Brussels City Guide

My Impression

When en route to Brussels, the train took a little longer than expected and I got to the city pretty late at night. Everything was essentially closed except for this little pub-like place down the street from my Airbnb rental. I didn’t expect much from Brussels as I hadn’t done the proper research on the city before leaving. Going in with no expectations, I was somewhat disappointed with Brussels in the end.

When I got to the pub, I sat myself and started to settle in. After a long day of travelling, I really just wanted the comfort of a good meal and a low-stress wind down to end the night. That’s not what I got. Instead, I received a less-than-warm greeting from my server who seemed anything but pleased to have my company. Understandably, it was late, my server seemed to be a little ill, and the place was hustling and bustling with late-night patrons all demanding attention. I chalked the experience up to being just a fluke for my untimely arrival in the city.

Unfortunately, though, this is how I was treated at most places I visited during my stay in Brussels. In fact, the one shop that stands out to me when I think back to Brussels is the macaron atelier, Pierre Ledent, and that’s only because it was the first shop where I was treated exceptionally well, and all other restaurants/shops paled in comparison. That's not to say that, if you visit Brussels, you're going to be treated poorly - that was just my experience.

The Architecture

Architecturally, Brussels is a gem. The Grote Markt is sensational with its breathtaking panoramic views. Although small, the square is packed with history. The gold accents adorning the Grand Palace are nothing short of marvelous. Just adjacent to the palace is the Galeries Royales St. Hubert with sprawling storefronts that range in classification from lacemakers to chocolatiers to handbag designers. The whole city is a feast for the eyes.

Transportation

Brussels is a European hub as far as transportation goes. I passed through both the Brussels Central Station and the Brussels-Midi Station many times while studying abroad in order to places like Paris and London. In addition, the Brussels Airport is a prime take-off location to get anywhere you can't take a train to. Although both modes of transportation were functional and got me where I needed to go, I sometimes didn't feel very safe. As I mentioned in the "Do's and Don'ts" section of this city guide, there are soldiers everywhere throughout Brussels due to some gruesome terrorist attacks that plagued the city not too long ago.

While they're meant to instill a sense of security, the rifles and combat gear actually frightened me more than they comforted me. Even though I don't think there's a way around going through Brussels to get to your final destination - wherever that may be - I would highly recommend that you exercise extreme caution while there. There was a breaking news report just a couple days after I'd gone through Brussels Central Station talking about a man who had tried to bomb the station (he ultimately failed). Included in the report was a video an onlooker had taken of the terrorist and I watched in horror as he stood in the exact spot within the station that I had stood in just two days prior.

So please, enjoy Brussels, but do so carefully.

Plug type: Two-pronged round pin plug, type "C"

Currency: Euro (€)

Language: French and Dutch natively, proficient English 

They drive on the... right side of the road

Primary means of transportation: Car, train, bike, bus, tram

Key phrases (in French - for key phrases in Dutch, visit the "Destination Details" heading of this page): 

Yes → Oui (“We”)

No → Non ("Known")

Hello → Bonjour (“Bon-jure”)

Hi → Salut ("Sa-loo")

more informal but primarily used between those that know each other, like family and friends

Good morning → Bonjour (“Bon-jure”)

Good afternoon → Bonne après-midi ("Bow-na-pray-me-dee")

Good evening → Bonsoir ("Bone-swa")

Good night → Bonne nuit (“Bah-na-new-ee”)

Goodbye → Au revoir ("Ah-vwah")

Thank you → Merci ("Mare-see")

Thank you very much → Merci beaucoup ("Mare-see-boo-coo")

Please → S'il vous plaît ("See-voo-play")

Excuse me → Excusez-moi ("Scooze-ay-mwah")

Sorry → Pardon ("Pah-dough-n")

Telephone code: +32

Emergency services number: 112

Credit card acceptance: Mastercard (referred to as "Maestro" in Europe) and Visa, as long as the cards have a magstrip and chip. Cash is also widely used.

Mokafé

If you're in the market for a good waffle, this is the place for you.

Dress: casual

Galerie du Roi 9, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

le Funambule

Another great place for a waffle. Le Funambule is more of a pick-up window setup rather than sit-down-and-eat cafe.

Dress: casual

Rue de l'étuve 42, 1000 Brussel, Belgium

Peck 47

Known for their breakfast but also serves good burgers.

Dress: casual

Rue du Marché aux Poulets 47, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Danish Tavern

Although this place is reviewed very poorly on Google, I actually found it good enough to go twice during my trip. The service wasn't great, but they had this amazing potato dish that won me over.

Dress: casual

Rue de la Bourse 42, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Pâtisserie Méditerranéenne

If you're looking for a selection of delicious sweets, this is the place to go. Their window display (plates piled with pastries) alone will lure you in.

Dress: casual

Rue du Marché Aux Herbes 15, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

Another great place to feed your sweet tooth.

