Top attractions in Brussels Museum of Fine Arts. City Museum in the King's House

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the unspoken capital of Europe. The European Commission, the European Parliament, the headquarters of NATO and the offices of world corporations are located here. But in terms of tourism, this is not the most interesting Belgian city. A few days will be enough to see the main sights of Brussels and go to more interesting places, for example, to or to.

Grand Place - central square Belgian capital and one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. This is the first place in Brussels that every tourist should visit. Grand Place simply amazes with the luxury of architectural decorations. Each knowledge is unique and unlike any other. The highest and old building square - town hall. Opposite it used to be the house of the King, but now there is the city museum of Brussels.

Once every two years, in mid-August, the Grand Place is covered with a carpet of flowers. It is the photographs of the “flower square” that adorn the postcards of Brussels, as one of the main attractions of the city. The next time the Grand Place will be decorated with flowers in 2018.

Parliamentarium - interactive museum at the European Parliament. Here they talk about the past and present of Europe, as well as what awaits us in the near future.

Free admission. You can also take a free audio guide in the language of one of the countries that are part of the European Union. As you already understood, there is no audio guide in Russian or Ukrainian.

Address: Rue Wiertz 43

Opening hours: Tue. - Fri. 9:00 - 18:00, Sat. and Sun. 10:00 - 18:00, Mon. 13:00 - 18:00

Manneken Pis is one of the top 10 most disappointing sights in the world. However, he gathers millions of curious eyes around him. Everyone wants to feel the disappointment and resentment for the time spent. How many write that there is nothing to look at, but this does not stop tourists.

Sometimes the boy can be seen in clothes. He has more than 600 different costumes for festivals and holidays in his wardrobe.

Address: Rue de l'Etuve 46

Pissing girl

Since 1984, there has been a statue of a pissing girl in Brussels, but it is not as popular as a boy. She is not dressed up in costumes, and the attraction is hidden behind bars. What the girl did wrong, no one knows.

The statue is opposite the Delirium pub, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest collection of beers, more than 2,000 varieties in one place.

Address: Impasse de la Fidelite 10-12

Chocolate Museum

Belgium is famous for its chocolate, which is why almost every Belgian city has a museum of the sweet drug. The Chocolate Museum in Brussels is not as big as in Bruges, but is also very interesting. On the ground floor, a master class on making chocolates is held, where you can learn a lot of interesting things. For example, how milk chocolate is prepared, what products are included in white chocolate, and how to make sweets with filling. The master class is held in English, French or Dutch.

On the second floor, there are exhibits that tell the history of chocolate: what beans are used, from which countries they are brought, why chocolate and cocoa drinks have earned such popularity, etc.

I really liked the museum, it is worth the money and deserves the attention of tourists. However, if you are planning a trip to Bruges, then I recommend visiting the chocolate museum there. Firstly, in Bruges it is larger. Secondly, they show an interesting documentary about cocoa beans - how they are harvested, fermented, transported to Europe and made into chocolate.

Address: Guldenhoofdstraat 9

Many cities have their own business card. For Paris it's the Eiffel Tower, for London it's Big Ben, for New York it's the Statue of Liberty, and Brussels has its own, called the Atomium.

Atomium is a huge monument (102 m), which is a model of an iron molecule enlarged 160 billion times. The structure consists of nine spheres interconnected by pipes. Go from one sphere to another, you can take the stairs or the escalator. Inside the spheres are exhibitions, both temporary and permanent. The expositions are devoted to world peace, a breakthrough in the field of nuclear energy and the Sabena airline.

Personally, I didn’t like the Atomium, from the word “generally”. When you pay 12 € for an entrance ticket, you are counting on something more interesting. The unusual structure of knowledge is beautiful, yes, but that's where it all ends. The exhibition is so-so, for an amateur, but I found it boring. Even the observation deck does not save the situation.

The groupon.be website often has discounts on the entrance ticket to the Atomium. Instead of 12 €, you can pay 8.40 €.

Address: Avenue de l'Atomium

Not far from the Atomium there is interesting park Mini Europe. In just 2 hours you can see the most famous sights: Big Ben, windmills, athenian acropolis and many others. The exposition of the park includes 80 cities and more than 300 buildings.

Europe in miniature is one of my favorite places in Brussels, the park is really very interesting. And to make your visit even more joyful, catch a few tips:

1. On the groupon.be website, there are sometimes promotions for the entry ticket to Mini Europe. By purchasing a coupon, you will pay for the entrance not 15 €, but 10 €.
2. It's no secret that visiting the sights is better on weekdays. There are many more tourists here on weekends or holidays.

