WINTERTIME IN BRUSSELS: A CITY GUIDE
Bonjour/hallo everyone! Two greetings in two different languages? What is she doing? Let me explain. A few weeks ago I visited Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam with my family for a lovely winter vacation. In Belgium, both French and Dutch are spoken while in Holland the most widely spoken language is Dutch. Hope that clears up my double greeting. ;)
Winter getaways are usually reserved for skiing or, alternatively, laying by the beach, but since my brother was studying abroad in Brussels, my family decided we would take the opportunity to go somewhere different. What a good decision we made to spend the holidays in such a beautiful place! I immediately fell in love with Brussels the moment I stepped foot into the Christmas decoration adorned Grand Place with a sugar-coated Liège waffle in hand (more on that later). In this city guide, I’m going to take you through this beautiful city showing you the chocolates that swept me off my feet, the waffles that made my mouth water, the museums that left me floored, and some of my other favorite places to see in Brussels.
Stay-
Hotel Amigo-
This lovely hotel is perfectly situated a mere 2 blocks from the majestic Grand Place. The room we got was incredibly spacious, and had a gorgeous view of the back of the old town hall, as well as a peak of the Grand Place. Every morning we’d wake up to a darkened sky because for some reason it is exceptionally dark in the mornings around there. It didn’t matter though, because we’d spend most of the morning getting washed up and having a delicious breakfast that usually consisted of croissants and tea. When we came back from a long day of meandering I’d jump into my comfy bed and fall asleep immediately. We were only at this hotel for only 4 days, but our stay was fantastic nonetheless.
See-
Grand Place-
Whoever named this dazzling square in the heart of Brussels clearly knew what they were doing because “grand” is just about the only word that comes close to describing this magnificent plaza. Everything about this place is magical. Pure gold paint seems to drip off of every architectural detail, and no matter where you look you’ll find something beautiful and interesting. The Grand Place at night during Christmas time is a whole other story though, because at every hour during the season there is a colorful light show timed to music by a local DJ.
Christmas Markets-
Before I came to Brussels I had never even heard of a Christmas market. I certainly feel enlightened now. Rows of what look like mini log cabins to me are lined up along a long, closed off pedestrian street. Some of the vendors sell Christmas lights while others draw you to their booths with the smells of sausages or chocolatey sweets. Some people even sell delicious cones of frites, a Belgian food staple. If you are planning on visiting Brussels sometime this year then I definitely recommend traveling here during the holiday season. If you want quintessential holiday magic, this is the place to be.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts-
This museum was absolutely incredible, housing some of the most important Dutch art from the 15th century to the present. This is one of those museums that definitely requires a large chunk of time to get through, so I recommend scheduling a whole day around it if you ever plan to come here.
Magritte Museum-
Just attached to the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts is an entire museum dedicated to the Belgian artist René Magritte. I have to say I was a little disappointed that some of my favorite pieces weren’t at the museum (due to traveling around and such), but overall I was glad I got to see this immense collection of one of my favorite artists.
Musée de Costume-
This sweet little museum was the perfect detox after my eyes were a bit burnt out from all the Dutch master’s work (no offense to them). :) When we visited there was an exhibition on the evolution of wedding attire, which was pretty incredible.
Musée des Instruments de Musique-
Located in a building called the “Old England Building,” this fantastic museum contains the world’s largest collection of instruments. At the beginning of the exhibit they hand you a device that lets you enter the numbers labeling some of the instruments allowing you to listen to what each of the instruments sounds like.
Manneken-Pis-
The city of Brussels' "mascot" is a statue on top of a fountain of a little boy peeing. A little weird maybe, but he’s actually kind of cute. There’s an official tradition where people go and dress him up for special occasions. I’m so happy I got to see him in his little Santa suit for Christmas. :)
Shop-
Rue du Marche Au Charbon-
This sweet shopping street is the definite place to go for vintage and new clothing shopping, as well some stops for tea and chocolate. Oh, and the window shopping is pretty good too. ;)
Galeries de St. Hubert-
Built in 1847, this place is the most beautiful strip of shops in town. From beautiful chocolate shops to fine jewelry stores, this is the place to go for all the luxury goods Brussels has to offer. We stopped by Le Tanneur for French leather purses, Les Ecuadors for gemstone rings, and Mary’s for chocolates.
Eat-
Maison Dandoy-
This establishment is practically heaven on earth for waffle lovers. Whether you prefer a crispy, buttery Brussels waffle or a fluffy, sugar-crystal topped Liège waffle, your desires will be met here. I’m personally a fan of Liège, but I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to my waffles. By far Maison Dandoy was the best waffle I had in Belgium. Don’t get me wrong, every waffle I had, (a number I would rather not disclose), each had their highlights, but I think what made Dandoy’s waffle EXTRA special was the coarse brown sugar they piled on top of the one I ordered. Pure. Bliss.
Mary-
We discovered this place while we were wandering around on our way back from the Christmas markets. The beautiful store windows filled with chocolate trees caught my attention, but it wasn’t until I actually tried the chocolate that I was hooked. We bought a whole bunch of their chocolates to bring back to friends and family (and some for us too). :)
Patrick Roger Chocolatier-
On our last day in Brussels I was determined to hit at least one more chocolate shop before we left for Amsterdam. My wish was granted when we happened upon on this gorgeous chocolatier after perusing the nearby flea market. The chocolate was absolutely divine, so it was gone in seconds. :)
Aux Armes de Bruxelles-
When we travel we always try to look for restaurants that make the best of the best of the local cuisine. I did a bit of research and found Aux Armes de Bruxelles. When we asked the concierge to book a reservation he told us we had made an excellent choice. I felt a bit of pride in the moment. :) We had wonderful mussels, the very traditional Christmas dish eels in green sauce (don’t be scared, it’s absolutely delicious), and flambéed crepes made with orange rum. It was a meal to remember.
Vismet-
Once again when we asked the concierge to book this restaurant I got another nod of approval for my pick. Two for two! Alright enough self pride (for now). ;) No really, this place was spectacular. The menu had some classic Dutch dishes, but a few plates with a bit of a modern Mediterranean twist. Smoked salmon is a pretty big deal in Belgium, and the version we had at Vismet melted in my mouth leaving me wanting more. Fish in general is a common main dish, especially sole, which was also fantastic here.
And now here are some pretty pictures that didn't really fit into any category but I wanted to include anyways...
Oh Brussels, how I love you so. I fell head over heels for this city instantaneously. Countless chocolate shops, frite stands, beautiful buildings, bustling bars, and fantastic museums make this city so alluring. If you are looking to book another vacation or just want to add another destination to your bucket list, definitely be sure to add Brussels. It’s a spectacle that everyone deserves to see and that I hope anyone reading this gets to visit at least once in their life. :) See you next time (in Ghent)!
xoxo,
Emma