Unique Places in Brussels

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Belgium has produced its fair share of literary and comic characters, so it was a bit surprising to find a statue devoted to the hero of Golden Age Spanish literature, Don Quixote, in the centre of Brussels. However, it shouldn't be surprising that the duo (don Quixote and Sancho Panza) are on a street named Spanjeplein near the train station.

There's a military stock near Brussls in Kobbegem-Asse. It wil take about 20 minutes by bus from the railway/bus station " Brussels north". There's a busstop just in front of the shop.Ask the driver he/she wilhelp you.

If you planning a touristic trip to brussels check what the "Brussels Card" has to offer and maybe you can save some money.

With this card you have free access to transport (tram, bus and metro), free entrance to 26 museums and you can get a discount to several attractions, exhibitions, shops and restaurants.

There are 24, 48 and 72 hour cards available. Consult the website for more details.

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If your travel to Brussels around teh 15th of August, you'r a lucky person as, evene it's crowded, you have to visit the Grand Place as it's covered by a wonderful flower carpets.
The flowers (beghonias) comes from the region of Ghent (East Flanders) and each year the drawing of the carpet changes. A must see, for sure !

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What I really like to enjoy in Brussels is walking around to find nice "small" things not every tourist sees. You can probably imagine how delighted I was when I found my first (and second) comic facade by accident.

I don't even know their exact location, one was on the way to the La Fleur en Papier Dore pub, the Tintin one we found on the way to Männeken Pis.

I also like the different arty Metro stations, my favourites being Belgica and Maelbeek.

Every 2 years for 3 days - that is on years with an 'even' number - the Grand-Place/Grote Market fills up with a display of flowers in whatever designs are to behold to make a lovely Flower Carpet.

I visited in 2002 and it didnt fail to impress.

This year the dates are advertised as being 15-17 August.

Youre supposed to be able to, for a fee, get a good view over the square from the second floor of the Town Hall.

I was told it was on the way to the Zaventem airport: actually it is a little further out, next to a place called Hofsteede. Better out of season: algae builds up quickly in the summer, the water simply isn't deep enough. Some people can have a skin reaction to these algae.

Still, it's possible to have nice walks around the lake.

Did you notice there's no river in Brussels ?

Very odd for a major city to have no river.

The sad truth is that it was covered over in the 19th Century as it had deteriorated into a Sewer.

You can still see a very small part of it. Head to Place Saint-Gery (very close to the Bourse) and enter the small courtyard behind the main hall in the square (Halles Saint Gery).

Nothing much to look at and a bit melancholy. But definitely off the beaten path !

The good news is that the Senne is clean again after Purification works of 2007 (but still underground)