Coordinates: 50.8941610, 4.3387620

Working hours: 9:30 – 18:00

50th Anniversary Park

The tourist attraction of the park of the 50th anniversary was acquired thanks to triumphal arch, which almost completely copies the Parisian. During the warmer months, the Sancantener lawn becomes a huge picnic area. Rolling on the grass, drinking wine and chatting about eternity is one of the popular ways to spend your leisure time in Brussels. Concerts and festivals are also often held here.

There are two popular museums right next to the arch: the Royal Army Museum and Autoworld. When planning a route to the sights of Brussels, you can do several things here at once: take a walk in the park and visit the museum.

Museum of Musical Instruments

Museum musical instruments Well, somehow it does not excite the imagination at all. Which of you can surprise them?! We saw most of the instruments at music lessons, with friends or at concerts. But believe me, you will love this museum!

The Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels is a huge four-story building, in the rooms of which instruments from different corners peace. main feature museum is that you can listen to the sound of each of the instruments with the help of an audio guide, which is given at the entrance. Like a bewitched one, you move from exhibit to exhibit, wrapped in a blanket of incredible melodies. My rating of this museum is 5+, it is totally worth the money. It will be interesting for both adults and children over five years old.

Entrance ticket price 8 €

Opening hours: daily from 9:30 to 17:00

Address: Rue Montagne de la Cour 2

comic book museum

Walking around Brussels, it is easy to guess that the Belgians dearly love comics. Many buildings in the central part of the city are decorated with colorful drawings by local artists. What contribution did Belgium make to the development of comics? How, when and by whom were world-famous characters created? All this can be learned from the Comic Museum in Brussels.

We put off going to the museum for a long time and, apparently, not in vain. I didn’t like it, but it’s me, Dima is delighted. Why is that?

• The Comic Museum is good for those who know English, French or Dutch, because its essence is to walk from booth to booth and read about the history of the comic, character or artist.
• You need to at least a little love/understand this genre of art. If not, you, like me, will be bored.

My discovery: I did not know that the Smurfs and Asterix were the work of Belgian artists. Still learned something useful!

Entrance ticket - 10 € adult, 7 € for youth 12-25 years old, up to 12 years old - 3.5 €

Address: Rue des Sables 20

Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00

Monument to Charles Buls

In the center of Brussels, on Grasmarkt Square, there is a fountain with a monument to the former burgomaster - Charles Buls (1881 - 1899). Thanks to his active position in preserving the historical part of Brussels, today we can admire the main square of the city - the Grand Place. Charles Buls was an ardent opponent of any kind of reconstruction and allocated a considerable amount for the restoration of old buildings, for which he is very revered by the townspeople.

Of all the places described in Brussels, in my opinion, the really worthwhile ones are the chocolate museum, mini-Europe, the parliamentarium, the museum of musical instruments and the Grand Place. I recommend that you first pay attention to them, and only then explore other sights of Brussels.

Good weather and delicious waffles :)

If you have any questions - ask in the comments!

And so, you have arrived in Bussel and you have only one free day to get to know each other.

In this article, you will find information about places that you can visit during one day, without a guide. You will also learn how to get to them without knowing the city.

And so we went.

The main square of Brussels "Grand place"

Grand place, the heart of Brussels since the Middle Ages. The famous French writer of the last century, Victor Hugo, who lived in Brussels for some time, called the Grand place the most beautiful of the main squares in Europe, and for good reason.

Grand place or Big market, this is historical square in the center of Brussels, one of the main tourist sites of the city. There are two interesting sights here, the Brussels City Hall and the Bread House, or as it is also called, the King's House.

The square arose in the 17th century on the site of dried marshes. In the beginning, it was just a small market square in old Brussels, one of the villages on ancient road through which cattle were driven. Thanks to trade, the village grew and prospered. The construction of the Grand place began in 1402 with the building of the town hall Hotel de Ville, which occupies most of its side of the square and was completed in 1480. The original town hall tower, 91 meters high, was built from 1449 to 1455. Its spire is crowned with a weather vane in the form of a five-meter copper figure of the Archangel Michael trampling on the devil. There are more than a hundred statues on the facade of the building, these are copies of ancient originals made in the last century. The interiors are richly decorated with Brussels carpets and paintings. The two fountains in the courtyard symbolize the two main rivers of Belgium, the Scheldt and the Meuse.

Evening area, looks bewitching.

The legend of the sleeping knight

On one of the streets adjacent to the grand place, there is a monument to Lord Everard Circles.

poet and hero civil war Everard Cerclas was killed on the spot where this monument was erected. He died defending the city. Brussels people call this monument "The Sleeping Knight".

Many legends are associated with this unusual monument. Many monuments and sculptures have such legends and they say that touching a certain part of the sculpture brings good luck.

