Belgium Information
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 Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:17 am Post subject: BELGIUM TOURISM GUIDE (BRUSSELS)/ TOURISM IN BELGIUM |
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BELGIUM TOURISM GUIDE (BRUSSELS)
GENERAL
Brussels is more than a 1000 years old.
Today the name Brussels stands for an agglomeration of 19 communes forming one of the three Regions of the federal Belgian state; the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium; the headquarters of the French and Flemish Communities.
Brussels also has an important international vocation : as the European capital the city is home to the European Commission and to the Council of ministers of the European Union (EU).
Brussels is the bilingual capital of Belgium. This means that both French and Dutch are the official languages of the city. Street names and traffic sings are always in these two languages. Furthermore, it is a cosmopolitan city where many different cultures live together and where different languages can be heard on each street. This liveliness and international flair is, of course, intimately related to its role as a crossroads for all of Europe.
The same variety and contrast can also be found in the different architectural styles that can be found in Brussels, the former capital of the medieval Duchy of Brabant. Gothic cathedrals and churches are next to - and sometimes in stark contrast with - gracious classical facades like the buildings around the Royal Square (Place Royale - Koningsplein), or beautiful art nouveau and art deco houses.
The heart of Brussels and the place to start getting to know the city is the Grand'Place (Grote Markt). This historic market square with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of the Town Hall, is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
MANNEKEN PIS
This statue of a little boy in a somewhat compromising position has since several centuries been a major tourist attraction in the city. When most people see the 'manneken', the first reaction is always one of amazement: "Look, how small he is ! Why does everybody want to see him ?" The people of Brussels, however, accept him the way he is. After all, it doesn't always have to be big to be beautiful. Imagine he would be the size of the Statue of Liberty : Brussels would be continuously flooded !
The world famous peeing boy can be seen every day and night at the corner of Eikstraat/Stoofstraat near the Grand Place.
Tip: try to find out if the Manneken receives a new costume during your stay. During that occasion he pees beer instead of water.
MUSIC AND LIGHT SHOW AT THE GRAND PLACE (Market Place)
Between April and September the town square and its buildings are illuminated at night to the rythm of classical music. There are two sessions of aproximately 15 minutes each night (between 21.30 h and 23.15 h, depending on the sunset).
BRUPARCK
Situated at the Heysel. Here you find a reconstructed Belgian village complete with café's and restaurants. You can have a tropical beach experience at the indoor Océade Océade swimming complex. Kinepolis: one of the largest movie complexes in Europe with 24 cinema rooms and a giant IMAX movie screen.
Tip: If you go to the movies in Brussels always check if the movie is shown in the original language with subtitles, or dubbed in French. The price of a movie in Belgium is between 7 and 9 Euro.
MINI EUROPE
See the major monuments of the memberstates of the European Union in miniature (Eiffel tower, Houses of Parliament, Brandenburg Gate, Sacré Coeur, etc
THE ATOMIUM
Discover the symbol of the 1958 Brussels world fair from the inside.
TOONE THEATRE
Pub dating from 1696, with excellent choice of Belgian beers. On the first floor is the famous Toone Puppet Theatre. Beautiful 'marionettes' perform classical opera's or Brussels folk stories in different languages (on demand).
Open: every day from 12 am to 12 pm.
Location: Kleine Beenhouwersstraat / Petite rue des Bouchers , near Grand' Place.
THE BELGIAN COMIC STRIP CENTRE
A famous Belgian art form in a beautiful Art Nouveau Setting. Discover the history of Belgium's comic strip heroes (Tintin) and visit the beautiful shop with its many books and comic strip gadgets.
Open from 10am till 6 pm, Zandstraat / Rue des Sables 20 1000 Brussel
THE IGUANODONS OF BERNISSART
One of the most beautiful collections of Dinosaur skeletons can be seen in the Museum of Natural Sciences. The skeletons of the Iguanodons were found in the 19th century in the south-Belgian village of Bernissart.
Location Waversesteenweg / Chaussée de Wavre 260
THE OMMEGANG
Every year at the end of June and the beginning of July, an historical procession, called the Ommegang, takes place at the Market Place. This procession goes back to the 16th century and was originally created to welcome Charles V in Brussels.
Tickets and information: Brussels Tourist Office.
THE FLOWER CARPET
Every two years, during the third week of August, Belgian begonia cultivators decorate the Market Place with a beautiful flower carpet. Every two years there is a different decoration theme.
THE BASILICA OF THE SACRED HEART (Basilica of Koekelberg)
When standing on one of the hills surrounding the centre of Brussels, one can always see the dome of the Basilica in Western direction. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart (situated in the Suburb of Koekelberg) is labeled "the national Basilica of Belgium". It was built to remember the 75th anniversary of the Belgian independence.
The entrance to the church is free. The panoramic view over Brussels and its surroundings from the Dome of the Basilica is open from 9am to 5pm in the summer and from 10am to 4pm in the winter. The admission fee for this panoramic view is 3 € for adults and 2.50 € per person for groups as from 10 people.
