Brussels: Beer, Chocolates, and Parks

At a Glance

• Duration: Three-night stay
• Home Base: Brussels, Belgium(near the Main Square)
• Memorable Moment: The authentic Chinese hotpot experience where we realized we were drinking the soup meant for cooking, and the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Place.
• Overall Vibe: Unexpectedly beautiful, great food scene outside the main square, a beer-centric city with distinct and stunning districts.

This Town is Special Because...

Sometimes, the universe steps in and changes your itinerary for the better. I had originally scheduled us to go to Antwerp, but due to some train logistics, we were forced to come to Brussels instead. And honestly? I'm so happy it worked out that way! Brussels was beautiful, with so much to see and do—we were entertained every single day. The city offered so many directions to go—the historic center, the beautiful parks, the palace area—and each one was stunning and made Brussels a great visit. We keep hearing Antwerp is wonderful so we will plan to spend time there at a later date.

Our Home Base: Brussels

Once again, I didn't do great picking a hotel. We were only a few minutes from the Main Square, which was great, but the room itself was extremely small, with a super tight stairway and no lift, and Tom's bed was even broken and sitting on top of a concrete block! It was also next to a sports bar that stayed open until 4:00 am, so we didn’t get much sleep. Ultimately, though, it was clean, very close to the square, had daily refresh service, and since we spent hardly any time there, it worked fine for our three nights.

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Our Brussels Experience: The Day-to-Day

The Central Square: A Golden Grandeur

The Grand Place is, without a doubt, one of my core memories of this leg of the trip. Stepping into that square for the first time is truly breathtaking—the sheer concentration of ornate, gilded, and stunning architecture is hard to process. At night, the buildings are lit in vibrant colors and something to experience.

• History in Stone: We learned that the square was mostly rebuilt after being bombed by the French in 1695. The current look is mainly from the late 17th century, where the city council required the guilds—like the Brewers, Carpenters, and Bakers—to reconstruct their guildhalls in the most elaborate style possible. The result is a UNESCO World Heritage site that feels like it’s dripping with gold.
• The Specific Buildings: The Town Hall is the most magnificent building, with its a symmetrical design. It was added onto in order to win a contest but they didn’t have enough room, so it is 3 meters less than the other side and ended up with half windows. You can see that the statues adorning the building façade are also different on one side vs. the other. The King's House (Broodhuis)opposite is equally impressive, and my favorite due to its Gothic adornments. It was fascinating to look up and realize we were looking at the literal history of European trade and craftsmanship

Mont des Arts (Arts Mountain) 

This is the junction which connects the Grand Place area with the Place Royale. This is where Tom and I spent time having our first, and last, beer in Brussels. It was a lovely setting at the juncture between uptown and downtown overlooking the manicured garden, the Carillon duMont des Arts - a unique clock located behind the Palace of the Dynasty. (It is a large, star-shaped clock with twelve niches, each housing a small, colorful figurine representing figures from Belgian history or folklore.) It was a great place to people watch, and there were street performers playing lovely music.

The Chocolate Hunt and Rooftop Views

We did a fantastic Brussels chocolate tour that included a workshop where we made praline chocolates—with a great group of other chocolate lovers! The tour included some city history and visiting a few places that would introduce us to certain areas we could then explore on our own. It was a great way to orient to the city and learn a bit of history along the way:

• A Japanese Delicacy: We visited different chocolate makers/shops, learning their history and why our guide picked them as the best of Brussels. They included the best value, the best hot chocolate, etc. The highlight for me was a Japanese-owned chocolate place near the Central Square (BS40). Their chocolates were complete delicacies with super unusual flavors to create what were told is a “ying and yang”, and our personal favorite: blackberry and black pepper. You can really taste the commitment to craftsmanship in chocolates that looked like little pieces of art.
• The Workshop: Our time learning and making pralines allowed us to get to know the individuals that made up our group. We all sat at a large rectangle table and shared travel stories and our histories. We captured the suggestions and favorites of the group to add to our future planning.
• The Best View: The tour guide took us to the top of the new City Hall, which was a huge bonus! They have a cool rooftop bar with a promenade where you can walk all the way around and see the entire city. It gives you a perfect view of the Grand Place from above.

A Taste of Authentic Belgium: Beer and Frites

• The Beer Town: Our guide was very insistent that Brussels is a beer town, not a wine town. We were warned against ordering any wine—we were told it's just "juice aimed to get you drunk." We took that advice to heart and embraced the beer scene. To try a true Belgian beer, he told us, you need a Trappist beer, which is poured out of a bottle after being fermented (not a draft). During the tour he also highlighted some bars that Tom and I went back and visited. Both were down small alleys and not something we would have found on our own. One of them had a trapdoor in the floor near our table. The server told us that it was the tunnel they would take convicts down.
• Lunch at The Old Port: Following our tour guide’s advice on areas to have our meals, Tom and I went to Place Sainte-Catherine: This is the main square in front of the St. Catherine Church, and the term is often used to refer to the entire area, including the Marché aux Poissons (Fish Market). It used to be a port until the 20th century when it was closed off. Now, the area includes docks and basins that act as a water feature, with sidewalks and thoroughfares alongside the restaurants and bars. You can see pictures on a placard outside of St. Catherine Church of what it used to look like. We had a fun experience eating along the water feature at Mussel Mongers, which specializes in mussels, beer, and other Belgian specialties. The server was an absolute gem, immediately saying, when I tried to order a Carlsberg beer, "You're having a Belgian beer. I will pick for you!" After asking a bit about what we typically drink, he chose a great Belgian beer for each of us. We had a great price-fix menu that included mussels, meatballs, fried shrimp, and waffles for dessert.

• Perfect Frites: We were told to stay away from food near the Central Square, but our guide pointed out a few places that do frites (what they call fries) the right way—cooked with beef fat in a two-step process. We made sure to try them at Fritzerie, getting a spicy mayo for Tom and ketchup for me.

Final Day: Parks, Monuments, and Soccer Chaos

On our last full day, we took a walk to the Parc du Cinquantenaire, which took us past the European Union complex of buildings. This park is massive, with huge monuments, including the impressive Triumphal Arch, completed in 1905 to commemorate 50 years of Belgian independence. This area, along with the palace district, was stunning and showed us a completely different, grand side of Brussels. We relaxed there and later headed toward a busy square where United football fans were having a huge street party. The party was so crowded that we saw two situations that required police and medical attention—it was crazy!

What We Loved (and Didn't)

I think one of the biggest memories of this time is how happy I am that the original train plan didn’t work out and that we were forced to come to Brussels. (although many folks we have talked to said Antwerp is something special and we missed out.) The city was so incredibly beautiful, especially the Grand Place, and the different districts—from the historic center to the palace area—were stunning. We were entertained every single day, and it was a great chapter to finish our first 30 days of travel.

Next Up: Ghent, Belgium