From the murals of Corto Maltese to the Cinquantenario Park, from the Gran Place to the Mannekes Pis: what to see in Brussels in a weekend.
Capital ofBelgium, crossroads of peoples, diplomatic center and city of embassies and ambassadors,Brusselsrepresents a focal point on the map of Europe.The city is full of young people, interns, high representatives of the most important states and the most important world associations. Everything in Brussels is activism, political and social movement. But not only. Within what is definedto Pentagonyes nasIt has a center full of monuments, parks, works and historic buildings, masterpieces of Barbantine Gothic.
HOW TO GET TO BRUSSELS
Brusselsit is easily reachable both by train (the main railway station is the Gare Centrale), by coach and by plane. In particular, if you decide to reach the city by plane, keep in mind that there is a shuttle service that allows you to travel the routeI fly from Charleroi airport to the center in just under 60 minutes. It's about theBrussels City Shuttle. All buses have cowith the departure point being exit 4 of the airport and the arrival point being the entrance to the train stationBrussels Du Midi, on Rue de France. Shuttles leave regularly every 30 minutes, from 7.30am to 11.59pm, while the first shuttle from the center of Brussels leaves at 3.15am (until 8.15pm). The price of tickets varies from 14 to 17 euros, depending on whether you buy it online (www.brussels-city-shuttle.com) or at the airport ticket offices.Buy tickets in advanceit's always a good idea, especially in high season.
WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN BRUSSELS
The capital of Belgium is a rather small city, easily visitable even in just two days. I propose a mini tour, to be followed on foot, which will allow you to see the truly unmissable things of Brussels.
WHAT TO SEE IN BRUSSELS: FIRST DAY
L’itinerario attraverso le principali “cose da fare e vedere a Bruxelles” inizia alla Gare Centrale. Se imboccate la Rue des Paroissiens, vi ritroverete dinnanzi alla Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gadula, splendido edificio in stile gotico brabantino. Attraversate il parco dinnanzi alla Chiesa, continuate su Rue d’Aremberg fin quando non raggiungete (a sinistra) l’ingresso per la Royale Saint-Hubert Gallery. Lasciatevi incantare da questa opera d’arte, percorretela tutta fino alla fine. E poi, se tornerete alla “luce del sole” vi ritroverete nel cuore di Bruxelles. Percorrete la piccola Rue de la Colline e incantatevi dinnanzi alla Grand Place, the city's historic square, considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Since 1998, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Purchase a hop-on hop-off tourit could be an excellent idea if you are looking for an alternative method to visit the city.
The Town Hall overlooks the square (Hotel de Ville) with the Tour Inimitable (among the most beautiful towers in the world), the Maison du Roi orCity Museum (era l’antico mercato coperto del pane). Mentre passeggerete per la Rue de l’Etruve, vi ritroverete davanti ad uno dei monumenti caratteristici della città: il Manneken Pis, symbol of the independence of spirit of the inhabitants (the fountain of the boy who pees). Right next door, on Rue de Chen, you can admire the famous mural by Olivier Rameu.
Se deciderete di proseguire verso la Rue de Grands Charmes, giungerete in un’altra storica via, famosa per i suoi numerosi fumetti “di strada“: theRue du Marché au Charbon. Mentre camminerete, potrete ammirare (tra gli altri), il Broussaille (Fumetto di Frank Pè) e accanto il palazzo “colorato” sulla Plattesteen. Continuing, you will return to the Grand Place area and, just beyond, you will find another key symbol, at the top of the list of things to see in Brussels: theJeanneke Pis.
If you are a comics lover, I recommend a trip to the Belgian Comics Center (Rue de Sables 20) andQuai des Pénicheswhere the famous murals ofShort Maltese. Una volta lì, potrete fare una rilassante passeggiata e, se siete buoni camminatori, potete passare dal Tunnel Leopold II potrete addiritture to reach the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
If, however, you prefer to take it easy, use the metro and get off at the Simonis stop. At that point, however, you will have to walk to get to the Basilica, through the splendid park.
SECOND DAY
The second day of the itineraryrare among the "absolute things to do and see in Brussels" begins at the Brussels Luxembourg stop, just a stone's throw from theEuropean Parliament. I recommend you start your tour with a visit to Piazza Leopolda and the famous EU headquarters. If you are lucky you will also be able to "collide" with the many characters you usually see on television (luck or bad luck?). From there, you can then move on for a walk in the splendidLeopoldo Parkand, even further, inFiftieth anniversary park, inside which you will find the Great Mosque, the Royal Museum of Weapons andMilitary History, as well as the Fiftieth Anniversary Tunnel. If you buyan audio-guided tour you can explore 15 highlights of Brusselsas you prefer, with an in-depth explanation of each.
Mentre percorrerete la Rue de la Roi, giungerete infine dinnindeed toParc de Bruxelles Warandepark, among the things absolutely to see in Brussels. Cross it, immersing yourself in the well-kept greenery, until you find yourself face to face with theRoyal Palace, official residence of the King of Belgium which currently houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Se proseguirete verso Rue de la Régence, passerete accanto alla Notre-Dame du Sablon churchand, not far away, you will find theNotre-Dame de la Chapelle, the church of the city's Polish community.
Among the things to see in Brussels, theAtomeowlocated within Heysel Park. It is another symbolic monument of the city, made of steel with the 9 atoms of an iron crystal. To get there, you can use the train or the metro and get off at the Heysel stop.