THE SAINT MICHAEL & SAINT GUDULA CATHEDRAL
This church is to be found at the Treurenberg hill on the edge between lower and upper town. Already at the beginning of the 11th century a church was situated here. In 1047 the Duke of Brabant, Lambert II, had the relics of Saint Gudula transferred from the Saint Gorik church in downtown Brussels to the new church at the Treurenberg hill. From that moment on the Saint Gudula and Saint Michael church took the lead over all the other churches in Brussels. Lambert II also gave the church a chapter of 12 canons (= priests who took care of the services and possessions of the church).
THE SABLON CHURCH
The Our-Lady-of-the-Sablon church, or shorter Sablon Church, dominates the Sablon Square in the center of Brussels. The Sablon area is nowadays the exclusive antiques shop area of Brussels with its many shops, art galleries, busy cafés and restaurants.
THE SAINT NICHOLAS CHURCH
In the Boterstraat / Rue au Beurre, close to the Market Place, is one of the oldest churches of Brussels, the Saint Nicholas Church. The church was named after Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of the traders, which was not surprising because the trade centre, the market, was just around the corner. The church was built in an asymmetrical way because in the earlier days an irregular and small brook used to run through this street.
THE NOTRE DAME CHURCH OF LAKEN
Laken is the name of one of the suburbs of Brussels. It is also the community where the royal family of Belgium lives in the Royal Residence, nearby the Notre Dame church. Not far away is the Heysel area with the Atomium and Mini-Europe.
THE ST. HUBERT GALLERY
The St. Hubert gallery is a fine example of a typical kind of building of the 19th century: the covered shopping gallery. Between 1820 and 1880 seven of these galleries were built in Brussels. Three of these have survived: the St. Hubert gallery, the Bortier gallery and the Northern Passage. These galleries had a double function: the ground-level was almost always occupied by shops, whereas the upper section (first and second floors) were reserved for apartments and habitation.
THE KING'S HOUSE (a.k.a "Het Broodhuis" or "La maison du roi")
At the Market Place, opposite the Town Hall, stands another of the remarkable historical Buildings of Brussels. The beautiful neo-gothic building with its many decorative statues is the "Maison du Roi" in French or "Broodhuis" in Dutch. It now harbours the historical City Museum.
THE ROYAL SQUARE
The royal square lies at the Koudenberg/Coudenberg, a natural hill at the edge of the medieval city centre. Here, the duke of Brabant had a castle built in the 11th century. His successors left the city of Leuven, which had been the old capital of the dukedom and chose the castle in Brussels as their permanent residence. In the course of the following centuries, the dukes of Burgundy and, later, the Habsburg kings and emperors all adapted the castle to their needs and wishes. Between 1452 and 1459 Philip the Good of Burgundy had the Magna Aula constructed. This hall was meant for the many meetings of the Council of Brabant and other festivities. By the 16th century, the palace had become one of the most impressive and picturesque royal residences in Europe. It also had a magnificent garden, which is now the royal park.
THE PALACE OF JUSTICE
Although this gigantic edifice does not really belong to the Sablon, it nevertheless dominates the area. It was built between 1860 and 1880 by Joseph POELAERT in eclectic style. It is believed to be the biggest building constructed in the 19th century in the world.
The palace of justice is situated on top of a hill, which was called "gallows hill" in the Middle Ages. The dimensions of the palace are awesome: it is 105 m high and covers a total surface of 24.000 square meters. It still functions as the supreme court of law for Belgium.
MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES
The Museum of the Royal Institute for Natural sciences of Belgium gives a fascinating overview of natural life in Belgium and elsewhere, now and during the course of time. Some of the major rooms have been reconstructed to embellish and improve the presentation of the collection.
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT ART
This museum lies next to the Museum of modern art. Together they are called "The Museum of Fine Arts". This museum harbours a splendid collection of paintings from both the low countries and the world. In the entrance hall several sculptures can be seen of Belgian and international sculptors (for instance: Meunier, Lambeau, Rodin, etc.) The main accent, however, lies on the collection of old masters with its 1200 paintings.On the first floor are the masterpieces of the 15th and 16th century. Among the famous names are: the master of Flémalle, Rogier van der Weyden, the master of Aix, Barend van Orley, Dirk Bouts, Hieronymus Bosch, Lucas Cranach and Quentin Metsys.
VAN BUUREN MUSEUM
This museum is situated in the house where David and Alice van Buuren lived. The museum exists since 1973.
In 1970, Mrsvan Buuren had established the "Friends of the Museum of David and Alice van Buuren" society, to which she left by will the house, the garden, the works of art as well as a substantial donation allowing the society to take care of the legacy. During his life, Mr. David van Buuren, who was a fervent collector of art, had turned his property into a living museum.
MUSEUM OF THE ARMY & MILITARY HISTORY
The Royal Museum of the Army and Military History is located in one of the buildings of the Cinquantenaire Park and contains about one hundred thousand items. This collection makes the museum rank among the top military museums in the world.
THE HORTA MUSEUM
This is not a museum in the traditional sense: a building where the objects exposed draw all the attention. Here it is the reverse : the building itself is the museum. The Horta Museum was actually the house that Victor Horta built for himself in the late 1890's. It's a true example of the architectural style that made Horta into one of the most acclaimed architects in Belgium. |
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