countrywide events, and foreigners wanting to memorialize their most important events or heroes, you can't go far without seeing a statue. For example, there are 12 different sculptures within a two block radius of our apartment alone! This photo collage should give you a sense of their diversity. Included are some traditional standing statues or busts of rich or once-famous men, a large modern sculpture, and two war memorials. There's even a large bust that appears to be an African princess.
This summer Brussels has embraced
the Cow phenomena, following on the heels of Chicago, New York 
and
other
cities.
There are 150 "artistic" cows strategically placed in clusters about town.
I
don't think they add to the city's beauty, but it's interesting nonetheless to see what
local
artists have done with the concept. There appear to be four different cow models.
Most are painted around a theme,
but several artists have modified the cows themselves -- there's a surfing cow, a winged
cow, a monkey-faced cow, a clam-baking cow -- an imaginarium 
of cows.
This summer Bob and Jan Campbell, and Christian and Jeannette Weinhold visited us. (The cow collage above is courtesy of Bob.) They came because we were here, but I think they were pleasantly surprised to discover what an attractive, friendly and lively town Brussels is. I know we've certainly enjoyed our summer exploring the city.