Many tourists take pictures and rub parts of the monument for good luck.

Another legend is that this monument was erected to a certain holy woman. And the holy hand, rubbed to a dazzling shine, as it is stroked by everyone who wants to be healed of any disease.

How to get to Grand place:

Very easy, just 5-7 minutes walk. Here is a diagram of how to go, and I'm sure you won't get lost, because there are signs everywhere.

The next attraction (not only Brussels, but also Belgium) Manneken Pis

The sculpture is located on the corner of Rue de l "Etuve and Rue du Chene, not far from the Grand place.

No one knows exactly when and how this statue appeared in Brussels, which gave rise to a huge number of legends.

One of them says that the statue was erected in honor of a little boy who, in such a simple way, tried to extinguish the explosives with which the enemies wanted to destroy Brussels.

"Manneken Pis" has another interesting feature, on the occasion of various holidays it is customary to dress up and decorate it. in every possible way. This tradition began in 1698 when a bronze figurine was first dressed.

Today, Manneken Pis's wardrobe includes about 600 costumes.

Finding the sculpture is very easy, here is a map of the path from the Grand place.

There are a lot of temples in Brussels, it is impossible to visit them in one day. But this main Cathedral of the city, Cathedral Saints-Michel-et-Gudule de Bruxelles, a must visit. Admission is free, the organ plays all the time, very beautiful stained glass windows. Having been inside the temple, you must definitely go around it, from the outside it is no less beautiful!

Under the Gothic vaults of the cathedral, you can not only see magnificent works of all kinds of sacred art, but also get real pleasure from the music of the carillon, located in the South Tower, which sounds far throughout the district on Sundays.

The cathedral is visible from afar, as it is located on the hill Trorenberg (Treurenberg). Walking distance from the Grand place is 15-20 minutes.

After visiting the cathedral, you can use the Brussels metro and visit another interesting building, the Atomium.

The monument, shining with metal, is a model of an iron molecule magnified 165 billion times. The Atomium was designed by Andre Waterkeyn and is a huge, 102 meters high, rather complex structure, consisting of nine spheres, each of which has a diameter of 18 meters, and twenty connecting pipes. Six spheres are accessible for visiting, inside the tubes there are escalators and connecting corridors, and in the central tube there is a high-speed elevator, one of the fastest in Europe.

An elevator takes just 20 seconds to take you to a restaurant or to observation platform, which are located in the uppermost ball of the structure.

From the observation deck you can see the whole of Europe, however, in miniature. The famous Mini-Europe park is in full view, but more on that later.

In 2005, the reconstruction of the building began, during which the connecting pipes, elevators and escalators were replaced.

Plexiglas was replaced with tempered glass. And in 2006, the renewed Atomium reopened its doors to visitors, here you will find exhibition and concert halls, cozy cinemas, coffee houses, a restaurant with a panoramic view of Brussels and a souvenir shop.

How to get there

By metro from de Broucker Station (Near the Exchange and Grand Place) take line 1, "Weststation" station, get off at "Beekkant Exchange" Beekkant line. Change to line 6, station "King Baudouin" ("Köning Boudewijn"), get there and get off at "Heysel". Then walk 5 minutes. Trip duration: 16-18 minutes.

If the subway is too difficult for you, there is a ground option.

If you take tram number 81 in the center of Brussels, which goes past a series of solid, but rather monotonous, modern buildings characteristic of Europe, and get off at its final stop Heizel (Heizel)

Having visited the Atomium, it is simply not logical not to visit the Mini-Europe park. The park is very close.

Here you can see all the key sights of Old Europe in just a couple of hours!

The park on the territory of which there are 80 cities and 350 buildings. Ancient castles, fortresses, town halls, churches, cathedrals, fragments of streets and squares - all models of the most beautiful monuments in European Union made with the greatest accuracy on a scale of 1/25 - for example, the height of Big Ben is 4 meters, and the Eiffel Tower is comparable in height to a three-story house.

Almost every object in the park can not only be seen, but also listened to, and even watch theatrical performances. For example, you can follow the path of a bullet train from one end of France to the other, see the fall of the Berlin Wall and the eruption of Vesuvius, watch the fire extinguishing in the port of Barcelona and the bullfight in the bullfighting square in Seville (which will be watched not only by you, but also by 6 thousand little men sitting in the stands). All this, of course, is accompanied by appropriate sound effects.

For six years I knew almost nothing about Brussels. My idea of ​​this city was formed solely on the basis of ... news stories. A correspondent with a microphone stands against the backdrop of high-rise buildings, which reflect the gray sky, and casually talks about the next meeting of the European Parliament. Yes, yes, for an inexperienced traveler, the image of Brussels is associated primarily with European officials, politics, bureaucracy ...

