Belgium is the land of exquisite Renaissance architecture and medieval towns still beaming with the vibes of that era. A small country with some of the most beautiful cities - Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, and Ghent to name a few. Yet another interesting part of my trip was to try what Belgium is best known for across the world – Fries, Beer, Chocolates & Waffle. I covered two cities in 2 days, and this is how the packed days went!
Our trip started in Brussels, the country capital, as we dropped our bags at Meininger’s Hotel. This was one of the finest hostels I’ve been to in Europe and was just 5 mins walk from the Brussels Midi station. We decided to make our first visit to the Atomium, a 335 – feet tall steel structure replicating an iron atom. The structure is a 40-minute train ride from the central area of Brussels and people can access the exhibition space as well as a restaurant within. Mini – Europe, a park presenting miniature versions of best European cities is yet another prime attraction and is located next to Atomium.
Getting to know the Grand Place/ Central Market
We head back to the Grand Place, the old town square of Brussels around which most of the tourist attractions are located. Also referred to as the Grote Markt, the place has architectures from various eras in history. Traditionally a marketplace, the square is now renovated to have hotels, museums, and restaurants and can be always seen with busy tourists. We decided to take a walking tour around the city and Grand Place is the starting point for the same. Most cities in Europe have the concept of free walking tours organized by various agencies. These are independent tour guides who take you around the city for free, but the custom is to tip them depending on how you liked the entire tour.
Exploring the city on foot – Free Walking Tour
Our tour started from Grand Place getting to know the history of the city as well as the location we were at right then. We then moved on to see the 217-year-old Brussels Stock Exchange building and got to know about its prominence. We headed to Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a shopping arcade with cafes, apparel shops, chocolatiers, and venues of entertainment. The next stop was Manneken Pis – a 24-inch statue depicting a small boy urinating into the fountain. It is one of the most celebrated and popular landmarks in Brussels. The statue is often dressed according to various themes around 130 days a year. We stopped by the National Opera of Belgium and St Nicholas Church to end our trip to Mont de Arts. The area is surrounded by several museums including Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Magritte Museum, the Musical Instrument Museum among others. It also gives a beautiful view of the city at sunset.
Hunt for the best foodie places in Brussels
It was time to set out finding the best of eateries in the city. We started with trying the fries from Friterie Tabora. As much as the name can be deceiving, French fries originated in Belgium. The fries are often coupled with sauces of your choice and Andalouse is the most popular one around. A word of caution for vegetarians and vegans; these fries are often fried with animal fat and are it’s thus advisable to enquire every time you buy some. Next up, waffles! We went to the Waffle Factory around the central market. There are two types of waffles available in Belgium – Liege, and Brussels – they vary in texture and batter. We tried a triple chocolate waffle and they were worth the hype.
How can we forget the Belgian Beer?
We spent the evening at Delirium Café, one of the must-do experiences in Brussels. The reason for its fame is the collection of beers. Delirium houses more than 2000 varieties of beers for customers to try from. The ambiance of the place is set to dim lights, walls filled with ads and posters, and old school wooden furniture. While Belgian Trappist beer, brewed in the Trappist monasteries are popular ones here, there are several unusual flavors such as chocolate, banana, and cherry beer catering to the tastes of everyone.
A little more than an hour’s train journey from Brussels would land you in Bruges, a small city in the corner of the country. The city stands like a town straight out of fairy tales with picturesque canals, medieval architecture, and tons of beautiful open spaces. We got accommodation at St. Christopher’s Inn hostel in Bruges, yet another chain of budget hostels in Europe. We got our stay for around 10 Euros/person for a night. The hostel is a little cramped but is in a good location. There is also a bar on the ground floor, and it gets crowded in the evenings.
The old town square… yet again!
We started our sightseeing from the main square of the city. The old town of Bruges is a UNESCO world heritage center. The medieval styled buildings, horse carriages for tourists, cobblestone pavements and busy tourists; it was nothing less than a postcard-perfect frame. The central square is also named the Markt and has the iconic Belfort Tower. One can climb to the top of the tower to get a panoramic view of the city. We took up the canal tour in the motorized boats to get a view of the beautiful city. This is one of the must-do experiences as you pass through some of the popular landmarks of the city.
Walking along the meandering lanes.
We spent the rest of the evening walking around the town and getting pictured in the pretty frames. There are small bridges across the canals all around the city and made perfect photo spots! Yet another best part of Belgium are the chocolates and Bruges have a lot of stores around the city. I had one of the best hot chocolates in my life from Olivier’s Chocolate Shop & Bar. The presentation makes you want to have it more.
We spent the evening attending a Harp session. These are free sessions by a local artist, Luc Vanlaere. While these can be soothing sessions, it might not interest everyone. We spent the night at Le Trappiste Bar, one of the best bars in the city. It is set up in an age-old cellar with candle lights giving a rustic feel to the place. The bar had a good collection of beers as well as games to keep the crowd busy!
That put an end to our hectic exploration of Belgium in such a short time. Never had I seen such beautiful cities still holding on to the vibes of the medieval era. I look forward to going to Belgium to explore the cities I could not cover in this trip and so must you!
Photo Credit: Prashant Chawla