Help! How to maximize my use of free time in Brussels

[Bonny]

Well you do know about the Pissing Boy statue right?

And you must eat Moules avec frites. And the steak au poirve is fantastic.

I think eating is the national sport.

Can you stay for the weekend? Brugges is well worth a visit. I think it's about an hour via local train.

[Deleted]

The Grand'Place (which is probably the "square" you mentioned) is the place to be. Of course it's going to be full of tourists and merchants, but why should this century be any different from the last 4? Beer, chocolate and atmosphere readily available, and the Maniken Pis statue is within easy walking distance. So is the brass bas relief of Evrard t'Serclaes, who led an uprising. His arm is shiny because people rub it for good luck.

Bruges is wonderful but you'd probably be there just long enough to get frustrated that you didn't have enough time to enjoy it.   Monday PM might be possible, though.  After being in Brussels on business and taking a day trip to Bruges, I swore next time I'd stay in Bruges and commute to Brussels.

[HoneyBBQ]

Waffle houses!

I gained 7 pounds when I was there for 3 days.

Seriously, is there anything BESIDES beer and chocolate that is worth doing?

[pinkbow832]

What part of the city will you be in? I used to live in bxl, so I can give you some recommendations near where you're staying. Easter is next weekend, so lucky lucky you will be there for the best chocolate shop displays!!!

[Deleted]

Apr 14, 2014 1:14:43 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Also try some of the seafood - some delicious mussels there!!

Mussels and fries! Mmmmm

The Atomium was really neat and Little Europe is right next to it. Little Europe has miniatures of the main sites of all of the countries of the European Union. That's how I learned about the European Union lol

[HoneyBBQ]

Eat at the spider restaurant. Very famous and tasty! The owner came over and chatted us up and gave us free stuff (drinks? must be because I can't remember lol) and recommended we each get dessert which of course we did.

www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d782187-Reviews-In_t_Spinnekopke-Brussels.html

[wyouser]

You can ban me to the back yard for this, but I can't resist.   See the sights...Do not waste time trying to uncover the world's best Brussel sprouts!

[pinkbow832]

1. If you like beer, go to Delerium just off rue des Bouchers.  They have over 2,000 kinds of beer and the menu is huge.  Don't eat at any of the restaurants nearby on rue des Bouchers, they're mainly tourist traps.

2. Place du Sablon (both petit Sablon and grand Sablon) have fantastic chocolate shops that will have incredible displays of Easter chocolates and candies.  Whittimer and Pierre Marcolini are both there, and I think a couple of others.

3. Galleries de la Reine and Roi near Grand Place have some other good chocolate shops- Corne Doree and maybe Neuhaus.  Godiva and Leonidas are both in Grand Place.

4. Eat a waffle.  The chain carts Belgaufre and Vitelgaufre are both good, as are the shops just outside Grand Place.  Gaufre de Bruxelles is more like an American style "Belgian waffle" but the gaufre de Liege is where it's really at.

5. The best frites (fries) in the city are at Place Jourdain- skip the ketchup and get Andoulouse sauce

6. Have a kebab- Turkish style from Sultans of Kebab was my friend's favorite, but I preferred Snack Pic Nic- very solid pita, fries, and drink for 5 euros.  It probably costs a little more these days

I lived in Brussels as a grad student, so I didn't do much fine dining but I have seen the inside of many of the city's drinking establishments!  Roi des Belges near the Bourse was always a group favorite.

ETA- there really aren't that many tourist sights in Brussels, other than museums.  Atomium is a pain to get out to and isn't that exciting, I lived there for a year and a half and finally took a picture of it the week before I left.  I did hear that the military museum at Cinquantenaire is really good, so if that's your thing I would recommend checking it out.  If you're there on business, most things will be closed by the time you're done working anyway, so just spend a couple of hours walking around and you'll probably be able to see most things on foot.

[Deleted]

I forgot about the military museum. It's fantastic. DH and I had planned to spend the morning there. We ended up going out and getting lunch and coming back. Tons of planes, tanks, uniforms- the old style if museum with tons of stuff. We loved it.

[Deleted]

Apr 15, 2014 3:03:54 GMT -5 alwaysbeoptimizing said:

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Cool city, I need DW with me!

Well, one of the advantages of traveling on business is that you find places where you want to vacation (or don't!).  I loved Munich so much that I eventually returned with DH.

[Bonny]

Apr 15, 2014 3:03:54 GMT -5 alwaysbeoptimizing said:

Cool, thanks for the tips. I ended up doing too much work yesterday, but slipped down to the corner for a late dinner and two FABULOUS beers.

Next three nights I'll be with my group, so we'll go out for dinner I would expect. Friday AM I will finally make it to Grand Place (about 30 minutes from me by foot (I'm near the EU parliament) for a leisurely breakfast and an hour or two of walking before I head for the 10 hour flight home.

Cool city, I need DW with me!

It's a great city to be in while you're spouse is there on business. DH "commuted" to Brussels from SFO for a few years as that's where the company's World Wide HQ was. We turned down an opportunity to relocate there in 1996 because I had just gotten my job at the Transit District. We didn't have kids and I thought I would be bored out of my mind. But it is a nice place to raise kids.

Also it's where the Thayls train is based so only a few hours to either Paris or Cologne, Germany. Belgium's infrastructure is still way behind either France or Germany but you can't be its central location.

Any chance you can get an international assignment?

[Bob Ross]

You should refer to the people as Junior French.  They love that.