For me, everything changed in the fall of 2010, when I decided to leave Moscow and go to conquer the capital of the European Union. After several years of living in Brussels, I realized that under the strict image of the political center of Europe lies a seething, lively, multifaceted city that can awaken the deepest emotions and desires in travelers.

Here is my personal opinion. Brussels is a city of mystery, a thing in itself, an explosive mixture of cultures and peoples. The incompatible is combined here: a rich business district borders on a red-light district; expensive restaurants stand side by side with fried potato stalls; ancient churches rise right up among the gray square concrete houses. Today's Brussels fully justifies its title as the center of Europe, which has absorbed so many different cultures and traditions in its long life that the head of an unaccustomed tourist is spinning. Therefore, it is the duty of every self-respecting traveler to visit this city. I believe that it is impossible to understand Europe without visiting Brussels.

How to get there

By plane

From Moscow to Brussels can be reached by direct flights of Aeroflot and Brussels airlines. Their prices are about the same. significant difference that Aeroflot flies from Sheremetyevo, and Brussels airlines from Domodedovo. At the same time, Aeroflot has two flights a day (morning and evening), while Brussels airlines has only one daytime flight.

Travel time in is about three and a half hours. Ticket prices range from 220 to 500 EUR (from 14 to 35 thousand rubles according to the current exchange rate of the Central Bank at the time of writing). It all depends on the time of booking and the type of ticket.

It will be more difficult to get from St. Petersburg to the capital of the European Union. Unfortunately, direct flights to Brussels from northern capital No. Residents of St. Petersburg have to fly with transfers via Moscow, Frankfurt, Asmterdam, or Zurich.

Travel time will be at least five hours. Ticket prices also start at approximately 220 EUR.

You can monitor promotions and special offers for air travel, as well as get acquainted with the options for connections on aggregator sites or, for example,.

From the airport to the city center can be reached by all traditional means - by taxi, by bus or by train. A taxi ride will cost you 30-40 EUR. The bus will cost significantly less (approximately 3 EUR if you buy a ticket in advance from the machine). Bus stop located directly in front of the arrivals terminal (level 0). From here you can take the STIB bus which will take you to European Quarter in the company of European officials, or on the De Lijn bus. The latter stops at Brussels North station, as well as at the Roodebeek metro station and at the NATO building.

However, the most popular and fast way getting to the city is still a train. Trains from the airport to the center run regularly, are not late and will take you to Brussels Central Station in just twenty minutes. At the time of writing, a ticket costs 8.60 EUR.

By train

There are many trains to Brussels from different parts of both Belgium itself and Europe. Getting to Brussels by train directly from Russia is possible, but difficult. To do this, you need to take the historic Moscow-Paris train and get off in Berlin. This will take about a day. Ticket prices and train schedules can be found online. In the German capital, you change trains to Cologne, located near the Belgian border. From Cologne to Brussels is already a stone's throw - just some one and a half hours. The ticket price will be about 30-40 EUR.

Important! Buy tickets for domestic European trains in advance on the websites of regional carriers (SNCB or DB). This will save you a lot.

By bus

If you are running out of money, you can also get to Brussels by bus. From large European cities this can be done on company buses Eurolines. You can also get there from Russia by bus. The ticket will cost about 140 EUR. To do this, you will need to come to the Shchelkovsky railway station in Moscow and take the Ecolines bus. Buses run twice a week, leave late in the evening and after almost two days arrive in Brussels at Rue Cardinal Mercier, which is located near the main station of the city. Tickets can be purchased on the Ecolines website online.

By car

The way to Brussels on a private vehicle from Russia will most likely take you more than one day. If you are traveling from Moscow, then at first your path will run along Minka (E30 highway to Minsk), and then along internal European routes (E40, E411, E19, A12, A201, etc.). In this case, you will enter the European Union through Poland. But first you will need to pass through one of the customs points. There are three in total. These are Berestovitsa, Warsaw bridge and Domachevo. On my only trip in Europe by car, I passed through the Warsaw Bridge, which is located near Brest. I can say that this is a great opportunity to visit a landmark for every Russian person - the Brest Fortress, which will be remembered for a long time for its solemn and at the same time mournful atmosphere.

By ferry

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

Cathedral of Saint-Michel-et-Gudul(Cathedral Saints-Michel-et-Gudule de Bruxelles) is one of the main monuments of Gothic art. It was built back in the 11th century at the confluence of two strategically important roads - on and on the same architect as the city hall on main square Cities.

The church is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 7.30 to 18.00, on Saturday from 7.30 to 15.30, and on Sunday from 14.00 to 16.00. Services are regularly held here, which you can also attend (the main one is on Sundays at 10:00).

