A Weekend in Brussels
The fall sun shines through the windows at Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert in Brussels
Exploring Brussels
After my solo trip to Photokina in Köln and visiting my childhood friend in Kapellen, we were reunited in Brussels as Di joined me flying in from Copenhagen.
I took the train to Brussels from Kapellen via Antwerp. We were looking at two nights on a fall weekend. This was our first visit to Brussels and we were excited to see what the city had to offer.
The amazing train station in Antwerp. I took the train from Antwerp to Brussels.
Bedford Hotel in Brussels
We booked a hotel in the center, Bedford Hotel, and Conference Centre. Our room was on one of the upper floors. We rearranged the furniture and created a little dining area with a view over the city roofs of Brussels. The room rate was $60.00 per night and included an awesome breakfast buffet.
We explored the city in small chunks but were also happy to be together and relax in our room. The photo below, taken from our room, is a poor representation of the fine weather we enjoyed.
It seems wherever we go we enjoy great weather and above-season temperatures but apparently, September was also the warmest on record.
Grand Place
Grand Place
Brussels had a great vibe this fall weekend and no shortage of excellent chocolates to tempt us at every street corner. As we entered Grand Place Di had a big grin on her face and burst out; I just love seeing new things!
And the Grand Place was indeed full of energy and impressions. In the City Hall courtyard, two weddings were in progress. In the center of the square, TV, and stage crews were busy setting up for an evening concert. Markets, vendors, and tourists were in one big organized chaos.
Market at Grand Place
If you are into shopping, check out the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert or Passage du Nord. The streets are alive with a buzz in the air. We found Brussels to have a similar feel to Paris, everything on a smaller scale, however.
We continued our tour on foot to the area around St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral and the beautiful Brussels Park.
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Brussels
Sultans of Swing
A street musician was playing one of my favorite Dire Straits tunes "Sultans of Swing". It seemed he just played the same song over and over again.
We saw him later on, in a new spot in the city, still playing the same tune. No facial expressions whatsoever but great guitar work.
Cafés, Tintin, and Mannekin Pis
There is rich café life in Brussels and everyone sits outside, even on this October weekend. Belgium is the home of famous cartoon writer Hergé, the creator of the adventures of Tintin. The Hergé Museum is outside Brussels.
We did not go but were relished by the murals and merchandise and Tintin-related items available in Brussels. No trip to Brussels is complete without a stop to see the famous statue, Manneken Pis.
The famous Mannekin Pis statue in Brussels
Dining in and Out
We had dinner out on our first night. It was a mixed experience but okay. Dinner on the second night, however, was superb. We opened the giant windows of our fifth-floor hotel room and moved the table to the window.
The sun was coming out after a short rain shower and the view was great over the rooftops. We enjoyed a salad from the nearby Supermarche and a piece of Belgium chocolate for dessert. Sometimes simple does the trick.
We really enjoyed our weekend stay in Brussels. If you are in the neighborhood during your Europe trip we certainly recommend you make a stop.
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Lightroom. I used Fujifilm film simulations in some of the photos.
