The train journey from Bruges to Amsterdam involved a change of trains at Brussels, hence we decided to do a half-day stopover. We left our luggage in lockers at the train station and headed out to explore.
Brussels isn’t the prettiest (with the exception of Grand-Place), but it has a charming air of irreverence and fun. This is a city that knows how to laugh at itself. Where else would peeing statues be beloved icons?
Statues
The first thing we did was to seek out Manneken Pis (boy) and his counterparts.
Was quite tickled as well when we came across this statue of a singing man. Found out later that it is actually of a famous Belgian singer, Jacques Brel.
Grand-Place
Grand-Place is the central square in Brussels and it was stunning.
A daily light show takes place here at night during winter. We missed it as it was too close to our train departure timing. Seems spectacular though, got to catch it next time!
Food Breaks
Read great things about Maison Dandoy’s waffles but while they were decent, they weren’t great.
Only in Belgium would I indulge in a mountain of fries. Picked a random stall, Fritland, off the side of the Bourse.
Winter Wonders / Winter Pret /Plaisirs d’Hiver
Brussel’s Christmas market is called “Winter Wonders”. The stalls were lined on and around Grand-Place, Bourse, Place Sainte-Catherine and Marché aux Poissons. There were maps at various points to guide one along. However, although the market was huge, the overall vibe was disappointing for us. Perhaps the dull grey skies were at fault but it felt less than enchanting. It did improve once the sun went down and the lights came on.
Food-wise, there was a wide variety on offer but our earlier waffles and fries kept us from trying much.
La Bourse de Bruxelles
Place Sainte-Catherine
Hot Chocolate
We had just enough time to grab hot chocolate from Neuhaus at the beautiful Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert before leaving.
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