Dress: casual

Rue du Marché Aux Herbes 7, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Leonidas

Need some more sugar? Leonidas is a great place to pick up some chocolate, in case you haven't had enough already,

Dress: casual

Galerie du Roi 24, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Ghent, Belgium

Picturesque town with canals and Gothic architecture.

Time from Brussels by train: 40 minutes

Brugges, Belgium

Known as the "Venice of the North." Very romantic city that looks as if it came straight out of a fairytale.

Time from Brussels by train: 1 hour 10 minutes

Amsterdam, Netherlands

One of the most liberating places to visit due to its canals, loose marijuana laws, and historical landmarks.

Time from Brussels by train: 2 hours

Maastricht, Netherlands

One of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, resting on the River Maas. Offers shopping, excellent dining, and friendly locals. Read my Maastricht City Guide to learn more about the city.

Time from Brussels by train: 1 hour 40 minutes

Dunkirk, France

The site of a major World War II battle.

Distance from Brussels by train: 2 hours 30 minutes

Paris, France

A train ride away from Brussels and home to some of the most incredible art and architecture in the world. Read my Paris City Guide to learn more about the city.

Distance from Brussels by train: 2 hours 30 minutes

London, England

If you can spare the time to make the journey to London, it is well worth the trip. Read my London City Guide to learn more about the city.

Distance from Brussels by train: 3 hours

Brussels is an interesting city in the respect that it is very much a mix of cultures. Belgium itself used to be a part of the Netherlands until it split off in 1830, so there is a large Dutch influence in the city that rivals the French aspects. However, there were a few things that I noticed while exploring Brussels that you should keep in mind if you ever decide to visit.

Always buy a ticket

If you are taking advantage of the excellent transportation in Brussels, always buy a ticket for your ride. If you're thinking, "Well of course I'll buy a ticket," there's actually no barrier between you and the train terminals, so you could very well just sneak a ride if you pleased. Some will just hop on the train with the hopes that the conductor won’t be around to check their ticket. But if you’re caught without a ticket, the Belgians tend to frown upon your presence on board and will duly kick you off. I actually watched a bunch of kids get from a train for using old, expired tickets as a last ditch effort to trick the conductor. His reaction? He chased them from the train, but not before crumpling their tickets in his palm. When one of the kids asked for their ticket back (presumably to try and dupe another conductor on a different train), he dropped their ticket on the ground when the kid reached out for it to be returned. Some expletives were uttered to the conductor but, really, just buy a ticket.

Don’t expect sunshine and rainbows

Although tipping in Europe is not necessary and therefore service does not have to be pleasant, most places I’ve visited have had excellent service. However, when I arrived in Brussels, that all changed. That’s not to say that every server in every restaurant won’t wait on you very well, it’s just been my experience to be treated poorly at most of the places I ate at. As I mentioned in the "General Information" section, my first night in Brussels, I went to a little pub-like tavern in the center of the city. When my waitress came to the table, she rolled her eyes when she heard me speaking English followed by an audible scoff when I asked her questions about the menu.

On top of that, the serving time was much longer for me than it was for those that seemed to be locals.

Safety

The homeless population is substantial in Brussels. You’ll often pass little nests where a homeless person takes up residence and these roosts can be found all over the city. Thus, I would recommend not taking any light strolls at night or in the early morning hours. It was about 7:00 AM when I was walking from my rental to the train station and I was walking behind a homeless man who was speaking to himself. When he noticed me behind him, he stopped, let me walk ahead of him, and then began walking close behind me. At that point, I crossed the street to get away from him. It’s scary enough to be walking behind someone who’s talking to themselves, let alone walking in front of them when they’re out of eyeshot.

Talking to the soldiers

Brussels has been the unfortunate target of recent terrorist attacks, which means that security is high in metro stations as well as the airport. You can’t miss the armed guards that patrol the city with their rifles and camouflage gear. But don’t be deceived by the intimidating demeanor of the soldiers - they’re actually very friendly and willing to help! I was stuck at Brussels Central Station where the line for the help desk was long. So I worked up the courage to talk to one of the soldiers for help. Admittedly, his English was pretty poor so I didn’t end up getting much out of him but he was more than happy to assist me. If you are stuck with a question and can’t get your answer from a designated information desk because it’s swamped, perhaps try asking a soldier! They have to patrol for long shifts that I’m certain get pretty tiresome so I expect that they actually welcome the conversation from time to time.

Take a beer-tasting tour

If there's one thing Brussels is known for, it's beer. So, naturally, I would highly recommend sampling the local flavors by joining a beer-tasting tour. To learn more about the beer-tasting tour, click here.

See the flower Carpet

If you get the chance to go to Brussels in August, you should really visit the flower carpet in the center of the city in mid-August. Over 500,000 flowers are used in the presentation. To learn more about the flower carpet, click here. 

Take a day trip

If I'm being totally honest, there wasn't a lot to do in Brussels so I took advantage of its geological proximity to other great places and made a few day trips, which were amazing. For a list of possible day trip destinations, visit the "Suggested Day Trips" header above.