in 
Belgium
Belgium Brussels in 24 hours
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 01:27PM Whenever friends announce they are leaving the UK to return home, I get a slight sick feeling in my stomach and then it all becomes a rush - a rush to spend as much time as possible together before they leave. With only 3 weeks notice of my friends impending departure, we booked a last minute weekend to Brussels.
I have never harboured a desire to visit Brussels and going by various comments from workmates and friends, neither have they! Nobody ever asks you why you are going to Paris, so why Brussels?
Here are 10 reasons why Brussels is worth a visit:
1) It's only 2 hours from Kings Cross St Pancras by Eurostar
2) Superb neo-gothic architecture in Grand Place and gorgeous cathedrals on every corner
3) Easy to get around (walkable or tubes for further afield) without the crowds of a bigger city
4) Random musicians playing on every street corner - violins, Andean flute playing and even a reindition of "I'm leaving on a jetplane" which was very timely for us!
5) Friendly, helpful mutli-lingual locals - our cab driver managed to list of a multitude of things to do and places to eat in Brussels all in the space of a 10 minute cab ride to the restaurant.
6) Great raspberry beer (for the non-beer drinkers!)
7) Waffles! (Available in little yellow vans around the city centre)
8) Moules et frites. (I have never seen such a wide range of mussels available in one restaurant - mussels with white wine, mussels with cream & garlic, marinated mussels and the list goes on!
9) Good, efficient service.
10) And of course, chocolate and the delightful chocolate shops!
Essentials
Price: £176.00 per person through lastminute.com. This included Eurostar ticket and one night accommodation in the Hilton.
Costs: Raspberry beer = $3.10EU
Mussels & Chips = $19.50EU
Waffles = $4.10EU
Latte = $1.50EU
Tips:
The area around the Grand Place is very touristy and the guidebooks and locals say the food is pricey and not very good. For the best taste and price walk a few blocks away from Grand Place to the area called Ste-Catherine.
For more info see: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/brussels
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Reader Comments (2)
Hi,
I made the tour in the other sense last month, Brussels to Saint Pancras by foot in a day; really great. this reciprocity makes me belive we should go back. I'm a Brussels fan, so for who wants to know that city better, I suggest you visit www.brusselseyes.com (it's in french but you should be interested), it shows pictures of a Brussels less known.
I realise I'm doing a bit a kind of advertising, so if I offend you , please do appologise me.
Best regards
Hi Bruno, no problem.
We were only there a very short time so didn't manage to see everything we wanted, but I definitely want to go back. Good luck with your Brussels photography!
Best wishes