GUIDES

Brussels Guide

Brussels - Out and About

Brussels, the capital of Flanders, stands on the banks of the river Senne and the navigable canals of Willebroek and Charleroi, which connect to the Maas and Schelde basins. The city, which dates back to the 9th century, is a flat city, built on a plain on the left bank of the river Senne.

The city, constructed around a historic Flemish centre stretches from Manneken Pis to the botanical gardens, crossing the Gand-Place and the Royal district, which runs from Park Mountain to the Palace of Justice, the highest part of the city, with a typical French flavour and continues on, with the last branches of the city, finishing in the Brabant hills.

Both the centre and the reas around the city are is easily reached on foot. The ring road, traces the steps of the ancient city walls and marks the city centre limits. The Grand-Place is the gem of both the lower part of the city and of Brussels itself. The Gothic buildings Maison du Roi, look out over the square. These elegant Brabantine Gothic buildings, were erected as a bread market and today are the site of the Council Museum- Museum van de Stad Brussel, the Ville- Stadhuis Town Hall, and the council building, with its splendid 96 metre belfry, and the Guildhall buildings. The Truerenberg leads to the Ministers district. The district, built around a central park,is closed at its northern end by the Parliament building( the Nation Building), site of the Parliament of Flanders. The Royal Palace, with its splendid rooms, stands opposite the Parliament Building. The first covered shopping area in Europe , the Saint Hubert Gallery, built in 1846, stands on the north-east side of the Grand-Place.Walking through the gallery, the visitor is met by shops, restaurants, cafés and theatres. Marolles is the working class disrtrict of Brussels. It is centred around the Place du Jeu de Balle, with narrow lanes and lively squares that host second-hand and antique markets. The Marolles district is dominated by the Palace of Justice, which dates back to 1866 and which possesses a gold column façade. The numerous rooms inside, are centred around the building's 97 metre-high dome. The city is divided into 19 districts, some of which are in turn separated into Communes, areas, where the population is made up entirely of North Africans or Turks, such as St. Josse and Schaerbeek or Etterbeek, the area around the Eurpoean institutions, where the population speak only English. Residents in the Ixelles district, the area where the African district borders the elegant middle-class suburbs,communicate using a mix of various African languages and Swedish. The city hosts various international organizations including the EU, Euratom and Nato.The Atomium construction, built in 1958, for the universal exhibition, can be admired in the Boulevard du Centenaire.

The construction, comprising nine steel and aluminium spheres, joined by stainless steel tubes, represents a molecule of iron. The complex houses conference rooms, restaurants, bars and Euratom, where temporary scientific exhibitions are held. Brussels is a relatively small city and is easy to travel around. The three main stations in the city are Gare du nord, Gare Centrale and the Gare du Midi. The public transport system comprises two metropolitan lines, buses and trams. The line, which connects the Gare du Nord to the Gare du midi, is an underground tram line with two different routes. One route connects the two stations directly, the other takes a different route around the whole city. Tickets are valid for one hour and permit the traveller to use all the various means of public transport. An alternative is to buy a book of 10 tickets. The day ticket is also valid for the number 12 bus, which runs to the airport.

Brussels - Not to be missed

The city, a lively artistic and cultural centre, is home to libraries and museums including the Musee Royal des Beaux- Arts; the Musee Royal d'Art et d'Histoire, which houses classic archaeological exhibitions, works of art from non-European civilizations, Belgium archaeology and displays of decorative and applied art; the Military Museum which contains 450, 000 volumes and records; Autoworld, the largest vintage car museum in the world; the Musee d'Art Ancien Museum voor Schone Kunsten, which. with its 81 rooms, is one of the most important in the world for the conservation of primitive Flemish art and Dutch Baroque art. The Museum of Ancient Art and the Museum of Modern Art are connected by an underground tunnel. Those wishing to admire Art Nouveaux, should visit Maison Van Eetvelde, 2-4-6-Avenue Palmerston, Mauson Van Dijk, 85-87 Bd. Clovis, Solvay house, Horta House and Stoclet building, which possesses Klimt frescoes.

Brussels - Walks and tours

The 26 km tour of the Soignes Forest. the forest is situated south east of the city, along the road, that passes the Boitsfort hippodrome, south of Bois de la Cambre. The tour comprises the suburbs of Brussels and Boitsfort-Bosvoorde, taking the visitor into the vast state-owned forest, Soignes-Zonienwoud. Passing under the main road in the middle of the forest, the visitor finds himself once again at Groennendaal.Following the main road, which leads from the forest, it is possible to visit La Hulpe, a small town surrounded by lagoons. Rixenstart, is located 26 km away and is the site of Princes of Merode castle, built in the 1631. the tour finishes at the northern part of the forest, along the chaussee de Wavre, at Jazus Eik, site of a 16th century church. travelling further south along the A5, the visitor arrives at Waterloo, which owes its fame to the fact that is is the site of the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Visitors are shown the battlefield and the museum houses a reconstruction of the battle in miniature form.

Brussels - The traveller's notebook

Currency : Euro

Electric supply: 220 volts

Climate : the climate is that of temperate maritime, with mild winters and warm but windy summers

Opening hours : shops are open from 10am to 6 or 7 pm, Monday to Saturday. Banks and post offices are open from 10am to 4/5pm. the larger shops close at 8/9pm on Friday, while in certain areas shops are open also in the evenings and on Sundays

Brussels - A pocket guide

The Manhatten Centre, is located near the Gare du Nord. This commercial district is a complex of modern skyscrapers, where it is possible to find whatever you are looking, from gifts to electronic articles, from supermarkets to cinemas. Shops of all kinds are dotted throughout the city, the main shopping streets are: Waterloo Boulevard, the Toison d'Or gallery, the Rue de Namur and the Avenue and the Gallery Louise. There are many colourful markets including the flower market at Gand Place, the antique and book market in Sablon and the flea market in Place du Jeu de Balle. The city's cinemas discotheques and cafés are located between Porte Louise, Porte de Namur, the Sablon and the streets in the lower part of the city, which intersect between Place de Brouckere and the Stock Exchange.

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