Brussels, Belgium

Places to visit:

1. Grand Place

Based in the central part of Brussels, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. Previously voted ‘most beautiful square in Europe,’ the Grand Place is open to the public and has been serving as a market since 1959. The features of the society and culture of this region of Brussels is blended through the use of architectural and artistic styles within Grand Place. The main part is made up of several houses which have mostly been conserved of the original features however some of the ground floors have been ‘converted’ into cafes and shops. The City Hall is also based here which is made up of a courtyard with buildings all the way around.

2. City Hall

Situated in the Grand Place, this Gothic building dates back to the Middle Ages. It is famous for the rich interior filled with sculptures, paintings and much more!

3. Mini Europe

The name is pretty self explanatory. The park allows you to take a trip around Europe within the span of a few hours! Travel from the Big Ben in London to the gondolas of Venice. The park allows visitors to interact with and control historic events like the fall of the Berlin Wall. The process of developing the Mini Europe Park was long but the end result is definitely one to see with each one of the buildings being scaled 1 to 25. With over 300,000 visitors each year, Mini Europe allows you to see the whole of Europe without going out of your budget!

4. Atomium

Located next to Mini Europe, Atomium is another popular tourist destination. It was built for the 1958 World Fair of Brussels as an icon of Expo58. It was designed and constructed to stand for the democratic will to demonstrate 3 key points: maintain peace throughout all nations, faith in progress and positive vision of the future and a better life for humans. Standing at a height of 102m, Atomium consists of 9 spheres which illustrate the elementary iron crystal and the top sphere allows visitors to get a panoramic view of the city!

5. Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula

 

This Roman Catholic Church has a history which extends over 12 centuries. It is the primary church of the country and holds all royal weddings and christenings. This gothic architectural Church features beautifully stained glass windows which have all been designed by various artists.

 

Travelling around the city:

Getting around the city has been made so easy in Brussels as they use the same company for the metro, buses and trams. This means that the ticketing system is the same therefore you can make transfers quicker and purchasing tickets isn’t such a hassle!

Other methods include travelling by train. Brussels has 3 main train stations which have trains travelling to other cities in Belgium and throughout Europe. You may wish to catch a taxi from time to time which is readily available at taxi stands or you may want to rent a car however this will be more costly.
 

Recommended hotels:

Sofitel Brussels Le Louise
Made in Louise
Suite Home Stephanie
Aloft Brussels Schuman Hotel
Hotel Housing
 

Review:

Brussels seems like the perfect place to go if you want to see historic sites and buildings. I have never been myself but it looks like such a beautiful place from looking at the pictures! A few friends of mine have been and they all strongly recommend it..even if it is only for a day trip into Brussels!

 By: Aman