Church of Our Lady of Sablon(Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon) is also an example of the Gothic style and in terms of splendor is practically not inferior to the Cathedral of Saint-Michel-et-Gudul. It is also open to everyone and will surprise you with the mesmerizing sounds of the organ.

Basilica of the Sacré Coeur(Basilique du Sacre-Coeur) definitely deserves your attention, because this is the largest art deco building in the world! The construction of this basilica began at the very beginning of the century, but dragged on for many years due to two world wars. Today, this building, whose architecture is reminiscent of the famous Sacré Coeur in Paris, serves as a platform not only for worship, but also for meetings and exhibitions.

The basilica is open until 18:00 in summer and until 17:00 in winter. Services are held from Monday to Saturday at 9:00 am. Sunday service at 10:00 am French, and at 11:30 in Flemish.

In addition, in the back streets of Brussels, many more churches are hidden in temples (mainly in gothic style). This, for example, Notre Dame de Laeken, Church of Saint Mary And brussels cathedral. If you have time, find these churches on the map. After all, they keep a unique spirit gothic middle ages, which in our era is not so easy to find.

Museums. Which are worth a visit

Royal Museum of Fine Arts

Here will be discussed not about one museum, but about six. That's how many different museums unite Royal Museum fine arts . Together they cover art from the 15th century to the present day (about twenty thousand works in total). Surely you do not have enough time and energy to see the whole museum complex. Then I advise you to confine yourself to the museum of old masters ( Musee Old Masters), which contains paintings and sculptures by Flemish artists (Bosch, Van Dyck, Rubens and others), and the Magritte Museum ( Musee Magritte). The latter contains the most complete collection of works by the famous master of surrealism - Magritte. Can't remember who it is? I'll give you a hint: this is the author of the same picture, which depicts a smoking pipe, and at the bottom it says "This is not a pipe."
This is not the only world-famous painting by the artist. Walking through the halls, you will surely come across a couple more familiar images.

Museum of Musical Instruments

In my opinion, this is the most interesting and unusual museum in Brussels. Let's start with the fact that it is located in an unusually beautiful Old England Art Nouveau building. The building was restored in the 2000s specifically for the museum. Now within its walls are about 8,000 musical instruments. At the entrance you will be given special headphones. When you approach some of the instruments, the music that they make in real life will sound from them.

Belgian Comic Center (Musée belge de la Bande dessinée)

Even if you are not a fan of comics, then in Brussels you should forget about it and visit the Belgian comics museum. It houses the largest comic book library in the world. Here you can certainly find the famous issue of comics about how the Belgian journalist Tin-Tin visited the USSR.

The museum building itself also deserves a closer look - it is an art deco monument designed by one of the main Belgian architects - Victor Horta.

In addition, you can visit Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences(Institut royal des sciences naturelles de Belgique), which acquaints its visitors with all kinds of life forms, auto world(auto world), where 250 vintage vehicles are collected, as well as Belgian Museum of the Royal Army and military history (Musee Royal de l'Armee) or the Tram Museum ( Musee du Tram).

parks

Brussels Park (Parc de Bruxelles) located in the very center of the city (stop Metro Parc) and is included in one architectural ensemble with the royal palace. This is a large and bright park where many Brussels residents like to spend their free time. Interesting fact: under the park there is a fortified bunker built in case of a nuclear war. You won’t be able to see it, but the very fact that you are walking on the roof of a huge bunker can spice up your walk. If you are in Brussels at the end of summer, you can also look into the Royal Palace (open from July 22 to September 4 from 10:30 to 15:45).

Sancantener Park (Parc cinquantenaire) in its scope does not lag behind the central royal park. The park was laid out on an area of ​​37 hectares for the world exhibition of 1880. It is framed by a number of museums, including the Belgian Museum of the Royal Army and History.

Mini-Europa Park (Parc Mini-Europa) - one of iconic places not only Brussels, but also Belgium. The most important sights can be found in the park. European continent in miniature. Many layouts are equipped with special mechanisms that allow you to turn on multi-colored backlighting or set some elements in motion. So in a mini-Europe, fountains murmur, trains run and flags fly. If you want to take a photo with the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Cathedral in Santiago, and the next vacation is not waiting for you soon - welcome to mini-Europe!

tourist streets

The center of Brussels is often conditionally divided into Upper and Lower City. In the upper city, which is located on the so-called Mount of Arts, there is the Royal Palace with a park, a museum of musical instruments and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. The mountain is crowned with a monument to King Albert II.
In the Lower City, where the common people once lived, there is the Grand Place, Manneken Pis and many small old streets. Upper and Lower Brussels is the most tourist area cities. All the main historical streets are located here. If you want to limit yourself exclusively to tourist Brussels, you are here.

