Around Brussels in five quarters
Take a whirlwind tour of Sterling’s new destination, from art nouveau bars to a taste of the Congo
words by Kieran Falconer
illustration by Robert Littleford
Brussels isn’t all chocolate and lace. Walk down any street in the centre of town and you’re bound to hear half a dozen languages spoken, see an art nouveau house, pass eurocrats whispering into mobiles and smell the delicious scent of waffles sold by a street vendor. Within a few streets you’ll find a good bar, a live music venue, a quiet café and wasn’t that Snowy and Tintin running down the street? The beer is pretty strong isn’t it?
Brussels is, of course, also home to the EU, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In 1957 the six original members of the fledgling EEC shook off the rubble of war and signed the Treaty of Rome, committing themselves to closer union and prosperity. Today the member states total 27 and Brussels is the perfect home to this diversity. Many events have been organised to coincide with this anniversary but there is one spectacular cultural festival, Europalia, which showcases the culture of all 27 states. Over four months (October to February 2008), a rich mix of ancient, modern and contemporary art, photography and design as well as music (folk, classical and jazz), cinema, theatre and dance will take place in Brussels and the surrounding area (see highlights page 64, or www.europalia.eu).
Before we head off on a whistle-stop tour of the alternative side of Brussels, it’s worth remembering that the nationalised train service is quite cheap here and Antwerp and Bruges are just 45 minutes and 55 minutes away respectively. Although the popular sites of Brussels – the Grand Place, the Atomium, the Manneken Pis – are worth a peek, the real delight of Brussels is the uniqueness of its neighbourhoods.
1. The Lower Town
The Lower Town is dominated by the Grand Place. When Louis XIV bombarded the city, so rich were the burghers that it took only five years to create the baroque splendour of the square. Around Grand Place are medieval streets packed with restaurants and pretty glass-canopied arcades with good independent shops. Galerie de la Reine houses the Theatre du Vaudeville at number 13, a beautifully decorated mini-theatre with an upstairs bistro (+32 2511 23 45. This part of town is also home the Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo (1-3 Rue del’ Amigo, +32 2547 4747, www.hotelamigo.com), a stylish boutique hotel with doubles from €128 and the Radisson SAS Royal (47 Rue du Fosse-auxLoups, +32 2219 2828, www.radissonsas.com), which has doubles from €214. Try their Michelin-star restaurant The Sea Grill.
2. Saint-Géry and Sainte Catherine
The scent of roasted coffee wafting out from the terraces of designer bars is a sign that these shabby neighbourhoods are slowly being transformed: the Rue Antoine Dansaert, with its stylish boutiques, scrubs up nicely. Basement nightclubs and trendy cafés are a staple for young professionals. For an aperitif try Cirio (18 Rue de la Bourse) an art nouveau bar that makes an everyday beer seem the most romantic thing in the world. You could also trip down to Au Soleil bar (86 Rue du Marché au Charbon), an old converted clothes shop. For delicious chocs and jams try Café Frederic Blondeel at Quai aux Briques.
3. The Upper Town
South of the Grand Place, the Upper Town is all neoclassical palaces, galleries (the stunning Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts) and museums (musical instruments, cinema, even the Belgian royal family get one). It is all boulevards, gardens and statues – a very spacious contrast to the higgledy-piggledy Lower Town. As the name suggests, it’s an uphill climb to get here. Take advantage of the Brussels Card which for €20 a day/€28 for three days, gives you access to 25 museums, bus, tram and train transport in the city and discounts in bars and restaurants. Order it online at www.bitc.be or pick it up from a tourist office. Next door to all this splendour is the Sablon area, stuffed with antiques shops and flea markets, as well as the best chocolate shops in Brussels. Place du Grand Sablon is studded with chichi antique shops, bars and restaurants. For lunch or dinner, head to Lola (Place du Grand Sablon 33, +32 2514 2460, www.restolola.be) a chic, energetic, modern brasserie serving up fish, pasta and inventive salads.
4. The EU Quarter
A visit to the EU Quarter will show the glass and steel hives that run the European Union, intersected with large expanses of lawn. Next to Parc Léopold on Rue Wiertz, you’ll find the domed European Parliament building, opened in 1998. Here you can witness Europe’s cogs in motion by watching a debate; ask at the visitor’s centre for times. Relax afterwards at the magnificent spa at the five-star Renaissance Brussels Hotel. The hotel also has a nice bar and restaurant; rooms are spacious and some have excellent views. At the weekend, rooms cost from €99 B&B including a guided tour of the district (19 Rue du Parnasse, +32 2505 2929, www.marriott.com). Although the area might seem lonely on weekends, it doesn’t take long to reach the Lower Town, which is within walking distance if taxis are evasive.
5. Ixelles and Saint-Gilles
After the serenity of the EU area, Ixelles and Saint-Gilles will pep you up. Ixelles is home to Matongé, the African quarter named after a district in Kinshasa. The food is spicy and the music raw. You’ll get the chance to eat dried grasshopper or deck yourself out in the latest Congo attire. But Ixelles also caters for Western style: Avenue Louise is filled with internationally renowned clothing designers and is close to some of the most luxuriant art nouveau buildings – don’t miss the Hotel Hannon (Avenue de la Jonction 1) or the Horta Museum (25 Rue Américaine). Victor Horta is a name you’ll hear a lot when it comes to art nouveau and a visit to his house will show what all the fuss is about.
To the north of Ixelles you’ll find Restaurant Cospaia, a lush eatery with rooms decked out entirely in black or white (1 Capitaine Crespel, +32 2513 0303). Well-heeled clientele tuck into pigeon, foie gras and guzzle good French wines in the evening. You won’t escape Brussels without putting on a few pounds.
Apparently the Bruxellois eat 10kg of chocolate a year, so don’t feel guilty. You soon learn that in this city only the houses are thin. People eat constantly and this is another indication of its international flavour because while the Dutch eat lunch at midday, the resident Spanish or Italians might want it at
2.30pm. As for the evening meals, they just go on and on into the night.
50 years of the EU
Shows and exhibitions to honour the anniversary
5 October – 20 January
The Grand Atelier: Pathways of Art in Europe
Centre for Fine Arts, 23 Rue Ravenstein
For centuries Europe has been divided by frictions and wars but also brought together by an exchange of ideas, goods and art that have established lasting bonds. This exhibition will illustrate how art was circulated around Europe. It includes 350 works, coming from over 100 European collections.
10 October – 26 January
All Roads Lead to Rome: Artists’ Travels from the 16th to the 19th Century
Musée d’Ixelles, 71 Rue Jean Van Volsem
Rome and Italy have always been magnets for artists and this exhibition presents travelogues by painters, writers and philosophers such as Montaigne, Erasmus, Goethe, Stendhal, Balzac and Alexandre Dumas.
24 October – 17 February
Brilliant Europe
Espace culturel ING, 6 Place Royale
This exhibition celebrates 800 years of jewellery history in Europe with 200 jewels and artworks on display. Most belonged to well-known personalities with the crown jewels a particular attraction.
11 November
Portugal and the World – Mariza
Centre for Fine Arts, 23 Rue Ravenstein
World renowned Mariza, singer of those sad Portuguese Fado songs will be wowing Brussel’s audiences who will also get the chance to see a fascinating documentary on the story of Fado.
22-26 January
I’ll Go On – Samuel Beckett
Théâtre Le Public, 64-70 Rue Braemt
A one-man show based on the works of Samuel Beckett. Performed by the Irish actor Barry McGovern, the piece takes extracts from Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnameable, and weaves them into a continuous and coherent story.
Bookmark This Post
