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Brussels and Bruges Travel Guide 2020


Hotel:

Crowne Plaza "Le Palace", Rue Gineste 3
https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/brussels/brube/hoteldetail
at Rogier station, less than 10 minutes from Brussel Noord and 10 minutes walk to city centre

Radisson RED Brussels, Rue d’idalie 35
next door to European Parliament, 5 minute walk to Trone Metro station, 15 minute walk to city centre

Tourist Information:

in the BIP, Rue Royale 2, and in the City Hall on Grand Place

Brussels Card:

available for 24, 48 or 72 hours
free admission to 41 museums in and around Brussels, as many times as you like, not temporary exhibitions
discounts in shops and restaurants
pay extra for use of public transport in Brussels
pay extra to include queue-free access to the Atomium

Eating:

Tout Bon
68 Rue du Luxembourg 68, Quartier Leopold
fantastic breakfast café with vast range of breads, near EU Parliament

Mer de Nord (Noordzee) fishmongers and open-air cafe
Sint-Katelijnestraat 45
https://noordzeemerdunord.be/
This is our TOP TIP for Brussels, and recommend the fish soup, the croquettes des crevettes, and a bottle of wine
CLOSED MONDAY

Aux Armes De Bruxelles, Rue des Bouchers 13
https://auxarmesdebruxelles.com/en/home-2/
historic Brussels brasserie, with continental cooking, from the man who used to run Chez Leon

Chez Leon, Rue des Bouchers 18
http://www.chezleon.be/en/
famous Brussels eaterie, portions are massive and décor a must-see

Exki
buffet-style salad bar and healthy food cafés at 14 city centre locations

Restaurant Portofino, Rue de Luxembourg 60
family-run Italian restaurant near hotel and EU Parliament

Shopping:

Melting Pot Kilo, Rue Des Poissonniers 2
also Rue Haute 154 Hoogstraat
https://meltingpotkilo.com/bourse/
A second-hand shop that sells clothes, yes, by the kilo - this means that ties are very cheap so stock up on some horrors!

Sights:

European Parliament in Brussels:
There are three buildings to visit. Bring your passport and expect airport-style security checks. No large bags.
Watch out for special events on their website. We visited on a Saturday in September, European Day of Languages, with all three open and lots of extra activities and displays. https://europarl.europa.eu/visiting/en/events/brussels/multilingualism-day-2019

Visitors Centre: Parlamentarium, Rue Wiertz 60
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/visiting/en/visitor-offer/brussels/parlamentarium
Multimedia guides lead visitors to the heart of the European Parliament, explaining the path towards European cooperation. Open seven days a week and entrance is free of charge.

European Parliament Hemicycle, Rue Wiertz 60
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/visiting/en/visitor-offer/brussels/hemicycle
This is the EU debating chamber in Brussels. Individual visitors can visit the Hemicycle with a multimedia guide, join a personalised briefing or follow plenary sessions.
Mon-Thu 9-4, Fri 9-12

House of European History, Rue Belliard 135
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/visiting/en/visitor-offer/brussels/house-of-european-history
The permanent exhibition guides visitors through European history, from Europe’s origins and evolution, to the descent into war and search for a better life.
Mon 1-9, Tue-Fri 9-6, Sat-Sun 10-6

listing all the museums on the Brussels Card and more

Coudenberg, Place des Palais 7 (enter through BELvue)
An underground palace dating from 12th Century, with mass of archaeological features. See Brussels from below!

Musical Instruments Museum, RueMontagne de la Cour 2


10am-5pm, not Monday, rooftop café

Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Place Royale
a collection of 6 museums, including Ancient Art, Modern Art and Magritte
Eurostar discounts within 24 hours of your ticket time https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/deals/2for1

BOZAR (Beaux-Arts), Rue Ravensteinstraat 23
https://www.bozar.be/en
Very modern art, which may not be to your taste, with usually 3 different priced exhibitions
Tickets are on sale across the road at #16
Tue-Sun 10-6 and Thu 10-9
Eurostar discounts within 24 hours of your ticket time https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/deals/2for1

Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and tower, Grand Place
https://www.brussels.be/city-hall
Guided tours Wednesday and Sunday

Atomium, Place de l'Atomium 1
https://www.atomium.be/Home/Index
Open daily 10-6, cost €16, book online to avoid the queue, or add to your Brussels Card when purchasing
Take metro line 6 in the direction of Koning Boudewijn / Roi Baudouin and get off at Heizel / Heysel station
The site of the 1958 Universal Exhibition, you can go inside and explore the history and the architecture, and see views over the city

Vieux Marche aux Puces, Place du Jeu de Balle, Marolles
http://www.marcheauxpuces.be/
An open air (literally "Flea") market, open daily from 6am to 2pm
To get there, go to Place Poelaert for a magnificent view over the roofs of the city, then take the glass lift down (north west side of the square) and cut through South and West to the Marolles district

Tintin Shop, Rue de la Colline 13
https://boutique.tintin.com/en/

Comics Art Museum, Rue des Sables 20

Cathedral, Rue du Bois Sauvage 15

halfway between Rue Royale and Grand-Place, this clock hangs on an arch above Mont des Arts. With symbolic figures and chimes and movement on the hour.

Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), Mont des Arts 28
https://www.kbr.be/en/plan-your-visit/
it hosts exhibitions, displays and guided tours




BRUGES:

When travelling Eurostar, you can select "Any Belgian Station" which is nominally around £10 extra each way, but can often be cheaper if the best "Brussels" direct tickets have gone. If you are in Eurostar Standard Premier, then you can travel First Class on Belgian trains.

Bruges is only an hour from Brussels, and is an easy change at Brussels Midi. It's a pretty, compact, tourist-oriented city, with enough to make a 2-day stay worthwhile.

Get a Museum Pass, rather than a City Card, especially in winter when there are no free boat trips and some attractions are closed. The best museums covered by the Pass are the Folklore Museum, the Hospital Museums (two of those), the Belfry (366 steps), the Archives, the City Hall, the Archaeology Museum (very good for children, best we've seen), and the Onze Lieve church.

Other paid-for attractions that are worthwhile include the Holy Blood Church on Burg, but not the Historium or the Chip Museum.
And for free, visit the Cathedral, and the outside of the Beguinage.

From the station, buses cost €3 (one zone) and you can catch numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, 11, 13, 14 or 16 to Markt. Much cheaper than a taxi. Or if on a day trip, it's only a 10 minute walk.

Eating:

Du Phare, Sasplein 2
https://duphare.be/
Take a pleasant walkpast the windmills on the eastern canal and Du Phare is at the northern lock. Great croquettes, steaks, pasta dishes, and many Belgian specialities.

The Olive Tree, Wollestraat 3
https://www.theolivetree-brugge.com/index.html
Just off Markt, this Mediterranean restaurant is pricey but has excellent food and service, and plenty of it. A sign of how it's rated so highly is that it is fully booked every night, no walk-ins! So pop in the night before to reserve, or call 050.33.00.81
CLOSED TUESDAYS

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