What to see in 1 day

To explore Brussels in one day, I can offer you one simple route.

Start from the Grand Place (on the map - the Big Market), look at the Manneken Pis (on the map - a point under the Big Market), and then move up to Upper city along Lombard street.

Along the way you will meet many cafes and souvenir shops. When you get to the Mont des Arts, stop next to the statue of Albert II, follow the direction of his hand and admire the Lower City from above.

Then go straight ahead and reach royal palace, Turn left. The majestic royal park will stretch before you.

Get to the central fountain, then take a little to the right and exit to Belliard Street. It leads to the European Quarter. If you have any strength left, continue straight ahead and you will come straight to the Sancantener Park. After going around the park, you can go back a little, take the subway at Schuman station and get to the hotel or airport. This non-stop route takes about an hour.

If such long walks are not to your liking, the route can be shortened a little. From the European Quarter, you can immediately go back and take the train at Trone metro station, or turn left and walk to Louise station, where the majestic Palace of Justice is located (see map).

What to see in the surroundings

Belgium is a small country, so from the capital you can get by train almost anywhere. If you have enough time, go, choose a place, buy a ticket and in an hour and a half you will be there. Louvain and others beautiful cities located no more than 100 km. from the Belgian capital.

Food. What to try

The main Belgian dishes, no matter how ridiculous it may sound, are french fries and waffles. Only the controversial Belgians were able to give these simple dishes the status of national dishes. However, in Brussels, every phenomenon has two sides, and food is no exception. Brussels is the capital of french fries, at the same time it has the status of one of the most gastronomically attractive cities in Europe. It is believed that almost the most delicious seafood dishes are prepared in Brussels.

To find out where french fries are fried in the best oil, waffles are poured with the most delicious syrup, and seafood is served in the most unusual way, go. And, of course, don't forget to try Belgian chocolate for dessert.

Among the must-see places, I can recommend an unusual place La fleur en papier dore(Flower made of gilded paper). It is located in the very center, not far from the Magritte Museum (Rue des Alexiens 55). Once this cafe served as a meeting place for the Brussels surrealists, led by the master himself. Until now, the owners of the cafe carefully keep traces of his presence. The walls are decorated with photographs, drafts, sketches, letters from the beginning of the century. Here you feel like in a museum, not in a cafe. But that doesn't make the coffee any less delicious. For the forgetful, the front door is inscribed in French “Ceci n’est pas un musée (on consomme)”, i.e. "This is not a museum (we eat)."

Budget

The most budgetary places in Brussels are, of course, small stalls with fast food, waffle (eg. waffle factory), cozy coffee houses (eg. Cafe la Brocante or Or Cafe) as well as bakeries where you can have a cup of tea or coffee with a croissant (for example, chains Paul).

Intermediate level

Brussels has many establishments with an average price level. Of course, the restaurants near the Grand Place (eg on Rue des Bouchers) will catch your eye first. If you are too lazy to walk far, then you can eat here, but I recommend looking for more interesting places (especially since, by order of the burgmeister, since November of this year, restaurants in the historical part of the city have removed tables from the street). For example, the Restobières restaurant, where all dishes (including desserts) are prepared on the basis of beer.

Expensive

Perhaps the most famous expensive restaurant in Brussels is Belga Queen. It is located on the site of a former bank vault, and the atmosphere here is to match. Other gourmet restaurants that are definitely worth mentioning are Comme chez Soi(one Michelin star) rabassier, bon bon And Dolce Amaro.

Holidays

Brussels is often used as a venue for various international festivals(eg for the jazz festival I mentioned above). But there is also a place for traditional holidays. For example, Ommegang.

Ommegang is a reconstruction of the procession that in 1348 accompanied the arrival of the statue of the Virgin Mary in the city. Initially, the statue guarded, but, according to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to a simple peasant woman and asked her to move the statue to Brussels. The statue was solemnly transferred, placed in the temple, and then every year carried through the streets of the city. So, Ommegang became the main holiday of medieval Brussels. Today, thousands of people in medieval costumes participate in the reconstruction of the holiday, and some local celebrity always plays the role of herald.

In addition, in the summer, the people of Brussels, like the rest of the inhabitants of Belgium, celebrate the independence day of their country. Every year, on July 21, a real celebratory bacchanalia takes place on the streets of the city. Soldiers of the national army come to the city on a real military equipment, which is then allowed to be examined closely. Dozens of musical groups give performances in squares and alleys. People in national costumes march through the streets of the city. Children ride on carousels. Marching bands. Flags are flying everywhere. National holiday The Belgians really celebrate on a grand scale, because the country is small, but proud.

