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On March 25, we left Rotterdam for Brussels via a famous green bus company. It only took two hours and a half and is drastically cheaper than the train.

Upon our arrival, it’s raining.
Then, the airbnb is a pain, but I’ll certainly talk about that in a future article. This one was in the Saint-Gilles district, near the Gare du Midi. Well, it depends on the street, but at first glance, it wasn’t necessarily what we had imagined Brussels to be like, and it’s not where I would recommend tourists to stay.

Brussels-Capital: Surprise cities

The very first stroll through the centre is surprising, to say the least; you weave between the juicy bin bags, the litter on the ground and the rickety slabs that make up the pavement. That said, I liked the style of architecture along the way, which couldn’t be more European.

Then, as you move from Saint-Gilles to the centre of Brussels, there’s a clear break: the floors are spotless, there’s not a dustbin to be seen, in short (almost) everything looks spotless. The city exudes life, it’s busy, people seem happy, there are lots of bars, cafes and restaurants, and we really wanted to try everything!

As the days went by, one thing struck us : poverty. We’ve been travelling for a while now and we’ve never seen so many homeless people and beggars. It’s ironic that it should happen in the capital of Europe… And it leads to some truly complicated scenes; some people find themselves using the tap in a public garden for their intimate wash, while others relieve themselves absolutely anywhere; in or in front of a train station, in the streets, between cars etc… In the end, people have become so used to the violence of those scenes in their daily lives that they are no longer shocked by this poverty. 

Another frankly strange thing is how often you can see anyone urinating anywhere at any time of the day or night. I don’t think there’s a time we’ve gone out without seeing someone “taking a wee” and thus worsening the smell in some neighbourhoods. Perhaps an influence of Manneken Pis? 

In any case, the city seems to be trying to educate people (men, let’s be honest…) with posters.

Great (and stereotypical) things to see and do

Despite this rather crude introduction, let me reassure you that there are plenty of great places to see in Brussels. Really. I swear !

The Grand-Place

This square is unmissable, it’s beautiful, it’s big, it’s lively.

Monts des Arts, Park and Palace of Brussels

The Mont des Arts offers a really pleasant view over the city. What’s more, there are often people playing music there, which is great for the atmosphere! The Brussels park and the Palace of Brussels are not far away, so you can see it all in less than an hour.

The pissing statues

The Manneken Pis, Jeanneke Pis, Zinneke Pis are famous statues of a gentleman, lady and a dog who… pee. In general, when people see it, they say “oh that’s… small”.

Bourse 

After many years of renovation, it has just reopened its doors!You can enter (free of charge) and stroll through the lobby to admire the impressive architecture, or grab a beer or a coffee.

Cathedral of Saint Michael and Gudules

This cathedral is the venue for all royal events, and is impressive for its size and Gothic style.

Eating fries 

Just next to the Bourse, you’ll find the Manneken Gourmet – Burger & Fries restaurant. It’s a burger restaurant, but of course you can just get a cone of fries to take away if you like. I really liked their fries and the option of frying them in vegetable oil rather than animal oil; the choice is yours. 

Of course, purists would recommend other, more famous fry shops like Maison Antoine, but queuing for 30 minutes for fries really pisses me off, and I think the ones at Manneken Gourmet are really good!

Having a beer at the delirium

It’s all in the title: one of the most iconic bars for locals and tourists is Delirium. Here you can sample all sorts of beers, even metres of beer (in moderation we said).

If you have time to look further

Belgium has a fairly efficient and affordable rail system (well, when you’re French you end up finding that all foreign rail systems are efficient and affordable hahaha…). This means you can make a few excursions without necessarily having to hire a car. 

Here are a few towns that are truly magnificent and full of character:

• Bruges
• Ghent
• Dinant
• Leuven

Transport in Brussels

The transport system is really efficient. Everything is well connected, on time and functional. Tickets cost 2.10 and are valid for 1 hour. You can buy contactless tickets directly from the validators. 

Don’t panic; the cost of a day ticket will be debited directly from your account, and then you will be refunded what you have not used. It is therefore important to validate each time you board. 

The budget in Brussels

Overall, I’d say that Belgium is slightly cheaper than the Netherlands, but definitely more expensive than France. Especially when it comes to supermarkets. I keep repeating myself from one article to the next, but Lidl, Aldi and Action are your best friends.

If you get the chance, you can also do your grocery shopping at the Midi market, which takes place every Sunday until 2pm (take cash to pay!). Do it really, it is a whole experience.

Conclusion

Once you’ve got over the shock of poverty and dirt, you’ll get a real taste for Brussels!
The people are friendly, it’s really nice to walk around day and night and see so much life everywhere, everything is lively, there’s always something to see or do. And it’s very eclectic and multicultural. If you can stay in Ixelles, Etterbeek, Schaerbeek or Brussels, I think your stay could be really enjoyable!