Photo by Jim's World
Poor Brussels! Recently the Belgian capital was announced the most boring city in Europe in a survey conducted by TripAdvisor. At Momondo we don't get it. We think Brussels is cool and fun and we've decided that the city should have a chance to defend itself. Therefore we contacted the local tourist authorities (Brussels International) and asked them to come up with 7 reasons why Brussels isn’t the most boring city in Europe.
Cityscape
Photo by John & Mel Kots
The thing to see in Brussels right now is according to Brussels International the Cityscape, which is a gigantic (and anything but boring) sculpture of tangled wood made by Belgian artist Arne Quinze.
The sculpture, that is 40 metres long, 25 metres wide and 18 metres high, will stand for a year on Avenue de la Toison d’Or.
Bruxelles les Bains
Bring your speedos or bikini with you to Brussels. Each summer a stretch of Brussels' canal is converted into Bruxelles les Bains - a mini 'Copacabana ' where city dwellers can experience the joys of beachlife in the middle of the city.
Get drunk while discussing EU-policies
Place du Luxembourg
Multicultural celebrations take place in Brussels every Wednesday and Thursday night when the young professionals from the EU institutions meet for after work drinks.
On Wednesdays after the market the cosy Place du Châtelain fills up with hundreds of beer drinking youngsters. On Thursdays they head for Place du Luxembourg in front of the parliament, where especially Ralph’s Bar is a hotspot or they head for the @7club.
The capital of comic strips
Blake and Mortimer, Rue du Houblon
Brussels is not only the capital of Europe and Belgium, but also the capital of comic strips and the city has brought up prominent characters such as Tintin and the Smurfs.
They really take their comic strips serious in Brussels, where you in addition to several comic strip shops and galleries can find a comic strip museum, a comic strip house and not the least a comic strip trail involving 30 city-walls covered with famous comic strip characters.
2009 has been announced comic strip year and this year there will be even more exhibitions and events on comic strips in Brussels.
Rue Antoine Dansaert
15 years ago Rue Antoine Dansaert was in a state of decay and neglect, then designers moved in (haven’t we heard stories like this before!) and today the street is buzzing and stylish and the cornerstone in Brussels’ fashion district. Most famous shop on Rue Antoine Dansaert is Stijl, which opened back in 1984. Here you can purchase men’s and women’s clothing by Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Xavier Delcour and other notables.
Find out more about design and shopping in Brussels here and here.
On Rue Antoine Dansaert you will also find the legendary art deco bar and jazzclub Archiduc.
Art nouveau
Maison Cauchie, Rue des Francs
Though Archiduc is very art deco Brussels big architectural heritage belongs to art nouveau. If you are into this design-style from the turn of the 20th century you should visit the house of Victor Horta, the Musical Instruments Museum, Hotel Hannon and the comic strip museum, which is in a Victor Horta building.
Find out more on art nouveau in Brussels here.
Gastronomy
If you think eating and drinking is fun you definitely have come to the right city. Brussels is a gastronomical powerhouse and the city has more than 1,800 restaurants ranging from the best Greek restaurant outside of Greece and Michelin-starred Italian restaurants to simple but brilliant frite stalls. The area around Rue Antoine Dansaert is packed with great restaurant such as: Vismet, Le Fourneau, Bonsoir Clara just to name a few.
Brussels is also a Mecca for chocolate lovers who would go giddy if they enter Marcolini or Wittamer and not the least Brussels is a beer-drinkers paradise. Try for example Delirium Café or Bier Circus.
If the 7 above recommendation haven’t convinced you about the joys of Brussels click here and you will find 151 reasons to visit Brussels.