Like the bronze statue below, people are always pissing on poor Brussels.
In fact, a recent survey of international travelers named Brussels as the "most boring city in Europe."
I honestly don't get what they're moaning about. I've been drawn to the Belgian capital since I first visited years ago, despite living in the much more "highly-rated" city of Paris. Less than two hours by high-speed train from my home base, Brussels feels to me like an alternate universe: it's beer instead of wine, relaxed instead of sexy, chatty instead of cold.
It's also complex and full of contradictions. In addition to the co-habitating Flemish and Walloon communities, Brussels is bustling with immigrants. This includes a big population of refugees, an even-bigger population of EU bureaucrats, and everything in between. Walking for 20 minutes in any direction, you're likely to pass through a Dutch-speaking quarter, a French-speaking hood, and a migrant district or two.
Architecturally, Brussels is a mix of breathtaking Art Nouveau and some
of the worst disasters you'll ever see. The city is littered, even in
the center, with old buildings in various states of decay. It's so bad,
in fact, that "Brusselization' has become a buzzword to describe
uncontrolled and anarchic urban development. But for every street that
feels like a windswept urban graveyard, there's another one full of
cobblestone charm and preserved historical beauty. The mix is confusing
and often frustrating... but never boring.
Photo by Rene J
The one complaint that I agree with is about the city's weather. More often than not, Brussels is grey, cold, and wet. On the bright side, the city has developed a rich interior life and is brimming with cozy bars and cafés. Quirky dive bars - the sort that would be underground sensations in New York or Paris - sit on almost every corner. My favorite ones makes me want to move to here, camp out in one of the worn wooden booths, and write a really bad novel while making my way through the beer list.
On the all-important food front, Brussels can hold it's head high.The city is stocked with Michelin-starred restaurants, but it also excels at grandmotherly comfort food. Eating a good carbonnade in a neighborhood place (washed down with a cold pint, of course) is one of the great pleasures of Brussels. Beyond Flemish and French classics, however, the city's cosmopolitan crowd supports a wide array of ethnic eats. There are hundreds of high-end Italian tables, and more exotic options - everything from Greek BBQ to Congolese Mwambe - are abundant.
As for nightlife, the survey category in which the city was slammed, I remember being jealous of Brussels when I first visited. Sitting in a dive bar that has since closed, I was reading the upcoming concert calendar and seething with envy. The agenda was packed with indie bands that I'd been dying to see - all playing here instead of Paris! My town has caught up in recent years, but Brussels remains a major hub for live music. Outside the concert hall, there's plenty of carousing to be done in the clubs and bars around the rue Marché au Charbon. The city's all-night party scene is so (in)famous that some visitors don't even bother booking a hotel. Does that sound boring to you?
Photo by quarsan
The people who bad-mouth Brussels probably just don't know where to go. But momondo is hoping to correct that with new coverage of the drinkable city. We'll be sharing our favorite food haunts, dive bars, design hotels and rock stages - all in the hope that you will love and defend Brussels like we do.
Bon voyage and goede reis!