Brussels is a city that you can easily explore on foot. Places of interest such as Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert, St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Manneken Pis statue and etc. are centered around the Grand Place. The only exception is the Atomium which you need to take metro line 6 or tram line 7 to Heysel station.
The hotel I booked, Hotel The Moon is located just next to Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert. So this is where I began to explore Brussels after checking in to the hotel.
Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert is where you will find lots of shop selling Belgian chocolates.
Some of the more prominent chocolate shops are Leonidas, Mary, Neuhaus, Pierre Marcolini and Godiva, just to name a few.
There are stalls selling ice cream outside the chocolate shop and it is a popular snack to eat while visiting Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert.
There are also other shops like shop selling furniture, laces, and also cafes.
If you want to avoid the crowd during peak dining hours, it’s best to have an early lunch or dinner like I did. Mussels is a must-try dish in Brussels.
The restaurant I recommend is Chez Leon restaurant which is nearby Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert.
Not many know that children under the age of 12, accompanied by a relative, can eat free of charge, à la carte (excluding groups menus) at Chez Leon. So if you’re bringing children, they can eat for free.
Chez Leon is open from Sun – Thu (11.30am – 11pm) & Fri – Sat (11.30am – 11.30pm). The main course is of course mussels cooked in various ways.
It was early, and I had time to enjoy my meal leisurely in the restaurant. The mussels was good and I enjoyed my meal here.
Manneken Pis statue is well known in Brussels but not many know that there’s a girl version of it hidden in a small lane next to Chez Leon restaurant (see picture above).
This statue with a squatting position is called Jeanneke Pis. It is placed behind metal bars unlike the Manneken Pis statue which can be viewed in the open. The statue was built in 1985.
This fountain was built in honor of loyalty. It is said that your wish will be granted if you throw a coin into the bowl of the fountain.
Walking towards the Grand Place.
Passed by Everard 'T Serclaes. This reclining statue of a heroic 1300s Brussels citizen, is said to bring luck to those who touch it. It is also said that rubbing the arm will ensure one's return to Brussels. This is why the arm part is shining compared to the rest of the statue.
The Grand Place was packed with tourists busy taking photographs with the flower carpet.
The Adventures of Tintin is a comic created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi. You can see the wall paint of Tintin on the way to Manneken Pis.
Souvenir shops, chocolate shops and waffle shops lined the street before arriving the spot where the statue is.
The waffle shop I tried is Crepes Pannekoeken.
I was attracted by the giant chocolate Manneken Pis statue outside the shop.
The waffles look mouth-watering in photo. But in reality, the waffles displayed outside the shop attract lots of flies! Don’t worry, they will make you new ones once you place your order.
I chose strawberry, banana and chocolate toppings for my waffles. It was delicious for a few bites but a little too sweet to eat the whole waffle.
Another waffle shop opposite the one I tried.
After finishing my waffles, I finally had time to take photographs of the Manneken Pis statue. Manneken Pis is a landmark small bronze sculpture, depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin. Manneken Pis is sometimes dressed in costumes, but it was naked during my visit.
One of the legends stated that in the 14th century, Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city had held its ground for some time, so the attackers conceived of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Julianske happened to be spying on them, as they were preparing. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city.
I mostly take close-ups photographs of the statue because… look at the crowd of tourist surrounding the fountain!
According to this signage, the GardeRobe Mannekin Pis is only 2-minutes’ walk away but I just couldn’t find it. There is also a statue depicting a dog urinating against a marker (Het Zinneke) in Brussels, which can be seen as a reference to Manneken Pis, but not many know about it.
Le Carillon du Mont des Arts is a Jacquemart Carillion clock with 24 bells found on a arch of the Mont des Arts. There are 12 figurines that represent important historic and folkloric figures of Brussels. Jacquemart type clocks can be recognized by the character on top which marks every hour by striking the bell with a hammer.
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Brussels.
The cathedral dated back to 11th century. It has two imposing towers in front.
The Cathedral is open from Mondays to Fridays from 7am until 6pm, Saturdays from 8am until 6pm (visits only allowed until 3.30pm), Sundays from 8am until 6pm (visits only from 2pm). Entrance is free. It was closed while I was there. So I only managed to take photo of its exterior.
A small park in front of the cathedral.
Interesting signage and window display while walking around the city.
A smurf statue near the central station.
After that, I was back to the hotel to have some rest before heading out to Grand Place again to catch the Sound and light show which started at 9.30pm. If you want to get a good spot, you have to be there really early before it gets dark. The show was amazing (see my previous post).
If you want to explore the city when it was virtually empty, my advice is to stay in the heart of city and get up early before the tourists arrive. This is how Galleries Royal Saint-Hubert looks like in early morning.
The Grand Place.
Passed by the venue of Brussels Summer Festival.
View from Mont des Arts Gardens. I could see the the spire of Brussels' City Hall in the background.
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
Law Courts of Brussels at the end of the street is the most important court building in Belgium.
Palace of Coudenberg. A castle overlooked Brussels from Coudenberg hill existed from the middle ages. From the 12th century, the successive monarchs and their representatives transformed a small fortified castle into a sumptuous residential palace.
The palace is open from Tuesday to Friday: 9.30 to 17.00, Weekend + July and August + Belgian school holidays: 10.00 to 18.00. Entrance fee is EUR 7, under age 18 free.
Official website: https://coudenberg.brussels/en
Walking back to the city centre where I had my breakfast before taking a train to Dinant.
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