Safety. What to watch out for

Brussels is not the safest city. As I wrote above, there are quarters where it is absolutely not recommended to enter at night. And in general, I would not advise you to walk around the center of Brussels late at night unnecessarily. I know what I'm talking about, because your obedient servant has already become a victim of Belgian scammers. One night, at the northern railway station of the city (Gare du Nord), which is located in the commune of Schaerbeerk, they stole my bag with money and documents, and instead of flying to Moscow, I had to return to my Belgian rented apartment. My Moscow friends did not wait for souvenir chocolates, and I had to renew my residence permit. By the way, a couple of months after the incident, the Belgian police did find my wallet and Russian passport. So in emergency situations You can and should contact the police.

Things to do

Shopping and shops

The main shopping street in Brussels is Rue Neuve. Here, on the longest pedestrian street of the city, all major shopping centers(Inno and City2), budget chain stores (Zara, H&M and others), as well as many cinemas where films are shown, in particular, on English language. During sales, which traditionally take place at the end of each season, there are always a lot of people here - both tourists and local residents.

Luxury brands and designer boutiques are located in a slightly different part of the city:

• on a wide Avenue Louise(Karen Millen, Sarah Pacini and others),
• on waterloo boulevard(Sonya Rykiel, Chopard, Versace, Cartier, Marks & Spencer),
• on Antoine-Dansaert street.

Also many shops sheltered Royal Galleries of Saint Hubert (Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert), which are located in the very center, not far from the Grand Place. The galleries consist of three long aisles (King's Galleries, Queen's Galleries and Prince's Galleries). Here are mainly expensive shops(e.g. longchamps)

In addition, there are many markets in Brussels. The largest and most famous flea market takes place every weekend in the square Jeu de Bal (Place du Jeu de Balle). Also worth mentioning is the antiques market on the square. Grand Sablon (Grand Sablon). It is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and can be a real find for lovers of antiquity. Clothes and food are bought market at the South Station (Marche de Midi). In fact, this market is so big that it can accommodate everything from African masks to cheeses. Well, artists usually gather at the market in the commune of Uccle ( Marché de l'art).

Bars. Where to go

The most important bar in Brussels is, of course, Delirium(by the way, in the immediate vicinity of it is the "Manneken Pis"). Here you can try almost all varieties of the famous Belgian beer (more than 2000 types). By the way, the bar has its own brand. The symbol of the bar, the pink elephant, is known to every Brussels citizen. Therefore, it is always noisy, fun and crowded here - the bar willingly opens its doors to both locals and tourists. The prices here are democratic, and the atmosphere is friendly. The bar is usually open until four in the morning and is located at Getrouwheidsgang 4.

Other bars I would recommend visiting are La Becasse And ALa Mort Subtile.

Buses

Buses in Brussels are also quite popular. In total there are about 50 routes. Some buses run regularly, while others only run during rush hour, in the evenings or at night (the latter are called Noctis and go on Fridays and Saturdays until 2:45 am). They are serviced by the same transport company STIB.

Transport rental

The procedure for renting a car in Brussels is no different from a similar procedure in any other civilized city. You can rent a car if you are over 18 years old and your driving experience is at least 1 year. For registration, you will need a credit card, a passport and an international driver's license. The car can be booked in advance. The price of gasoline in Belgium is higher than in Russia. At the time of this writing, the price for 95th gasoline fluctuates around 1.2-1.3 EUR.

The Belgians drive quite carefully. Of course, there is always a chance to stumble upon an inadequate Polish trucker, but in general, Brussels is a favorable place for car enthusiasts. As in every major city, there are traffic jams. But dead traffic jams are rare in Brussels.

Brussels - holidays with children

Brussels may not be the most childish place, but this city has a lot to offer young travelers. For example, Children's Museum (Le Musee des enfants), which is located in the commune XL at Rue du Bourgmestre 15. Here, children from 4 to 12 years old will be able to get acquainted with various phenomena of the world around them.

With children over 4 years old, you should definitely visit the Belgian Museum of Natural Sciences. Boys will love the Auto World, the Tram Museum and the Army and Military History Museum that I mentioned above. A Muze of chocolate (Musée du Chocolat), I'm sure both boys and girls will like it, because here you can try chocolate!

Not far from Brussels you can find amusement parks ( Walibi 30 km, Bobbejaanland 90 km) and parks-reserves ( Bokrijk 90 km and Pairi Daiza 60 km).

Ski holidays

- not so hot ski resort, but you can find places to ski here. All 10 small Belgian ski resorts are located in the east of the country, in the Ardennes. Unfortunately, in conditions of a small amount of snow, they are open on the strength of twenty days a year. With a strong desire from Brussels by train, you can get here in a couple of hours.

