What can we do and see in Brussels if we are on a short business trip?
A belated guide to Brussels from February 2020, wishing it could be put into practice soon.
If you are on a business trip in Brussels or even better on tourism, be sure to visit the museums, landmarks and some interesting restaurants or bars. I make a remark that due to Covid-19 pandemic they may be closed for certain periods, according to the requirements of the Belgian authorities.
Which sights are worth it?
Chocolate Museum or Choco Story Brussels
Visiting time: 1-2 hours
A great attraction for children is the Chocolate Museum or as it is called Choco Story Brussels. There, you can learn a lot of interesting things about its production and in particular about cocoa as a raw material, you can watch a movie, see a demonstration of how to make handmade chocolate and taste Belgian chocolate. The museum also organizes seminars on making chocolate, as well as individual tastings. For now, the museum is closed, but let’s hope that normal times will come again and visitors to Brussels will be able to freely enjoy this landmark. Slide the images on the Instagram post below directly here to see photos from the Chocolate Museum.
Atomium
Visiting time: 2 to 3 hours
You must be wondering what an Atomium is. And I was wondering the same when choosing which places to visit in Brussels. The attraction is very interesting, especially for children. Atomium is a huge metal structure that is an enlarged model of the atom of an allotropic alpha form of iron. It was built for the World’s Fair in Brussels in 1958 and was not intended to remain so after that, but because it was much liked by the public, it has remained a symbol of the city. To date, the place is home to temporary and permanent exhibitions, space for events and wonderful views of the city from above. The temporary exhibition is dedicated to the Renaissance artist Peter Bruegel. It is made very interesting – with incorporated 3D effects to his paintings. See the below short movie about it.
Movie watching time: 1:13 min.
The central square
Time to spend there: as much as for a coffee, a glass of wine / beer or creme brulee with nice view to medieval architecture.
Of course, being in Brussels, you can’t help but walk to The Grand Place or the Grote Markt. There you will see the beautiful Gothic City Hall building left over from the Middle Ages, as well as the Royal House, which houses the City Museum of Brussels. Interestingly, in the 17th century, they attacked the city center with cannons and destroyed almost the entire square, except for the town hall, which, ironically, was the real target of this shelling.
Manneken Pis and Belgian waffles
Visiting time: as much as to buy souvenirs around, plus to eat a waffle
Then walk to the Manneken Pis or the Peeing Boy. During the bombing in question in the 17th century, the statue remained intact, only the boy stopped peeing due to damage to the pipes, but the damage was quickly removed. Since then, the Peeing Boy has become a symbol of the city. There are interesting souvenirs around the shops, and its varieties with different uniforms are especially fun. Along the way you can eat the famous Belgian waffles, with a lot of sprinkles and types of sweet topping.
Museums exhibitions Brussels
Visiting time: 2-3 hours at the museum
Some people prefer to go around the shops and if they come across a period of sales, the discount rates are really generous. However, I am more fond of cultural and historical places. I really liked the Magritte Museum because I saw works from his early times, which are also remarkable, although very different from the style most people know him by.
There are piles of museums in Brussels to choose from according to your interests. For your convenience, I enclose a link to the website of the museums and exhibitions of Brussels. https://www.brusselsmuseums.be/en/
Where to go to eat and drink?
Fine dining
I can recommend two very good restaurants. It is possible that both will close temporarily due to Covid-19 restrictions, but they are making home deliveries.
One is called Le Rossini and has 13 of the 20 maximum hats of Gault & Millau 2020. And the other is a very artistic place related to cinema and music – Humphrey, with 13.5 hats on the same guide. Humphrey uses farm products in its cuisine and make deliveries. Read about them in Restaurant Humphrey [chez Pias] in Brussels – the place where indie music meets Asian gastronomic fusion and Restaurant Le Rossini in Brussels – unpretentious in appearance and with exceptional cuisine.
Coffee and chocolate
If you just want to drink coffee with Belgian chocolate on the side and buy chocolate for your friends and family, see the below post on placescases.com on Instagram. Slide to see the images.
So where can you drink Belgian beer?
Everywhere. However, placescases.com chooses places that are different and featured somehow. While walking the streets of the center of Brussels, I got thirsty and came across a very interesting bar and dinner Le Cercle De Voyagers. It is characterized by a casual hipster interior, a large selection of drinks and in particular beers, a light kitchen and live chamber concerts.
In the central square, which I mentioned above, The Grand Place has a restaurant called Le Chaloupe D’Or, which means the Golden Boat, where you are transported to the atmosphere of old Brussels. There you can eat crème brulee or drink beer.
How to get to all these places?
Don’t worry about how you will find these places. Just use the Google map here by clicking on the red pin with which I marked their location and then select directions:
Crowne Plaza Brussels - Le Palace, Rue Gineste, Brussels, Belgium
Le Chaloupe D’Or, Brussels, Belgium
Le Cercle De Voyagers, Brussels, Belgium
Café - Tasse Store, Brussles, Belgium
Restaurant Humphrey chez Pias, Brussels, Belgium
Restaurant Le Rossini, Brussels, Belgium
Musée Magritte Museum, Brussels, Belgium
Manneken Pis/Peeing Boy, Brussels, Belgium
The Grand Place/Grote Markt, Brussels, Belgium
Atomium, Brussels, Belgium
Choco Story Museum, Brussels, Belgium
If you need a car rental, you can book it here, in the box of the largest booking platform.
Where to stay in Brussels?
Due to business commitments, I stayed at Crowne Plaza- Le Palace. The hotel has a nice location, close to the metro station, in the immediate vicinity begins the pedestrian zone with shops and many attractions. Read more about it at Hotel Crowne Plaza, Brussels – a place for events and stays.
For your convenience, I have added a booking.com box, which refers directly to their site. I guarantee you’re going to use all your genius discounts and privileges they would offer to you. Just enter the dates of your trip, then hit the Search button and voila. In addition, booking.com are doing their best to make sure that your expectations as a customer are fulfilled. I’ve described an example about the latter in my story about our stay in Shangri-La hotel in Singapore .
Booking.com
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Do you ever wonder how some places differ so much from others in service, environment, as an overall experience? This means you are also interested like me in the topic of The Experience Economy by Pine and Gilmore. I constantly add to my collection reviews about those of them, which practice its principles, regardless of intentionally or accidentally. If you are curious to understand which are they, explore category The Experience Economy.