A little closer to the capital, 100 km., there is a closed ski resort snow valley(there are several trails for skiers and snowboarders). The entrance ticket costs 18 EUR.

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People are divided into those who love Brussels and those who cannot stand it. Those who love can spend hours talking about how magnificent its boulevards, gardens, museums and banks, puff pastries, Flemish lace and bureaucrats from the European Union are. The second is precisely this here and can not stand.1. Settle in one of the oldest hotels in Brussels - Hotel de Paris (Boulevard Poincare, 80), with a gothic facade decorated with curls, excellent views of the Grand Place and Midi Boulevard, as well as a chic waffle shop. The smell of fresh Belgian waffles in your room is guaranteed from ten in the morning until eight in the evening.2. Walk to the Exchange building and sit down in any of the cafes nestled here. Order the local drink Pimm’s, which is served smartly at the Exchange: 40 grams of vermouth is poured into a tall glass with finely crushed ice, ginger ale is added and a slice of fresh cucumber is plunked down. Some people buy this vermouth in stores and jam with bottles, but this is just a crime. On the third portion of Pimm's, understand what the Exchange reminds you so much - Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg.3. Rub yourself in one of the most postcard squares old Europe - Grand Place. Gaze at the Gothic Town Hall, the House with a Swan, where Karl Marx once lived, the Bakers' Guild House and the Flemish lace shop. Go into a narrow, very narrow alley to the right of the Town Hall and, having made your way through a couple of blocks where they sell tapestries, waffles and garden fountains in the form of a pissing boy, get to the very original - a golden sixty-centimeter Manneken Pis on L'Etuve street. In the heat, he is naked like a falcon, in the cold they put funny clothes on him, and then they release albums with photographs of the baby doll in different outfits. It's easy to miss: it's really tiny. So keep your eyes open.4. Lie on the grass in the Botanical Garden. In March, there is a horror film festival here, and among the orchids and bougainvilleas, Dario and Asia Argento walk under the arm, and directors Danny Boyle and Stefan Eliott pace behind them. The rest of the time, roller skates are worn here, banker's wives sedately walk the greyhounds and gossip young mothers with prams.5. Visit the crafts and arts fair at Rond-Pointe-Agora. There are armies of steel, crystal and plastic peeing boys, wooden cats, clay mice, brass frying pans and barometers in a maple case. These pieces, combined with a can of Godiva or Leonidas chocolate paste, picked up in the passage near the North Station, are a great gift for friends from Brussels.6. Dine on Bushehr Street, a stone's throw from the Grand Place. Here, however, there are barkers everywhere, in different languages ​​(including Russian) luring visitors: “Here, to us, here,” and everything just spoils. But despite the shouting, the mussels in white wine sauce and the tomato and basil soup at the local restaurants are very good. The best mussels are made in the tavern Chez Marie ("At Mary's") opposite the North Station. They are served in a giant saucepan - three people can easily eat one portion.7. Walk down Rue Antoine-Dansart, dotted with shops here and there. Here they give strange asymmetrical outfits by Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela, Veronique Branquinho, as well as Dirk Bikkembergs shoes, and all this stuff costs several times cheaper than in Moscow.8. Late on a Thursday evening, wander around the museums. In October and November in Brussels, 42 museums take turns working until ten in the evening. Somewhere around eight, the most interesting begins: museums are filled with funny and cheerful young people who wake up only in the evening, as well as those who, maybe, would be happy to go to museums during the day, but do not have such an opportunity because of work . Whether in the morning or in the evening, do not miss the Royal Museum, which contains the best collection of Flemings in the world: Brueghel, Memling, van der Weyden, David Gerard. 9. Drink at a local T.G.I. Friday's on Empire Boulevard. There are the same stained glass lampshades as in all T.G.I. Friday's in the world, but the tables are old, polished pine, and an amazing bartender who only plays Elton John CDs. And the most valuable: only here "Long Island" is served in liter mugs. This was not even thought of in America.10. Dig into the deposits of junk on a huge flea market who occupied the territory from the Delliez parking lot to the Lovein highway. All year round, from Friday to Sunday, they sell old lace, velvet suits, handbags with yellowed metal clasps, lorgnettes, tattered comics and maps. Find an ancient Louis Vuitton suitcase here and, returning to the hotel, pack all the Brussels purchases into it. Visa
Schengen, €35, from 3 to 11 business days.
Embassy of Belgium in Moscow: M. Molchanovka, 7, 780 03 41 (visa department, 14.00-18.00), 780 03 50 (visa information answering machine), www.diplomatie.be/moscowru/ Currency
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Only Aeroflot flies directly from Moscow to Brussels (from $280). Text: Svetlana Reiter
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